Maria, ster van de evangelisatie

The Pontifical Council for Culture has teamed up with a U.S. biopharmaceutical company to host a conference in the Vatican November 9-11^th on cutting edge stem cell research. 

Dr. Robin Smith, chief executive officer of the U.S. biopharmaceutical company NeoStem, spoke to Vatican Radio on a recent visit to the Vatican where she came to give details about her company’s new partnership with the Pontifical Council for Culture which has made a big investment in NeoStem’s research into the therapeutic potential of adult stem cells. 

Assisi 2011 was the theme of a press conference held in the Vatican on Tuesday looking ahead to next week’s Day of Reflection, Dialogue and Prayer for Peace and Justice in the World. Organised by the Pontifical Councils for Christian Unity, for Interreligious Dialogue, for Justice and Peace and for Culture, next Thursday’s event was called for by Pope Benedict on January 1^st and will bring together in the Umbrian hill town some 300 representatives of all the world’s major religions, as Philippa Hitchen reports:

Pope Benedict’s 4-day state visit to Germany this week marks the third time he returns to his homeland since his election to the papacy. It promises to be a very busy visit with the Pope attending 28 different events and pronouncing no fewer than 17 speeches over the next four days. Our correspondent who will be covering this papal visit is Veronica Scarisbrick. Susy Hodges sat down with her just before her departure for Berlin to find out more about the main themes of the Pope’s visit to his homeland and talk about where he will going and what he will be doing during his stay.

"I think it is my duty, given this special opportunity to inform my eminent brothers, that there is still no religious freedom in China. There is too much optimism around something that does not correspond to reality..."

Cardinal Joseph Zen Zekiun

On Saturday the Holy See issued a statement regarding the illegitimate Episcopal ordination that took place in Shantou mainland China on Thursday. In the statement the Vatican states the priest in question, Reverend Joseph Huang Bingzhang, has incurred the sanction of excommunication, having been ordained without papal mandate. Furthermore, the Holy See expresses its appreciation to all the priests, religious and lay faithful “who have defended their pastors, accompanying them by their prayers at this difficult time and sharing in their deep suffering”

An event that is being followed “with sorrow and concern” because it is contrary to “the unity of the Universal Church”: this is how the Director of the Vatican Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, commented on the news that Father Joseph Huang Bingzhang had been illicitly ordained bishop in Shantou, China. A number of bishops, who are in communion with the Pope, were obliged to participate in the ceremony.

The Archbishop of Liverpool Patrick Kelly was amongst a dozen leaders of major European dioceses who attended a summit meeting at the recently established Pontifical Council for New Evangelisation here in the Vatican on Monday. The cardinals and bishops from Barcelona, Budapest, Brussels, Cologne, Dublin, Lisbon, Liverpool, Paris, Turin, Warsaw and Vienna were called in to share ideas with the council’s president, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, for a pilot project aimed at revitalising the Church in their cities.

Just a few days before leaving the Vatican for the Papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the “rest” offered my Jesus Christ.

Speaking during his Sunday Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope said just as in the time of the Gospel, many people in the poorest countries are burdened by poverty; and even in the richest countries, people face dissatisfaction and depression. He said Jesus says to all of them, “come unto me”.

Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday will be launching a new Vatican portal, offering an exclusive, multimedia presentation of all the other communications websites of the Holy See.

Illegitimate episcopal ordination thwarted in extremis. Thanks to the resistance of the faithful and to vigorous protests from Rome. An interview with the new Vatican strategist on China, Archbishop Hon.