Cardinal Turkson urges graduates to impact troubled world
Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, speaks to graduates at the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind., May 1, 2021. (CNS photo/BFA Commercial Photography via University of St. Francis)
By Don Clemmer • Catholic News Service • Posted May 3, 2021
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (CNS) The head of the Vatican’s justice, peace and human development efforts urged over 700 graduates of the University of St. Francis to follow the example of their school’s namesake and the advice of the pope who shares his name.
“Consider what impact you make in life,” said Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. He urged graduates to be “sowers of hope” in his May 1 address at the commencement ceremony at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne.
National Guard members gather at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 12, 2021, in Washington. (CNS/Erin Scott, Reuters)
At Millennial, Don Clemmer writes about the need for Biden and the Democrats to avoid a particular kind of technocratic centrism that we associate with early 90s New Democrats. Clemmer is a little more hopeful than I am, and thinks more Catholics know even a little about Catholic social doctrine than actually do. But, his hopeful ideas warrant attention from those who understand that the singular task of politics today is to prevent a return of Trumpism.
From Working-Class Perspectives, Marc Dann, former attorney general for the state of Ohio, urges the new president to go big in addressing the sources of working-class distrust of elites. He calls for finally treating white-collar criminals the way we do con men and street dealers, and enacting reforms that look out for homeowners more than mortgage companies. Dann’s comments on infrastructure are especiall
Lord help us. Can t Catholic Trump supporters see how they have been played? All he had to do is say he is pro-life and label government efforts to help the poor as socialism, and he had them. This effectively took half us Catholics away from the examples of Joseph in how to deal with a problem pregnancy and of Jesus and the apostles in how to deal with the poor and outcast.
The church has always had the means to attend to and deal with these two major problems: live our faith, follow the example of Joseph, Jesus and the apostles, rather than put our trust in Caesar or President Donald Trump.