A collegial gathering

The Holy Father, Pope Francis confirmed today in their respective offices, a number of those who work in the Secretariat of State, including His Excellency, Giovanni Angelo Becciu, Undersecretary for General Affairs; His Excellency, Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States; His Excellency, Georg Gänswein, Prefect of the Papal Household; Monsignor Peter Wells, Assessor for General Affairs; Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, Undersecretary for Relations with States.

The Pope collegially welcomed today at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, special visits from a number of Cardinals and others who work within the Secretariat of State, including His Eminence, Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State; His Eminence, Leonardo Cardinal Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches; His Excellency, Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States; Monsignor Peter Wells, Assessor for General Affairs; Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, Undersecretary for Relations with States; and Monsignor Alberto Ortega Martin, an Official who is working within the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State.

His Holiness also received in a separate audience today at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, His Eminence, Marc Cardinal Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, who normally meets with the Pope every Saturday to discuss various matters pertaining to the Congregation.

A word of introduction

On the day when his appointment as the Secretary of State is published, Archbishop Pietro Parolin has penned a letter in which he expresses his gratitude to the Holy Father, and to the many others who have been part of his journey of service thus far.  Although he may be well known in some circles, this is effectively his introduction to the international scene.

Statement by His Excellency, Pietro Parolin

on the occasion of his appointment

as Secretary of State

At this moment, in which my appointment as Secretary of State is made public, I desire to express deep and affectionate gratitude to the Holy Father, Francis, for the unmerited trust he is showing me, and to make known to him once again my willingness and complete availability to work with him and under his guidance for the greater glory of God, the good of the Holy Church, and the progress and peace of humanity, that humanity might find reasons to live and to hope.

I feel very strongly the grace of this call, which is yet another and the latest of God’s surprises in my life. Above all, I feel the full weight of the responsibility placed upon me:  this call entrusts to me a difficult and challenging mission, before which my powers are weak and my abilities poor. For this reason, I entrust myself to the merciful love of the Lord, from whom nothing and no one can ever separate me, and to the prayers of all. I thank all those who have shown and who, starting now, will show me understanding, as well as for any and all manner of help that anyone might desire to offer me in my new undertaking.

My thoughts go to my family and to all the persons who have been part of my life: in the parishes into which I was born and in which I served; in the dear Diocese of Vicenza; at Rome; in the countries in which I have worked – from Nigeria, to Mexico, and most recently in Venezuela, which I am sorry to leave. I think also of Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI, who ordained me bishop, I think of the Secretariat of State, which was my home for many years, of His Eminence, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, of the other Superiors, colleagues and collaborators and of the whole Roman Curia, as well as of all those who represent the Holy Father and the Holy See diplomatically around the world. I owe a great debt to them all.

It is with trepidation that I place myself in this new service to the Gospel, to the Church and to Pope Francis, but also with trust and serenity – disposed – as the Holy Father has asked us from the beginning – to walk, to build and to profess.

May our Lady, whom I like to invoke under her titles as Our Lady of Monte Berico, Guadalupe and Coromoto, give us, The courage, to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the Lord’s Cross; to build the Church on the Lord’s blood which was poured out on the Cross; and to profess the one glory: Christ crucified. And in this way, the Church will go forward.

And, as they say in Venezuela, "¡Que Dios les bendiga!".

New Secretary of State appointed

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation of His Eminence, Card. Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, in accordance with the directives of Canon 354 of the Code of Canoon Law, asking him, however, to remain in office until 15 October, 2013, with all the faculties proper to the office.

At the same time, the Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Pietro Parolin, currently serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela, as the new Secretary of State. He will take possession of his new office on 15 October, 2013.

On that occasion, His Holiness shall receive in audience Superiors and Officials of the Secretariat of State, in order publically to thank Cardinal Bertone for his faithful and generous service to the Holy See, and to introduce them to the new Secretary of State.

Archbishop Pietro Parolin was born in Schavon (Vicenza, Italy) on January 17, 1955.  He was ordained a priest on April 27, 1980 and was incardinated in the Diocese of Vicenza.  He holds a degree in Canon Law.

Having entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on July 1, 1986, he served in the Nunciatures of Nigeria and Mexico, and then in the Section for the Relations with States of the Vatican Secretariat of State.  He was named Undersecretary of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State on November 30, 2002.

On August 17, 2009, he was named to the position of Apostolic Nuncio in Venezuela and elevated to the titular see of Acquapendente, with the dignity of Archbishop.  He received episcopal ordination from the hands of Pope Benedict XVI on September 12 of that same year.

Other than his native Italian, Archbishop Parolin speaks French, English and Spanish.

Greetings to the Inter-Christian Symposium

From August 28 to 30 of this year, the XIII Inter-Christian Symposium is taking place near the crypt of the Great Hall at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan.  The theme of this meeting is The life of Christians and Civil Power: Historical questions and current perspectives in the East and the West.  It was organized by the Franciscan Institute for Spirituality at the Pontifical Antonianum University and by the Department of Theology of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the Aristoteles University in Salonica, with the collaboration of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart.

Message of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

sent to His Eminence, Kurt Koch

President of the Pontifical Council

for the Promotion of Christian Unity

It is with particular joy that I learned of the Inter-Christian Symposium’s initiative organized on a biannual basis by the Franciscan Institute for Spirituality of the Pontifical Antonianum University and the Department of Theology of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the Aristoteles University in Salonica, with the aim of deepening the conscience of the theological and spiritual traditions of the East and West and of cultivating fraternal and amiable study relationships between the members of these two academic institutions.

I would therefore like to extend my cordial greetings to the organizers, the speakers and all those who are participating in the XIII edition of this praiseworthy initiative, which is being held this year in Milan, with the collaboration of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, focused on the theme: The Life of Christians and the civil power: Historical questions and current perspectives in the East and the West.  This proposition fits well within the framework of the many initiatives being undertaken to mark the XVII centenary of the promulgation of the Edict of Constantinople, an initiative which has particular significance for Milan, and which was marked earlier this year by the visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to the Ambrosian Church and to that city.

The historic decision, through which religious freedom for Christians was decreed, opened new paths for the diffusion of the gospel and contributed in significantly to the birth of European civilization.  The memory of that event offers an opportunity for the present Symposium to reflect on the evolution of the methods through which the Christian world relates with civil society and with the authorities which preside over it.  These arrangements have evolved over a long history in very different contexts, as consequences to significant diversification between the East and the West.  At the same time, they have maintained some fundamental communal traits, such as the conviction that civil power is limited by the law of God, the right to respect for the autonomy of conscience, and awareness that ecclesial authority and civil powers are called to collaborate for the integral good of the human community.

Hoping that the work of the Symposium will bear abundant fruit for the advancement of historical research and mutual understanding between the different traditions, I assure you of my remembrance in prayer and cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to all those who have contributed to the organization of the conference as well as on all those who participate.

From the Vatican, 19 August 2013

Francis

Condolences to Lusaka

Yesterday afternoon, Cardinal Medardo Joseph Mazombwe, Archbishop emeritus of Lusaka (Zambia) died.  This morning, the Vatican Press Office published the message of condolence that the Holy Father, Pope Francis sent to the current Archbishop of Lusaka.

Cardinal Mazombwe

Message of Condolence

For the death of Cardinal

Medardo Joseph Mazombwe

The Most Reverend Telesphore George Mpundu

Archbishop of Lusaka

I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Cardinal Medardo Joseph Mazombwe, Archbishop emeritus of Lusaka.  I offer to you, the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese my heartfelt condolences and the assurance of my prayers.  With gratitude to Almighty God, I recall his unfailing commitment to the spread of the gospel in Africa and his tireless efforts on behalf of the poor.  I join you and all who mourn Cardinal Mazombwe in praying that God the Father of mercies may grant him the reward of his labours and welcome his noble soul into the peace and joy of heaven.  To all assembled for the solemn funeral Mass, I cordially impart my Apostolic blessing as a pledge of strength and consolation in the Lord.

Franciscus

Pope

Restlessness within

At 6:00pm last evening, in the Roman Basilica of Saint Augustine in Campo Marzio, the Holy Father, Pope Francis celebrated Mass for the opening of the 184^th General Ordinary Chapter of the Order of Saint Augustine (Augustinians).

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the Mass inaugurating the 184^th General Ordinary Chapter

of the Order of Saint Augustine

You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you. (Confessions, I,1,1). With these words, which became famous, Saint Augustine turns to God in the Confessions, and in these words is the synthesis of his whole life.

Restlessness. This word strikes me and makes me reflect. Let me begin with a question: What fundamental restlessness did Augustine live in his life? Or perhaps I should say, what kind of restlessness invites us to be mindful of and keep alive in our lives this great man and saint? I propose three types: the restlessness of the spiritual quest, the restlessness of the encounter with God, and the restlessness of love.

The first: the restlessness of the spiritual quest. Augustine lived an experience that is very common today: quite common with today's youth. He was educated by his mother Monica in the Christian faith, even if he did not receive Baptism, but growing up he began to distance himself, he didn't find in that faith the answer to his questions, to the desires of his heart, and he was attracted by other proposals. He then entered a group of Manicheans, he devoted himself diligently to his studies, he did not renounce light-hearted fun, in the spectacles of that time, intense friendships; he knew intense love and embarked on a brilliant career as a master of rhetoric that took him all the way to the imperial court of Milan. Augustine was an accomplished man, he had everything, but in his heart remained the restlessness of the search for the profound meaning of his life; his heart was not asleep. I would say that it was not anesthetized by success, by things, by power. Augustine did not close in on himself, he did not rest, he continued to search for the truth, the meaning of life, he continued to search for the face of God. Of course he made mistakes, he also took wrong paths, he sinned, he was a sinner; but he did not lose the restlessness of the spiritual quest. And in this way he discovered that God was waiting for him; on the contrary, that He never gave up looking for him first. I would like to say to those who feel indifferent towards God, towards the faith, to those who are far from God or have abandoned Him, even to us, with our distances and our abandonment of God, small abandonments maybe, but there are so many in our everyday life: look deep within your heart, look deep within yourself, and ask yourself: do you have a heart that desires something greater or a heart that is asleep, more concerned with physical things than with God? Has your heart preserved the restlessness of searching or do you let it suffocate from things that end up leaving it atrophied? God is waiting for you, he is looking for you: what will you respond? Do you realize this situation of your soul? Or are you sleeping? Do you believe that God is waiting for you or is this truth only just words to you?

In Augustine, there is this restlessness of the heart that leads him to the personal encounter with Christ, it leads him to understand that the God who he searched for far from himself, is the God close to every human being, the God close to our hearts, more intimate to us than we ourselves are (cfr ibid.,III,6,11). But also in the discovery and encounter with God, Augustine does not stop, he does not rest, he doesn’t close in on himself as one who has already arrived, but instead continues the way. The restlessness of the search for the truth, of the search for God becomes the restlessness to know him more and to come out of himself to make him known by others. It is the restlessness of love. He would have liked a quiet life of study and prayer, but God called him to be Pastor of Hippo, in a difficult time, with a community divided and war at their gates. And Augustine let himself be disquieted by God, he did not tire of announcing Him, of evangelizing with courage, without fear, he sought always to be the image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep (cfr Jn. 10,14), indeed, as I love to repeat,  he smelled of his flock, and went in search of those who were lost. Augustine lived that which Saint Paul tells Timothy and every one of us: announce the Word, in season and out of season, announce the Gospel with the great magnanimous heart, (cfr 2 Tm, 4,2) of a Pastor who is restless for his sheep. The treasure of Augustine is precisely this attitude: to go out always towards God, to go out always towards the flock … He was a man in tension, between these two exits; not privatizing love … always on the way! Always on the move, his father would say. Always restless! And this is the peace of restlessness. We can ask ourselves: am I restless for God, to announce him, to make him known? Or do I let myself be enchanted by that spiritual worldliness that urges us to do all for love of ourselves? We who are consecrated think of personal interests, the functionalism of works, of careerism. There are so many things we can think of … Am I accommodated, so to speak, in my Christian life, in my priestly life, in my religious life, also in my community life … or do I preserve my strength of the restlessness for God, for His Word, that leads me to go out, towards the others?

We come to the final restlessness, the restlessness of love. Here I can't fail to look at the mother: this Monica! How many tears were shed by that holy woman for the conversion of her son! And how many mothers today shed tears so that their own children return to Christ! Do not lose hope in God's grace! In the Confessions, we read this sentence that a bishop said to Saint Monica, who had asked him to help her son to rediscover the way of faith: It is not possible that a son of so many tears would perish (III,12,21). The same Augustine, after his conversion, turning to God, wrote: For my love my mother wept before you, always faithful, shedding more tears than have ever been spilled by mothers at the death of their children (ibid., III,11,19). Restless woman, this woman, who, in the end, said those beautiful words: cumulatius hoc mihi Deus praestitit! [my God has satisfied me sufficiently] (ibid., IX,10,26). That for which she cried, God gave to her abundantly! And Augustine was heir to Monica, from her he received the seed of restlessness. Here, then, the restlessness of love: always seeking, without stopping, the good of the other, of a loved one, with that intensity that leads to tears. I am reminded of Jesus who wept before the tomb of his friend, Lazarus. Peter, who, after denying Jesus, met the rich gaze of mercy and of love and wept bitterly. The father who waited on the terrace for his son and when he was still far off, ran to meet him; I am reminded of the Virgin Mary who with love followed Her Son Jesus to the Cross.

How are we with the restlessness of love? Do we believe in the love of God and in love towards others? Or are we nominalists on this matter? Not in an abstract way, not only in words, but the real brother that we meet, the brother who is next to us! Do we let ourselves be restless for their needs or do we remain closed in on ourselves, in our community that many times for us is a comunita-comodita [community of comfort]? There are times where you can live in an apartment without knowing who lives next door; or one can be in a community, without truly knowing his own brother: with pain I think of those who are consecrated that are not fertile, that are zitelloni [elderly bachelors]. The restlessness of love urges us always to go meet the other, without waiting for the other to show his need. The restlessness of love gives us the gift of pastoral fruitfulness, and we should ask ourselves, every one of us: how is my spiritual fruitfulness going, my pastoral fruitfulness?

Let us ask the Lord for you, dear Augustinians, who begin the General Chapter, and for all of us, that he may preserve in our heart the spiritual restlessness to search for Him always, the restlessness to announce with courage, the restlessness of love towards every brother and sister. Amen.

Go against the tide

At 4:00pm yesterday afternoon, at the Altar of the Chair in the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience five hundred youth from the Diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio (Italy), along with their Bishop, His Excellency, Gianni Ambrosio, who were participating in a pilgrimage On this rock as part of their observance of the Year of Faith.  During the encounter, Pope Francis spoke with the young people in an unscripted fashion.

Transcription of the discourse shared by His Holiness, Pope Francis

with youth from the Diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio

Thank you for this visit!

The bishop said that I made a great gesture in coming here. But I did it out of selfishness. Do you know why? Because I like being with you! So this is an act of selfishness.

Why do I like being with the youth? … because you all have inside your heart a promise of hope. You are bearers of hope. You all, it's true, live in the present, but looking towards the future … you are authors of the future, craftsmen of the future.  Then – and this is your joy – it is a beautiful thing to go towards the future, with dreams, with so many beautiful things – and it is also your responsibility to become craftsmen of the future.

When someone tells me: But, Father, these are horrible times…Look, we can do nothing! What do you mean nothing can be done? And I explain that many things can be done! But when a young person tells me: What horrible times these are, Father, we can do nothing! Please! I'll send him to a psychiatrist because, truly, one can't understand, one can't understood a young man or a young woman who doesn't want to set his or her sights on a grand ideal, great plans for the future. Afterward, they end up doing whatever they can, but their longing is for great and beautiful things. And you all are craftsmen of the future. Why? Because inside of you all of you have three desires: the desire for beauty.

You like beauty, and when you make music, do theatre, create paintings – things of beauty – you are searching for that beauty, you are researchers of beauty. First. Second:  you are prophets of goodness. You all like goodness, to be good. And this goodness is contagious, it helps all others. And also – third-, you are thirsty for truth: to search for the truth. But, Father, I have the truth! But you are mistaken, because you can't have truth, we don't carry it, it is found. It is an encounter with the truth, that is God, but it must be looked for. And these three desires that you have in your heart, you should bring them forward, to the future, and make a future with beauty, with goodness and with truth.

Do you understand? This is the challenge: your challenge. But if you are lazy, if you are sad  - and this is something ugly, a sad young person – if you are sad ... that beauty will not be beauty, that goodness will not be goodness and that truth will be something or other, but not truth … Think about this: setting your sights on a great ideal, the ideal of making a world of goodness, beauty and truth. This, you can do, you have the power to do it. If you do not do it, it's because of laziness. This is what I wanted to tell you, this is what I wanted to tell you.

I wanted to tell you this, to tell you: have courage, go forward, make some noise. Where there are young people, there should be noise. Then, we'll adjust things, but the dreams of a young person always make noise. Go forward! In life there will always be people with proposals to curb, to block your way. Please, go against the current. Be courageous, courageous: go against the current. There will always be someone who says: "No, but … I drink a bit of alcohol, take some drugs and I'm getting ahead. No! Go against the current of this civilization that is doing so much harm. Do you understand this? To go against the current; and this means to make noise, to go forward, but with the values of beauty, of goodness and of truth. This is what I wanted to tell you. I want to wish you all well; do good work; always have joy in the heart: youthful joy!

And now I would like to give you the Blessing. But first, all together, we will pray to Our Lady who is the Mother of beauty, the Mother of goodness and the Mother of truth and ask that she gives us this grace of courage because Our Lady was courageous, she had courage, this woman! She was good, good, good! Let us ask her, who is in Heaven, who is our Mother, that she give us the grace of courage to go forward and against the current. All together, as you are, we pray a Hail Mary to Our Lady.

Hail Mary …

[Blessing]

And I ask you all to pray for me, because this work is an unhealthy job at times; sometimes I fear that I’m not doing it well…[laughter] Pray for me!

For the Month of Martyrs

The Archdiocese of Seoul (Korea) has declared a special Month of Martyrs.  During the month of September, that particular church will commemorate all those who have testified to their faith during times of persecution.

For the occasion, His Holiness has asked his Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone to send a special message to the Archbishop of Seoul.

Message of His Holiness, Pope Francis

for the Month of Martyrs

The Most Reverend Andrew Yeom Soo Jung

Archbishop of Seoul

The Holy Father was pleased to learn that the Archdiocese of Seoul has proclaimed the Month of September 2013 the Month of Martyrs in commemoration of those who laid down their lives for the gospel in Korea.  His Holiness trusts that all who participate in pilgrimages during this month, aided by the prayers and example of the martyrs, will deepen their communion with the Lord Jesus Christ who laid down his life that we might share in the inestimable gift of eternal life.  He prays that this occasion may be an opportunity for pilgrims to rekindle the faith in their hearts and so commit themselves more fully to the urgent task of evangelization.  Entrusting all the pilgrims to the powerful intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and the prayers of the martyrs of Korea, His Holiness willingly imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and joy in Our Lord.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone

Secretary of State

Jordan at the Vatican

This morning, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received their Majesties, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania in audience at the Vatican Apostolic Palace.  Their Majesties, the Hashemite sovereigns subsequently met with His Eminence, Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State, and with His Excellency, Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.

During the cordial discussions, some subjects of common interest were discussed, including the promotion of peace and stability in the Middle East, with particular concern for the re-establishment of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians and the question of Jerusalem.  Special attention was paid to the tragic situation currently facing the country of Syria; in this regard, there was a reaffirmation that the path of dialogue and negotiation between all components of the Syrian society, with the support of the international community is the only viable option for bringing an end to conflict and violence which daily causes the loss of so many human lives, above all among the unarmed and innocent population.

Appreciation was also expressed for King Abdullah’s support in the ongoing inter-religious dialogue and for the initiative taken in convoking a conference in Aman at the beginning of September to discuss the challenges that Christians in the Middle East are facing, particularly during this period of socio-political change.  Finally, the positive contributions on the part of the Christian community toward the larger society of the region, of which they are an integral part, were highlighted.

Fifty years later

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Doctor Martin Luther King's famous I have a dream speech.  To commemorate the occasion, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (USA) published a special statement, which they released on August 13 of this year.

Statement of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops

on the 50th anniversary of the I have a dream speech

The dream of Doctor King

and all who marched and worked with him

has not yet fully become a reality

for many in our country

As we mark the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom that occurred on August 28, 1963, we call attention to this significant event in the history of the struggle for Civil Rights for African Americans and other minority racial groups in the United States.  Those who participated in the March on Washington came from different races and faith denominations, but were all united for a just cause.  Seeking to touch and to move the heart of America, they came to the nation’s capital and marched to advance the cause for Civil Rights, calling for an end to segregation. They called attention to the economic disparity that existed for African Americans and other minorities in this country. St. Paul in Sacred Scripture declares, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news! (Romans 10:15), and the participants marched on foot and proclaimed the good news of our God who acts in favor of the marginalized in our country; they called upon the nation to enact legislation that would benefit those suffering and forgotten. Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous I Have A Dream speech, which redirected the moral compass of the nation toward concern for the cause of justice. Even today his words continue to inspire us. Joining Doctor King at the March on Washington were other religious, civic and community leaders, among them Cardinal Patrick O’Boyle, Archbishop of Washington, who delivered the invocation, and many Roman Catholic priests, religious sisters and brothers and lay faithful.

Fifty years later, we cannot deny the wide spectrum of advancement in many realms of society. We laud the fact that in our country there is more racial and cultural diversity among the leadership in both the public and private sectors. Many more doors of opportunity are open and certain legal remedies are in place. These benefits have allowed members of minority racial groups in our country to advance, and to offer more fully the benefits of their gifts and talents in efforts to work toward the common good for all in our country. The March on Washington and the struggle for Civil Rights have brought about significant accomplishments in the past 50 years.

However, the Dream of Doctor King and all who marched and worked with him has not yet fully become a reality for many in our country. While we cannot deny the change that has taken place, there remains much to be accomplished. The US Catholic Bishops in their 1979 Pastoral Letter on racism entitled Brothers and Sisters to Us state: But neither can it be denied that too often what has happened has only been a covering over, not a fundamental change. Today the sense of urgency has yielded to an apparent acceptance of the status quo. The climate of crisis engendered by demonstrations, protests, and confrontation has given way to a mood of indifference, and other issues occupy our attention. These words continue to ring true at this current point in history. Further, the African American Catholic Bishops reminded us in their 1984 Pastoral Letter on Evangelization entitled What We Have Seen and Heard that the cause of justice and social concerns are an essential part of evangelization. We must never allow other issues to eclipse our belief in the fundamental human dignity of each and every person, and our responsibility to build up and to transform society in the manner in which the gospel message of Jesus Christ clearly makes evident to us.

Marking this 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, we join our voices to those who call for and foster continued dialogue and non-violence among people of different races and cultures, and who work tirelessly for the transformative, constructive actions that are always the fruit of such authentic dialogue. We rejoice in the advances that have occurred over the past 50 years, and sadly acknowledge that much today remains to be accomplished. However, we must always view the task that remains from the perspective of the continued call to hope and in the light of faith. Doctor King once stated, We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. Those who participated 50 years ago in the March on Washington rooted themselves in infinite hope. Pope Francis wrote in LumenFidei: Faith teaches us to see that every man and woman represents a blessing for me, that the light of God’s face shines on me through the faces of my brothers and sisters. We also must join with one another rooted in infinite hope and, in light of what faith teaches, work to advance and fulfill the dream. We join the call for positive action that seeks to end poverty, increase jobs, eliminate racial and class inequality, ensure voting rights, and that provides fair and just opportunities for all.

In Christ,

Most Reverend Daniel E. Flores
Bishop of Brownsville
Chairman, Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church

Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre
Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of New Orleans
Chairman, Subcommittee on African American Affairs

Most Reverend Gerald Barnes
Bishop of San Bernardino
Chairman, Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs

Most Reverend Randolph Calvo
Bishop of Reno
Chairman, Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs

Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput O.F.M. Cap,
Archbishop of Philadelphia
Chairman, Subcommittee on Native American Affairs

Most Reverend Rutilio Del Riego
Auxiliary Bishop, Diocese of San Bernardino
Chairman, Subcommittee on the Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers

With gratitude

Following his return to Rome from the celebrations of the XXVIII World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis sent a letter of gratitude to Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, the Archbishop of Aparecida, and President of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference in which he expressed his gratitude for the affection and welcome he received on the occasion of his pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Virgin of Aparecida.

His Holiness also wrote a letter to the governor of the region of Rio de Janeiro, dated August 2, in which he thanked the civil authorities for the welcome he received.  The letter, sent to Governor Sergio Cabral, was published this past Sunday in the O Estado de Sao Paolo newspaper.

Governor Cabral commented on the Holy Father's letter, saying that the letter from His Holiness has moved us all.

The Supreme Pontiff expressed his sincere gratitude for the welcome he received during his stay in Rio and for the work of all the sectors of the Federal Government and the State who worked tirelessly to guarantee the good development of my visit.

He also expressed his gratitude for having met the citizens at the Palace of Guanabara, the seat of the State government of Rio de Janeiro on the evening of his arrival.

The Pope assured his prayers for the success of all the initiatives of the government in favor of the common good of the citizens of Rio, in particular for their public safety:  I wish the most abundant blessing of God and ask that you please pray for me, were the words with which he concluded his letter.

Reward for your labour

Today, we celebrated the funeral of a lady who was truly an example of faith to many.  Here is the homily prepared for our gathering.

Funeral homily for Gertrude Nadon

This community of disciples is assembled here today to pray our dear sister Gertrude into eternity.  After 97 years of life here on this earth, she is finally at Home, in company with her beloved husband Ross and all those who have preceded her on the journey to heaven.  This is a celebration of joy and of faith because we believe that the reward of all our labours, arrival in our heavenly homeland, is granted to Gert today.  Even as we celebrate this milestone in her life, we are also united in the grief being experienced by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, because she will no longer walk among us, talk with us, and share her special love with us on this earth.

Faith was a very important element in the life of this lady, and so it is fitting that we should bring her home to this place of prayer.  Inspired by the words of scripture which we have heard this morning, I’d like to reflect a bit on our God’s invitation, issued to Gert: come, receive the reward prepared for all the faithful.

Saint Matthew recounts Jesus’ advice given to the disciples about the criteria by which we shall all be judged on the day we see our God face to face.  This teaching, like so many others which Jesus gave, begins with an invitation: Come, you whom my Father has blessed …  Gert was well known in this city, especially to those who frequented the Rosebud and Fiddler’s Green.  In their day, these were the gathering places, the watering holes where the locals would congregate, for a Sunday breakfast or brunch, for an evening of entertainment, for a casual snack or for a family dinner.  How many hungry mouths were fed and watered there?  How many strangers were welcomed, thanks to Gert’s commitment and love?  From what I’ve been told, I believe that Gert was always willing to help someone in need, but she didn’t stand for any nonsense either.  The strength of character that made all of this possible came in no small part from her faith, from her commitment and belief in the words of Jesus which command us to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to welcome the stranger, to clothe those who are naked and to be present to those in need.  Now, it’s Gert’s turn to hear these words spoken to her: Come … take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you.

We who are here in this church today are mere mortals.  Today, we gather in the presence of the immortal, to give thanks for the life of this great lady.  Today we receive the gift of a special food, distributed from a table around which we are all invited to gather.  Today, we watch with the eyes of faith, trusting that Gert’s soul, like all the souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, taken to a place where no torment of any kind shall ever touch her again (Wis 3:1).  This is the reward promised to all of those who are the children of God.  This reward is also promised to each of us.  I’m sure that at times, some of us might feel that we are the least of those who should be rewarded in this way.  Human beings are often much more aware of our shortcomings, and our weaknesses than we are of God’s abiding love for us.  I wonder if Gert ever doubted.  I wonder if she ever questioned.  I wonder what prayers she uttered on the days when she might have found it most difficult to believe that God is always close to us, loving us, waiting for us, wanting to reward us with the gift of everlasting life, and the full knowledge of a love that surpasses every trial we may ever have known.

Dear friends, this reward of life eternal is prepared for all of us.  Even on the days when we must face the greatest of challenges, the Lord never leaves us alone.  He knows our afflictions and our poverty (Rev 2:8), our sufferings and our persecutions, but he asks us only to be faithful to him, even to the point of death.  Jesus himself modeled for us the faithfulness he asks us to live, by giving himself out of love for us, even to the point of suffering death on a cross.  Then, as now, physical death did not have the last word.  Instead, physical death is the gateway to eternal life, the ultimate crown of victory (Rev 2:10).  Let us give thanks today for the crown that is entrusted to our sister, and let us all be resolved to imitate her in striving always to come to the Lord, ready to serve him in faith and trusting in the reward that awaits us.

Monks pray for release

Prayers and fasting are being held in the Monastery of Saint Moses the Ethiopian in Syria for kidnapped Jesuit Father Paolo Dall’Oglio.

Father Dall’Oglio, an Italian priest who has worked in Syria for the past 30 years, was kidnapped in July of this year by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, a militant rebel group that has ties to Al-Qaeda.

During a Mass on the Feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Pope Francis expressed his concern for Fr. Dall’Oglio during his homily, saying that he was thinking of our brother in Syria.

The head of the Syrian Catholic Rite monastic community, Father Jacques Mourad, spoke with the Fides News Agency on the day of prayer and fasting. The abduction of Father Dall’Oglio has deeply affected the community which was re-founded by the Jesuit priest in 1982. The monastery currently houses 10 monks.

On August 27^th, the eve of the Feast of Saint Moses the Ethiopian, an annual celebration for our community and our monastery, we monks live a special day of fasting, meditation and prayer, also attended by faithful Christians and Muslims, Father Mourad said.

We will offer our prayer in particular to ask God for the protection and liberation of our confrere, Father Paolo. We do not know who kidnapped him and we have no news of him. We live these hours with sadness and trepidation. We are concerned but live in hope. We ask all the faithful throughout the world to join our fasting and our prayer, and we launch an appeal for his release.

The Syrian Catholic priest also called for peace in his beloved Syria which he said was torn by war. Father Mourad expressed his hope that dialogue may begin as well as an era of reconciliation for the Syrian people.