The sculpture was scheduled to be exhibited for several weeks in St Mary's Cathedral in Linz, Austria.

"The intolerance, backwardness and lack of enlightenment in the Catholic Church is frightening" says Theresa Limberger. She spent 200 hours carving the figure which is based on a concept of Austrian artist Esther Strauss.

Aggression and intolerance

The sculpture of Our Lady was displayed at the cathedral as part of the DonnaStage art installation project on women's roles, family images and gender equality, the Linz Diocese said in a statement.

A guest book at the exhibition records visitors' strong feelings about the sculpture.

"There were definitely a lot of verbally aggressive and disturbing notes" says Martina Resch, co-initiator of the project.

"I was prepared for verbal statements. However, I would not have expected that the work with which I spent so much time would be destroyed" Limberger says.

Controversial idea

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former prefect of what is now the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, is concerned about the controversy.

"If a pictorial representation of the birth of Jesus causes offence among the faithful and causes division in the church, the aim of Christian and especially sacred art has been missed" he says.

Alexander Tschugguel praises Müller. He is an Austrian traditionalist Catholic responsible for the so-called "Pachamama" act of vandalism during the Vatican's 2019 Amazon synod.

"I am happy that Cardinal Müller again defends the Church and especially our Lady!" he says.

Regardless of what people think, beheading the sculpture was wrong says Father Johann Hintermaier, the episcopal vicar for education, art and culture in the Linz Diocese.

"We were aware that we were also provoking debate with this installation.

"If we have hurt people's religious feelings we are sorry, but I strongly condemn this violent act of destruction, the refusal to engage in dialogue and the attack on the freedom of art" he wrote in a diocesan statement.

He says Strauss also condemned the attack.

"Most portraits of the Virgin Mary were made by men and have therefore often served patriarchal interests" Strauss said.

Her artwork gives Our Lady her body back, she added.

Resch, a theologian, said in the diocesan statement that the sculpture "is a very poetic work that shows the natural birth of Jesus. Mary is shown in her vulnerability but also in her strength".

She said that from a theological perspective "the work is a strong affirmation of God's incarnation". The statement added that she was deeply affected by the "brutality towards the female figure".

Source

• NCR
• The Guardian

No doubt, they are even more irritated that their continuous offers to mediate or facilitate discussions between the two countries, which the Cardinal Secretary of State repeats nearly every day, have been rejected by the Kremlin with a resounding nyet!

The 85-year-old pope is world-famous as a man of peace and dialogue. During his nine years in office he has emerged as one of the globe's most persistent advocates for fraternal and harmonious relations between all peoples and nations.

And using the moral bully pulpit that is unique to the Roman papacy, he has overtaken the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (often called the "Green Patriarch") as the planet's leading religious leader on ecological, environmental and human life issues.

But it seems there is nothing the pope can do right now regarding the abominable situation in Ukraine, except promote humanitarian efforts by donating money and Church personnel. And, obviously, he can pray and urge others to pray for peace.

Francis is the master of symbolic gestures. And one of the earliest ones he performed after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24 was to personally go to the Russian Embassy in the Holy See.

Many hailed this as breaking with protocol (something the Jesuit pope clearly relishes) and a way to emphasise his displeasure with Moscow for the attack.

But another version of what happened claims he first tried to telephone Putin and then the ambassador. When they refused to take his call, he went and knocked on the envoy's door, which is located in a Vatican-owned building a few blocks from St. Peter's Square.

Francis, though rebuffed, did not give up. He continued to appeal for peace, careful not to call out Russia in order to "keep open a door" for negotiations, presumably involving the Vatican in some capacity.

Still nothing, despite his carefully worded remarks aimed at not offending the Russians. Employing linguistic acrobatics, the pope has been increasingly critical and pointed in his appeals, leaving no doubt that he is angered and anguished by Putin's relentless onslaught.

Getting nowhere with Putin or the Moscow Patriarch

A full three weeks after the invasion, Francis finally turned to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. Or did Kirill turn to him?

It is not clear who initiated the video conversation the two Christian leaders had this past Wednesday.

The patriarch also had a similar tete-a-tete the same day with the Archbishop of Canterbury, either before or after his online encounter with the pope.

The Moscow Patriarchate and the Vatican issued separated communiques with general information about the conversation Kirill and Francis had. The fact that they did not issue a single, joint statement — whether because they failed or did not even try — is not a promising sign.

The Russian government and the Russian Orthodox Church have long mistrusted the Vatican and the Roman Church. The meeting the pope and the patriarch had in 2016 in Cuba was indeed an extraordinary and historic moment. But it was only that — a moment.

Kirill is evidently more interested in promoting Russian imperialism rather than Christian unity.

No one should expect him to do anything to even suggest to Putin that Francis and his Vatican aides can help bring to end what is happening in Ukraine in way that is satisfactory to the Kremlin or the Moscow Patriarchate.

The pope's "last ditch effort"

That leaves a pope eager to help on behalf of all humanity with few options except to keep hanging around in front of Russia's door and to continue making symbolic gestures.

Francis has decided it's time to make a "Hail Mary" pass, a football phrase coined in 1975 that means "a last-ditch effort".

He's announced that he intends to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary during a March 25 liturgy in St Peter's Basilica. And he wants all the bishops in the world to also perform this same pious act simultaneously with him.

According to child visionaries of the Marian apparitions that allegedly took place in 1917 in Fatima (Portugal), the Blessed Virgin Mary is said to have called on the pope and all the world's bishops to consecrate Russia to her "immaculate heart" as a condition for world peace.

Make of this what you will. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger pointed out in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's "theological commentary", the alleged apparitions and message of Fatima are considered a "private revelation".

"Such a message can be a genuine help in understanding the Gospel and living it better at a particular moment in time; therefore it should not be disregarded," he said.

But then he added: "It is a help which is offered, but which one is not obliged to use."

The Fatima fanatics

However, those who do use this message — and, different from Ratzinger, believe all Catholics are obliged to follow it — believe Russia's consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is essential for world peace and the preservation of the Catholic faith.

Even though the consecration has already been performed numerous times by numerous popes (Pius XII, Paul VI and John Paul II), Fatima fanatics have always claimed that those were not valid.

They even refused to believe the words of the last surviving visionary — Sister Lucia — who said the consecration John Paul carried out on March 25, 1984 "has been done just as Our Lady asked".

None of the popes specifically named Russia for political (and ecumenical) reasons, given the geopolitical situation of the post-World War II and Cold War era in which they were living.

But John Paul made it clear in 1984 that Russia was indeed being consecrated. And he insisted that it was done so for once and for all.
Russia is part of "all nations".

"The power of this consecration lasts for all time and embraces all individuals, peoples and nations. It overcomes every evil that the spirit of darkness is able to awaken, and has in fact awakened in our times, in the heart of man and in his history," the Polish pope said in the prayer.

The "act of entrustment" and consecration took place during the Holy Year of Redemption, which marked the 1950th anniversary of Christ's death and resurrection. The Jubilee began on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) 1983 and was concluded on Easter Sunday (April 22) 1984.

"In a special way we entrust and consecrate to you those individuals and nations which particularly need to be thus entrusted and consecrated," John Paul — and all the world's bishops — said on March 25, 1984.

"From famine and war, deliver us. From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us," said one segment of the prayer.

But the Fatima fanatics — and that is what they are — have not accepted this. They see the alleged apparitions and their message as a magical prophecy of what will happen if certain things — liked consecrating Russia — are not meticulously carried out.

Faith and reason

But Ratzinger rejected this sort of nonsense.

"It should be kept in mind that prophecy in the biblical sense does not mean to predict the future but to explain the will of God for the present, and therefore show the right path to take for the future," he said.

"A person who foretells what is going to happen responds to the curiosity of the mind which wants to draw back the veil on the future," he added.

And when the Vatican finally revealed the so-called "third secret" of Fatima, the former CDF prefect and future pope said this:

Insofar as individual events are described, they belong to the past. Those who expected exciting apocalyptic revelations about the end of the world or the future course of history are bound to be disappointed.

Fatima does not satisfy our curiosity in this way, just as Christian faith in general cannot be reduced to an object of mere curiosity.

What remains was already evident when we began our reflections on the text of the "secret": the exhortation to prayer as the path of "salvation for souls" and, likewise, the summons to penance and conversion.

"Allow me to add here a personal recollection," Ratzinger said at one point in the theological explanation.

"In a conversation with me, Sister Lucia said that it appeared ever more clearly to her that the purpose of all the apparitions was to help people to grow more and more in faith, hope and love — everything else was intended to lead to this," he said.

Pope Francis will likely reiterate this next week when he consecrates Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And, hopefully, he will insist that this act is symbolic, as were the words and images the child-visionaries at Fatima allegedly heard and saw.

This is not some magic trick or commercial exchange — a consecration in exchange for peace.

The high priests of our time, including the Bishop of Rome, must focus principally on leading the Christian people in prayer and help them grow more firmly in faith, hope and love.

Everything else is in the hands of God. Read more

Source

• La Croix
• Image: Vatican News

Sky News host Peter Gleeson described the artwork as "disgusting", saying "this is not art, it's a middle finger to the Catholic Church".

"Imagine if this was the prophet Muhammad that was satirised in this way," he said. Source

"With regard to the international phenomenology, they are very similar," Hoser says.

"These [Lourdes, Fatima and Medjugorje] are certainly the three greatest pilgrimage sites. Here [at Medjugorje] we have two and a half million pilgrims a year."

Hoser's comparison of Medjugorje with Lourdes and Fatima has raised hopes that official confirmation of Medjugorje as may be possible.

"Lourdes is a great shrine based on the dogmatical truth about the Immaculate Conception and it tells us about the identity of the Mother of God, Hoser says.

"Fatima gives us a look at the contemporary history of the world, the current as well as the future."

Medjugorje's most important characteristic is "the power of grace" he says.

Between these three sites, Hoser says "there is a kind of spiritual solidarity and bondage."

"The power of grace that is felt here, the power of God's words here proclaimed, make us witnesses to many radical transformations that are happening here.

Hoser notes Medjugorje has become "the confessional of the world" .

It offers 35 confessionals with priests hearing confessions in seven different languages, with "a constant line of penitents at all hours."

Many priests say the confessions make them believe there's a supernatural grace in Medjugorje.

In regard to the apparitions of Our Lady some citizens have allegedly experienced over the past 30 years since they were children, Hoser says the Church's position continues to be "let's wait and see."

"In general terms, the message of peace that emerges from the Medjugorje phenomenon is always valid," he says.

Source

• Crux Now
• Total Croatia News
• Image: kirche-und-leben.de

The RosaryCoastToCoast website opens with a "clarion call to arms":

"We are at war. A war without borders. No one is exempt. The bloodless battle affects us all… No man is exempt. No woman excused. The fight has come full force."

Now there is "a clarion call of the Holy Spirit to engage in spiritual warfare through prayer, fasting, and sacrifice."

Our Lady gave a clarion call at Quito, LaSalette, Fatima, Akita and other apparitions. Read more

Judge Jocelyn Matta ordered them to memorise verses from the holy Qur'an's Surat Al-Omran. This chapter glorifies Our Lady and Jesus.

One of the verses featured hails the Virgin Mary as one of the most esteemed women in the world.

The Virgin is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur'an and she is among only eight people to have a Quranic chapter named after them.

Mary is honoured in several Islamic texts, including the Al-Omran surah, which reads: "And [mention] when the angels said, 'O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds'".

Although Islam does not consider Jesus a deity nor the son of God, it holds Christ in high esteem. He is regarded as Prophet Muhammad's precursor and one of God's most prominent messengers.

Islam considers Jesus a Messiah. Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad came to complete Jesus' message, rather than to refute it.

Judge Matta said her sentence aimed to educate the young men on Islam's reverence for the Virgin Mary. She said she wanted them to learn about Islam's reverence for the mother of Christ, calling the law 'a school and not just a prison'.

The sentence was so unexpected it has "gone viral" on social media.

This is because Lebanon has strict religious contempt laws: anyone accused of offending a religion or belief can face up to three years in jail.

Lebanon's prime minister Saad Hariri said the sentence was the "epitome of justice" and promotes co-existence between Muslims and Christians together through the "teaching of common ideas".

Source

• Christian Today
• Variety
• Step Feed
• Image: Walsingham

The new name was ordered by Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Abu Dhabi crown prince and deputy supreme commander of the United Arab Emirate armed forces.

He ordered the mosque be renamed to "consolidate bonds of humanity between followers of different religions." Read more

The women's ordeal started last week when ISIS fighters entered the church-run sanctuary in Kirkuk where the women were living.

Kirkuk is about 60 kilometres to the south of Mosul.

Speaking through an interpreter, the women said it was about 4am when they heard gunfire and explosions outside.

Hearing people in the building, the women, who had already wrapped themselves in blankets to protect themselves from stray bullets, hid and prayed the rosary.

The fighters then came into the room the women were hiding in, using it as a refuge to eat, pray and hide from Iraqi Army forces.

They also used the beds to care for two of their fighters who were wounded.

"Father, help us," one of them texted Father Roni Momika, a young priest in Erbil who ministers to displaced Christians.

"Are you in contact with the army?"

"Pray to the Virgin Mary. She will protect you" he replied.

I was speaking with them all the time," Momika says.

He says there was "a strong girl" who told him "Father, I will continue speaking with you and tell you all our news and what ISIS is saying."

Momika and the young women say their survival is a miracle as ISIS didn't see them.

Afterwards, one of the girls told Momika "when ISIS entered our room, they didn't see us [and] we feel that the Virgin Mary closed their eyes from seeing us."

Source

• CNN
• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Holy Mass images

Father Merton D'Silva, who is the assistant at the St Ambrose parish church next door to the children's school, said archdiocesan authorities have taken a "wait-and-see" approach to the apparitions. The children attend St Ambrose Church and Lower Primary School near Kochi, a major port city on the south-west coast of India.

The alleged apparitions began when one of the children put some holy water in her ear to heal it. She told her fellow students that the water immediately helped her ear.

When the children left the school to pray in the church, they saw in the sky a vision of Christ being scourged. Reciting the name of Jesus, they went into the church to thank God for healing the girl's ear. Many of the children say they saw Our Lady, who spoke to them.

A week after the 28 September apparitions, the children again claimed to see Our Lady. Adults in the church with them could not see anything, but confirmed they could smell jasmine. Many of them say they received the gift of contrition as they prayed.

A priest asked the children to point out exactly where they could see Our Lady. The congregation say they saw a bright light and the priest says he felt someone patting his head.

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Vultus Christi

A French Catholic group Œuvre d'Orient dedicated to helping persecuted Christians, has sent the statues to Iraqi Kurdistan, which has a majority Catholic population.

Once they arrive, they will be carried in procession through the town before being blessed and sent to their parishes.Read more

Bishop Ratko Peri's post comes hard on the heels of Polish Archbishop Henryk Hoser's visit to Medjugorje.

Hoser is in Medjugorje for Pope Francis to acquire "a deeper knowledge of the pastoral situation there, and, above all, of the needs of the faithful who go there on pilgrimage, and on the basis of this, to suggest possible pastoral initiatives for the future."

Peri says he has never believed Our Lady of Peace has been appearing to six visionaries from St James Church, Medjugorje since 1980.

In his view, the apparitions "are nothing more than a manipulation by the visionaries and priests who work in the Saint James church that doubles as a pilgrimage welcoming center".

Three visionaries claim Our Lady still visits them daily, while the others claim an annual visitation.

Bishop Peric says there have been three other investigations.

Two were from diocesan commissions: one from 1982-1984 and another from 1984-1986.

The third investigation was from the Yugoslavian bishops' conference. It took place between 1987 and 1990.

None of the investigations could affirm Our Lady's appearance.

Medjugorje is a Bosnia-Herzegovinan village. It was unknown until the alleged apparitions brought it to world attention.

Source

• Catholic News Service
• Crux
• Image: www.magic-croatia.hr

Poor old Christmas: attacked on one side by rabid secularism, and on the other by demented consumerism. Never stood a chance.

Those of us who like our Christmases to be strictly religious are really in for a tough time. Of course, if you loathe it altogether, you are really quite lucky, as you can go to one of the several countries that have in fact made Christmas celebrations illegal, such as Saudi Arabia or North Korea.

If you want to have a purely religious celebration, one needs to make a different journey, an interior one, into one's own soul, as well as into one's parish church.

At present, we are well placed for this spiritual journey, as we do not only have the season of Advent to help us should we choose to observe it properly, and keep Christmas at the appropriate time, that is, not before the evening of December 24; we also have two great Marian feasts approaching: the Immaculate Conception, and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The first of these underlines the perfect co-operation that exists between the Divine and the human as seen in the figure of Our Blessed Lady filled with grace from the moment of her conception, anticipating as she does the grace won for us by Christ her Son. As Mary is, so all Christians should aspire to be; as Mary is, all Christians can be, thanks to the grace of Christ.

Mary reminds us that God does not have low expectations of humanity, and we should not have low expectations of ourselves either. The Immaculate Conception is the feast of humanity, being the feast of the greatest and most spotless of human beings, the sole boast of our fallen nature.

In this it resembles Christmas, that other feast of, among other things, humanity and human warmth, being the birth of the blessed child of Bethlehem. Continue reading

• Alexander Lucie-Smith is a Catholic priest, doctor of moral theology and consulting editor of The Catholic Herald.

Several months ago I wrote about the exciting and encouraging developments that are taking place at our own national shrine at Walsingham.

It seems that Walsingham is not being renewed in isolation. Shrines of Our Lady around the world are experiencing new growth and interest from a fresh generation of pilgrims who are seeking our Lady's intercession. Here are some of the lesser known shrines where the future looks very hopeful.

The Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, south India

Often referred to as the Lourdes of the East, devotion to Our Lady at Velankanni can be traced back to the mid-16th century. The foundation of the shrine is attributed to three miracles and apparitions of Our Lady and the Child Jesus.

The accounts of the apparitions have been handed down by oral tradition and have not received approval of The Holy See.

The original chapel was a simple thatched building which was built by Portuguese sailors as a thanksgiving. The present main church building has a strikingly gothic exterior and is painted brilliant white which ensures that it stands prominently within its surroundings.

The Church was granted the status of a minor basilica by Pope John XIII in 1962.

One unique focus of devotion is Our Lady's pool. Some time during the 16th century, Our Lady with her infant son was reported to have appeared to a Hindu boy carrying milk to a customer's home.

Our Lady asked for milk for her Son. On reaching the customer's home, the boy apologised for his lateness and explained why he had less milk than when he set off. Continue reading

Sources

• Catholic Herald, from an article by Fr Matthew Pittam, a priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham.
• Image: Window into Heaven