February 16 - 28 , 2017 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY 25
Catholics called to action on Vancouver overdose crisis
“ Addiction , mental illness should be a provincial election issue .” : Archbishop Michael Miller
VANCOUVER - Archbishop J . Michael Miller is appealing to Vancouver ’ s Catholic community to respond to the region ’ s drug overdose crisis , urging schools , parishes , organizations and individuals to consider how they can reach out to the marginalized , especially those suffering from addiction and mental illness .
In a pastoral letter to the archdiocese ’ s 430,000 Catholics , Archbishop Miller wrote , “ As people of faith , we can speak up , increase public awareness about our mental health and addiction crisis , and take practical steps to address it .”
The letter invites Catholics to look at ways to address the crisis , including calling on politicians to improve addiction treatment and care , supporting organizations on the front lines , and raising awareness about mental illness , which often accompanies addiction .
With a provincial election just months away , Archbishop Miller said addiction and mental health intervention , particularly for youth , should be a priority issue for all parties . “ Now is the time to open a conversation on youth and mental illness . It is an issue of vital public importance .”
Catholic hospitals in the Archdiocese have been at the forefront of responding to the crisis , with St . Paul ’ s Hospital dealing with 42 overdoses between Christmas Eve and New Year ’ s Day . The hospital ’ s emergency department receives almost half of the most severe mental health emergency patients in the Lower Mainland .
Archbishop Miller ’ s pastoral letter on the overdose crisis is at : http :// rcav . org / l-overdosecrisis .
Vatican to crack down on illegal sale of papal symbols , coat of arms
On Wednesday the Vatican announced plans to monitor with a more careful eye those who print official images of the Pope or the Holy See and sell them for profit , intervening with “ appropriate action ” when necessary .
A Feb . 22 communique issued by the Secretariat of State said pointed out that among its various tasks , it also has “ that of protecting the image of the Holy Father , so that his message can reach the faithful intact and that his person not be exploited .”
Because of this , part of the department is dedicated to protecting “ the symbols and coats of arms of the Holy See ” through appropriate channels on an international level .
In order to make this “ protective action ” more effective and to “ halt situations of illegality that arise ,” the department said they will begin carrying out “ systematic surveillance activities apt to monitor the ways in which the image of the Holy Father and the coats of arms of the Holy See are used ,” intervening with “ appropriate action ” if and when needed .
The announcement came just weeks after posters critical of Pope Francis appeared on the walls and buildings of the city center of Rome , depicting a sour-faced pontiff with a list of grievances regarding his recent reform efforts .
A few days after the posters appeared and quickly went down , a spoof version of the Vatican ’ s daily newspaper L ’ Osservatore Romano was sent to members of the Curia claiming the Pope had answered the five “ dubia ” on Amoris Laetitia sent to him by four cardinals in September , which were subsequently published .
However , the Vatican was quick to clarify that there was no link between the anti-Francis propaganda and the Secretariat of State ’ s decision .
In a Feb . 22 communique , the Holy See Press Office clarified that Secretariat of State ’ s decision to crack down on the illegal sale of papal symbols and images “ does not originate from any recent news report ,” but is rather aimed at protecting the image of the Holy Father and his official coat of arms “ against cases of illicit use and exploitation for unauthorized profit .”
In the Dec . 19 , 2009 , statement announcing the copyright deal , the Vatican stressed that “ it alone has the right to ensure the respect due to the Successors of Peter , and therefore , to protect the figure and personal identity of the Pope from the unauthorized use of his name and / or the papal coat of arms for ends and activities which have little or nothing to do with the Catholic Church .”
“ Consequently , the use of anything referring directly to the person or office of the Supreme Pontiff ... and / or the use of the title ‘ Pontifical ,’ must receive previous and express authorization from the Holy See ,” the statement read . ( E . Harris , CNA )
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