Angelo Acerbi: The eldest Cardinal-Elect

At 99 years old, former Apostolic Nuncio Angelo Acerbi is the only cardinal-elect ineligible to vote in the next conclave.

Acerbi served as the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio in New Zealand and Apostolic Delegate for the Islands of the South Pacific from 1974 to 1979. (Edited photograph with Cardinal John Dew.)

Now retired, he resides in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta.

In addition to his association with New Zealand, Acerbi's diplomatic career included being held hostage by guerillas in Colombia and becoming the first nuncio to Hungary after the end of communism.

During the New Zealand bishops' Ad Limina visit to Rome in 2019, they met with Acerbi.

Then, Hamilton Bishop Stephen Lowe noted that Acerbi enjoyed good health and maintained an excellent memory.

Fr Timothy Radcliffe

Among the new cardinals is Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP, a theologian and former master of the Dominicans from England.

A Cardinal working Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific

Bishop Mykola Bychok CSsR, based in Melbourne, leads the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy for Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania.

Bychok's journey to cardinalate includes:

Ordination as a priest on May 3, 2005, in the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Lviv

Service as a missionary in Russia and as a superior and pastor in Ukraine

Appointment by Pope Francis as the Eparch of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne in January 2020

Episcopal ordination in St George's Cathedral, Lviv, in June 2020

Installation as Bishop of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne on July 12, 2021

Sources

• Crux
• America
• Reuters
• CathNews NZ

Lay people and "women in particular must be given a more active role in the life of the church" Radcliffe said in an interview with Ordo Praedicatorum.

Radcliffe, who served as a spiritual assistant at last year's synod, also addressed the issue of clericalism. He highlighted Pope Francis' view that it "poisons the Church".

He stressed the importance of fostering an "attractive and positive theology of the ordained priesthood" to ensure active clergy support which he believes is currently insufficient.

The Dominican priest also called for theologians' full involvement in the synod's discussions.

"We need their help to recognise what is a healthy development of the doctrine and practice of the Church and what would be a deviation," said Radcliffe, a former Master of the Order (1992-2001).

Open differences are fine

Acknowledging the varied opinions on synodality, Radcliffe noted that while some view it as a waste of time, the Church is responsible for supporting the global synodal process.

"At the last session of the Synod, I felt that many of our brothers and sisters in the Global South did not feel fully heard. How can the Church become a sign of unity for the world, a community in which every culture is able to offer its gifts and be liberated from its biases?

"Open differences of opinion are therefore fine" he emphasised.

"Pope Francis is always saying 'The Holy Spirit is the protagonist of the Synod'. We cannot tell the Spirit to hurry up! We can beg God to hurry up, but grace works as He wills" Radcliffe commented.

The Synod on Synodality will conclude next autumn with a final plenary assembly at the Vatican.

To guide the discussions, a working document known as "Instrumentum Laboris" is expected to be prepared in the coming months.

Sources

English Katholisch

OrdoPraedicatorum

Pope Francis selected the 78-year-old priest and friar to lead a retreat last October for the 363 members of the Synod assembly just before they began their deliberation on synodality and the future of the Catholic Church.

The theme he chose for that retreat was "Hope against all hope".

How would you define hope?

Timothy Radcliffe: During the general chapters of the Dominican Order to which I belong, we have always noticed a fascinating difference between "Latin" and "Anglo-Saxon" cultures.

Latin cultures generally begin a discussion by defining terms. We Anglo-Saxons find it more fruitful to let the full meaning of words emerge gradually.

So, I am delighted that you are faithful to your French cultural heritage!

And, out of courtesy, I must propose something: for a Christian, hope consists of believing that we will attain the fullness of the happiness we aspire to, namely God.

During the retreat you gave last October to the members of the Synod assembly you meditated on the phrase "Hope against all hope". Isn't that a bit crazy, reckless, and audacious to hope against all hope?

On the contrary, I would say it would be strange - even crazy - NOT to hope for this infinite happiness. Human beings are sometimes touched by the thirst for limitless, unconditional love.

If we reject this as an illusion, then we are saying that at the core of our humanity, there is deception.

I believe that this profound human thirst for infinite happiness, which we all feel at times, is the most real thing there is.

To hope for it is to live in the real world. Children know this. I hope that education does not destroy this hope, which is the secret core of our humanity.

The world is currently being shaken by conflicts in Palestine and Ukraine. How can one not be worried and affected by this climate of war? One cannot remain indifferent...

Of course not!

It would be scandalous to remain indifferent. The difficulty is that we so often see violence in the media that it is easy to escape its reality and think that all of this is just a game, as if the world's wars were harmless baseball games.

If only we could catch a glimpse of the true horror of war, we would weep deeply and strive for peace.

I saw a video of a young Russian soldier being hunted by a drone. He realized it was the end and shot himself in the mouth. I cried for an hour.

The reasons to worry are also related to the climate crisis. Can humanity still save our planet?

That deserves a very long answer! I would simply say that one of the causes of our destructive behavior is the myth that we must pursue endless growth. That is an illusion. We need a new model of a healthy economy.

The second problem is that politics and business focus on the short term - the next elections, the year-end financial report. To get elected, politicians are forced to promise what they cannot deliver. Every politician is therefore a failed messiah.

In Britain, at least, the major political parties always insist that the other party is not trustworthy.

So, it's not surprising that we are witnessing the rise of authoritarian regimes.

We certainly need a renewal of responsible local democracy, in which we are trained in mutual responsibility.

How do we avoid fear in a world gripped by violence?

It is natural to be afraid in a dangerous world. Courage does not consist of not being afraid but of not being a prisoner of fear.

Some of the bravest people I know are those who are afraid but still do what needs to be done.

I think of a Canadian Dominican, Yvon Pomerleau, who dared to return to Rwanda during the genocide at the risk of his life. The army came to our community to look for him: all the brothers had to lie on the ground, interrogated to reveal his whereabouts. He told me that he was there, trembling with fear, but he did not run away. That is true courage.

The Dominican theologian Herbert McCabe said, "If you love, you will be hurt and even killed. If you don't love, you are already dead."

Yes, we will be hurt, but the risen Lord appeared to the disciples and showed them his wounds. We are the brothers and sisters of our wounded Lord, and our wounds are a sign that we dared to live and share his hope.

How can we trust in the face of an uncertain future?

"Trust" is a beautiful word. It literally means "to believe together" - con-fidens in Latin. We do not hope alone but in the community of faith.

When I have doubts, another person may have the confidence to support me.

When they lose hope, I may be able to help them.

So, the more perilous the future, the more urgent it is for us to seek the common good together and not to lock ourselves into our own survival.

Is placing one's trust in God a refuge or an escape?

I have had the great privilege of living with people like Blessed Pierre Claverie, who was martyred in Algeria in 1996. He devoted his life to dialogue with his Muslim friends. He knew he was going to be killed, but he faced the future with confidence in God, and he gave us, his brothers, sisters, and friends, confidence.

I also think of Albert Nolan, a Dominican who courageously fought against apartheid at the risk of his life in South Africa.

It is also so encouraging to live with people who face terrible diseases and ultimately death with courage and joy.

Where can we find hope? From prayer? Meeting others? Reading the Gospel?

Everything can contribute to it! Saint Oscar Romero was afraid of dying, but he was not defeated by that fear because he was a man of deep and silent prayer with the Lord. It was the foundation of his life. Everything he said stemmed from it.

With our closest friends, we can be silent and thus speak more deeply and be led to an even deeper silence. Some of my most precious memories are moments spent with friends in silence, in the presence of beauty, perhaps with a glass in hand!

What are your New Year's resolutions?

I would like to listen to more music.

I am convinced that music is essential in our search for peace and harmony. It opens the door to transcendence.

My life has often been a frantic race, where I tried to do a hundred things. I should devote more time to music.

It is also good preparation for eternity, which is probably not so far away!

Source

• First published in La-Croix International. Republished with permission.

Master of the Dominicans between 1992 and 2001, Fr Radcliffe will serve as a consultor on the pontifical council.

The council is the Vatican body devoted to social justice and human rights.

Fr Radcliffe said justice, peace and mercy are at the centre of Francis's pontificate.

The Dominican said it is an honour to offer whatever support he could.

Fr Radcliffe helped launch a social justice institute at Blackfriars College at Oxford University, where he lives.

Continue reading

This is the 3rd Assembly to be held since the first took place in 2003. The last two took place in Blenheim, but the organising committee, chaired by Msgr Paul Farmer of Auckland, with one priest from each of New Zealand's dioceses, decided it would be good to have a North Island venue this time.

Farmer said the Assembly is an initiative of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, giving diocesan priests an opportunity to take a break, be together and renew and make friendships and enjoy some rest and recreation.

"The bishops, in initiating these assemblies, see them as showing support for their priests and recognising the contributions they make," Farmer said.

"It also allows priests who may be new to New Zealand to meet their confreres from other parts of the country."

CathNews previously reported erroneously, that The Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Tagale was a speaker at the Assembly. Cardinal Tagale however unable to attend. CathNews regrets this error.

ASource

• NZ Catholic
• Image: google images
  

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is represented by Director Michael Smith & Chair Mark Richards. Anne Dickinson is also attending as outgoing Caritas Oceania President and in her role as Chair of the Caritas International Bureau's Working Party on Governance is presenting a report on that subject. Fr Gerard Burns is attending as a candidate for the Caritas Oceania Presidency.

The assembly is not without controversy:

• The re-appointment of the secretary general Lesley-Anne Knight, was blocked by the Vatican,
• Keynote speaker Timothy Radcliffe was replaced at the last minute by a Vatican official.
• In his opening address, Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, president of Caritas, praised the work of the organization's secretary-general, Lesley-Anne Knight and said way she was not allowed to stand as a candidate is to be appraised by the incoming Executive Committee. It "has caused grievance in our confederation, above all within the many women working for Caritas across the world."

Source

• Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
• Caritas International
• Image: Caritas International