A euthanasia advocate lies in bed at her home in Lima, Peru, Feb. 7, 2020. New Zealand bishops have developed guidelines for health professionals, chaplains and priests to assist them in their pastoral work with people who decide to die under the country's End of Life Choice Act that took effect Nov. 7, 2021. (CNS photo/Sebastian Castaneda, Reuters)

VATICAN CITY, Feb. 9 (CNA) – Pope Francis said on Wednesday that the dying need palliative care, not euthanasia or assisted suicide.

At his general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Feb. 9, the pope said that this ethical principle was valid not only for Christians but for everyone.

He expressed gratitude for palliative care, which seeks to improve the quality of life of people suffering from severe illnesses.

“However, we must be careful not to confuse this help with unacceptable drifts towards euthanasia,” he said.

“We must accompany people towards death, but not provoke death or facilitate assisted suicide.”

He went on: “I would point out that the right to care and treatment for all must always be prioritized, so that the weakest, particularly the elderly and the sick, are never discarded. Indeed, life is a right, not death, which must be welcomed, not administered. And this ethical principle applies to everyone, not just Christians or believers.”

The pope remarks came amid growing acceptance of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Western countries, including Australia, Austria, England and Wales, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the United States.

In September 2020, the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation reaffirmed Church teaching on the sinfulness of euthanasia and assisted suicide — a sign of Rome’s rising concern at the trend. Continue reading here.

This is the logo for Pope Francis' visit to the island nation of Malta April 2-3. (CNS photo/courtesy Archdiocese of Malta)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis will visit Malta April 2-3, a Vatican spokesman said.

Accepting the invitation of the president, civil authorities and bishops of the Mediterranean country, the pope will visit the cities of Valletta, Rabat and Floriana and the island of Gozo, Matteo Bruni, the spokesman, said in a written statement Feb. 10.

"The program and further details of the journey will be announced in the near future," he said. Malta is an archipelago made up of three main islands where St. Paul and his companions washed ashore nearly 2,000 years ago. Today, more than 90% of the country's 460,000 people profess to be Catholic.

A baby is baptized in this 2007 file photo. Father Andres Arango, pastor of St. Gregory Parish in Phoenix, submitted his resignation letter to Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, at right, Feb. 1, for performing invalid baptisms throughout his ministry by regularly using an incorrect formula. (CNS photos)

PHOENIX (CNS) -- Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix said baptisms performed by a priest during years of ministry in the diocese are invalid, leading to the resignation of the clergyman Feb. 1.

In a Jan. 14 letter to the diocese, Bishop Olmsted said diocesan officials learned from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that the baptisms were invalid because of the form used during the ritual by Father Andres Arango.

"Specifically, it was reported to me that Father Andres used the formula 'We baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.' The key phrase in question is the use of 'We baptize' in place of 'I baptize,'" Bishop Olmsted wrote.

"The issue with using 'We' is that it is not the community that baptizes a person, rather, it is Christ, and him alone, who presides at all of the sacrament, and so it is Christ Jesus who baptizes," the bishop's letter said.

The use of the improper form led Father Arango to resign as pastor of St. Gregory Parish in Phoenix. Bishop Olmsted said Father Arango remains a priest in good standing in the diocese and that he would be helping the diocese identify and contact people whose baptisms are invalid.

Father Arango became pastor of St. Gregory Church in April 2017 after leaving the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, commonly referred to as the Eudists. Prior to his appointment as pastor, he was parish administrator at the church beginning in July 2015.

Diocesan officials did not disclose how many people are affected by the discovery.

Bishop Olmsted wrote that church officials are working to identify as many as people as possible to inform them how to receive a valid baptism.

MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- The former Anglican bishop of Chester, England, has joined the Catholic Church.

Peter Forster, 71, is the fourth Anglican bishop to be received into the Catholic faith in less than a year and the fifth to become a Catholic in the past two years.

He served as bishop of Chester for 22 years until his retirement in 2019 and was received into the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland, where he now lives with his wife, Elizabeth. The private ceremony was understood to have taken place late last year, but Forster did not wish to make his move public.

The Church Times, a London-based Anglican newspaper, learned about his decision and ran a story Feb. 4. Forster, when approached by Catholic News Service Feb. 6, declined to comment.

Gavin Ashenden, a former traditionalist Anglican bishop and chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II, said Forster's reception was significant.

Writing in the Catholic Herald, he said that a decade ago, "people would have laughed" at the suggestion that high-profile Evangelical Anglican bishops would be joining the Catholic Church. Most bishops joining the Catholic Church have come from members of the Anglo-Catholic wing of the Church of England.

But an "entirely new reconfiguration of spiritual and theological fault lines is developing," Ashenden said in his Feb. 5 article. He said many other Anglicans are recognizing that "the power and vivacity of lived Catholic tradition has become the antidote to the perversity of progressive political ambition."

"The flow of Anglican refugees has only just begun," said Ashenden, who became a Catholic in 2019.

St. Josephine Bakhita, also at right, is represented in this statue by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz in this photo released by the Holy See Press Office Feb. 3. St. Bakhita, who was sold into slavery as a child, is the patron saint of the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking, which is marked on her Feb. 8 feast day. (CNS photo/courtesy Holy See Press Office)

ROME, Feb. 8 (CNA) – With his latest sculpture, a Catholic artist hopes to draw attention to the devastating reality of modern-day human trafficking.

The piece depicts ex-slave St. Josephine Bakhita, whose feast day is celebrated on Feb. 8, a day which also marks the eighth annual World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking.

“Here you have a sculpture where the hero is a Black woman, and she definitely is the hero within this piece, and she definitely is showing the world that slavery is not done with today,” Timothy P. Schmalz told CNA in a phone interview.

Called “Let the Oppressed Go Free,” the 20-foot-long sculpture, with around 100 figures, took Schmalz an entire year to create.

The work’s title is taken from the Book of Isaiah, chapter 58. “Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking off every yoke?” the prophet says in the sixth verse. Continue reading here.

Mary Frances Skinner sculpted a snow scene of Our Lady of Lourdes earlier this month in front of Blessed Sacrament Church in Wichita. Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. An article about the sculptor will appear in the Feb. 18 Catholic Advance. (Courtesy photos)

Diners will get a taste of Italy at the 30th Annual Italian Dinner, Raffle, & Auction Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Sacred Heart Parish Center, 414 Locust, in Halstead.

The dinner, for those 18 and older, features Sacred Heart Parish’s famous lasagne, candlelit tables, and “Italian” waiters.

Seatings are at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. The cost is $20 for the 5:30 seating and $25 for the 7:30 seating.

Reservations by Feb. 5 are required and may be made by calling Vivian at 316-835-2816.

The parish event is sponsored by the Altar Society. Proceeds support local charities. Alcohol may not be brought into the parish center.

St. Mary’s Colgan Boys Basketball Coach Wayne Cichon notched his 650th career win Tuesday, Feb. 8, in a game against Riverton. The Panthers came out on top 43-39. Coach Cichon (center), poses with his team, with assistant coach Scott Cichon (second from right), and assistant coach and former player Dominic Piccini (second from left). Wayne began teaching and coaching at the Pittsburg school in 1983 – 39 years ago. Cody Spencer, St. Mary’s Colgan Athletic Director, said: ‘Coach Cichon's commitment to faith, excellence, and tradition is apparent as we celebrate his 650th career win. We are blessed to have him as the leader of our boys basketball program.” (Courtesy photo)

The Respect Life and Social Justice Office is hosting a Sidewalk Advocates for Life training from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, at the St. Joseph Pastoral Center, located at 437 N. Topeka in Wichita. Lunch and all materials will be provided free of charge.

To register, contact Stephanie Nemechek at (316) 269-3900 ext. 134 or at nemecheks@CatholicDioceseOfWichita.org.

Sidewalk Advocates for Life promotes a peaceful, prayerful, compassionate style of advocacy at abortion facilities. Volunteers are equipped with knowledge and resources to serve as advocates or prayer partners and offer life-affirming alternatives to abortion-minded women and men.

“There is a great need for advocacy at this time,” said Stephanie Nemechek, diocesan Project Rachel coordinator, “through Sidewalk Advocates for Life we can offer help and hope to women in need.”

The Office of Faith Formation will host a Teens Encounter Christ retreat Saturday through Monday, Feb. 19-21, at Sacred Heart parish in Colwich.

The three-day retreat, based on the Paschal Mystery, is for high school juniors and seniors and college-age young adults. Participants will have the opportunity to grow in their relationship with Christ through talks, group discussion, individual reflection and prayer, and sharing in the sacraments. TEC is about faith, but it’s also about having fun and developing relationships with other young adults.

The cost for the retreat is $110. The fee includes seven meals, two nights lodging, and all materials. To register or for more information, visit WichitaTEC.org. For additional information, call the Office of Faith Formation at 316-269-3940 or email OFF@catholicdioceseofwichita.org.

The 33rd Basketball Classic for Vocations between the Blue Knights of Knights of Columbus Council #4118 and the Padres (priests of the Diocese of Wichita) is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 27.

The game will be played at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School Activity Center in Wichita. Doors will open at 6 p.m. The tip-off is scheduled for 7 o’clock.

Donations will be taken at the door. The games have raised over $66,000. Proceeds support the council’s religious vocations programs and diocesan seminarians.

The Padres lead the series with 19 wins to 13 for the Knights.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish will once again offer meatless Mexican food dinners on Friday’s during Lent.

Starting on March 4 and each Friday through April 8, parishioners will sell meatless Mexican food from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Parish Center, located at 2409 N. Market in Wichita.

The food is prepared fresh each week made to order. On the menu: cheese and onion enchiladas, tostadas, potato tacos, chiles rellenos, and more. Carry-out will be available.

Proceeds from the food sales supports scholarships help parish children attend Catholic schools.

A Lasting Promise, a five-week series designed to help married couples grow in their relationship, will be offered from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays beginning March 7 at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita.

The series teaches skills to address common marriage problems: facing conflicts, problem-solving, improving communication, and dealing with core issues – all within a Catholic Christian framework.

The sessions will be presented by a group of married couples. The registration price of $80 includes session materials and snacks for each night. To register visit slc.retreatportal.com.

A dinner and auction to benefit the building fund for St. Rose Church in Mt. Vernon will be held Saturday, April 2.

Doors open at 5 p.m. to live music, food, and fellowship. Admission includes a Texas Roadhouse catered meal, drinks, and live music provided by the Adam Capps Band.

For tickets contact Julie Peintner at 316-655-2317. Updates will be posted at the parish’s Facebook page.

Suspended from his job as the result of a scandal, a previously work-obsessed NFL coach (Kevin James) temporarily relocates to his Texas hometown where his ex-wife (Jackie Sandler) and preteen son (Tait Blum) still live and, in an effort to bond with the alienated lad, joins the coaching staff (led by Taylor Lautner) of the boy’s Pop Warner football team. Under the direction of Charles and Daniel Kinnane, lame comedy mars what might have been a good-hearted fact-based drama about family reconciliation. Instead, viewers are left in the lurch by a range of gags that fall flat far more often than they succeed. Graphic gross-out humor, a few mild oaths, several crass expressions. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Dull human interaction alternates with impressive special-effects spectacle in this sullen science-fiction fantasy in which the moon goes out of its orbit and threatens to collide with Earth. To avert this apocalypse, the acting head of NASA (Halle Berry) teams with the disgraced astronaut (Patrick Wilson) who was once her professional partner and with an eccentric conspiracy theorist (John Bradley), some of whose weird notions the crisis may prove to be true. In between peppering the Rockies with huge fragments of space debris and tossing an iconic skyscraper around like a toothpick, director and co-writer Roland Emmerich extols family bonds and self-sacrificing heroism. But the murky mythos whose exposition bogs down the film's climax is too confusing for kids while the by-the-numbers drama will fail to engage grown-ups. Brief stylized violence, a couple of instances each of profanity and written rough language, about a dozen milder oaths, some crude and crass talk. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

During his general audience Feb. 2, Pope Francis explained the communion of saints. (1:09)

A Celtic cross will be installed in the garden area of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita, Kansas, to honor the Irish priests who gave so much to serve the faithful of the Diocese of Wichita. Pat and Renee Hanrahan and Fr. John Sherlock are interviewed in the video about the cross. (5:37)

A. In 1963 the Catholic Church changed its policy and lifted the ban on cremation. Among the reasons were sanitation risks, overcrowded cemeteries and financial considerations (i.e., the expense of traditional burials). At the same time, though, the church has continued to express a strong preference for the burial or entombment of the deceased, preferably in a Catholic cemetery.

A Vatican instruction from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued in 2016 underlines the theological thinking behind the change. It explains that "cremation of the deceased's body does not affect his or her soul, nor does it prevent God, in his omnipotence, from raising up the deceased's body to new life."

However, that same instruction explains that "in memory of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord, the mystery that illumines the Christian meaning of death, burial is above all the most fitting way to express faith and hope in the resurrection of the body."

So cremation is now permitted for Catholics, so long as it is not chosen in denial of the Christian teaching on resurrection and the sacredness of the human body.

The church's teaching also notes that the following are not considered to be reverent dispositions of the cremains: scattering them, dividing cremated remains (e.g., among family members) or keeping them in the home.

As for your final questions, the Vatican makes the rules; as to their acceptability to God, the church decides after prayer and reflection -- as it has done here -- based on its teachings and on what seems reasonable under specific circumstances.

A. Although not prescribed in any of the church's liturgical directives, I see no harm with a member of the congregation's bowing to the priest as the priest exits following Mass.

I would interpret it as you do -- as simply a sign of courtesy and respect (and also, I would think, of gratitude for the blessings of the Mass). As a priest for more than 50 years, it has never occurred to me that parishioners were "worshipping" me when they have bowed in my direction.

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Questions may be sent to Father Kenneth Doyle at askfatherdoyle@gmail.com and 30 Columbia Circle Dr., Albany, New York 12203.