Bishop Anthony Taylor, whose grandfather lost 20 cousins in the Holocaust, wrote in a recent diocesan newspaper column that “I fear that the same dynamics are now happening in our country with the decline of civil discourse.”

Hitler’s atrocities “ are not what is happening here today,” Bishop Taylor said. “But these are the kinds of atrocities to which the dehumanization of mass, indiscriminate deportation can naturally lead.”

The prelate concluded:

But aside from our political situation, I pray that we will begin to look at the immigrants and refugees in our midst not as enemies or as “other.” Not as different in color or in accent. Not as dangers or risks. But as created in the image and likeness of the same true God—as the stranger in our midst—as Jesus (Matthew 25:35). Peace be with you.

The attack on the parish in the western Ethiopian town of Itang took place on December 18, Aid to the Church in Need reported this week.

“What was more painful is to know some of them who came to loot were our own Catholic faithful, catechists, youth leaders and choir members belonging to that particular ethnic group,” said Father David Kulandai Samy.

The Conference of Bishops of France welcomed a 144-23 vote in the nation’s Senate rejecting assisted-suicide legislation.

“The Pope asked me if we wanted to withdraw for a few minutes and if I would like to confess,” Schwarzenegger said, as recalled his reply: “You don’t want to do that, it would take three hours.”

“Seven million people die every year in the world because of environmental pollution,” Schwarzenegger added during a climate-related fundraising dinner at the Stanglwirt bio-hotel. “We have to get better at that. That’s why I met with Pope Leo, and we had a wonderful conversation.”

“The Catholic Church also wants to help,” Schwarzenegger continued. “They have 200,000 churches, 400,000 priests, 650,000 nuns. Think about the power they have. Together, we can do something big about pollution.”

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, began a three-day visit to Slovakia on January 30 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the basic agreement, or concordat, between the Holy See and Slovakia.

Ukrainian Muslim leaders joined the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church at the presentation of the first Ukrainian translation of the Document on Human Fraternity.

The Pontiff also expressed hope that the Olympics “will be a favorable opportunity to promote the authentic values of sport: loyalty, respect, team spirit and sacrifice, as well as social inclusion and the joy of encounter.”

The January 30 papal telegram to Cardinal Cantoni followed a similar telegram to the archbishop of Milan.