C atholic sa n Fr a ncisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
Threats to traditional family threaten peace, pope says in message
(PHOTO BY MICHAEL VICK/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
By Cindy Wooden
A Native American Nativity scene is featured prominently in a display of more than 250 crèches at St. Thomas More Church, San Francisco.
Global Nativity scene collection and Holy Land artifacts on display By Michael Vick When he left his native Middle East in 1992, Msgr. Labib Kobti brought a big piece of home with him. His ever-growing collection of ancient artifacts from the Holy Land is now on display in a museum he has created at San Francisco’s St. Thomas More Parish, where he has been pastor since 2002. “I don’t have room for everything,” said Msgr. Kobti, who explained that a large overflow is housed in the basement of the church office. “I hope these most important things will have some meaning for people.” Msgr. Kobti is an avid collector of things spiritual.
For example, he has more than 250 nativity scenes from around the world on display outside the church, along with hundreds of crosses and depictions of the Madonna and child reflecting many different ethnicities and faith traditions. The créches are organized by region, with many different representative sets from Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America. The sets range from whimsical contemporary pieces featuring anachronistic modern dress, to elaborate and meticulously sculpted crèches. The display is organized to showcase the birth, life and death of Jesus from the cultural traditions of varNATIVITY, page 17
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Anything that threatens the traditional family threatens peace, because the family “is the first and indispensable teacher of peace,” Pope Benedict XVI said in his annual message for the Jan. 1 celebration of the World Day of Peace. The pope said responsibilities learned and the joys and struggles shared within individual families must be mirrored on a global level because everyone is part of one human family. The pope chose “The Human Family, A Community of Peace” as the theme for 2008, the 40th anniversary of the Catholic Church’s celebration of World Peace Day. “The first form of communion between persons is that born of the love of a man and a woman who decide to enter a stable union to build together a new family,” the pope wrote. “But the peoples of the earth, too, are called to build relationships of solidarity and cooperation among themselves, as befits members of the one human family,” he said. War and violence, exploitation of the weak, rampant poverty and underdevelopment, destruction of the environment and the arms race are all threatening signs that POPE MESSAGE, page 21
Role of Church, politics addressed by Archbishop By Dan Morris-Young Acknowledging the “high level of political consciousness and energy” in the Archdiocese of San Francisco as a backdrop, Archbishop George H. Niederauer has issued a pastoral letter on the role of the Church in the political arena. Titled “Religion and Politics – 2008,” the document addresses a series of issues including the role and meaning of conscience, the apparent preeminence of abortion and euthanasia in Church political involvement, and discerning how to vote in situations where candidates clearly hold positions directly opposed to Church teaching.
Full text on Page 6 The Archbishop states that he is releasing the commentary at this time “before candidates have been nominated and party platforms completed so that we can look at these questions for their own value, and not misinterpret them as veiled endorsements or condemnations.” The text quotes frequently from “Faithful Citizenship,” a document revised and issued by the U.S. bishops’ conference during U.S. presidential election cycles. The Archbishop urged Catholics to read the bishops’ pastoral and stressed that “it is not a voter’s guide, nor does it endorse particular candidates or parties.”
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Simbang Gabi novena. . . . . . 7
Palestinian woman tells impact of ‘security wall’
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Catholic radio launched . . . . 8 Dominican Republic III . . . 16 Senior living ads . . . . . . . 8-12
Immigration reform asked
~ Page 10 ~ December 14, 2007
Christmas liturgies . . . . 13-17
Labor trafficking growing concern for California Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
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SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 9
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No. 38