tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66570426215774477112024-03-19T14:10:29.826+01:00VIS news - Holy See Press OfficeVatican Informations Service - EnglishVIS - Holy See Press Officehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864309219040519020noreply@blogger.comBlogger18233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-88457197682476140562017-02-08T13:37:00.000+01:002017-02-08T13:37:13.966+01:00Holy Father’s Message for Lent 2017
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The following is the full text of the
Holy Father Francis’ message for Lent 2017 on the theme “The Word is a
gift. Other persons are a gift”.<br />
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,<br />
Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of
Easter, Christ’s victory over death. This season urgently calls us to
conversion. Christians are asked to return to God “with all their
hearts” (Joel 2:12), to refuse to settle for mediocrity and to grow in
friendship with the Lord. Jesus is the faithful friend Who never
abandons us. Even when we sin, He patiently awaits our return; by that
patient expectation, He shows us His readiness to forgive (cf. Homily, 8
January 2016).<br />
Lent is a favourable season for deepening our spiritual life through
the means of sanctification offered us by the Church: fasting, prayer
and almsgiving. At the basis of everything is the word of God, which
during this season we are invited to hear and ponder more deeply. I
would now like to consider the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (cf.
Lk 16:19-31). Let us find inspiration in this meaningful story, for it
provides a key to understanding what we need to do in order to attain
true happiness and eternal life. It exhorts us to sincere conversion.<br />
1. The other person is a gift<br />
The parable begins by presenting its two main characters. The poor
man is described in greater detail: he is wretched and lacks the
strength even to stand. Lying before the door of the rich man, he fed on
the crumbs falling from his table. His body is full of sores and dogs
come to lick his wounds (cf. vv. 20-21). The picture is one of great
misery; it portrays a man disgraced and pitiful.<br />
The scene is even more dramatic if we consider that the poor man is
called Lazarus: a name full of promise, which literally means “God
helps”. This character is not anonymous. His features are clearly
delineated and he appears as an individual with his own story. While
practically invisible to the rich man, we see and know him as someone
familiar. He becomes a face, and as such, a gift, a priceless treasure, a
human being whom God loves and cares for, despite his concrete
condition as an outcast (cf. Homily, 8 January 2016).<br />
Lazarus teaches us that other persons are a gift. A right
relationship with people consists in gratefully recognising their value.
Even the poor person at the door of the rich is not a nuisance, but a
summons to conversion and to change. The parable first invites us to
open the doors of our heart to others because each person is a gift,
whether it be our neighbour or an anonymous pauper. Lent is a favourable
season for opening the doors to all those in need and recognising in
them the face of Christ. Each of us meets people like this every day.
Each life that we encounter is a gift deserving acceptance, respect and
love. The word of God helps us to open our eyes to welcome and love
life, especially when it is weak and vulnerable. But in order to do
this, we have to take seriously what the Gospel tells us about the rich
man.<br />
2. Sin blinds us<br />
The parable is unsparing in its description of the contradictions
associated with the rich man (cf. v. 19). Unlike poor Lazarus, he does
not have a name; he is simply called “a rich man”. His opulence was seen
in his extravagant and expensive robes. Purple cloth was even more
precious than silver and gold, and was thus reserved to divinities (cf.
Jer 10:9) and kings (cf. Jg 8:26), while fine linen gave one an almost
sacred character. The man was clearly ostentatious about his wealth, and
in the habit of displaying it daily: “He feasted sumptuously every day”
(v. 19). In him we can catch a dramatic glimpse of the corruption of
sin, which progresses in three successive stages: love of money, vanity
and pride (cf. Homily, 20 September 2013).<br />
The Apostle Paul tells us that “the love of money is the root of all
evils” (1 Tim 6:10). It is the main cause of corruption and a source of
envy, strife and suspicion. Money can come to dominate us, even to the
point of becoming a tyrannical idol (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 55). Instead
of being an instrument at our service for doing good and showing
solidarity towards others, money can chain us and the entire world to a
selfish logic that leaves no room for love and hinders peace.<br />
The parable then shows that the rich man’s greed makes him vain. His
personality finds expression in appearances, in showing others what he
can do. But his appearance masks an interior emptiness. His life is a
prisoner to outward appearances, to the most superficial and fleeting
aspects of existence (cf. ibid., 62).<br />
The lowest rung of this moral degradation is pride. The rich man
dresses like a king and acts like a god, forgetting that he is merely
mortal. For those corrupted by love of riches, nothing exists beyond
their own ego. Those around them do not come into their line of sight.
The result of attachment to money is a sort of blindness. The rich man
does not see the poor man who is starving, hurting, lying at his door.<br />
Looking at this character, we can understand why the Gospel so
bluntly condemns the love of money: “No one can be the slave of two
masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or be
attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave
both of God and of money” (Mt 6:24).<br />
3. The Word is a gift<br />
The Gospel of the rich man and Lazarus helps us to make a good
preparation for the approach of Easter. The liturgy of Ash Wednesday
invites us to an experience quite similar to that of the rich man. When
the priest imposes the ashes on our heads, he repeats the words:
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. As it turned
out, the rich man and the poor man both died, and the greater part of
the parable takes place in the afterlife. The two characters suddenly
discover that “we brought nothing into the world, and we can take
nothing out of it” (1 Tim 6:7).<br />
We too see what happens in the afterlife. There the rich man speaks
at length with Abraham, whom he calls “father” (Lk 16:24.27), as a sign
that he belongs to God’s people. This detail makes his life appear all
the more contradictory, for until this moment there had been no mention
of his relation to God. In fact, there was no place for God in his life.
His only god was himself.<br />
The rich man recognizes Lazarus only amid the torments of the
afterlife. He wants the poor man to alleviate his suffering with a drop
of water. What he asks of Lazarus is similar to what he could have done
but never did. Abraham tells him: “During your life you had your fill of
good things, just as Lazarus had his fill of bad. Now he is being
comforted here while you are in agony” (v. 25). In the afterlife, a kind
of fairness is restored and life’s evils are balanced by good.<br />
The parable goes on to offer a message for all Christians. The rich
man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, who are still
alive. But Abraham answers: “They have Moses and the prophets, let them
listen to them” (v. 29). Countering the rich man’s objections, he adds:
“If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will
not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead” (v. 31).<br />
The rich man’s real problem thus comes to the fore. At the root of
all his ills was the failure to heed God’s word. As a result, he no
longer loved God and grew to despise his neighbor. The word of God is
alive and powerful, capable of converting hearts and leading them back
to God. When we close our heart to the gift of God’s word, we end up
closing our heart to the gift of our brothers and sisters.<br />
Dear friends, Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter
with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments and in our neighbor.
The Lord, who overcame the deceptions of the Tempter during the forty
days in the desert, shows us the path we must take. May the Holy Spirit
lead us on a true journey of conversion, so that we can rediscover the
gift of God’s word, be purified of the sin that blinds us, and serve
Christ present in our brothers and sisters in need. I encourage all the
faithful to express this spiritual renewal also by sharing in the Lenten
Campaigns promoted by many Church organizations in different parts of
the world, and thus to favor the culture of encounter in our one human
family. Let us pray for one another so that, by sharing in the victory
of Christ, we may open our doors to the weak and poor. Then we will be
able to experience and share to the full the joy of Easter.<br />
From the Vatican, 18 October 2016,<br />
Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist<br />
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VIS - Holy See Press Officehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864309219040519020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-35417838589032609062016-02-29T15:24:00.004+01:002016-02-29T15:24:13.597+01:00Meeting with Patriarch of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church: A New Time of Fraternal Friendship
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Vatican City, 29 February 2016 (VIS) –
This morning, Pope Francis welcomed His Holiness Abune Mathias,
Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. During the
meeting the Bishop of Rome emphasized that the patriarch's visit
strengthens the fraternal bonds that already unite both churches. He
mentioned as milestones of the common path towards unity His Holiness
Abune Paulos' encounters with St. John Paul II in 1993 and with
Benedict XVI in 2009, who invited him to participate in the Synod of
Bishops for Africa as was common practice in the early Church for
representatives to be sent to the synods of other Churches. Likewise,
a delegation from the Holy See was present at the 2012 funeral of
Patriarch Abune Paulos.</div>
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Moreover, as Francis explained, since
2004 the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches have
deepened their communion through theological dialogue in the
International Joint Commission, which over the years has analysed the
fundamental concept of the Churches' communion understood as
participation in the communion between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Many things have been found in common: one faith, one baptism, one
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and many elements of the monastic
traditions and the liturgy. "What unites us," the Pope
said, "is greater than what divides us."</div>
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He continued, "We truly feel that
the words of the Apostle Paul apply to us: 'If one member suffers,
all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice
together.' Shared sufferings have enabled Christians, otherwise
divided in so many ways, to grow closer to one another. Just as in
the early Church the shedding of the blood of martyrs became the seed
of new Christians, so today the blood of the many martyrs of all the
Churches has become the seed of Christian unity. The martyrs and
saints of all the ecclesial traditions are already one in Christ.
Their names are inscribed in the one martyrologium of the Church of
God. The ecumenism of the martyrs is a summons to us, here and now,
to advance on the path to ever greater unity."</div>
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The Pope recalled that the Orthodox
Tewahedo Church has been, from the beginning, a Church of martyrs and
that still today "you are witnessing a devastating outbreak of
violence against Christians and other minorities in the Middle East
and in some parts of Africa. We cannot fail, yet again, to implore
those who govern the world’s political and economic life to promote
a peaceful coexistence based on reciprocal respect and
reconciliation, mutual forgiveness and solidarity." He also
acknowledged the great strides being made in Ethiopia "to
improve the living conditions of its people and to build an ever more
just society, based on the rule of law and respect for the role of
women". In particular, he noted the problem of access to water,
with its grave social and economic repercussions. "There is
great room for cooperation between the Churches in the service of the
common good and the protection of creation," he stated, certain
of "the readiness of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia to work
together with the Orthodox Tewahedo Church".</div>
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"it is my fervent hope that this
meeting will mark a new chapter of fraternal friendship between our
Churches. We are conscious that history has left us with a burden of
painful misunderstandings and mistrust, and for this we seek God’s
pardon and healing. Let us pray for one another," the pontiff
concluded, "invoking the protection of the martyrs and saints
upon all the faithful entrusted to our pastoral care. May the Holy
Spirit continue to enlighten us and guide our steps towards harmony
and peace. May he nourish in us the hope that one day, with God’s
help, we will be united around the altar of Christ’s sacrifice in
the fullness of Eucharistic communion."
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-32443533118252813682016-02-29T15:23:00.007+01:002016-02-29T15:23:27.137+01:00Pope praises work of Rome-St. Peter's Carabinieri squad
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Vatican City, 29 February 2016 (VIS) –
One hundred and fifty members of the Rome-St. Peter's Carabinieri
Squad who work with the competent bodies of the Holy See to regulate
events in and around St. Peter's Square throughout the year were
received by Pope Francis in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican this
morning. The pontiff thanked them for their work in service of
pilgrims and tourists, noting that it is work that "requires
professionalism and a sense of responsibility as well as attention to
people---many of whom are elderly---continuous patience and
availability to all. These are not easy qualities, which is why it is
important to rely on God's help."</div>
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"The Holy Year of Mercy," he
continued, "opens the possibility of renewal to all of us,
beginning with inner purification, which is reflected in how we act
and in how we carry out our daily activities. This spiritual
dimension of the Jubilee compels each of us to question our actual
commitment in responding to the demands of faithfulness to the Gospel
to which the Lord calls us from our state in life. The Jubilee thus
becomes a propitious occasion for personal and community
verification. The 'paradigm' to test ourselves against are works of
mercy, both corporal and spiritual. The Lord reminds us: 'Whatever
you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
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"May this teaching of Jesus also
guide you, who are responsible for the protection of public order,
and help you to foster solidarity in every circumstance, especially
towards the weak and defenceless. To be guardians of the right to
life through the commitment to safety and the safety of persons. In
carrying out this mission, may we always be aware that every person
is loved by God and is his creature deserving of welcome and respect.
May the grace of the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy," the Pope
concluded his brief address, "renew the spirit which you
dedicate to your profession, bringing you to live it with extra
attention, devotion, and generosity.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-71196897521920764422016-02-29T15:23:00.002+01:002016-02-29T15:23:03.767+01:00Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions for March
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Vatican City, 29 February 2016 (VIS) -
The Holy Father's universal prayer intention for February is: “That
families in need may receive the necessary support and that children
may grow up in healthy and peaceful environments”.</div>
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His intention for evangelisation is:
“That those Christians who, on account of their faith, are
discriminated against or are being persecuted, may remain strong and
faithful to the Gospel, thanks to the incessant prayer of the
Church".</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-55257699951987205202016-02-29T15:22:00.006+01:002016-02-29T15:22:38.912+01:00Holy Father's calendar for March and April
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Vatican City, 29 February 2016 (VIS) –
The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff has
published the following calendar of liturgical celebrations at which
the Holy Father will preside in the months of March and April 2016:
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MARCH</div>
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Friday 4: At 5 p.m. in the Vatican
Basilica, penitential celebration.</div>
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Sunday 6: Fourth Sunday of Lent. In
Ariccia, beginning of the spiritual exercises for the Roman Curia.</div>
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Friday 11: Conclusion of the spiritual
exercises for the Roman Curia.</div>
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Tuesday 15: At 10 a.m. in the
Consistory Hall, consistory for causes of canonisation.</div>
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Sunday 20: Palm Sunday and the Passion
of the Lord. At 9.30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square, blessing of the
palms, procession and Holy Mass.</div>
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Thursday 24: Holy Thursday. At 9.30
a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, Chrism Mass.</div>
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Friday 25: Good Friday. At 5 p.m. in
the Vatican Basilica, celebration of the Passion of the Lord.</div>
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At 9.15 p.m. at the Colosseum, Rome:
Via Crucis (Way of the Cross).</div>
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Saturday 26: Holy Saturday. At 8.30
p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, Easter vigil</div>
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APRIL</div>
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Saturday 2: At 6 p.m. in St. Peter's
Square, prayer vigil and Jubilee for adherents to the spirituality of
Divine Mercy.</div>
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Sunday 3: Second Sunday of Easter
(Divine Mercy Sunday). At 10.30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square, Holy Mass
and Jubilee for adherents to the spirituality of Divine Mercy Sunday.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-50441606603776597632016-02-29T15:22:00.001+01:002016-02-29T15:22:09.782+01:00Angelus: never too late to repent, let us begin today!
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Vatican City, 28 February 2016 (VIS) –
"Every day, unfortunately, bad news is reported: murders,
accidents, disasters, … In today's Gospel passage Jesus refers to
two tragic events, which at the time caused quite a stir: the bloody
crackdown by Roman soldiers inside the temple and the collapse of the
tower of Siloam in Jerusalem, which claimed eighteen victims."
These are the words that Pope Francis started with this afternoon
before the Angelus, relating our current lived experience to the
Gospel of the day. "Jesus knows the superstitious mentality of
his listeners," he continued, "and knows that they
interpret those kinds of events wrongly. In fact, they think that, if
those persons died so cruelly, it's a sign that God has punished them
for some grave offence they had committed, as if to say 'They
deserved it.' And the fact that they had been spared from the
disaster was equivalent to being 'okay'. They 'deserved it' but I 'am
good'.</div>
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The Pope explained that "Jesus
clearly rejects this view because God does not allow tragedies in
order to punish sins. He affirms that those poor victims were not
worse than others. Rather, he invites us to draw a warning from such
painful events, a warning for all because we are all sinners. He said
to those who are asking him: 'If you do not repent, you will all
perish as they did!' Even today, in the face of certain misfortunes
and tragic events, we might feel the temptation to 'dump' the
responsibility onto the victims or even onto God himself. But the
Gospel invites us to reflect: what is our idea of God? Are we
convinced that God is this way or is it not just our own projection,
a god made 'in our image and likeness'? In contrast, Jesus calls us
to a change of heart, to make a radical change in our life's path,
abandoning the pacts with evil – and we all do this, make pacts
with evil, hypocrisy, I believe that we all have at least one piece
of hypocrisy – to decisively take the Gospel path".</div>
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"But here again is the temptation
to justify ourselves: 'What should we convert from? Aren't we all
basically good people?' How many times have we thought that: 'All in
all, I'm a pretty good person?' – haven't we? – 'Aren't we
believers, who even practice enough?' And we think, therefore, that
we are justified". The Pope stressed that we justify ourselves
as believers and even practising ones. Unfortunately, each of us
looks a lot like a tree that, for years, has given much evidence of
sterility. But luckily for us, Jesus is like the peasant farmer who,
with limitless patience, still gives another deferment to the barren
fig tree. 'Leave it for this year,' he says to the master. 'It may
bear fruit in the future'".</div>
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"A 'year' of grace", he
continued, "the time of Christ's ministry, the time of the
Church before his glorious return, the time of our life punctuated by
a number of Lents, which are offered to us as opportunities for
repentance and salvation, the time of a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Jesus'
invincible patience. Have you thought on God's patience? Have you
thought about his unyielding concern for sinners as they should
provoke impatience in how we see ourselves! It is never to late for
us to convert, never! God's patience waits for us up till the last
minute. Remember the the story of St. Therese of the Child Jesus when
she prayed for the man condemned to death, a criminal, who did not
want to receive the comfort of the Church. He declined a priest's
visit, didn't want it. He wanted to die that way. And she prayed, in
the convent. And exactly at the moment of his execution he turned to
the priest, took the crucifix and kissed it. God's patience! He does
the same with us, with all of us! How many times – we don't know.
We will know in Heaven – how many times we are there [about to
fall] and the Lord saves us. He saves us because he has great
patience with us. And this is his mercy. It is never too late to
repent but it is urgent, the time is now. Let us begin today".</div>
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Before finishing, Pope Francis called
upon the Virgin Mary "to sustain us so that we may open our
hearts to God's grace, to his mercy. And help us to never judge
others but to let daily misfortunes be the opportunity to make a
serious examination of conscience and repent".</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-56098653951320103252016-02-29T15:21:00.007+01:002016-02-29T15:21:41.569+01:00Tragedy of refugees in Pope's prayers
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Vatican City, 28 February 2016 (VIS) –
Greeting the faithful after the Marian prayer, the Holy Father again
noted the tragedy of those fleeing wars, emphasising that countries
like Greece "on the front lines are giving generous aid, which
requires the cooperation of all nations. A unified response can be
effective and distribute the weight evenly. This is why we need to
focus firmly and unreservedly on negotiations".</div>
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"At the same time." he added,
"I have hopefully welcomed the news about the cessation of
hostilities in Syria and I invite all to pray so that this window of
opportunity can give relief to those suffering , encouraging the
necessary humanitarian aid and opening the way to dialogue and a much
desired peace".</div>
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Pope Francis also expressed his
nearness to the people of Fiji, hard hit by a devastating cyclone. "I
pray for the victims and for those who are committed to relief
operations". Before leaving, the pontiff recalled that today
marks "Rare Disease Day" and directed his special prayers
and encouragement to all associations that offer help in this area.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-52489947969617451572016-02-29T15:21:00.003+01:002016-02-29T15:21:20.756+01:00Pope Francis receives president of the Argentine Republic
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Vatican City, 27 February 2016 (VIS) -
This morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis received
in audience Mauricio Macri, president of the Argentine Republic, who
subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin,
accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for
Relations with States.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
During the cordial discussions, which
demonstrated the good bilateral relations between the Holy See and
the Argentine Republic, themes of common interest were considered,
such as assistance for integral development, respect for human
rights, the fight against poverty and drug trafficking, justice,
peace and social reconciliation. In this context, the positive
contribution of the episcopate and Catholic institutions in Argentine
society was reiterated, especially in the fields of human promotion
and the formation of the new generations, and particularly in the
current economic climate.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Finally, reference was made to various
issues of broader significance and interest at regional and global
levels.</div>
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<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-86931903878358449352016-02-29T15:20:00.006+01:002016-02-29T15:20:55.106+01:00Pope to businesspeople: seek a new humanism of work
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Vatican City, 27 February 2016 (VIS) –
This morning in the Paul VI Hall Pope Francis received in audience
seven thousand Italian members of Confindustria (the General
Confederation of Italian Industry). It was the first encounter in the
Vatican in the history of the association, and took place within the
context of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. The Holy Father observed that
with this meeting, the men and women of Italian business confirm
their commitment to contributing to a more just society, to
reflecting together on the ethics of business, and to strengthening
their attention to values, the "spinal column" of projects
that offer a concrete alternative to the consumerist model of profit
at any cost.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
The theme "working together"
inspires collaboration, sharing and preparing the way for relations
regulated by a sense of joint responsibility. "In the complex
world of business, working together means investing in projects able
to involve those who are often forgotten or neglected, especially
families. … And, alongside them, we cannot forget the weakest and
most marginalised categories, such as the elderly, who may still have
the resources and energy for active collaboration, but are too often
discarded as useless and unproductive. Then there are potential
workers, especially the young who, imprisoned by uncertainty or long
periods of unemployment, do not receive offers of work providing them
with not only an honest salary but also the dignity that they are
often deprived of".</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
Working together means "basing
work not on the solitary genius of an individual, but on the
collaboration of many. It means, in other words, building a network
to bring to the fore the gifts of all, without however neglecting the
unique qualities of each person. At the centre of every business,
therefore, is the person: not abstract, ideal or theoretical, but a
real person with dreams, needs, hopes and hardships. … Faced with
the many barriers of injustice, solitude, distrust and suspicion that
continue to be built in our times, the world of work, in which you
are on the front line, is required to take courageous steps so that
encountering each other and working together is not merely a slogan,
but rather a plan for the present and the future".</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
The Holy Father reminded those present
of their "noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and
improving our world", for which they are called to be builders
of the common good and promoters of a "new humanism of work".</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
"You are called to safeguard
professionalism, and at the same time to pay attention to the
conditions in which work is carried out", he said. "May you
always be guided by justice, which refuses the shortcuts of
favouritism, and the dangerous deviations of dishonesty and easy
compromise. May the supreme law always be attention to the dignity of
others, an absolute and indispensable value. May this aim of altruism
always distinguish your work: it will lead you to refuse
categorically the infringement of the dignity of the person in the
name of productive demands, which mask individualistic
short-sightedness, sad selfishness and thirst for profit".</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
The Pope concluded by urging the
members of Confindustria to represent, instead, a business open to
the "broader meaning of life", allowing them "truly to
serve the common good, by striving to increase the goods of this
world and to make them more accessible to all", so that it is
"not insensitive to the gaze of those in need. This is truly
possible, provided that the simple proclamation of economic freedom
does not prevail over the real freedom of man and his rights, that
the market is not absolute, but rather honours the needs of justice
and, in the final analysis, of the dignity of the person. There is no
freedom without justice and no justice without respect for the
dignity of every person".</div>
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</div>
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<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-79418035057277403872016-02-29T15:20:00.001+01:002016-02-29T15:20:22.746+01:00Friday of Mercy: Pope pays surprise visit to San Carlo drug rehabilitation community
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Vatican City, 27 February 2016 (VIS) –
Yesterday afternoon the Pope paid a surprise visit to the San Carlo
rehabilitation centre, near Castel Gandolfo, which belongs to the
Italian Solidarity Centre, founded by Fr. Mario Picchi to prevent and
combat exclusion, especially of those affected by drug abuse. The
visit forms part of the Holy Father's "Friday of mercy"
programme, in which he performs one of the corporal or spiritual
works of mercy every Friday throughout the Jubilee Year of Mercy.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
The San Carlo Community houses 55
people, mostly young, following a rehabilitation programme to free
themselves from drug dependency. Francis' visit was unannounced and
was a great surprise to all present. He spoke to the guests and
staff, listened to their stories and expressed his closeness, urging
them not to let themselves be devoured by the "metastasis"
of drugs. He embraced them and explained that the path they have
undertaken in the centre will offer them a real possibility of
starting a new life worthy of a human being. Francis emphasised the
need always to trust in the strength of mercy that continues to
sustain our pilgrimage and, accompanying us even in our darkest
hours, lets us feel the warmth of His presence and clothes man in
dignity.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president
of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation, linked
this "Friday of Mercy" to the Pope's recent trip to Mexico,
characterised by his strong and unequivocal condemnation of drug
trafficking. "It worries me greatly that, seduced by the empty
power of the world, they exalt chimeras and don their macabre symbols
to trade in death. … I implore you not to underestimate the ethical
and anti-civic challenge that drug trafficking represents for young
people and for society as a whole, including the Church", said
Francis during the trip.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Just a few days after his return to
Rome, added Archbishop Fisichella, the Pope has given a visible and
concrete sign of the affirmation he made in the Cathedral of Mexico
City regarding the need for pastors of the Church not to seek refuge
in generic condemnations, but rather to reach out to the human and
existential peripheries of the cities and to involve families,
schools, institutions, the political community and the forces of
order in a serious pastoral project aiming at the prevention of a
phenomenon that destroys many lives.</div>
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<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-30351601489168656622016-02-29T15:19:00.003+01:002016-02-29T15:19:43.980+01:00IX World Day of Rare Diseases: Message of Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care
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<br /></div>
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Vatican City, 29 February 2016 (VIS) –
Today marks the IX World Day of Rare Diseases. On the occasion,
Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for
Health Care Workers (for Health Pastoral Care) wrote a message
entitled "The Patient's Voice at the Centre. Join Us in Making
the Voice of Rare Diseases Heard". It emphasises how, for years,
this dicastery has closely followed the various initiatives for those
affected by such diseases, as well as focusing on their families, who
are sometimes the only ones who give voice to a problem that should
not be ignored by the various civil, scientific, and pastoral
agencies.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
"This global initiative", the
prelate explained, "which aims to give proper emphasis to these
diseases and to increase knowledge, also finds growing interest in
the Church, so that those who, although suffering from diseases whose
incidence is minimal or rare numerically, are not abandoned or
isolated. They certainly cannot leave us indifferent. Indeed, their
condition, as the theme chosen for this 9th day indicates, cannot but
find echo in our hearts and in appropriate research and care".</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
"In particular", he
specified, "this means making these persons more and more the
protagonists, equipped with the necessary reference points and, at
the same time, raising the awareness of the competent authorities,
health professionals, pharmaceutical industry, and anyone who has a
sincere interest in rare diseases. All in order to break the curtain
of silence or exclusivity that is likely, in many cases, to hide a
problem that, however, concerns the whole of society".</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
"The Church also feels involved in
this commitment, constantly spurred by Pope Francis to grow and walk
in solidarity. … By means of this dicastery, the Church, as the
voice that can from many places have the leverage to achieve the
common good and justice in the social and health care field, intends
to bring the attention of its pastoral outreach in the area of rare
and neglected diseases – defined as diseases that particularly call
for solidarity – to this area and to the various scientific
research institutions".</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
"This ecclesial attention will
have a specific expression at the next international conference
organized by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, which
will take place at the Vatican from 10 to 12 November, 2016. This
initiative, almost at the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of
Mercy, will be a further occasion for highlighting the work of
corporal mercy that is assistance to the sick. It will be a sign of
solidarity with persons affected by rare diseases as well as with the
poor and vulnerable populations marked by neglected diseases, who
usually live in the most remote rural areas of the world".</div>
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<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-63548086758006341262016-02-29T15:18:00.009+01:002016-02-29T15:18:58.208+01:00Audiences
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<br /></div>
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Vatican City, 29 February 2016 (VIS) –
Today the Holy Father met separately with:</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
- three prelates from the Puerto Rican
Episcopal Conference: Archbishop Roberto Octavio Gonzalez Nieves,
O.F.M., of San Juan de Puerto Rico, president, accompanied by Bishop
Alvaro Corrada del Rio, S.J., of Tyler, vice president, and by Bishop
Eusebio Ramos Morales of Fajardo-Humacao, secretary general.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
- Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick,
archbishop emeritus of Washington, USA,</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
- Bishop Paul Tighe, adjunct secretary
of the Pontifical Council for Culture with members of his family, and</div>
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<br />
</div>
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- Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the
Secretariat for the Economy.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
On Saturday 27 February the Holy Father
received in audience:</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the
Congregation of Bishops, and</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
- Bishop Carlos Jose Tissera of
Quilmes, Argentina.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-75368493635532865532016-02-29T15:18:00.005+01:002016-02-29T15:18:25.865+01:00Other Pontifical Acts
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Vatican City, 27 February 2016 (VIS) –
Today, the Holy Father appointed:</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
- Cardinal Francesco Monterisi,
archpriest emeritus of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul
Outside-the-Walls, as his special envoy to the concluding celebration
of the Innocentian Year, commemorating the fourth centenary of the
birth of Pope Innocent XII, to be held in Spinazzola, Italy on 13
March.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
- Msgr. Maurizio Bravi, nunciature
counsellor, as Holy See Permanent Observer at the World Tourism
Organisation.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-23056458688706755382016-02-29T15:18:00.001+01:002016-02-29T15:18:03.496+01:00Notice to VIS subscribers
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
Vatican City, 29 February 2016 (VIS) –
From tomorrow, Tuesday 1 March 2016, the Vatican Information Service
newsletter will not be transmitted. Below is the link via which the
web page including a synthesis in English of the official Holy See
Press Office Bulletin may be consulted.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
http://press.vatican.va/salastampa/en/bollettino.html</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-64180934934847237092016-02-26T14:36:00.001+01:002016-02-26T14:36:01.519+01:00Benedict XVI's first encyclical, "Deus caritas est", remains timely
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
Vatican City, 26 February 2016 (VIS)
"The message of the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est remains timely,
indicating the ever relevant prospect for the Church’s journey. The
more we live in this spirit, the more authentic we all are as
Christians", said Pope Francis this morning as he received in
audience in the Clementine Hall the participants in the two-day
international congress "Love will never end: Prospects ten years
on from the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est", organised by the
Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", which analysed the
theological and pastoral repercussions and prospects opened by Pope
Benedict XVI's first encyclical.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
The text, said Francis, "concerns
a theme that allows us to retrace the entire history of the Church,
which is also a history of charity. It is a story of the love
received from God, to be carried to the world: this charity received
and given is the fulcrum of the history of the Church and of the
history of each one of us. ... Both for individual members of the
faithful and for the Christian community as a whole, the words of
Jesus hold true: that charity is the first and greatest of the
commandments: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your
strength… You shall love your neighbour as yourself'".</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
The present Jubilee Year, continued the
Holy Father, "is also an opportunity to return to this beating
heart of our life and our witness, to the centre of the proclamation
of faith: 'God is love'. God does not simply have the desire or
capacity to love; God is love: charity is His essence, it is His
nature. He is unique, but not solitary; ... He cannot be closed in on
Himself because He is communion, He is charity; and charity by its
nature is communicated and shared. In this way, God associates man to
His life of love, and even if man turns away from Him, God does not
remain distant but goes out to meet him. This going out to meet us,
culminating in the Incarnation of His Son, is His mercy. It is His
way of expressing Himself to us sinners, His face that looks at us
and cares for us. The encyclical reads: 'Jesus’ programme is a
heart which sees. This heart sees where love is needed and acts
accordingly'. Charity and mercy are in this way closely related,
because they are God’s way of being and acting: His identity and
His name".</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
The first aspect which the Encyclical
recalls for us is the face of God: "who is the God we can
encounter in Christ? How faithful and unsurpassable is His love? …
All our expressions of love, of solidarity, of sharing are but a
reflection of that love which is God. He, without ever tiring, pours
out His love on us, and we are called to become witnesses to this
love in the world. Therefore, we should look to divine charity as to
the compass which orients our lives, before embarking on any
activity: there we find direction; from charity we learn how to see
our brothers and sisters and the world".</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
Pope Francis also referred to a second
aspect of the Encyclical – the need for charity to be increasingly
reflected in the life of the Church. "How I wish that everyone
in the Church, every institution, every activity would show that God
loves man!", he exclaimed. "The mission that our charitable
organisations carry out is important, because they provide so many
poor people with a more dignified and human life, which is needed
more than ever. But this mission is of utmost importance because, not
with words, but with concrete love it can make every person feel
loved by the Father, loved as His son or daughter and destined for
eternal life with Him".</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
"I would like to thank all those
who daily are committing themselves to this mission which challenges
every Christian", he concluded. "In this Jubilee Year, my
intention has been to emphasise that we can all experience the grace
of the Jubilee by putting into practice the spiritual and corporal
works of mercy: to live the works of mercy means to conjugate the
verb 'to love' according to Jesus. In this way then, all of us
together can contribute concretely to the great mission of the
Church: to communicate the love of God which is meant to be spread".</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-13466479105265643442016-02-26T14:35:00.002+01:002016-02-26T14:35:39.439+01:00Audiences
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
Vatican City, 26 February 2016 (VIS) –
This morning the Holy Father received in audience:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
- Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, apostolic
nuncio in Korea and Mongolia, with family members;</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
- Bodo Ramelow, minister-president of
Thuringia, Germany, with his wife and entourage;</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
- Archbishop Aldo Giordano, apostolic
nuncio in Venezuela;</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
- Archbishop Jean-Abdo Arbach of Homs
of the Greek-Melkites, Syria.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-72043498836581021522016-02-25T15:21:00.000+01:002016-02-25T15:21:00.828+01:00"Love before the world": the Pope answers questions from children
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
Vatican City, 25 February 2016 (VIS) –
"L'amore prima del mondo" ("Love before the world")
is the title of a book published by Rizzoli, in the form of 31
letters and drawings sent to the Holy Father by children from various
Jesuit institutions from all five continents, asking for advice and
explanations, and Francis' replies.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
The title is drawn from the Pope's
answer to the question, "What did God do before the world was
made?". The eighty pages of the volume consist of a dialogue
between Francis and the Jesuit Fr. Antonio Spadaro, director of La
Civilta Cattolica, who took the children's letters and drawings the
Domus Sanctae Marthae last summer and to ask for a response. The Pope
accepted the proposal and the resulting book has been released in
Italian bookshops today. It will shortly be available in other
languages.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
Francis answers questions on a wide
variety of issues, such as how Jesus managed to walk on water: "God
doesn't sink", and why He created us if He knew we were going to
sin against Him: Because God created us like Him. Free. And being
free includes the possibility of sinning. … Freedom can be
frightening because it cannot be planned. But it is beautiful and it
is the greatest gift". In response to questions from the
youngest children regarding the devil and guardian angels, the Pope
recalls the importance of liturgy of prayer, or evokes the fantastic
imagination of the young: "God defeated the devil on the cross.
The devil is like the big scary dragons who are defeated and killed.
They have a very long tail which, even if they are beaten and killed,
continues to move".</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
There are also questions regarding war
and atrocities; for instance, a child from Nigeria asks how these
conflicts could be resolved. "It is necessary to encourage
people of good will to speak against war. I cannot solve the
conflicts in the world, but you and I can try to make this a better
world. We need to convince everyone that the best way to win a war is
not to enter into one. It is not easy, I know. But I try. You can try
too".</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
A child from China wants to know why
the Pope likes football. "I have never learned well the
techniques of the game", admits Francis. "I don't have
agile feet. But I like to see the team on the field because it is a
game of solidarity". In response to a boy from the United
Kingdom asks, "What was your hardest choice in your mission for
faith?", the Holy Father replies, "There are many hard
choices, but I have to say that the type of decision that is most
difficult for me is to remove someone from a responsible job or a
position of trust, or a path they are following, for reasons of
unsuitability".</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-34648029749830464172016-02-25T15:20:00.005+01:002016-02-25T15:20:35.533+01:00Francis to meet the Patriarch of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church of Ethiopia
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Vatican City, 25 February 2016 (VIS) –
On Monday, 29 February, the Holy Father Francis will meet with His
Holiness Abuna Mathias, Patriarch of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church of
Ethiopia, who will be present in Rome from Friday 26 to Monday 29.
During his stay the Patriarch will visit the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity and the tomb of the apostle Peter, and will
celebrate Holy Mass with the Ethiopian community of Rome on Sunday 28
February in the chapel of the Urbanian College.</div>
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The Orthodox Tewahedo Church of
Ethiopia currently consists of 35 million faithful, and a large
community exists in Rome. It enjoys cordial and increasingly close
relations with the Catholic Church, especially following the first
visit in 1993 of the then-Patriarch Abuna Paulos to Pope John Paul
II.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-10144861628635209002016-02-25T15:20:00.001+01:002016-02-25T15:20:12.493+01:00Religious and migrations: perspectives, response and challenges
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Vatican City, 25 February 2016 (VIS) –
The international conference "The religious and migrations in
the 21st century: perspectives, response and challenges",
organised by the representation before the United Nations of the
Passionists International, the Congregation of St. Joseph,
Augustinians International and the Vincentians, yesterday concluded
two days of intense work.</div>
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The aim of the meeting, attended by
around a hundred men and women religious, as well as laypersons and
experts in the sector, was to understand more fully the phenomenon of
migration and its repercussions in today's world, especially in the
context of the current European situation. It also considered the
identification of more effective and shared forms of solidarity. A
strong appeal was launched for intensified network-building among
congregations, associations and other organisations in countries of
origin, transit and destination. The network represents one of the
most efficient ways of using energy, skills and resources, to give
greater impetus to the already extraordinary work that these entities
carry out. In Italy alone, some 23 million people (almost a quarter
of the refugees present in the country) are received by parishes,
religious communities, monasteries and sanctuaries.</div>
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The participants expressed major
concerns regarding the large number of often unaccompanied minors
involved in migratory flows, as well as the many young women,
especially from Nigeria (more than four thousand in 2015) who risk
falling into the trap of exploitation and prostitution.</div>
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Fr. Emela Xris Obiezu, representative
of Augustinians International before the United Nations, emphasised
that "In this complex world, and faced with the challenge of
migration, it is increasingly necessary to think globally and act
locally, also in terms of lobbying and advocacy, to take the voice of
the victims and those who work alongside them to every level of
attention, from local administrations to the United Nations, so as to
influence working decisions, always placing at the centre of
attention the person and respect for his or her freedom and dignity".</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-8919425260497309542016-02-25T15:19:00.008+01:002016-02-25T15:19:50.264+01:00Audiences
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Vatican City, 25 February 2016 (VIS) –
Yesterday the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Mario Aurelio
Poli, archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-88921435924714626432016-02-25T15:19:00.005+01:002016-02-25T15:19:29.905+01:00Notice to VIS subscribers
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Vatican City, 25 February 2016 (VIS) –
From Tuesday 1 March 2016, the Vatican Information Service newsletter
will not be transmitted, but subscribers will instead receive a link
via which they may consult the web page including a synthesis in
English of the official Holy See Press Office Bulletin, the summary
hitherto provided by the Vatican Information Service.</div>
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The newsletter service is expected to
resume within a few weeks.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-80680787745090725002016-02-24T14:53:00.005+01:002016-02-24T14:53:43.884+01:00General audience: mercy and power
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Vatican City, 24 February 2016 (VIS) –
Mercy and power were the theme of Pope Francis' catechesis in this
week's Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square, attended by
more than twenty thousand faithful and pilgrims.</div>
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The Holy Father explained that various
passages of the Bible speak about kings and men of power, and also of
their arrogance and abuses, demonstrating that "wealth and power
can be good and useful for the common good if placed at the service
of the poor and of all, with justice and charity. However if, as
often occurs, if lived as a privilege, with selfishness and
arrogance, they become tools of corruption and death".</div>
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An example of this unjust privilege is
found in the account of the vineyard of Naboth. The king Ahab wishes
to acquire it since it was situated adjacent to the royal palace, but
Naboth refuses since for Israel the land is God's, and receives His
blessing which is handed from generation to generation. Ahab is
indignant at receiving this refusal, which he perceives as an offence
to his power, undermining his authority. His wife, Jezebel, which
also considered royal power to be absolute, decides to eliminate
Naboth and makes false witnesses accuse him before the elders and the
authorities of having blasphemed and spoken ill of the king, crimes
which carried the death penalty. Naboth was executed and the king
inherited his vineyard.</div>
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"Recalling these events, Jesus
tells us: 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over
them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not
be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your
servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave'. If
the dimension of service is lost, power transforms into arrogance and
oppression". The story of Naboth, continued the Pope, "is
not a story of other times; it is also the story of today, of the
powerful who exploit the poor, exploit the people, to have more
money. It is the story of human trafficking, of slave labour, of poor
people who work illegally and with the minimum salary to enrich the
powerful. It is the story of corrupt politicians who want more and
more".</div>
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The episode of Naboth's vineyard
teaches us "where the exercise of authority without respect for
life or justice and without mercy leads us. And here we see where the
thirst for power leads: it becomes avarice, the desire to possess
everything". Francis gave the example of the words of the
prophet Isaiah, "who was not a communist", when he observed
the avidity of the rich landowners who sought to acquire more and
more houses and land. "Woe to those who join house to house, who
add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to
dwell alone in the midst of the land".</div>
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However, "God is greater than
evil, and the dirty games human beings play, and in His mercy He
sends the prophet Elijah to help Ahab convert. The king, faced with
his sin, is humbled and asks for forgiveness. How good it would be if
today's powerful exploiters were to do likewise!", exclaimed
Francis. "The Lord accepts his penance, but an innocent man was
killed and this inevitably has consequences. Indeed, the evil
committed leaves painful traces, and the history of mankind bears the
scars".</div>
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In this case too, mercy shows the path
to follow as it is able to cure wounds and change history. "Divine
mercy is stronger than the sin of men. It is stronger, this is the
example of Ahab! We know its power, when we remember the coming of
the Innocent Son of God Who made Himself man to destroy evil with His
forgiveness. Jesus Christ is the true king, but His power is
completely different. His throne is the cross. He is not a king who
kills, but on the contrary gives His life. His approach to all,
especially the weakest, defeats solitude and the destiny of death
that sin leads to. Jesus Christ, with His closeness and tenderness,
leads sinners into the space of grace and forgiveness. And this is
God's mercy".</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-62764568872430758342016-02-24T14:53:00.002+01:002016-02-24T14:53:11.607+01:00Audiences
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Vatican City, 24 February 2016 (VIS) –
Yesterday afternoon the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal
Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munchen und Freising, Germany,
coordinator of the Council for the Economy.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-9614622686781719582016-02-24T14:52:00.003+01:002016-02-24T14:52:48.817+01:00Other Pontifical Acts
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Vatican City, 24 February 2016 (VIS) –
The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Zenildo Luiz Pereira da Silva,
C.SS.R., as prelate coadjutor bishop of Borba (area 98,650,
population 157,900, Catholics 127,600, priests 11, religious 15),
Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Linhares, Brazil in 1968, gave
his religious vows in 1997 and was ordained a priest in 2001. He has
served as parish priest and superior of the Redemptorist
vice-province of Amazonia, and is currently parish priest of the
cathedral of "Santana e Sao Sebastiao" in the diocese of
Coari.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657042621577447711.post-25701028694505843532016-02-23T14:46:00.004+01:002016-02-23T14:46:15.959+01:00Heydar Aliyev Foundation funds restoration of catacombs of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter
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Vatican City, 23 February 2016 (VIS) –
This morning Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical
Council for Culture and the Pontifical Commission for Sacred
Archaeology, along with Mehriban Aliyeva, president of the Heydar
Aliyev Foundation (HAF), Azerbaijan, presented the results of the
restoration of the Roman catacombs of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter "ad
duas lauros", entirely funded by the HAF.</div>
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On the basis of an agreement signed in
2012, the Foundation presided over by Aliyev has funded the
restoration of the paintings of the cubicle of Susanna and the
fossor, the niche of Daniel, the arcosolium of Orpheus, the cubicle
of Our Lady with two Magi, and the cubicle of the praying matron. The
most advanced conservation techniques, especially laser-based
cleaning, have enabled the removal of a tenacious black patina that
had provided resistant to all traditional cleaning methods. The last
procedure, recently completed, involved the cubicle of the "praying
matron", in an advanced state of deterioration. The
newly-revealed frescoes consist of a central medallion with the Good
Shepherd surrounded by the Biblical episodes of Jonah, Daniel among
the lions and Noah in the Ark. In the corners there are praying male
figures and birds. On the walls there is a rich decorative pattern
with floral, plant-based and fantasy elements. On the wall of the
entrance there is the notable figure of a praying woman, which
although only just recognisable before restoration, now makes a
strong visual impact. The figure, framed by two slender trees, may
represent the deceased entombed in the cubicle.</div>
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During the presentation, which took
place at the Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal Ravasi and the
president of the HAF announced that their collaboration will continue
and its next objective will be the restoration of the monumental
complex of St. Sebastian Outside-the-Walls on the Via Appia Antica,
currently only partially open to the public. The agreement relates to
an extraordinary collection of sarcophagi, some situation in the
perimeter of the Basilica of St. Sebastian (Museum of Sculptures and
Epigraphic Museum), others "in situ" in their mausoleums.
The Pontifical Commission for Religious Art has proposed to the HAF a
conservation programme for the restoration of around fifteen
sarcophagi. Aliyeva expressed her appreciation of the proposal on
behalf of the Foundation, and a new agreement will be signed for the
financing of the restoration works to render the complex accessible
to the public.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0