Enabling, not curtailing love

In a co-authored pastoral letter, the Catholic bishops of Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, and Sweden said that “The point of the Church’s teaching is not to curtail love but to enable it.”

In the letter, which was read in churches, they criticised gender ideology and urged people to become better acquainted with the Church’s teaching on human sexuality.

They opposed unjust discrimination of any kind, but added that: “We declare dissent, however, when the movement puts forward a view of human nature that abstracts from the embodied integrity of personhood, as if physical gender were accidental. And we protest when such a view is imposed on children...”

Benefits of technology

Speaking about technology to members of Minerva Dialogues on March 27, Pope Francis said:

“I am convinced that the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning has the potential to contribute in a positive way to the future of humanity. I am certain this potential will be realised only if there is a constant and consistent commitment on the part of those developing these technologies to act ethically and responsibly.

“It is a source of concern to me that digital technologies have increased inequality in our world. Not just differences in material wealth, which are also significant, but also differences in access to political and social influence.”

Cardinal bans EWTN

Cardinal Robert McElroy told the Spanish magazine Vida Nueva: “I would not have EWTN on diocesan media either.” He explained that the network “worries me because it represents a giant of economic and cultural power connected to a religious viewpoint that is fundamentally critical of the pope”.

He also said he was hurt by the suggestion, made by Bishop Thomas Paprocki, that he was guilty of heresy. But he said: “This language endangers the Church even more, in breaking down the dialogue that we should maintain.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)