The Catholic Leader - 12 November - Issue 5477

8 / 32

8
The Catholic Leader, November 12, 2017
World
A few good men needed to wear the
Community | Apostolate | Prayer
Email:
LIKE stained-glass windows, the saints allow the light of God
to permeate the darkness of sin in the world, Pope Francis said
on the feast of All Saints.
Just as light enters a church through multi-coloured windows,
the lives of saints shine forth “according to their own shade”,
the Pope said on November 1.
All the saints “have been transparent, they fought to remove
the stains and darkness of sin so that the gentle light of God can
pass through”, the Pope said. “This is the purpose of life, even
for us.”
Before reciting the Angelus prayer with people gathered in
St Peter’s Square, the Pope said the day was a “feast for us not
because we are good but because God’s holiness has touched
our lives”.
The day’s Gospel reading from St Matthew, in which Jesus
proclaims the beatitudes, contains the road map for “a blessed
and happy life”, which the saints followed through in their own
lives and deeds, he said. CNS
Through example,
saints shine God’s
light in darkness, Pope says
Vatican News
War brings death, cruelty,
Pope says at military graves
“NO more, Lord, no more (war)” that shatters dreams and
destroys lives, bringing a cold, cruel winter instead of some
sought-after spring, Pope Francis said looking out at the people
gathered for an outdoor Mass at a United States war memorial
and cemetery.
“This is the fruit of war: death,” he said, as the bright Italian
sun lowered in the sky on the feast of All Souls.
On a day the Church offers special prayers for the faithful
departed with the hope of their meeting God in heaven, “here in
this place, we pray in a special way for these young people”, he
said, gesturing toward the rows of thousands of graves. Christian
hope can spring from great pain and suffering, he said, but it can
also “make us look to heaven and say, ‘I believe in my Lord, the
redeemer, but stop, Lord”, please, no more war, he said.
“With war, you lose everything,” he said. CNS
Remember-
ing: Pope
Francis lays
roses on
graves at the
Sicily-Rome
American
Cemetery and
Memorial in
Nettuno, Italy.
Photo: CNS
Pope condemns ‘murderous
folly’ of terrorism after attacks
POPE Francis prayed for victims of the latest
terrorist attack in New York, as well as victims
of other terror attacks, and condemned the
murder of innocent men and women in the name
of God.
After praying the Angelus with pilgrims in
St Peter’s Square, the Pope said he was “deeply
saddened” by the attack in New York on October
31 that left at least eight people dead and 11 oth-
ers injured when pedestrians and cyclists were
mowed down by a driver in a pickup truck.
“We ask the Lord to convert the hearts of ter-
rorists and free the world from hatred and from
the murderous folly that abuses the name of God
to spread death,” he said.
Police in New York identified the suspect as
29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov, a citizen of Uzbeki-
stan, who has been in the United States on a visa
since 2010.
He allegedly drove 20 blocks along a busy
bike path near the World Trade Centre about
3pm before he slammed into a school bus.
After being shot by police, he was taken into
custody and admitted to a hospital for treatment
of his wounds, which were not believed to be
life-threatening.
Pope Francis also prayed for victims of recent
terrorist attacks in Somalia and Afghanistan.
Five Al-Shabaab militants stormed a hotel in
Mogadishu, Somalia, on October 28, killing 23
people and wounding dozens.
The attack occurred two weeks after the
terrorist group detonated a truck carrying
military-grade explosives in one of the deadliest
massacres in the country’s history.
In Afghanistan, an Islamic State suicide bomb-
er killed 13 people on October 31 after blowing
himself up near the US Embassy in Kabul. The
explosion also left 20 people wounded.
“In deploring such acts of violence, I pray for
the dead, the wounded and their families,” Pope
Francis said. CNS
Tragedy: A man carries a girl
as parents pick up children
from school after a man driv-
ing a rented pickup truck ran
down pedestrians and cyclists
on October 31 on a bike path
alongside the Hudson River
in New York City. The incident
occurred near the World
Trade Centre memorial, kill-
ing at least eight people and
seriously injuring 11 others in
what the Mayor Bill de Blasio
called “a particularly cowardly
act of terror”.
Photo: CNS
Catholic leaders decry Baptist shooting
Texas mass murder
THE Church in the United
States stands “in unity” with
the First Baptist Church in
Sutherland Springs, Texas, and
the larger community after a
shooting during last Sunday’s
services took the lives of at
least 26 people and injured at
least 20 others.
Those who died ranged in age from five
to 72 years old, and included 14-year-old
Annabelle Pomeroy.
Her father Frank Pomeroy is pastor of
the church but he was not at the service.
“We stand in unity with you in this time
of terrible tragedy – as you stand on holy
ground, ground marred today by horrific
violence,” president of the US Confer-
ence of Catholic Bishops Cardinal Daniel
DiNardo of Galveston-Houston said.
“I extend my prayers and the prayers
of my brother bishops for the victims, the
families, the first responders, our Baptist
brothers and sisters, indeed the whole
community of Sutherland Springs.”
Law enforcement officials said a lone
gunman entered the church about 11.30am,
while 50 people were attending Sunday
services. Almost everyone in the congrega-
tion was shot.
Two law enforcement officials told The
Associated Press the suspect was Devin
Kelley, described as a white male in his
20s.
He parked at a petrol station across the
street from the church, crossed the street
and allegedly began firing as he walked
toward the church and then continued
firing once inside.
Suffering: A man and woman attend a candlelight vigil after a mass shooting on No-
vember 5 at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Photo: CNS
He was wearing black tactical-type
gear and used an assault weapon, AP said.
After he left the church, he was
confronted by a local resident who had a
rifle “and engaged the suspect”, AP said,
quoting Freeman Martin, who is with the
Texas Department of Public Safety.
The suspect was later found dead in his
vehicle some distance away.
Police said Kelley died from a self-
inflicted gunshot wound.
Kelley had been in the Air Force but
was discharged for bad conduct and
served a 12-month sentence in confine-
ment after being court-martialled in 2012.
His in-laws were members of the First
Baptist Church.
“We need prayers,” San Antionio
Archbishop Garcia-Siller said.
“The evil perpetrated on these (fami-
lies) who were gathered to worship God
on the Lord’s Day – especially children
and the elderly – makes no sense and will
never be fully understood,” he said.
“Disbelief and shock are the over-
whelming feelings; there are no adequate
words.
“There can be no explanation or motive
for such a scene of horror at a small coun-
try church for families gathered to praise
Jesus Christ.
“Let’s help these brothers and sisters
with prayers; they need us. Also, pray
fervently for peace amidst all of the vio-
lence, which seems to be overwhelming
our society.
“We must be lights in the darkness.”
CNS