Waweza Jifunza Kitu: October 2015

Wednesday, 7 October 2015

Church should shun derogatory words on gays, Vatican synod told

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Catholics should stop using condescending language such as "pity" toward homosexuals and find ways to welcome them as sons and daughters of the Church, bishops have told a major gathering on the family.

The comments supporting more inclusive language for homosexuals in the Church were made in the first two rounds of interventions at the closed-door gathering, known as a synod, Vatican officials told a news conference on Tuesday.

The calls by over half a dozen bishops for more inclusive language on homosexuals stood out because conservative clerics made sure an interim report at a preliminary meeting last year deleted a passage they thought was too welcoming to gays.

"(The bishops said) there must be an end to exclusionary language and a strong emphasis on embracing reality as it is. We should not be afraid of new and complex situations," Father Tom Rosica said in summarizing some of the interventions.

He said that the bishops had called for "a new form of language, in particular in speaking of homosexuals ... we do not pity gay persons but we recognize them for who they are. They are our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters, our neighbors and our colleagues."

In a document written by former Pope Benedict before his election and still cited by conservatives, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger described homosexuals as "intrinsically disordered".

MODERN FAMILIES

Rosica, who attends the meetings, said the bishops who advocated a more welcoming Church for homosexuals argued that gays should not be treated as "outsiders" and the Church should extend "a hand of welcome to them (as) our flesh and blood".

The synod of more than 300 bishops, delegates and observers, including 13 married couples, will be meeting for three weeks in the presence of Pope Francis to discuss how the 1.2 billion member Church can confront challenges facing the modern family.

Since his election in 2013, Francis has given great hope to progressives who want him to forge ahead with his vision of a more inclusive Church that concentrates on mercy rather than the strict enforcement of rigid rules they see as antiquated.

The bishops will discuss ways to defend the traditional family and make life-long marriage more appealing to young people while reaching out to disaffected Catholics such as homosexuals, co-habiting couples and the divorced.

The gathering has been preceded by intense jockeying between conservatives and liberals on a host of sensitive issues.

One key topic at the synod will be how to reach out to Catholics who have divorced and remarried in civil ceremonies.

They are considered by the Church to be still married to their first spouse and living in a state of sin. Some bishops want a change to the rules that bars them from receiving sacraments such as communion.

An introductory speech at the synod's opening on Monday led some to believe that the discussion on a possible change in rule concerning divorced Catholics was closed, but bishops at Tuesday's press conference disputed this.

"The discussion is still open," said Italian Archbishop Claudio Celli.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

Students help first lady harvest White House garden

First lady Michelle Obama, joined by school children from Washington area, participate in a harvest of the White House Kitchen Garden, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A gloved Michelle Obama wielded a pitchfork Tuesday to show some student helpers how to harvest the sweet potatoes in her White House garden.

"We've got to dig these babies up," she said of the orange tubers as beads of perspiration on her forehead glistened in the afternoon sun. Students from four District of Columbia schools participated in the yearly fall harvest.

Some of the produce was tossed into a chicken vegetable salad that the group ate during an outdoor lunch on the South Lawn.

Carrots and peanuts were among the other crunchy edibles that were harvested.

Bees, including some from a nearby beehive, weren't officially part of the program, but they swarmed participants nonetheless. The first lady fanned them out of her face and she doubled over at one point at the picnic table after a bee apparently became caught in her long hair.

Mrs. Obama started the vegetable garden in 2009, her first year at the White House, to begin a national dialogue about healthy eating. The garden led to "Let's Move," her national initiative to combat childhood obesity.

Google also recorded Tuesday's harvest for a program it has that provides schools with guided virtual tours.

First lady Michelle Obama, joined by school children from Washington area, pick sweet potatoes as they participate in a harvest of the White House Kitchen Garden, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, at the White House in Washington. Students from four District of Columbia schools helped the first lady with Tuesday’s fall harvest. Afterward, some of the produce went into a chicken vegetable salad they ate for lunch. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

First lady Michelle Obama, joined by school children from Washington area, eat together after the harvesting of the White House Kitchen Garden, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, at the White House in Washington. Students from four District of Columbia schools helped the first lady with Tuesday’s fall harvest. Afterward, some of the produce went into a chicken vegetable salad they ate for lunch. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)