The Catholic News

Further to the announcement by the Apostolic Nunciature in Singapore today on the Holy See’s acceptance of His Grace, Most Rev Msgr Nicholas Chia’s retirement and the succession of His Grace, Most Rev Msgr William Goh to the Office of Archbishop of Singapore with effect 18 May, 2013, Archbishop Goh is pleased to make the following announcements:

1. An Inaugural cum Thanksgiving Mass will be held on Friday, 24th May at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd at 10.30a.m. to commemorate the historic event, as well as to thank God for His guidance and protection of His Grace, Archbishop Emeritus, Msgr Nicholas Chia during his term of office. All are invited to come and pray for God’s continued blessings on His Church, His new Shepherd and for a fruitful episcopacy.

Singapore, 18 May 2013 – “If the Catholic Church in Singapore is to be renewed, it will have to be on the bedrock of Prayer and the Spirituality of Communion, beginning with the leaders and all who serve in the Church, “declares His Grace, the Most Rev Msgr William Goh, the newly appointed Archbishop of the Titular Roman Catholic Church in Singapore. This message will be communicated to the Presbyterium when he meets the College of Priests in the coming weeks to share with them his plans for the Church in Singapore. Archbishop Goh emphasised that the call to make prayer the cornerstone of any activity is hailed by the late Pope John Paul II in his visionary Apostolic Letter, Novo Millenio Inuente.

Pope John Paul II wrote, “Our witness … would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated his face. All pastoral initiatives must be set in relation to holiness. That being so, training in holiness calls for a Christian life distinguished above all in the art of prayer. It is the condition of all true pastoral life. Our Christian communities must become genuine ’schools’ of prayer, expressed not just in imploring help but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion.” He also underscored the Spirituality of Communion as a pre-requisite in accomplishing the mission of communion.

Communique of the Apostolic Nunciature in Singapore

Today, 18 May 2013 at noon in Rome, 6:00 pm in Singapore, His Holiness, Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Nicholas Chia from the Office of Archbishop of Singapore, having completed his seventy-fifth year of age (Can. 401§1 of the Canon Law). Archbishop Coadjutor William Goh succeeds him in the Office.

WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY MESSAGE: Social networks need more love and kindness: Vatican

VATICAN CITY – Catholics and Buddhists share “a profound reverence for life” which should motivate them to work together to protect human life, including the life of the unborn, said Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

“It is urgent for both Buddhists and Christians, on the basis of the genuine patrimony of our religious traditions, to create a climate of peace to love, defend and promote human life,” the cardinal said in a message marking Vesak Day.

Each spring, the pontifical council sends its best wishes to Buddhists around the world for Vesak Day, a feast commemorating key events in the life of the Buddha. The message for 2013 was released by the Vatican on May 2.

“Pope Francis, at the very beginning of his ministry, has reaffirmed the necessity of a dialogue of friendship among followers of different religions,” Cardinal Tauran said, and he reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s belief that individuals have a moral obligation to love and protect life and all of creation.

Scientists, theologians and philosophers meet to discuss major issues surrounding human evolution

VATICAN CITY – Evolutionary science is still grappling with understanding how the human species, with its unique capacities for language, culture, abstract reasoning and spirituality, may have emerged from a pre-ape ancestor.

While the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that God “in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in His own blessed life”, the Church still considers the scientific investigation of the origins of humanity to be a valuable contribution to human knowledge.

In its continuing dialogue with renowned scientific experts, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences brought together evolutionary biologists, palaeoanthropologists, archaeologists, neuroscientists, theologians and philosophers to discuss the major physical and cultural changes that occurred during mankind’s evolution.

I love the digital world, the Internet, by whatever name.

This morning, I paid bills, made an airline reservation, refilled a prescription, communicated with my physician and planned for a visit from longtime friends coming to town. That was before draining the second cup of coffee.

I’d rather suffer outage of the telephone and cable. I have to admit, however, that as a tool of genuine communication and for the exchange of thoughts, the digital world has yet to fully mature.

It has the potential to be an open public forum where people share ideas, information and opinions, where new relationships and community can occur, Pope Benedict XVI said in this year’s message for World Communications Day.