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May 2012

Peace be with you
 (Saturday, 26 May 2012 )

In the account of Pentecost from the Gospel according to St. John, Jesus enters the locked room where the disciples were hiding in fear and greets them with the words, “Peace be with you.”
 
During the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the Chinese character for peace (和) was also shown three times during the description of the invention of the printing press.
 
In Chinese, the character has three...
Pentecost Sunday
 (Saturday, 26 May 2012 )

MAY 27 – PENTECOST SUNDAY.
Mass of the solemnity, Gloria, Sequence, Creed, preface for Pentecost (red).
Readings:
Acts 2:1-11; 

1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13;
John 20:19-23.



MAY 28 – MONDAY: EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME.
Mass of the day (green).
Readings:
1 Peter 1:3-9;
Mark 10:17-27.



MAY 29 – TUESDAY: EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME.
Mass of the day (green).
Readings: 

1 Peter 1:10-...

Former head of Caritas fears for its future with loss of independence
 (Saturday, 26 May 2012 )

LONDON (SE): A former secretary general of Caritas Internationalis, Duncan MacLaren, told the English journal, The Tablet, that he fears for the future of Caritas under the new arrangement bringing it under the control of the Vatican Curia through its pontifical council, Cor Unum.
 
In the May 12 issue of The Tablet, MacLaren describes Caritas as being one of the most important humanitarian aid agencies in the world, as it is supported by legions of donors and...
Dialogue with North agenda for new archbishop of Seoul
 (Saturday, 26 May 2012 )

SEOUL (AsiaNews): “Dialogue with North Korea, but especially the defence of life in an increasingly secular society” are the challenges facing the new archbishop of Seoul, Father Luke Kim said of his new bishop, Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, who was appointed on May 10.
 
“He was auxiliary for a long time and the retirement of Nicolas Cardinal Cheung Jin-suk was due to his age. Now the new pastor will have to address those issues that have...
A bit of etymology goes a long way in relating to nature
 (Saturday, 26 May 2012 )

HONG KONG (SE): In appreciating the value of the environment we live in, a little bit of etymology can go a long way, the prefect of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Peter Cardinal Turkson, says in an article published on May 13 in OSV Newsweekly.
 
He points out that the word environment comes from the French, virer, to turn or veer, and environ, meaning around, from which we get the English word, surroundings.
 
...
Good formation of the laity essential to a mature faith life
 (Saturday, 26 May 2012 )

Each Pentecost, the bishop of Hong Kong celebrates a Mass for the newly-baptised at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, marking the end of the Period of Mystagogy and the completion of the process of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Since last year, the number of new Catholics has grown to the point that the Mass has to be celebrated twice. This should be greeted with joy and reflects the fruit of evangelisation efforts through which many have heard God’s call...
Blessing of a child in the womb ready for use
 (Saturday, 26 May 2012 )

WASHINGTON (SE): The Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb was formally released for use in dioceses around the United States of America on May 8.
 
The text of the blessing has been published in English and Spanish and is posted online. It will also be published in print form in the Book of Blessings and included in future liturgical books.
 
“We hope the use of this blessing will provide not only support and God’...
Faith and same-sex marriage and politics
 (Saturday, 26 May 2012 )

HONG KONG (SE): While house minority leader in the congress in Washington DC, Nancy Pelosi, announced on May 9 that her Catholic faith compels her to believe in same sex marriage, the non-religious faith of Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, is prompting her to say that she will vote against legal recognition of same sex marriage when a pending bill comes before the parliament.
 
Hot on the heels of the May 8 confession of conversion to same sex...
A world without faith heading for tragedy says former British prime minister
 (Saturday, 26 May 2012 )

LONDON (CNS): Former British prime minister, Tony Blair, revealed that when he was prime minster, he proposed to finish a speech simply with the words “God bless Britain,” but an aide told him disapprovingly: “I just remind you prime minister, this is not America.” 
 
He was speaking before 4,300 people at a May 14 leadership conference in the Royal Albert Hall, London, organised by the Holy Trinity Brompton, an influential...
Feast day celebrated on Cheung Chau
 (Saturday, 26 May 2012 )