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Pope Francis has called on Christians to support communities in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico devastated by Hurricane Fiona. The pope expressed his solidarity with all affected by the category 3 hurricane in a telegram sent on September 21 to bishops in the Caribbean countries. More than 1.3 million homes and businesses were left without power in Puerto Rico after the storm dumped 30 inches of rain, causing surging floodwaters, submerged homes, and damaged roads. Catholic Charities USA is currently coordinating distributions of food, water, and other essential items. Kim Burgo, vice president of Catholic Charities USA’s disaster operations, told CNA that many families are still recovering from Hurricane Maria, the 2017 storm that the government says caused $90 billion in damage in Puerto Rico.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252349/pope-francis-urges-support-for-hurricane-fiona-victims
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252344/catholic-charities-to-provide-aid-to-puerto-ricans-devastated-by-hurricane-fiona
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday signed a bill into law that will allow the composting of human remains starting in 2027 — a bill that the state’s Catholic Conference had opposed. The process of human composting — also known as natural organic reduction (NOR) — is a relatively new phenomenon in the U.S. and is legal in a handful of other states. When a body is composted, it is placed in a reusable container where microbes and bacteria decompose it into soil over the course of 30–45 days. The state’s Catholic conference had expressed opposition to the bill in a June letter. Kathleen Domingo, executive director of the California Catholic Conference, said the use of a body composting method originally developed for farm animals creates an “unfortunate spiritual, emotional, and psychological distancing from the deceased.” In addition, she said, the process “reduces the human body to simply a disposable commodity.” The Catholic Church does not have an official teaching on the composting of human bodies but has weighed in many times over the years on the practice of cremation. While strongly discouraged, cremation can be permissible under certain restrictions; notably, the remains are not to be scattered and must be kept in a sacred place, out of reverence for the Church’s teaching on the eventual resurrection of the body.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252342/human-composting-california-bishops-raise-objections
Today, the Church celebrates Saint Matthew the Apostle. Although relatively little is known about the life of Saint Matthew, the account he wrote of Christ's ministry – traditionally considered to be the first of the four Gospels - is of inestimable value to the Church, particularly in its verification of Jesus as the Messiah.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-matthew-apostle-601