Venezuelan cardinal calls for new evangelization of country's capital

Caracas, Venezuela, Feb 9, 2010 / (CNA).-

At a Mass sending off members of the Great Continental Mission in the Archdiocese of Caracas, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino exhorted the faithful to carry on the work of evangelization in the Venezuelan capital despite the changing political circumstances in the country.

Members of the mission will go door-to-door proclaiming the Gospel message in Caracas.

“Today we hear the words of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, who sends us to proclaim the Gospel of love, peace, spiritual growth, salvation and happiness,” the cardinal said in his homily. He added that their evangelization efforts will be a source of renewal for both the individuals as well as the community.

“This is an initiative for the renewal of the faith and the Christian life of so many of our brothers and sisters. They need to hear the comforting message of the love of God, of human greatness, of conversion, of new life that the Lord Jesus...brings us,” he continued.

However, the cardinal stressed, the group will face numerous challenges as the Venezuelan capital is a place filled with people who are constantly affected by the “process of secularization,” do not receive enough pastoral care, and are permanently subjected to social agitation amidst the current political climate.

“At the conclusion of this Mission,” Cardinal Urosa said, “We hope to have a stronger, more evangelical, more spiritual, more numerous, more dynamic and more active Church in our capital.”

“Thus the Lord encourages us today. Let us set out into the deep trusting in his strength, encouraged by his word, strengthened by his grace, united as brothers and sisters and conscious of the greatness of our Christian vocation,” the cardinal concluded.

Spouse of Costa Rican presidential candidate 'pockets' Eucharist

San José, Costa Rica, Feb 9, 2010 / (CNA).-

In a statement released yesterday following the “disrespectful treatment” of the Eucharist by Deborah Formal, wife of Costa Rican presidential candidate Otto Guevara, the local archbishop clarified that the despite the offensiveness of the act, it did not constitute a sacrilege.

Instead of consuming the Eucharist at a Sunday Mass last weekend attended by the country's presidential candidates, Formal placed a small piece of the consecrated host inside the shirt pocket of Guevara.

Formal explained her actions saying, “Upon receiving Communion I asked the archbishop if I could share the blessing with Otto. I misunderstood what he said to me and I tried to do something that would allow Otto to carry a part of God in his heart.”

“It was never my intention to disrespect the Catholic Church,” she said.

Archbishop Hugo Barrantes Urena of San Jose released a statement noting that while Formal’s action was “disrespectful,” it was not a sacrilege, which 2120 of the Catechism defines as “profaning or treating unworthily the sacraments and other liturgical actions, as well as persons, things, or places consecrated to God.”

The catechism continues, “Sacrilege is a grave sin especially when committed against the Eucharist, for in this sacrament the true Body of Christ is made substantially present for us.”

After priests were notified of Formal's actions, the statement indicated, they “asked Mr. Guevara to return the piece of the consecrated host he was carrying, and he returned it. It was then consumed immediately by one of the concelebrating priests.”

The archbishop also pointed out that “canon 1367 of the Code of Canon Law states that 'one who throws away the consecrated species,' or 'takes them away or keeps them' commits the crime of sacrilege.”

This was not the case, he reassured the Costa Ricans, “so no sacrilege took place.”

Costa Ricans went on to elect Laura Chinchilla as the country's first female president.