Every day, Aleteia offers a selection of articles written by the international press about the Church and the major issues that concern Catholics around the world. The opinions and views expressed in these articles are not those of the editors.
Tuesday 15 March 2022
1 - The Missionaries of Charity have a new superior
2 - As war rages, Ukrainians look to Mary for protection according to a long Christian tradition
3 - Nicaragua, finances, and the mafia: the background to the eviction of the nuncio
4 - Netflix, Twitter, and Meta on a list of companies promoting sexual exploitation
5 - Two years of work begin on the floor of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem
The Missionaries of Charity have a new superior
The famous nuns with the white and blue saris, the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa, have a new superior: Sister Joseph Michael. At 68-years-old, she replaces Sister Prema who led the congregation for two terms since 2009. Sister Joseph Michael is the first Indian to lead the order and the third successor of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning founder and saint. She joined the Missionaries of Charity at the age of 20 and was one of Mother Teresa's closest collaborators. For the election, the Chapter of the Missionaries of Charity gathered representatives from all the communities, present in 110 countries around the world.
As war rages, Ukrainians look to Mary for protection according to a long Christian tradition
In the onslaught of images coming from the conflict in Ukraine, a particular depiction of the Virgin Mary can be seen, especially in the hands of the clergy protesting the war. It is known as a “Pokrova,” meaning “cover” in Ukrainian, and shows Mary with outstretched hands lifting up the edges of a veil, which symbolizes protection. For both Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholics the “Pokrova” represents a long history of seeking Mary’s protection during difficult times, explains Kayla Harris, an archivist for the Marian Library at the University of Dayton, in this article. Another important depiction of the mother of Jesus is the “Oranta,” which can be seen in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and shows Mary with her arms stretched upwards. This Church has survived numerous conflicts and many Ukrainians in Kyiv believe that as long as the icon inside stands, Kyiv and Ukraine will continue to stand as well, explains Harris.
Nicaragua, finances, and the mafia: the background to the eviction of the nuncio
Last week's dismissal of the Apostolic Nuncio Waldemar Sommertag by the Nicaraguan government is comparable to the famous "Agnani slap," a real humiliation for the Holy See, says Vatican expert Maria Antonietta Calabro. The journalist recalls that the last similar case dates back to 1951, when the Nuncio in China was expelled by Mao Zedung - that is to say, in a country with a small Christian population, unlike Nicaragua, where Catholics are a majority and where President Daniel Ortega reigns "as the head of a state controlled by paramilitary militias.” The Italian Vaticanist underlines the negative reputation of the Central American country, recalling that it served as a refuge for some of the actors of the bankruptcy of the Ambrosiano bank, the biggest financial scandal in the Vatican, and that hundreds of millions of dollars disappeared through a Nicaraguan branch. A scandal directly linked to the mafia and the infamous P2 Masonic Lodge, a neo-fascist group founded by Licio Gelli… whose own son was ambassador to Nicaragua.
Netflix, Twitter, and Meta on a list of companies promoting sexual exploitation
The year 2021, the worst year for sexual exploitation? That's according to the "Dirty Dozen," a list compiled by the U.S. Center on Sexual Exploitation that targets companies accused of promoting the phenomenon. As Catholic News Service explains, the list contains big names in the digital industry: Google Search, Netflix, Twitter, Meta, Visa or the sites OnlyFans and Reddit. Companies whose revenues are "soaring," says Linda Nealon, an official at the center. She deplores the fact that these giants do not emphasize the security standards advocated to combat sexual exploitation. According to the study, Facebook and Instagram are platforms prized by sexual predators, Netflix normalizes "the sexualization of children" and "whitewashes" prostitution, while Twitter lets sexually abusive material circulate on its network.
Two years of work begin on the floor of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
A team of archeologists from the University of La Sapienza in Rome and scientists from the Center for Conservation and Restoration La Veneria Reale are in charge of restoring the 1,000 square meters (around 10,800 square feet) of paving stones on the floor of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. Their work began on March 14, 2022, and the archeologists are in charge of the excavations while the scientists will focus on the restoration of the floor. Worn by time, humidity, candle wax and the footsteps of the millions of pilgrims who come here every year, the pavements of the Holy Sepulcher really needed a “facelift.” In a symbolic gesture, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Theophilos III, the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Patton, and the representative of the Armenian Patriarch, Father Samuel Aghoyan, gave the first blow to the floor during a blessing ceremony held at the site. The goal of the restoration is to preserve as much as possible the existing materials while giving stylistic unity to the whole pavement.
