Author Archives: Mississippi Catholic

He’s made history as first African American to be cardinal, archbishop of Washington

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By Mark Zimmermann

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — When Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory became the first African American cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church Nov. 28, 2020, some of his thoughts were far from Rome while he received his red hat during the consistory at St. Peter’s Basilica.

He reflected on that moment In a recent interview with the Catholic Standard and Spanish-language El Pregonero archdiocesan newspapers.

“When the Holy Father placed the cardinal’s biretta on my head, the thoughts that filled my heart were thoughts of my own family, my mom and dad struggling to provide a good education for me and my two sisters,” he said Jan. 15. “My wonderful grandmother, Etta Mae Duncan, who was so pivotal in my upbringing. I’ve said this before, she was a domestic. She worked as a housekeeper to provide the opportunity for her grandchildren to get a good education.

“I thought about the sacrifices that people have made in my own life,” he continued, “but also the sacrifices that African American Catholics, Catholics of color, have offered in their fidelity to our church, their love for our church, their faithfulness to the Catholic community that they love and have loved all of their lives.”

Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory of Washington shares a laugh with Pope Francis Oct. 4, 2023, before the first working session of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

He also thought about history. “How did I get here? How did this moment happen to me?”

And he thought about “how grateful I am to have reaped the harvest of faith that was made possible by people in my own life, but (also by) people that I have never known, but were faithful Catholics who have fallen in love with the Catholic Church and that I just so happened to be the one to reap the benefit of their love and their devotion.”

On Oct. 25, 2020, the morning that Pope Francis named then-Archbishop Gregory as one of 13 new cardinals to be elevated at that Nov. 28 consistory, he said in a statement, “With a very grateful and humble heart, I thank Pope Francis for this appointment which will allow me to work more closely with him in caring for Christ’s Church.”

That morning, Cardinal-designate Gregory celebrated a 250th anniversary Mass for Holy Angels Parish in Avenue, which is located near St. Clement’s Island in Southern Maryland, where the first Catholic Mass in the English-speaking colonies was celebrated in 1634.

After that Mass, he was asked what his elevation to the College of Cardinals meant to him personally, to be the first African American cardinal in the United States, and what that would mean to the nation’s Black Catholics.

Cardinal-designate Gregory’s voice broke slightly as he said, “I’m deeply humbled. I know that I am reaping a harvest that millions of African American Catholics and people of color have planted. I am deeply grateful for the faith that they have lived so generously, so zealously and with such great devotion.”

He said he saw his appointment as “another opportunity to serve and to care for the church and to have the church (of Washington) in closer union with Pope Francis.”

He added, “I hope it is a sign of the continued investment of the church in the work of justice, peace and harmony among people.”

Cardinal Gregory was installed as Washington’s archbishop in May 2019. On Jan. 6, 2025, Pope Francis accepted his resignation; at 77 he is two years past the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope. Pope Francis named Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego as his successor. He will be installed March 11.

Cardinal Gregory became Catholic and was inspired to become a priest after being enrolled in St. Carthage School in his native Chicago in 1958. Young Wilton was baptized and received his first Communion in 1959 and was confirmed later that year.

After graduating from St. Carthage in 1961, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1973. He earned a doctorate in sacred liturgy from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome in 1980.Three years later he was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Chicago; at age 34, he became the youngest U.S. Catholic bishop.

From 1994-2005, Bishop Gregory headed the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois. In 2001, he was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops after three years as vice president. In 2002, during his term, revelations of clergy sexual abuse and its cover-up erupted, affecting the whole U.S. church. Under his leadership, the bishops implemented the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”

St. John Paul II appointed Bishop Gregory as archbishop of Atlanta, where he was installed in 2005, and Pope Francis named him as the seventh archbishop of Washington in 2019. Then-Archbishop Gregory became the first African American archbishop of Washington.

In one of his first parish visits as Washington’s new archbishop, he celebrated a Mass at St. Augustine Church, founded in 1858 by free men and women of color, including some who were emancipated from slavery. It is known as the mother church for African American Catholics in the nation’s capital.

When then-Archbishop Gregory appeared in the doorway of St. Augustine Church that morning for the Mass, people there shouted for joy and gave him a spontaneous standing ovation.

In his homily that day, then-Archbishop Gregory acknowledged St. Augustine’s history and “how it is identified with the sacred heritage of African American Catholics.”

“I stand on holy ground, as do all of you when you gather each Sunday for the Eucharist,” he said, adding, “Today a son of the African diaspora stands in your midst as the shepherd of the entire family of faith that is the Archdiocese of Washington.”

After Cardinal Gregory’s elevation to the College of Cardinals was announced in 2020, local Catholics interviewed for a “Black Catholics Voices” multimedia series for the Catholic Standard reacted with joy to his appointment as the first African American cardinal.

Father Robert Boxie III, the Catholic chaplain at Howard University in Washington, said the appointment was a recognition of Cardinal Gregory’s pastoral leadership and contributions to the church in the United States.

It was also a recognition that “the faith, the contributions, the witness, the experience of Black Catholics truly do matter, and that’s an important voice and an important gift to the church universal,” the priest said. “The voice of Black Catholics will be now that much closer to the Holy Father. It will now be in the heart of the Church in Rome, in the Vatican.”

Sister Patricia Chappell, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur and the former president of the National Black Sisters’ Conference, called Cardinal Gregory’s elevation “a very historic moment,” and praised the new cardinal as “a man who really listens to the people, a man who is steeped in his faith, and a man who will journey with the people.”

As the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Gregory worked to be a pastor to all the people of the archdiocese, centering his ministry on celebrating Masses at parishes and Catholic schools.

He worked to bring healing in the wake of the clergy abuse crisis and led the archdiocese through the COVID-19 pandemic. Demonstrating Catholic teaching for the dignity of human life in all its stages, Cardinal Gregory celebrated a Youth Mass for Life before the annual March for Life, and he also spoke out against the death penalty.

The cardinal also celebrated an annual Mass honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and under his leadership, the archdiocese launched a 2020 pastoral initiative, “Made in God’s Image: Pray and Work to End this Sin of Racism,” and a 2021 action plan based on Pope Francis’ “Laudato Si'” environmental encyclical.

“He demonstrated to the church in the United States that Black Catholics have a lot to offer to the church from the gifts God has given us, and he’s an excellent example of that,” said Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr. who also serves as the president of the National Black Catholic Congress.

In a 2021 interview one year after he was elevated to the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Gregory was asked if being the first African American cardinal posed any challenges.

“I always feel that if I stay close to the Lord in my prayer life, at least (staying) on the right path … being the first is an opportunity to draw the church closer together across cultures and races,” he said.

In his recent interview with the Catholic Standard and El Pregonero, he reflected on the number of opportunities he has had “to be the first,” saying he wants “to make sure that I realize that whatever legacy I leave will be available for the second, for the third, for the fifth, who will, in God’s own time and with God’s own grace, will inherit the responsibilities that I’ve been fortunate enough to have.”

“I hope that my presence in the Archdiocese of Washington, as I was present in Atlanta and in Belleville and in Chicago, I hope that I provided an opportunity for people not just in a sense of pride, but in a sense of opportunity, that the young people can see a world that they can fill with their own dreams and with their own possibilities,” he said.

“I hope that my ministry has lifted the horizons for a lot of our young people, to see as possibilities that generations of young people in the past never even envisioned.”

(Mark Zimmermann is editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.)

Church expresses solidarity with victims’ families, demands answers after Guatemala bus crash

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By Eduardo Campos Lima

(OSV News) – A week after a horrendous bus crash killed at least 54 in Guatemala City Feb. 10, including children, a shocked nation and the church are demanding answers from the government on regulating the treacherous bus travel business in the country.

Pope Francis consoled the families of victims in a Feb. 14 telegram, sent the day he entered Rome’s Gemelli hospital for tests and bronchitis recovery.

Francis imparted a “heartfelt apostolic blessing” to the families mourning their loved ones and those awaiting news of those severely wounded and in the hospital.

A telegram sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican’s secretary of state, to Archbishop Gonzalo de Villa Vásquez of Santiago de Guatemala, said that the Holy Father was “deeply saddened” by the “painful news” and prayed for those lost in the accident.

A drone view shows first responders working at the site of a deadly bus crash in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Feb. 10, 2025. In a Feb. 14 telegram, Pope Francis said he is “deeply saddened” by the bus crash in Guatemala, which left dozens dead. (OSV News photo/Josue Decavele, Reuters)

Catholics have been providing spiritual support to the families of the victims on several levels, with Guatemalan bishops participating in memorial Masses of those lost in the bus accident.

The bus picked up at least 70 passengers in Santo Domingo Los Ocotes, a town in El Progreso department, and was taking them to the capital, a route that shouldn’t take much more than one hour. The vehicle carried men, women and children. Some passengers worked in Guatemala City; others would frequently visit it to buy products to sell in their village.

“Those intercity buses are very common. They have spaces where people can put the merchandise they buy in the capital,” Father Rigoberto Pérez, a vicar in Guatemala City and a longtime communications officer in the Guatemalan church, told OSV News.

As the bus was arriving in the northern part of the capital, it crashed into other cars, broke through a guardrail and fell from a 115-feet-high bridge into a polluted stream.

“Most of them died instantly. Others were taken to the hospital, but died before getting there,” said Father Pérez, currently the communications head of the bishops’ conference of Latin America, known for its Spanish CELAM acronym. According to Guatemalan newspaper La Hora, two passengers remain at UCI beds.

The tragedy revealed the risks and disorganization that many Guatemalan workers face everyday, said Father Pérez. Ongoing investigations have already shown that the bus driver didn’t have a professional license and the vehicle was operating out of its authorized route.

“In many cases, bus owners fail to apply the necessary security measures. At the same time, there’s a lack of supervision on the authorities’ side,” Father Pérez argued.

The church immediately reacted to the news of the accident. Bishop José Benedicto Moscoso Miranda of Jalapa, which encompasses El Progreso, released a Feb. 10 letter of condolences to the families of the victims.

“I’m praying so God gives you comfort and I beg the whole Christian Catholic community to pray and express its solidarity,” Bishop Moscoso’s message read, followed by a message from the bishops Feb. 11.

According to Bishop Rodolfo Valenzuela Núñez of Verapaz, who is the president of the Guatemalan bishops’ conference, “the church, institutionally, helps those who suffer by adding to the voices of solidarity.”

It “has been offering prayers for the fatal victims and the families who are suffering such losses,” he told OSV News.

On the “grassroots level, the church formed by communities and neighbors of the victims’ families has been showing its proximity and help,” Bishop Valenzuela added.

Father Pérez said that several celebrations and prayer services were carried out in different dioceses and parishes in honor of the victims. At the Feb. 13 Mass at the Cathedral of Guatemala City, with President Bernardo Arévalo de Leon among the attendants, Pope Francis’ telegram sent Feb. 12 to the apostolic nuncio in the country was read.

The church has been demanding from the authorities that the public transportation system take adequate safety measures, Bishop Valenzuela told OSV News.

According to Father Pérez, the deeply rooted corruption in the Guatemalan state is the most basic reason for the lack of infrastructure and traffic safety — and many Catholics have been denouncing it.

“A real mob steals part of the national budget. That’s the problem,” he concluded.

(Eduardo Campos Lima writes for OSV News from São Paulo.)

Briefs

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U.S. Sister Dorothy Stang, a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, is pictured in a 2004 file photo in Belém, Brazil. Feb. 12, 2025, was the 20th anniversary of the killing of Sister Dorothy, a citizen of Brazil and the United States, who spent nearly four decades defending the rights of poor settlers as well as working to save the rainforest from powerful ranchers bent on destroying it. (OSV News photo/Reuters)

NATION
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee, used the U.S. bishops’ 2025 Lenten message to reach out to those affected by abortion. In his Feb. 19 message, Bishop Thomas assured individuals carrying the sadness and guilt of abortion that Jesus’ love is unconditional. He highlighted the meaning of Ash Wednesday, noting that the ashes remind people of their need for repentance and God’s love. Ash Wednesday this year is March 5 and marks the start of Lent in the Latin Church, the largest church in the global Catholic Church. Bishop Thomas invited those suffering from abortion to return to Jesus and the church, emphasizing the healing available through the sacrament of reconciliation. He also referenced Pope Francis’ message of hope and the importance of nonjudgmental support for those grieving. Bishop Thomas pointed to the church’s Project Rachel Ministry, offering compassionate help and resources in English and Spanish for healing. “This Lent, the Lord’s mercy awaits you,” he said. “Allow Him to heal you and lift your sadness into joy.”

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Feb. 19 it has started to send out guidance on “clear sex-based definitions” to government agencies, organizations and the public. The department said it is now implementing recent Trump administration executive orders on sex and gender. HHS stated in its announcement that its new guidance “recognizes there are only two sexes: male and female.” It also said the department would use these guiding definitions to “promote policies acknowledging that women are biologically female and men are biologically male.” HHS also stated it was taking steps to implement policies aimed at protecting minors from undergoing certain transgender medical and surgical interventions. Additionally it stated it would implement Trump’s executive order effectively barring biological males who identify as transgender from taking part in women’s and girl’s sports. Trump’s executive orders on sex and gender have been praised in statements issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for “recognizing the truth about each human person as male or female.”

PENSACOLA, Fla. (OSV News) – The work of Catholic prison ministry has been mostly carried out quietly and long thought of as something only priests and religious do. This has meant that lay involvement “is almost nonexistent,” according to Karen Clifton, executive coordinator of the online-based Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition, or CMPC. A recent survey revealed many dioceses have prison ministries, but few know who’s involved. The survey came after Pope Francis asked his U.S. nuncio about the state of prison ministry in this country – following the pontiff’s 2015 visit to a Philadelphia-based correctional center. Clifton said the pope’s inquiry came as several Catholic prison ministry and advocacy groups banded together in search of national guidance, prompting the creation of CMPC in 2018, now made up of more than three dozen ministries across the country. The idea, said Clifton, is to have an active prison ministry in every diocese. Bishop William A. Wack of Pensacola-Tallahassee, CMPC’s episcopal adviser, emphasized the coalition’s role in providing training, support and advocacy for prison ministers, who often work in isolation.

VATICAN
ROME (CNS) – In 2021, a new species of screech owl was discovered deep in the Amazon rainforest, named “Megascops stangiae” in honor of Sister Dorothy Stang, a U.S.-born Catholic nun who was killed in 2005 for her work protecting the Amazon and its people. Sister Dorothy, known as a “Martyr of the Amazon,” advocated for peasant farmers and Indigenous people against illegal ranchers and loggers. On the 20th anniversary of the death of the 73-year-old nun, a relic containing blood-soaked soil from the site of her murder was enshrined at the Basilica of St. Bartholomew in Rome, marking her as the first American woman honored among the modern martyrs. Despite her death, Sister Dorothy’s legacy lives on, with her work inspiring continued resistance to land theft in the region. Sister Judith Clemens, a close friend and fellow Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, said Sister Dorothy’s faith and dedication to justice continue to inspire the fight for environmental and social justice.

WORLD
PYIN OO LWIN, Myanmar (OSV News) – Thousands gathered in Myanmar’s Pyin Oo Lwin to mourn Father Donald Martin Ye Naing Win, a priest found stabbed to death in what is believed to be a targeted attack. The funeral, presided over by Archbishop Marco Tin Win of Mandalay, called for an end to the ongoing civil war, urging all parties to seek peace and reconciliation. Myanmar has been embroiled in conflict since a 2021 military coup, with ongoing violence between the military junta and rebel groups. Father Win’s brutal murder occurred on Feb. 14 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Kan Gyi Taw. Rebel group People’s Defense Force is investigating the killing. Burmese Cardinal Charles Maung Bo expressed sorrow, urging justice and an end to the violence. Aid to the Church in Need’s Regina Lynch highlighted the immense risks faced by priests like Father Win, who continue to serve communities despite the dangers of the ongoing conflict. Burmese Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, president of the bishops’ conference of Myanmar, also lamented Father Win’s death and prayed that through learning from the heartbreaking experiences the fraternal spirit be awakened. He lamented “the blood and sacrifices of countless innocent people,” – a heavy toll he hopes will serve as an offering to ending the violence tormenting Myanmar.

GUATEMALA CITY (OSV News) – A devastating bus crash in Guatemala City Feb. 10 claimed at least 54 lives, including children, sparking nationwide outrage and calls for reform in the country’s poorly regulated bus system. The bus, carrying around 70 passengers, crashed through a guardrail and plunged off a bridge, falling 115 feet into a stream below and killing most passengers. Investigations revealed the driver lacked a professional license, and the bus was operating off its authorized route. Pope Francis sent a message of condolence, offering prayers and an apostolic blessing to the victims’ families in a Feb. 14 telegram, sent the day he entered Rome’s Gemelli hospital for tests and bronchitis recovery. A telegram sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican’s secretary of state to Archbishop Gonzalo de Villa y Vásquez of Santiago de Guatemala, said that the Holy Father was “deeply saddened” by the “painful news” and prayed for those lost in the accident. Local bishops have been actively supporting the grieving families, celebrating memorial Masses and prayer services. The church is demanding stronger safety measures and accountability from the government, with some blaming systemic corruption for the lack of proper infrastructure and regulation. See full story here.

St. John Paul II National Shrine presents exhibit: “Lord, you could not love me more! St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin” during Lent

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Negative photo of the frontal image of the man of the Shroud. (Credit: Copyright 1978, Vernon Miller)

By Grattan Brown
WASHINGTON – The “Lord you could not love me more!’ St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin” exhibit responds to the call of St. John Paul II, given during his visit to the Shroud in 1998, for greater understanding of and devotion to the Shroud of Turin:
“The Shroud does not hold people’s hearts to itself, but turns them to him, at whose service the Father’s loving providence has put it. Therefore, it is right to foster an awareness of the precious value of this image, which everyone sees and no one at present can explain. For every thoughtful person it is a reason for deep reflection, which can even involve one’s life. The Shroud is thus a truly unique sign that points to Jesus, the true Word of the Father, and invites us to pattern our lives on the life of the One who gave himself for us.”

The exhibit helps pilgrims encounter the mystery of the Shroud of Turin – the likely burial cloth of Jesus referred to in Sacred Scripture – of its movement in history, of scientific research on the Shroud to determine its authenticity, and of faithful devotion to all that the Shroud reveals about salvation. The exhibit includes a replica of the Shroud of Turin on loan from the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit; a sculpture entitled The Sign, which renders a life-size, three-dimensional image of the Man of the Shroud; over 30 gallery panels containing images and text; and prayer resources. The exhibit opens on Ash Wednesday, March 5, and runs through Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025.

St. John Paul II’s teaching about the Shroud of Turin illustrates his confident approach to ancient mysteries in the light of both faith and reason. During his 1998 visit, he said,
“The church entrusts to scientists the task of continuing to investigate, so that satisfactory answers may be found to the questions connected with this Sheet, which, according to tradition, wrapped the body of our Redeemer after he had been taken down from the cross. The church urges that the Shroud be studied without pre-established positions that take for granted results that are not such; she invites them to act with interior freedom and attentive respect for both scientific methodology and the sensibilities of believers.”

As one example of St. John Paul II’s call for research on the Shroud, the exhibit profiles the current research of Gilbert Lavoie, MD, a medical expert on the study of the Shroud and author of The Shroud of Jesus: And the Sign John Ingeniously Concealed. Dr. Lavoie explains, “The raised, lifted Jesus, the result of a visual medical forensic journey of discovery, unlocks the mystery of the burial cloth left to us by God. When the lifted man of the Shroud is related to the Gospel of John, many new insights are revealed. This is John’s astonishing story about how God is visually communicating to humanity through his Son’s Shroud, telling us how real he is and how much he loves us.” Dr. Lavoie collaborated with internationally recognized sculptor Pablo Eduardo to create a sculpture, The Sign, based on Dr. Lavoie’s observations of the Shroud image and included in the Shrine’s exhibit.

The Shrine’s Director of Mission and Ministry, Dr. Grattan Brown, said, “In his pilgrimages to shrines around the world, St. John Paul II often observed that shrines are places where people can step away from their busy lives to deepen their spiritual connection to God. The Shroud of Turin, which may be the burial cloth of Jesus, connects us with Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, God’s most loving gift for humanity. It is a joy for the St. John Paul II National Shrine to offer this exhibit so that our pilgrims may experience God’s mercy during Lent.”

This exhibit is designed to help pilgrims more fully participate in the repentance and conversion of the Lenten season. As St. John Paul II observed during his 1998 visit:
“Contemplation of that tortured Body helps contemporary man to free himself from the superficiality of the selfishness with which he frequently treats love and sin. Echoing the word of God and centuries of Christian consciousness, the Shroud whispers: believe in God’s love, the greatest treasure given to humanity, and flee from sin, the greatest misfortune in history.”

Negative photo of the frontal image of the man of the Shroud. (Credit: Copyright 1978, Vernon Miller)

“The Shrine is proud to offer this exhibit about the Shroud of Turin and St. John Paul II,” said Anthony Picarello, executive director of the Shrine, “because it resonates so deeply with his legacy. It illustrates how human beings can approach the deepest mysteries fruitfully with faith and reason together; how the human body can express the most radical love; and – especially during Lent – the power of redemptive suffering.”

The Shrine’s Director of Intercultural Ministry, Dr. Sofia Maurette, said “The exhibit features panels in English and Spanish, in line with our initiative since 2023 to translate all new installations at the Shrine into multiple languages. We hope that it will be a blessing for our diverse Catholic community in the DC area and in our nation.”

About the St. John Paul II National Shrine: The Saint John Paul II National Shrine has been designated as a Jubilee 2025 pilgrimage site. It is a place of worship, religious formation, and cultural renewal to feed the minds and souls of its visitors. It is a place of pilgrimage with a first-class relic of St. John Paul II’s blood available for veneration. The St. John Paul II National Shrine is a major pastoral initiative of the Knights of Columbus, a lay Catholic fraternal organization, and it is the Knights’ hope that this initiative will serve the life of the church in the Americas and will thus bear abundant fruit for the universal church and for the world.

About the Knights of Columbus: In 1882, Blessed Michael McGivney, a young parish priest in New Haven, Connecticut, founded the Knights of Columbus to serve the needs of a largely immigrant Catholic community. What began as a small fraternal benefit society has since grown into the world’s premier lay Catholic men’s organization, with more than 2.1 million members in over 16,800 local councils. As members of one of the world’s leading international charitable organizations, Knights around the world donated more than 47 million service hours and over $190 million for worthy causes in their communities in 2023. Based on the founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity, the Knights of Columbus is committed to strengthening Catholic families and parishes, and to practicing faith in action through service to all in need. To learn more or to join the Knights of Columbus, please visit kofc.org/join.

For more information on the St. John Paul II National Shrine and exhibits, visit https://www.jp2shrine.org.

FEATURE PHOTO: … Going once, going twice …

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JACKSON – One of the hottest auction items at Krewe de Cardinal 2025 was a signed Tom Brady jersey. Pictured: Anna Neel showcases Brady’s autographed Nike Patriots Jersey (donated by Michael Simmons) to the crowd during Krewe de Cardinal’s Live Auction at the Westin. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
King Hilary Zimmerman and Queen Helen Shirley of Krewe de Cardinal 2025 enjoying a dance together at St. Richard Catholic School’s largest fundraiser, held at The Westin in Jackson on February 15. (Photo by Valerie Caserta)

Calendar of Events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
CAMDEN – Sacred Heart, Intercultural Competence Workshop for Parish Leaders, Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Presenter: Deacon Juan Pagan of the Diocese of Lafayette. Explore what is culture and more. Details: Sister Amelia at amelia.breton@jacksondiocese.org.

GLUCKSTADT – St. Joseph, Millions of Monicas – Praying with confidence for our children, each Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the church. Join with other mothers and grandmothers as we pray for our children’s faithful return to the church. Details: email millionsofmonicas@stjosephgluckstadt.com.
PEARL – St. Jude, “Women and the Power of Prayer” Women’s Retreat, Saturday, March 15 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sponsored by the St. Jude Artisan Group. Details: Linda at (601) 573-8583 or maria.l.tynes@gmail.com.

OFFICE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION – The OCE hosts a Zoom Rosary the first Wednesday of each month during the school year at 7 p.m. The upcoming Rosary is on March 5, hosted by members at the Chancery office. Details: Join the rosary via zoom at https://bit.ly/zoomrosary2024.

VIRTUAL – Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Stay with Me: Lenten Prayer for Disciples virtual event, Wednesdays from March 5 through April 9 at 7 p.m. Event is free. Register once for participation in any or all of the sessions at springfieldop.org/events. Hear reflections on the theme, enjoy periods of silence and sharing, and build a community of prayer for Lent. Details: call Sister Denise at (217) 787-0481.

VOCATIONS – Come and See Weekend, April 11-13 at St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict, Louisiana. Father Tristan Stovall is hosting an opportunity for young men age 16-18 to learn more about the priesthood, to begin discernment of a vocation and to connect with other teens who love their faith. Details: visit https://jacksonvocations.com/events for more information and to register. Deadline is April 3.


PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS
CANTON – Holy Child Jesus, Musical Celebration in honor of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, Saturday, March 29 at 3 p.m. Details: “Cherie” Evans at arievans29@yahoo.com or (601) 259-1363.
GREENWOOD – Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mardi Gras Chili Fest, Tuesday, March 4 from 5-7:30 p.m. Details: church office (662) 453-3980.

JACKSON – Sister Thea Bowman School, Drawdown 2025, Saturday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. Grand prize is $5,000. Tickets cost $120; with additional $15 for second chance. Join us for fellowship, food, entertainment, silent auction and more! Details: school office (601) 352-5441.

SOUTHAVEN – Sacred Heart School, Trivia Night and Silent Auction, Saturday, March 22 from 7-9 p.m. in the school gym. Join us for trivia, door prizes, giveaways, split the pot raffle and more. Teams with max of eight players. Single players will be assigned a spot. Cost: $25 per player and $160 per table. BYOB and snacks. Doors open at 6 p.m. to decorate your table for a chance to win a prize. Details: register by emailing Allison at abaskin@shsm.org.

LENTEN MEALS/STATIONS
CLINTON – Holy Savior, Stations and Lenten Meals, every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m. followed by Mass at 6 p.m., Lenten meals follow except on March 14. Knights Fish Fry on March 7 and 28 with cost of $9 per plate or $40 for family of 5+. Please RSVP for meals: holysavior@att.net.

COLUMBUS – Annunciation, Stations and Fish Dinner, every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m. in the Chapel with dinner in Activity Center following.

CORINTH – St. James the Less, Soup Supper and Stations, every Friday during Lent at 5 p.m.

GLUCKSTADT – St. Joseph, Fish Fry, March 21 and April 11. Details: church office (601) 856-2054.

GREENVILLE – St. Joseph, KC Fish Fry, March 28 and April 11. Details: church office (662) 335-5251.

HERNANDO – Holy Spirit, Soup and Stations, every Friday during Lent at 6:30 p.m. Fish Fry on Friday, April 4 from 4-7 p.m.

JACKSON – St. Richard, KC Fish Fry, March 21 and 28, and April 4 and 11 from 6-7:30 p.m.

NATCHEZ – Knights Fish Fry, every Friday during Lent from 5-7 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Eat in or take out. Cost: catfish $12, shrimp $12 or combo $14. Dinner includes fries, hush puppies and coleslaw. For grilled catfish, call 30 minutes ahead to Darren at (601) 597-2890.

PEARL – St. Jude, Fish Fry, Every Friday during Lent following Stations at 6 p.m. Dine-in only.

STATIONS ONLY
BATESVILLE – St. Mary, Stations, every Friday during Lent at 10:30 a.m. followed by Mass at 11 a.m.
FOREST – St. Michael, Way of the Cross (Spanish), every Friday during Lent at 7 p.m.
GLUCKSTADT – St. Joseph, Stations, every Friday during Lent at 6 p.m.
GREENVILLE – St. Joseph, Stations, every Friday during Lent at 5 p.m.
JACKSON – St. Richard, Stations, every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m.
NATCHEZ – St. Mary Basilica, Stations, every Friday during Lent at 5:15 p.m.
NATCHEZ – Assumption, Stations, every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m.
SARDIS – St. John, Stations, every Wednesday during Lent at 4:30 p.m. followed by Mass at 5 p.m.

PENANCE SERVICES
CLINTON – Holy Savior, Reconciliation Service, Wednesday, March 26 at 6 p.m.
GREENVILLE – St. Joseph, Penance Service, Monday, April 7 at 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

LENTEN MISSIONS
BROOKHAVEN – St. Francis, Lenten Mission with Father Aaron Williams – Spirit and Truth: Understanding the Word of God, March 13 and 14 from 6:30-8 p.m.

MERIDIAN – St. Patrick, “Hope in Mercy” Lenten Mission, March 23-25 from 6-7:30 p.m. Retreat features Tim Mowdy, Scott Owen and Ken Woodward as speakers. Reconciliation offered Monday, March 24 from 5-6 p.m.

STARKVILLE – St. Joseph, Parish Mission – Plating Grace with Father Leo Patalinghug (author, speaker TV-radio host and famous cook), March 2-3 at 7 p.m. Bring the whole family for inspirational, interactive presentations. Details: church office (662) 323-2257.

PILGRIMAGES
HOLY LAND – Pilgrimage to Holy Land: Join Father Mark Shoffner, pastor of St. John Oxford, July 21-31, 2025. Details: lpjp.org, then click on “All Pilgrimages” and “Holy Land.” Details: church office (662) 234-6073.

MARIAN SHRINES – Pilgrimage to Marian Shrines (Fatima, Spain and Lourdes) with Father Lincoln Dall and Deacon John McGregor, Sept, 15-24, 2025. Details: for more information visit www.206tours.com/frlincoln.

ROME/LISBON/FATIMA – Pilgrimage to Rome, Assisi, Lisbon and Fatima with Father Carlisle Beggerly, Oct. 4-15, 2025. Cost: $5,799 per person (includes airfare from anywhere in the U.S.) Details: contact Pat Nause at (601) 604-0412; Proximo Travel at (855) 842-8001 or proximotravel.com. Mention trip #1181.

Católicos de todo el mundo se unen en oración por la salud del Papa Francisco

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Por Junno Arocho Esteves
(OSV News) – Mientras el Papa Francisco continúa su proceso de recuperación en el Hospital Gemelli de Roma – en donde está internado desde el 14 de febrero – católicos en su Diócesis de Roma y en todo el mundo se han unido en oración por su salud.

En un comunicado publicado en el sitio web diocesano el 19 de febrero, el cardenal Baldassare Reina, vicario general de la Diócesis de Roma, afirmó que los fieles estaban siguiendo “con atención y confianza la condición de salud de nuestro obispo, el Papa Francisco”.

“Conscientes del valor de la oración comunitaria, pedimos a todas las parroquias y comunidades religiosas que dediquen una hora de adoración eucarística en silencio antes de la celebración de la Misa”, dijo el cardenal Reina. “Como una gran familia, pedimos al Señor que le conceda a nuestro obispo la fortaleza que necesita para enfrentar este momento delicado”.

En la Argentina natal del pontífice, los fieles acudieron a la Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires – diócesis que el entonces arzobispo Jorge Mario Bergoglio dirigió antes de su elección en 2013 – y a otras parroquias para orar por la salud del Santo Padre.

Una mujer y un niño de pie delante de una imagen del Papa Francisco fuera de la Basílica de Guadalupe en la Ciudad de México 23 de febrero 2025, después de que la gente asistió a una misa para orar por la salud del pontífice. Después de una noche tranquila, el Papa Francisco se despertó y continuaba su tratamiento el 24 de febrero, el décimo día de su hospitalización por una infección pulmonar compleja que ha provocado las primeras etapas de insuficiencia renal, dijo el Vaticano. (Foto por OSV News/Luis Cortes, Reuters)

En una carta enviada al Papa Francisco el 17 de febrero, en nombre de los católicos de la arquidiócesis, el arzobispo Jorge García Cuerva pidió por su recuperación “para que fortalecido, puedas seguir sirviendo a la Iglesia del mundo entero en el ejercicio del ministerio que el mismo Dios te confió y que con tanto amor y dedicación llevas adelante”.
El arzobispo Cuerva aseguró que mientras el Papa continúa su recuperación en el Hospital Gemelli, se ofrecerán oraciones por su salud y sus intenciones “en todas las celebraciones de la Eucaristía de estos días”.

“Encomendándote a la Virgen Santa, en el recuerdo imborrable de los días en que eras obispo propio del rebaño que vive en esta ciudad”, le escribio.
Fieles en la Villa 31 de Buenos Aires, un barrio marginal donde el Papa Francisco solía celebrar Misa cuando era arzobispo, también se unieron en oración por su antiguo obispo. En declaraciones a The Associated Press, Claudia Doldán, residente de la villa, dijo sentirse triste “porque está delicado de salud “.

“Lo conozco al Papa. En su momento, Bergoglio lavaba los pies acá en el barrio. Todo el barrio nos unimos a rezar, el Papa está en nuestras oraciones”, afirmó Doldán.

Las oraciones también llegaron desde Canadá. En un mensaje del 19 de febrero, el obispo William McGrattan de Calgary, Alberta, presidente de la Conferencia Canadiense de Obispos Católicos, aseguró que los fieles y obispos del país “estamos orando por la pronta recuperación del Santo Padre, el Papa Francisco, mientras continúa guiando a la Iglesia con valentía y generosidad de espíritu”.

Católicos en Asia, incluida China, se han unido en oración por el papa. El sitio web de noticias católicas xinde.org en China instó a sus lectores a “orar por el Papa a través de la Santa Misa, la Adoración Eucarística, el Rosario, la Coronilla de la Divina Misericordia y otras devociones”.

“Acompañemos también al papa con el ayuno y la penitencia, orando para que el Señor lo asista y lo bendiga con una pronta recuperación”, decía el sitio web.

Mientras el frágil alto el fuego en Gaza continúa, católicos en esa región también han orado por la salud del Papa. En un video publicado por DRM News, un medio de comunicación en línea, un palestino no identificado en Gaza expresó su gratitud al Papa Francisco, quien “se ha comunicado con nosotros en medio de la guerra y los conflictos que Gaza ha soportado”.

“Desde su cama de hospital sigue preocupándose por sus hijos en Gaza”, dijo. “Esto nos da tranquilidad y confianza de que estamos bien, de que estamos en sus pensamientos. Oramos por él y le deseamos una pronta recuperación”.

A pesar de la gravedad de su estado, que lo ha obligado a cancelar todos sus eventos y reuniones, el Papa no quiso faltar a su llamada diaria con el padre Gabriel Romanelli, párroco de la Iglesia de la Sagrada Familia en Gaza.

En una entrevista con Vatican News publicada el 17 de febrero, el padre Romanelli reveló que el Papa Francisco lo llamó “los dos primeros días de hospitalización”.

“Nos preguntó cómo estábamos, cómo estaba la situación, nos envió su bendición. La gente le mostró su cercanía, él les agradeció y les dio su bendición”, dijo el padre Romanelli.

“Escuchamos su voz. Es cierto, está más cansado”, continuó el párroco. “Él mismo dijo: ‘Tengo que cuidarme’. Pero su voz era clara, nos escuchaba bien”.

Sin embargo, en la noche del 16 de febrero, cuando la complejidad de la condición del papa se volvió más seria, los feligreses en Gaza “no tenían expectativas de comunicación con el Papa”.

No obstante, el padre Romanelli dijo que el Papa “me envió un pequeño mensaje diciéndome que agradecía mi cercanía y mis oraciones y correspondía con su bendición”.

“Esperamos que la recuperación se produzca pronto y que pueda volver a San Pedro para continuar su misión y su trabajo”, dijo el sacerdote. “Las oraciones continúan sin cesar”.

(Junno Arocho Esteves escribe para OSV News desde Malmö, Suecia.)

Católicos de todo el mundo se unen en oración por la salud del Papa FranciscoObispos de EE.UU. demandan a Trump por recorte de fondos para refugiados

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Por Maria-Pia Negro Chin y Gina Christian
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – La Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos presentó una demanda el 18 de febrero contra la administración Trump por la suspensión de los fondos para el reasentamiento de refugiados.

En la demanda, presentada en la Corte de Distrito de EE.UU. para el Distrito de Columbia, los obispos calificaron esta suspensión de “ilegal y perjudicial para los refugiados recién llegados”, informó primero The Associated Press.

Los obispos también declararon en su demanda legal que la suspensión – que describieron como “una acción de agencia arbitraria y caprichosa” – “viola múltiples estatutos” y “socava la separación de poderes de la Constitución”.

La escultura “Angels Unawares”, puede verse en la Universidad Católica de América en Washington D.C. el 22 de abril de 2022, representa a un grupo de inmigrantes y refugiados hacinados en un barco. El 18 de febrero de 2025, la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos demandó a la administración Trump por detener la financiación del reasentamiento de refugiados, diciendo que la medida era ilegal y perjudicará a los refugiados que llegaron a Estados Unidos tras un proceso de aprobación por parte del gobierno. (Foto OSV News/Archivo CNS, Andrew Biraj, Catholic Standard)

Una portavoz de la conferencia episcopal (USCCB por sus siglas en inglés) dijo a OSV News que la demanda insta al gobierno “a mantener sus obligaciones legales y morales” con los refugiados y a restablecer la financiación necesaria para garantizar que las organizaciones religiosas y comunitarias puedan continuar su trabajo con los refugiados.

El Servicio de Migración y Refugiados de la USCCB es una de las 10 agencias nacionales de reasentamiento que trabajan con el Programa de Admisión de Refugiados de Estados Unidos, o USRAP por sus siglas en inglés, el cual que fue establecido por el Congreso en 1980, formalizando el proceso por el cual los refugiados son reasentados legalmente en los Estados Unidos.

USRAP fue suspendido a través de una orden ejecutiva firmada por el presidente Donald Trump el 20 de enero y está siendo evaluado para ver si el reasentamiento de refugiados “es de interés nacional”. El Departamento de Estado emitió notificaciones de suspensión a las agencias nacionales de reasentamiento, incluida la USCCB, el 24 de enero, lo que ha afectado a la capacidad de las agencias de reasentamiento – muchas de ellas organizaciones de diferentes religiones – para llevar a cabo servicios para los refugiados, incluidos los del Programa de Recepción y Colocación, según una alerta para apoyar el reasentamiento de refugiados vista en el Centro de Alerta de Acción de USCCB.

El Programa de Recepción y Colocación (Reception and Placement Program o R&P) es un esfuerzo nacional que proporciona asistencia a los refugiados recién llegados para cubrir sus necesidades iniciales – incluyendo ayuda para encontrar vivienda inicial, conseguir empleo, matricular a los niños en la escuela, programar citas médicas y clases de inglés – durante los primeros 90 días que permanecen en el país.
Según la información de AP sobre la demanda, el presidente de la USCCB, el arzobispo Timothy P. Broglio, de la Archidiócesis de los Servicios Militares de EE.UU., dijo que “la conferencia se encuentra de repente incapaz de mantener su trabajo para atender a los miles de refugiados que fueron acogidos en nuestro país y asignados al cuidado de la USCCB por el gobierno después de que se les concediera estatus legal”.

Chieko Noguchi, portavoz de la USCCB, dijo a OSV News el 18 de febrero que la demanda presentada por USCCB “desafía la suspensión de la financiación para la asistencia a los refugiados que hemos gestionado durante décadas”.

“Los refugiados son personas que han sido sometidas a procedimientos especiales de selección e investigación de antecedentes por el gobierno de Estados Unidos y que huyen de las dificultades y la persecución en sus países de origen para reasentarse en los Estados Unidos”, dijo Noguchi en un correo electrónico. “A lo largo de esta larga colaboración con el gobierno estadounidense, la USCCB ha ayudado a casi un millón de personas a encontrar seguridad y construir sus vidas en Estados Unidos”.

Según la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad de Estados Unidos, los refugiados son personas que han abandonado sus países de origen y no quieren o no pueden regresar debido a un temor real o fundado de persecución por motivos de raza, religión, nacionalidad, grupo social u opinión política.

Como afirma la demanda, USCCB “dirige el mayor programa no gubernamental de reasentamiento de refugiados en Estados Unidos” y actualmente atiende aproximadamente al 17% de los refugiados que se reasientan en este país. Desde 1980, USCCB ha prestado servicios de reasentamiento a más de 930.000 refugiados, afirma la demanda.

“En la prestación de esta asistencia, la USCCB ha dedicado sistemáticamente más recursos de los que recibe en financiación federal relacionada”, explica la demanda. “En 2023, por ejemplo, la USCCB pagó 4 millones de dólares más en sus programas de reasentamiento de refugiados y programas relacionados de lo que recibió del gobierno federal”.

Sim embargo, dicen los obispos en su demanda, la conferencia episcopal no puede mantener la escala actual de sus servicios de reasentamiento de refugiados sin financiación federal.

“El hecho de que la financiación federal sea integral para los servicios de reasentamiento de la USCCB es un resultado directo de las decisiones del Congreso sobre el diseño del programa y las asignaciones destinadas al mismo”, dice la demanda. “Y la incertidumbre que ahora rodea a la financiación y a la colaboración de la USCCB con el gobierno provocará consecuencias a largo plazo, potencialmente catastróficas para los programas de la USCCB” y los refugiados a los que apoyan cuando estás personas llegan y se integran a sus nuevas comunidades.

“Instamos al gobierno a que cumpla sus obligaciones legales y morales con los refugiados y a que restablezca la financiación necesaria para garantizar que las organizaciones religiosas y comunitarias puedan continuar esta labor vital que refleja los valores de compasión, justicia y hospitalidad de nuestra nación”, declaró Noguchi.

En su demanda, los obispos estadounidenses especifican tres cargos de violación de la Ley de Procedimiento Administrativo, que rige el modo en que las agencias federales elaboran las normas. USCCB afirmó que la suspensión repentina de la financiación contraviene los estatutos de apropiaciones, al tiempo que no sigue los requisitos estándar de notificación y comentario en la elaboración de normas.
Los obispos afirman que, al suspender la financiación del programa, “el gobierno no tuvo en cuenta en absoluto las terribles consecuencias de sus acciones” ni consideró alternativas.

La demanda también apuntaba a la “primera justificación” de la administración Trump para la suspensión, que alegaba que la medida se alineaba con la orden ejecutiva de Trump de detener la ayuda extranjera. Los obispos dijeron que la asistencia extranjera mencionada, “no puede incluir plausiblemente subvenciones a una organización estadounidense sin fines de lucro para los refugiados en los Estados Unidos” ya que este no es un programa internacional.

Los obispos también señalaron en su queja que el gobierno “no explicó por qué sus acuerdos” con USCCB ya no se ajustan a las prioridades no especificadas de la administración, “una omisión particularmente flagrante dado que el gobierno ha financiado continuamente los programas de refugiados de la USCCB durante décadas”.

Además, dijeron, “al emitir la Suspensión de la Financiación a Refugiados, el gobierno también ignoró sus propias regulaciones”.

La conferencia episcopal solicitó que se anule la suspensión de la financiación y que se prohíba a la administración “temporal, preliminar y permanentemente” tomar cualquier medida contra USCCB en este asunto.

Corazón de diácono: Una vida de servicio y comunión

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By Diácono Tony Schmidt
Como parte del esfuerzo continuo para destacar el diaconado permanente como un camino vocacional viable para los hombres en la Diócesis de Jackson, es mi esperanza que este artículo pueda correr la cortina para revelar una visión de la vida como diácono permanente. Debido a la variedad de entornos en los que un diácono puede servir, un día típico es tan único como los hombres que sirven.

Es imperativo recordar que el corazón del diaconado es el servicio. Tal vez sea fácil poner limitaciones al diaconado centrándose en las facultades que el obispo Joseph Kopacz concede a cada diácono en el momento de su ordenación diaconal. Sin embargo, el tiempo que pasan los diáconos realizando tareas relacionadas con las facultades, como bodas, bautizos, funerales, proclamación del Evangelio en la misa, etc., palidece en comparación con vivir entre aquellos a quienes servimos.

Desde una perspectiva personal, ser diácono me exige mantenerme plenamente comprometido como esposo, padre y abuelo y, al mismo tiempo, estar disponible para aquellos a quienes sirvo. El tiempo que paso sirviendo en el altar con mi mentor y párroco, el padre Gerry Hurley, comprende una pequeña parte de mi tiempo, pero sigue siendo la tarea más visible. Sin embargo, entre bastidores, mi servicio puede ir desde llevar la Eucaristía a las almas confinadas en su casa, residencia de ancianos u hospital, pasar tiempo con los jóvenes de nuestra parroquia, acompañar a los jóvenes en los viajes misioneros al Catholic Heart Work Camp cada verano, ayudar en los retiros de Confirmación, dirigir OCIA, proporcionar un oído atento y confidencial a aquellos que lo necesitan y formar parte de varios comités parroquiales.

Sin embargo, el servicio más importante como diácono es ponerme al margen para permitir que se escuche el susurro del Espíritu Santo y luego pasar a la acción. A lo largo de mi vida, pero especialmente durante la formación diaconal y el tiempo transcurrido desde la ordenación, la comprensión de que estoy llamado a servir es un tema muy real y constante. Mi ego quiere hacer cosas grandiosas que afecten a un gran segmento del mundo, pero estoy llamado a servir a los necesitados de mi propia comunidad. El diaconado es humillante en muchos sentidos; mi servicio no tiene que ver conmigo… es realmente ser las manos y los pies de Jesús. El diaconado me ha ayudado a ser mejor marido, padre, amigo e hijo de Dios.

Un aspecto de la vida de un diácono que está presente en cualquier ámbito de servicio es la absoluta necesidad de conectar a nivel humano con aquellos a quienes servimos. Desde el principio de la creación, los seres humanos fueron creados para estar en comunión unos con otros. Ser capaces de empatizar, escuchar para comprender y conocer sin juzgar a una persona en su viaje espiritual establece la confianza y abre líneas de comunicación. Es a través de la confianza y la comunicación, que el diácono puede ser de mayor valor que es permitir que la luz de Cristo brille y así iluminar el mundo. Amo a Jesús; por tanto, debo amar a sus hijos. Aunque no hablaba del diaconado, Tomás de Aquino resume la mentalidad necesaria para tener un ministerio diaconal satisfactorio al afirmar: «Amar es querer el bien del otro».

Animo a todos los hombres que estén interesados en el diaconado a que consulten la sección Diaconado Permanente del sitio web diocesano en https://bit.ly/JacksonDiaconate para obtener más información. También, únanse a una de las sesiones informativas sobre el diaconado que se llevarán a cabo en toda la diócesis para aprender sobre el corazón del diaconado.

(El diácono Tony Schmidt es miembro del diaconado permanente de la diócesis de Jackson. Sirve la parroquia de San Pablo en Flowood).

Tras el accidente de autobús en Guatemala, la Iglesia se solidariza con las familias de las víctimas y exige respuestas

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Por Eduardo Campos Lima
(OSV News) – Una semana después de que un terrible accidente de autobús cobrara la vida de al menos a 54 personas en Ciudad de Guatemala el 10 de febrero, incluidos niños, una nación conmocionada y la Iglesia exigen respuestas del gobierno sobre la regulación del traicionero negocio de los viajes en autobús en el país.

El Papa Francisco consoló a las familias de las víctimas en un telegrama del 14 de febrero, enviado el mismo día en que ingresó en el Hospital Gemelli de Roma para someterse a pruebas y recuperarse de una bronquitis.

El Santo Padre impartió una “sentida bendición apostólica” a las familias que lloran a sus seres queridos y a las que esperan noticias de los heridos graves y hospitalizados.

Un dron muestra a los socorristas trabajando en el lugar del accidente de autobús en Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala, el 10 de febrero de 2025. En un telegrama del 14 de febrero, el Papa Francisco dijo que está «profundamente entristecido» por el accidente de autobús en Guatemala, que dejó decenas de muertos. (Foto por OSV News/Josue Decavele, Reuters)

Un telegrama enviado por el cardenal Pietro Parolin, secretario de Estado del Vaticano, al arzobispo de Santiago de Guatemala, Gonzalo de Villa Vásquez, decía que el Santo Padre estaba “profundamente entristecido” por la “dolorosa noticia” y que rezaba por los fallecidos en el accidente.
Muchos católicos han prestado apoyo espiritual a las familias de las víctimas a varios niveles, y los obispos guatemaltecos han participado en misas en memoria de los fallecidos en el accidente de autobús.

El autobús recogió al menos a 70 pasajeros en Santo Domingo Los Ocotes, localidad del departamento de El Progreso, y los llevaba a la capital, un trayecto que no debería durar mucho más de una hora. En el vehículo viajaban hombres, mujeres y niños. Algunos pasajeros trabajaban en Ciudad de Guatemala; otros la visitaban con frecuencia para comprar productos que vender en su pueblo.

“Esos autobuses son comunes. Tienen una especie de parrilla donde las personas pueden poner su carga, sus mercancías para sus tiendas”, dijo a OSV News el padre Rigoberto Pérez, vicario en Ciudad de Guatemala y responsable de comunicación de la Iglesia guatemalteca desde hace muchos años.
Cuando el autobús llegaba a la zona norte de la capital, chocó contra otros coches, atravesó una barandilla y cayó desde un puente de 115 pies de altura a un arroyo contaminado.

“La mayoría de ellos murieron instantáneamente. Otros fueron llevados al hospital, pero murieron en el camino”, explicó el padre Pérez, actual responsable de comunicación de la Conferencia Episcopal Latinoamericana (CELAM). Según el diario guatemalteco La Hora, dos pasajeros permanecen en cuidados intensivos.

La tragedia puso de manifiesto los riesgos y la desorganización a los que se enfrentan cada día muchos trabajadores guatemaltecos, dijo el padre Pérez. Las investigaciones en curso ya han demostrado que el conductor del autobús no tenía licencia profesional y que el vehículo circulaba fuera de su ruta autorizada.

La Iglesia reaccionó inmediatamente a la noticia del accidente. El obispo de Jalapa, José Benedicto Moscoso Miranda, que abarca El Progreso, envió el 10 de febrero una carta de condolencias a las familias de las víctimas.

El mensaje del obispo Moscoso, al que siguió otro mensaje de parte los obispos de Guatemala el 11 de febrero, decía ques estaba orando para que Dios les dé consuelo y ruego a toda la comunidad cristiana católica que rece y exprese su solidaridad.

Según Mons. Rodolfo Valenzuela Núñez, obispo de Verapaz y presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal de Guatemala, “La Iglesia como institución ayuda a quienes sufren sumándose a las voces de solidaridad y de condolencia que se manifestaron inmediatamente”.

El padre Pérez dijo que en diferentes diócesis y parroquias se realizaron varias celebraciones y servicios de oración en honor de las víctimas. En la Misa del 13 de febrero en la Catedral de Ciudad de Guatemala, con el presidente Bernardo Arévalo de León entre los asistentes, se leyó el telegrama del Papa Francisco enviado el 12 de febrero al nuncio apostólico en el país.