At the end of the school year

It seems that life is filled with moments of accomplishment and and equal number of new beginnings.  Here is the text of the reflection I offered to the people who gathered to pray earlier today.  It's based on the scripture texts proper for the thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time.

Set your face

There’s great excitement in the air.  Children have just completed their academic year, and are beginning their summer holidays; graduates from Kindergarten to Grade 12 have closed the book on one chapter of their lives, and are eagerly ready now to turn the page and begin the next exciting adventure.  There’s great excitement in the air because there are new beginnings beckoning.

As these new horizons dawn, the scripture passages provided for today’s encounter provide us with two words of advice: make up your mind, and then once that decision is made, keep focused.

At pivotal moments in life, there are decisions to be made.  It’s wise to consider all the options before you make up your mind, but it’s often necessary to weed out some of the choices, and even then, we have to choose one option.  Saint Luke tells us that when Jesus knew that his time was running out, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.  Not all the decisions we have to make are easy ones; in fact, some of them are very difficult because the choice to follow one path means that we must close the door to other possibilities, and sometimes the alternatives are just as enticing, but if the goal is worth the effort, no amount of effort is too much.  Jesus knew that he had to go to Jerusalem, and he knew that in Jerusalem, he would be put to the test, but he also knew that this was what he had to do.  He had done his homework, he had asked the questions, he had pondered the alternatives, he had prayed about it.  This was the task to which he was being called, so he made up his mind, and turned the page.

When we have difficult decisions to make, do we do our homework?  Do we consider all the options?  Do we kneel in prayer and ask for guidance?  Do we wait for God to answer?  God doesn’t always answer the way we would like him to, but God always answers in the way that is best for us.  At times, the answer challenges us, and challenges can be scary, but God only gives us challenges that will help us to grow, so it’s important that once we’ve made up our minds, we need to keep focused.

The disciples who accompanied Jesus as he made his way to Jerusalem were also students; they were being trained in the art of discernment.  Jesus sent them as messengers ahead of him on the way.  Their task was to prepare the way.  The task of the disciple is always to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus, but blazing a trail is often the most challenging of tasks.  Some of the terrain is fertile and relatively easy, but sometimes there are more difficult landscapes, more demanding challenges, and the disciple can easily be discouraged, but even when the messengers are not well received, we must remember that God is the one who has called us and who guides us: our efforts must always be focused on him; we must never forget to kneel in prayer in order to discern the choices we must make.

Distractions come in many shapes and sizes.  Sometimes, we truly do want to follow, but we need to first consider all the options because every choice comes with certain facets that we can see, and others that we can’t, and once the choice is made, we cannot turn back.  Can we choose to follow in the footsteps of a man who openly tells us that the life to which he invites us will not always be easy?  Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

There will always be a part of the human heart that might wonder: if I had chosen another path, would things have been easier, would I have had more privileges, would I have been happier?  There are always other options: let me first say farewell to those at my home, but once we have set our faces toward Jerusalem, we must remain focused on following Jesus because only he can adequately answer the needs of the human heart, all other temptations will eventually prove to be inadequate, so set your focus on Jesus.  Leave the dead to bury the dead, and be courageous in telling others the good news of Christ’s gospel.

Listen to, and hear the voice of God

Having celebrated the Mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul yesterday, the Holy Father did not celebrate a public Mass this morning, however he did appear at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace for the recitation of the Angelus at noon today.

In his remarks prior to the recitation of the Marian prayer, the Holy Father spoke of conscience as the interior space in which we can listen to and hear the truth, the good, the voice of God.

Greetings spoken by His Holiness, Pope Francis 

prior to the recitation of the Angelus 

Dear brothers and sisters,

This Sunday's Gospel (Lk 9:51-62) shows a very important step in the life of Christ: the moment in which, as St Luke writes, [Jesus] steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. (9:51 ). Jerusalem is the final destination, where Jesus, in his last Passover, must die and rise again, and so fulfill His mission of salvation.

From that time, forth, after the steadfast decision, Jesus aims straight for the finish line, and even to the people he meets and who ask to [be allowed to] follow Him, He states clearly the conditions: not having a permanent abode; knowing how to detach oneself from familiar affections; not succumbing to nostalgia for the past.

Jesus also said to his disciples, charged with preceding Him on the way to Jerusalem to announce His coming, not to impose anything: if they do not find willing welcome, they are [simply] to proceed further, to move on. Jesus never imposes. Jesus is humble. Jesus extends invitations: If you want to, come. The humility of Jesus is like this: He always invites us. He does not impose. 

All this makes us think. It tells us, for example, the importance, even for Jesus, of conscience: listening in his heart to the Father's voice, and following it. Jesus, in his earthly life, was not, so to speak, remote-controlled:  He was the Word made flesh, the Son of God made man, and at one point he made a firm decision to go up to Jerusalem for the last time - a decision made in His conscience, but not on His own: ​​with the Father, in full union with Him! He decided in obedience to the Father, in profound intimate accord with the Father’s will. For this reason, then, the decision was steadfast: because it was made together with the Father. In the Father, Jesus found the strength and the light for His journey. Jesus was free. His decision was a free one.

Jesus wants us Christians to be free as he is: with the liberty, which comes from dialogue with the Father, from dialogue with God. Jesus wants neither selfish Christians, who follow their egos and do not speak with God, nor weak Christians, without will: remote-controlled Christians, incapable of creativity, who seek ever to connect with the will of another, and are not free. Jesus wants us free, and this freedom – where is it found? It is to be found in the inner dialogue with God in conscience. If a Christian does not know how to talk with God, does not know how to listen to God, in his own conscience, then he is not free – he is not free.

So we also must learn to listen more to our conscience. Be careful, however: this does not mean we ought to follow our ego, do whatever interests us, whatever suits us, whatever pleases us. That is not conscience. Conscience is the interior space in which we can listen to and hear the truth, the good, the voice of God. It is the inner place of our relationship with Him, who speaks to our heart and helps us to discern, to understand the path we ought to take, and once the decision is made, to move forward, to remain faithful.

Pope Benedict XVI has given us a great example in this sense. When the Lord had made it clear, in prayer, what was the step he had to take, he followed his conscience, with a great sense of discernment and courage; he was obedient to the will of God that spoke to his heart – and this example of our father does much good for all of us, as an example to follow.

May Our Lady, who, with great simplicity, listened to and meditated deep within herself upon the Word of God and what was happening to Jesus, teach us as well to listen. She followed her son with deep conviction, with steadfast hope. May Mary help us to become more and more men and women of conscience – free in our conscience, because it is in conscience that the dialogue with God is given – men and women able to hear the voice of God and follow it with conviction.

After the Angelus, the Holy Father had these remarks:

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today in Italy we celebrate the Papal Day of Charity. I wish to thank the bishops and all the parishioners, especially the poorest ones, for the prayers and offerings that support the many pastoral initiatives and charitable activities of the Successor of Peter in every part of the world. Thank you all!

I extend my heartfelt greetings to all the pilgrims present, particularly to the many faithful from Germany. I also greet the pilgrims from Madrid, Augsburg, Sonnino, Casarano, Lenola, Sambucetole and Montegranaro, the group of lay Dominicans, the Apostolic Fraternity of Divine Mercy in Piazza Armerina, the Friends of the Missions of the Precious Blood, UNITALSI of Ischia di Castro and the children of Latisana.

I wish you all a good Sunday!

Angelus for Peter and Paul

At the conclusion of the celebration of Mass for the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace and led the recitation of the Angelus, along with the faithful and with pilgrims who had gathered in Saint Peter's Square.  Before reciting the prayer, the Holy Father greeted the pilgrims.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

before the recitation of the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters!

Today, June 29, is the solemn feast of Saints Peter and Paul.  It is a special day of celebration for the Church of Rome, founded on the martyrdom of these two Apostles.  Today is also a great day of celebration for the universal Church because all the People of God are indebted to these two Apostles for the gift of faith.  Peter was the first to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Paul spread this news throughout the Greco-Roman world, and Providence ordained that the two should meet here in Rome, and that they should spill their blood here for the faith.  Because of this, the Church of Rome spontaneously, suddenly became the point of reference for the entire Church throughout the world.  This was not because of the strength of the Emperor, but because of the strength of martyrdom, because of the testimony given to Christ!  In truth, it is always and only the love of Christ that gives birth to faith and that sends the Church forward.

Let us think of Peter.  When he confessed his faith in Jesus, he didn't do so based on his human ability, but because he was overcome by the grace that Jesus eminated, the love that he felt through his words and saw in his gestures: Jesus was the personification of the love of God!

And the same can be said of Paul, although it came about in a different way.  As a young man, Paul had been an enemy of the Christians, but when the Risen Lord called him on the road to Damascus, his life was transformed: he understood that Jesus was not dead, but alive, and even he was loved by Him, though he had been his enemy!  This is the ultimate experience of mercy and of the forgiveness of God in Jesus Christ: this is the Good News, the Gospel that Peter and Paul had experienced for themselves, and for which they gave their lives.  Mercy, forgiveness!  The Lord always forgives, the Lord is always merciful.  He has a merciful heart, and is always waiting for us.

Dear brothers and sisters, what a joy to believe in a God who is all love, all grace!  This is the faith that Peter and Paul received from Christ and handed on to the Church.  Let us praise the Lord for these two glorious witnesses, and like them, may we allow ourselves to be conquered by Christ, by the mercy of Christ!

Let us also remember that Simon Peter had a brother, Andrew, who shared with him the experience of faith in Jesus.  In fact, Andrew met Jesus before Peter did, and immediately he told his brother about Jesus, and brought him to meet him.  I am happy to recall this truth today because visiting in Rome today, according to a beautiful tradition, is a delegation from the Patriarchate of Constantinople which has the Apostle Andrew as its patron.  Together, we send our cordial greetings to Patriarch Bartholomew I; we pray for him and for the Church.  I would like to invite you to pray together now, one Hail Mary for Patriarch Bartholomew I.  All together now:  Hail Mary, ....

Let us also pray for the Metropolitan Archbishops from various Churches throughout the world, to whom, just a little while ago, I entrusted the pallium, a sign of communion and unity.

May our beloved Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary accompany and support us all.

After the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:

Dear brothers and sisters,

I joyfully greet the pilgrims who have come from various countries to celebrate today with your Metropolitan Archbishops.  I pray for all their communities; in particular, I wish to encourage the people of central Africa, who endure many trials in order to walk in faith and hope.

I affectionately greet you all: relatives, faithful members from many parishes and associations, particularly those from the Diocese of Iglesias, from the city of Aragona and from Casale Popolo.

Happy Feast Day to all of you.  Enjoy your lunch.  Goodbye!

To confirm in faith, love and unity

At 9:30 this morning, in the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father, Pope Francis placed the sacred pallium on the shoulders of 34 newly-appointed Metropolitan Archbishops.  The ceremony of impostion took place at the Altar of the Confession, above the tomb of the Apostle Peter.  The Archbishop of Huê (Viêt Nam) was not able to be present in Rome today, so he will receive the pallium in his own Metropolitan See at a future date.

The Holy Father then presided over the Concelebration of the Eucharist, along with the new Metropolitan Archbishops.  As in former years, on the occasion of the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, patrons of the city of Rome, a Delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople was also present for this Eucharisitic celebration.  The delegation was led by the Metropolitan of Pergamo, Ioannis (Zizioulas), Co-chair of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches; accompanied by the Bishop of Sinope, Athenagoras (Peckstadt), Assistant to the Metropolitan of Belgium; and Archimandrate Father Prodromos Xenakis, Vice secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Church of Crete.

 

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

Your Eminences,
Your Eminence, Metropolitan Ioannis,
My Brother Bishops and Priests,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are celebrating the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, principal patrons of the Church of Rome: a celebration made all the more joyful by the presence of bishops from all parts of the world. A great wealth, which makes us in some sense relive the event of Pentecost. Today, as then, the faith of the Church speaks in every tongue and desires to unite all peoples in one family.

I offer a heartfelt and grateful greeting to the Delegation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, led by Metropolitan Ioannis. I thank Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I for this renewed gesture of fraternity. I greet the distinguished ambassadors and civil authorities. And in a special way I thank the Choir of the Thomaskirche of Leipzig – Bach’s own church – which is contributing to today’s liturgical celebration and represents an additional ecumenical presence.

I would like to offer three thoughts on the Petrine ministry, guided by the word "confirm". What has the Bishop of Rome been called to confirm?

1. First, to confirm in faith. The Gospel speaks of the confession of Peter: You are Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt 16:16), a confession which does not come from him but from our Father in heaven. Because of this confession, Jesus replies: You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church (v. 18). The role, the ecclesial service of Peter, is founded upon his confession of faith in Jesus, the Son of the living God, made possible by a grace granted from on high. In the second part of today’s Gospel we see the peril of thinking in worldly terms. When Jesus speaks of his death and resurrection, of the path of God which does not correspond to the human path of power, flesh and blood re-emerge in Peter: He took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him ... This must never happen to you (16:22). Jesus’ response is harsh: Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me (v. 23).

Whenever we let our thoughts, our feelings or the logic of human power prevail, and we do not let ourselves be taught and guided by faith, by God, we become stumbling blocks. Faith in Christ is the light of our life as Christians and as ministers in the Church!

2. To confirm in love. In the second reading we heard the moving words of Saint Paul: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Tm 4:7). But what is this fight? It is not one of those fights fought with human weapons which sadly continue to cause bloodshed throughout the world; rather, it is the fight of martyrdom. Saint Paul has but one weapon: the message of Christ and the gift of his entire life for Christ and for others. It is precisely this readiness to lay himself open, personally, to be consumed for the sake of the Gospel, to make himself all things to all people, unstintingly, that gives him credibility and builds up the Church. The Bishop of Rome is called himself to live and to confirm his brothers and sisters in this love for Christ and for all others, without distinction, limits or barriers. And not only the Bishop of Rome: each of you, new archbishops and bishops, have the same task: to let yourselves be consumed by the Gospel, to become all things to everyone. It is your task to hold nothing back, to go outside of yourselves in the service of the faithful and holy people of God.

3. To confirm in unity. Here I would like to reflect for a moment on the rite which we have carried out. The pallium is a symbol of communion with the Successor of Peter, the lasting and visible source and foundation of the unity both of faith and of communion (Lumen Gentium, 18). And your presence today, dear brothers, is the sign that the Church’s communion does not mean uniformity. The Second Vatican Council, in speaking of the hierarchical structure of the Church, states that the Lord established the apostles as a college or permanent assembly, at the head of which he placed Peter, chosen from their number (ibid., 19). To confirm in unity: the Synod of Bishops, in harmony with the primate. Let us go forward on the path of synodality, and grow in harmony with the service of the primacy. And the Council continues, this college, in so far as it is composed of many members, is the expression of the variety and universality of the people of God (ibid., 22). In the Church, variety, which is itself a great treasure, is always grounded in the harmony of unity, like a great mosaic in which every small piece joins with others as part of God’s one great plan. This should inspire us to work always to overcome every conflict which wounds the body of the Church. United in our differences: there is no other Catholic way to be united. This is the Catholic spirit, the Christian spirit: to be united in our differences. This is the way of Jesus! The pallium, while being a sign of communion with the Bishop of Rome and with the universal church, with the Synod of Bishops, also commits each of you to being a servant of communion.

To confess the Lord by letting oneself be taught by God; to be consumed by love for Christ and his Gospel; to be servants of unity. These, dear brother bishops, are the tasks which the holy apostles Peter and Paul entrust to each of us, so that they can be lived by every Christian. May the holy Mother of God guide us and acompany us always with her intercession. Queen of Apostles, pray for us! Amen.

Welcoming the East

Today, Pope Francis welcomed a delegation sent by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople who have travelled to Rome in order to celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul tomorrow.  The tradition of visits between the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinope to celebrate one another's respective patronal feast days dates back to 1969.

Here is the English-language translation of the Holy Father's greeting, shared with the members of the official delegation during their audience today.

 Greeting of His Holiness, Pope Francis

for the visit of the official delegation

sent to Rome by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople

for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

Dear Brothers in Christ,

I am particularly happy to receive you with a warm welcome in the Church of Rome, which is celebrating her Patron Saints Peter and Paul. Your presence at this event is the sign of the profound bond that unites the Church of Constantinople and the Church of Rome in faith, hope and charity. The beautiful custom of an exchange of delegations between our Churches for the respective patronal feasts, which began in 1969, is for me a cause for great joy: our fraternal meeting is an essential part of the journey towards unity. I would like to express my profound gratitude to His Holiness Bartholomew I and to the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, who wished to send, also this year, high representatives. Of His Holiness Bartholomew I, I also recall with fraternal affection his gesture of exquisite attention in my meetings, when he wished to honor me with his presence in the celebration of the beginning of my ministry as Bishop of Rome. I am also extremely grateful to Your Eminence for your participation in that event and I am happy to see you again in this circumstance.

The search for unity among Christians is an urgency from which today, more than ever, we cannot subtract ourselves. In our world, hungry and thirsty for truth, love, hope, peace and unity, it is important for our own witness to be able to, finally, proclaim with one voice the happy news of the Gospel and to celebrate together the Divine Mysteries of our new life in Christ! We know well that unity is primarily a gift from God for which we must pray incessantly, but the duty of building unity is the work entrusted to all of us who have the task of preparing the conditions, of cultivating the ground of the heart, so that this extraordinary grace will be received.

A fundamental contribution to the search for full communion between Catholics and Orthodox is offered by the Mixed International Commission for Theological Dialogue, co-presided by Your Eminence, Metropolitan Ioannis, and by our Venerable Brother, Cardinal Kurt Koch. I thank you sincerely for your precious and tireless commitment. This Commission has already produced many common texts and is now studying the delicate topic of the theological and ecclesiological relationship between primacy and ecclesiastical governing in the life of the Church. It is significant that today we succeed in reflecting together, in truth and in charity, on these topics, beginning with what we have in common, without hiding, however, what still separates us. It is not a question of a mere theoretical exercise, but to know in depth the reciprocal traditions to understand them and, at times, to learn from them.  I am referring, for instance, to the reflection of the Catholic Church on the meaning of episcopal collegiality, and to the tradition of collegiality, so typical of the Orthodox Churches. I am confident that the effort of common reflection, so complex and laborious, will bear fruit in its time. I am comforted to know that Catholics and Orthodox share the same concept of dialogue, which does not seek a theological minimalism on which to bring about a compromise, but, rather, is based on deeper reflection on the one truth that Christ has given His Church and that we do not cease to understand ever better, moved by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, we must not be afraid of meeting and of true dialogue. It does not distance us from the truth, rather, through an exchange of gifts, it leads us, under the guidance of the Spirit of Truth, to the whole Truth (cf. John 16:13).

Venerable Brothers, I thank you once again for being here with us on the occasion of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. We confidently invoke their intercession and that of the Holy Apostle Andrew, brother of Peter, for our faithful and for the needs of the whole world, above all of the poor, the suffering and all those who are unjustly persecuted because of their faith. I ask you finally to pray for me and to have others pray for me, that the Lord may assist me in my ministry as Bishop of Rome and Successor of Peter.

The mystery of God's patience

The Lord asks us to be patient; after all He is always patient with us. Moreover there is no set protocol for how God intervenes in our lives; sometimes it's immediate, sometimes we just have to have a little patience. This was the lesson drawn by Pope Francis from the daily readings at Mass this morning in Casa Santa Marta.

The Lord slowly enters the life of Abraham, who is 99 years old when He promises him a son, but He immediately enters the life of the leper. Jesus listens to his prayer, touches him and preforms a miracle. Pope Francis spoke about how the Lord chooses to become involved in our lives, in the lives of His people – in the lives of Abraham and the leper. When the Lord intervenes, said the Pope, He does not always do so in the same way. There is no set protocol of action for God in our life. At a given moment, He intervenes is one way, another time in a different way but He always intervenes. There is always this meeting between us and the Lord.

The Lord always chooses His way to enter into our lives. Often He does so slowly, so much so, we are in danger of losing our 'patience', a little. But Lord, when? And we pray, we pray ... And He doesn’t intervene in our lives. At other times, when we think of what the Lord has promised us, that it such a huge thing, we don’t believe it, we are a little skeptical, like Abraham – and we smile a little to ourselves ... This is what it says in the First Reading, Abraham hid his face and smiled ... A bit 'of skepticism:' What? Me? I am almost a hundred years old, I will have a son and my wife at 90 will have a son? '.

Sarah is equally skeptical at the Oaks of Mamre, when the three angels say the same thing to Abraham. How often, when the Lord does not intervene, does not perform a miracle, does not do what we want Him to do, do we become impatient or skeptical?

But He is not skeptical, He cannot be a skeptic. The Lord takes his time, but even He, in this relationship with us, has a lot of patience. Not only do we have to have patient: He has patience! He waits for us! Sometimes He waits for us even up to the end of our earthly lives! Think of the good thief, right at the end, at the very end, he acknowledged God. The Lord walks with us, but often does not reveal Himself, as in the case of the disciples of Emmaus. The Lord is involved in our lives - that's for sure! - But often we do not see. This demands our patience. But the Lord who walks with us, He also has a lot of patience with us.

The Pope then turned his thoughts to the mystery of God's patience, who in walking, walks at our pace. Sometimes in life, he noted, things become so dark, there is so much darkness, that we want - if we are in trouble - to come down from the cross. This, he said, is the precise moment: the night is at its darkest, when dawn is about to break. And when we come down from the Cross, we always do so just five minutes before our liberation comes, at the very moment when our impatience is greatest.

Jesus on the Cross, heard them challenging him: Come down, come down! Come. He had patience until the end, and He has patience with us. He always enters, He is involved with us, but He does so in His own way and when He thinks it's best. He tells us exactly what He told Abraham: Walk in my presence and be blameless, be above reproach, this is exactly the right word. Walk in my presence and try to be above reproach. This is the journey with the Lord and He intervenes, but we have to wait, wait for the moment, walking always in His presence and trying to be beyond reproach. We ask this grace from the Lord, to always walk in His presence, trying to be blameless.

Visits from the East

Following the tradition of exchanges of delegations for the Feasts of their respective patron saints, on June 29th in Rome for the celebration of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and on November 30th in Istanbul for the celebration of Saint Andrew the Apostle, a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate will visit in Rome from June 27 to 29, 2013.

The delegation will be headed by the Metropolitan of Pergamon, Ioannis (Zizioulas), Co-chairman of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, accompanied by Bishop Athenagoras of Sinope (Peckstadt), Assistant to the Metropolitan of Belgium, and by Archimandrate Father Prodromos Xenakis, Deputy Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Eparchial Church of Crete.

On Friday, June 28, the delegation of the Patriarchate will be received in audience by the Holy Father Pope Francis and will have conversations with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

On Saturday, June 29, the delegation will attend a solemn Eucharistic celebration presided by the Holy Father, which will take place in Saint Peter's Square.

New commission to oversee Vatican Bank

Yesterday, the Holy Father established an Appointed Pontifical Commission which will oversee the work of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), otherwise known as the Vatican Bank.

The official notification, known as a Chirograph, was published yesterday, as a result of the Holy Father's desire to learn more about the legal position and the activities of the IOR in order to better facilitate the harmonization of these realities with the mission of the universal Church and the Apostolic See, in the broader context of necessary reforms that are needed for all institutions which provide aid to the Apostolic See.

The Commission's responsibility is to collect necessary information and to present it to the Holy Father. The Chirograph specifies that during the period when the Commission will be at work, the IOR will continue to operate in accordance with the provisions of the Chirograph dated 1990 which continues in force, unless otherwise authorized by the Holy Father.

The purposes and powers of the Commission are also outlined in more detail within the Chirograph published yesterday.

The members of the Appointed Pontifical Commission are His Eminence, Rafael Cardinal Farina (President); His Eminence, Jean-Louis Pierre Cardinal Tauran (Member); His Excellency, Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru (Coordinator); Monsignor Peter Bryan Wells (Secretary); and Professor Mary Ann Glendon (Member).

The Holy Father hopes that the collaboration between the Commission and the Institute, which will begin in the coming days, will be happy and productive.

Chirograph published by the Holy Father, Pope Francis

establishing the Appointed Pontifical Commission

for the oversight of the IOR

With the Chirograph dated March 1, 1990, Blessed John Paul II established the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), providing for it a public juridical personality, thus giving it a new configuration while preserving its name and purpose.  In this same perspective, taking into account the fact that he wanted to better adapt the structures and activities of the Institute to the needs of the times, as requested by our predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, to allow the gospel to permeate the activities of economic and financial nature; having heard the opinion of several Cardinals and other brothers in the Episcopate, as well as that of other collaborators, and in light of the need to introduce reforms in the institutions that provide aid to the Apostolic See, we have decided to establish a Commission appointed to the Institute for the Works of Religion that will collect accurate information pertaining to the legal position and the various activities of the Institute in order to allow, if necessary, for a better harmonization of the Institute with the universal mission of the Apostolic See.  The Commission will carry out its duties subject to this Chirograph and our operational arrangements.

1. The Commission shall consist of a minimum of five members including a Chairman who is the legal representative, a Coordinator who has powers of ordinary and delegated acts in the name and on behalf of the Commission in the collection of documents, data and information as well as a Secretary who assists members and keeps track of the Acts of the Commission.

2. The Commission has powers and faculties suitable for the performance of its official duties within the limits established by this Chirograph and the rules of law. The Commission collects documents, data and information necessary for the performance of its official duties. The secrecy and any other restrictions laid down by legal requirement does not inhibit or restrict access to the Commission's documents, data and information, subject to the rules that protect the autonomy and independence of the Authority engaged in supervision and regulation of the Institute, which shall remain in force.

3. The Commission shall have the human and material resources appropriate to its institutional functions. If it should deem it useful, it may make use of contractors and consultants.

4. The government of the Institute continues to operate under this Chirograph while it is in effect, unless otherwise provided for by us or by our successors.

5. The Commission has at its disposition the willing cooperation of the Bodies of the Institute, and its entire staff. In addition, the Superiors, Members and officials of the Roman Curia and other agencies related to it, as well as the Vatican City State, will also cooperate with the Commission. The Commission also uses the services of other parties, either spontaneously or by request.

6. The Commission will keep us informed of its activities during the course of its work.

7. The Commission will deliver the the results of its work, as well as its entire archive, in a timely manner once its appointed tasks have been accomplished.

8. The activities of the Commission begin on the date of this Chirograph.

9. The dissolution of the Commission will be announced.

Given at the Vatican June 24, 2013, the first year of my Pontificate.
Francis