MISSION STATEMENT
We the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Scranton,
in union with our Holy Father, the Pope, are called
through baptism to share in the mission which Jesus
Christ has entrusted to the One, Holy, Catholic and
Apostolic Church. Priests, deacons, religious and laity,
under the leadership of our Bishop, cooperate to
proclaim the Gospel in accordance with the teaching of
the Church, to celebrate the sacraments, especially the
Eucharist, for the salvation of all, and to witness by
grace to the Kingdom of God so as to promote a culture
of life, justice and peace.
Subscribe
to News Briefing |
This Issue:
|
| Pope,
Bishops Urge Support for Protecting Marriage |
| Wedding
Anniversary Celebration This Sunday |
| De-Coding
The Da Vinci Code |
| You
Can Help Communicate the Truth |
Pope, Bishops Urge Support for Protecting
Marriage |
Pope
Benedict XVI recently addressed the protection
of marriage when he received participants in the
plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for
the Family, which is celebrating the 25th
anniversary of its foundation.
He
recalled how “the family founded on marriage
constitutes a ‘heritage of humanity,’ a
fundamental social institution; it is the vital
cell and the pillar of society, and concerns
both believers and non-believers. This is
something to which all States must give great
consideration because, as John Paul II liked to
say, ‘the future of humanity passes by way of
the family.’”
The
Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania, meeting May
10-11, issued the following pastoral appeal
regarding the upcoming state and national
legislative actions to support the protection of
the institution of marriage through an amendment
to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and the Constitution of the United
States:
“Deeply
concerned about preserving and protecting the
divinely ordained institution of marriage, as
reflected in the natural order of creation, we,
the Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania, renew our
call for the support of an amendment to the
Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
and the Constitution of the United States of
America, defining marriage as the exclusive
union of one man and one woman. Marriage, so
understood by diverse cultures and peoples
throughout millennia of history, is a natural
and universal institution, the foundation of
family life, and the bedrock of our society and
civilization. The preservation and protection of
the identity of marriage, as it has always been
understood, is a moral imperative of the highest
order, and a requirement of the common good. We
urge our legislators, both on the state and
national levels, to support the marriage
protection amendment. We appeal to our Catholic
faithful and indeed all the citizens of our
Commonwealth to make their voices heard and to
contact their elected state and federal
representatives to support these amendments.”
All
faithful are asked to contact their legislators
concerning this important matter. In addition to
letters and phone calls, legislators can also be
e-mailed through the website of the Pennsylvania
Catholic Conference (www.pacatholic.org). |
Wedding Anniversary Celebration This Sunday |
The
Diocese of Scranton will re-affirm the sacrament
of marriage when couples celebrating their 25th
or 50th year of marriage participate in the
annual Wedding Anniversary Celebration this
Sunday, May 21.
Bishop
Joseph F. Martino will celebrate a 2:30 P.M.
Mass in St. Peter’s Cathedral, at which
couples will renew their wedding vows. After
Mass the Diocese will host a reception for the
couples at Bishop Hannan High School.
More
than 250 couples are expected to attend this
year’s celebration, according to Mary Ann
Paulukonis, family life director in the Diocesan
Office for Parish Life.
“The
Church and all people in society are blessed
when a man and woman promise fidelity to one
another for the rest of their lives,” Mrs.
Paulukonis said. “Successful family life
shapes other social networks and produces
children who develop into confident, competent
adults. This is a gift to celebrate.” |
De-Coding The Da Vinci Code |
Much
hype surrounds this weekend’s debut of the
movie based on Dan Brown’s fictional novel.
The May 4 edition of The Catholic Light
contains an article explaining the many
fallacies contained in the book. That
information is also posted on the Diocesan
website at www.dioceseofscranton.org. The U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops is also
sponsoring a website, www.jesusdecoded.com, that
provides a variety of information.
We
encourage people to take the occasion of the
movie’s release as an opportunity to learn the
truth about the Catholic faith. |
You Can Help Communicate the Truth |
While
books and movies like The Da Vinci Code
generate a lot of fleeting fanfare, the Church
provides information at a steadier -- and more
honest -- pace. You can help to promote the
truth by supporting the Catholic Communication
Campaign.
For
example: the newsletter you are reading right
now, The Catholic Light newspaper, the
programs, including the daily Mass, that you
watch on CTV: Catholic Television, and the
information you can access any time of the day
or night on the Diocesan website are all aided
by the Catholic Communication Campaign, which
annually seeks monetary support for a range of
communication programs, nationally and on the
local level, that bring the Gospel message to
people of all ages.
This
year’s collection will be taken up in Diocesan
parishes this weekend, May 20-21.
The
Catholic Communication Campaign, an activity of
the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops, develops media programming, public
service announcements, and other resources to
promote Gospel values. Donations from Catholic
parishioners to the annual collection make
possible the work of the CCC.
“This
collection is another opportunity for our people
to make a significant difference,” said Bishop
Joseph F. Martino. “We have all been called to
live in Christ’s love and to share the ‘Good
News.’ Please be generous in your support of
the Catholic Communication Campaign. Let us all
continue to create, inspire and answer
Christ’s call to spread the Gospel message and
to love one another as He has loved us.”
Since
50% of all contributions to the annual campaign
stay right in the Diocese to support local
projects, the generosity of the faithful
directly impacts and aids The Catholic Light,
Catholic Television (CTV), News Briefing
and the website.
CTV
is the only diocesan owned-and-operated
low-power TV broadcast station in the United
States. It reaches a potential audience of
235,000 households 24 hours a day via broadcast
and on the Adelphia, GMP, Service Electric,
Service Electric Cablevision, Adams and SUSCOM
cable companies. CTV broadcasts the daily Mass
live from St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton;
the weekly “Our Community” program; as well
as a variety of programs originating locally,
nationally and internationally, including those
produced by the CCC.
The
Catholic Light brings news of the Diocese
and the Universal Church to 47,000 households
throughout the 11 counties of the Diocese every
two weeks. Like CTV, it provides information and
perspective about the faith that cannot be found
in the secular media.
News
Briefing is e-mailed every three weeks to
clergy, Diocesan staff and subscribers.
The
Diocesan website at www.dioceseofscranton.org
has been redesigned over the past year with many
new features. More enhancements are being
planned. |
|
