Catholic News

• Address inequality in health care access, Pope urges pediatricians (Vatican Press Office)
  “In our time, in fact, increasingly often prevention and treatment become the prerogative of those who enjoy a certain standard of living, and therefore can afford it,” Pope Francis told members of the Italian Federation of Primary Care Pediatricians. “I encourage you to work to ensure that this inequality is not added to the many others that already afflict the weakest, but rather that the health system assure assistance and preventative care to all, as rights of the person.”
• Nuncio announces that Nicaragua's government will free all jailed protesters (AP)
  Archbishop Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, the apostolic nuncio, has taken part in talks between Daniel Ortega’s regime and the opposition. At an earlier point in the talks, he spoke of “more lies and less trust.”
• 'It's a good thing to protest, but one must also build,' Pope tells young people (Vatican Insider)
  On March 21, Pope Francis visited the Roman office of Scholas Occurrentes. Founded by the future Pope Francis in 2001, the group seeks to “educate young people in the commitment for the common good” and to “implement the culture of the meeting for peace through education.”
• Declaring Christianity is not a peaceful religion, UK Home Office denies asylum to Iranian Christian (Crux)
  Quoting verses from Exodus, Leviticus, and Revelation, the UK Home Office wrote that “these examples are inconsistent with your claim that you converted to Christianity after discovering it is a ‘peaceful religion’ as opposed to Islam, which contained violence and rage.”
• Cardinal Dziwisz vigorously defends St. John Paul's record on sexual abuse (CNS)
  Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, 79, was personal secretary to St. John Paul II from 1966 to 2005 and archbishop of Kraków from 2005 to 2016.
• Hindu radicals attack Christians in West Bengal, badly beating pastor (AsiaNews)
  The Indian state of West Bengal (map) is 71% Hindu, 27% Muslim, and less than 1% Christian.
• Federal court rules that HHS mandate does not violate Religious Freedom Restoration Act (Religion Clause)
  The Religious Freedom Restoration Act was signed into law in 1993.
• To protect planet and indigenous persons, change lifestyles, Church leaders say (CNS)
  At least eight cardinals attended a Georgetown University conference devoted to “integral ecology: a synodal response from the Amazon and other essential biomes / territories for the care of our common home.” Archbishop Bernardito Auza, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, emphasized the Holy See’s commitment to indigenous persons.
• Pope Francis wants psychological testing to prevent problem priests. But can it really do that? (Fargo Forum)
  “Standard psychological testing, it’s not very good in ferreting out sexual difficulties among the general population,” said Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, former head of the Saint Luke Institute in Maryland, in an article that first appeared in the Washington Post. “We’ve been working hard to figure out what to do, how do we better understand sexuality.”
• Malta's president meets with Pope (Vatican Press Office)
  Catholicism is the state religion of the Mediterranean nation of 449,000 (map). Church-state collaboration, European integration, and migration were among the issues that Pope Francis and Vatican officials discussed with President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.
• Survey finds 46% of US Catholics believe global persecution of Christians is 'very severe' (Aid to the Church in Need)
  “It is heartening to see that US Catholics have a growing awareness of and concern about the persecution of Christians,” said George Marlin, chairman of ACNUSA, who added “that it is telling that human trafficking, poverty and the refugee crisis get more attention from US Catholics than the persecution of Christians.”
• ISIS is rising in the Philippines as it dwindles in the Middle East (New York Times)
  In January, two bombs exploded at the cathedral in Jolo, killing 20 and injuring over 100.
• Pontifical Academy for Life encouraging vaccinations? (CWN)
  The Pontifical Academy for Life has encouraged parents to have their children vaccinated.
• Bishops announce opposition to Equality Act (USCCB)
  The Equality Act (H.R.5 / S. 788), sponsored by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), “would add the new terms ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ to the definition of ‘sex’ in federal civil rights laws,” the US bishops’ conference noted, adding: “Each and every person should be treated with dignity and respect ... Rather than offering meaningful protections for individuals, however, the Equality Act would impose sweeping regulations to the detriment of society as a whole.”
• Korean cardinal speaks out against abortion, death penalty (Vatican News)
  Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, 75, was appointed archbishop of Seoul and apostolic administrator of Pyongyang in 2012 and was created a cardinal in 2014.
• Pope appeals for prayer, support for cyclone victims in southeast Africa (Vatican News)
  Pope Francis issued his appeal at the conclusion of his March 20 general audience, in which he reflected on “Thy will be done,” the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer.
• Kenyan bishops warn that over 1 million face hunger (Vatican News)
  The East African nation of 48 million (map) is 60% Protestant, 23% Catholic, and 11% Muslim. Pope Francis made an apostolic journey to Kenya, Uganda, and the Central African Republic in 2015.
• Burkina Faso: priest disappears in region with active jihadist presence (Fides)
  The West African nation of 19.7 million (map) is 62% Muslim, 23% Catholic, 7% Protestant, and 8% animist.
• Cardinal Barbarin: 'I have made mistakes, but not those I am accused of' (SIR)
  Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon made his remarks in a 19-minute French television interview. Pope Francis declined to accept his resignation as he appeals his conviction for failing to report a priest’s sexual abuse of boy scouts.
• Colombian diocese has served 1 million meals to Venezuelan migrants (CNA)
  Despite blockades at the border, 3,800-4,200 Venezuelans fleeing their homeland arrive daily at the Diocese of Cúcuta’s Divine Providence House.
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