Communicating for a culture of encounter

Today the Vatican Press Office released the theme chosen by the Holy Father, Pope Francis for the 48th World Day of Social Communications which will be celebrated next year.

Communication at the service of an authentic culture of encounter

The capacity to communicate is at the heart of what it means to be human. It is in and through our communication that we are able to meet and encounter at a meaningful level other people, express who we are, what we think and believe, how we wish to live and, perhaps more importantly, to come to know those with whom we are called to live. Such communication calls for honesty, mutual respect and a commitment to learn from each other.

It requires a capacity to know how to dialogue respectfully with the truth of others. It is often what might be perceived initially as difference in the other that reveals the richness of our humanity. It is the discovery of the other that enables us to learn the truth of who we are ourselves.

In our modern era, a new culture is developing advanced by technology, and communication is in a sense amplified and continuous. We are called to rediscover, through the means of social communication as well as by personal contact, the beauty that is at the heart of our existence and journey, the beauty of faith and of the beauty of the encounter with Christ. (Address of Pope Francis to participants at the Plenary Assembly of thePontifical Council for Social Communications, 21 September 2013). In this context, each one of us should accept the challenge to be authentic by witnessing to values, Christian identity, cultural experiences, expressed with a new language and shared with others.

Our ability to communicate, reflected in our participation in the creative, communicative and unifying Trinitarian Love, is a gift which allows us to grow in personal relationships, which are a blessing in our lives, and to find in dialogue a response to those divisions that create tensions within communities and between nations.

The age of globalization is making communication possible even in the most remote parts of the world, but it is also important to use modern technologies and social networks in such a way as to reveal a presence that listens, converses and encourages, (Address of Pope Francis to participants at the PlenaryAssembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, 21 September 2013), so that nobody is excluded.

The Message for World Communications Day 2014 will explore the potential of communication, especially in a networked and connected world, to bring people closer to each other and to co-operate in the task of building a more just world.

World Communications Day, the only worldwide celebration called for by the Second Vatican Council (Inter Mirifica, 1963), is celebrated in most countries, on the recommendation of the bishops of the world, on the Sunday before Pentecost (June 1^st in 2014).

The Holy Father’s message for World Communications Day is traditionally published in conjunction with the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers (January 24).

The date has been set

 Ever since the flight back from Rio de Janeiro to Rome this summer, when the Holy Father, Pope Francis was asked by journalists about the plans for the Canonization of his predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, speculations have been circling about the date when the first Polish Pope would be raised to the level of Sainthood.

Aboard the flight, Pope Francis explained to the journalists that there was originally a hope that the Canonization could take place later this year, but there was also a worry that those who would want to be in Rome for this occasion - from Poland and from other parts of the world - would not be able to travel if the ceremony were to take place during the winter months. Consequently, thought was being given to other dates which might be more conducive.

For the past month or so, we have known that on this day, the Holy Father would hold a Consistory (in this case, a special meeting of Cardinals resident in Rome) during which the date for the Canonization of two of Pope Francis' predecessors would be announced.

This morning, at 10:00am local time in Rome, in the Consistory Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, during the recitation of the liturgical prayer of Terce (mid-morning prayer), the Holy Father, Pope Francis conducted the Ordinary Public Consistory for the Canonization of Blessed John XXIII, Pope; and Blessed John Paul II, Pope.

During the course of the Consistory, the Holy Father decreed that Blessed John XXIII (baptized Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli), and Blessed John Paul II (baptized Karol Wojtyla) will be inscribed in the register of Saints on Sunday, 27 April 2014, the Second Sunday of Easter, otherwise known as Divine Mercy Sunday.

A word of thanks

At the conclusion of the Mass celebrated in Saint Peter's Square for the Day of Catechists, His Excellency, Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization offered a few words of greeting to the Holy Father on behalf of the catechists.

Then the Holy Father led the recitation of the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims who were present in Saint Peter's Square.

Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis

prior to the recitation of the Angelus

(In Italian)

Dear brothers and sisters,

Before concluding this celebration, I want to greet you all and to thank you for your participation, especially the catechists who have come from so many parts of the world.

I greet most especially my brother, His Beatitude Youhanna X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and of all the East.  His presence invites us to pray once more for peace in Syria and in the Middle East.

I greet the pilgrims who have come from Assisi on horseback, as well as the Italian Alpini club who are celebrating 150 years of their existence.

(In Spanish)

I affectionately greet the pilgrims from Nicaragua, remembering that the pastors and faithful of that beloved nation are joyfully celebrating the centenary of the canonical foundation of their ecclesiastical province.

(In Italian)

With joy, we remember that yesterday in Croatia, Miroslav Bulesic, a diocesan priest who died a martyr's death in 1947 was Beatified.  We prais the Lord who gives the helpless the strength of outstanding witness.

We now call upon the Virgin Mary with the words of the Angelus.

You never know

Here is the reflection that I shared with those who came to pray with us this weekend.  It's based on the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, told in this Sunday's gospel.

Lessons from Lazarus

I received an email from one of the teachers at Saint Joseph-Scollard Hall a few weeks back.  She wanted to know whether I would share a bit of my vocation story with the students during the day-long retreat that they lived at Saint Peter’s on Friday of this past week.  There was only one stipulation, it had to be short – I was given 10 minutes.  The thing about gatherings like that is that you never know who’s listening, and you never know if the story that is recounted will mesh with the stories of their lives.

Less than an hour after I had completed my talk, one of the youth who was present came to knock at the door of my office.  He told me that my talk had really struck a chord with him.  He told me that his mother and father were separated and that he had had more than his fair share of challenges as a child.  He had also faced many demons, and only after having come to a certain peace with these challenges was he able to see life with a renewed clarity.  Even as a 14-year-old, this young man has already seen much more of life than many others his age.

As he spoke, the image of Lazarus, recounted by Jesus in the gospel today, came to life.  Lazarus too had seen much more of life than many his age.  Life had not been as kind to him as it had been to many others, but sometimes the school of hard knocks has a way of imparting wisdom.  I don’t believe that my young friend has ever been subjected to the life of begging on the street, but he certainly knows what it’s like to be turned away by others who appear to have received many good things in this life, and so his words carry a different weight because they speak of a truth that has been lived.

How many Lazarus’ are there in our world today?  How many times have we turned a blind eye to them?  Lazarus is the person on the street corner who holds a tin cup and asks for spare change.  Lazarus is the person struggling with addiction, whether he recognizes it or not.  Lazarus is the child from a broken home who has suffered at the hands of the ones he thought he trusted the most.  Lazarus is the person next door who lives with a hidden secret which he dares not speak for fear of being ostracised or judged.  Lazarus is you and me in our weakness when we strip away all the masks behind which we hide.

Then there is the rich man: the one who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.  This man too is you and me.  This man too is alive and well in our society, each time that we become too closed in upon our own wants and desires.  The truth of the matter is that this man probably didn’t even realize what he was doing, because he had never known the sufferings of poverty.  When we have been privileged enough to know great fortune, there is always a risk that we will become closed in upon ourselves, comfortable in our surroundings, yet Jesus challenged the Pharisees to go beyond the peripheries of worldly comforts, to realize that those who suffer in our world have the special gift of being able to show us the face of a tender, merciful and loving God.

In today’s first reading, the prophet Amos warns against the danger of becoming too comfortable in our own surroundings, and Paul cautions Timothy in the second reading to realize that he is a man of God, called to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.  In modern-day parlance, Paul would call Timothy to go beyond the periphery of his own comfort zone, to be brave enough to recognize those in his midst who struggle because of challenges which are sometimes unapparent to the naked eye, but which make our brothers and sisters weak, vulnerable and in need of our help.

Here around the table of the Eucharist, there is room for everyone, and that’s a good thing because whether we want to admit it or not, there are traits within all of us which are portrayed both in the rich man of today’s gospel, and in Lazarus.  Before it’s too late, let’s acknowledge this truth.  Let’s dare to be vulnerable enough with one another to admit our own poverty, and to recognize our riches.  Most of all, let’s ask God to give us the eyes of mercy that are able to look upon the world, to acknowledge those who are sitting at our gates and asking for our help, and let’s ask him for the courage to respond to their calls in love and faith.

At Mass with the catechists

At 10:30 this morning in Saint Peter's Square in Rome, the Holy Father, Pope Francis celebrated the Mass for the Day of Catechists, part of the celebrations of the Year of Faith.  There were more than six hundred priests in attendance, concelebratng the Mass today.

Also in attendance at the Eucharistic celebration was His Beatitude, Youhanna X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East.

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the Mass on the Day of Catechists

Woe to the complacent in Zion, to those who feel secure … lying upon beds of ivory! (Am 6:1,4). They eat, they drink, they sing, they play and they care nothing about other people’s troubles.

These are harsh words which the prophet Amos speaks, yet they warn us about a danger that all of us face. What is it that this messenger of God denounces; what does he want his contemporaries, and ourselves today, to realize? The danger of complacency, comfort, worldliness in our lifestyles and in our hearts, of making our well-being the most important thing in our lives. This was the case of the rich man in the Gospel, who dressed in fine garments and daily indulged in sumptuous banquets; this was what was important for him. And the poor man at his doorstep who had nothing to relieve his hunger? That was none of his business, it didn’t concern him. Whenever material things, money, worldliness, become the centre of our lives, they take hold of us, they possess us; we lose our very identity as human beings. Think of it: the rich man in the Gospel has no name, he is simply a rich man. Material things, his possessions, are his face; he has nothing else.

Let’s try to think: How does something like this happen? How do some people, perhaps ourselves included, end up becoming self-absorbed and finding security in material things which ultimately rob us of our face, our human face? This is what happens when we become complacent, when we no longer remember God. Woe to the complacent in Zion, says the prophet. If we don’t think about God, everything ends up flat, everything ends up being about me and my own comfort. Life, the world, other people, all of these become unreal, they no longer matter, everything boils down to one thing: having. When we no longer remember God, we too become unreal, we too become empty; like the rich man in the Gospel, we no longer have a face! Those who run after nothing become nothing – as another great prophet Jeremiah, observed (cf. Jer 2:5). We are made in God’s image and likeness, not the image and likeness of material objects, of idols!

So, as I look out at you, I think: Who are catechists? They are people who keep the memory of God alive; they keep it alive in themselves and they are able to revive it in others. This is something beautiful: to remember God, like the Virgin Mary, who sees God’s wondrous works in her life but doesn’t think about honour, prestige or wealth; she doesn’t become self-absorbed. Instead, after receiving the message of the angel and conceiving the Son of God, what does she do? She sets out, she goes to assist her elderly kinswoman Elizabeth, who was also pregnant. And the first thing she does upon meeting Elizabeth is to recall God’s work, God’s fidelity, in her own life, in the history of her people, in our history: My soul magnifies the Lord … For he has looked on the lowliness of his servant … His mercy is from generation to generation (Lk 1:46, 48, 50). Mary remembers God.

This canticle of Mary also contains the remembrance of her personal history, God’s history with her, her own experience of faith. And this is true too for each one of us and for every Christian: faith contains our own memory of God’s history with us, the memory of our encountering God who always takes the first step, who creates, saves and transforms us. Faith is remembrance of his word which warms our heart, and of his saving work which gives life, purifies us, cares for and nourishes us. A catechist is a Christian who puts this remembrance at the service of proclamation, not to seem important, not to talk about himself or herself, but to talk about God, about his love and his fidelity. To talk about and to pass down all that God has revealed, his teaching in its totality, neither trimming it down nor adding on to it.

Saint Paul recommends one thing in particular to his disciple and co-worker Timothy: Remember, remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, whom I proclaim and for whom I suffer (cf. 2 Tim 2:8-9). The Apostle can say this because he too remembered Christ, who called him when he was persecuting Christians, who touched him and transformed him by his grace.

The catechist, then, is a Christian who is mindful of God, who is guided by the memory of God in his or her entire life and who is able to awaken that memory in the hearts of others. This is not easy! It engages our entire existence! What is the Catechism itself, if not the memory of God, the memory of his works in history and his drawing near to us in Christ present in his word, in the sacraments, in his Church, in his love? Dear catechists, I ask you: Are we in fact the memory of God? Are we really like sentinels who awaken in others the memory of God which warms the heart?

Woe to the complacent in Zion! says the prophet. What must we do in order not to be complacent – people who find their security in themselves and in material things – but men and woman of the memory of God? In the second reading, Saint Paul, once more writing to Timothy, gives some indications which can also be guideposts for us in our work as catechists: pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness (cf. 1 Tim 6:11).

Catechists are men and women of the memory of God if they have a constant, living relationship with him and with their neighbour; if they are men and women of faith who truly trust in God and put their security in him; if they are men and women of charity, love, who see others as brothers and sisters; if they are men and women of "hypomoné", endurance and perseverance, able to face difficulties, trials and failures with serenity and hope in the Lord; if they are gentle, capable of understanding and mercy.

Let us ask the Lord that we may all be men and women who keep the memory of God alive in ourselves, and are able to awaken it in the hearts of others. Amen.

Remain in his love

Here is the text of the homily I prepared for the wedding which was celebrated in our parish this weekend: a reflection on the divine gift of love and its power to help us live lives of praise and thanksgiving.

Wedding homily for Mark Cosgrove and Stacy Turcotte

Stacey and Mark, you have come into this church today in order to speak words to each other which will join you and your families in an unbreakable bond.  These words that you will speak won’t take very long to utter, but neither should their meaning be taken lightly.

The words: I love you, are sometimes uttered frivolously by some in our modern-day society, but they have a special meaning when they are uttered between a husband and wife. The true meaning of these simple words is only revealed with time, with patience and through shared experience.  The words: I love you, imply a certain understanding between the people who exchange them, a certain depth of knowledge which is shared when two people have come to know each other so well that they discover a progression from simple attraction to an understanding that one of you completes the other.

It’s interesting that Jesus uses the word love to describe the relationship between himself and his disciples: the people who he himself had chosen and called to follow him.  These were the ones who he had molded and taught.  Over the period of time they lived in each other’s company, they had no doubt developed a bond of friendship, a depth of concern and care for one another, even a love for one another.  Throughout the centuries which have passed since that time, Jesus has continued to call others to himself.  On the day when each of you was baptized, he welcomed you among his beloved.  From that day until this one, he as been present to you, at times when you were aware of it, and more importantly at times when you may have felt distant or alone.  Today, he unites the two of you in a special bond of love, and invites you always to remain in his love and in love with each other.

Christ’s love for us is not like the passing fancies of this world.  Some in our world spend their lives chasing after happiness, but seek happiness in the tangible and visible realities of this world alone.  The problem with this quest is that no earthly reality will ultimately be enough to satisfy our longing for love.  Only God’s love has the ability to take away our hunger for love.  In the union of a husband and wife, God gives visible and tangible signs of his love and devotion to us, so from this day forward, cherish the gift of your husband, cherish the gift of your wife, as a heaven-sent gift especially prepared for you.  Together, you will be able to face every tomorrow with hope and with the knowledge that someone is always ready to sing a love song not unlike the song which is chanted in the first reading you chose for today’s celebration.  Strive every day of your lives to echo this love song in the words you utter to each other, in the acts of kindness you reserve for one another and in the generosity with which you welcome friends, relatives and strangers who knock at your door.  Sometimes these will be seeking help; be willing always to share with them the warmth of love; sometimes they will be ready to share counsel and guidance; be always ready to greet such advice with gratitude.

In this way, you will be living signs of God’s love, of the new heaven and the new earth which God prepares for his beloved: a place where tears are wiped away tenderly from the cheeks of those who are broken and downtrodden, a place where special water from the well of life is freely offered to all those who thirst for justice, love and peace.

Meeting the catechists

Yesterday afternoon, at 5:00pm in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with participants in the International Congress for Catechists which is taking place in the Vatican from September 26-28.  The theme of this gathering, sponsored and organized as part of the Year of Faith festivities is The catechist: a witness to faith.

Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

to participants in the International Congress for Catechists

Dear catechists, good evening!

I am pleased to see that during the Year of Faith, this gathering is taking place: the catechist is a pillar for education in faith, and we need good catechists!  Thank you for this service to the Church and in the Church.  Even though at times it can be difficult, you work so hard, you are so involved and sometimes you do not see the desired results, educating in the faith is a beautiful thing!  It is perhaps the best inheritance that we can give: faith!  Educate others in the faith, because in so doing, you grow.  By helping children, young teenagers, young adults and grown adults to know and to love the Lord more and more is one of the most beautiful and educative adventures, through which we build the Church!  Be catechists!  Don't simply work as catechists: this isn't enough!  I work as a catechist because I love to teach ... but if you are not a catechist, you won't be able to work as one.  It will not bear fruit, it will be a worthless endeavour!  Catechism is a vocation: being a catechist is a vocation, not doing the work of a catechist.  Mind you, I did not say make catechists, but be catechists because this is a life choice.  It leads to an encounter with Jesus, with his word and with life, it calls us to be witnesses.  Remember what Benedict XVI said: The Church doesn't grow through proselytizing; it grows through attraction.  And that which attracts is the witness we give.  To be a catechist means to give testimony to the faith; to be consistent in your manner of life.  And this is not easy.  It is not easy!  We help one another, we guide each other toward the encounter with Jesus through our words and our lives, through our witness.  I like to recall some words which Saint Francis of Assisi used to say to his brothers: Preach the gospel at all times and, if necessary, use words too.  The words will come ... but first there must be a witness: so that people may see the gospel in our lives, so that they may read the gospel.  To be a catechist calls us to love, to always strive to love Christ more and more, to love his holy people.  And this love can't be won through negotiation, it can't be bought, not even here in Rome.  This love comes from Christ!  It is a gift from Christ!  It is a gift from Christ!  If it comes from Christ, it begins with Christ and we should begin anew in Christ, in the love that He gives.  What does it mean for a catechist to begin again in Christ, what does this mean for you, for me, because I too am a catechist?  What does this mean?

I will speak of three things: one, two and three, like the old Jesuits used to do ... one, two and three!

First of all, to begin in Christ means to be familiar with Him, to know Jesus: Jesus strongly urged his disciples at the Last Supper, when you desire to live the highest gift of love, you must look to the sacrifice of the cross.  Jesus uses the image of the vine and the branches and says: remain in my love, remain in me, as a branch is attached to the vine.  If we are united with him, we can bear fruit, and this is what it means to know Christ.  Remain in Jesus!  It means that we must cling to him, in him, with him, speaking with him: remain in Jesus.

The first requirement for a disciple is to be with the Master, to listen to him, to learn from him.  And this always true, it involves a journey that lasts a lifetime.  I remember, many times in dioceses, in other dioceses that I had before, having seen at the end of courses in seminary catechesis, catechists who would come out saying: I have the title of catechist!  That doesn't mean anything, those persons had nothing, they had walked a little way down the street!  Who will help you?  This is the real truth!  It's not a title, it's an attitude: to be with him, for your whole life!  And one who is in the presence of the Lord allows himself to be looked upon by him.  I ask you: How are you present to the Lord?  When you go to visit him, when you look toward the tabernacle, what are you doing?  Silently ... But I would say, say, think, meditate, feel ... Very good!  Do you allow yourself to be looked upon by the Lord?  To allow oneself to be looked upon by the Lord.  He looks and this is one way of praying.  Do you allow yourself to be looked upon by the Lord?  But how do we do this?  Look toward the tabernacle and allow yourself to be looked upon ... it's simple!  It's a bit boring, I fall asleep ... Sleep, sleep!  He will still look upon you, he will still look upon you.  Be sure that he looks upon you!  And this is much more important than the title of catechist: it is a part of being a catechist.  It warms the heart, it keeps the flame of friendship alight between us and the Lord, it helps us to feel that he is truly looking at us, he is close to us and he loves us.  In one of the outings I had here in Rome, during one of the Masses, a man once came close; he was relatively young and he said to me: Father, I'm pleased to meet you, but I don't believe in anything!  I don't have the gift of faith.  He understood that it was a gift.  I don't have the gift of faith!  What do you say to that?  I replied: Don't be discouraged.  He loves you.  Let him look upon you!  Nothing more.  And this I say to you: allow yourself to be looked upon by the Lord.  I understand that for you it might not be so simple: especially for those who are married and who have children, it's difficult to find a long enough period of peaceful time.  But, thank God, it's not necessary that we should all do things the same way; in the Church there is a variety of vocations and a variety of spiritual practices; the important thing is to find a way to be with the Lord; and this can be done, it's possible regardless of our state in life.  In this moment, all of us can ask ourselves: How do I live in this state of being with Jesus, how do I remain in Jesus?  Are there moments when I stay in his presence, in silence, when I allow myself to be looked upon by him?  Do I allow his fire to warm my heart?  If we don't have his warmth in our hearts, his love, his tenderness, how can we, poor sinners, warm the hearts of others?  Think about this!

The second element is this: to begin again from Christ means to imitate him in going outside ourselves and meeting the other.  This is a beautiful expression, it's a bit paradoxical.  Why?  Because it places truly at the centre of Christ's life, it puts us off-centre!  The more you are united to Jesus, and the more he becomes the centre of your life, the more he makes you go outside of yourself, the more he knocks you off-centre and opens you to the needs of others.  This is the true dynamism of love, this is the movement of God himself!  God is the centre, but it's always a matter of self giving, relationship, life that communicates ... We too become like this if we remain united to Christ, he causes us to enter into this dimension of love.  Where there is true life in Christ, there is always an openness toward the other, there is always a willingness to go outside of oneself in order to encounter the other in the name of Christ.  And this is the work of the catechist: to continually go outside of oneself in love, to witness to Jesus and to speak of Jesus, to preach Jesus.  This is important because the Lord does it: it is really the Lord who compels us to go out toward others.

The heart of a catechist always lives this movement of systolic - diastolic: union with Jesus - meeting with the other.  They are two things: I am united to Jesus and I go out to encounter others.  If one of these two movements is missing, the beating stops, it cannot live.  I receive the gift of the kerygma, and in turn, I offer it as a gift.  This little word: gift.  The catechist knows that he or she has received a gift, the gift of faith and it is given to others.  And this is beautiful.  It's not as though a certain percentage of the gift is kept back for oneself!  All that is received is given!  It's not a business!  It's not a business venture!  It is pure gift: gift received and gift transmitted.  The catechist is there, at this intersection of gifts.  It is the same with the nature of the kerygma: it is a gift that creates mission, that always pushes us beyond ourselves.  Saint Paul said: The love of Christ compels us, but this compels us can also be translated as possesses us.  In this way, love attracts you and invites you, takes you and gives you to others.  In this tension, the heart of a Christian is moulded, in particular the heart of the catechist.  Let us all ask ourselves: is this how my heart beats: in union with Jesus and with the encounter with another? With this systolic-diastolic movement?  Does it feed into a relationship with Christ, so that I may share him with others and not keep him for myself?  I want to tell you one thing: I don't understand how a catechist can remain committed without this movement.  I don't understand!

And the third element - three - still in the same line: to begin again from Christ means not being afraid to go with him to the periphery.  Here, I think of the story of Jonah, a really interesting character, especially for our times of change and of uncertainty.  Jonah is a pious man, living a quiet and ordinary life; this meant that he had all his plans clearly made; everything was in order.  He judged everyone and everything strictly according to these plans.  Everything is clear, he knows what is true.  He's rigid!  So when the Lord calls him and tells him to go and to preach in Nineveh, the great pagan city, Jonah doesn't listen.  Go there!  But I have all that I need right here!  He doesn't listen ... Nineveh is outside of his plans, it's on the periphery of his world.  So he runs away, he goes to Spain, he runs away, he boards a ship that goes there.  Go, read the book of Jonah!  It's short, but it's a very informative parable, especially for us who are in the Church.

What does it teach us?  It teaches us not to be afraid to go outside of our own plans in order to follow God, because God always goes outside of himself.  But do you know?  God is not afraid!  Did you know that?  He is not afraid!  He is always beyond our plans!  God is not afraid of the periphery.  But if you go to the periphery, you will find him there.  God is always faithful, he is always creative.  Please, a catechist who is not creative cannot be understood.  Creativity is the backbone of catechism.  God is creative, he is not closed in upon himself, therefore he is never rigid.  God is not rigid!  He welcomes, he comes to meet us, he understands.  To be faithful, to be creative, we must know how to change.  Know how to change.  Why must we change?  In order to adapt to the circumstances in which we must proclaim the gospel.  To remain with God, we have to know how to go out, we must never be afraid to go out.  If a catechist allows him or herself to be controlled by fear, he or she is a coward; if a catechist remains quiet, he or she ends up a statue in a museum: and there are so many who are like that!  There are so many!  Please, don't be a statue in a museum!  If a catechist is rigid, he or she becomes wrinkled and sterile.  I ask you: does anyone among you want to be wrinkled, a statue in a museum or sterile?  Does anyone want this?  (Catechists answer: No!) No? Are you sure?  Good!  What I say now, I have already said many times, but it comes from my heart  When we Christians are closed in on our little group, in on our movements, in on our parishes, in on our environments, we remain closed and something happens that occurs with everything that is closed up; when a room is closed, it begins to smell of stale moisture.  If a person is closed in that room, he will get sick!  When a Christian is closed in on his or her group, in on his or her parish, in on his or her movement, he or she is closed, and gets sick.  If a Christian goes out into the streets, to the peripheries, the same thing might happen to him or her that might happen to anyone who goes out into the street: there might be an accident.  Many times, I've seen accidents in the streets.  But I always say: I prefer a thousand Churches involved in accidents to a sick Church!  A Church, a catechist who has the courage to run the risk of going outside, and not a catechist who studies, knows everything, but who is always closed in: that one is sick.  Sometimes, he or she is sick in the head ...

But be careful!  Jesus is not saying: go, fix everything!  No, he's not saying that at all!  Jesus says: Go, I am with you!  This is our beauty and our strength: if we go, if we go outside of ourselves to proclaim the gospel with love, with true apostolic spirit, with clarity, he walks with us, he goes ahead of us, - In Spanish, they say - he precedes (ci primerea).  The Lord always goes ahead of us!  By now, you have learned the meaning of this word.  The bible says it, it's not my word.  The bible says, the Lord says in the bible: I am like the flower of the almond tree.  Why?  Because it is the first flower that blooms in Spring.  It is always primero.  This is fundamental for us: God always precedes us!  When we think about going far away, to an far-off periphery, it's natural for us to be a bit timid.  In truth, God is already there: Jesus waits for us there with the heart of a brother, in its wounded flesh, in its oppressed life, in its faithless soul.  Do you know that one of the peripheries that causes me pain, that is just painful - I saw it in the dioceses that I had before?  It's the state of children who don't know how to make the Sign of the Cross.  In Buenos Aires there are so many children who don't know how to make the Sign of the Cross.  This is a periphery!  You must go there!  And Jesus is there, he waits for you, to help these children to make the Sign of the Cross.  He always goes ahead of us.

Dear catechists, the three points are finished.  Always begin again from Christ!  I want to thank you for what you do, but above all because you are part of the Church, among the People of God on the journey, because you journey with the People of God.  Remain with Christ - remain in Christ - seek always to be at one with him; follow him, imitate him in his loving movements, in his willingness to meet with humanity, and let us go out, let us open the door, we must be bold enough to chart new paths for the proclamation of the gospel.

May the Lord bless you and the Madonna accompany you.  Thank you!
Mary is our Mother, Mary always leads us to Jesus!
Let us pray for one another, let us ask the Madonna to pray with us.

Hail Mary ...
Blessing ...

Thank you very much!

Vatican at the United Nations

Yesterday, there was a High Level meeting held at the United Nations in New York.  Invited to participate at this encounter were all member states of the General Assembly on Nuclear Disarmament ... at the highest political level.

During the 67th session of the UN General Assembly, held on 13 May 2013, it was agreed that this High Level meeting on nuclear disarmament would take place during the 68th session:

Resolution A/RES/67/39In deciding to hold a High-Level meeting, Member States emphasized the importance of seeking a safer world for all and achieving peace and security in a world without nuclear weapons.  Convinced that nuclear disarmament and the complete elimination of nuclear weapons are essential to remove the danger of nuclear war, the General Assembly recalled the resolve by Heads of State and Government, as contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, to strive for the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, and to keep all options open for achieving this aim, including the possibility of convening an international conference to identify ways of eliminating nuclear dangers.

The Holy See enjoys Permanent Observer status at the United Nations and thus was invited to be present at this meeting as well.  Representing the Holy Father, Pope Francis, was His Excellency, Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.  The text of Archbishop Mamberti's comments is posted this morning on the Vatican website, and is re-printed below as well.

Intervention of His Excellency, Dominique Mamberti

Vatican Secretary for Relations with States

Mr. President,

The General Assembly resolution calling for today's High-Level meeting on Nuclear Disarmament expressed the common conviction that the complete elimination of nuclear weapons is essential to remove the danger of nuclear war, a goal that must have our highest priority.  The Holy See, which has long called for the banishment of these weapons of mass destruction, joins in this concerted effort to give vigorous expression to the cry of humanity to be freed from the spectre of nuclear warfare.

Under the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, states are enjoined to make good faith efforts to negotiate the elimination of nuclear weapons.  Can we say there is good faith when modernization programs of the nuclear weapons states continue despite their affirmations of eventual nuclear disarmament?  Concern over the proliferation of nuclear weapons into other countries ring hollow as long as the nuclear weapons states hold on to their nuclear weapons.  If today's special meeting is to have any historic significance, it must result in a meaningful commitment by the nuclear weapons states to divest themselves of their nuclear weapons.

• Opening remarks of UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon

Five years ago, the Secretary-General offered a Five-Point Plan for Nuclear Disarmament.  It is past time for this plan to be given the serious attention it deserves.  The centre-piece is the negotiation of a Nuclear Weapons Convention or a framework of instruments leading directly to a global ban on nuclear weapons. This is a clear-cut goal, fully understandable and supportable by all those who truly want the world to move beyond the dark doctrines of mutual assured destruction.

It is now imperative for us to address in a systematic and coherent manner the legal, political and technical requisites for a world free from nuclear arms.  For this reason, we should begin as soon as possible, preparatory work on the Convention or a framework agreement for a phased and verifiable elimination of nuclear arms.

The chief obstacle to starting this work is continued adherence to the doctrine of nuclear deterrence.  With the end of the Cold War, the time for the acceptance of this doctrine is long passed.  The Holy See does not countenance the continuation of nuclear deterrence, since it is evident that it is driving the development of ever newer nuclear arms, thus preventing genuine nuclear disarmament.

For many years, the world has been told that a number of steps will lead eventually to nuclear disarmament.  Such argumentation is belied by the extraordinary nature of today's meeting, which surely would not have been called if they steps were working.  They are not.  It is the military doctrine of nuclear deterrence, politically supported by the nuclear weapons states, that must be addressed in order to break the chain of dependence on deterrence.  Starting work on a global approach to providing security without relying on nuclear deterrence is urgent.

We cannot justify the continuation of a permanent nuclear deterrence policy, given the loss of human, financial and material resources in times of scarcity of funds for health, education and social services around the world and in the face of current threats to human security, such as poverty, climate change, terrorism and transnational crimes.  All this should make us consider the ethical dimension and the moral legitimacy of the production, processing, development, accumulation, use and threat of use of nuclear arms.  We must emphasize anew that military doctrines based on nuclear arms, as instruments of security and defense of an elite group, in a show of power and supremacy, retard and jeopardize the process of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

It is time to counter the logic of fear with the ethic of responsibility, fostering a climate of trust and sincere dialogue, capable of promoting a culture of peace, founded on the primacy of law and the common good, through a coherent and responsible cooperation between all members of the international community.

Thank you, Mister President

Celebrating 50 years

In a press conference today at the Holy See Press Office, Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, presented the plans for a special celebration of the 50th anniversary of Blessed John XXIII’s encyclical Pacem in Terris. Also present at the media briefing was Bishop Mario Toso and Doctor Vittorio Alberti, respectively Secretary and Official of the same dicastery.

Cardinal Turkson confirmed during the presentation that the goal of the celebration, which will take place from October 2nd-4th, was to verify the translation of the Encyclical through the  practice of its fundamental teachings in the field of human rights, the overall common good, in politics, and the fields in which the peaceful coexistence among peoples and nations is played out.

•  The original texts (in Italian) of the interventions offered by Cardinal Turkson, Archbishop Toso and Doctor Alberti can be found on the Vatican website.

The President of the Pontifical Council outlined three major aspects of the celebrations, the first one regarding the question of political institutions and global politics in light of the encyclical.  Already fifty years ago, for that matter, with clarity and clear foresight, Pacem in Terris noted the inadequacy of nation-states with respect to the realization of the universal common good. In order to confront this type of problem, the Cardinal stated that it was necessary to begin examining the theme of reform for one of the largest global institutions: the United Nations.

The gathering will also look into the new frontiers of peace which the Cardinal described as the second intricate knot that the Pontifical Council would like to submit for reflection.

The updating of the contents of Pacem in Terris with reference to the res novae, or political changes, is due in part to the consideration that the game is played today in fields significantly different from those of fifty years ago, a time when the conflict was not always only latent, it was embodied essentially in opposition to the two blocks involved in the Cold War.

Finally, the celebration will also concentrate on the educational aspects of the Encyclical, an aspect that is particularly at the heart of the Church and has, among its principal missions, the formation of consciences. Cardinal Turkson stated that some 60 rectors and professors, representing various pontifical and catholic universities from 5 continents will discuss these crucial questions in-depth, among them, the formation of new generations of Catholics who are involved in politics.

At the end of the conference, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi confirmed that the celebrations will conclude with an audience with Pope Francis, where it is expected that the he will discuss the relevance of Blessed John XXIII’s Encyclical in today’s political climate.

Speaking of Palestine

On 26 September 2013, the Bilateral Commission of the Holy See and the State of Palestine, which is working on a Global Agreement following on the Basic Agreement, which was signed on 15 February 2000, held a Plenary Session in the Vatican to acknowledge the work done at an informal level by the joint technical group following the last official meeting held in Ramallah at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine on 30 January 2013, and to plan future progress, with the aim of accelerating the concluding of the Agreement.

The talks were chaired by Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, Under-Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States, and by Ambassador Rawan Sulaiman, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Affairs of the State of Palestine.

The discussions took place in a cordial and constructive atmosphere. Taking up the issues already examined at an informal level, the Commission noted with great satisfaction the progress achieved in formulating the text of the Agreement, which deals with essential aspects of the life and activity of the Catholic Church in Palestine, and encouraged the efforts of the joint technical group, urging it to complete the discussions on the remaining parts of the text, the formulation of which is already at an advanced stage.

Both Parties agree that the joint technical group will continue its work in preparation for the next plenary meeting of the Bilateral Commission, planned for early 2014.

The members of the Delegation of the Holy See were:

1. Mgr Antoine Camilleri, Under-Secretary for Relations with States;

2. His Excellency Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine;

3. His Excellency Archbishop Antonio Franco, Apostolic Nuncio;

4. Mgr Maurizio Malvestiti, Under-Secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches;

5. Mgr Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag, Official of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State;

6. Fr Emil Salayta, Judicial Vicar of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

The members of the Palestinian Delegation were:

1. Ambassador Rawan Sulaiman, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Affairs;

2. Ambassador Issa Kassissieh, Representative of the State of Palestine to the Holy See;

3. Mr Ammar Hijazi, Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Affairs;

4. Mr Azem Bishara, Juridical Counsellor of the PLO;

5. Mr Ammar Nisnas, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Palestine to the Holy See.

Sent by Christ to the periphery

The bishops of Canada are in Cornwall, Ontario this week for their annual Plenary Assembly.  At the beginning of the week (Monday), the President of the CCCB addressed his brothers, in effect outlining in broad strokes the focus for their gathering.  His Excellency, Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton and President of the CCCB told his brother bishops Our Plenary Assembly this year will be largely shaped by the call of Pope Francis.

Address of His Excellency, Richard Smith

Archbishop of Edmonton

for the Plenary Assembly of the

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

My brother Bishops, guests, and members of our staff,

Introduction: Sent by Christ to the Periphery

On February 11th of this year, a photographer captured a lightning bolt striking the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The photograph immediately circulated around the globe. The event was widely seen as symbolic of the jolt given to the entire Church that same day by the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation from office. Few of us will forget that day. For eight years we had loved and followed him as our Holy Father, and were eyewitnesses and beneficiaries of an extraordinary papal magisterium. In Pope Benedict XVI both Church and world were blessed with a wonderfully gifted teacher, who in every letter, speech, message and homily of his Petrine ministry explained the faith in a manner at once intelligible and attractive. His personal qualities that lay beneath and gave shape to his ministry came undeniably to the fore in his act of resignation: humility, simplicity, courage and complete self-surrender for the good of the Church. Many members of our Conference participated in liturgical celebrations to give thanks to God for the gift of Benedict XVI, aware that, once again, God had blessed us with a giant of a Shepherd, and confident in the knowledge that the Pope’s legacy will continue to nurture the Church for many generations to come.

Shortly thereafter, the Church called out in prayer to the Holy Spirit to guide the choice of a new pontiff. In response we were struck by a different kind of bolt from the blue. I was in Saint Peter’s Square when the white smoke appeared. I can testify that the atmosphere was truly electric with the news that the Church had been given a new Successor of Saint Peter. The energy grew stronger when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was introduced to the world as Pope Francis. From that moment, and consistently ever since, he has summoned all of us to a ministry and mission that places at the centre of our concern all those whom society relegates to the peripheries. In the short time that has elapsed since his election, Pope Francis has had many occasions to speak. That which receives repeated emphasis throughout his messages is his heartfelt concern for all who live on the peripheria, the extremities of our society. Through his visits to youth in a Roman jail, to migrants on the Italian island of Lampedusa, or to the destitute of a Brazilian favela, the Holy Father is summoning the whole Church to be embraced by the energy of divine love and to allow its dynamism to send us forth anew on mission.

Our Plenary Assembly this year will be largely shaped by this call of Pope Francis. We shall consider the Canadian periphery from a variety of perspectives, and discern together how we are being called in our day and circumstances to be present with the good news of Christ’s fidelity and love. Our planning for this week has taken as its guide Pastores Gregis, chapter seven, entitled, The Bishop Before the Challenges of the Present. We shall give particular attention to the role of the Bishop in work for justice and charity, in interreligious dialogue aimed at world peace, and with respect to many civil, social and economic problems that confront us. The unifying thread throughout the week will be the concept of the peripheria as we attend to the following specific issues.

Solidarity with the People of the First Nations

For far too long the Aboriginal populations of our country have dwelt on the extremities not only of our land’s geography, but also of our nation’s consciousness. Even before our meeting formally began, Bishops gathered for a special forum on the needs of our First Nations brothers and sisters. This particular initiative began last year and will continue in the future. The Church has been with the people of the First Nations from the beginning, and continues to seek ways to stand in solidarity with them as they face current challenges. At the same time, our long association with our Native brothers and sisters has enabled us to appreciate the great gift they are to the Church and country. This received particular attention and emphasis with the canonization of Kateri Tekakwitha. Many members of our Conference traveled with their people on pilgrimage to Rome last October to witness this historic event. The conviction that so filled and united our hearts on that occasion remains with us still. In Saint Kateri, God has given us a model of inculturation and reconciliation that should guide our work together now and in the future. Her canonization coincided with the Synod on the New Evangelization, at which four members of our Conference gave interventions. The centrality of the person of Jesus in the life of Kateri beautifully underscored the emphasis given by the Synod to a personal encounter with Christ as foundational to the spread of the Gospel.

Protecting Life and Family

As the environment wherein such an encounter is fostered, nothing surpasses the family in importance. As the first school of holiness, the family provides an apprenticeship for the apostolate (cf. Apostolicam Actuositatem, 30, para. 2). Thus is a healthy family, living as a domestic Church, inseparable from effective evangelization. This is one of the principal reasons we as members of the Conference have proposed elements for the establishment over time of a national plan for life and family. In May we marked our first national week, and have agreed that this be an annual event. As Bishops we rejoice in the many families who are living their vocation with great joy, and thus serving to strengthen both the communion of the Church and the fabric of society. At the same time, we acknowledge with concern that God’s intention for the family is encountering in our day a variety of obstacles that tend to relegate the divine design to the margins of human consideration. These come not only from the trends in our country that presume to envision and implant a notion of family other than that written by God in the very constitution of the human person, but also from the increasingly diverse and negative influences that confront families on a daily basis, such as substance abuse, pornography and even domestic violence. Our responsibility as Bishops is to teach the beauty and wonder of life, marriage and family, and to draw near in support for any who are struggling. Therefore we have invited staff from the family life offices of the Archdioceses of Québec, Montreal and Toronto, as well as the Diocese of London to lead us in a session on the reality and needs of the contemporary family, so that our individual and collective pastoral planning will be based on the most up to date information.

The Ministry of Caritas

On the margins of our society, we continue to find the poor, the homeless, the unemployed, the addicted and the prisoner. Through the countless charitable actions of the people and institutions of our member Dioceses, the Church is present in loving service. Since our last Plenary Assembly, Pope Benedict XVI issued motu proprio his Apostolic Letter Intima Ecclesiae Natura on the Service of Charity. Following upon his teaching in Deus Caritas Est, the Pope in this letter reminded Bishops of the primary responsibility that is ours for the ministry of diakonia, and provided a particular legal framework for the ordering of the various organized ecclesial institutions dedicated to charity. As we know, emphasis is given in the letter to the responsibility and involvement of the local Bishop in his Diocese’s charitable ministries. In addition, however, it also directs attention to the role of the Episcopal Conference. This is made particularly clear in a subsequent letter this May from the President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, in which Cardinal Robert Sarah indicates some of the practical aspects for implementing the motu proprio. Consequently we shall be dedicating a day of our assembly to this question. To guide us in our reflections, we shall be pleased to welcome Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga and Mr. Michel Roy, respectively President and Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis. Their presentations on the presence and ministry exercised throughout the world by Caritas will provide the basis for our own discussions on the relationship of our Conference to the diakonia of charity within our own country.

Of course, our pastoral concern and service of love extends far beyond our national borders. For years we have worked through the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace and the Catholic Near East Welfare Association in service of our sisters and brothers in various peripheral situations throughout the world. Of most recent concern is the situation in the Middle East. In May of this year I joined on your behalf with the leaders of other Churches and ecclesial communities in Canada in signing a letter to the Prime Minister. This letter from the Canadian Council of Churches expressed our concern for the countless suffering people throughout the region, and asked for whatever action or pressure would be possible to help them. Most acute at the moment is the situation in Syria, and we have partnered with Development and Peace in response to the plight of the people there. Working in tandem with CNEWA and Jesuit Relief Services, Development and Peace will use funds raised in our national collection to support the work of sister Caritas agencies. As you know, when this financial campaign was launched last June the Bishops of Canada called for a national day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria to be held across our country on September 14th, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Since that time Pope Francis called for such a day to be held universally on September 7th, the vigil of the Birth of Mary, Queen of Peace. Thus have we been blessed recently with the opportunity to mark two days of prayer that, with the help of the intercession of Our Lady, the power of the Cross will bring to Syria and the entire Middle East a true and lasting peace. A session led by our Episcopal Commission responsible for ecclesial and interfaith relations will guide our discussion of what more might be done to promote better understanding in our dioceses, especially in view of how the Middle East crisis has affected relations among faith communities.

Upholding Religious Freedom

Hope for the beginning of a new and peace-filled life in the Middle East is buttressed by the story of the Church currently unfolding in Ukraine. Last month, I visited that country in the name of the Conference for an event of truly historic proportions. For generations, the Greek Catholic Church in that land lived not just on the peripheries but was actually forced underground. Until liberation in 1991, this Church lived and worshipped in the catacombs. Yet in August of this year, as they marked the 1025th anniversary of the baptism of the people of Kyivan-Rus’, their Major Archbishop, in the presence of thousands of clergy, religious and faithful from around the world, consecrated a magnificent new cathedral on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River. Appropriately, this wonderful new edifice has been named the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ. This event was testimony to the power of faithful witness. Through the resilience and fidelity of the Ukrainian people in the course of many years of tyranny and oppression, God has fashioned a new beginning full of hope.

As I mentioned to the Ukrainian Bishops when I addressed their Synod, I believe their example can serve as an inspiration to us in Canada. In admittedly different circumstances, the Church is needing to confront pressures in our own country which seek to relegate us to the margins. This is turning the question of the relationship of the Church to the periphery on its head. In virtue of our Gospel mandate, the Church willingly goes to people on the margins to affirm their dignity and foster their full inclusion in society. Yet as we go to the edge, many seek to keep us there, even push us over. The question of freedom of conscience and religion, and the contribution of the voice of the Church to the common good, was addressed in 2012 by the Permanent Council in the document dedicated to this topic. The concerns remain actual. Therefore, under the guidance of our Episcopal Commission for Doctrine, we shall once again give serious attention to this in the course of our plenary gathering. The trends we see are worrying, yes, but hardly surprising. For the Church faithful to her Lord, it was ever thus. The fidelity of our sisters and brothers in Ukraine and elsewhere in the face of their suffering encourages us to be faithful and steadfast, confident that the Lord will turn all to the good.

Anniversaries

Together with the attention we give to these many pastoral concerns, we shall also have occasion to mark in the course of our plenary some significant anniversaries. This year we mark the 50th anniversary of Pacem in Terris. We have asked our Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace to lead us in a reflection upon this document and its importance for us today. In 2013 we also have an anniversary of particular significance for the CCCB. Our Episcopal Conference was founded 70 years ago. We will mark this with a celebratory dinner to which our Past Presidents have been invited and at which two of them will share some memories and insights.

The Administration of the CCCB

Of course, the work of the Conference relies heavily upon a competent and efficient General Secretariat and support staff, working together in a financially sustainable manner. The last two years have seen an intensified effort at reorganizing the General Secretariat of the Conference. This has involved both cost reductions wherever necessary and new investments in areas hitherto neglected. For example, our annual payroll has been reduced by a net amount of more than $945,000.00. Over $250,000.00 was spent on upgrading our information technology, something that had not been done in fifteen years. These latter changes have made it possible for us to transmit up to the minute details to our dioceses concerning important events in the life of the Church. We are now able to broadcast important events in Rome on our website, thanks also to the collaboration of Salt and Light Television. As you know, it would be impossible for the Executive and Permanent Council to carry out our duties without the help of many people, especially the professionals who work for the Conference. On your behalf, I extend to them our heartfelt thanks for their dedication and hard work in providing support to all the Bishops of our country.

Conclusion

At World Youth Day in Brazil, more than 1000 Canadian delegates were part of an assembly of nearly four million that heard Pope Francis echo the call of our Lord to go forth and make disciples. In the context of that extraordinary event, he met with the Bishops of Brazil, and spoke of the need of countless people in the world today, specifically the need to be reached by the merciful gaze of Christ the Good Shepherd, whom we [as Bishops] are called to make present. Clearly, those same words could be addressed to us, as we consider the countless men, women and children of our own land who need to encounter and be given hope by the loving and merciful countenance of Jesus. May our time and deliberations together this week strengthen us in the fulfillment of our call to make Christ present and to announce, not only at the peripheries but also in every circumstance and at all levels of our society, the new life and hope that Jesus alone can give.

+ Richard W. Smith
Archbishop of Edmonton and
President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

23 September 2013