POPE MONITOR

LOOK AT THE FACES OF MIGRANTS; HELP THEM, POPE SAYS POPE ENCOURAGES YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE THE CRITICAL CONSCIENCE OF SOCIETY

POPE SETS DATE FOR CANONISATION OF BLESSED DE FOUCAULD

Syrian migrants arrive on an overloaded dinghy from Turkey to Molyvos, Lesbos

The best way to overcome indifference to the suffering of migrants and refugees is to look in their faces, Pope Francis has said. "In Cyprus, as in Lesbos, (Greece), I was able to look into the eyes of this suffering. Please, let us look into the eyes of the discarded people we meet, let us be provoked by the faces of the children, children of desperate migrants," the pope said on December 8 after reciting the Angelus prayer with visitors in St Peter's Square. "Let us allow ourselves to be drawn into their suffering in order to react to our indifference; let us look at their faces, to awaken us from the sleep of habit," the pope said.

Pope Francis thanked the governments and churches of Cyprus and Greece for their hospitality during his trip to the countries on December 2-6.

He also shared with the crowd in the square what he considered the highlights of his trip: his meetings with the heads of the Orthodox churches of the two countries and his meetings with migrants and refugees.

Pope Francis said he was particularly "moved" by Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus, who "spoke to me about the 'mother church:' As Christians we follow different paths, but we are children of Jesus' church, which is a mother, and accompanies and keeps us, that keeps us going, all as brothers and sisters."

In Greece, he said, "I experienced the gift of embracing again" Orthodox Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and all Greece, with whom he had visited the Greek island of Lesbos in 2016. "I entrust to the holy Mother of God the many seeds of encounter and hope that the Lord has scattered on this pilgrimage," the pope said, asking those in the square "to continue to pray that they may germinate in patience and flourish in trust." Pope Francis told young people that, with Jesus, they can find the courage to swim against the current, to be free and authentic, and to stand up for their dreams and ideals of truth, love, justice and peace. "Be the critical conscience of society. Don't be afraid to criticise. We need your criticism," he said, citing, for example, the disapproval coming from many young people about environmental destruction. "Be passionate about truth, so that, with your dreams, you can say, 'My life is not captive to the mindset of the world. I am free, because I reign with Jesus for justice, love and peace!'"

Celebrating Mass on the feast of Christ the King in St Peter's Basilica on November 21, the pope directed much of his homily to the world's young people. This was the first year that the world's dioceses were celebrating World Youth Day on the local level on the feast of Christ the King rather than on Palm Sunday. Pope Francis announced the change last year.

As the church begins its journey toward the next intercontinental celebration of World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023, the pope asked that young people reflect on the image of Jesus standing before Pontius Pilate and declaring, "I am a king." "We are struck by Jesus' determination, his courage, his supreme freedom," the pope said, because he could have tried to defend himself or compromise to avoid being condemned to death.

Instead, Jesus did not hide his identity, and he took responsibility for his own life and for his mission to testify to the truth, he said.

Blessed Charles de Foucauld and six other candidates for sainthood finally will be canonised on May 15, 2022, the Vatican has announced.

The final stage in the sainthood process — a gathering of cardinals in Rome to affirm that church law had been followed in preparing for the candidates' declaration of sainthood and a formal request "in the name of Holy Mother Church" that Pope Francis set a date for the canonisations — took place in early May. But no date for the ceremony was set because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with Blessed de Foucauld, the spring ceremony will see the canonisation of the Indian martyr Devasahayam Pillai and five founders of religious orders.