Vatican provides further guidance on handling cremains

Note signed by Cardinal Víctor Fernández, dicastery prefect, published Dec. 12 said it was approved by Pope Francis

The offices of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. (Photo: Vatican News)

By Carol Glatz, OSV News
Published: December 13, 2023 05:19 AM GMT

The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has upheld a rule mandating that the ashes of the deceased be preserved in a consecrated place, but it also said family members could request “a minimal part of the ashes” be kept in a sacred place “of significance for the history of the deceased person.”

The dicastery also said a parish or diocese could establish “a defined and permanent sacred place” where the cremains of multiple people would be commingled and preserved together.

The permission came in a “note” from the dicastery in response to a letter from Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna requesting clarification about the preservation of the ashes of the deceased after cremation. The Vatican published the note signed by Cardinal Víctor Fernández, dicastery prefect, on Dec. 12; it said it was approved by Pope Francis on Dec. 9.

Cardinal Zuppi said in his letter, dated Oct. 30, that his archdiocese had been seeking “to give a Christian response to problems arising from the increasing number of people desiring to cremate the bodies of the deceased and scatter their ashes in nature.”

An archdiocesan commission he set up to study the matter wanted to ensure people were not compelled to scatter ashes due to the economic costs of burial, and it wanted to give guidance regarding what to do with ashes once the term for their preservation in a cemetery loculus or niche had expired. In most Italian cemeteries, if a family does not renew the lease on a burial spot, the bones or ashes are transferred to a communal ossuary or cinerary.

The cardinal asked that given “the canonical prohibition against scattering the ashes of the deceased, is it possible to prepare a defined and permanent sacred place for the commingled accumulation and preservation of the ashes of the baptized, indicating the basic details of each person so as not to lose the memory of their names, similar to what occurs in ossuaries.”

He also asked if a family may be allowed “to keep a portion of their family member’s ashes in a place that is significant for the history of the deceased.”

Referring to its 2016 instruction, “Ad resurgendum cum Christo” (“To Rise with Christ”), regarding the burial of the deceased and the conservation of the ashes in the case of cremation, the dicastery’s new note upheld its recommendation to preserve ashes in a special urn and to keep ashes “in a sacred place, such as a cemetery, or in an area dedicated to this purpose, provided that it has been so designated by the ecclesiastical authority.”

“An attitude of sacred respect” must be had toward the ashes of the deceased person, which are to be kept in “a sacred place suitable for prayer,” it added.

The faith teaches that “the body of the resurrected person will not necessarily consist of the same elements that it had before it died. Since it is not a simple revivification of the corpse, the resurrection can occur even if the body has been totally destroyed or dispersed,” it said. This is why “in many cinerary urns, the ashes of the deceased are conserved together and are not stored separately.”

Therefore, the dicastery said, “a defined and permanent sacred place can be set aside for the commingled accumulation and preservation of the ashes of deceased baptized persons, indicating the identity of each person so as not to lose the memory of their names.”

In addition, it said, “the ecclesiastical authority, in compliance with current civil norms, may consider and evaluate a request by a family to preserve in an appropriate way a minimal part of the ashes of their relative in a place of significance for the history of the deceased person.”

However, the authorization can be given only if “every type of pantheistic, naturalistic or nihilistic misunderstanding is ruled out and also provided that the ashes of the deceased are kept in a sacred place,” the dicastery said.

The dicastery had issued an instruction in 1963 permitting cremation as long as it was not done as a sign of denial of the basic Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead. The permission was incorporated into the Code of Canon Law in 1983 and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches in 1990.

However, since church law had not specified exactly what should be done with “cremains,” the dicastery provided further guidance with the 2016 instruction, “Ad resurgendum cum Christo” (“To Rise with Christ”).

That instruction emphasized the Catholic Church’s recommendation to follow “the most ancient Christian tradition” of the pious practice of burying the dead in cemeteries or other sacred places, as it is considered one of the corporal works of mercy and, mirroring the burial of Christ, more clearly expresses hope in the resurrection when the person’s body and soul will be reunited.

Anonymous burial or scattering of ashes is not compatible with the Christian faith, according to the instruction. Preserving the ashes of the departed in a sacred place “ensures that they are not excluded from the prayers and remembrance of their family or the Christian community” and “it prevents any unfitting or superstitious practices.”

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Fight back China hostility by drilling PH Recto gas

Jarius Bondoc
December 14, 2023

This photo taken on November 10, 2023 shows China coast guard personnel sailing an aluminum hulled boat at Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea. (Photo by JAM STA ROSA / AFP)

The best defense is offense. China schemes to steal oil and gas in Recto Bank within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. To avert that, the Philippines must extract the fuel for itself.

It can be done; it has been done. Up to two years ago, China coveted Malaysia’s offshore petroleum. The latter held naval patrols with America and Australia while drilling for oil. Indonesia requested a US aircraft carrier sail by as it drilled as well in Natuna Isles that China was grabbing.

Beijing shrieked. Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta coolly recited portions of Manila’s 2016 arbitral victory at The Hague against Beijing’s illegal claim over the entire South China Sea.

“Now China is quiet, while Malaysia and Indonesia enjoy their oil,” notes former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio. “We should also invite naval allies to joint exercises while we drill in Recto.”

Recto has proven reserves. In 2013, the US Energy Information Administration estimated it at 5.4 billion barrels of oil and 55.1 trillion cubic feet of gas. That’s 63.5 times more oil and 20.5 times more gas than Malampaya, which will run out between 2024 and 2027.

National existence hangs on Recto replacing Malampaya. The latter fuels 40 percent of Luzon’s electricity. With no alternative, Luzon and parts of the Visayas will plunge into darkness.

Imagine the disaster. Water service, factories, offices, shops, telecoms, trains, schools, hospitals, hotels, diners, cinemas, and churches will close—no work or classes from home either. Foreign investors will leave. Jobs will vanish.

Recto is within the Philippines’ 200-mile EEZ a hundred miles from Palawan. It’s 650 miles from China’s southernmost province Hainan, thus outside its EEZ. The Hague Arbitral Court affirmed. China can’t claim it by imagined “nine-, ten- or 11-dash line.”

Although China snubbed the hearings, it’s bound by The Hague verdict under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Its state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp. has no right to drill there.

CNOOC cannot subcontract to private exploration firms, says Carpio. Shell, Occidental, and Exxon, among others, are bound by international law, so will shun CNOOC.

Manila discovered gas in Recto’s Sampaguita fields in 1976. Three wells at 250 feet proved productive. The government awarded Service Contract-72 in 2002. Britain’s Forum Energy took interest in 2005. China repeatedly menaced its survey vessels.

Filipino magnate Manuel V. Pangilinan bought Forum to extract petroleum once and for all. Twice the Duterte admin delayed him to let CNOOC in, only to realize that the Chinese-state firm was only dribbling the ball. The Philippines also ran out of time.

Recto Petroleum is why China strives to dislodge BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal. Ayungin (international name: Second Thomas) is at the entrance of Recto (Reed). The Philippine Navy beached its vessel there in 1999 to counter China’s 1995 occupation of nearby Panganiban (Mischief) Reef.

China’s Communist Party has long been craving Recto. Despite posing China as an ancient civilization, the CCP acts uncivilized.

Sierra Madre’s dozen or so Marines need regular supply and rotation. China Coast Guard gunboats ram and water cannon Filipino wooden civilian bancas ferrying food and other basic needs. The latest barbarism was on Dec. 10, the 75th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

China’s coast guards report to CCP’s military commission. They shouldn’t be in Panganiban or anywhere in or near Ayungin, or Rozul (Iroquois) and Escoda (Sabina) Shoals in Recto’s west and east sides.

“We should repair Sierra Madre,” says international maritime lawyer Jay Batongbacal, Ph.D. But China bars it, so the World War II vintage ship and Filipino defenders would crash into the sea.

CCP mobilizes jingoist Chinese for aggression. Among the blockers of last Sunday’s Ayungin resupply were a Chinese cargo ship and two maritime militia trawlers.

The previous day, other militia trawlers assisted Chinese coast guards in water cannoning two Philippine government vessels near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources was only bringing fuel and food to Filipino catchers outside the shoal, which China grabbed in 2012.

On Tuesday, Dec. 5, Chinese cargo steel ship M/V Tai Hang rammed a Filipino wooden boat. The sun was bright at 4 p.m. and the sea calm when – Huang! One of the five Filipinos thrown overboard was able to video two Chinese crewmen on deck ascertaining the hit-and-run.

At Recto in June 2019, a Chinese militia trawler switched off its light and then rammed an anchored Filipino boat at midnight. It switched its light back on momentarily to check if the 26 Filipinos had fallen into the sea, then fled.

It’s time Filipinos took the offensive.

Jarius Bondoc is an award-winning Filipino journalist and author based in Manila. He writes opinion pieces for The Philippine Star and Pilipino Star Ngayon and hosts a radio program on DWIZ 882 every Saturday. Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8 to 10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM). The views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of LiCAS News.

Message of Guadalupe based in simplicity, pope says

Pope Francis leads a mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St Peter’s basilica on Dec. 12 in The Vatican. (Photo: AFP)

By Justin McLellan, OSV News
Published: December 13, 2023 05:16 AM GMT

The iconic image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which has become a cultural and spiritual symbol for Latin America, cannot be used to promote any kind of ideology, but must maintain its message of simple love, Pope Francis said.

The Marian image that appeared on the cloak of St. Juan Diego “frees us from so many social and political ideologies that so often use this ‘Guadalupan’ reality to base themselves in, to justify themselves and to earn money,” he said Dec. 12 during Mass on the feast of our Lady of Guadalupe.

“The message of Guadalupe does not tolerate any ideology of any kind,” he said at the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, without specifying any ideology in particular.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, which displays the cloak on which Mary’s image appeared, draws some 20 million pilgrims each year.

The pope said the Marian image “remains impressed on the simplicity of who we are and what we have, which is of little value, but which will become something great in God’s eyes.”

Spanish speakers filled St. Peter’s Basilica for the papal Mass. Many wore shawls or scarves with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and others brought framed portraits of the image to be blessed.

U.S.-born Cardinal Robert Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, was the main celebrant at the altar.

In his homily, the pope highlighted part of the story of St. Juan Diego, who Mary asked to pick roses during winter to show to the local bishop as a sign of her appearance.

Flowers “signify that the virtues which the Lord instills in the heart are not our own work,” he said. “The act of collecting them reveals to us that God wants us to accept that gift, that we ‘perfume’ our weak reality with good works, driving out hatred and fears.”

Although he spoke without any sign of difficulty, Pope Francis skipped much of his prepared text. He recently canceled a trip to the United Arab Emirates due to a bronchial infection, and aides read his speeches on his behalf several times in the past week.

The pope recalled the words that Mary spoke to St. Juan Diego during one of her apparitions to him: “Am I not here, I, who am your mother?”

He said that Mary’s presence is “permanently impressed” in the lives of Christians just as on the cloak St. Juan Diego, “perfumed by virtues gathered in a world that seems incapable of producing them.”

“Virtues,” he said, “that fill our poverty in the simplicity of small acts of love, that illuminate our cloak, without us knowing it, with the image of a church that carries Christ in its womb.” To end Mass, the choirs of the Pontifical Mexican College and the Pontifical Latin American College, joined by the thousands in the basilica, sang “La Guadalupana,” a celebratory song that tells of the special bond between Our Lady of Guadalupe and the people of Mexico.

Filipino Catholics join global call for climate justice

By Ronald O. Reyes
Published: December 11, 2023 10:40 AM GMT

Members of Filipino faith-based groups, non-government organizations, and multi-sectoral alliances joined in a mass action for climate justice held simultaneously in 55 places across the country on Dec. 9. (Photo: Jimmy Domingo)

Organizers of street mobilizations across the nation said they aimed to pressure governments and decision-makers at COP28

The Catholic Church and local faith-based groups in the Philippines have joined global calls for climate justice and reparations as COP28 in Dubai enters crucial final days of negotiations.

Thousands of members of grassroots movements, faith-based groups, non-government organizations, and multi-sectoral alliances joined in mass actions held simultaneously in 55 places across the country on Dec. 9.

Organizers of the street mobilizations said they aim to contribute to the “chorus of global voices” putting pressure on governments and decision-makers at the COP28.

“Pope Francis in Laudate Deum eloquently reminds us that our planet is a gift, a delicate tapestry woven with the threads of biodiversity, beauty, and interconnectedness. Yet, this tapestry is being destroyed before our eyes due to the wounds inflicted by human irresponsibility,” said Pablo Virgilio David, bishop of Kalookan and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

David urged Filipinos to join the global call for climate justice.  “We are called not merely to witness but to be stewards of change,” he said in a statement.

“Let us heed the call to care for our common home, not as passive observers but as active agents of transformations. May our collective efforts echo the profound message of Laudate Deum, igniting a global movement towards ecological stewardship and justice,” he added.

The Conference of Major Superiors of the Philippines reminded that for decades, the scientific communities have been sounding the alarm.

“We are now in a climate emergency. Extreme weather events such as storms, floods, heatwaves, sea level rise, and biodiversity loss have caused untold suffering and losses of human lives and properties,” the religious group said.

In 2022 alone, tropical cyclones in the Philippines caused around 25.03 billion pesos of damages, while environmental defenders and indigenous people fighting against development aggression are subjected to persecution, harassment, red-tagged and sometimes killed, according to the group.

“We continue to long for concrete actions in the face of climate emergency. Time is running out,” it said.

The faith-based groups emphasized that the Philippine government and global leaders must be called to uphold the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement, “lest we face a more catastrophic future where tragedies even worse than Haiyan are the norm.”

Lidy Nacpil, coordinator of the Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development said it is civil society’s duty “to escalate pressure to compel governments at the COP28 negotiations to take forward real solutions to the climate crisis.”

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Global crisis and mission: A plea for an apocalyptic missiology

Father Daniel Franklin E. Pilario, C.M. | November 23, 2023

How to move forward in a disruptive, volatile, and chaotic world? In what form does Christian theology and mission take in view of a world in crisis? When many people on the ground are experiencing an “apocalypse” in their lives — from Ukraine to Gaza, from victims of extrajudicial killings to victims of climate disasters, in what form does missiology take?

In such a context, I plead for an “apocalyptic missiology”.

Apocalyptic discourse is blamed for apathy and inaction because it is fear-mongering. If a crisis will surely end in catastrophe, can our insignificant steps prevent it? Is there a space for human responsibility in apocalyptic contexts?

Metz writes: “Our apocalyptical consciousness is not threatened with a paralyzing fear of catastrophe. It is, on the contrary, called upon to display a practical solidarity with the least of the brethren; that is clear from the apocalyptic chapters at the end of the gospel of St. Matthew.”

In short, for Metz, it is the sense of the end that leads us out of ourselves and to be responsible for the marginalized and the excluded. Apocalyptic spirituality is not about a frantic concern for one’s salvation in the face of God’s imminent arrival. No, it is about being in “practical solidarity” with the hungry, the thirsty, the mournful, and the lowly—for this is a sign that God’s kingdom has come into our midst (Matthew 25).

The great Protestant missiologist, David Bosch, echoes the same idea. In his book Transforming Mission, he calls St. Paul an apocalyptic. And Paul’s extensive missionary work is driven by apocalyptic missiology.

“Whereas in some early Christian circles, an ardent expectation of the imminent end tended to dampen the idea of a wide-ranging missionary outreach, exactly the opposite is true in Paul’s case: ‘He is the herald of the gospel… and all of this is part of his eschatological mission’.”

In times of apocalyptic crises, church people tend to be sectarian and exclusivist. We are tempted to get out of society and get into the church lifeboat to be concerned with our own salvation because the end is near. In the words of Pope Francis, in times of crisis, we tend to be a “self-referential church”, concerned only of our own self-preservation.

Paul was unlike the Parousia enthusiasts of his time. His zeal for the mission led him to go out beyond his borders, to preach to the Gentiles, to do more — because, in truth, we “can only proclaim the lordship of Christ, not inaugurate it; it remains the prerogative of God himself to usher in the end.” Authentic apocalyptic hope thus compels us towards ethical responsibility.

In theological language, Metz writes: “The Christian idea of imitation and the apocalyptic idea of the imminent expectation belong together. It is not possible to imitate Jesus radically, that is, at the level of the roots of life, if ‘the time is not shortened’. Jesus’ call: ‘Follow me!’ and the call of Christians: ‘Come, Lord Jesus!’ are inseparable.”

I would like to end with the mothers and widows of the extrajudicial killings. Despite the deaths of their breadwinners, they have survived the “apocalypse” of their lives, the killings. As if it was not enough it was not enough, another apocalypse came, the pandemic. But they survived.

The then Vice President of the Philippines, Leni Robredo, gave them a surprise visit to encourage them in their work. She entrusted them to sew more PPEs and face masks which the world desperately needs during the pandemic.

While the whole world lost their jobs, or while the Duterte government was busy cashing in on imported face masks from China, ironically the widows were honestly sewing facemasks to provide for their families.

One widow told me: “Our husbands were killed by armed men wearing facemasks. Now, we are making facemasks not to kill but to make people live.”

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Holy See urges social sustainability on World Fisheries Day

LiCAS News | November 22, 2023

The Vatican has renewed its call for fair and sustainable practices with the global fishing industry to mark the observance of World Fisheries Day.

In an event co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Holy See underscored the critical inseparable link between social and environmental sustainability in the fisheries sector.

Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, cited Pope Francis’s recent Apostolic Exhortation “Laudate Deum,” pointing out the dangers of intensive industrial fishing, which poses threats to marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of smaller fishers.

“Destructive fishing in the marine ecosystem takes advantage of the work of the fishers, who know better how important the care of the sea is for the future of their livelihood,” she said.

Sr. Smerilli emphasized the necessity to counter the “arrogance of the strong” and urged a concerted effort to listen to the voices of fishers, whose wisdom emerges from the margins.

She called for collective action to reimagine the world’s future, reaffirming the Church’s commitment to upholding human dignity and environmental stewardship.

Monsignor Fernando Chica Arellano, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to FAO, echoed Sr. Smerilli’s sentiments in his concluding remarks.

He affirmed the Holy See’s enduring support for fishery workers, particularly those less fortunate, advocating for their fundamental right to decent and dignified work in a healthy and sustainable environment.

Msgr. Arellano commended the FAO for implementing regulations that promote new fishing models, ensuring quality catches, environmental respect, and fair sector development.

He reiterated Pope Francis’s call for an “ecological conversion,” emphasizing the need for a corporate strategy of social responsibility that prioritizes solidarity over profit.

The Holy See stressed that an ethical approach respecting individuals would enhance the well-being of port workers.

Msgr. Arellano envisioned ports as spaces of integration, fraternity, and loyal collaboration, where true solidarity becomes a path to overcome selfishness and indifference.

Highlighting the Church’s ongoing work for seafarers, Msgr. Arellano acknowledged the efforts of Stella Maris, the Catholic Church, and the Holy See in providing human and spiritual care to those working or transiting in ports, advocating for their well-being, and supporting initiatives to ensure that no one is left behind.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, conveyed a message during the FAO session.

He called for an “integral ecology,” emphasizing the need to safeguard the environment, jobs, and fishing communities facing new challenges threatening their survival.

Cardinal Czerny expressed gratitude to fishermen for their valuable work, acknowledging them as sentinels of delicate balances and pioneers of integral ecology.

He recognized the often unacknowledged and exhausting nature of their work, emphasizing the importance of societal recognition for their contributions.

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Pope Francis launches novena to pray for peace

Francis asks for prayers for peace in the world and in the Holy Land, that “the difficulties resolve themselves in dialogue and negotiation and not with a mountain of dead.” The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network proposes a novena.

(ZENIT News / Rome, 11.22.2023).- Francis has asked the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network to organize a campaign of special prayer for  peace in the world and in the Holy Land. “Let us pray – he says in a video made in Spanish and available  with subtitles also in English, French, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic and Hebrew – that the difficultiesresolve  themselves in dialogue and negotiation and not with a mountain of dead on each side.”

In his request, Francis recalls, “We all feel the pain of the wars,” and that “there are two very near that  force us to react: Ukraine and the Holy Land.” What is going on in the Holy Land, he adds, “is very painful.”  In addition, he remarks, “the Palestinian people, the people of Israel” are “two fraternal peoples” and  “have the right to peace, have the right to live in peace.”

This is not the first time that the Pope has made a call for peace. Not a week passes that he does not ask  for prayers insistently for peace in war-torn Ukraine, or for so many other countries, as most recently for  Sudan. And how many times has he denounced war and the conflicts that are born in the hearts of men  and women and in fear? “Understand that terrorism and war never lead to a solution. War is a defeat.  Every war is a defeat!” How often, on the contrary, in the midst of a divided and fragmented world, has  Francis asked for the promotion of the values of peace, living together and the common good?

Today he invites us again to pray with ever more insistence for peace in the world and in the Holy Land.  Francis asks us to pray for the grave situation in Palestine and in Israel, where very many persons have  lost their lives. How often, with pain, has he asked that spaces be opened to guarantee humanitarian  assistance and that the hostages be released?

On 17 October, he invited all believers to unite with the Church in the Holy Land and to dedicate the day  to prayer and fasting, since “prayer is the meek and holy force to oppose the diabolical force of hatred,  terrorism and war.” As we now approach Advent, the hope of the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus, he  again invites us to pray.

Where can the Novena for Peace be downloaded?

Novena for Peace on Click To Pray: https://clicktopray.org/campaigns/902

Novena for Peace Booklet: EN: https://issuu.com/popesprayernet/docs/novena_-_blessed_are_the_peacemakers_en

Pope Francis Explains Why the Church is Catholic

Address at the General Audience of November 22, on the second aspect of the proclamation: universality

(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 22.11.2023).- The Wednesday General Audience began at 09:00 am on November 22, during which Pope Francis developed the second aspect of the Christian proclamation: the fact that “it is for everyone” (the previous week he developed the first aspect and then he anticipated that three aspects would be addressed). This would be the penultimate catechesis dedicated to “The Passion for Evangelization: The Apostolic Zeal of the Believer,” which with this Wednesday’s makes it the 27th catechesis on the subject.

Here is the text of the Pope’s address, translated from the Italian original into English by the Holy See.

——————–

Dear brothers and sisters,

After having seen, last time, that the Christian proclamation is joy, today let us focus on a second aspect: it is for everyone, the Christian proclamation is a joy for everyone. When we truly meet the Lord Jesus, the wonder of this encounter pervades our life and demands to be taken beyond us. He desires this, that His Gospel is for everyone. Indeed, in it there is a “humanizing power,” a fulfilment of life that is destined for every man and woman, because Christ was born, died, and rose again for everyone. For everyone: no-one excluded.

In Evangelii Gaudium we read that everyone has “a right to receive the Gospel. Christians have the duty to proclaim the Gospel without excluding anyone. Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, they should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet. It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows, but ‘by attraction’” (no. 14).

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