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Meaning of All Souls Day

All Souls Day is a holy day set aside for honoring the dead. The day is primarily celebrated in the Catholic Church, but it is also celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and a few other denominations of Christianity. The Anglican church is the largest protestant church to celebrate the holy day. Most protestant denominations do not recognize the holiday and disagree with the theology behind it. According to Catholic belief, the soul of a person who dies can go to one of three places. The first is heaven, where a person who dies in a state of perfect grace and communion with God goes. The second is hell, where those who die in a state of mortal sin are naturally condemned by their choice. The intermediate option is purgatory, which is thought to be where most people, free of mortal sin, but still in a state of lesser (venial) sin, must go. Purgatory is necessary so that souls can be cleansed and perfected before they enter into heaven. There is scriptural basis for this belief. The primary reference is in 2 Maccabees, 12:26 and 12:32. “Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out… Thus made atonement for the dead that they might be free from sin.” Additional references are found in Zechariah, Sirach, and the Gospel of Matthew. Jewish tradition also reinforces this belief as well as the tradition and teaching of the Church, which has been affirmed throughout history. Consistent with these teachings and traditions, Catholics believe that through the prayers of the faithful on Earth, the dead are cleansed of their sins so they may enter into heaven. The belief in purgatory has not been without controversy. Certainly, some flagrant abuses of the doctrine were used to raise money for the Church during the renaissance. Famously, Martin Luther argued with the monk, Johan Tetzel, over the sale of indulgences. Indulgences were sold as spiritual pardons to the poor and applied to the souls of the dead (or the living) to get people into heaven. The abuse of indulgences and the blatant, sometimes fraudulent practice of selling indulgences for money, led to Luther’s protest. When Martin Luther translated the Bible into German, he omitted the seven books of the canon which refer to prayers for the dead. He then introduced the heretical belief that people are simply saved, or not, and argued that there is no need to pray for the dead to get them into heaven. The Church reeled from Luther’s accusation, and reformed its practice of selling indulgences. However, it reemphasized the Biblical and traditional practice of praying for the departed and the importance of such prayers. All Souls Day is celebrated in much of the western world on November 2. Other rites have their own celebrations. The Eastern Orthodox Church has several such days throughout the year, mostly on Saturdays. All Souls Day is not a holy day of obligation. It should not be confused with All Saints’ Day, which is a holy day of obligation. Many cultures also mark the day differently. In North America, Americans may say extra prayers or light candles for the departed. In parts of Latin America, families visit the graves of their ancestors and sometimes leave food offerings for the...

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What is All Saints Day

All Saints’ Day is a Christian solemnity, or dignified remembrance, that celebrates the honor of all church saints, whether known or unknown. There’s a yearly reminder of our connectedness as Christians to the church. It’s called “All Saints Day” and is commemorated every November 1st. Perhaps, you were taught to think of saints as statues in a church building. But the Bible teaches something completely different. Who is a saint? You are. That is, if you’re a follower of Jesus. God calls a “saint” those who trust in Christ alone for salvation (see Acts 9:13, Acts 26:10, Romans 8:27, 1 Corinthians 1:2). All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day, or Hallowmas, is a Christian celebration in honor of all the saints from Christian history. In Western Christianity, it is observed on November 1st by the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church, and other Protestant denominations. The Eastern Orthodox Church and associated Eastern Catholic churches observe All Saints Day on the first Sunday following Pentecost.  The Christian festival of All Saints Day comes from a conviction that there is a spiritual connection between those in Heaven and on Earth. In Catholic tradition, the holiday honors all those who have passed on to the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a national holiday in numerous historically Catholic countries. In Methodist tradition, All Saints Day relates to giving God earnest gratitude for the lives and deaths of his saints, remembering those who were well-known and not. Additionally, individuals throughout Christian history are celebrated, such as Peter the Apostle and Charles Wesley, as well as people who have personally guided one to faith in Jesus, such as one’s relative or friend. In addition to weekly worship gatherings, “All Saints Day” annually reminds us of our connectedness as Christians. It’s commemorated every November 1st. Perhaps, you were taught to think of saints as statues in a church building. But the Bible teaches something completely different. Who is a saint? You are. That is if you’re a follower of Jesus. God calls a “saint” anyone who trusts in Christ alone for salvation. Sainthood isn’t given by a group of religious leaders. It’s granted by God Himself to any common, salt-of-the-earth person who simply trusts Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2). Words matter. And sowing confusion about good, biblical words like “saint” is not from God. The gospel message is that God the Son came to earth, lived a perfectly obedient life, died on the cross to pay for our sins (Romans 5:1), and rose again, proving His atoning work was complete (Romans 4:22-25). Saints are those who give up the anti-faith alternative of trying to please God by their good deeds and, instead, trust Christ alone. Scripture says that the person of faith actually becomes the very righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21)! Through the channel of human faith (the means of salvation), we become united to Christ (the source of salvation), and we are saved from God’s judgment as well as from the futile way of life that we naturally follow (1 Peter 3:18). In other words, we are granted sainthood! Skeptical? Think about this: if God calls the worldly, sinning believers in Corinth “saints”—and He does in 1 Corinthians 1:2—couldn’t He call you a saint as well? Friend, anyone who trusts in Christ alone for salvation is a saint in God’s sight. The Origin and History of All Saints Day In the...

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Procession and Holy Mass to conclude Month of Rosary across Miao Diocese

The Month of Rosary concludes with procession and Holy Mass across Miao...

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Full text: FABC general conference’s message to the peoples of Asia

We, the Pastors of the Catholic Church in Asia, share this message of joy, hope, and solidarity with you, Peoples of Asia. We are grateful for the blessings that God has showered on Asia through our Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) comprising 17 Episcopal Conferences and two Synods of Oriental Churches. “Journeying together as Peoples of Asia” was the theme of our conference in which we sought to reaffirm our journey of the past 50 years, revitalize the Church, and envision new pathways of service. We are deeply thankful to the Royal Thai Government for the warm welcome and for honouring our general conference with the presence of the Minister of Culture during the opening ceremony. We express our deep appreciation to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, especially the Archdiocese of Bangkok, for hosting the FABC 50 General Conference. We were happy to have with us representatives of the Holy See and other Continental Conferences. It was a fruitful time of praying, listening, discerning, and encouraging each other. It was also a moment of healing from the pain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through our discussions and deliberations at the conference, we touched the soul of Asia. At the same time, we were inspired by the hope, courage, and determination shown by the Churches in Asia to journey together and work with more dedication for a better Asia. We were challenged by the different voices of our multifaceted continent that we hear crying out for help and justice: the sufferings of the poor, deprived, and marginalized longing for a dignified life,the anguish of refugees, migrants, displaced and indigenous peoples seeking genuine human dignity and safe places,the groaning of nature with wounds of exploitation, climate change, and global warming, pleading for being more adequately cared for,the dream of youth seeking for more significant roles in the Church and society,the voices of women asking for a more inclusive Church that respects their dignity and recognizes their rightful place,the desire of families looking for better stability and more support from all. We are also deeply concerned about: the pain and suffering of some churches that need to receive relief through our empathy and solidarity;the rising voices of extremism that need to be responded to wisely;the urgent need for a greater respect for life to be inculcated in society;the escalating violence and conflicts in our continent that call for dialogue and reconciliation;a society that is challenged by the digital revolution, which has impacted all both positively and negatively. In prayer and in a spirit of collaboration, we desire to respond to these challenges by relying on the power of love, compassion, justice, and forgiveness. We believe that peace and reconciliation is the only way forward. We have envisaged new pathways for our ministry based on mutual listening and genuine discernment. Inspired by the Gospel and by the recent teachings of Pope Francis: We commit ourselves to reach out to the peripheries. We are called to serve the most needy joyfully.We are called to a pastoral and ecological conversion to positivelyrespond to “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”We wish to live out the spirit of complementarity and harmony by listening to others in genuine dialogue.We seek to promote a culture of peace and harmony in collaboration...

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A unique Bible for the youth released at FABC General Assembly

Miao, 22 October 2022: A unique edition of the Bible for the youth was released on Friday at the backdrop of the General Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), currently underway at Bangkok, Thailand. The special edition of the Bible for the young people across the world, named ‘Identity: Identified, Navigating the Challenges of Life’ was presented to the Assembly by Bishop George Pallipparambil SDB, the Chairman of the Commissions for Evangelization and Archbishop Simon Poh of Kuching, Malaysia. Presenting the Bible, which has been created as a follow-up to the Synod on the Youth in 2018, Bishop George of Miao diocese in India said, “What makes Identity: Identified unique is not only the numerous highlighting of passages throughout it but also the inclusion of 24 four-page inserts of Catholic teaching on the big issues in life that young people face, and that were identified during the Synod on Youth. The issues of loneliness, rejection, suicide, making good choices, living in a sexualised world, where is God when it hurts, why am I here, are topics of discussion with references from the Bible”. Terming the Bible as a work of innovative idea, Bishop George said, “What makes this Bible even more unique is that there are more than 30 QR codes. Scanning them will take the reader to video clips which have both young and older people talking about challenges in life and their favourite Bible passages that have helped them cope and identify God’s plan for them”. The special Bible is result of a combined collaboration of Cardinal John Dew of Wellington, New Zealand, John Bergin, the Liaison Consultant of United Bible Societies, Asia-Pacific and the Office of Evangelization of FABC, with contribution from several Bishops and theologians throughout the region such Archbishop Simon Peter Poh Hoon Seng of Kuching, Malaysia, Bishop Broderick Soncuaco Pabillo of the Vicar Apostolic of Taytay in Philippines and Late Cardinal Cornelis Sim of Brunei. Available in both printed and digital version, the Identity: Identified has an introductory message from Pope Francis, who also received one of the first copies of this Bible. Various Episcopal Conferences are already translating it to their own languages, said Bishop George. “I am sure that this little effort will bear rich fruits as it will help people to personalize the Word of God and reduce overdependence on other”. Calling it a great achievement in digital apostolate without ignoring the traditional print media, Archbishop Poh said, “I am sure that ‘Identity: Identified’ is going to be a great wealth in the hands of the youth of Asia Pacific”. The release of this unique Bible has created huge enthusiasm among the youth. Josephine Magdalyn Taan, the Youth Secretary of the Malaysian Bishops’ Conference said, “This New Testament is a great tool for the youth of today” and Antony Judy, the President of Indian Catholic Youth Movement said, “I have gone through and tried a number of bar codes. It is a perfect help for the young”. The FABC opened its General Conference on 12 October with a Eucharistic Celebration at Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Centre in Bangkok. Two hundred delegates representing 29 Asian countries are meeting until 30 October celebrating the 50 years of the Conference’s history, discussing on the theme “Journeying Together as Peoples of...

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