College Presidents Appeal to Homeland Security for Meeting on ‘ Dreamers ’
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IN THE CHURCH
June 6 , 2017 | The Valley Catholic
Pope : Get a Spiritual EKG to Make Sure Heart Pulsates with Holy Spirit
By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY – Never speak , act or make a decision without first listening to the Holy Spirit , who moves , troubles and inspires the heart , Pope Francis advised .
A cold and calculating heart that is closed to the Holy Spirit results in a faith that is “ ideological ,” he said May 29 during a morning Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae .
Knowing God and his commandments , and being good are not enough , the pope said . One must also receive God ’ s gift of the Holy Spirit and let him “ trouble ” the heart .
If people were to get a “ spiritual electrocardiogram ,” the pope asked , would it be flatlined because the heart is hardened , unmoved and emotionless or would it be pulsating with the prompting and prods of the Spirit ?
“ Am I able to listen him ? Am I able to ask for his inspiration before making a decision or saying something or doing something ? Or is my heart serene , without emotion , an immobile heart ,” much like the doctors of the law had , he asked .
“ They believed in God , they knew all the commandments , but the heart was closed , immobile , they didn ’ t let it become troubled ,” the pope said .
A Christian cannot just listen to their head and calculated reason , he said . They must learn to listen and discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to their hearts , too , “ because the Holy Spirit is the master of discernment .”
“ A person who does not have this movement in the heart , who doesn ’ t discern what is happening , is a person who has a cold faith , an ideological
faith ,” he said .
The pope asked people to reflect on their relationship with the Holy Spirit and pray that the Spirit guide them in the choices they make . “ I ask that he give me the grace to distinguish the good from the less good because good can be distinguished from evil easily ,” the pope said .
At morning Mass the next day , May 30 , Pope Francis reflected on how pastors and bishops must be ready to leave their flock and follow God ’ s call to head somewhere completely unknown .
A real pastor , he said , knows how to let go of the church he once served because he knows he is not the protagonist or “ central focus of the story .”
He must see his life as having no importance to himself , and do everything to serve God and his people “ without compromise ” and with courage , the pope said .
Priests and bishops must be open to and obey the Holy Spirit because “ the pastor knows that he is on a journey .”
Ministers will be like Paul , who was called to leave the church at Ephesus and head to Jerusalem , where “ what will happen there I do not know ,” except that he had been warned hardships and trouble would await him .
Every apostle of Christ must guide his flock without compromise , being ready to leave everything behind and head into the unknown , the pope said . He always must serve the people without ever misleading or improperly using them by making them think he is the “ central focus of the story .”
A pastor who does not learn to leave his post well does not have a good relationship with his flock and has formed “ a bond that is not purified by the cross of Jesus ,” the pope said .
Bishop Commends Ghana ’ s Plan to Hand Back Management of Mission Schools
Students at Saint Joseph Catholic School in Accra , Ghana , are seen in this 2005 file photo . The government of Ghana has indicated it might return management and supervision of mission schools to religious bodies . ( CNS photo / Nic Bothma , EPA )
ACCRA , Ghana ( CNS ) – The government of Ghana has indicated it might be making a move to return management and supervision of mission schools to religious bodies . Church leaders welcomed the move but called for an educational partnership agreement to make a smooth transition .
Bishop John Kwofie of Sekondi- Takoradi , who is in charge of education for the bishops ’ conference , said the government originally helped mission schools because it was in charge of education . “ Educating the population of a country is an immense duty that the state cannot do alone ,” he said . “ This assistance , however , evolved into what seemed like taking over the schools from their rightful owners who have , in some instances , been relegated to the background on account of the lack of clear policies or agreement ,” he said .
College Presidents Appeal to Homeland Security for Meeting on ‘ Dreamers ’
WASHINGTON ( CNS ) – Worried about the fate of some of their students , more than 65 college presidents representing U . S . Catholic institutions asked for a meeting with the Secretary of Homeland Security to talk about immigration policy . “ As leaders of Catholic colleges and universities , we are dedicated to educating students from all backgrounds . In keeping with this commitment , many of our institutions are home to young men and women who are undocumented and have met the criteria for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ). We are deeply concerned about the futures of our undocumented students ,” said the May 23 letter addressed to Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly . In the letter , they cited incidents in which DACA recipients have been placed under immigration detention , including a case in which one of them was deported , and said that “ recent actions and statements by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) about young people who met the DACA criteria raise many questions about the safety of our students .” They referred in particular to a tweet from ICE that said : “ DACA is not a protected legal status , but active DACA recipients are typically a lower level of enforcement priority .” Addressing Kelly , they said : “ implementation of immigration enforcement policies falls under your discretion . We respectfully request a meeting with you to better understand how enforcement agencies are approaching DACA holders .”
Immigration supporters are seen outside the Supreme Court April 18 , 2016 . On May 23 , more than 65 college presidents representing U . S . Catholic institutions asked for a meeting with the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security about the Trump administration ’ s policy on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals , known as DACA . ( CNS photo / Michael Reynolds , EPA )