The Pope thanks the Italian police for their efforts in receiving immigrants and fighting human trafficking

Vatican City, 21 May 2015 (VIS) – This morning in the Paul VI Hall the Holy Father received in audience six hundred relatives of members of the State Police gravely injured in killed in service, and thanked them for their witness of Christian hope and for their faithfulness to institutions and to a mission that “demands the courage of helping those in danger and stopping the aggressor”. Society as a whole, he added, “is indebted to you for the possibility of conducting an orderly life, free of the arrogance of the violent and the corrupt”.

“Those who, day after day, take on the seriousness and commitment of their profession and place themselves at the disposal of the community, and especially those who are in danger or find themselves in situations of grave difficulty, 'go forth' to their neighbours and serve. Acting in this way, they live their life, even in the eventuality of losing it, as Jesus did, dying on the Cross. Only by contemplating Jesus on the Cross can we find the strength to forgive and the consolation that our crosses too will redeem His; therefore, every sacrifice and every tragedy will find redemption in Him”, affirmed the Holy Father.

“The witness of Christian values is even more eloquent in our times, in which the generous zeal of so many is not often accompanied by the capacity to channel it in a coherent and constant way. In our times, evidently, it proves easier to commit oneself to something temporary or partial. On the contrary, the work of the Police force requires something solid in time and, although contingent situations change, there is a constant in all ages: that of guaranteeing legality and order for all citizens, allowing us to reap the benefits”.

The Pope also remarked that during recent years the police have carried out decisive action in managing the impact of the flow of refugees arriving in Italy, seeking refuge from wars and persecution. “You are on the front line both in the initial reception of immigrants, and in counteracting unscrupulous traffickers. In this task … you are distinguished by your spirit of service and humanity, motivated not only by the law but first and foremost by the moral imperative to do good, to save as many people as possible and to spare no energy or time in this commitment”.

“Be proud of your work and continue to serve the state, every citizen and every person in danger. In defending the weak and the law you will find the truest meaning of your service and will be an example to the country, which needs people who serve it with altruism, and generosity and constancy”.

Presentation of the Second International Conference on Women

Vatican City, 21 May 2015 (VIS) – This morning a press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office to present the second International Conference on Women (22-24 May, ex Domus Pacis, Rome) organised – like the first Conference held in 2009 – by the Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace”, in collaboration with the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (WUCWO) and the World Women's Alliance for Life and Family (WWALF). The theme of the conference will be “Women and the post-2015 development agenda - the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. The conference will be attended by over a hundred participants – mostly women, but to a lesser extent also men – from diverse cultural and social contexts and from all five continents, and will aim to offer the most complete overview possible of the main issues that affect women throughout the world in our times.

The speakers at the conference were Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace”; Flaminia Giovanelli, under-secretary of the same dicastery; Olimpia Tarzia, president of the WWALF, and Maria Giovanni Ruggieri, president of the WUCWO.

Cardinal Turkson explained that the first day, 22 May, will begin with an analysis of female anthropology in the context of modern culture, which will also seek to shed light on recent and increasingly incisive semantic changes in terms of reference. The second panel will focus on the theme of education and the role of women in this field, as well as “the alliance between men and women and their mutual respect … in order to combat violence and abuse of power”. The cardinal emphasised that “education is an essential resource for ensuring the right to life, which is still denied in some parts of the planet where the birth of a female child is seen as a misfortune, since the sole destiny of a woman is an arranged marriage for which the family is required to provide a dowry”.

Another theme is interreligious dialogue as a path towards lasting peace, and the role of women in this context. “The many episodes in recent times in which women and girls have been victims of unspeakable atrocities involving sexual violence, also and above all due to their Christian faith, are an important challenge to us. Such episodes demand that we intensify interreligious dialogue and appeal to our shared human nature, that transcends all religions and cultures, to forcefully condemn such atrocities in order to protect those under threat”.

The second International Conference on Women will also offer the opportunity to discuss the many old and new forms of slavery and violence that affect women in various ways in different parts of the world. While in the western world domestic violence prevails and there is an increasing incidence of episodes of so-called “femicide”, in other poorer areas of developing countries the infanticide of female children and selective abortion of female foetuses are widespread practices. Inspired by Pope Francis' Message for Peace, the theme of which this year is “Slaves no more, but brothers and sisters”, the Conference will denounce the phenomenon of human trafficking which the Pontiff has on numerous occasions described as a crime against humanity whose victims are, for the most part, girls and women.

“While in many countries there has certainly been significant progress in favour of women, especially in the fields of education, political representation and economic participation, much still remains to be done”, observed the president of Justice and Peace, noting that it is true that poverty continues to affect women disproportionately, and many women “have no protection in many fields, including domestic, manufacturing and agricultural work”.

However, the Conference does not intend merely to provide an overview of the most urgent matters linked to the conditions of women, or to be simply an opportunity to denounce the violations of the dignity of women and their rights. It will also endeavour to offer a contribution that may be useful within the framework of current negotiations for the new agenda for post-2015 developments. Therefore, on the second day of the meeting, on Saturday 23 May, working groups will focus on the main thematic areas of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “The question of women is transversal and crucial in the majority of the current proposals of the SDGs: women play a key role in the reduction of poverty, hunger throughout the world, and education, and are also the guardians of life in all its phases”.

Audiences

Vatican City, 21 May 2015 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Mabel Chitiga, ambassador of Zimbabwe to the Holy See, presenting her credential letters;

- Josel Musa Nhleko, ambassador of Swaziland to the Holy See, presenting his credential letters;

- Cardinal Fernando Filone, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples;

- Cardinal Carlo Caffara, archbishop of Bologna, Italy.

Other Pontifical Acts

Vatican City, 21 May 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has:

- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Merida-Badajoz, Spain, presented by Bishop Santiago Garcia Aracil upon reaching the age limit. He is succeeded by Bishop Celso Moga Iruzubieta, coadjutor of the same archdiocese.

- appointed Rev. Fr. Dominique Blanchet as bishop of Belfort-Montbeliard (area 1,472, population 327,800, Catholics 249,500, priests 73, permanent deacons 14, religious 36), France. The bishop-elect was born in Cholet, France in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1999. He has served in a number of pastoral roles in the diocese of Angers, France, including episcopal delegate for youth pastoral ministry and parish priest. He is currently vicar general of the diocese of Angers, moderator of the Curia, administrator of the parish of Chalonnes-sur-Loire and parish priest of the parish of Sts. Lazarus and Nicholas in Angers.

Education, the natural vocation of the family

Vatican City, 20 May 2015 (VIS) – The education of children as the natural vocation of the family was the theme of Pope Francis' catechesis during this Wednesday's general audience in St. Peter's Square.

The Holy Father, first citing the words of St. Paul to the Colossians: “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged”, emphasised the duty of parents to accompany their children step by step, without demanding the impossible, so as not to overwhelm them. He then went on to speak of the difficulties faced by mothers and fathers who often only have the opportunity to see their children in the evening when they return home tired after work – “those who are lucky enough to have work”, he added – and also referred to the even more critical situation faced by separated parents, inviting them to ensure that the conflicts between the couple do not have an impact on the children.

Francis also mentioned that the family has been accused of other things, including authoritarianism, favouritism, conformism, and emotional repression that generates conflicts. “In fact, a fracture has opened up between family and society, undermining mutual trust, and in this way, the alliance between family and society in the education of children has entered into a crisis”.

“There are many symptoms”, he continued. “For example, in schools this has affected relationships between parents and teachers. … On the other hand, there has been a proliferation of so-called 'experts' who occupy the role of parents even in the most intimate aspects of education … and parents are expected only to listen, to learn and to adapt. Deprived of their role, they often become excessively apprehensive and possessive with regard to their children, to the point of never correcting them. They tend to increasingly entrust them to 'experts', even in relation to the most delicate and personal aspects of their life, placing themselves in the corner. In this way, parents run the risk of excluding themselves from the life of their children”.

“How have we arrived at this point? Without doubt in the past parents, or rather, certain educational models, had certain limits. But it is also true that there are mistakes that only parents are authorised to make, as they are able to compensate for them in a way that is impossible for any other person. On the other hand, as we well know, life now spares us little time for speaking, reflection and exchange. Many parents are 'kidnapped' by their work and other worries, and they find themselves paralysed by the fear of making mistakes. The problem, however, is not only about talking. … Let us ask ourselves instead: do we seek to understand 'where' our children truly are on their path? Where is their soul? … And above all, do we want to know?”.

Francis underlined that the Christian communities are called upon to offer support to the educational mission of the family. “At the base of everything there is love, that which God gives to us, that “is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”. Even in the best of families, there is much to be endured, and it takes a lot of patience. Jesus Himself experienced education in the family”.

“Even in this case, the grace of Christ's love fulfils what is inscribed in human nature. How many excellent examples we have of Christian parents full of human wisdom! They show that good family education is the backbone of humanism. Its spread through society is the resource that allows us to compensate for the shortcomings, the wounds, the lack of paternity and maternity that affect the least fortunate children, and works true miracles”.

“I hope that the Lord may give Christian families the faith, freedom and courage necessary for their missions. If family education rediscovers the pride of its central role, many things will change for the better, for uncertain parents and disappointed children. It is time for fathers and mothers to return from their exile, and to fully resume their role as educators”, concluded Francis.