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Christians condemn Swamy’s remarks against Teresa
Christian organisations in the State strongly condemned the remarks made by Paripoornananda Swamy against Mother Teresa in an interview with a Telugu channel. In a statement here on Thursday, State Christian Leaders Forum president Oliver Rayi said that he would seek President of India’s intervention in this regard if necessary. Highlights: Christian Leaders Forum president Oliver Rayi says he will seek President of India’s intervention and sought immediate apology from him Says the remarks will create unrest among the communities and fuel hatred He said Christians all over the state have expressed their displeasure with the Swamy’s remarks and sought an immediate apology from him. Rayi said such remarks showed the
country in bad light in the global humanitarian aid sector hurting the sentiments of Christians and aid workers. The remarks would create unrest among the communities and fuel hatred. He said the Swamy in an agitated mood asked why Mother Teresa chose India and no other poor Christian countries. He should himself answer why he was going to Western countries spreading Hinduism when he failed to strengthen it here in India itself. He said the Christian community stressed that if not for Mother Theresa, the untouchables would have remained untouchable even today. The Swamy also maligned the Mother by claiming he had evidence of 50,000 women trafficked illegally to various countries. Rayi challenged why not even one person came forward to file a complaint or given a statement. Rayi said that the seer made a fool of himself by asking why the Mother was conferred with Bharat Ratna. He should have raised his voice at the time of conferment. Rayi said every legal angle is being pursued and if Swamy did not apologise within a week.
Pope Francis: God tells us to "Rise up!" Pope Francis on Wednesday during the General Audience said God is telling everyone to “Rise up,” and that the Holy Door of the Jubilee is the door where the pain of humanity and the compassion of God meet. The Holy Father was recounting the story of the Widow whom Jesus met at the city gate of Nain, which the Pope compared to the Holy Door. She was leaving the city in the funeral procession of her son, whom Jesus raised from the dead with the words “Rise up!” “The passage of Luke's Gospel we have heard presents us with a truly great miracle of Jesus, the resurrection of a young boy,” – Pope Francis said – “Yet, the heart of this story is not a miracle, but Jesus' tenderness towards the mother of this boy. Here, mercy takes the name of great compassion towards a woman who had lost her husband and now travels to the cemetery with her only son. The great pain of this mother moves Jesus and causes the miracle of the resurrection." The Holy Father said “great compassion guided the actions of Jesus, [who] decides to face death, as it were, face to face. And he confronts it definitively, face to face, on the Cross." He said this is why he wanted this year’s Jubilee of Mercy to be celebrated in every particular Church, and not only in Rome. [This year every Diocese has established Holy Doors, in which the faithful may cross.] “During this Jubilee Year, it would be a good thing, as they enter the Holy Door, the Gate of Mercy, that pilgrims remember this episode of the Gospel which took place at the Gate into Nain,” – Pope Francis said – “ When Jesus saw this mother in tears, she entered his heart! At the Holy Door everyone arrives bringing their life; joys and sufferings, projects and failures, doubts and fears, and presents them to the mercy of the Lord. We are confident that, at the Holy Door, the Lord is
there near to us, to encounter each one of us, to bring and offer his powerful words of comfort: ‘Do not cry!’” The Holy Father continued, saying this is “the door of where the suffering of humanity encounters the compassion of God.” “Crossing the threshold we perform our pilgrimage in the mercy of God who, just as he said to the dead boy, tells everyone: ‘I say to you, rise up!’” – Pope Francis said – “To each of us he says: ‘Rise up’. God wants us to stand. He created us to be on our feet.” The Holy Father said “the powerful word of Jesus can raise us and we also operate in the passage from death to life. His word revives us, gives us hope, restores tired hearts, opens us to a view of the world and of life that goes beyond suffering and death.” The Pope went on to say that “mercy, both in Jesus and in us, is a journey that starts from the heart to goes to the hands.” “What does this mean? Jesus looks at you, heals you with his mercy, tells you: ‘Get up!’, and your heart is new,” – Pope Francis explained – “What does it means to take a journey from the heart to the hands? It means that with this new heart, this heart healed by Jesus, he can do the works of mercy through his hands, trying to help, to heal the many that are in need. Mercy is a journey that starts in the heart and travels to the hands, that is, to works of mercy.” At the end of his Audience, Pope Francis told the story of a bishop who established two Holy Doors: One an entrance, the other an exit. “Why? To enter and cross the first door is to ask pardon and to receive the mercy of Jesus; and when you exit the other door, it is the outpouring of mercy, to then bring mercy to others, with the works of mercy,” he said. “Isn’t he smart, this bishop?” the Pope Francis said.
Pope: Poverty Degrades, Offends and Kills
There is a poverty that degrades, offends and kills so many of our brothers and sisters, Pope Francis said today as he invited all people to join “moral and economic forces” to fight this problem. The Pope said this in his brief Angelus address after celebrating the canonization Mass of seven new blesseds. He made his comments on poverty in mentioning Monday’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. “Let us join our moral and economic forces to fight together against poverty that degrades, offends and kills so many of our brothers and sisters, by giving life to serious policies in support of families and employment,” he said, according to a translation by Vatican Radio.
The Holy Father entrusted our intentions to the Virgin Mary, “especially our insistent and heartfelt prayer for peace.” He also thanked those who had travelled from around the world for the canonization. “A special greeting in particular goes to the official delegations of Argentina, Spain, France, Italy, and Mexico,” he said, noting the home countries of the newly canonized. “May the example and intercession of these luminous witnesses give support to each of you in your work and service for the good of the Church and of civil society.”
Today, Every Land Is Mission Territory, Says Pope
Today, Pope Francis says, every land is a missionary land and every dimension of the human person needs to be preached the Gospel. The Pope said this today when he received in audience participants in the General Chapter of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. In his address, which drew heavily from the example of the Oblates’ founder, Saint Eugene de Mazenod, the Holy Father noted the 200th anniversary of the order, coinciding with the Jubilee of Mercy. “May mercy be always the heart of your mission, of your evangelizing commitment in the world of today,” the Pope told them. He then noted a description of the founder made by John Paul II on the day of Father Mazenod’s canonization. John Paul called the saint a “‘man of Advent,’ docile to the
Holy Spirit in reading the signs of the times and seconding God’s work in the history of the Church.” “May these characteristics be present in you, his sons,” Francis encouraged the Oblates. “You must also be ‘men of Advent,’ capable of gathering the signs of new times and guiding brothers on the paths that God opens in the Church and in the world.” This world, together with the Church, the Argentinean Pontiff continued, is “living a time of great transformations.” “It is important to work for a Church that is for all; a Church that is ready to receive and accompany!” the Pope said, reiterating one of the most common themes of his pontificate. There is a vast amount of work to do in order to bring this about, he acknowledged, “and you also have your specific contribution to make.”
In this context, Francis noted the Oblates’ history of reaching “distant lands where there were still ‘sheep without a shepherd.’” “Today,” he said, “every land is ‘mission land,’ every dimension of the human is mission land, which awaits the proclamation of the Gospel.” “Pope Pius XI defined you ‘the specialists of difficult missions.’ Today the mission field seems to widen every day, always embracing new poor, men and women of the face of Christ who ask for help, consolation, hope in the most desperate situations of life. Therefore, there is need of you, of your missionary daring, of your readiness to take to all the Good News that frees and consoles.”
The Father Dreamed of You, as Expectant Parents Dream, Pope Says
Just as expectant parents dream of their child — how he will look and smile and what his name shall be — so the Father has dreamed of us, says Pope Francis. “The Father wanted you, not the mass of people, no — you, you, you. Each of us.” The Pope said this today at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta, Vatican Radio reported. He was emphasizing that a characteristic of the Christian is that we are “chosen” and that this should give us great security. “The Christian is blessed by the Father, who is God,” Pope Francis said in his homily, drawing from St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Focusing on the “traits of this blessing,” he noted that the Christian is “chosen.” The Father chose us one by one, he loves us and gave us a name, God calls us one by one, “not as an
oceanic crowd.” The Holy Father reiterated, “we have been chosen, expected by the Father:” “Think of a couple, when expecting a baby: ‘How will it be? And how will he or she smile? And talk? ‘But I dare say that we, each of us, has been dreamed of by the Father as a father and a mother dreams of their awaited baby. And this gives you great security. The Father wanted you, not the mass of people, no, you, you, you. Each of us. And ‘the foundation, is the basis of our relationship with God. We speak of a Father who loves us, who chose us, who gave us a name. ” It can also be noted, the Pope continued, when a Christian “does not feel chosen by the Father.” But when they feel they belong to a community, “it is like a fan of a football club.” “The fan – Pope Francis commented – is choosing the team and belongs to the football team.” The Christian, therefore, “is chosen, he or she is a dream from God.” And when we live like this, the Pope added, “our hearts are filled with great consolation,” we do not feel “abandoned.” “The second part of the Christian blessing is feeling forgiven,” he said. “A man or woman who does not feel forgiven,” the Holy Father cautioned, is not fully “Christian”: “We have all been forgiven with the price of the blood of Christ. But what have I been forgiven of? It’s a memory and a reminder of the bad things you have done — not your friend, your neighbor, you. ‘What bad things have I done in life?’ The Lord has forgiven these things. Here, I am blessed, I am a Christian. That is, the first part: I am chosen, dreamed by God, with a name that God gave me, loved by God. Second part: forgiven by God. ” The third part, continued Pope Francis: the Christian “is a man and a woman walking towards fullness, towards an encounter with Christ who redeemed us”: “A Christian cannot stand still. The Christian must always move forward, he must
walk. The Christian who stands still is the Christian who received the talent and for fear of life, fear of losing, fear of his boss, out of fear or convenience, buried it. He is calm and spends his life going nowhere. The Christian is a man on a journey, a woman walking, who are always doing good, trying to do good and going forward.” This, summed up the Pope, is the Christian identity: “blessed, because they are chosen because they are forgiven and forging a path.” We, he concluded, ” are not anonymous, we are not proud”, so as not to have “need of forgiveness. “We are not still.” “May the Lord – in his invocation – be with us through the grace of the blessing he has given us, that is the blessing of our Christian identity.”
Pope’s Message for of Migrants “Child migrants, the vulnerable and the voiceless” is the theme of the Pope’s message for the 103rd World Day of Migrants and Refugees. This time the Holy Father wishes to draw attention to “the reality of child migrants, especially the ones who are alone,” asking all to take care of the young who are defenceless, “forced to live far from their homeland and separated from their families.” Here is the text of the message: Dear brothers and sisters, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me,
receives not me but him who sent me”. With these words, the evangelists remind the Christian community of Jesus’ teaching, which both inspires and challenges. This phrase traces the sure path which leads to God; it begins with the smallest and, through the grace of our Saviour, it grows into the practice of welcoming others. To be welcoming is a necessary condition for making this journey a concrete reality: God made himself one of us. In Jesus God became a child, and the openness of faith to God, which nourishes hope, is expressed in loving proximity to the smallest and the weakest. Charity, faith and hope are all actively present in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, as we have rediscovered during the recent Extraordinary Jubilee. But the Evangelists reflect also on the responsibility of the one who works against mercy: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin: it is better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea”. How can we ignore this severe warning when we see the exploitation carried out by unscrupulous people? Such exploitation harms young girls and boys who are led into prostitution or into the mire of pornography; who are enslaved as child labourers or soldiers; who are caught up in drug trafficking and other forms of criminality; who are forced to
flee from conflict and persecution, risking isolation and abandonment. For this reason, on the occasion of the annual World Day of Migrants and Refugees, I feel compelled to draw attention to the reality of child migrants, especially the ones who are alone. In doing so I ask everyone to take care of the young, who in a threefold way are defenceless: they are children, they are foreigners, and they have no means to protect themselves. I ask everyone to help those who, for various reasons, are forced to live far from their homeland and are separated from their families. Migration today is not a phenomenon limited to some areas of the planet. It affects all continents and is growing into a tragic situation of global proportions. Not only does this concern those looking for dignified work or better living conditions, but also men and women, the elderly and children, who are forced to leave their homes in the hope of finding safety, peace and security. Children are the first among those to pay the heavy toll of emigration, almost always caused by violence, poverty, environmental conditions, as well as the negative aspects of globalisation. The unrestrained competition for quick and easy profit brings with it the cultivation of perverse scourges such as child trafficking, the exploitation and abuse of minors and, generally, the depriving of rights intrinsic to childhood as sanctioned by the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. Childhood, given its fragile nature, has unique and inalienable needs. Above all else, there is the right to a healthy and secure family environment, where a child can grow under the guidance and example of a father and a mother; then there is the right and duty to receive adequate education, primarily in the family and also in the school, where children can grow as persons and agents of their own future and the future of their respective countries. Indeed, in many areas of the world, reading, writing and the most basic arithmetic
is still the privilege of only a few. All children, furthermore, have the right to recreation; in a word, they have the right to be children. And yet among migrants, children constitute the most vulnerable group, because as they face the life ahead of them, they are invisible and voiceless: their precarious situation deprives them of documentation, hiding them from the world’s eyes; the absence of adults to accompany them prevents their voices from being raised and heard. In this way, migrant children easily end up at the lowest levels of human degradation, where illegality and violence destroy the future of too many innocents, while the network of child abuse is difficult to break up. How should we respond to this reality? Firstly, we need to become aware that the phenomenon of migration is not unrelated to salvation history, but rather a part of that history. One of God’s commandments is connected to it: “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt”; “Love the sojourner therefore; for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt”. This phenomenon constitutes a sign of the times, a sign which speaks of the providential work of God in history and in the human c o m m u n i t y, w i t h a v i e w t o u n i v e r s a l communion. While appreciating the issues, and often the suffering and tragedy of migration, as too the difficulties connected with the demands of offering a dignified welcome to these persons, the Church nevertheless encourages us to recognise God’s plan. She invites us to do this precisely amidst this phenomenon, with the certainty that no one is a stranger in the Christian community, which embraces “every nation, tribe, people and tongue”. Each person is precious; persons are more important than things, and the worth of an institution is measured by the way it treats the life and dignity of human beings, particularly when they are vulnerable, as in the case of
child migrants. Furthermore, we need to work towards protection, integration and long-term solutions. We are primarily concerned with adopting every possible measure to guarantee the protection and safety of child migrants, because “these boys and girls often end up on the street abandoned to themselves and prey to unscrupulous exploiters who often transform them into the object of physical, moral and sexual violence”. Moreover, the dividing line between migration and trafficking can at times be very subtle. There are many factors which contribute to making migrants vulnerable, especially if they are children: poverty and the lack of means to survive – to which are added unrealistic expectations generated by the media; the low level of literacy; ignorance of the law, of the culture and frequently of the language of host countries. All of this renders children physically and psychologically dependent. But the most powerful force driving the exploitation and abuse of children is demand. If more rigorous and effective action is not taken against those who profit from such abuse, we will not be able to stop the multiple forms of slavery where children are the victims. It is necessary, therefore, for immigrants to cooperate ever more closely with the communities that welcome them, for the good of their own children. We are deeply grateful to organisations and institutions, both ecclesial and civil, that commit time and resources to protect minors from various forms of abuse. It is important that evermore effective and incisive cooperation be implemented, based not only on the exchange of information, but also on the reinforcement of networks capable of assuring timely and specific intervention; and this, without underestimating the strength that ecclesial communities reveal especially when they are united in prayer and fraternal communion. Secondly, we need to work for the integration of children and youngsters who are
migrants. They depend totally on the adult community. Very often the scarcity of financial resources prevents the adoption of adequate policies aimed at assistance and inclusion. As a result, instead of favouring the social integration of child migrants, or programmes for safe and assisted repatriation, there is simply an attempt to curb the entrance of migrants, which in turn fosters illegal networks; or else immigrants are repatriated to their country of origin without any concern for their “best interests”. The condition of child migrants is worsened when their status is not regularised or when they are recruited by criminal organisations. In such cases they are usually sent to detention centres. It is not unusual for them to be arrested, and because they have no money to pay the fine or for the return journey, they can be incarcerated for long periods, exposed to various kinds of abuse and violence. In these instances, the right of states to control migratory movement and to protect the common good of the nation must be seen in conjunction with the duty to resolve and regularise the situation of child migrants, fully respecting their dignity and seeking to meet their needs when they are alone, but also the needs of their parents, for the good of the entire family. Of fundamental importance is the adoption of adequate national procedures and mutually agreed plans of cooperation between countries of origin and of destination, with the intention of eliminating the causes of the forced emigration of minors. Thirdly, to all I address a heartfelt appeal that long-term solutions be sought and adopted. Since this is a complex phenomenon, the question of child migrants must be tackled at its source. Wars, human rights violations, corruption, poverty, environmental imbalance and disasters, are all causes of this problem. Children are the first to suffer, at times suffering torture and other physical violence, in addition to moral and psychological aggression, which
almost always leave indelible scars. It is absolutely necessary, therefore, to deal with the causes which trigger migrations in the countries of origin. This requires, as a first step, the commitment of the whole international community to eliminate the conflicts and violence that force people to flee. Furthermore, far-sighted perspectives are called for, capable of offering adequate programmes for areas struck by the worst injustice and instability, in order that access to authentic development can be guaranteed for all. This development should promote the good of boys and girls, who are humanity’s hope. Lastly, I wish to address a word to you, who walk alongside migrant children and young people: they need your precious help. The Church too needs you and supports you in the generous service you offer. Do not tire of courageously living the Gospel, which calls you to recognise and welcome the Lord Jesus among the smallest and most vulnerable. I entrust all child migrants, their families, their communities, and you who are close to them, to the protection of the Holy Family of Nazareth; may they watch over and accompany each one on their journey. With my prayers, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing.
It’s Not My Jesus vs Your Jesus, But Our Jesus, Pope Says to Ecumenical Group Two things you [the Head of the Delegation] said caught my attention. First thing: Jesus is with us. Second thing: Jesus sets out with us. These things make me reflect and pose two questions to myself: Am I capable of believing that Jesus is with us? Am I capable of walking together with all, also with Jesus?
So often we think that the ecumenical work is only that of theologians. It is important that theologians study, come to an agreement and express their disagreement; this is very important. However, in the meantime, ecumenism is done by setting out – and setting out with Jesus: not with my Jesus against your Jesus, but with our Jesus. The way is simple: it is done with prayer, and with helping others. To pray together: <it is> the ecumenism of prayer, for one another and for unity. And then, the ecumenism of work for so many needy, for so many men and women who today suffer injustices, wars … such terrible things. All of us, together, must help; <it is> charity to our neighbor. This is ecumenism. This is already unity — unity on the way with Jesus. There is another ecumenism, which we must recognize and which is so timely today: the ecumenism of blood. When terrorists or world powers persecute Christian minorities or Christians, when they do this, they do not ask: But are you Lutheran? Are you Orthodox? Are you Catholic? Are you reformed? Are you Pentecostal? No. “You are Christian.” They recognize only one: the Christian. We are witnesses, and I am thinking, for instance, of the Coptic Orthodox brothers beheaded on the beaches of Libya: they are our brothers. They gave witness to Christ and they died saying: “Jesus, help me!” With the name: they confessed Jesus’ name.
So, ecumenism of prayer, ecumenism of fraternity, and it fills us with the hope that the way; and the enemy teaches us the mutual understanding may continue to grow.” ecumenism of blood. Thank you so much. “The apostle Paul tells us that, by virtue of Thank you so much for this visit. our baptism, we all form the single Body of Christ. The various members, in fact, form one body. Therefore, we belong to each other and when one suffers, all suffer; when one rejoices, we all rejoice. We can continue trustfully on our ecumenical path, because we know that Pope Stresses to Lutherans: despite the many issues that still separate us, we are already united. What unites us is far greater than what divides us,” the Holy Father emphasised, noting that at the end of the month he will travel to Lund in Sweden to commemorate, along with the World Lutheran Federation, the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, and to give thanks to God for the official dialogue between Lutherans and Catholics. “An essential part of this commemoration,” he observed, “will consist of turning our gaze towards the future, with a view to a common Christian witness to today’s world, that thirsts so greatly for God and His mercy. The witness that the world expects of us is above all that of rendering visible the mercy Lutherans and Catholics are on a God has towards us, through service to the journey from conflict to communion, Pope poorest, to the sick, to those who have Francis says. abandoned their homelands to seek a better The Pope offered this reflection today future for themselves and for their loved ones. when he received a thousand Lutherans from In placing ourselves at the service of those Germany, Luther’s birth country, on an most in need we experience that we are ecumenical pilgrimage to the see the Bishop of already united: it is God’s mercy that unites us.” Rome. The Holy Father described this as a “beautiful initiative” and thanked the bishops He concluded by encouraging the young, in who supported and accompanied the pilgrims. particular, to be “witnesses of mercy.” “Let us give thanks to God,” he said, “because today, as Lutherans and Catholics, “While theologians continue their we are journeying together on the way from dialogue in the doctrinal sphere, continue conflict to communion. We have already insistently to seek opportunities to meet each travelled an important part of the road. Along other, to get to know each other better, to pray the path we feel contrasting sentiments: pain together and to offer your help to each other for the division that still exists between us, but and to all those who are in need. In this way, also joy at the fraternity we have already freed of every prejudice and trusting only in the rediscovered. Your presence, so numerous Gospel of Jesus Christ, that announces peace and enthusiastic, is a clear sign of this and reconciliation, you will be true protagonists
What Unites Us Far Greater Than What Divides Us
of a new season in this journey that, with God’s help, will lead to full communion. I assure you of my prayer, and ask you, please to, pray for me, as I am in need. Thank you.”
Shrine Where Moses Saw the Promised Land Reopens in Jordan Your Excellency, S.E. Msgr. Alberto Ortega, Apostolic Nuncio in Jordan, Reverend Father Custos, Fr. Francesco Patton, Your Excellency, Mr. Ambassador of Italy to the Kingdom of Jordan, Reverend Friars of the Custody of the Holy Land, Distinguished Authorities, Brothers and sisters in the Lord! In the twilight of the day, the doors of this Sanctuary were reopened, and so many of us were able to contemplate the fruits of the labors of these years. Today we celebrate the Eucharist and bless the new altar of this sanctuary. Our thanksgiving rises to the Father of all mercies, and in the Holy Spirit we can feel
the embrace of the communion of saints: those who heard the voice of God, believed his promise and set out along the Way. These are the descendants of Abraham, our father in faith, through Moses and the prophets, until the fullness of time, when God sent us his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. It is He, Whom our brothers of the early centuries followed and announced. This early church knew how to shine with a diversity of gifts and traditions, without ever tearing the tunic of Christ through schisms and scandalous divisions. Each tile of the beautiful mosaics seems to echo the song of praise to the Lord of our brothers and sisters: over the centuries, the light and the splendor of their faith has been preserved, and nothing has been able to erase it, neither the dust of centuries, nor the destruction of war. It was given back to us through the skillful work of those who sought out and were capable of hearing the song of this land and of these stones. We give thanks for the faith of all of these people: men and women of the First and the New Covenant, workers and pilgrims, such as Egeria and Peter the Iberian, the friar archaeologists, especially Michele Piccirillo, and also all the friars who have been praying here and continue to pray, welcoming also, with a sincere look and a kindly word, all those who climb this mountain in search of the meaning of history. Pope Francis, in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium defines the believer, as essentially “one who remembers” (13). Suggestively the Sanctuary bears the name: the “Memorial of Moses”. The biblical tradition, of which Jesus himself was well aware when he celebrated the Passover, teaches us that a memorial – ziqqaron – is very different from a simple memory of a distant time that is no more. As a witness of our day, Thomas Merton, has described it, a memorial can be defined as “the ‘then’ that becomes ‘now’.” Caring for this shrine means desiring to remain now, today, in that singular experience that God granted to his servant Moses. Here it
was that Moses closed his eyes to the life of this world, but not before having contemplated the fulfillment of the promise: the people would enter into the land “flowing with milk and honey.” What are the characteristics of the experience lived by Moses? Let the Word of God indicate them to us. The passage of Deuteronomy just proclaimed described Moses as a great prophet, greater than all the others, because “the Lord knew him face to face”, even before the great wonders accomplished in the presence of Pharaoh. Seeing God face-toface means being the recipient of a singular divine grace: it was not Moses who sought out the Lord, but rather it was God, Who found His servant and made him hear His voice. Thus, Moses entered into the mystery of the burning bush and became the guardian of the revelation of the living God. Only this profound intimacy with the Lord enables Moses to be the leader and guide of the people, and their powerful intercessor for achieving salvation and victory. From these traits of Moses arises a question for all of us who are consecrated ─ bishops, priests, and friars of the Custody of the Holy Land: how mindful are we of the gaze of God which has settled upon our lives? We pray today trough the intercession of Saint Francis of Assisi: he was also able to change his life’s course by heeding the voice of God, in a kind of experience of the burning bush that we can recognize in the dialogue with the Crucifix in San Damiano. Francis, too, like Moses, was an intercessor for the renewal of the Church and for peace between peoples. We must remain, and especially you, the “Friars of the Rope”, pilgrims ourselves, journeying towards the Absolute, free of any desire for personal achievement. Then, we will be able to accompany those who come here and everywhere in the world, and be authoritative guides and generous companions to mankind on the way. We could consider this trait of Moses as the brightness of his calling and of his confidence in God.
Moses dies here, outside the land into which the people enters. This is because he himself partook of their sin, protesting against God on account of the unbelief, the complaints and the distrust of those whom he had guided out of slavery to Pharaoh. Even the guide, the Lord’s anointed, is wounded by the experience of frailty and sin. We must have the courage to admit it and to call by name the evil we find in our own heart and in the world. If, like Moses, we stretch our gaze across the surrounding lands, we are reminded of many divisions and counter-witnesses; of the conflicts that for decades have set one people against another; of the cry of those fleeing war and persecution in Syria and Iraq to find refuge in the country of Jordan. Likewise, we recall the deafness of some those who hold the destiny of peoples and nations in their hands, but prefer to preserve markets and profits, instead of saving the innocent lives of women and children. We cannot ignore the sin of those who blaspheme the name of God by using violence against their fellow human beings. How deep is the mystery of evil! The first step to defeating it is to let God conquer it in us and for us! May this Shrine, which is being re-opened in the Holy Year of Mercy, remain a place where pilgrims learn to be merciful through having a concrete experience of it. The foundation of hope and of the victory of grace is given to us in Christ, who came “not to condemn the world; but that the world might be saved through him.” We must raise our eyes and fix them on the Crucified One, who has been lifted up from the earth like the serpent of Moses, so that anyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. In the light of the Risen One, by which all Scripture should be read, the death of Moses is not a punishment and a defeat, but as the attainment of fulfillment. We, with, Moses really know that God is the God of life and of history, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. One can be great without a sense of accomplishment, but simply by reaching the threshold, like Moses on this mountain, and
remaining there in peace. In the communion of the saints of yesterday and today, may this sanctuary, O Lord, be a place to have a living experience of You. You continue to call us to follow you, as disciples and friends; you offer us the opportunity to witness to your love and to your mercy, which overcomes sin and death, foreshadowing the splendid fulfillment of your promise. We ask for this gift especially for the younger generation of this beloved Middle East, that they might be accompanied to the threshold of a life of peace in their countries. May they know the peaceful coexistence of religions and cultures in a reciprocal competition of charity, seeking to construct the common good. May there be no more violence, oppression and denial of the basic freedom to profess one’s faith. We ask these things with the trust and docility of Mary’s heart, especially for the ecumenical journey among the Churches. It was in the East that the major schisms took place; now, in the same East the blood of Christians of all denominations is being mixed. Along with Cardinal Martini, we ask ourselves: “What does it mean today to be on Mount Nebo? We felt somewhat like Moses, who arrived on the mountain after a long journey, but felt that the real journey remained ahead; he did not travel it, and yet he rejoiced to think that others would. Perhaps we will not see the hoped-for conclusion of the ecumenical journey, the perfect attainment of unity. Still, someone else will see it and this is our certainty, the certainty of Moses!” Amen
Prelate, Administrator Appointed for Jowai, Nongstoin, India
Pope Francis appointed Bishop Victor Lyngdoh of Nongstoin, India, as bishop of Jowai. The diocese has about 131,000 Catholics served by around 50 priests and 35 religious. He also appointed Dominic Jala, S.D.B., archbishop of Shillong, India, as apostolic administrator sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Diocese of Nongstoin, India.
INTERVIEW:
35th Anniversary of theJohn Paul II Foundation
On October 16, 1981, exactly three years after the election on the Peter’s Seat John Paul II established the Foundation which bears his name. What were the goals of the Foundation which was established 35 years ago? The John Paul II Foundation is a non-forprofit Church’s organization which the main goal is to support and carry out initiatives with educational, science, cultural, religious, and charitable character which are related to the Holy Father’s John Paul II pontificate. The main goals of the Foundation are: preservation and development of the spiritual heritage of John Paul II and Christian culture; educational and financial help for young people from Central and Eastern Europe and Asia on the Catholic University of Lublin and the John Paul II University of Krakow; documentation and research of the pontificate and dissemination of the John Paul II’s teaching; assistance to pilgrims in Rome – especially from Poland and Eastern Europe. Where are the Foundation’s headquarters located and how the structure of the Foundation looks like?
The Headquarter is located in Vatican. However, due to the character of the activities, the Foundation by itself is located in several places. So, the secretariat is located in Rome by via di Porta Angelica 63, the Center for Documentation and Research of the John Paul II’s Pontificate as well as the Polish Home are located by via Cassia 1200, while the Foundation’s Home for students is located in Lublin on 2 Boczna Lubomelska Street. Each place serving different functions is an integral part of the Foundation. The Center for Documentation and Research of the Pontificate of John Paul I plays a special place in the Foundation’s activities. What so far were you able to collect in the Center? The Center for Documentation and Research of the Pontificate of John Paul II Pontificate is trying to preserve documentation related to the John Paul II pontificate and disseminate this heritage to the future generations. Documentation collected so far provides rich materials for research which is included in publications, symposiums, exhibitions as well as articles popularizing thoughts and teachings of John Paul II. The library contains approximately 30 thousands volumes which are available for research on the John Paul II’s teachings. Most of them were digitalized. How does the fellowship award program look like and what are the results? The John Paul II Foundation through the fellowship awards for students from the Catholic University of Lublin and the John Paul II University of Krakow, actively participates in education of future intellectual elites of Central and Easter Europe and Asia. The fellowship program exists since 1990. During the 26 years of its activity, the Foundation’s fellowship
awards were granted to 1,000 individuals. The fellowship awardees were from the following countries: Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, Rumania, Slovakia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Hungary. The most candidates for the fellowship award came from Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania (from the time of joining the European Union). Up to this date among the fellowship awardees we have 3 professors, 76 individuals with doctoral degree, 88 individuals with bachelor degree, and 522 wit ...
Christians we are called to set out and evangelize. Francis observed how St. Paul’s autobiographical account today is timely, given that today is World Mission Sunday, with the theme “Missionary Church, a witness of mercy.” In Paul, the Jesuit Pope pointed out, Christians find a model for seeing that it is the presence of the Lord that makes apostolic and evangelical work effective. Francis stressed that Paul’s experiences remind us how we are to engage in pastoral and missionary activities. Courage to Fight, Even If Don’t Win
Pope:
‘Today Is a Time of Mission and Courage’
Have courage! Embrace your mission. Pope Francis stressed this during his Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square, as he reflected on today’s readings, especially St. Paul’s Letter to Timothy, in which he encourages his disciple to remember that as
On the one hand, Francis encouraged, we should engage in them “as if the result depended on our efforts, with the spirit of sacrifice of an athlete who does not stop, even in the face of defeats,” and on the other, “knowing that the true success of our mission is a gift of grace: it is the Holy Spirit who makes the Church’s mission in the world effective.” “Today is a time of mission and a time of courage!” he stressed. The Holy Father reminded those present that courage is required of us Christians, in a variety of ways, including that “to strengthen the tottering steps, to commit ourselves to the Gospel, “to regain confidence in the strength that mission brings,” and that which tries even without “having a guarantee of success.” “We are to have a courage to fight, not necessarily to win,” he said, and also “to not always conform to the ways of the world,” but in a way “that is never argumentative or aggressive.” In addition, he noted, we are to have the courage “to be open to all, to stand up to disbelief, and call on God to be merciful on us as sinners. “Today, is time of courage!” Francis exclaimed. “Today, we must have courage!”
The Pope also prayed that Mary, model of the ‘outgoing’ Church, help us be missionary disciples “who bring the message of salvation to the whole human family.” ‘Left Crying, Without Words’ … an Appeal for Iraq After reciting the midday prayer, Francis turned to the tragic events in Iraq, saying he is especially close to the nation’s suffering people, especially those of the city of Mosul. “Our minds are shaken by the heinous acts of violence that for too much time have been committed against innocent citizens, both Muslims and Christians, and also all those of other ethnicities and religions,” he said, noting, “I was saddened to hear news of the killing in cold blood of many, including many children.” “This cruelty,” Francis said, “makes us cry, leaving us without words.” The word of solidarity accompanies the assurance of my remembrance in prayer, to Iraq, while suffering, both strong and steadfast in hope to be able to move towards a future of security, of reconciliation and peace. The Holy Father then asked the some 50,000 pilgrims in the Square to join him in praying in silence, and then in reciting a Hail Mary. After this appeal, Pope Francis greeted the various groups present including those in Rome for the Jubilee of Choirs and all the Poles in Rome and in Poland celebrating the 1050th Anniversary of Christianity in Poland. As usual, Pope Francis wished those present a good Sunday, good lunch, and asking those present to pray for him.
Pope:
It’s Not Enough to Get Mercy; We Have to Give It Too
Receiving God’s mercy is not enough, we also have to be a “sign and instrument” of mercy for others, says Pope Francis. And “mercy is not reserved only for particular moments, but it embraces the whole of our daily existence.” The Pope said this today during his address at the general audience, in which he continued his catechesis on the theme of mercy as the jubilee nears its end. “How, then, can we be witnesses of mercy?” the Holy Father asked. It’s nothing complicated, he answered, saying it’s about simple gestures that have great value in God’s eyes — “to the point that He said to us that it is on these that we will be judged.” “Jesus says that every time we feed someone who is hungry and give drink to someone who is thirsty, that we clothe a naked person and receive a stranger, that we visit a sick or imprisoned person, we do it to Him,” the Pope said. “The Church has called these gestures ‘corporal works of mercy,’ because they help persons in their material needs.”
He continued: “There are, however, seven other works of mercy called ‘spiritual,’ which have to do with other equally important needs, especially today, because they touch the depth of persons and often make one suffer more.” Indifference The Pope said future catecheses will consider these works of mercy, which have given “genuine witness of the faith” down through the centuries. “In a world stricken, unfortunately, by the virus of indifference, the works of mercy are the best antidote,” he said. “In fact, they educate us to pay attention to the most elementary needs of our ‘least brothers.’” “To recognize His face in that of one who is in need is a real challenge against indifference. It enables us to be always vigilant, avoiding Christ passing beside us without our recognizing Him.” Francis cited St. Augustine’s phrase, “Timeo Iesum transeuntem,” saying “I wondered why Saint Augustine said he was afraid of Jesus’ passing. The answer, unfortunately, is in our behaviour, because we are often distracted, indifferent, and when the Lord passes close to us we lose the occasion of an encounter with Him.”
Knowing Who We Are; Knowing What We Are Supposed to Do
This fall I am giving presentations to all of the high school teachers, staff and administrators in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. These talks take place on an annual basis, and they are dedicated to a regular cycle of topics. This year, the theme is morality. Lucky me! My guess is that disquisitions on doctrine or Church history or pastoral practice wouldn’t raise too many hackles, but ethics is practically guaranteed to rile people up, especially now when issues of same-sex marriage, transgenderism, and assisted suicide are so present to the public consciousness. I am not sure whether I’m delighting or disappointing my audiences, but I am not ordering my talks to adress these hot-button questions. Indeed, it is my conviction that a good deal of mischief and confusion is caused precisely by characterizing Catholic morality primarily as a matrix for adjudicating such matters. A purely rational or deductive approach to controversial ethical choices is largely an exercise in missing the point. For to know how to behave as a Christian is a function of knowing, first, who we are as Christians. Understanding how to act is, if I can pun a little,
a function of understanding what play we are in. The great Biblical scholar, N.T. Wright, has said that most of us are like actors who are dressed up for Hamlet, who have memorized all of the right lines from Hamlet, and who thoroughly grasp the thematics of Hamlet. The only problem is that we are in Romeo and Juliet. Therefore, what I am sharing with the good teachers of the L.A. Archdiocese is largely Christian anthropology, a fancy way of saying the articulation of what play we’re in and what role we’ve been given in that production. Like the great Shakespeare plays, the drama of salvation history consists of five acts: Creation, the Fall, the Formation of Israel, the Coming of the Messiah, and the Church. Comprehending the dynamics of all five acts is indispensable to knowing how to behave. So let’s take things one step at a time. According to the still breathtaking poetic account in the first chapter of Genesis, all created things come forth in an orderly and harmonious manner from the hand of the Creator. Sun, moon, planets, stars, the earth itself, animals, even those things that crawl upon the earth, come into existence as a sort of stately liturgical procession. What the author is showing, first, is that none of these things—all of which at one time or another in the ancient world were the object of worship—is divine. What he is demonstrating, secondly, is that all of them find their purpose in giving praise to the Creator. It is of crucial significance that the final element in the parade—like the last figure in a liturgical procession—is the human being. We are meant to see our identity and our task: to give praise to God on behalf of all creation. Before the Fall, Adam was the first priest. So what is the Fall? What takes place in act two is the loss of our priestly identity. Grasping at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we end up worshipping our own egos rather than God, and from this misdirected praise, chaos follows. Things fall apart, both inside and outside, that is to say, in our hearts and in the natural order—and the Garden
becomes a desert. Throughout the Bible, the basic problem, though it manifests itself politically, culturally, psycho-dynamically, etc., is always bad praise. But God does not abandon his people; on the contrary, he sends a rescue operation. Beginning with the covenant with Abraham, God shapes a nation according to his own mind and heart; he teaches a particular tribe to worship him aright, to be his priestly people. His ultimate intention is to use Israel for the instruction of all the nations of the world. Mt. Zion, the locale of the Temple, the place of right worship, is meant to become a magnet to the whole of humanity: “There all the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord” (Psalm 122:4). The entire drama of Israel is the content of act three. But we hear, over and again, that Israel does not live up to its high calling, that it falls short of its vocation to worship the Lord alone. And so the best and the brightest among the chosen people commence to dream of a Messiah, a figure who would represent the full realization of Israel’s mission and identity. The coming of this anointed one is the central drama of act four. The still startling claim of the first Christians is that Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, is this long-awaited Messiah, the one in whom faithful Yahweh finally meets faithful Israel. Notice, please, how Jesus is consistently presented as a priestly figure. John the Baptist declares him to be the “Lamb of God;” at the climax of his life, he comes into the holy city of Jerusalem and cleanses the Temple, declaring, “I will destroy this place and in three days rebuild it,” referring to the Temple of his own body; and on the cross, bearing the sins of the world, he offers a final priestly sacrifice, offering right praise to his Father and bringing sinful humanity back on line with him. This is precisely why, in the light of the Resurrection, St. Paul would refer to Jesus as “the new Adam,” which is to say, the one who restores the human race to correct praise. Now, we are ready for act five and the proper context for speaking of morality. Act five
is the life and work of the Church. Grafted on to Jesus, members of his mystical body, all of the baptized are meant to do what Jesus did and be who Jesus was. We are meant, as Paul put it, to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord.” This implies that we are to turn every aspect of ourselves—our minds, our wills, our personal affairs, our jobs, our recreation, and yes, our sexuality—into acts of worship. To make it more pointed, our bodies and their desires do not belong to us; they are not intended to serve our selfish purposes. They are designed to be turned to God’s purpose, which implies that they be placed under the aegis of love. Now we can understand why the Church is so demanding in regard to sex, why it stands so staunchly athwart divorce, contraception, same-sex marriage, masturbation, etc. It is not because the Church is against sex or against pleasure or against self-determination. It is because the Church is for turning the whole of life into an act of radical love. And its dearest hope is that the very quality of its right praise will attract the whole world to Christ. I realize that it sounds strange to put it this way, but the moral lives of the baptized are not meant finally for them; they are meant to be salt and light for the rest of humanity. What I’m telling the Catholic high school teachers of L.A. is what I want to tell all Catholics: you won’t know how to behave until you know who you are. And you won’t know who you are until you realize what play you’re in!
GENERAL AUDIENCE
On Works of Mercy
THE HOLY FATHER’S CATECHESIS Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! In preceding catecheses we entered a little in the great mystery of God’s mercy. We meditated on the Father’s action in the Old Testament and then, through evangelical accounts, we saw how Jesus is the incarnation of Mercy in His words and in His gestures. He, in turn, taught His disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). It is a commitment that challenges the conscience and action of every Christian. In fact, it is not enough to experience God’s mercy in one’s life; it is necessary that whoever receives it becomes also a sign and instrument of it for others. Moreover, mercy is not reserved only for particular moments, but it embraces the whole of our daily existence. How, then, can we be witnesses of mercy? We do not think that it has to do with making great efforts or superhuman gestures. No, it is not like this. The Lord indicates to us a much simpler way, made up of little gestures, which, however, in His eyes have great value, to the point that He said to us that it is on these that we will be judged. In fact, one of the most
beautiful pages of Mark’s Gospel reports to us a teaching that we can regard in some way as “Jesus’ testament” on the part of the evangelist, who experienced directly in himself the action of Mercy. Jesus says that every time we feed someone who is hungry and give drink to someone who is thirsty, that we clothe a naked person and receive a stranger, that we visit a sick or imprisoned <person>, we do it to Him (cf. Matthew 25:31-46). The Church has called these gestures “works of corporal mercy,” because they help persons in their material needs. There are, however, seven other works of mercy called “spiritual,’ which have to do with other equally important needs, especially today, because they touch the depth of persons and often make one suffer more. We all certainly remember one that has entered our common language: “To endure patiently annoying persons.” It might seem to be something of little importance, which makes us smile, instead, it contains a sentiment of profound charity; and it is so also for the other six, which it is good to recall: to counsel the doubtful, to teach the ignorant, to admonish sinners, to console the afflicted, to forgive offenses, to pray to God for the living and the dead. In the forthcoming catecheses we will pause on these works, which the Church presents to us as the concrete way to live mercy. So many persons in the course of the centuries put them into practice, thus giving genuine witness of the faith. Moreover, the Church, faithful to her Lord, nourishes a preferential love for the weakest. Often they are the persons closest to us who are in need of our help. We do not have to go in search, who knows, of endeavors to carry out. It is better to begin with the simplest, which the Lord points out as the most urgent. In a world stricken, unfortunately, by the virus of indifference, the works of mercy are the best antidote. In fact, they educate us to pay attention to the most elementary needs of our
“least brothers” (Matthew 25:40), in whom Jesus is present. To recognize His face in that of one who is in need is a real challenge against indifference. It enables us to be always vigilant, avoiding Christ passing beside us without our recognizing Him. Saint Augustine’s phrase comes to mind: “Timeo Iesum transeuntem” (Sermon 88, 14, 13). I wondered why Saint Augustine said he was afraid of Jesus’ passing. The answer, unfortunately, is in our behaviour, because we are often distracted, indifferent, and when the Lord passes close to us we lose the occasion of an encounter with Him. The works of mercy awaken in us the exigency and capacity to render faith alive and active with charity. I am convinced that through these simple daily gestures we can carry out a true cultural revolution, as happened in the past. How many Saints are still remembered today not for the great works they did but for the charity they were able to transmit! We think of Mother Teresa, just canonized: we do not remember her for the many houses she opened in the world, but because she bent over every person she found in the middle of the street to restore to him his/her dignity. How many abandoned children she held in her arms; how many dying <persons>, on the threshold of eternity, she accompanied holding their hand! These works of mercy are the features of the Face of Jesus Christ, who takes care of his least brothers to bring to each of them God’s tenderness and closeness. May the Holy Spirit enkindle in us the desire to live with this style of life; may we learn again by heart the works of corporal and spiritual mercy and ask the Lord to help us to put them into practice every day. In Italian Dear Italian-speaking pilgrims, welcome! I am happy to receive the faithful of the Dioceses of Cremona, Pescia, Anagni-Alatri and Conversano-Monopoli, accompanied by their respective Pastors, and I exhort them to draw fruit from the Jubilee we are celebrating,
to be heralds of the Gospel with a consistent witness of life. I greet the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth, gathered here on the occasion of their General Chapter, and I hope that the foundational charism is rediscovered in the perspective of Divine Mercy. I greet the young people of the Folklore Festival of Cori; the participants in the European Conference of Christian Radios and the Saint Rita Work Foundation of Prato with the Bishop, Monsignor Franco Agostinelli. May the crossing of the Holy Door be an act of personal and communal faith, and stimulate all to exercise the works of mercy in their own environments. A special greeting goes to the organizers and participants in the “Match for Peace and Solidarity,” which will be held this evening in the Olympic Stadium, promoted by Scholas Occurrentes, the Love and Liberty Community, the Italian Spots Center and UNITALSI. Finally, a greeting goes to young people, the sick and newlyweds. Yesterday we celebrated the Memorial of Saint john XXIII. Dear young people, invoke his heavenly intercession to imitate the gentleness of his paternal love; pray to him in moments of the cross and of suffering, dear sick, to face difficulties with his same meekness; learn from him, dear newlyweds, the art of educating children with tenderness and with example.
‘Need Consolation? Become Like Little Children,’ Pope Urges at Mass
Need God’s consolation? Become again like a little child. Pope Francis stressed this during his Mass in Tbilisi at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, on the second day of his three-day Apostolic. Celebrating Mass on day two of his pastoral visit to Georgia, and on the feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, the Pontiff spoke on the consolation the Church wishes to give us, and how we can welcome it into our lives. The key to accomplishing this, the Pontiff told those present, is embracing “our child side.” Become Like Little Children The underlying condition to receiving God’s consolation, Francis recalled, is to become little, like children (cf. Mt 18:3-4). In order to receive God’s love, the Pope stressed, we need “littleness of heart,” for, as Jesus said, “only little ones can be held in their mothers arms.” Jesus told us, the Pope recalled, that whoever becomes like a little child, “is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:4). “The true greatness of man consists in making himself small before God,” Francis
reflected, noting that, “For God is not known through grand ideas and extensive study, but rather through the littleness of a humble and trusting heart.” “To be great before the Lord,” the Jesuit Pope pointed out, “does not require the accumulation of honor and prestige or earthly goods and success, but rather a complete selfemptying. A child has nothing to give and everything to receive. A child is vulnerable, and depends on his or her father and mother. The one who becomes like a little child is poor in self but rich in God.” “Children, who have no problem in understanding God, have much to teach us: they tell us that he accomplishes great things in those who put up no resistance to him, who are simple and sincere, without duplicity.” A Thanks to Women In his homily, the Holy Father also highlighted that among the treasures of the country of Georgia, one that really stands out is the importance of women. Recalling Saint Therese of the Child Jesus’ words that women “love God in much larger numbers than men do (Autobiography, Manuscript A, VI),” he noted that in Georgia, there are many grandmothers and mothers who unceasingly defend and pass on the faith. “The consolation we need, amid the turmoil we experience in life, is precisely the presence of God in our hearts,” Francis said, noting, “God’s presence in us is the source of true consolation, which dwells in us, liberates us from evil, brings peace and increases our joy.” “If we want to experience his consolation,” the Holy Father underscored, “we must give way to the Lord in our lives.” Don’t Keep Him Out The Pontiff instructed the faithful that for the the Lord to abide continually in us, “we
must open the doors of our hearts to him and not keep him outside.” “When the door of our heart is closed, however, his light cannot enter in and everything remains dark. We then get accustomed to pessimism, to things which aren’t right, to realities that never change,” he said. “We end up absorbed in our own sadness, in the depths of anguish, isolated. If, on the other hand, we open wide the doors of consolation, the light of the Lord enters in!” Church as House of Consolation In the Church we find consolation, Francis stressed, saying it could be considered “the house of consolation,” where God wishes to console us. The Pope asked those present to ask themselves some questions: “I who am in the Church, do I bring the consolation of God? Do I know how to welcome others as guests and console those whom I see tired and disillusioned?” “Even when enduring affliction and rejection,” the Pope continued, “a Christian is always called to bring hope to the hearts of those who have given up, to encourage the downhearted, to bring the light of Jesus, the warmth of his presence and his forgiveness which restores us.” Lamenting that countless people suffer trials, injustice, and anxiety, he said, “Our hearts need anointing with God’s consolation, which does not take away our problems, but gives us the power to love, to peacefully bear pain.” Receiving and bringing God’s consolation: this mission of the Church is urgent The Holy Father then encouraged everyone to take up the call: “to not bury ourselves in what is going wrong around us or be saddened by the lack of harmony between us. It is not good for us to become accustomed to a closed ecclesial ‘micro-environment.’”
He encouraged them to welcome their vulnerable, trusting, childlike side in order to open their horizons to hope, have courage, and go beyond themselves. “The Gospel,” the Holy Father recalled, “shows us how great wonders are accomplished with small things: with a few loaves and two fishes (cf. Mt 14:15-20), with a tiny mustard seed (cf. Mk 4:30-32), with a grain of wheat that dies in the earth (cf. Jn 12:24), with the gift of just a single glass of water (cf. Mt 10:42), with the two coins of a poor widow (cf. Lk 21:1-4), with the humility of Mary, the servant of the Lord (cf. Lk 1:46-55).” Trust in Our God of Surprises “This is the surprising greatness of God, of a God who is full of surprises and who loves surprises: let us always keep alive the desire for and trust in God’s surprises!” Allowing this, he stressed, “will help us to remember that we are constantly and primarily his children: not masters of our lives, but children of the Father; not autonomous and self-sufficient adults, but children who always need to be lifted up and embraced, who need love and forgiveness.” “Blessed are those Christian communities who live this authentic gospel simplicity! Poor in means, they are rich in God. Blessed are the Shepherds who do not ride the logic of worldly success, but follow the law of love: welcoming, listening, serving. Blessed is the Church who does not entrust herself to the criteria of functionalism and organizational efficiency, nor worries about her image.” The Pontiff went on to summarize these thoughts with some words from Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, to whom he personally has a great devotion. St. Therese, he pointed out, “shows her ‘little way’ to God, “the trust of a little child who falls asleep without fear in his Father’s arms”, because “Jesus does not demand great actions from us, but simply surrender and
gratitude” The young saint and Doctor of the Church, he also said, teaches us that “perfect charity consists in bearing with the faults of others, in not being surprised at their weakness, in being edified by the smallest acts of virtue we see them practice.” Pope Francis concluded, praying that all faithful today pray for “the grace of a simple heart, of a heart that believes and lives in the gentle strength of love; let us ask to live in peaceful and complete trust in God’s mercy.”
‘Be Men of Hope,’ Pope Tells Augustinian Recollects in God.” He Never Disappoints “He never disappoints and He it is who leads us by mysterious paths with a Father’s love,” Francis said. In this General Chapter, the Jesuit Pope noted, “you have wished to review and place before God the life of the Order, with its yearnings and challenges, so that it is He who gives you light and hope. “To seek renewal and impetus,” he continued, “it is necessary to turn to God and to Be men of hope. Trust in God’s mercy. The Pope gave this encouragement in ask Him: “Give us what you command. “ Francis reminded them how Jesus his address to participants of the 55th General commanded us to love one another. Chapter of the Order of Augustinian Recollects in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican’s Present in Our Lives Apostolic Palace. With its origins in late 16th Century “It is what we implore Him to give us: His Spain, the Augustinian Recollect Order is now a global order, with some 1,500 religious in its love so that we are capable of loving. God gives us this love in many ways; God is always giving chapters worldwide. In the Pope’s address, he acknowledged us this love and He makes himself present in that, as their motto taken from a prayer of St. our life,” he said. Francis urged them to think to their past Augustine, that all our hope is found in the Lord’s mercy, and in exhorting Him to tell us and the many gifts they have received, and noted that reviewing the past’s real point is what He commands of us. “This invocation leads us to be men of really “about discovering the Lord’s presence in hope, namely, with horizons, capable of putting each event, in every step of life.” “The past helps us to return again to the all our trust in God’s mercy, conscious that we are incapable of addressing, with our strength charism, and to relish it in all its freshness and alone, the challenges that the Lord presents to integrity. It also gives us the possibility to underscore the difficulties that have arisen and us.” Francis acknowledged that although “we how they have been surmounted, to be able to are little and unworthy,” our “security and joy is address the present challenges, looking to the
future. This path beside Jesus will become a prayer of thanksgiving and interior purification.” The memory, grateful for His love in our past, Francis said, “spurs us to live the present with passion and in an ever more courageous way.” “To let oneself be commanded by God means that He is the Master of our life and there is no other,” Pope Francis said. “And we know well that, if God does not have the place that corresponds to Him, others will do so for Him. And when the Lord is at the center of our life everything is possible; failure or any other evil does not count, because it is He who is at the center, and it is He who directs us.” God, the Pontiff explained, asks us at this moment in a special way to be His “creators of communion.” “We are called to create, with our presence in the midst of the world, a society capable of recognizing the dignity of every person and of sharing the gift that each one is to the other.” “So many people are waiting for us to go out to encounter them and to look at them with that tenderness that we have experienced and received from our relation with God. This is the power we bear; not the one of our own ideals and projects, but the strength of His mercy, which transforms and gives life.” Pope Francis concluded, inviting them to maintain “Saint Augustine’s dream with a renewed spirit,” namely “to live as brothers, “with one heart and one soul” (Rule 1,2), which reflects the ideal of the first Christians and is a living prophecy of communion in this world of ours, so that there is no division, no conflicts or exclusion, but concord reigns and dialogue is promoted.” Francis prayed for Mary to protect them and their order, imparted his blessing, and reminded them to pray for him.
Holy See’s Statement on Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space
In the digital age, humanity has become ever more dependent on space technology for the conduct of everyday life and safeguarding the future. From banking to telecommunications, from navigation and traffic control to regulating water supplies and electrical grids, the peoples of the earth are dependent on satellite technology. These same technologies have led to rapid advances in the developing world, such as improvements in communications, banking and agriculture. Space technology, once the province of a few powers, has become a universal common good, essential for the survival and well-being of all humanity. Given the universal dependence on these technologies, their vulnerability to attacks is a risk not just for a few nations but for all humanity. At a time when basic resources, like water and power, are tied to control systems linked by satellite communications, the very life blood of societies is vulnerable to attacks in outer space. The humanitarian
consequences of a war in space would be devastating for populations far beyond those of adversary states. With fundamental activities dependent on space-based technology, the impact on civilian life would be calamitous. It is imperative that our efforts to outlaw the use of weapons in outer space be sufficiently broad to take into account the changed conditions of contemporary life and the increase of risks to human civilization represented by the danger of war in space. Given the growing body of humanitarian law and increased concern for the humanitarian consequences of war, the integration of prohibitions designed for the protection of human infrastructure should become an essential component of outer space law. Given the potential breadth and depth of the impact of armed conflict in space on life on earth, moreover, preservation of the principles of noncombatant immunity and discrimination will both be more important than ever and also more difficult to ensure. Armed conflict in space, especially with the ever-advancing weapons technology, may make it more difficult to contain war within the bounds of law. Therefore every effort must be made to prevent the expansion of state conflict to space. The risk of counter-population warfare through attacks on satellite technology must be checked by concerted international action. The Conference on Disarmament should overcome its frustrating, years-long impasse and agree now to begin negotiations dealing with conventional weapons use in space, bearing in mind that weapons of various kinds might be launched from outside outer space. The United Nations Disarmament Commission should begin consideration of transparencyand confidence-building measures for space as proposed earlier this year by a number of States. Our delegation reiterates our recommendation, made last year, that the adoption of an International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities should be
accomplished promptly, taking into account the availability of a draft Code. As we noted then, the Code would make an important contribution to international peace and security. Collaboration in the peaceful development of outer space will provide further protection against armed conflict there. To this end, more attention ought to be given to the promotion of multilateral and international projects in space. Space is a common heritage of all, an environment that we all depend on. We should ensure that we deal with it accordingly, and not make it another source or place of conflict.