Pope names biochemist who contributed to COVID vaccine to Pontifical Academy for Life
A Nobel-prize winning biochemist and researcher who helped develop the mRNA technology used to create the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines—Katalin Karikó—is one of the newest members of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life. Pope Francis announced the appointment of Karikó, who lectures at the University of Szeged in Hungary, in a news release on February 10. The pontifical academy, which Pope Saint John Paul II established in 1994, studies and provides input on the use of biomedicine in the protection of life.
Karikó, who was born in Szolnok, Hungary, received the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work to develop mRNA technology. The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute issued a news release saying she and co-researcher Drew Weissman received the award “for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.” (CNA)
Continental Bishops’ Conference
On February 22, India’s Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão of Goa and Daman was elected President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), which represents the Catholic Church in Asia.
He replaces Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, Myanmar who was elected to the position in 2018.
“Together with all members of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference I would like to congratulate Cardinal Filipe Neri for being elected President of FABC,” said Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo of Jakarta, Indonesia.
“I have a deep impression that Cardinal Filipe Neri is a bright and very committed person,” he said. “His interventions in every meeting have been always inspiring.” (Crux)
Mexican bishops remain open to dialogue with drug cartels
The news stunned Mexico: Four bishops from southern Guerrero state acknowledged in mid-February that they had met with drug cartel bosses to broker a possible truce.
The talks failed to produce a peace accord but achieved an agreement that the cartel would cease attacks on public transportation, attacks often carried out for nonpayment of extortion demands.
Even more stunning, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador endorsed the bishops’ actions, saying at his February 15 press conference, “I see it as a very good thing. I think we all have to contribute to achieving peace.”
This news of the bishops intervening in Guerrero, however, reflects the deteriorating security situation across broad swaths of the country, along with perceptions of the state failing to control territory and accusations of politicians colluding or being cowed by drug cartels. (UCANews)
Vatican Observatory publishes new method to better understand the “Big Bang” theory
In a 2022 article published in the prestigious journal Physical Review D, Fathers Gabriele Gionti, SJ, and Matteo Galaverni, priests and cosmologists of the Vatican Observatory, introduced a new and promising mathematical tool to better understand the “Big Bang” theory.
“It really is fascinating to try to understand the physical laws in the early moments of the universe,” the priests said in a Vatican Observatory publication released March 14. “The search for new physical laws and the effort to fully understand them is a process that fills our minds and hearts with great joy.”
The observatory’s statement points out that Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which postulates that gravity is the curvature of space-time rather than a force as proposed by Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity, remains the best physical theory “for understanding the large-scale structure of the universe today.” However, there are still unresolved questions about the laws of physics during the first moments of the universe and about how gravity works on extremely small scales, which can be studied using quantum mechanics. (CNA)
Pakistani Diocese concludes sainthood inquiry for martyr
Lahore archdiocese in Pakistan has officially concluded the inquiry into the martyrdom of Akash Bashir, the nation’s first candidate for sainthood, nine years after he was killed while preventing a suicide bomber from entering a packed church.
Hundreds of Catholics thronged to Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lahore on March 15 as Archbishop Sebastian Shaw of Lahore along with other officials signed the documents saying they had faithfully fulfilled the required work to examine if the candidate lived a life of sanctity, heroically practicing Christian virtues.
Salesian Father Gabriel Cruz, vice-postulator of the cause of Akash, said, “It is a historical occasion. We thank his parents for the training. We pray for this grace for all parents to raise peaceful youth strong in their faith.” (UCANews)
Catholic University installs crucifixion artwork by imprisoned Catholic activist Jimmy Lai
The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., has installed a drawing of the Crucifixion by imprisoned Hong Kong Catholic and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.
Father Robert Sirico, a supporter and friend of Lai’s, said during the installation ceremony on February 22 that the sketch is a testimony “not just of Jimmy’s struggle but the struggle of all people of Hong Kong” and “all of the people of China, who will, by faith, resist [oppression].”
The large drawing depicts Christ on the cross flanked by eight orange flowers. It was created by Lai in prison, where, according to Father Sirico, he has been kept in solitary confinement for close to 1,500 days. (NCRegister)
Myanmar Bishop urges Christians to find hope in suffering
The feast of Easter that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus encourages Christians in Myanmar to cling to hope despite suffering from cruelty, hunger, and death amid ongoing rthnic conflicts in the country, Bishop Celso Ba Shwe of Loikaw said in his Easter message.
“We must show the world that we are not the people of Good Friday, but the People of Easter. Easter is the reason for our joy, and we are Easter People,” said 59-year-old Shwe.
The bishop was forced to flee his cathedral and official residence in the capital of conflict-torn Kayah state last November due to a military takeover.
“Let us find the Risen Lord in our brothers and sisters who suffered the loss of family members, destruction of houses and properties, who go hungry, and who daily undergo insecurity and uncertainty caused by human atrocities and cruelty,” he said in the message released on March 31. (UCANews)
Safety concerns keep Burkina Faso Catholics away from Mass
The majority of Christians in Burkina Faso are now shying away from Sunday services and instead praying at home after a series of deadly attacks by Islamist militants targeted churches and killed scores of worshippers.
The latest attack by insurgents on a Catholic church in the northeastern part of the country on February 25 left at least 15 people dead. Local Church officials stated that gunmen on motorcycles suspected to be Islamist militants raided the church during Sunday worship in Essakane village, close to the border with Mali, indiscriminately shooting at worshippers, including little children on their parents’ laps. “People are devastated and are… avoiding Sunday Mass for fear of further attacks,” said Father Jean-Pierre Sawadogo, vicar general of the Diocese of Dori, where the attack took place.
The West African nation of 21 million people has experienced civil war between the government and Islamist rebels since 2015. The recent report by Human Rights Watch underlined that non-state armed groups control up to 50% of the country’s territory, and the conflict has led to the death of thousands of people and displaced over 2 million people. (OSVNews)
Vietnam official praises Catholic Church as relations thaw
Vatican-Vietnam ties will develop further in the coming days and there is a plan for a papal visit to the Southeast Asian nation, says a top Vietnam minister. Deputy Home Minister Vu Chien Thang also said Vietnam and the Vatican respect each other to work towards a friendly relationship.
Thang said the bilateral agreements both the parties signed recently are based on a road map and international conventions. This news was first reported by www.dangcongsan.vn, a publication of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, on March 6.
The thaw in relations helped the Vatican to appoint Archbishop Marek Zalewski as the first resident pontifical representative to Vietnam last December.
The government is happy to receive Pope Francis, Thang said amid media reports about a possible papal visit to Vietnam this year. Vietnam is the only communist country where the Holy See has a resident pontifical representative.
Other communist Asian countries— China, Laos and North Korea—have no papal envoys. (UCANews)
