POPE'S VIDEO MESSAGE FOR THE INAUGURATION OF THE WORLD CUP: “MAY IT BE A CELEBRATION OF SOLIDARITY BETWEEN PEOPLES”

Vatican City, 12 June 2014 (VIS) – “A celebration of solidarity between peoples” is what Pope Francis hopes of the FIFA World Cup 2014 which opens today in Brazil. In a video message addressed to the organisers, players and spectators and broadcast last night via a national network, the Holy Father recalled that football tournaments are not only a game but also an opportunity for dialogue, comprehension and mutual human enrichment”.

“Sport is not only a form of entertainment, but also – and above all I would say – a tool for communicating values that promote the good of the human person and help to build a more peaceful and fraternal society”, he affirmed. “Let us think of loyalty, perseverance, friendship, sharing, solidarity. In fact, there are many values and attitudes fostered by football that are not only important on the field, but in all aspects of life, especially in building peace. Sport is a school for peace – it teaches us how to build peace”.

In this sense, Francis goes on to highlight three lessons that can be drawn from sports and which represent three essential attitudes for the cause of peace: the need to train, “fair play”, and honour among competitors. “Firstly, sport teaches us that to win, you have to train”, he observed. “We can see in sport a metaphor for our lives. In life, you have to struggle, to 'train', to strive to obtain important results. Sportsmanship thus becomes an image of the sacrifices needed to promote the growth of those virtues that build character. If, for a person to improve, it takes dedicated and continuous 'training', how much effort needs to be invested to achieve encounter and peace between individuals and peoples! It is necessary to train hard”.

He continued, “Football can and should be a school for building a 'culture of encounter'”, making peace and harmony possible among people. And here a second lesson from sport comes to our aid: the 'fair play' football can teach us. To play as a team it is necessary to think first of the good of the group, not of oneself. To win, one must overcome individualism, selfishness, all forms of racism, intolerance and the exploitation of the human person. Being greedy, hoarding everything for ourselves, is an obstacle to the successful outcome of a team not only in football; when we are greedy in life, ignoring the people around us, the whole of society is harmed”.

The final lesson that sport can provide for peace is respect between competitors. “The secret of victory on the field – but also in life – is learning to respect not only my team-mates, but also my opponents. No one wins alone, on the field or in life! No-one should feel isolated or excluded. And be careful! No segregation, no racism! And if it is true that, at the end of this World Cup, only one national team will lift the trophy as winners, learning the lessons that sports teach us all to be victorious, strengthening the bonds that unite us”.

The Holy Father concluded by greeting the president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, and promising to pray for all. “May this World Cup take place with serenity and tranquillity, always with mutual respect, solidarity and brotherhood among men and women who acknowledge each other as members of a single family”.

NEW SAINTS ON 23 NOVEMBER

Vatican City, 12 June 2014 (VIS) – During this morning's ordinary public consistory in the Vatican the Holy Father decreed that on 23 November 2014, festivity of Christ King of the Universe, the following blesseds will be inscribed in the book of saints:

- Blessed Giovanni Antonio Farina, bishop of Vicenza, Italy, and founder of the Institute of the Sisters of Saint Dorothy, Daughters of the Sacred Hearts.

- Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara of the Holy Family, Indian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate.

- Blessed Ludovico de Casoria, Italian professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor, founder of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Elizabeth (“Bigie”).

- Blessed Nicola da Longobardi, Italian professed oblate of the Order of Minims.

- Blessed Eufrasia Eluvathingal of the Sacred Heart, Indian professed religious of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel.

- Blessed Amato Ronconi, Italian layperson of the Third Order of St. Francis, founder of the founder of the Hospital-Hospice for Poor Pilgrims of Saludecio, now the Beato Amato Ronconi Nursing Home.

GENERAL AUDIENCE: THE GIFT THAT CONVERTS US INTO CONVINCED CHRISTIANS

Vatican City, 11 June 2014 (VIS) – “With the gift of the fear of God, which we will talk about today”, said the Pope in this Wednesday's general audience, “we will conclude our series on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean being afraid of God; we are well aware that He is our Father, that He loves us and wishes our Salvation, so there is no need to be afraid of Him! Fear of God, however, is the gift of the Spirit that reminds us of how small we are before God and His love, and that our well-being rests in surrendering ourselves to His hands with humility, respect and trust”.

“When the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts, it infuses us with consolation and peace. … In this moment, we understand well how our awe before God assumes within us the form of docility, recognition and praise, filling our hearts with hope”. Pope Francis commented that when we are unable to grasp God's plan, we realise that we are not able to ensure happiness and eternal life for ourselves. “However, it is precisely in the experience of ours limits and our poverty that the Spirit comforts us and allows us to perceive that the only important thing is to let ourselves be guided by Jesus into the arms of the Father”.

The Pope explained that we need this gift of the Holy Spirit because “it enables us to be aware that everything comes from His grace and that our true strength lies solely in following the Lord Jesus and letting the Father bestow upon us His goodness and His mercy. … The fear of God, therefore, does not make us into timid, submissive Christians, but instead generates courage and strength in us. It is a gift that makes us into convinced and enthusiastic Christians, who do not submit to the Lord out of fear but rather because they are moved and conquered by his love”. Similarly, he noted that this gift is also a warning against sin. “When we set out on the wrong path, when we blaspheme against God, when we take advantage of others, when we act tyrannically, when we live only for money, vanity, power and pride, then the holy fear of God alerts us to this and warns us that in this way we will not be happy and will come to no good. Do you think that a corrupt person will be happy in the other life?”, he asked. “No, all the fruit of his corruption has corrupted his heart and it will be difficult for him to present himself before the Lord”. He referred to those who make a living from human trafficking, slavery, or the production of weapons. With regard to the latter, he said that they are not interested in the Word of God since they “fabricate death, they are merchants of death and make death into a trade”, and expressed his hope that “the fear of God may make them understand that one day everything will come to an end and they will have to account for themselves before God”.

Before concluding, the Pope read part of Psalm 34: “'This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them'. Let us ask the Lord the grace to unite our voice with that of the poor, to welcome the gift of the fear of God and to be able to recognise that we are clothed in mercy and God's love, that He is our Father. May it be so”.

Finally, he invited all those present to pray a Hail Mary to the Virgin for the children exploited for their labour and for victims of abuse.

FRANCIS GREETS THE FAITHFUL: FINANCE NEEDS ETHICS

Vatican City, 11 June 2014 (VIS) – Due to the hot weather in Rome today, Pope Francis chose to greet the sick in the Paul VI Hall before the general audience instead of doing so after his catechesis in St. Peter's Square. “We thought it was better for you to stay here in peace, where it is a little cooler, and not under the baking sun! You can watch the audience on the maxi-screen, you can follow it all without suffering in the sun, as they say that today will be a very hot day. Thank you”:

After his catechesis he mentioned to the Polish pilgrims that today is the day of St. Barnabas, the apostle who along with St. Paul spread the Gospel among the pagans and, full of faith and zeal, gave his life to Christ without reserve, suffering a martyr's death. “Let us learn from him the fear of God and perseverance in faith. With courage, let us proclaim to the world the evangelical message”.

Addressing the Italian faithful, he greeted the participants in the Congress on Ethics and Finance at the Augustinianum, organised by the Pontifical Council for the Family, commenting that, “in effect, finance nowadays needs ethics”. He also addressed the pilgrims of Castel San Giovanni, the home town of Cardinal Agostino Casaroli who was secretary of State between 1979 and 1990. “He was a good man, this Casaroli”, he remarked.

He also greeted the Fiat workers from Pomigliano, in southern Italy, who donated a small blue car identical to the one he used during his visit to Assisi in October 2013. Earlier the workers had said that it filled them with pride to see the Pope using the same car they used themselves to go to work or home.

Finally, he said that during the month of June the liturgy invites us to pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and he urged all to do so, commenting that this devotion teaches the young to love intensely, the sick to be strong and to carry the cross of their suffering with patience, and the newly married to build their family on the foundations of the faithfulness and love of God.

POPE'S APPEAL AGAINST CHILD LABOUR

Vatican City, 11 June 2014 (VIS) – Tomorrow, 12 June, will be World Day Against Child Labour and, at the end of today's general audience, the Pope launched an appeal for the “tens of thousands of children who are forced to work in degrading conditions, exposed to forms of slavery and exploitation, as well as abuse, mistreatment and discrimination”.

“Listen well”, he emphasised: “Tens of thousands of children!” and he expressed his hope that the international community would “extend social protection for minors in order to weaken this scourge. Let us renew our commitment, in particular in families, to guarantee to every boy and girl the protection for his or her dignity and the possibility of healthy growth. A serene childhood enables us to look trustfully upon life and to the future”.