TCA Podcast, – “Conversations with Consequences,” Episode 220 – Father Juan Velez on Cardinal John Henry Newman & Scotus Religious Freedom Wins!
With some big decisions handed down by the Supreme Court last week impacting religious freedom, we turn to legal scholars Ed Whelan of the Ethics and Public Policy Center to discuss the unanimous ruling in Groff v. DeJoy, as well as Kellie Fiedorek of Alliance Defending Freedom to speak about the 303 Creative victory. Delving into the rich ilfe and legacy of Cardinal John Henry Newman, Father Juan Velez joins to talk about his new book featuring several essays and commentaries written about this great saint. Father Roger Landry also offers an inspiring homily for this Sunday’s Gospel. Catch the show every Saturday at 7amET/5pmET on EWTN radio!
https://thecatholicassociation.org/podcast/ep-220-father-juan-velez-on-cardinal-john-henry-newman-scotus-religious-freedom-wins/
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1. Pope Francis’ trip to Mongolia in September will be closely watched by Russia and China, By Associated Press, July 6, 2023, 1:39 PM
Pope Francis travels to the periphery of Roman Catholicism later this summer when he becomes the first pontiff to visit Mongolia, a Central Asian nation squeezed between Russia and China with just 1,500 Catholics.
The visit is steeped in geopolitical significance as it will be closely watched by both Russia, which controlled Mongolia during the Soviet era, and China, which is seeking to exert its influence through the Belt and Road initiative.
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Francis has been trying to toe a diplomatic line with both countries, sending an envoy to Russia in a bid for a peace deal over Ukraine while seeking to keep relations on an even keel with China, which violated a 2018 accord over bishop nominations.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/06/vatican-trip-mongolia-russia-china/e999dd7e-1c19-11ee-be41-a036f4b098ec_story.html
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2. Maine governor expected to sign bill easing restrictions on abortions later in pregnancy, By David Sharp, Associated Press, July 6, 2023, 9:11 PM
The Maine Legislature gave final approval Thursday to a proposal to expand access to abortions later in pregnancy, sending the bill to the governor for her signature.
Once signed into law by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, as expected, Maine will have one of the least restrictive abortion laws in the country.
Current state law bans abortions after a fetus becomes viable outside the womb, at roughly 24 weeks, but allows an exception if the patient’s life is at risk. The bill would allow abortions at any time if deemed medically necessary by a doctor.
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Currently, only six other states leave the decision to get an abortion to doctors and their patients, without restrictions. They are Alaska, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Vermont, plus Washington, D.C.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2023/07/06/maine-legislature-abortion-access/6adebb86-1c54-11ee-be41-a036f4b098ec_story.html
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3. USC researchers use AI to help translate Bible into very rare languages, Their goal is to target ‘very low-resource languages that are not even in the top 500’, By Fiona Andre, The Washington Post, July 6, 2023, 12:26 PM
Out of the 7,100 languages that exist, the Bible has been translated into more than 700, making it the most-translated book in the world. Yet, those remaining languages — many of them extremely rare — have vexed Bible translators for decades. Two scientists are looking to new advancements in artificial intelligence to help close the gap.
“We want to reach all the languages on Earth; the goal is to reach everyone,” said Joel Mathew, a research engineer who alongside Ulf Hermjakob recently launched the Greek Room, an AI-powered technology to help streamline the highly technical process of biblical translation.
Combining Hermjakob’s long experience with natural language processing and Mathew’s field knowledge of Bible translation, the two researchers at the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute developed the technology to target “very low-resource languages that are not even in the top 500,” Mathew said.
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Their initiative, supported by the Wycliffe Bible Translators USA organization, is part of a broader program directed by Every Tribe, Every Nation that hopes to make the Scripture available in every language by 2033.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/07/06/usc-researchers-use-ai-help-translate-bible-into-very-rare-languages/
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4. Cardinal Müller Confirms Vatican Doctrinal Office Had File Warning About Archbishop Fernández, The Vatican was concerned about his lack of theological orthodoxy but the new prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith says ‘everything was resolved serenely.’, By Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register, July 6, 2023
Cardinal Gerhard Müller has confirmed the Vatican’s doctrinal office had a file containing theological concerns about Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández, whom Pope Francis last week appointed to head that office.
The file, also confirmed by a second senior Church source, dates to when Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires appointed then-Father Fernández rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina in 2009.
In July 5 comments to the Register, Archbishop Fernández downplayed the file’s contents, saying the Vatican’s concerns related to “accusations” based on his writings “were not of great weight,” and that after an exchange of letters with Vatican officials in which he “clarified” his “true thinking, everything was resolved serenely.”
On July 1, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Fernández, a close papal adviser and purported drafter of some of the most contentious passages of Francis’ apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, a position he will take up in August, brought forward from a previously announced start date of mid-September.
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Cardinal Müller stressed to the Register that despite the existence of the file, it was possible that Father Fernández had sent the CDF a letter “pledging to do better,” adding that this is “always the tactic for these things, to destroy any doubts.”
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https://www.ncregister.com/news/cardinal-mueller-confirms-vatican-doctrinal-office-had-file-warning-about-archbishop-fernandez
__________________________________________________________TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association. |
