If the story is accurate, the man is eligible to be made a Cardinal in a strictly legal sense - or would that be the rigorist, pelagian, pharisaical approach. In the Pope Francis sense, he is in a real marriage - with all the graces of marriage, so that might make him ineligible. How, in a poor country like Bolivia, does he support a wife (well, partner in a grace of marriage filled union) and children?
Edward Pentin @EdwardPentin More In response to reports (https://adelantelafe.com/escandalo-francisco-nombra-cardenal-a-obispo-casado-y-con-hijos/ …) that Bolivian Cardinal-Designate Bishop Toribio Ticona, 81, has a "wife" and "children," I've asked #Vatican to confirm whether story is true, and if so, whether the #Pope knew of it before he named him Cardinal. Will post updates
How bad is it that I momentarily thought “ok, on a scale with all the other scandals, including priests in the Vatican caught at homosexual orgy parties, how bad is this?” Ugh, that’s a terrible sign of the times to even have that thought
In our diocese, if we learned a priest was having an affair with an adult woman, we thought, “Well, thank heavens he’s straight...”
Yes, except for the families which are torn apart over such events and devastated. It is very sad, especially when children are involved. These scandals follow the family members for years afterward, especially in small towns.
Liz Yore nails it. Again. Friday, May 25, 2018 Anatomy of a Coverup: An Open Letter to Pope Francis Written by Elizabeth Yore “It is the Argentine attitude: Suppress and ignore”—V.S. Naipaul 'I was part of the problem' Pope Francis was quoted telling the Chile abuse victims. Your Holiness, No. You weren’t part of the problem... you are the entire problem. You appointed and elevated a predator protector. For three years, you steadfastly protected him, despite overwhelming evidence that he should be removed as Bishop and from priestly ministry. You suppressed and ignored a tsunami of requests, pleas and evidence about Bishop Juan Barros’ complicity and involvement with predator priest, Fr. Fernando Karadima. In 2011, Karadima was removed from his priestly duties and banished to a life of penitence, after a guilty finding at the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. You made a mockery of your self-proclaimed, “zero tolerance policy.” Your arrogance and clericalism blinded you to the obvious and sustained pleas of the abuse victims of Karadima and Barros. You dismissively scorned all the protestations from Chile, like the clever dictator pope that you are. You believed that threatening and deriding victims would silence them. After all, your Bergoglian strong-arm tactics worked so well throughout your years in Buenos Aires as Bishop and Cardinal. As you told your buddy, Rabbi Skorka, in the book On Heaven and Earth, "In my diocese it (clergy sex abuse allegations) never happened to me.” Nothing there, says Bergoglio. Yet, the Argentine media was replete with dozens of clergy sex abuse cases during the years that Bergoglio was Bishop and Cardinal in Buenos Aires. So you employed your cover-up tactics, employing well-worn denials and name calling with the Barros scandal. And you almost got away with it. Except for a photograph….. You foolishly misjudged these Karadima/Barros victims. Clergy sex abuse victims are some of the most broken and traumatized of sex abuse victims. They seldom possess the perseverance and strength to challenge Church bureaucracy, especially the Vatican hierarchy, and the Pope himself. You arrogantly thought that if you lashed out at them, calling them ‘slanderers’, and haughtily dismissed their protests, that they would fade away, like most clergy sex abuse victims. It worked in the past for you as Cardinal of Buenos Aires. Better yet, now, you are the powerful Pope, the Vicar of Christ. Yet, you misjudged these Karadima survivors. These men are damaged, but unbowed. They were not intimidated by your notorious temper and scurrilous scorn. These men had survived the worst imaginable abuse and they were not going to be silenced by your repeated empty threats and vicious verbal assaults. You never expected that the Karadima/Barros victims would outsmart you. Despite the vicious abuse they suffered, these men are smart, persistent. They possessed power; it’s called the Truth. They knew that they needed demonstrable proof that you, Pope Francis were aware of the specific allegations of horrendous abuse by Fr. Karadima while Bishop Barros watched and did nothing. Imagine, the anger and shock felt by these victims toward a priest who watched their abuse and did nothing. Nothing. Imagine their fury when they learned that you honored and elevated Barros, as Bishop of Osorno? You were cornered when the world saw the photograph of the envelope detailing the abuse suffered at the hands of Fr. Karadima by Juan Carlos Cruz. The photographic evidence and documentation handed to Cardinal Sean O’Malley by Marie Collins in April 2015. Gotcha. You were cornered when Cardinal O’Malley told the victims that Juan Carlos Cruz’s letter was given to Pope Francis. It would be nearly 3 more years when that photograph would finally surface for all the world to see that you were given evidence, the sordid evidence of Barros' utter unsuitability for any clerical role. Below is the timeline of your coverup. It establishes uncontrovertibly that you possessed knowledge about the reprehensible conduct and unsuitability of Juan Barros. You waged a personal, very public, media campaign to destroy any critics of Bishop Barros. You personally defended Barros and excoriated the Barros victims. Your own Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the CDF) investigated this case had reams of files and documents about the Karadima case and Bishop Barros. You refused to listen to anyone who possessed the facts and the truth. The Case Against Francis This is the case against Pope Francis for ignoring and failing to adhere to his own zero tolerance guidelines: Jan. 31, 2015 Letter from the Chilean Bishop Conference to the Vatican protesting the appointment of Bishop Barros- Ignored and Suppressed Feb. 2015-A month later, over 1300 Catholics in Osorno, along with 30 diocesan priests, and several members of the Chilean Parliament sent a letter to Pope Francis urging him to rescind the appointment of Bishop Barros which was scheduled for March 21, 2015. The letter was given to Pope Francis, yet the appointment was not rescinded by Francis. As the Osorno Catholics would soon learn, Church internal politics trumps the will of the people in the pews. Ignored and Suppressed. Feb. 3, 2015-Juan Carlos Cruz delivers a letter to Vatican Ambassador objecting to the appointment of Bishop Barros, detailing Barros’ protection of Fr. Karadima. Ignored and Suppressed. Mar. 21, 2015- Barros Installation Mass Protest-Global Media carried footage of the massive protest by Chilean Catholics over the appointment of Barros. Ignored and Suppressed March 31, 2015-Francis’ Vatican publicly defends Bishop Barros saying it “carefully examined the prelate’s candidature and did not find objective reasons to preclude the appointment.” Ignored and Suppressed. April 2015-Members of the Pope’s Commission for the Protection of minors relate that in April 2015, they sent a delegation to Rome specifically to hand-deliver a letter to the Pope about Barros. Marie Collins gave the letter to Cardinal O’Malley and click the photo was taken and O’Malley conceded that he gave the letter to Francis. Suppressed and Ignored. May 2015 A video surfaces of Chileans in St. Peter’s Square personally plead with Pope Francis to rescind the appointment of Barros: On video, Pope Francis angrily calls them ‘stupid.’ Suppressed and Ignored. May 2015-Chilean Supreme Court issues a subpoena to the Vatican for information regarding Bishop Barros. Suppressed and Ignored January 2018-Papal Chilean Trip. Pope Francis again defends Barros appointment in an airplane press conference. Pope Francis says that “The day that they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, then I will speak. There is not a single piece of proof against him. Everything is slander. Is that clear?” He also said: “no one has come forward, they haven’t provided any evidence for a judgment. This is all a bit vague. It’s something that can’t be accepted.” In the Barros’ case, it was studied, and it was restudied. And there is no evidence…I don’t have any evidence to convict.” Suppressed and Ignored. Continue here: https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/in...-of-a-cover-up-an-open-letter-to-pope-francis
Now we see all the Bishops in Chile offered to resign and then nothing else Will we hear anything more on this, or is this just something that fades with time? Will Bishop Barros finally be accountable? The statement of Juan Cruz of the Pope Francis acceptance of homosexuality as normal? Silence? Sometimes silence can be deafening when answers should be forthcoming. Now we have Pope Francis intending to raise a resigned Bishop to Cardinal. I find that very confusing If Bishop Toribio Torcona has stepped down and Pope Benedict accepted his resignation ( according to Wikipedia) Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation on 29 June 2012.[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toribio_Ticona_Porco Why would Pope Francis want to raise someone to Cardinal who has retired?
Why is it that while all these progressives everywhere who suddenly know more than anyone else in history....such as believing that destabilizing the structures of universal natural laws and thus morality results in some kind of utopia in this always defective material world rather than the other way round....they can never get the focus off of themselves personally. They always find some willing platform to garner some personal pity and attention while they themselves refuse to show obedience and humility to the things that matter rather than just some external, phony show for the masses. They love their own image as expressed in never-ending "selfies" and/or leaked opinions to be eaten gladly by the "vomiters" of the illuminati messaging. So here is the type of display of historical confusion and complying rhetoric containing all of the usual Alinsky type targeting with language/definitional extremes....nicely and neatly boxing people into labeled groups that mean nothing when it comes to the salvation of souls. The aim isn't the person himself....they could care less for the means to their end, which is actually the destruction of the Chair of Peter and its God given authority. ‘Heretic’ in the Vatican Pope Francis faces pushback from the church’s arch-conservatives. (just the beginning here): ROME — “They call me a heretic.” Not the words you’d expect to hear from the head of the Roman Catholic Church. But that’s what Pope Francis told a group of fellow Jesuits in Chile earlier this year, acknowledging the fierce pushback from arch-conservatives in the Vatican. Celebrated by progressives around the world for his push to update and liberalize aspects of church doctrine, Francis is facing fierce blowback from traditionalists who take issue with his openness to Muslim migrants, his concern for the environment and his softer tone on divorce, cohabitation and homosexuality. Opposition has become so heated that some advisers are warning him to tread carefully to avoid a “schism” in the church. On becoming Pope, Francis set a new tone by setting up his headquarters in a humble guesthouse for priests rather than the grand apostolic palace — a gesture of humility that carried with it an implied criticism of past excesses. He also did away with the system of automatically giving a cardinal’s hat to bishops in certain posts. Conservatives have been irked by some of his more liberal stances. In 2015, Francis ordered every parish to host two refugee families. And last week, in his most explicit acceptance of homosexuality yet, he told a gay Catholic that God had made him that way and that his sexuality “does not matter.” ....... By rendering doctrine more ambiguous, Francis is effectively undermining the church’s authority and reducing the role of priests to that of companion and advisers to their parishioners — a thorny issue that dates back to the Vatican II reforms of the 1960s, according to one diplomat. “The battle is between [loyalty to retired Pope] Benedict, vestments, liturgy and rules, and Pope Francis, who wants priests to use their own judgment and humanity in their reading of individual situations,” the diplomat said. ....... The rebellion has grown to include not just arch-conservatives but also more middle-of-the-road Catholics who adhere to the church’s teachings on abortion and marriage and resent Francis’ flexible approach. ........ Deviating from doctrine is bad enough.But Francis is also under fire from the Vatican’s civil service, known as the Roman Curia. With John Paul II ill for the last 10 years of his life and Benedict XVI little inclined to engage in matters of the mundane, the Curia was used to running itself, said David Willey, author of “The Promise of Francis.” For close to 20 years, the Vatican was “rudderless.” The Curia Francis inherited was riddled with financial irregularities, and inclined to lobbies and leaks. Cardinal Bertone, the pope’s No. 2 when he took over in 2013, called it “a nest of vipers and crows” after he was sacked. “There are factions, pockets of opposition,” said Willey. “It’s a very cliquey organization.” ......... "If Francis can hold on for several more years until he can rally enough cardinals, he may be able to guarantee that his legacy is not lost. ....... (for someone painted as "frail" he certainly has accomplished a lot of his type's goal of destructive confusion) Despite Francis’ unflagging demeanor, there are signs that the personal attacks may be wearing him down. He has said that he avoids engaging with online haters for his own “mental health.” The fight, and the threat of a schism, won’t end with his death or retirement. For some faithful, he represents longed-for change and reform. “There is so much enthusiasm from the grassroots,” said a close ally. “Anyone trying to wind the clock back would find themselves alone in the church.” But if Francis fails to ensure a liberal succession before he’s gone, his conservative opposition could yet prevail. A pope’s real power lies in his mandate to appoint the cardinals who will vote in his successor, and there too Francis has been making strides. In June, he will hand out 14 new red hats, including three to key collaborators. At that point he will have selected 47 percent of the 125 voter-cardinals eligible to choose his successor, just shy of a majority. If Francis can hold on for several more years until he can rally enough cardinals, he may be able to guarantee that his legacy is not lost. “It’s a numbers game,” said Willey. MORE: https://www.politico.eu/article/pope-francis-heretic-vatican-liberal-conservative-war/
Blizzard, Thank you for posting this. I think that Elizabeth Yore is very brave. I feel like I had my head in the sand a little bit on this subject after watching the video that you posted. I had no idea that 80 priests in Chile were accused of sexual abuse. I knew of the allegations made against Bishop Juan Barros’ and I also knew that Fr. Fernando Karadima was proven to be an abuser. I also knew about the protests in Chile when Pope Francis visited there in January and that several churches were burnt down but I missed this news about 80 priests being accused until now and I suspect that many others did also. I mean, Steve Skojec appears to not have realized that the problem was this widespread also in the video that was posted on this thread in which he questioned why all of the Chilean bishops would have offered to resign. I just did a search on this on the Internet and several news stories popped up from this past January from the secular news but only one in Catholic news, NCR. This NCR article states that 80 may only be a fraction of the number of the clerics who are actually guilty of sexual abuse in Chile. Clergy abuse database releases new names in Chile January 10, 2018 https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/clergy-abuse-database-releases-new-names-chile Here is a link to an article which contains the list of priests accused of sexual abuse in Chile that is shown in the video that you provided. This link is also contained in the NCR article above, http://www.bishop-accountability.org/Chile/ (Warning on this one for it's content.) The following is from this link and is quite alarming imho, In Australia, which has half as many Catholics as Chile and a comparable number of active priests and brothers (around 5,000), a recently concluded government inquiry counted child sex abuse allegations against more than 1,100 male clergy. My first concern is for the victims and then for the Church's reputation but I do wonder what the accumulated costs will be for all of these probable related lawsuits. Some amounts are listed in the above link in the list of abusive clergy but this is only a fraction of the total I am sure. sunburst, Recently, I posted about another story regarding the situation in Chile since all of the bishops there offered to resign. One bishop in Chile has suspended 12 of his priests who have been accused of sexual abuse until a full investigation can be done. So, we'll see where this ends up going but only 12 suspended out of the 80 priests who have been formally accused of sexual abuse in Chile appears to be just a start. Chilean bishop suspends 12 priests, apologizes for not acting sooner May 21, 2018 https://www.catholicworldreport.com...-12-priests-apologizes-for-not-acting-sooner/ In addition, I just had this horrible thought - I wonder if the Vatican will try and use all of this as a means to promote the approval of married clergy. I realize that this has been attempted in the past. I don't know anything about the situation regarding retired Bishop Toribio Torcona other than what you have stated here but it does appear to be very strange.
I think we can count on this Carol. These people will do anything to tear down the Church as we know it.
g., Thank you for posting this. I didn't realize that the Vatican requested for this film to be made. I wonder if they paid for it to made also then. Here are some quotes from the article which really standout imo, 'It’s wrong to dignify this exercise in hagiography with the word “documentary.” It’s more akin to the kind of promotional video one might expect to see at a political convention – the kind that uncritically ballyhoos the accomplishments of the party’s nominee.' 'But what makes Pope Francis: A Man of His Word an utter failure is its refusal to engage the whole story of this papacy. Only a single, unspecific mention (at film’s end) is made concerning controversy, despite the fact that this is objectively the most divisive papacy since at least the last Medici (to be sure, for different reasons).' 'Clearly, Wenders intends to show a simple man trying to save the world, but it is salvation almost entirely in sociopolitical terms, which is why the documentary focuses on what are global political issues and presents the pope as the planet’s preeminent social-justice warrior. It’s not that I think this is a misread of Pope Francis; it may not be. At one point the pope says that the Church is not an NGO (non-governmental organization – examples: Greenpeace, Doctors without Borders), yet that’s pretty much the way Wenders’ focus makes it seem.'
That should be blatantly obvious to any casual observer of this pope and how he furthers his agenda. Again, don’t be fooled by what he says in sermons etc, watch what he does and who he promotes. “Personnel is policy.”
That's the link to an old Catechism; http://www.catholictradition.org/Children/catechism.htm' - I haven't been able to find a link to the old 'green catechism' but here is a link to the short version https://archive.org/details/shortcatechismex00nati There is also the Catechism of Christian Doctrine, the Baltimore edition on Project Gutenberg that can be downloaded:
I've always associated being a Catholic with things like eating fish on Fridays, nuns in habits. (not looking like one attached to some extreme feminist group); Priests on bicycles that did weekly parish rounds, and weren't out playing golf or at a homosexual nightclub. Proper Confessionals, (Saturdays), that were mysterious, and apprehensively preparing for your confession. A proper Chapel attached to olden times mysterious, and beautiful stain glassed windows that told stories. Now, I look around me, and irrespective of the parish, see nothing that matches those times I never liked passing a Chapel, and entering knelt to pray, prayers by candle-light, even in daylight, and unique, sometime sitting in contemplative thought of those who sat there maybe 50 years before. Traditionalist Catholics typically sought refuge in traditional doctrine and the established practices. Today, I see modern Catholics looking to, and/or participating in Charismatic Renewal as a means of restoring devotion, prayer and enthusiasm to their lives and their parishes. Parish priests, and bishops in particular downplaying the older traditions and ignoring those traditionalist movements that attempt to preserve the truth of who we are as Catholics, and what our Church should be. These modernists have adopted Charismatic Renewal (CR) into their dioceses. Now, while it may work for some, it's still a cult and there are genuine reasons why the Charismatic Renewal is not the best vehicle for promoting genuine Catholic spiritual development, but I'll visit that another day. Today, the Mass lacks any spirituality, Priests are being fast-forwarded through modern Catholic seminaries in a week, (Yes, I'm being sarcastic), but rushed through a new factory process without being taught anything of value, anything affiliated to what a traditionalist Catholic expects. Quality Control are passing what are in effect poor quality ministers and expect us to accept that because; they treat us with contempt, but again hand the plate around, and like mugs throw money their way. It's time to end that support of what is now in effect a false church, time to hold your donations back, find a traditional Catholic Church and go there. Now, depending on your parish, you may hear and see things that seem totally contradictory to what you'd always heard the Catholic Church teaches. Your new. coach may have a stronger emphasis on Israel, (Yes, the ones who murdered God). These new coaches are uninterested in what you think, and do not give a 'fiddlers' that the masses offered are more akin to Lutheran, Anglican, or their new faith community and nothing more than a celebratory meal, where Jesus is a guest. Where the Eucharist is treated with disrespect, from too many hands, chewing it like gum and talking to their mate on the way down from the top of the aisle. The altar rails are gone, thereby taking away the obligation to kneel. Naturally, this progression has you worried, because what you are experiencing is alien, maybe too Protestant. All the mystery, that holiness of a golden ancient era is gone, the exquisiteness missing, and new jigsawed ways replacing pieces discarded. It does not 'seem holy,' What is going on? The spirit of your church, of your parish, seems no longer Catholic? Ever since the time of the 'so-called enlightenment,' and up to maybe the mid-twentieth century. Many Popes warned with increasing fervour, of the enemies of the Church. That the errors were spreading. Errors, with roots going back to the Mystery of the synagogue of satan, of the Apocalypse, and with the new Vatican II enlightenment, began to evolve, and the new modernism is reflective of their presence. Astonishingly, the Bible's apocalyptic scriptures warns of this. The book of Revelation revealing their deceptive conspiracy, and whose ripples will one day sweep through this earth. They are an elite group responsible for virtually all wars, revolutions, financial disasters and social cataclysms. They are the people behind the pram, pushing this new movement of change; there's no baby in that pram, it was thrown out a long time ago for it's tantrums. Think of a yard brush sweeping aside traditional families on an Easter picnic, and those behind that brush, like those behind that pram, detesting anything that promotes Christian and family values. Their idea is to destroy both the institution of the Church and the faith of those who follow it; use the Church to destroy the faith through the promotion of a false Catholic religion. Using the atrocities that the church inflicted on people, was a must, after all the catholic church used and abused, in the name of God, and using the past against it, necessary to dismantle, and no one, not one Pope, did anything to bring those who perpetrated such acts to justice, and in moving them around, compounded the problem, because they didn't stop using their positions to take advantage of their flock. Therefore, we are at a stage where the Church of Rome is now, not the true Church, and I don't know about smoke entering it, but contempt certainly has. So, what are we to do?
Of course such declarations carry no weight with the globalist style of health systems it does stand for the helplessness of the victim which then makes the parents victims as well. After Alfie Evans, Vatican Issues ‘Charter of the Rights of the Incurable Child’ http://www.breitbart.com/london/201...atican-issues-charter-rights-incurable-child/
2 Thessalonians 2 The whole chapter obviously applies; 15 Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.*
etoa, Thank you for posting this. Although I have not read the charter itself and it may have no effect, I am still glad that this was done. From the article that you posted, In Monday’s roll-out of the Charter, Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, pulled no punches in his critique of the way the Alfie Evans case was treated. “It seems absurd that a judge’s sentence could overcome the relationship between a parent and his child,” the archbishop told attendees at the event. “When we end up handing over life to a judge’s decision, we are finished,” he said. “All of us.” This is the Crux article that is linked in the above quote, Losers in Charlie Gard, Alfie Evans cases look to the future Claire Giangravè May 29, 2018 https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2...ie-gard-alfie-evans-cases-look-to-the-future/ Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, speaks at a seminar at the Bambino Gesù on incurable children, Monday May 28. (Credit: Claire Gianggravè.) After Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans, the pope's hospital issues charter of rights for incurable children. ROME - Bunkered in the pope’s pediatric hospital on top of Rome’s Janiculum Hill, the losers in the battle to save the lives of Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans met Monday to discuss strategies going forward and present a charter of rights for incurable children. “It seems absurd that a judge’s sentence could overcome the relationship between a parent and his child,” said Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, to attendees at the seminar. “When we end up handing over life to a judge’s decision, we are finished,” he added. “All of us.” Protests, marches and demonstrations of support were not enough to convince the British government to move the toddler Alfie Evans, who suffered from a mysterious degenerative neurological condition, to the Vatican’s Bambino Gesù hospital in Rome for treatment, even after the Italian government made him a citizen. Despite these attempts, Alfie died on April 28, after being removed from life support against the wishes of his parents. His case, along with the similar one of the 11-month-old Charlie Gard, raised the debate concerning bioethics worldwide, splitting public opinion. While the families of Alfie and Charlie certainly lost a great deal in their battle, the group of diplomats, lawyers, doctors and bishops who met in Rome Monday also fought hard - and lost hard - in the quest to make their cases heard. “The parents asked us for careful attention, and we answered,” said Mariella Enoc, President of the Bambino Gesù, also hinting that their engagement was motivated by a direct papal nudge. If this were indeed a war room, Enoc would be the general. She has been an important player in these cases, offering for the children to be brought to Bambino Gesù for treatment, and even suggesting that Charlie might have been saved had he arrived in Rome in time. “The hospital couldn’t establish any type of dialogue,” she said, pointing to a lack of communication as one of the primary reasons for the failure to move the children to Rome and for their incapacity to galvanize public opinion in their favor. Now, as tensions have eased, the losers are rallying the ranks and preparing for the next opportunity which will most likely spiral onto the global stage through trending hashtags and 24-hour news cycles. “We must not pay attention to the single media-intense cases, but look for paths going forward,” Enoc said, suggesting a shift away from division and controversy toward dialogue and practical solutions. As part of a new armory for the defense of human life, the hospital has deployed a “charter of rights for incurable children,” with ten points, which, in many ways, trace the stories of the Alfie and Charlie cases. Incurable children have a right to “a good relationship” with medical staff, the charter says, as well as the right to a second medical opinion, “the best experimental cures,” and “transnational sanitary mobility.” These children, like all children, must have access to palliative care and to psychological and spiritual accompaniment, the document states. “We have decided to care for incurable children from every part of the world,” Enoc said, adding that this is a “complicated choice,” given the expense it implies. At the same time, the hospital has been recovering from a financial scandal that hit its former leadership. Vatican indicts two ex-officials of children’s hospital for financial crimes “We don’t do this because we are good, nor because we are the pope’s hospital, but because we believe in life, we believe in the Gospel,” she said. Elsewhere, successes for the pro-life movement in Europe have been scarce. The north has permissive legislation in terms of euthanasia, and in the Netherlands and Belgium, even minors can have access to assisted suicide. Recently, Ireland’s vote legalizing abortion has dealt a powerful blow to what was once a bastion of Catholicism in the West. Silvia Costa, a member of the European parliament, has been a strong advocate for the need for better legislation on these issues, and in particular incurable children, in Europe. After all, she said, Alfie and Charlie were both European citizens and therefore entitled to travel freely in search of better treatment. “Every time you have go to a judge, who in the case of the United Kingdom is relatively autocratic, for such a delicate matter, I believe it’s a failure,” Costa said. According to most of the speakers at the seminar, better collaboration and understanding between doctors and families is key to avoiding legal trials and appeals. Paglia insisted on the importance of a “therapeutic alliance” between parents and medical personnel. “The Pontifical Academy for Life is committed in every way that this alliance may never be interrupted,” he said. To this end, he added, the Academy is creating a group tasked with following similar cases, including those not involving children. This committee, he added, will act as a sentinel, formulating outlooks for public use, and “favoring a culture of life that is always shared, accompanied, defended and promoted.” Such initiatives will help to offer clarity in a somewhat crowded media environment, where reliable information is hard to find, organizers agreed. “Having careful, precise documentation in order to make judgements with full awareness wasn’t easy,” Paglia said. During the initial phases of the Gard case in the Summer of 2017, the academy was criticized for a statement which, according to certain pro-life camps, appeared to express sympathy for a court ruling preventing the parents from pursuing experimental treatment in the U.S. to combat his life-threatening disease. It was Pope Francis who cleared the air, by taking to twitter to proclaim his support for Gard and the defense of life. He then tapped Enoc to try and bring the infant to Rome, a similar approach to the one he took later in the Alfie case. Pope Francis backs parents in UK’s Charlie Gard drama Italian Bishop Daniele De Luca, from the earthquake-stricken diocese of Carpi, had a crucial role in putting Alfie’s family in communication with the pope. He was the one who got the family’s letter on Francis’s desk, two days before the pope tweeted out his support. After it was announced that Alfie would be taken off life support, De Luca planned an audience between the pope and Alfie’s father, Thomas. The meeting sent a clear message that the pope, his bishops and his hospital take a strong stand in defense of life. Now, a month later, the losers in these cases are assessing their successes and their failures. While some were skeptical that there could be a silver lining for the staunch defenders of life on the Old Continent, others hoped that the stories of Charlie and Alfie might have not just tugged hearts, but also changed minds. “I have received thousands of messages expressing preoccupation for the fate of humanity,” De Luca said, but many more, he added, were impassioned in their pro-life beliefs and ready to fight the battle to come.
