tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-304088882009-11-16T13:52:59.755-06:00John (Juan) Donaghyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711543214465586727jdonaghy@igc.orgBlogger260125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30408888.post-18050324112292677792009-11-16T09:01:00.001-06:002009-11-16T09:03:27.119-06:00

Twenty years ago today six Jesuit priests at the Central American University in San Salvador and two women, a worker in the university and her daughter, were brutally killed by troops of the Salvadoran army, an army financed by the United States.The crime of the Jesuits was to take a stand for the poor and to demand justice. The crime of the women was to be poor and to be witnesses to

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The Santa Rosa de Copán diocesan assembly ended today, a day earlier than planned. It was a fruitful meeting with about 100 priests and lay leaders meeting with the bishop to plan for the coming years – and to prepare the way for the diocese’s third pastoral plan.The third pastoral plan will be prepared by a commission based on the deliberations and recommendations of several diocesan assemblies

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This week the bishop, the priests, and lay leaders of the diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán, more than 100 of them, are meeting to evaluate the past year and to plan for next year – as well as to work on the third Pastoral Plan of the diocese. The plan has been in the works for a few years, but as the bishop said at Mass the other night it will have to be looked at again, since the situation in

John (Juan) Donaghyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711543214465586727jdonaghy@igc.org0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30408888.post-43809483547076013602009-11-08T08:41:00.003-06:002009-11-08T08:53:14.815-06:00

I have this attraction to saints and holy people. Some would call it devotion, but it’s more than that. I have even put together a calendar of saints and witnesses with quotes from many of them.November is a month particularly full of saints and witnesses. Today is the birthday of Dorothy Day (1897-1980) as well as the feast of Blessed John Duns Scotus, the medieval Franciscan theologian and

John (Juan) Donaghyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711543214465586727jdonaghy@igc.org1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30408888.post-34895579629180259542009-11-07T16:02:00.003-06:002009-11-07T18:23:00.966-06:00

Today is the birthday of Albert Camus (1913-1960), French philosopher, novelist, journalist, and activist who was born in Algeria. His writings have had a major impact on my life. In the mid-1960s I came across this quote from a speech of his, “The Unbeliever and the Christian,” at a Dominican monastery in 1948:“What the world expects of Christians is that Christians should speak out, loud and

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Waiting, waiting, waitingHere in Honduras we wait a lot. Some of this is due to the cultural bias toward waiting for everyone before beginning something – a way to make sure all are included.But some waiting is due to the poverty. People wait in long lines in banks because there are not enough tellers. You wait for a store to contact a distant city to get a replacement part for your car or you

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Economic InequalityAt Sunday Mass and tonight at the Mass for the feast of St. Martin De Porres, Padre Fausto Milla quoted paragraph 66 of the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Church in the Modern Word, Gaudium et Spes:“To satisfy the demands of justice and equity, strenuous efforts must be made, without disregarding the rights of persons or the natural qualities of each country, to

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Saint Martin de PorresToday the Catholic Church remembers a saint from the Americas – Martín, son of a Spanish nobleman and a freed black slave. Despite the prejudices of his time he was allowed to become a lay brother in the Dominican friary in Lima, Perú. There he took upon himself the humblest tasks but was also noted for his knowledge and practice of healing. Trained as a barber which

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Catholic News Service articleThere's a new article from Catholic News Service, "Catholic officials laud agreement to end Honduran crisis," which is not bad, except for two serious errors.It states that many countries of the world refused to recognize the "interim" government. I believe that NO country in the world recognized the de facto regime of Micheletti even though, I believe, the US,

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The end may be nearThere are reports – even a phone call from a priest friend – that an agreement has been reached that will result in the restitution of Zelaya to the presidency under very strict conditions. I pray and hope that this is not just another report that proves to be mere speculation.There is great desire for a resolution among people here. The real work for justice must get firmly

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Letter to the archbishop from a HonduranI am somewhat reluctant to post this letter to Cardinal Rodríguez from a Honduran who, I think, is a school teacher in Santa Barbara. I disagree with some of the author’s statements but I think the letter expresses some of the concerns of those opposed to the coup and is respectful, but strong. But this morning some people from local Caritas projects

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The hermeneutical priority of the poorDo the poor know the reality better?Years ago I read a good article by Monika Hellwig, “Good News to the Poor: Do They Understand It Better?” Though I cannot remember the details of the article, it struck a chord in me.Today’s Sojo.net’s quote from Edward Said reminded me of that question.Even if one is not an actual immigrant or expatriate, it is still

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The root of war is fearThe week after he read the Honduran Bishops’ Conference statement on national television and radio on Saturday, July 4, Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez gave at least four interviews, explaining his position. Since that time he has been relatively silent in the press and even in Honduras. My guess is that he had many responsibilities in his work as president of Caritas

John (Juan) Donaghyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711543214465586727jdonaghy@igc.org0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30408888.post-19110379661964507902009-10-15T23:27:00.005-06:002009-10-27T15:20:37.931-06:00

What gives me some hopeI’m visiting Ames, where I worked for 24 years at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Catholic Student Center and where I taught occasionally at Iowa State university in philosophy and religious studies.I visiting friends, talking with the committee at St. Thomas that is promoting the ministry of solidarity with the church in the diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras, and

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Catholic News ServiceThe Catholic News Service (CNS) has continued to provide some of what I consider the best reporting on the situation in Honduras. Their latest article "Honduran bishops hope talks bring just, peaceful solution" can be found at NCR Online. You can find a listing of other CNS on the side column on my blog of translations of Honduras church documents.In contrast America magazine

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Statement of the Honduran Episcopal Conference on the dialogue “Let us seek what contributes to peace and make us grow together.” (Romans 14: 19)1. We, the bishops of the Honduras Bishops’ Conference, meeting in our Ordinary Assembly, feel very united to all the people who, both within and outside of Honduras, have paid attention to the dialogue which is being held in order to seek a

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Anti-semitismWhen I was in high school during the 1960s, I became very concerned about the role of the Catholic Church in the face of the Holocaust. Thought the play “The Deputy” might have overstated the case, I believed that the Church and failed to be a prophetic voice – sometimes for the sake of preserving its “rights.” There were courageous voices like the bishops of Holland. Even though Fr

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Statement of the National Cáritas of Honduras on the State of Siege-----Declaration on the State of Siege in Honduras“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO WORK FOR PEACE,FOR THEY WILL BE KNOWN AS THE CHILDREN OF GOD” (Mathew 5, 9)1. Moved by faith in Jesus Christ, the fount of justice, truth, fraternity, peace, and life, Caritas of Honduras declares its deep concern and dismay in the face of the direction the

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DAY OF THE BIBLEToday about 50 people walked in procession from the Catholic Radio station in Santa Rosa to the Cathedral, carrying their bibles and singing. September 30 is the feast of St. Jerome, a translator of the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin, and so in Latin America today is sometimes celebrated among Catholics as the day of the Bible. Some churches celebrated the previous Sunday

John (Juan) Donaghyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711543214465586727jdonaghy@igc.org0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30408888.post-85383571857599753582009-09-28T19:03:00.000-06:002009-09-28T19:04:16.668-06:00

Is it still a state of siege? Yes, but...We’re still under the restrictive measures imposed by the Micheletti regime. But this afternoon he stated that he was open to rescinding them, but has to check with the council of ministers that approved it. Everything should be worked out by the end of the week, he intimated.Why the change? It appears that members of the Congress who had appointed him

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Is this a democracy?Today news sources discovered that the coup regime had issued a decree that restricts some basic human rights. The pretext is that there is a grave threat to peace, with groups promoting insurrection.Here are parts of what the executive decree says:There is a restriction for 45 days of certain rights which are guaranteed in the Honduran constitution in these articles:69: "

John (Juan) Donaghyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711543214465586727jdonaghy@igc.org5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30408888.post-29467996968672255172009-09-27T17:04:00.002-06:002009-09-27T17:21:16.939-06:00

What is happeningThe extended curfew was ended on Wednesday and so I went to a conference of Project Honduras in Copán Ruinas. The conference bought together mostly people from the US who work with groups in Honduras. I went last year and it was a good way to connect with people working throughout the country. Most are Episcopalians or evangelicals. There were very few Catholics, despite the fast

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Hopes dashed?A lot has happened in the last two days. I've been at a conference in Copán Ruinas which has kept me occupied without time to really think deeply about what has happened. Check the CNS article mentioned in the previous post. I'll write more tomorrow. But here are some interesting events.Yesterday Monseñor Juan José Pineda, an auxiliary bishop of Tegucigalpa, visited with President

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New CNS article on Hondurashttp://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0904285.htm

John (Juan) Donaghyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711543214465586727jdonaghy@igc.org1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30408888.post-73062896342278036072009-09-24T19:45:00.003-06:002009-09-27T18:37:31.459-06:00

New statement from the diocese of Santa Rosa de CopánToday after a four day meeting of the priests with the bishop, this statement was issued. The following is my hurried translation.Communication of the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán1. We, the presbyterate [the priests] of the diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán, always faithful to the values of the Kingdom of God and to the people whom we have been

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