The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Ostuni, Italy, was held 4-5 March 2015. The following were elected:

• Prioress:  Sr. M. Daniela Denitto, O.Carm.
• 1st Councilor:  Sr. M. Giuseppina Cardone, O.Carm.
• 2nd Councilor:  Sr. M. Anna Visalli, O.Carm.
• 3rd Councilor:  Sr. M. Bernardetta Spagnuolo, O.Carm.
• 4th Couniclor:  Sr. M. Teresa Sisto, O.Carm.
• Director of Novices:  Sr. M. Anna Visalli, O.Carm.
• Treasurer:  Sr. M. Agnese Menolascina, O.Carm.
• Sacristan:  Sr. Maria Andrisani, O.Carm.

Pope's prayer intentions for March 2015

Universal: That those involved in scientific research may serve the well-being of the whole human person.

Evangelization: That the unique contribution of women to the life of the Church may be recognized always.

Lectio Divina March - marzo - marzo 2015

The Assembly of the Federation "Stella Maris", Philippines, was held 22-27 February 2015. The following were elected:

• President:  Sr. M. Elena Tolentino, O.Carm., (Burgos)
• 1st Councilor:  Sr. M. Dorotea Santiago, O.Carm., (Cabanatuan)
• 2nd Councilor:  Sr. M. Rebecca Valdez, O.Carm., (Tanay)

The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Caudete, Spain, was held 17 February 2015. The following were elected:

• Prioress:  Sr. Estela Santos Torres, O.Carm.
• 1st Councilor:   Sr. Josefina Marco Navarro, O.Carm.
• 2nd Councilor:  Sr. Rosario Sivó Medina, O.Carm.
• Director of Novices:  Sr. Josefina Marco Navarro, O.Carm.
• Treasurer:  Sr. Elena Ballester Ballester, O.Carm.
• Sacristan:   Sr. Cristina Conejero Rodríguez, O.Carm.

From the 9th to the 13th of February, 2015, the Provincials, Commissaries, Bursars and Delegates of the Americas met in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The meeting was led by Raul Maravi, O.Carm. Councillor General, and Carl Markelz, O.Carm. Bursar General.

This meeting was an occasion for the participants to share their information in various areas: number of friars, initial formation, ministries, missions and local economy.  As well as that, the group spoke about the strengths in this area and the challenges that each continental sub-zone (North America, Brazil, Spanish speaking Latin America) has to face. The work and the discussions underlined the need to invest more resources, both human and material, in the formation of the younger friars in that area in order to form better leaders for the future. In order to achieve this goal, it was decided to organise a series of intensive courses of formation for both formation directors and candidates in the present sexennium. The meeting ended with a vote of sincere thanks to the Province of Saint Elias in Brazil for the excellent hospitality shown to all by the community of Sao Paolo.

A meeting of African Carmelite leaders and formators took place from the 22nd January 2015 to the 26th January 2015, at the spiritual centre of the Carmelite Missionary Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The meeting began with the assessment of the hopes and expectations of the brothers, and by reflecting on issues of methodology, group dynamics and timetable.

Three major presentations were given at the meeting one by Fr. Noel Rosas, O.Carm, Administrative Secretary for Formation and by the General Councillor for Africa. Fr. Noel spoke on: Leadership and Formation in an Asian Context: Experiences and Hopes for the Future – Lessons for Africa, and two further inputs were given by Fr. Conrad Mutizamhepo, O.Carm. one on leadership and a second on formation entitled 1. An Appropriate Model of Carmelite Leadership in Africa? Exploring Servant Leadership: Fears and Hopes for the Future; 2. Forming the Next Generation of Carmelites in Africa: Experiences, Challenges and Hopes. The sharing and discussions that followed related to the questions raised by these conferences. The group discussion and sharing in the plenary sessions were lively and focused on the real issues affecting Carmel in Africa.

The difficult task of instant translation from English to French and Portuguese, and vice versa, during the conferences as well as during the tour of Zanzibar, were done by Fr. Miceal O’Neill, O.Carm. The event would not have been possible without the full cooperation and continuous collaboration of the Carmelite Friars at Bunju, Dar es Salaam.

The British Province and the Aylesford Community are pleased to announce that following the success of the English Summer School in 2014, a second course will be run from 1 to 31 July, 2015. In the first instance, the course is limited to friars. Participants should already have studied English at a basic level. The course will include many opportunities for practicing English, as well as classes with instructors. Please contact Kevin Alban O.Carm. at Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. for more details and to reserve a place. There are only limited places available.

¨What is the theology of the body?

God impressed his own form on the flesh… in such a way that even what was visible might bear the divine form (CCC 704)

• please click here to download the powerpoint

Fr. Giovanni Grosso, O.Carm.

The veneration of relics is permitted only in parish churches or churches under the care of religious orders. Veneration is always public, because, like every act of worship, it always pertains to the community. Veneration is also an expression of faith in the communion of saints and in their intercession. Therefore, there is no such thing as “private” devotion. “Personal” devotion  must come from a christian life lived authentically, it must help the person to grow in fidelity to the Gospel, and accompany one’s sacramental life and one’s listening to the Word of God. It must also be a way of encouraging and sustaining fraternal charity.

For all of these reasons, the Office of the General Postulator of the Carmelite Order may provide 1st class relics (i.e. ex ossibus, ex corpore, ex carne, ex pulvere, etc.) or 2nd class relics (ex indumentis, or similar) only to priests or religious, who make their request via ordinary mail, on headed notepaper and with an official stamp and signature, accompanied by the written authorisation of the diocesan ordinary.

The Office can send 3rd class relics, or relics of “contact”, in small containers, or holy cards with 3rd class relics, to all who ask for them for their own personal devotion. In this case too we ask for a letter to be sent via ordinary mail, (emails are not acceptable), to be accompanied by a letter from the parish priest or any priest. Generic requests will not be considered.

Relics are not collectors’ items and are certainly not to be put on sale: sale of this kind is an act of simony.

There are expenses involved in the packaging and in the sending of relics. Therefore we would ask those who are in a position, and who wish to do so, to send an offering, which will be used to support the cost of the Postulator’s Office and the costs of the causes of the Servants of God and Blesseds currently underway.

Thank you,

Postulazione Generale O.Carm.
Via Giovanni Lanza, 138
00184 ROMA (Italia)

One Page – Extra

This post was co-authored with Romina Picolotti and V. Ramanathan.

Climate change cannot be solved without leadership from heads of government, without immediate mitigation of near-term warming, and without cutting short-lived climate pollutants to complement the UN climate agreement.

1. Climate change cannot be solved by ministers alone, but requires leadership from heads of government.

By moving climate to the leader level over the past 18 months, President Obama changed the "climate" of the climate change negotiations. His effort started with his first meeting with President Xi of China in Sunnylands, California last June, where the two biggest climate polluters reached two agreements: the first to cooperate on threats from North Korea, the second to cooperate to reduce super greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs. President Obama followed this up with other bilateral agreements on HFCs with President Xi and Prime Minister Modi, as well as agreements through the G7 and G20, and with the historic announcement last month on China-US climate mitigation. Success with the President's domestic climate efforts is giving him the credibility he needs not only to continue his leadership through Paris next year but also to ensure U.S. citizens that their government is working to protect them from an irreversible climate crisis. Leadership from heads of religious institutions is also important to garner public support on a massive scale. The Catholic church under Pope Francis has taken it first step when in his first homily he called for the protection of the Earth.

2. The UN climate agreement cannot move fast enough on its own to slow near-term Earth warming.

Fast action mitigation inside and outside the UN climate agreement is essential, starting immediately. Fast mitigation is needed to fill the time gap to 2020, when any new climate agreement will, by its terms, go into effect, assuming it is concluded in Paris next year. Solving a fast moving problem like climate change requires a fast moving governance system. The climate game could be lost before the anticipated UN agreement even goes into effect in 2020. Already, the Arctic sea ice is disappearing and shrinking the protective white shield that reflects heat back to space, the permafrost line is moving north and releasing stored methane and carbon dioxide, forests are dying and giving up the carbon dioxide from the biomass and soils, and ocean carbon dioxide storage is slowing down. Speed matters, and the UN climate process is not going to be able provide it on its own. Fast mitigation from all relevant venues is essential for slowing impacts and facilitating adaptation. It also provides measurable improvements that will motivate political leaders and citizens to do more.

3. The UN climate agreement cannot solve climate by itself.

Solving climate change is not just about a UN climate agreement. Complementary mitigation is needed in all possible venues, at local, national, and international levels, along with adaptation. Complementary mitigation includes using the world's best environmental treaty, the Montreal Protocol, to virtually eliminate one of the six main greenhouse gases by phasing down production and use of HFCs, leaving accounting and reporting in the UN climate process. This can provide the equivalent of 100 to 200 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide mitigation by 2050 and avoid up to 0.5°C of warming by end of century. Other complementary mitigation includes using national and regional laws and institutions to cut black carbon and air pollutants that produce ozone in smog, powerful climate pollutants that are not included in the UN climate discussions, but kill more than seven million people every year, including 135,000 in the U.S., and lead to over one hundred million tons of crops destruction each year. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants, launched by the U.S. and a handful of allies two years ago, is helping fill the gap with actions to reduce black carbon, methane, and HFCs. Cutting these climate pollutants using existing technologies and existing laws and institutions can cut the rate of global warming in half in the near-term through mid-century, and by two-thirds in the Arctic.

Cutting the rate of warming by half is essential for adaptation, because it is always better to prevent damage than to adapt to damage. Leadership from heads of government and a plan of action for fast mitigation to complement the UN agreement can start to answer the legitimate demands of all citizens for their governments to avoid the irreversible climate crisis.

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Romina Picolotti is co-founder and president of the Center for Human Rights & Environment in Argentina, former Secretary of Environment of Argentina, and recipient of Norway's Sophie Prize.

Veerabhadran Ramanathan is distinguished professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of California, San Diego, who discovered the greenhouse effect of chlorofluorocarbons in 1975.

Durwood J. Zaelke is founder and president of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development, and co-director of a related program at UC Santa Barbara.