Telegram for the death of Cardinal Jorge Maria Mejia

Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) – Pope Francis has sent a telegram of condolences to Alejandro Jaime Mejia for the death of his brother, Cardinal Jorge Maria Mejia, archivist and librarian emeritus of the Holy Roman Church, at the age of 91. The Pontiff comments that the cardinal dedicated “long years of service with fidelity and competence to various organs of the Holy See”, and assures his prayers for the deceased, to whom he was joined in “a long friendship”, so that the Lord may grant peace to the Cardinal, who demonstrated “such intense and generous commitment to the Church”.

“With faith in the Paschal mystery of Christ, that illuminates and fills Christian life with hope, and the memory of a Pastor devoted to the evangelising mission, I beg for divine consolation in these moments of suffering, for you and for those loved ones who mourn his passing, to whom I impart the comfort of my heartfelt apostolic blessing”, he concluded.

The Pope at the Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons: “Now is the time to counter the logic of fear with the ethic of responsibility”

Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) – Pope Francis' message to Sebastian Kurz, Austrian federal minister for Foreign Affairs and Integration was read today during the Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons held in Vienna, Austria on 8 and 9 December.

“The humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons are predictable and planetary. While the focus is often placed on nuclear weapons’ potential for mass-killing, more attention must be given to the 'unnecessary suffering' brought on by their use. Military codes and international law, among others, have long banned peoples from inflicting unnecessary suffering. If such suffering is banned in the waging of conventional war, then it should all the more be banned in nuclear conflict. There are those among us who are victims of these weapons; they warn us not to commit the same irreparable mistakes which have devastated populations and creation”.

He continued, “Nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutually assured destruction cannot be the basis for an ethics of fraternity and peaceful coexistence among peoples and states. … Now is the time to counter the logic of fear with the ethic of responsibility, and so foster a climate of trust and sincere dialogue. Spending on nuclear weapons squanders the wealth of nations. To prioritise such spending is a mistake and a misallocation of resources which would be far better invested in the areas of integral human development, education, health and the fight against extreme poverty. When these resources are squandered, the poor and the weak living on the margins of society pay the price”.

“The desire for peace, security and stability is one of the deepest longings of the human heart. It is rooted in the Creator who makes all people members of the one human family. This desire can never be satisfied by military means alone, much less the possession of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. … Peace must be built on justice, socio-economic development, freedom, respect for fundamental human rights, the participation of all in public affairs and the building of trust between peoples. Pope Paul VI stated this succinctly in his Encyclical Populorum Progressio: 'Development is the new name for peace'. It is incumbent on us to adopt concrete actions which promote peace and security, while remaining always aware of the limitation of short-sighted approaches to problems of national and international security”.

“In the context of this Conference, I wish to encourage sincere and open dialogue between parties internal to each nuclear state, between various nuclear states, and between nuclear states and non-nuclear states”. He emphasised, “This dialogue must be inclusive, involving international organisations, religious communities and civil society, and oriented towards the common good and not the protection of vested interests. 'A world without nuclear weapons' is a goal shared by all nations and echoed by world leaders, as well as the aspiration of millions of men and women. The future and the survival of the human family hinges on moving beyond this ideal and ensuring that it becomes a reality”.

Publication of the Lineamenta of the next Synod on the Family

Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) – The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops has today issued a press release regarding the publication of the Lineamenta of the next Ordinary General Synod of Bishops, to take place from 4 to 25 October, on the theme “The vocation and the mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world”.

The Lineamenta, or rather the first document for this Assembly, as indicated by Pope Francis in the concluding discourse of the Third Extraordinary Assembly, are constituted essentially by the Relatio Synodi, drafted by the same Assembly. However, to facilitate the reception of the synodal document and to allow its themes to be considered in depth, the Relatio is accompanied by a series of questions that help to further the Synod's progress on the path it has undertaken, and to assist in the preparation of the subsequent Instrumentum laboris for the next Ordinary Synod.

The document, thus composed – the Italian-language original of which is published today – is sent to the Episcopal Conferences, the Synods of the sui iuris Oriental Catholic Churches, the Union of Religious Superiors and the dicasteries of the Roman Curia.

The aforementioned ecclesial organisms, who will receive the document translated into the most commonly-used languages, will be able to select the most appropriate methods for confirming the reception and further examination of the Relatio Synodi, involving the different components of the particular Churches and academic organisations, lay associations and other ecclesial bodies with the aim of promoting wide consultation on the family in accordance with the spirit of the synodal process.

The results of this consultation shall be sent to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops by 15 April 2015, to allow them to be examined and taken into consideration in the preparation of the Instrumentum laboris, to be published before the summer.

The Episcopal Conferences and the various ecclesial bodies are invited to accompany the synodal process with timely moments of prayer and celebration for the family and in preparation for the next Assembly. This should take place in particular on the occasion of the upcoming liturgical feast of the Holy Family on 28 December. In addition, the faithful are invited to recite the Holy Father's prayer for the Synod on the Family. The full text in Italian can be found at http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/it

The text of the Lineamenta in Italian may be consulted on the Vatican website: http://www.vatican.va

Presentation of the International Campaign “Stop Threats on the Internet"

Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) – This morning a press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office during which Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace”, presented the international online bullying awareness campaign “Stop Threats on the Internet”, in the context of the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Other speakers at the conference were Don Fortunato Di Noto, president of the Associazione Meter; Olivier Duval, president of the BICE (Bureau International Catholique de l'Enfance), Laetitia Chanut, a former victim of cyber-bullying and witness for the campaign, and Flaminia Giovanelli, under secretary of the Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace”.

In the presentation, it was shown that bullying on the Internet is a new form of violence, and the related issue of the time the internet subtracts from family relations emerged. Alongside this there arose the question of adolescents and young people living in a condition of being continually “connected”, a problem about which we all complain, and it was suggested that this might have its origins precisely in parents not spending enough time with them, and in not taking the time to listen to them. It was explained that numerous sociological studies exist, examining the risks linked to the rapid development of information and communication technology, a phenomenon that requires parents to act as mediators of the technological experience for their children. Therefore, there are examples that show that when family relationships are positive it is more likely that the potential of social networks lead to greater inter- and intra-generational cohesion, and where family relationships are poor or conflictual, the social networks more easily facilitate individualistic routes and forms of surrogate relationship. It was also mentioned that, in the globalised world in which we live, it is increasingly common for family members to live far from each other, and therefore social networks may constitute an important vehicle for information and entertainment. However, it is essential to remember that online connection is accompanied by “real”, offline relationships, and that we cannot live alone, wrapped up in ourselves.

Faced with these situations, it was noted that the Church cannot be excluded: emphasis was placed on the opportunities that the Web offers for evangelisation or spiritual assistance, and the need for pastoral efforts in the formation of families. In this way, Cardinal Turkson highlighted that the Holy See, through the ratification of treaties on the rights of the Child, expresses its constant concern for the well-being of children and their families, in the hope that these agreements are able to guarantee the protection of the rights and interests of children, whom St. John Paul II described as a precious treasure, given to each generation as a challenge to its wisdom and humanity.

Pope Francis pays homage to the Immaculate Conception in Piazza di Spagna

Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) – Yesterday, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Holy Father went to the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray before the image of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, and then to Piazza di Spagna where he carried out the traditional act of veneration of Mary Immaculate. For the occasion, Francis composed and recited a prayer, the full text of which is published below:

“Mary our Mother, today the People of God celebrate you and venerate you as Immaculate, preserved forever from the stain of sin.

Accept the homage I offer you in the name of the Church in Rome and throughout the world.

Knowing that you, who are our Mother, are totally free from sin, is of great comfort to us.

Knowing that evil has no power over you, fills us with hope and strength in the daily struggle we have to face against the threats of the evil one.

But we are not alone in this struggle, we are not orphans because Jesus, before dying on the Cross, gave you to us as our Mother.

Even though we are sinners, we are still your children, children of the Immaculate, called to that holiness that shines in you by the grace of God since the beginning.

Inspired by this hope, today we invoke your maternal protection for us, our families, this city and the whole world.

Through your intercession, may the power of God’s love that preserved you from original sin, free humanity from every form of spiritual and material slavery and make God’s plan of salvation be victorious in both hearts and in history.

May grace prevail over pride in us too, your children.

May we become merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful.

During this time leading to the celebration of Jesus’ birth, teach us to go against the flow: to strip ourselves, to be humble and giving, to listen and be silent, to go out of ourselves, giving space to the beauty of God, source of true joy.

Pray for us, our Immaculate Mother!”.