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The rose window of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral is seen a few weeks before its reopening to the public scheduled for Dec. 7, 2024, on Oct. 25, 2024, in Paris. / Credit: Chesnot/Getty Images

Seattle, Wash., Dec 3, 2024 / 09:05 am (CNA).

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to travel to Paris this Saturday to attend the grand reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, marking his first foreign visit since winning the presidential election in November.

Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, stating: “It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the reopening of the magnificent and historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago.”

He also praised French President Emmanuel Macron, saying he has done a “wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!” Macron was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Trump after his electoral win last month.

The reopening will be a high-security affair. About 6,000 police officers and members of the gendarmerie will be deployed on Saturday and Sunday for the event, which is expected to be attended by about 50 heads of state and government, Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez said at a press conference. Pope Francis said in September he would not attend.

The Île de la Cité, where Notre Dame is located in the middle of the River Seine, will be accessible only to invited guests and residents of the island, Nuñez added. There will be room for 40,000 spectators along the Seine’s southern bank.

The reopening service, presided by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, will be attended by Macron, other officials, donors and Parisian clergy. The service will include the singing of the Te Deum, the Magnificat, prayers for the world, and the Lord’s Prayer.

In a gesture of unity, Catholic churches throughout the United States have been encouraged by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to peal their bells at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 7.

The inaugural Mass will be celebrated the following day, where the archbishop will consecrate the high altar. About 170 bishops and priests from around the world will participate, along with one priest from each of the 106 parishes in the Archdiocese of Paris.

Events from Dec. 8–15 will follow, inviting the faithful and those involved in the restoration to daily services. The cathedral will resume its daily schedule starting Dec. 16.

Notre Dame, an iconic symbol of French heritage and Gothic architecture, suffered major damage in April 2019 when a fire engulfed its roof and spire. Its main structure was saved, along with many of its priceless contents, but the $760 million restoration project has been monumental, involving teams of architects, artisans, and engineers dedicated to preserving the cathedral’s historical integrity.

Prior to the fire, the cathedral attracted between 14 million to 15 million visitors annually, according to France’s Tourism Board.

Attendees including workers of reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral gather during a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron (center) in the nave of the cathedral in Paris on Nov. 29, 2024. / Credit: CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 2, 2024 / 16:15 pm (CNA).

As the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris prepares to reopen on Dec. 7, U.S. bishops are calling on local American churches to show their solidarity with the Church’s “eldest daughter.” 

Five years ago, a devastating fire broke out across the timber roof and 315-foot-tall oak spire of the beloved 12th-century French cathedral. Restoration to the structure began with a two-year cleaning process followed by a $760 million reconstruction project.

In a social media post, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) wrote that as the cathedral reopens its doors, “local churches in the U.S. are invited to peal their bells in a gesture of unity.” 

“This gesture of uniting our local Churches with the cathedral of Paris would be one more sign of our union to the eldest daughter of the Church whose forefathers contributed so much to the U.S. struggle for independence,” USCCB President Archbishop Timothy Broglio stated in the post. 

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., is also encouraging local churches to accept the bishops’ invitation and will ring its bells at 2 p.m. ET on Dec. 7, according to the USCCB. 

Notre Dame Cathedral will open its doors to the public on Dec. 7, beginning with a triduum that will include the official inauguration of the cathedral by the French state, which owns and maintains most of the country’s cathedrals as historic sites. The Notre Dame altar will be consecrated on Dec. 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, during the first Mass in the restored cathedral.

Photo and video images have been circulating across social media and various news outlets from French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Notre Dame on Friday, giving the world a first glimpse into the cathedral’s interior since a fire broke out across its roof and spire in April 2019. 

Last month, the bells of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris also rang out for the first time since the fire.

null / Credit: PeopleImages.com/Yuri A/Shutterstock

Madrid, Spain, Dec 2, 2024 / 15:15 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Spain has accepted “with filial obedience” the recent doctrinal note by the country’s bishops on practices of “intergenerational healing” that are not in accord with the magisterium and tradition of the Catholic Church.

In a statement published on its website, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Spain said it gratefully welcomes the content of the document approved by the Spanish Bishops’ Conference and “adheres to it with filial obedience, agreeing with its content and the concern that underlies it.”

The movement also stated that it “will continue to ensure that, within the scope of our association, part of the entire stream of grace, its guidelines are followed.”

The charismatic organization added that the bishops’ document, titled “His Mercy Extends from Generation to Generation,” is necessary “to clarify concepts, risks to this practice, as well as the areas of its implementation, in the light of the studies carried out and the notes from the magisterium of the Catholic Church that are enunciated.” 

In addition, the association hopes that what the bishops have set forth will help “identify and correct these practices that deviate from the tradition and the magisterium of the Church and that can cause great moral and spiritual harm to the holy people of God.”

The statement from the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Spain was signed by its national coordinator, Víctor Gregorio Arellano, and the national spiritual adviser, Father Francisco Javier Ramírez de Nicolás, a priest of the Diocese of Osma-Soria.

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Spain is a private association of the faithful whose statutes were approved by the Spanish Bishops’ Conference in 2004 and modified in 2011.

The doctrinal note from the Spanish Bishops’ Conference noted that Father Robert DeGrandis of the Society of St. Joseph “has popularized the practice in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal due to his involvement in it.”

De Grandis and other authors teach “the intergenerational transmission of sin and, correlatively, the possibility of intergenerational healing,” the bishops’ note criticizes.

The way to supposedly “cure” physical and mental illnesses consists of “identifying the sin in one’s own family tree” and breaking “the bond of sin” through “intercession, exorcisms, and, especially, the celebration of a Eucharist,” which results in a supposed healing, the doctrinal note explains.

The Spanish bishops point out that “sin is always personal and requires a free decision of the will” and that the same is true of the punishment associated with sin. The prelates noted that “the only sin that is transmitted from generation to generation is original sin” but that this occurs only “in an analogous way.”

Furthermore, they affirm that it’s not possible to “maintain that there is an intergenerational transmission of sin without contradicting Catholic doctrine on baptism,” the sacrament in which “the forgiveness of all sins occurs.”

Regarding the Eucharist, the bishops maintained that offering petitions during Mass for intergenerational healing “seriously distorts the Eucharistic celebration.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Bishop John Sherrington, auxiliary bishop of Westminster and lead bishop for life issues, said he hopes and prays the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill might be rejected at a later stage in the legislative process. / Credit: Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

London, England, Nov 29, 2024 / 12:20 pm (CNA).

The Catholic bishops of England and Wales have expressed dismay after a historic vote today, Nov. 29, during which members of Parliament (MPs) voted in favor of assisted suicide.

Following a five-hour, Second Reading debate in the House of Commons, 330 MPs voted in favor of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, while 275 voted against it. 

While this does not mean that assisted suicide is now law in England and Wales, it does mean the bill will now progress to the next legislative stage. 

The last time MPs voted on the issue in 2015, the bill was voted down at Second Reading and progressed no further.

Following the vote today, Bishop John Sherrington, lead bishop for life issues, said he hopes and prays the bill might be rejected at a later stage in the legislative process.

In a statement released this afternoon, Sherrington said: “We are disappointed that MPs have voted in favor of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill progressing through Parliament. We believe that this bill is flawed in principle and also contains particular clauses that are of concern. We ask the Catholic community to pray that members of Parliament will have the wisdom to reject this bill at a later stage in its progress.”

Sherrington said bishops were particularly concerned about a lack of protection for conscientious objection. 

“In addition to being opposed to the principle of assisted suicide, we are particularly concerned with clauses in the bill that prevent doctors from properly exercising conscientious objection, provide inadequate protection to hospices and care homes that do not wish to participate in assisted suicide, and allow doctors to initiate conversations about assisted suicide,” he said. “We ask that these voices be heard in the next stages of the bill to strengthen the deep concerns about this proposed legislation.”

The bill would allow assisted suicide for people aged 18 and over who are terminally ill and have a prognosis of six months or less.

Sherrington went on to say that real compassion involves supporting people at the end of their lives. 

“We have expressed the view, during this debate, that genuine compassion involves walking with those who need care, especially during sickness, disability, and old age,” he said. “The vocation to care is at the heart of the lives of so many people who look after their loved ones and is the sign of a truly compassionate society. It is essential that we nurture and renew the innate call that many people have to compassionately care for others.”

Sherrington continued: “It remains the case that improving the quality and availability of palliative care offers the best pathway to reducing suffering at the end of life. We will continue to advocate for this and support those who work tirelessly to care for the dying in our hospices, hospitals, and care homes.”

Meanwhile, pro-life campaigners have vowed not to give up. 

Spokesperson for Right to Life UK Catherine Robinson said: “This is just the first stage of a long journey through the Commons and then the Lords for this dangerous assisted suicide bill. We are now going to redouble our efforts to ensure we fight this bill at every stage and ensure that it is defeated to protect the most vulnerable.”

“A very large number of MPs spoke out against this extreme proposal in Parliament today. They made it clear that this dangerous and extreme change to our laws would put the vulnerable at risk and see the ending of many lives through assisted suicide,” Robinson said.

Three Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles, are all smiles at Colwich Abbey in Staffordshire, England. / Credit: Courtesy of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles

London, England, Nov 29, 2024 / 09:18 am (CNA).

The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, have opened a new location at St. Mary’s Abbey in Colwich, Staffordshire, England. 

The Benedictines became well known after the body of their founder, Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, who died in 2019, was discovered well preserved in 2023.  

The order was welcomed by Archbishop Bernard Longley of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, England, who invited the sisters to consider the property. The abbey had been up for sale since 2020 because of a decline in vocations.

“We informed the local ordinary, Archbishop Longley, about the sisters soon-to-be in exile in his diocese and we certainly were not expecting an invitation to stay, but that is exactly what happened!” Mother Abbess Cecilia Snell, the Benedictines of Mary’s first abbess, wrote in a spring 2024 newsletter. “His Excellency has welcomed us most graciously to remain in the [arch]diocese of Birmingham.”

The Benedictines of Mary have now completed the deal and have bought the Colwich buildings from Stanbrook Abbey. They are still working to pay that off. In August, four sisters moved to Colwich to begin their apostolate in England.

Colwich Abbey, among others, was founded by three great-great-granddaughters of St. Thomas More, who came together in 1623 at Cambrai, Flanders, after the dissolution of the English monasteries in the 1500s.

The link to St. Thomas More is significant for the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, as the Mother Abbess described More as “a saint of joy and grace under fire, grace that holds up under the challenges of an age.”

The Mother Abbess added her hopes that the new community in Staffordshire will be “a place of expansion, especially for future foreign vocations to our community.” 

St. Mary’s Abbey, which has been occupied by Benedictine nuns since the 1830s, has a rich Catholic heritage, having its origins in a convent in 17th-century Cambrai in the Spanish Netherlands, which established a daughter house in Paris in 1652. 

The nuns who were suppressed in the French Revolution moved to England and eventually settled in Dorset, where St. Benedict’s Priory was formed. Now the Benedictines want to play their part in reviving monastic life in England. 

“It is our great hope and desire that our community can revive monastic life in this beautiful and historic sanctuary,” the Mother Abbess told The Catholic Directory. “The sisters have already brought the Benedictine ‘ora et labora’ to the Midlands, and we await God’s timing for the next step in this exciting endeavor.”

Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster founded the traditionalist Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, order in Gower, Missouri, and died on May 29, 2019. However, when her body was exhumed on April 28, 2023, to be moved for interment in the abbey church, the sisters discovered a well-preserved body. In August 2024, Bishop James Johnston of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in Missouri confirmed, following a medical examination of the body, that no signs of decomposition were found.

The Mother Abbess explained on the community’s website the process of how they bought the English property.

“The sisters discovered that 15 miles away, St. Mary’s Abbey in Colwich was for sale. A week after their arrival, the sisters visited the Abbey grounds and were quite taken by the buildings, the historical value of the place, and its rural setting,” she said.

“With a formal invitation from the archbishop, it became clear the Lord wanted the Benedictines of Mary to stay in Staffordshire, and to do all in their power to restore Colwich Abbey to its former glory,” she continued.

England is traditionally known as the “Dowry of Mary,” an ancient title given to Our Lady in 1381 by King Richard II in Westminster Abbey, who sought the protection of Our Lady amid political troubles. England took the title “Mary’s Dowry” — meaning the country was ‘set aside’ as a gift, or dowry, for Our Lady, who would give the country her protection. A rededication was made in 2020. 

Speaking of the title, and the community’s own commitment to Our Lady, the Mother Abbess told the Catholic Herald:  “England belongs to Our Lady, as does this community, the members being entirely consecrated to her, collectively and individually. We are very grateful to be stepping into such a beautiful heritage, and by her prayers and intercession, being her instruments in assisting with the revitalization of monastic life within her land.”

This story was updated on Dec. 11, 2024, in the fifth paragraph to reflect the fact that Stanbrook Abbey did not loan the sisters any money, as had been reported by another news outlet.

Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin (left) and Bishop William Crean of Cloyne (Ireland) / Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference

Dublin, Ireland, Nov 29, 2024 / 08:10 am (CNA).

As Ireland heads to the polls on Friday, respect for the dignity of human life is among the key issues highlighted for voters in a statement issued by the Irish Catholic bishops titled “To Be a People of Hope.” 

Increasing homelessness and the impact of immigration are also raised as matters of grave concern.

Ireland’s general election takes place on Nov. 29 with no clear frontrunner among the three main parties — Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and Sinn Féin. It is potentially one of the most significant elections in the state’s history, with Sinn Féin targeting a role in government.

The Catholic hierarchy’s statement to the electorate underscored the social and moral concerns that should shape voters’ choices.

Archbishop Dermot Farrell, archbishop of Dublin and primate of Ireland, said, “Voting matters because it is how we hold our leaders to account and mandate what we believe to be important.”

Housing, migration, and assisted suicide

The incoming government will face pressing social issues, including spiraling homelessness, immigration, and an influx of refugees to Ireland, which has stirred right-wing nationalism. Also looming is the prospect of legislation on legalizing assisted suicide.

Addressing this issue, Bishop William Crean of Cloyne stated, “How we care for the weakest and most vulnerable goes to the core of our moral fiber and integrity as a society,” as he paid tribute to the culture of palliative care across Ireland, describing it as an “extraordinary witness to compassionate care for all approaching life’s end.”

Amid rising concerns that so-called assisted dying could place undue pressure on the elderly and most vulnerable, the Irish bishops’ message was unequivocal: “The value of people’s lives seems to be calculated as if it were simply part of a cost-benefit analysis. Where is the hope in this?”

A profound housing crisis is another pressing issue, with 15,000 people, including over 4,500 children, currently homeless in Ireland. The Irish bishops described this situation as a scandal that undermines social cohesion. They called for immediate action, emphasizing the dignity and well-being of every person.

The bishops also advocated for a compassionate response to immigration, urging politicians to welcome those seeking a better life in Ireland. Their statement called for fair and timely processing of asylum applications and a strong stance against racism.

In the international arena, the bishops expressed grave concern over ongoing conflicts, particularly the war in Gaza, urging an immediate ceasefire and highlighting the importance of Ireland’s role in promoting peace.

Aidan Gallagher, director of EWTN Ireland, told CNA, “The Irish bishops’ guidance serves as a very clear moral compass for voters and politicians alike, encouraging a commitment to hope, dignity, and respect for all as Ireland prepares for its pivotal election.”

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archdiocese of Westminster. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

London, England, Nov 28, 2024 / 10:30 am (CNA).

The leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has made a robust defense of the role of religion in the political debate about assisted suicide as members of parliament prepare to vote on the issue tomorrow.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, was asked to respond to remarks by Lord Falconer of Thoroton, the former Lord Chancellor, who told The Guardian on Nov. 24, that “religious beliefs” should not be imposed on others, when it comes to the debate on assisted suicide. 

During an interview with Times Radio on Nov. 25, Nichols said: “I thought we lived in a democracy where people were permitted to express their views and to take forward an argument and a rational argument. If Mr. Falconer can’t extend that space to religious belief, then I’m not sure why he should be in politics, actually.”

He continued: “It’s not as if politics is a separate, sealed-off way of living, it’s part of the life of this country. Religious belief is very much part of the life of this country, and the majority of people in the world actually hold a religious belief in God. So, it’s Charlie Falconer, who is in the box, not me.”

The vote on assisted suicide, which is scheduled in the House of Commons tomorrow, is thought to be "on a knife’s edge," according to voting projections. Recent analysis by Election Maps UK indicates that 285 MPs are in favor of the new law, while 289 MPs are opposed.

When asked by Times Radio how he would feel if assisted suicide was legalized in England and Wales, Nichols replied: “I’d be fearful for many vulnerable people who would feel under pressure. You know the right to die can easily become a duty to die, that eats away [at] a person’s self-confidence.”

Nichols has also added his signature to a letter released on Nov. 24, signed by a number of faith leaders — including Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Coptic Orthodox, and Greek Orthodox leaders — stating “their deep concern” about the impact of the Bill. It reads:

“In the UK, it is estimated that 2.7 million older people have been subjected to abuse; many of these may also be vulnerable to pressure to end their lives prematurely. Disability campaigners and those working with women in abusive relationships have also highlighted the danger of unintended consequences should the law be changed.

“The experience of jurisdictions which have introduced similar legislation, such as Oregon and Canada, demonstrate how tragic these unintended consequences can be.

“Promised safeguards have not always protected the vulnerable and marginalized. Even when surrounded by loving family and friends, people towards the end of their life can still feel like a burden. This is especially the case while adult social care remains underfunded. In this environment, it is easy to see how a ‘right to die’ could all too easily end in feeling you have a duty to die.”

Meanwhile, an increasing number of significant political figures have come out against the Bill, in the run up to the debate.

Former Prime Ministers, Boris Johnson, Teresa May, Liz Truss, and Gordon Brown have all indicated that they are opposed to the Bill, while David Cameron who served as Prime Minister between 2010 and 2016, has changed his mind in favor of assisted dying.

Current prominent members of the government, including the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, have made it clear that they are opposed to a change in the law and will be voting against the Bill.

The highly controversial Bill is sponsored by backbench MP, Kim Leadbeater, and has been allocated five hours of debate tomorrow in the House of Commons.

Following the debate, there will be a vote and if the Bill is ratified it will then progress to the next stage of the legislative process.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, would allow terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less, to apply for physician-assisted suicide.

MPs are allowed a "free vote" on the issue, which means they can vote according to their conscience, rather than following a party line.

Women holding hands in prayer. Stock image via Shutterstock. / null

Madrid, Spain, Nov 28, 2024 / 07:30 am (CNA).

The Spanish Bishops’ Conference has published a doctrinal note criticizing the practice of so-called “intergenerational healing” or “healing of the family tree” promoted by some Catholic priests.

The doctrinal note was published in response to these practices “in some Spanish dioceses, especially in the area of ​​prayers and retreats organized by new religious movements of a charismatic nature.”

After receiving reports from various experts “in the fields of dogmatic theology, spiritual theology and psychology,” the conference’s Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith prepared the text that was approved for publication.

The doctrinal note identifies as originators of these practices Anglican missionary Kenneth McAll, Claretian religious John Hampsch and Catholic priest Robert DeGrandis of the Society of St. Joseph, “who has popularized the practice in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal due to his involvement in it.”

These authors teach “the intergenerational transmission of sin and, correlatively, the possibility of intergenerational healing.” The way to “cure” physical and mental illnesses resulting from the sins of ancestors consists of “identifying the sin in one’s own family tree” and breaking “the bond of sin” through “intercession, exorcisms and, especially, the celebration of a Eucharist,” which results in a supposed healing, the doctrinal note explains.

The bishops warn that “merging aspects proper to the Catholic faith with others that are foreign to it, results in a syncretism that appears Catholic with aspects that concern, explicitly or implicitly, questions of eschatology,” as well as ecclesiology, anthropology, and the theology of the sacraments.

The magisterium of the Catholic Church on sin

In the doctrinal note, the Spanish bishops emphasize some magisterial points to be taken into account on the question of “intergenerational healing.”

First, they state that “sin is always personal and requires a free decision of the will. The same is true of the punishment for sin. It always involved personal responsibility.”

In connection with this, they note that “the only sin that is transmitted from generation to generation is original sin,” but they also point out that this transmission occurs “in an analogous way,” that it does not have the character of personal guilt and that its punishment “does not pass on” to the next generation.

The prelates explain in the second instance that although in the Old Testament it is affirmed “that the sins of the fathers are visited on the children,” this conception of corporate responsibility, “which called into question the justice of God,” evolved “making man responsible for his own destiny”.

“In the New Testament Jesus rejected the concept of a hereditary transmission of sin, breaking with the logic of ‘personal and collective guilt-punishment’ in the well-known scene of the healing of the man born blind,” the bishops explain.

Baptism, Eucharist and intergenerational healing

The Spanish bishops also point out that it’s not possible to “maintain there is an intergenerational transmission of sin without contradicting the Catholic doctrine on Baptism,” the sacrament in which “the forgiveness of all sins occurs.”

Regarding the Eucharist, the prelates note that “the so-called ‘Masses of healing or deliverance,’ closely linked to the practice of intergenerational healing,” are not found in the Roman Ritual and therefore “the introduction of such intentions into the scope of the celebration of the Holy Mass seriously changes the nature of and distorts the Eucharistic celebration.”

The doctrinal note also refers to prayer meetings “whose purpose is to obtain from God the healing of the sick,” to reaffirm that, although “any member of the faithful can freely lift up prayers to God asking for healing,” when it comes to meetings “they must be subject to the supervision of the local Ordinary.”

“These prayers for healing, as well as prayers for exorcism, liturgical or non-liturgical, cannot be introduced into the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the sacraments and the Liturgy of the Hours,” they specify.

In conclusion, the Spanish bishops affirmed that “basing ourselves on the Word of God, we wish to affirm that you can’t be guilty of someone else’s sins you had nothing to do with nor can anyone be held responsible for the sins of previous generations, but that each person is responsible for his own life and his own sins.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

The suspect faces life imprisonment for these crimes. / Credit: Pixabay

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 27, 2024 / 14:39 pm (CNA).

Spain’s National Police have arrested one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives, a man accused of murdering a Catholic priest and injuring a nun in August 1991 in the town of Paloznak, Hungary.

According to a police statement posted Nov. 25 on its website, the man, who was not identified by name, was arrested in Girona province in the Catalonia region of Spain.

The fugitive had two European Arrest Warrants (EAWs) issued, one for aggravated homicide in Hungary and the other for violating traffic safety laws in Romania. In addition, a warrant was issued for theft in Hungary. The suspect faces life imprisonment for these crimes, the text states.

The man lived in a quiet area “and took multiple security measures before leaving his home, which is why the agents had to pose as park and garden maintenance workers in order to arrest him, the police statement notes. 

After the EAWs were issued, Spain’s National Police began the investigation in May, finding that the accused had passed through the Spanish province of Huelva and that he did everything in his power to try to go unnoticed, such as using apps to avoid connecting with cell towers when contacting other people.

In mid-November, police officers found him in Girona province and set up an operation to finally arrest him in public when he was going to get into his car.

The crimes

The police report states that in August 1991, in Paloznak, Hungary, “the suspect, together with other individuals, broke into a parish [building] in the city to steal valuables found there.”

At the scene “they surprised the priest who ran the parish (an elderly man) while he was sleeping and, after tying him to a chair and aggressively assaulting him, he died.” They also tied up and assaulted “a nun, also elderly … Although the woman survived the assault, she was seriously injured.”

According to Spanish media, the man arrested by the police in the town of Santa Coloma de Farners in Girona province, one of the most wanted in Europe, is Viorel Nae, a 55-year-old Romanian who is believed to be one of those who participated in murdering Father Gyula Csontos during the robbery that occurred more than 30 years ago.

According to El Caso online news, the nun who was injured during the incident died about 23 years ago. After being beaten, she supposedly told the criminals where some valuable things were that were ultimately stolen.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

St. Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin, Germany. / Cedric BLN via Wikimedia (Public domain).

CNA Deutsch, Nov 25, 2024 / 12:01 pm (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Berlin celebrated the reopening of St. Hedwig's Cathedral on Sunday after more than six years of renovation work. The interior has been given a state-of-the-art makeover, but not everyone is responding with enthusiasm. 

In his homily on Sunday, Berlin Archbishop Heiner Koch summarized the intention behind the new design: “In the current renovation of St. Hedwig's Cathedral according to the designs of architect Peter Sichau and artist Leo Zogmayer, it was important to us that Catholics find a home here in this church and that people who do not share our faith also feel addressed by the language of the architecture and the artistic design and can perceive this church as a place of reflection, conversation, and open searching.”

Ulrich L. Lehner, the Warren Foundation Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, in a post on X shared his response to the design of the cathedral writing: "This is what 40 million get you for your new Cathedral when you are a #Catholic Bishop in Germany: an eggshell altar. Dedicated to the 'supreme being"? The building is a visible sign for the dead #German #church - it is a shell without any life inside. Nobody will pray here.”

Koch spoke to the hopes and disappointments people may have when they see the renovations, saying in his sermon that “the design of St. Hedwig's Cathedral addresses the dark experiences of many people.”

“For example, in the crypt in the Neapolitan nativity scene, the depiction of the birth of Christ includes the poverty and the drama of the flight of so many people,” he said. “On the Way of the Cross in the crypt, which takes up the suffering of many people, is the chapel in which the guilt of the church over the course of its 2,000-year history and the suffering it has caused find expression. In addition, our recent history in Germany is taken up, in which we failed and did not sufficiently address the violation of human dignity.”

The archbishop continued: “As Christians, we believe in the good God, who holds our lives and our history and the future of the world in his hands and who has given us salvation in Jesus Christ. We believe in God, who leads people’s lives to fulfillment, who has torn open the heavens and gives us a healthy, meaningful and fulfilling future that allows us to live together and leads our lives to unfold.”

Against this background, the crypt, he said, “does not stop at people's dark experiences, but shows itself to be a place of hope. The tomb of Blessed Bernhard Lichtenberg and the tombs of the bishops bear witness to the hope of resurrection that fills us.”

The redesigned interior of the Berlin cathedral takes up the “confession of Christ, the Savior, the fulfillment and completion of our lives and our future”, explained Koch. 

“The center of the cathedral is the altar as a symbol of Christ, of his life, suffering, death and resurrection. The church gathers around it and honors him in the liturgy. The community of believers gathers around it with the bishop, whose cathedra is inserted into this circle of believers around the altar as a sign of his task and his authority to lead and teach his diocese. Saint Hedwig thus becomes an expression of the idea of communion, which we have placed at the center of our life in the Archdiocese of Berlin and to which we are committed in the development of the synodality of our Church: communion with God and with one another.”

During his time as Cardinal and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Pope Benedict XVI categorized such a design of the interior of churches with the words: “The turning of the priest towards the people now forms the congregation into a self-contained circle. In terms of form, it is no longer open towards the front and above, but is closed in on itself.”

Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, in contrast, said he is delighted with the new interior of St. Hedwig's Cathedral.“When I entered the room, I was completely overwhelmed. I was speechless at the brightness, the size, and the freedom that this space breathes. It is actually unrecognizable when you compare it to the room I remembered.”

Woelki was Archbishop of Berlin from 2011 to 2014.

“The Pantheon was brought to Berlin from Rome,” Woelki said on Sunday in an interview with Cologne Cathedral Radio. “The altar is at the very center. Christ is at the center, next to it the cross, the ambo, from there the proclamation of the Word and overall simplicity. The space gives freedom, but at the same time it also creates a closeness to one another. People now sit much closer and kneel much closer to the salvation that takes place on the altar.”

St. Hedwig's Cathedral dates back to the 18th century. The building burned down during the Second World War. When it was rebuilt, it was already a very modern church. A few decades later, it was re-redesigned, initiated by Woelki.

This article was originally published by CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German language news partner, and has been translated and adapted for CNA.