Francis receives the Episcopal Conference of Togo: spread the values of the Christian family

Vatican City, 11 May 2015 (VIS) – Defence of the particular nature of the Christian family, and care in the formation of priests and consecrated persons in a country where religious communities and co-existence with other religions present no problems, were the key themes of the discourse Pope Francis handed to the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Togo, whom he received in audience this morning at the end of their “ad Limina” visit.

In the text, and in view of the upcoming Synod of Bishops, the Pope underlines the need for the positive aspects of African families to be known and understood. “In particular”, he observes, “the African family welcomes life, and respects and takes into consideration the elderly. This heritage must be preserved, and serves as an example and impetus for others. The sacrament of marriage is a pastoral reality that is well accepted in your country, although there still exist barriers of a cultural and legal nature that prevent some couples from realising their wish to base their married life on faith in Christ. I encourage you to persevere in your effort to support families in difficulty … and to prepare couples for the commitments, demanding but magnificent, of Christian marriage. Togo is not immune to ideological and media attacks that come from all sides these days and which present models of unions and families incompatible with Christian faith. I am aware of the vigilance you show in this area, as well as your efforts, especially in the sector of communications”.

“But one of the keys to meeting the challenges presented to your communities and your societies is without doubt the formation of the young”, continues the bishop of Rome. “The Church-Family of God in Togo has chosen to stay close to children and young people who receive a good human and religious formation through numerous projects and initiatives. It is crucial that the young learn to life their faith with coherence, in order to bear witness to it with authenticity and to contribute to a more just and fraternal society. … Men and women religious play an indispensable role in the proclamation and transmission of faith in Togo. … I encourage you always to show paternal care towards the various Institutes. Their numbers are growing rapidly, and their development should be well accompanied; attention should also be paid to the formation of the youngest among them, in particular, to avoid amalgamation at the level of faith and inculturation. … Vocations are numerous in Togo and seminarians receive good formation in the seminaries … which must later help them in their battle against ambition, careerism, jealousy, worldliness, the seduction of money and worldly goods, and in living a sincere and joyful celibacy. I recommend special attention to the spiritual and pastoral care of young priests, and to be open to listening to their experiences”.

The Pope remarks that in recent years Togolese society has made significant progress in the political and social fields, and that “the Catholic Church has made extensive contributions to this, not only through her works of evangelisation and human promotion, but also through her commitment to justice and reconciliation. I thank you warmly for your efforts in this area, especially for your work in the Commission for Truth, Justice and Reconciliation. I encourage you to continue, ensuring that the Church occupies the place due to her in the the process of institutional reforms. ... However, it is always necessary to take care not to enter directly into political debate or disputes , taking care instead to form, encourage and support the laity – whose role this rightly is – so they are able to dedicate themselves to the service of the nation and the highest level and to assume their responsibilities”.

“I am glad that this service to Togolese society is also an opportunity for joint action with other Christian communities, as shown by various joint appeals to the nation. In the same way, in matters of interreligious dialogue, it is always necessary to promote, and perhaps further develop, the culture of dialogue and encounter, given that you enjoy peaceful co-existence especially with Islam, a co-existence that must be maintained considering the current situation in Western Africa. 'Interreligious dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in the world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities'. It is particularly important for young priests to receive a solid education in this matter”, concludes the Holy Father.

The Pope receives the “workers” of the Peace Factory

Vatican City, 10 May 2015 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall Pope Francis received in audience more than seven thousand children and young people, who form part of the “Peace Factory”, an initiative promoted by various institutions, including the Ministry of Education and the Italian Episcopal Conference, to favour multi-ethnic integration and to raise awareness among spiritual, political and educational leaders so that they use the language of peace. The Peace Factory, presented on 5 May at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is a large laboratory that seeks to involve all schools in an educational network that, through art, theatre, new technologies and sport, offers a formation in human values to all boys and girls, starting from elementary school.

Upon arrival in the Hall, the Pope was warmly greeted by the thousands of Factory “workers”, and answered the questions that some of them posed to him, emphasising above all the inseparable relationship between peace and justice. Francis did not pronounce the discourse he had prepared, but we publish several extracts from it here below:

“Thank you for your invitation to work with you in the 'Peace Factory'! It is good workplace as it is about building a society without injustice and violence, where all children and young people may be welcomed and grow in love. There is a great need for peace factories, as unfortunately there is no lack of war factories! … War is the result of hatred, selfishness, the desire to own more and to dominate others. And to combat it you pledge to spread the culture of inclusion, reconciliation and encounter. … It is a good path, that requires courage and strength, so that everyone may understand the need for a change in mentality, to ensure the safety of children on the planet, and especially those who live in areas afflicted by wars and persecution”.

“The term 'factory' tells us that peace is something that has to … be built with wisdom and tenacity. But to build a world of peace, we need to begin with our own world, that is, the environments in which we live every day: the family, school, the playground, the gym, the oratory. … And it is important to work together with the people who live next to us: our friends, schoolmates, parents and educators. We need the help of all in order to build a better future. … The true builder of peace is one who makes the first step towards the other. And this is not weakness, but strength, the strength of peace. How can we put an end to wars in the world, if we are not capable of overcoming our minor misunderstandings and our arguments? Our acts of dialogue, forgiveness and reconciliation are bricks that serve to construct the edifice of peace”.

“Another characteristic of this factory is that it has no borders. One breathes an air of acceptance and encounter without barriers or exclusion. Faced with people from different countries and ethnic groups, who have other traditions and religions, your attitude is that of knowledge and dialogue, for the inclusion of all, with respect for the laws of the State. And you have understood that to construct a world of peace it is indispensable to take an interest in the needs of the poorest, the most suffering and abandoned, even those who are far away. I think of many of your peers who, just for the fact of being Christians, have been driven from their homes, their countries, and some have been killed for holding the Bible in their hands! And in this way the work of your 'factory' truly becomes a work of love. Loving others, especially the most disadvantaged, means showing that every person is a gift of God. Every person”.

“But peace itself is a gift of God, a gift to ask for trustfully in prayer. Therefore it is important not only to be witnesses of peace and love, but also witnesses of prayer. Prayer is speaking to God, our Father in Heaven, to entrust to Him our wishes, our joys, our sorrows. Prayer is asking Him for forgiveness every time we err and commit a sin, in the certainty that He always forgives. His goodness towards us drives us too to be merciful towards our brothers, forgiving them from our heart when they offend us or harm us. And, finally, peace has a face and a heart: it is the face and the heart of Jesus, the Son of God, Who died on the cross and rose again to bring peace to every man and to all humanity. Jesus is 'our peace', as he tore down the wall of hate that separated men from each other”.

The Holy Father receives the president of the Republic of Cuba

Vatican City, 10 May 2015 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father received in private audience the president of the Republic of Cuba, Raul Castro Ruz. The meeting took place in the Pope's study adjacent to Paul VI Hall.

Upon arrival, at 9.30 a.m., the president was received by the Prefect of the Papal Household, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, accompanied by his substitute, Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, and the secretary for Relations with States, Bishop Paul Richard Gallagher. A personal meeting with the Pope then took place in the study, which lasted more than 50 minutes and was very cordial.

The president, as he declared before leaving the Vatican, thanked the Holy Father for his active role in improving relations between Cuba and the United States. He also expressed the sentiments of the Cuban people as they await and prepare for his upcoming visit to the island in September.

The Pope and the president then proceeded to the adjacent room for the presentation of the delegation accompanying Raul Castro, composed of around a dozen figures including the deputy prime minister, the minister for foreign affairs and the ambassador to the Holy See.

The exchange of gifts was very meaningful. The president offered the Pope a valuable commemorative medal of the Cathedral of Havana and a contemporary painting, depicting a large cross made up of wrecked boats, with a migrant in prayer in the foreground. The artist, the Cuban Kcho, was present and explained to the Pope that it was inspired by his great efforts to raise awareness in the world of the problems faced by migrants and refugees, beginning with his famous trip to Lampedusa. The Pope gave the president a copy of his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” and a large medallion depicting St. Martin covering the poor man with his cape. The Holy Father observed that he was particularly keen to give this gift, as it recalled the commitment not only to protecting the poor but also to promoting dignity.

President Raul Castro and his delegation left the Vatican shortly after 10.30 a.m.

Regina Coeli: love is a concrete path

Vatican City, 10 May 2015 (VIS) – During this Sunday's Regina Coeli, before thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope commented on the day's Gospel reading which “takes us back to the Cenacle, where we hear Jesus' new commandment, 'that you love one another as I have loved you'”. He affirmed, “these words, pronounced during the Last Supper, summarise all Jesus' message; or rather, they summarise all He has gone. Jesus gave His life for His friends. Friends who had not understood Him, who had at the crucial moment abandoned, betrayed and denied Him. This shows us that He loves us even though we do not deserve His love: this is how Jesus loves us!”.

“In this way, Jesus shows us the road to follow Him, the path of love. His commandment is not a simple precept, … something abstract and external with regard to life. Christ's commandment is new because He was the first to realise it, He gave flesh to it, and thus the law of love is written once and for all in the heart of man. … It is a concrete path, a road that leads us out of ourselves to reach out to others. Jesus showed us that God's love is implemented in love for our neighbour. They both go together. The pages of the Gospel are full of this love: adults and children, the cultured and the simple, rich and poor, the righteous and sinners all find welcome in Christ's heart”.

“This Word of the Lord calls upon us to love each other, even if we do not always understand each other, even if we do not always agree … but it is precisely there that we see Christian love. A love that is shown even if there are differences of opinion and character: but love is greater than these differences. And this is the love that Jesus has taught us. … This love of Christ, that the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts, works wonders every day in the Church and in the world. There are many large and small gestures that obey the Lord's commandment”.

“Little everyday gestures, gestures of closeness to an elderly person, a child, a sick person, someone who is alone or in difficulty, homeless, jobless, an immigrant, a refugee. … Thanks to the strength of this Word of Christ, every one of us can be close to the brother and the sister he encounters. Gestures of closeness, of proximity. In these gestures, the love that Christ has taught us is made manifest”.

Following the Regina Coeli, the Pope greeted, among others, the Italian State Forestry Corps, which is organising the national day for National Reserves for the rediscovery and respect for the beauty of creation; the participants in the conference, promoted by the Italian Episcopal Conference in support of high-quality schooling open to families; a delegation of women from “Komen Italia”, an association engaged in the fight against breast cancer; and those who have taken part in an initiative for life which took place in Rome this morning.

“And, speaking of life”, he added, “today in many countries we celebrate Mother's Day: let us remember all mothers with gratitude and affection, and let us applaud them, all the mothers who are here in the Square. And with this applause, let us embrace all mothers, all our dear mothers: those who live with us physically, but also those who remain with us spiritually. May the Lord bless them all, and may Our Lady, to whom this month is dedicated, protect them”.

Pope's message to His Holiness Tawadros II: continuing friendship between the Orthodox Coptic Church and the Catholic Church

Vatican City, 11 May 2015 (VIS) – Pope Francis has sent a message to His Holiness Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, to commemorate the second anniversary of their meeting in Rome.

“Today more than ever we are united by the ecumenism of blood, which further encourages us on the path towards peace and reconciliation. I assure you and the Christian community in Egypt and throughout the Middle East of my unceasing prayer, and I remember in particular the Coptic faithful recently martyred for their Christian faith. May the Lord welcome them into his Kingdom”.

He continues, “with thanksgiving to the Lord, I recall our advances along the path of friendship, united as we are by one baptism. Though our communion is yet imperfect, what we have in common is greater than what divides us. May we persevere on our journey to full communion, and grow in love and understanding”.

“It is particularly encouraging that the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches has recently finalised the document 'The Exercise of Communion in the Life of the Early Church and its Implications for our Search for Communion Today'. I am certain that Your Holiness shares my hope that this vital dialogue will carry on and bear abundant fruit. I am especially grateful for the willingness of the Patriarchate of the See of Saint Mark to hold the next meeting of the Commission in Cairo”.

“Christians throughout the world are facing similar challenges, which require us to work together in confronting these issues. I appreciate your appointment last year of a delegate to participate in the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops dedicated to the family. It is my hope that our cooperation in this area may continue, especially in addressing matters related to mixed marriages”.

He concludes, “With these sentiments, and recalling what has rightly become known as the day of friendship between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, I exchange with Your Holiness a fraternal embrace in Christ the Lord”.