For the youth of Latin America

This afternoon, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the members of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.  This meeting took place in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the meeting with the members of the

Pontifical Commission for Latin America

Dear Brothers:

It fills me with joy to receive you today. I am grateful for the greeting that, on behalf of you all, Cardinal Marc Ouellet addressed to me, presenting me the outline of your works and the objectives that animate your labor.

In the wake of the World Youth Day celebration in Rio de Janeiro, you wished to focus your reflections on the millions of young people of Latin America and the Caribbean, who live in conditions of educational emergency and for whom the fundamental question is posed of the tradition of the faith.

The Church wishes to imitate Jesus in her approach to young people. She wishes to repeat to them that it is worthwhile to follow the example He gave us, an example of dedication, of service, of selfless love, of struggle for justice and truth. Holy Mother Church is convinced that the best Teacher of young people is Jesus Christ. She wishes to inculcate in them His same sentiments, thus showing them that it is lovely to live as he did, uprooting egoism and allowing oneself to be attracted by the beauty of goodness. One who knows Jesus profoundly, does not stay on the sofa. He engages in His lifestyle and becomes a missionary disciple of His Gospel, giving enthusiastic witness to his faith, not sparing sacrifices.

I have always been struck by Jesus’ encounter with the rich young man (cf. Luke 18:18-23). I think it is a lovely model which shows a living example of the Lord’s pedagogy. I will focus on three aspects of this account: how Jesus welcomes, listens and calls that young man to follow him.

The welcome: This is Jesus’ first gesture and it is also ours. It precedes any teaching or apostolic mission. Christ paused with that young man, looked at him with affection, with much love: it was the unconditional embrace of charity. The Lord puts Himself in each one’s situation, including that of those who reject Him. He does not pay them back with the same coin. To be close to young people in all the environments of their life: in school, in the family, at work, attentive to their needs and aspirations, not only the material things, but everything. Many go through grave problems. How can we not think of school failure, unemployment, loneliness and bitterness in fragmented families. They are difficult moments, which make them feel frustration and a lack of protection, which in turn makes them vulnerable to drugs, to loveless sex, to violence. We are asked not to abandon young people, not to leave them by the roadside. They are in great need of feeling appreciated, aware of their dignity, surrounded by affection, understood.

Then Jesus engaged in a frank and cordial dialogue with that young man. He listened to his anxieties and clarified them with the light of Sacred Scripture. Jesus did not begin with condemnation; He had no prejudices, he did not fall into the usual topics. In the same way, young people must feel at home in the Church. Not only must she open her doors to them, she must go out to look for them, being attuned to their claims and giving them room so that they feel they are heard. The Church is a Mother and cannot remain indifferent, but must know their concerns and take them to God’s heart.

And, finally, Jesus invited the young man to follow Him. Sell everything  …  and then come and follow Me (cf. Luke 18_22). These words have not lost their timeliness. Young people must hear them from us. They must hear that Jesus is not a character found in a novel, but a living person who wants to share their inalienable desire for life, for commitment, for dedication. If we content ourselves with giving them mere human consolation, we defraud them. It is important to offer them the best we have: Jesus Christ, His Gospel and with this a new horizon, which will make them face life with coherence, honesty and high-mindedness. They see the evils of the world and are not silent; they put their finger on the wound; they ask for a better world; they do not admit substitutes. They want to be protagonists of their present and builders of a future where there is no room for lies, corruption and lack of solidarity. The Church in Latin America cannot waste the treasure of her young people, with all their potential for the growth of society, with their great yearnings to forge a great family of brothers reconciled in love. Jesus goes out to meet our young people on that path, He calls them to His side and gives them strength, His Word, in which they can find inspiration to address the challenges that they face. They need to be friends of Christ, to become street-walkers of the faith, to take it to every corner, every Square, every corner of the earth (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 106). They need to feel the warmth of Holy Mother Church, both in welcoming them as well as in supporting them; and also the warmth of the other Mother, Jesus’ mother and our mother. When we walk holding on to her hand, our fear disappears and we learn to smile in a new way.

Dear brothers, young people await us. Let us not defraud them. I invite you to take up this challenge with determination. May the Christian communities of Latin America and the Caribbean be able to be the companions, teachers and mothers of each and every one of their young people. To educate and evangelize young people to be missionary disciples is an arduous and demanding task but a very urgent and necessary one. I tell you: it is worthwhile. Greet young people in my name and tell them that I ask them the favour of praying for me. May Jesus always be with you and bless you.

Visiting with seminarians

At 6:00pm today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis paid a visit to the Major Seminary of Rome, marking the Feast day of the Madonna of Trust.  Upon his arrival, the Pope was welcomed by the Cardinal Vicar for Rome, His Eminence, Agostino Vallini and by the Rector of the Seminary, Father Concetto Occhipinti.

Introduced by words of greeting offered by the Rector, the Holy Father met with the Seminarians of the Major Roman Seminary, the Minor Seminary, the Almo Collegio Capranica, the diocesan Redemptoris Mater Seminary and the Seminary of the Madonna of Divine Love.

Following this encounter, the Holy Father returned to the Vatican.

With Bishops of the Focolare Movement

At 12:15pm today, in the Sala Clementina at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the Bishop friends of Focolare.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the meeting with Bishop friends of Focolare

Dear Brothers, welcome!

This year the theme is The Mutual Love among Christ's Disciples, a topic that echoes the new commandment given by Jesus to his disciples. The opportunity of fraternal coexistence is a good thing, in which to share spiritual and pastoral experiences in the perspective of the charism of unity. As Bishops, you are called to bring to these meetings the full breadth of the Church, so that what you receive here is for the benefit of the whole Church.

Today’s society is in great need of the witness of a lifestyle that reveals the novelty given to us by the Lord Jesus: brothers who love one another also in their differences of character, of provenance, of age … This witness awakens the desire to be involved in the great parable of communion which is the Church. When a person perceives that reciprocity of love among the disciples of Christ is possible and is capable of transforming the quality of interpersonal relations, he feels called to discover and to rediscover Christ, opens himself to the encounter with Him, living and acting, and is motivated to go out of himself to go to others and to diffuse the hope he has received as a gift.

In the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, Blessed John Paul II wrote: To make the Church the home and the school of communion: that is the great challenge facing us in the millennium which is now beginning, if we wish to be faithful to God's plan and respond to the world's deepest yearnings. And he adds: Before making practical plans, we need to promote a spirituality of communion, making it the guiding principle of education wherever individuals and Christians are formed, wherever ministers of the altar, consecrated persons, and pastoral workers are trained, wherever families and communities are being built up (n. 43).

To make the Church a house and school of communion is truly essential for the efficacy of every commitment to evangelization, in as much as it reveals the profound desire of the Father: that all His children live as brothers; it reveals the will of the heart of Christ: that they may all be one (John 17:21); it reveals the dynamism of the Holy Spirit, his free and liberating force of attraction. To cultivate the spirituality of communion contributes, moreover, to make us more capable of living the ecumenical journey and inter-religious dialogue.

Dear Brothers, thank you for your visit! I hope that your meeting is a propitious occasion to grow in the spirit of collegiality, and to draw from your reciprocal love a motive of encouragement and renewed hope. May the Virgin Mary accompany you and support you in your ministry. I count on your prayers and assure you of mine. I bless all of you and the communities entrusted to you.

Audience on the Sacrament of the Sick

This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am in Saint Peter's Square.  The Holy Father, Pope Francis met there with groups of pilgrims and the faithful who had come from various parts of Italy and from every corner of the world.

During his catechesis, spoken in Italian, the Pope, continuing the cycle of teachings dedicated to the Sacraments, presented his mediation on the Anointing of the Sick.

After having delivered his catechesis, the teaching was summarized in various languages and the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group of pilgrims that was present.  He then made a special appeal for the cessation of violence and hostility in Venezuela.

The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.

Catechesis of His Holiness, Pope Francis

for the General Audience

Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!

Today I would like to speak to you about the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, which enables us to touch God's compassion for mankind with our own hands. In the past it was called Extreme Unction, because it was understood as spiritual comfort in the imminence of death. To speak, instead, of the Anointing of the Sick, helps us to widen our look at the experience of sickness and suffering, and at the horizon of God’s mercy.

There is a biblical icon that expresses in all its depth the mystery that shines in the Anointing of the Sick: it is the parable of the Good Samaritan, in Saint Luke’s Gospel (10:30-35). Every time we celebrate this Sacrament, the Lord Jesus, in the person of the priest, comes close to the one who suffers and is gravely ill or elderly. The parable says that the Good Samaritan takes care of the suffering man, pouring oil and wine on his wounds. Oil makes us think of the oil that is blessed every year by the Bishop during the Chrism Mass of Holy Thursday, precisely in view of the Anointing of the Sick. The wine, instead, is the sign of the love and grace of Christ that gushes forth from the gift of his life for us and is expressed in all its richness in the sacramental life of the Church. Finally, the suffering person is entrusted to an innkeeper, so that he can continue to take care of him, regardless of the associated expense. Now, who is this innkeeper? It is the Church, the Christian community; it is we to whom every day the Lord Jesus entrusts those who are afflicted, in body and spirit, so that we continue to pour on them, without measure, all his mercy and salvation.

This mandate is confirmed explicitly and precisely in the Letter of James, where he recommends: Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven (5:14-15). Therefore, it is a practice that was already being observed at the time of the Apostles. Jesus, in fact, taught his disciples to have the same attitude of compassion for the sick and suffering, and he transmitted to them the capacity and the task to continue to give freely, in his name and according to his heart, relief and peace through the special grace of this Sacrament. This, however, must not make us fall into the obsessive search for a miracle or into the presumption of being able to obtain healing always and in every case. But it is the assurance of the closeness of Jesus to the sick and also the elderly, because every elderly person, every person over the age of 65, can receive this Sacrament, through which Jesus Himself brings us closer.

But when there is a sick person, sometimes we think: let us call the priest so he will come; No, then he’ll bring bad luck, don’t call him, or perhaps then the sick person will be frightened. Why does one think this? Because there is a bit of this idea that after the priest comes the funeral home. And this isn’t true. The priest comes to help the sick or the elderly; this is the reason why the visit of the priest to the sick is so important. You need to call the priest and say: Come, give the anointing, bless him. It is Jesus Himself who comes to relieve the suffering of the sick, to give them strength, to give them hope, to help them, even to forgive them of their sins. And this is beautiful! And we shouldn't think that this is taboo, because it is always beautiful to know that in our moments of pain and sickness, we are not alone: the priest and those who are present during the Anointing of the Sick represent the whole Christian community that, like one body stands around those who suffer and around their relatives, nourishing faith and hope in them, and sustaining them with prayer and fraternal warmth. But the greatest comfort derives from the fact that it is the Lord Jesus Himself who is present in the Sacrament, who takes us by the hand; it is He who caresses us as he did with the sick and reminds us that now we belong to him and that nothing - not even evil or death - can separate us from Him. Let us develop a habit of calling the priest so that our sick - and I’m not speaking of those who are sick with the flu for three or four days, but those with a serious illness - and also our elderly, so that he may come and give them this Sacrament, this comfort, this strength of Jesus to go forward. Let us do this!

When this catechesis had been pronounced in its entirety, synopses of it were also spoken in various languages.  The Holy Father then greeted various groups of pilgrims who were present.  To English-speaking pilgrims, His Holiness said:

I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Denmark, Canada and the United States. I greet in particular the participants in the World Congress of SIGNIS and the pilgrimage group of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter from the United States. With affection I greet the alumni and friends of the Pontifical Canadian College on the 125th anniversary of the College’s establishment. Upon all present I invoke joy and peace in Christ our Lord!

At the end of the greetings offered to pilgrims in various languages, the Pope also issued a special appeal for Venezuelans who have been experiencing violence and hostilities in recent days.

I am following with particular concern what is happening these days in Venezuela. I hope profoundly that the violence and hostilities will cease as soon as possible and that the whole Venezuelan people, beginning with political and institutional leaders, will use the time to foster national reconciliation through mutual forgiveness and sincere dialogue, respectful of truth and of justice, capable of addressing concrete topics for the common good. While I assure my constant and fervid prayer, in particular for all those who lost their life in the clashes and for their families, I invite all believers to raise supplications to God, through the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Coromoto, so that the country will soon find peace and concord again.

Receiving the questionnaire

The Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops met on February 24 and 25 of this year to discuss the results of the questionnaire which had been sent to all dioceses across the world through the various Episcopal Conferences in November 2013 concerning various matters related to the family.

This meeting of the Council was presided over by the Holy Father, Pope Francis on the afternoon of Monday, February 24.  The Pope's presence demonstrated the importance that is attributed to the structure of the Synod as an expression of episcopal collegiality and to the theme of its next Extraordinary Assembly in 2014, and also to that of the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod which will take place in 2015.

The draft summary of the responses to the questionnaire received was unanimously appreciated. From it we can hear the voice of the Church in all its components and see the variety of contextual situations both with regard to the urgency of proclaiming the gospel of the family with new and fresh vigour, and the challenges and difficulties associated with family life and its potential crises.

The observations raised during this week's discussions will be used to elaborate the draft of the Instrumentum laboris (the working document) which will be used to guide the deliberations of the Synod.  It is important to bear in mind that this Instrumentum will be used to guide the discussions of both the Extraordinary Synod of 2014 and the Ordinary Synod of 2015.  Together, these deliberations will then inform the Holy Father's preparation of his Apostolic Exhortation.

Present for this meeting were the Relator General, His Eminence, Péter Cardinal Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest (Hungary); and the Special Secretary of the Synod, His Excellency, Bruno Forte, Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto (Italy).

While he was present for these meetings, the Holy Father, Pope Francis blessed the new wing of the headquarters, the chapel and the offices of the General Secretariat of the Synod.

For families

More than ever before, the Church has been particularly preoccupied with concern for families. During the first months of his pontificate, Pope Francis has spoken on many occasions about the importance of families.  During the recently completed Year of Faith, there was a special pilgrimage for families.  On February 14 of this year, the Holy Father met with engaged couples in Saint Peter's Square.  The subjects of family and marriage were among those considered in last week's Consistory, and preparations are underway for the upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting of the Synod of Bishops in October of this year.  The theme for that gathering will be The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the context of Evangelization.

Continuing the theme of pastoral concern for families, the Holy Father published yesterday a special letter addressed to families.

Letter of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

to families

Dear families,

With this letter, I wish, as it were, to come into your homes to speak about an event which will take place at the Vatican this coming October. It is the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is being convened to discuss the theme of pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization. Indeed, in our day the Church is called to proclaim the Gospel by confronting the new and urgent pastoral needs facing the family.

This important meeting will involve all the People of God – bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful of the particular Churches of the entire world – all of whom are actively participating in preparations for the meeting through practical suggestions and the crucial support of prayer. Such support on your part, dear families, is especially significant and more necessary than ever. This Synodal Assembly is dedicated in a special way to you, to your vocation and mission in the Church and in society; to the challenges of marriage, of family life, of the education of children; and the role of the family in the life of the Church. I ask you, therefore, to pray intensely to the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may illumine the Synodal Fathers and guide them in their important task. As you know, this Extraordinary Synodal Assembly will be followed a year later by the Ordinary Assembly, which will also have the family as its theme. In that context, there will also be the World Meeting of Families due to take place in Philadelphia in September 2015. May we all, then, pray together so that through these events the Church will undertake a true journey of discernment and adopt the necessary pastoral means to help families face their present challenges with the light and strength that comes from the Gospel.

I am writing this letter to you on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. The evangelist Luke tells us that the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, in keeping with the Law of Moses, took the Baby Jesus to the temple to offer him to the Lord, and that an elderly man and woman, Simeon and Anna, moved by the Holy Spirit, went to meet them and acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah (cf. Lk 2:22-38). Simeon took him in his arms and thanked God that he had finally seen salvation. Anna, despite her advanced age, found new vigour and began to speak to everyone about the Baby. It is a beautiful image: two young parents and two elderly people, brought together by Jesus. He is the one who brings together and unites generations! He is the inexhaustible font of that love which overcomes every occasion of self-absorption, solitude, and sadness. In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support… Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus. He offers us his word, which illuminates our path; he gives us the Bread of life which sustains us on our journey.

Dear families, your prayer for the Synod of Bishops will be a precious treasure which enriches the Church. I thank you, and I ask you to pray also for me, so that I may serve the People of God in truth and in love. May the protection of the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph always accompany all of you and help you to walk united in love and in caring for one another. I willingly invoke on every family the blessing of the Lord.

From the Vatican, 2 February 2014
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Pope Francis

The official documentation for the new Pontifical Commission

On Monday of this week, the Vatican Press Office published the text of an Apostolic Letter which His Holiness, Pope Francis issued motu proprio, to establish a new structure which will be responsible for coordinating the Economic and Administrative Affairs of the Holy See and the Vatican City State.

Apostolic Letter

issued motu proprio

by His Holiness, Pope Francis

Fidelis dispensator et prudens

Establishing a new Coordinating Agency

for the Economic and Administrative Affairs

of the Holy See and the Vatican City State

Fidelis dispensator et prudens (Lk 12:42)

As the faithful and prudent administrator has a vocation to care attentively for those goods that have been entrusted to him, so the Church is conscious of her call to safeguard and carefully administer her goods in light of her mission of evangelization, with special care for the needy. In particular, the responsibility of the economic and financial sectors of the Holy See is intimately linked to its own particular mission, not only in its service to the Holy Father in the exercise of his universal ministry but also with respect to how they correspond to the common good in light of integral human development.

After having considered carefully the findings of the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Organization of the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See (Chirograph, 18 July 2013) and having conferred with the Council of Cardinals in drafting a reform of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus and having heard the Council of Cardinals for the Study of the Organizational and Economic Questions of the Apostolic See, with this Apostolic Letter in the form of a Motu Proprio I adopt the following measures:

Council for the Economy
1. The Council for the Economy is established as an entity having oversight for the administrative and financial structures and activities of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the institutions linked to the Holy See, and the Vatican City State.

2. The Council for the Economy is composed of 15 members, of whom 8 are chosen from Cardinals and Bishops reflecting the catholicity of the Church and 7 are lay experts of various nationalities with recognized professional financial competence.

3. The Council for the Economy is chaired by a Cardinal Coordinator.

Secretariat for the Economy
4. The Secretariat for the Economy is established as a dicastery of the Roman Curia in conformity with the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus.

5. In keeping with the policies established by the Council for the Economy, the Secretariat is directly responsible to the Holy Father and is competent for the economic control and vigilance over the agencies mentioned in Point 1, including policies and procedures concerning purchasing and the suitable allocation of human resources, with due regard to the competencies proper to each agency. The competence of the Secretariat therefore extends to all that in whatsoever manner concerns such material.

6. The Secretariat for the Economy is presided over by a Cardinal Prefect, who acts in collaboration with the Secretary of State. A Prelate Secretary General is charged with assisting the Cardinal Prefect.

Auditor General
7. An Auditor General is appointed by the Holy Father and is empowered to conduct audits of the agencies mentioned in Point 1.

Statutes
8. The Cardinal Prefect is responsible for the preparation of the definitive Statutes of the Council for the Economy, the Secretariat for the Economy and the office of Auditor General. The Statutes are to be presented quam primum for approval to the Holy Father.

I dispose that everything here established have immediate, full and lasting force, also abrogating all norms to the contrary, and that the present Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio be published in the 24-25 February 2014 edition of L’Osservatore Romano and thereafter in Acta Apostolicae Sedis.

Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on 24 February of the year 2014, the first of my Pontificate.
Francis

A video message of reconciliation

At the conclusion of January of this year, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Holy Father spoke very poignantly about the need for ongoing devotion to building bridges of unity between our Christian brothers and sisters.  The messages of unity were spoken:

• At the General Audience on Wednesday, January 22
• During the homily I prepared for the Masses on the weekend of January 26
• At the celebration of Vespers on the Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul

There was also a video message of reconciliation and unity prepared by His Holiness, and sent to members of the Evangelical (Lutheran) church.  This video message has been shared all over the world, but in case you haven't seen it yet, here it is:

New structures to be put in place

On Monday of this week, the Holy Father announced a new coordination structure for economic and administrative affairs of the Holy See and the Vatican State.

Monday's announcement follows the recommendations of the rigorous review conducted by the Pontifical Commission referring to the Organization of the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See (COSEA), whose proposals have been considered and endorsed by both the Council of 8 Cardinals, established to advise the Holy Father on matters of governance and the Committee of 15 Cardinals which oversees the financial affairs of the Holy See.

The COSEA recommended changes to simplify and consolidate existing management structures and improve coordination and oversight across the Holy See and Vatican City State. The COSEA also recommended more formal commitment to adopting accounting standards and generally accepted financial management and reporting practices as well as enhanced internal controls, transparency and governance.

The changes will enable more formal involvement of senior and experienced experts in financial administration, planning and reporting and will ensure better use of resources, improving the support available for various programs, particularly our works with the poor and marginalized.

The changes announced by the Holy Father include:

The Establishment of a new Secretariat for the Economy which will have authority over all economic and administrative activities within the Holy See and the Vatican City State. The Secretariat will be responsible, among other things, for preparing an annual budget for the Holy See and Vatican City State as well as financial planning and various support functions such as human resources and procurement. The Secretariat will also be required to prepare detailed financial statements of the Holy See and Vatican State.

The Secretariat for the Economy will implement policies determined by a new Council for the Economy - a 15 member Council comprised of 8 Cardinals or Bishops, reflecting various parts of the world and seven lay experts of different nationalities with strong professional financial experience. The Council will meet on a regular basis to consider policies and practices and to prepare and analyze reports on the economic-administrative activities of the Holy See.

The Secretariat for the Economy will be headed by a Cardinal Prefect who will report to the Council for the Economy. He will be supported by a Secretary-General in the management of day to day activities.

The Holy Father has appointed Cardinal George Pell, the current Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, to the role of Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy.

New arrangements also include the appointment of an Auditor-General, appointed by the Holy Father who will be empowered to conduct audits of any agency of the Holy See and Vatican City State at any time.

The changes will confirm the role of APSA as the Central bank of the Vatican with all the obligations and responsibilities of similar institutions around the world.

The Financial Information Authority (AIF) will continue to undertake its current and critical role of prudent supervision and regulation of activities within the Holy See and Vatican City State.

The Prefect of the new Secretariat for the Economy has been asked to start work as soon as possible. He will prepare the final statutes and other related matters with the assistance of any necessary advisors and will work with COSEA to complete the implementation of these changes approved by the Holy Father.

Cardinal George Pell was born in Ballarat, on June 8, 1941, and was educated in that city at Loreto Convent and Saint Patrick's College. After completing studies for the priesthood at Corpus Christi College, Werribee, and at the Propaganda Fide College in Rome, he was ordained a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Ballarat by Cardinal Agagianian in St Peter's Basilica in Rome on December 16, 1966.

On May 21, 1987 he was ordained a bishop by Archbishop Sir Frank Little in St Patrick's Cathedral and served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

On July 16, 1996 Pope John Paul II announced Cardinal Pell's appointment as the seventh Metropolitan Archbishop of Melbourne. On March 26, 2001 the Holy Father appointed Cardinal Pell as the eighth Metropolitan Archbishop of Sydney. His elevation to the Sacred College of Cardinals was announced by Pope John Paul II on September 28, 2003, who created him Cardinal Priest of the Church of Saint Maria Domenica Mazzarello in Rome.

Cardinal Pell holds a Licentiate in Theology from the Urban University, Rome (1967), a Masters Degree in Education from Monash University, Melbourne (1982), and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Church History from the University of Oxford (1971). He is a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators, and was Visiting Scholar at Campion Hall, Oxford University in 1979 and at Saintt Edmund's College, Cambridge University in 1983. He was elected an Honorary Fellow of Saint Edmund's in 2003.

As Archbishop of Sydney, he was the host for the World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008, when he welcomed Pope Benedict and the youth of the world to Australia. He established a second seminary in the Archdiocese, the Redemptoris Mater Seminary of the Neo-Catechumenal Way, and the Archdiocese now has a total of around 45 seminarians in formation for the priesthood. His Eminence also established Domus Australia in Rome, a residential centre for pilgrims and visitors, opened by Pope Benedict in 2011.

In April 2005, Cardinal Pell participated in the Conclave of 115 Cardinal Electors which elected His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI as the successor to Pope John Paul II; and in March 2013, Cardinal Pell was a member of the Conclave of 115 Cardinal Electors who elected His Holiness, Pope Francis to succeed Pope Benedict XVI.

In April 2013 Cardinal Pell was appointed by Pope Francis to the group of eight cardinals to advise the Holy Father on the government of the universal Church and to study a plan for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, Pastor Bonus.

The Cardinal has been a member of various Congregations and Councils of the Holy See since 1990, when he was appointed to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He was a member of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Committee for Justice Development and Peace from 1987 to 1997 and has been a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 1990 to 1995 and again from 2002. Since 2001 he has been Chair of Vox Clara, the committee of senior English-speaking bishops to advise the Congregation for Divine Worship on the English Translation of the Roman Missal. Since 2008 he has been on the Governing Committee of the International Catholic Migration Commission.

Cardinal Pell has been on the Vatican Committee of fifteen Cardinals, which oversees the financial affairs of the Holy See since 2007 and he has wide experience in Church and secular organizations. For example, the Archdiocese of Melbourne has around 140,000 students in Catholic Schools while the Archdiocese of Sydney has around 70,000 students. Both Archdioceses have networks for social work, hospitals, and residences for the aged. The Sydney Archdiocese itself has around 480 diocesan and religious priests and 9,500 employees.

From 1988 to 1997, Cardinal Pell was Chair of Caritas Australia, the Catholic Church’s organization for overseas relief and development and he travelled widely throughout Asia. In those years Australian Catholic Relief, as it was then called, was heavily involved in the first attempts at reconstruction in Cambodia after the overthrow of Pol Pot.

As an Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne, Cardinal Pell chaired the Implementation Committee which set up the Australian Catholic University in 1991, now one of the largest Catholic Universities in the English-speaking world. He has been President of Australian Catholic University’s board of owners since 1996. His Eminence was a member of the Academic Board of the State College of Victoria throughout the 1970s and on their planning committee, Director of the Aquinas Campus of the Institute of Catholic Education from 1974-1984 and Principal of the Institute of Catholic Education now merged into Australian Catholic University. He was a Member of the Australian Association of the Principals of Colleges of Advanced Education from 1981-1984. He invited the University of Notre Dame Australia to open a university campus in Sydney which includes faculties of medicine and law.

The Cardinal has long been active in the struggle against child abuse and in 1996 set up the Melbourne Response, combining an Independent Commissioner to judge complaints, with a compensatory panel and counselling services. This was one of the earliest such schemes to be set up in Australia and the Anglophone world.

In 1998 the Cardinal was a government appointee to the Constitutional Convention, which recommended that Australia become a republic and in 2011 he established the Sydney Catholic Business Network to improve dialogue between leaders in Government, business and the Church on business ethics, social justice and public life.

Cardinal Pell's interest in and support for young people, marriage and families has been demonstrated not only in his preaching and many public statements on these matters, but also in his involvement in founding the Australian campus of the international John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family and in the creation of the Mary of the Cross Centre in Melbourne to assist families with a member affected by drug or alcohol abuse.

Angelus reflections: we belong to Christ

At 12:00 noon today in Rome, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his apartment in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims who had gathered in Saint Peter's Square.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

to introduce the recitation of the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In today's second reading, Saint Paul affirms: Let no one boast about human beings: everything belongs to you, whether it is Paul, Apollos or Cephas (who is Peter), the world, life or death, the present or the future, everything is yours!  But you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God (1 Cor 3:23).  Why does the Apostle say this?  Because the problem that he was facing was division within the Christian community at Corinth, where groups of the faithful had been formed.  These groups had heard the news proclaimed to them by various preachers, and they considered the preachers themselves to be their leaders.  They were saying: I belong to Paul, I belong to Apollo, I belong to Cephas (1:12).  Saint Paul explained that this way of thinking is wrong because the community doesn't belong to the Apostles, but they - the Apostles - belong to the community, and the community, in its entirety, belongs to Christ!

This belonging to Christ means that in the Christian communities – dioceses, parishes, associations, movements – the differences cannot contradict the fact that, through Baptism, we have the same dignity: all of us, in Jesus Christ, are children of God. And this is our dignity: in Jesus Christ we are children of God! Those who have received the office of leadership, of preaching, of administering the Sacraments, must not think of themselves as owners of special powers, as if they were masters, but they must put themselves at the service of the community, helping it to travel the path of holiness with joy.

Today the Church entrusts this way of pastoral life to the new Cardinals, with whom I celebrated Mass this morning. We can congratulate all the new Cardinals with applause. Let us all congratulate them! Yesterday’s Consistory and today’s Eucharistic celebration offered us a precious occasion to experience the catholicity, the universality of the Church, well-represented by the various origins of the members of the College of Cardinals, gathered in close communion around the Successor of Peter.  May the Lord give us the grace to work for the unity of the Church, to build this unity, because unity is more important than conflicts! The unity of the Church is a gift that comes from Christ; conflicts are problems that are not always from Christ.

The liturgical moments of celebration that we have had the opportunity to experience during the course of the last couple days reinforce the faith in all of us and our love for Christ and for his Church! I invite you to support these shepherds and to assist them with prayer, so that they may always lead the people entrusted to them with zeal, showing everyone the tenderness and love of the Lord. But a bishop, a cardinal, and even a pope have such a great need of prayer to help the people of God to go forward! I say help, that is, serve the people of God, because the vocation of a bishop, a cardinal and a pope is precisely this: to be servants, to serve in the name of Christ. Pray for us to be good servants: good servants, not good bosses! All of us together, bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful must offer the witness of a Church faithful to Christ, animated by the desire to serve our brothers and sisters, and ready to meet the spiritual expectations and needs of the men and women of our time with prophetic courage. May Our Lady accompany us and protect us on this journey.

Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father made the following remarks to those gathered in Saint Peter’s Square:

I greet all of the pilgrims present, especially those who have come for the Consistory, to accompany the new Cardinals; and I heartily thank the countries who have wished to be present at this event with official delegations.

I greet the students of Toulouse and the community of Venezuelans who live in Italy.

I greet the faithful from Caltanissetta, Reggio Calabria, Sortino, Altamura, Ruvo and Lido degli Estensi; the young people from Reggio Emilia and those from the Diocese of Lodi; the Bicyclist Association of Agrigento and the volunteers of the Civil Protection from Bassa Padovana.

I wish everyone a good Sunday and a good lunch! Goodbye!

Be attentive to the voice of the Spirit

At 10:00am local time today in Rome, the Holy Father, Pope Francis presided at the celebration of Mass in the Vatican Basilica..  Concelebrating with him were the newly-created Cardinals and the other members of the College of Cardinals present in Rome for this week's Consistory.

Homily of His Holiness, Pope Francis

for the Mass celebrated with

the College of Cardinals

Merciful Father, by your help, may we be ever attentive to the voice of the Spirit (Opening Prayer).

This prayer, the opening prayer of today’s Mass, reminds us of something fundamental: we are called to listen to the Holy Spirit who enlivens and guides the Church. By his creative and renewing power, the Spirit always sustains the hope of God’s People as we make our pilgrim way through history, and, as the Paraclete, he always supports the witness of Christians. In this moment, together with the new Cardinals, all of us want to listen to the voice of the Spirit as he speaks to us through the Scriptures we have just heard.

In the first reading, the Lord’s call to his people resounds: You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy (Lev 19:2). In the Gospel Jesus echoes this call: You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Mt 5:48). These words challenge all of us, as the Lord’s disciples. Today, they are especially addressed to me and to you, dear brother Cardinals, and in a particular way to those of you who yesterday entered the College. Imitating the holiness and perfection of God might seem an unattainable goal. Yet, the first reading and the Gospel offer us concrete examples which enable God’s way of acting to become the norm for our own. Yet we – all of us – must never forget that without the Holy Spirit our efforts are in vain! Christian holiness is not first and foremost our own work, but the fruit of docility – willed and cultivated – to the Spirit of God thrice holy.

The Book of Leviticus says: You shall not hate your brother in your heart … You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge … but you shall love your neighbour as yourself (Lev 19:17-18). These attitudes are born of the holiness of God. We, however, tend to be so different, so selfish and proud … and yet, God’s goodness and beauty attract us, and the Holy Spirit is able to purify, transform and shape us day by day. To make an effort to be converted, to experience a heartfelt conversion: this is something that all of us – especially you Cardinals and I myself – must do. Conversion!

In the Gospel, Jesus also speaks to us of holiness, and explains to us the new law, his law. He does this by contrasting the imperfect justice of the scribes and Pharisees with the higher justice of the Kingdom of God. The first contrast of today’s passage refers to revenge. You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you … if anyone should strike you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also (Mt 5:38-39). We are required not only to avoid repaying others the evil they have done to us, but also to seek generously to do good to them.

The second contrast refers to our enemies: You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy’. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Mt 5:43-44). Jesus asks those who would follow him to love those who do not deserve it, without expecting anything in return, and in this way to fill the emptiness present in human hearts, relationships, families, communities and in the entire world. My brother Cardinals, Jesus did not come to teach us good manners, how to behave well at the table! To do that, he would not have had to come down from heaven and die on the Cross. Christ came to save us, to show us the way, the only way out of the quicksand of sin, and this way of holiness is mercy, that mercy which he has shown, and daily continues to show, to us. To be a saint is not a luxury. It is necessary for the salvation of the world. This is what the Lord is asking of us.

Dear brother Cardinals, the Lord Jesus and mother Church ask us to witness with greater zeal and ardour to these ways of being holy. It is exactly in this greater self-gift, freely offered, that the holiness of a Cardinal consists. We love, therefore, those who are hostile to us; we bless those who speak ill of us; we greet with a smile those who may not deserve it. We do not aim to assert ourselves; we oppose arrogance with meekness; we forget the humiliations that we have endured. May we always allow ourselves to be guided by the Spirit of Christ, who sacrificed himself on the Cross so that we could be channels through which his charity might flow. This is the attitude of a Cardinal, this must be how he acts. A Cardinal – I say this especially to you – enters the Church of Rome, my brothers, not a royal court. May all of us avoid, and help others to avoid, habits and ways of acting typical of a court: intrigue, gossip, cliques, favouritism and partiality. May our language be that of the Gospel: yes when we mean yes; no when we mean no; may our attitudes be those of the Beatitudes, and our way be that of holiness. Let us pray once more: Merciful Father, by your help, may we be ever attentive to the voice of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit also speaks to us today through the words of Saint Paul: You are God’s temple … God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are (1 Cor 3:16-17). In this temple, which we are, an existential liturgy is being celebrated: that of goodness, forgiveness, service; in a word, the liturgy of love. This temple of ours is defiled if we neglect our duties towards our neighbour. Whenever the least of our brothers and sisters finds a place in our hearts, it is God himself who finds a place there. When that brother or sister is shut out, it is God himself who is not being welcomed. A heart without love is like a deconsecrated church, a building withdrawn from God’s service and given over to another use.

Dear brother Cardinals, may we remain united in Christ and among ourselves! I ask you to remain close to me, with your prayers, your advice and your help. And I ask all of you, bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and laity, together to implore the Holy Spirit, that the College of Cardinals may always be ever more fervent in pastoral charity and filled with holiness, in order to serve the Gospel and to help the Church radiate Christ’s love in our world.

Meet the Canadian Cardinals

Among those created Cardinals at today's Consistory was one Canadian, the Archbishop of Quebec, His Eminence, Gerald Cyprien Cardinal Lacroix, ISPX.  This brings the current count of Canadian Cardinals to four (4), all of whom are younger than 80 years of age and therefore eligible to elect the Bishop of Rome.  Here they are:

His Eminence, Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte

Born in Montreal, Quebec on June 26, 1936

Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Montreal on May 24, 1959

Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Montreal on April 14, 1982

Appointed Archbishop of Montreal on March 17, 1990

Created Cardinal by His Holiness, John Paul II on November 26, 1994

Archbishop-emeritus of Montreal as of March 20, 2012

His Eminence, Marc Cardinal Ouellet, PSS

Born in Lamotte, Quebec on June 8, 1944

Ordained a priest for the Society of Priests of Saint Sulpice on May 25, 1968

Appointed Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
on March 3, 2001

Appointed Titular Bishop of Acropolis on March 3, 2001

Appointed Archbishop of Quebec on November 15, 2002

Created Cardinal by His Holiness, John Paul II on October 21, 2003

Appointed Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops on June 30, 2010

Appointed President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America on June 30, 2010

His Eminence, Thomas Christopher Cardinal Collins

Born in Guelph, Ontario on January 16, 1947

Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Hamilton on May 5, 1973

Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Saint Paul, Alberta on March 25, 1997

Succeeded as Bishop of Saint Paul, Alberta on June 30, 1997

Appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta on February 18, 1999

Succeeded as Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta on June 7, 1999

Appointed Apostolic Administrator of Saint Paul, Alberta on March 16, 2001

Appointed Archbishop of Toronto, Ontario on December 16, 2006

Created Cardinal by His Holiness, Benedict XVI on February 18, 2012

His Eminence, Gérald Cyprien Cardinal Lacroix, I.S.P.X.

Born in Saint-Hilaire de Dorcet, Quebec on July 27, 1957

Ordained a priest for the Institute of Saint Pius X on October 8, 1988

Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec (City) on April 7, 2009

Appointed Archbishop of Quebec on February 22, 2011

Created Cardinal by His Holiness, Francis on February 22, 2014

The Cardinals are created, part 2

This morning in the Vatican Basilica, His Holiness, Pope Francis conducted an Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of nineteen new Cardinals.  Following the proclamation of the gospel (Mark 10:32-45), the Holy Father addressed the Cardinals who were gathered, along with the guests who had come to Rome to celebrate with the newest of the Holy Father's advisors.

Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the Ordinary Public Consistory

for the creation of Cardinals

Jesus was walking ahead of them ... (Mk 10:32).

At this moment too, Jesus is walking ahead of us. He is always before us. He goes ahead of us and leads the way … This is the source of our confidence and our joy: to be his disciples, to remain with him, to walk behind him, to follow him.

When with the Cardinals, we concelebrated the first Mass in the Sistine Chapel, the first word which the Lord proposed to us was to walk, to journey with him: to journey, and then to build and to profess.

Today this same word is repeated, but now as an action, an action of Jesus which is ongoing: Jesus was walking …. This is something striking about the Gospels: Jesus is often walking and he teaches his disciples along the way. This is important. Jesus did not come to teach a philosophy, an ideology … but rather a way, a journey to be undertaken with him, and we learn the way as we go, by walking. Yes, dear brothers, this is our joy: to walk with Jesus.

And this is not easy, or comfortable, because the way that Jesus chooses is the way of the Cross. As they journey together, he speaks to his disciples about what will happen in Jerusalem: he foretells his passion, death and resurrection. And they are shocked and full of fear. They were shocked, certainly, because for them going up to Jerusalem meant sharing in the triumph of the Messiah, in his victory – we see this in the request made by James and John. But they were also full of fear for what was about to happen to Jesus, and for what they themselves might have to endure.

Unlike the disciples in those days, we know that Jesus has won, and that we need not fear the Cross; indeed, the Cross is our hope. And yet, we are all too human, sinners, tempted to think as men do, not as God does.

And once we follow the thinking of the world, what happens? The Gospel tells us: When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John (Mk 10:41). They were indignant. Whenever a worldly mentality predominates, the result is rivalry, jealousy, factions.

And so the word which Jesus speaks to us today is most salutary. It purifies us inwardly, it enlightens our consciences and helps us to unite ourselves fully with Jesus, and to do so together, at this time when the College of Cardinals is enlarged by the entrance of new members.

And Jesus called them to himself… (Mk 10:42). Here is the other action of Jesus. Along the way, he is aware that he needs to speak to the Twelve; he stops and calls them to himself. Brothers, let us allow Jesus to call us to himself! Let us be con-voked by him. And let us listen to him, with the joy that comes from receiving his word together, from letting ourselves be taught by that word and by the Holy Spirit, and to become ever more of one heart and soul, gathered around him.

And as we are thus con-voked, called to him by our one Teacher, I will tell you what the Church needs: she needs you, your cooperation, and even more your communion, with me and among yourselves. The Church needs your courage, to proclaim the Gospel at all times, both in season and out of season, and to bear witness to the truth. The Church needs your prayer for the progress of Christ’s flock, that prayer – let us not forget this – which, along with the proclamation of the Word, is the primary task of the Bishop. The Church needs your compassion, especially at this time of pain and suffering for so many countries throughout the world. Let us together express our spiritual closeness to the ecclesial communities and to all Christians suffering from discrimination and persecution. We must fight every form of discrimination! The Church needs our prayer for them, that they may be firm in faith and capable of responding to evil with good. And this prayer of ours extends to every man and woman suffering injustice on account of his or her religious convictions.

The Church needs us also to be peacemakers, building peace by our works, our hopes and our prayers. Building peace! Being peacemakers! Let us therefore invoke peace and reconciliation for those peoples presently experiencing violence, exclusion and war.

Thank you, dear Brothers! Thank you! Let us walk together behind the Lord, and let us always be called together by him, in the midst of his faithful people, the holy People of God, holy Mother the Church. Thank you!

His Eminence, Gerald Cyprien Cardinal Lacroix
Archbishop of Quebec City
exchanging a sign of peace with the Holy Father

Following his address, the Holy Father read the Formula of Creation of Cardinals and solemnly proclaimed the names of the nineteen newly created Cardinals, announcing at the same time, the rank which he has assigned to each of them.  At the time when they are created, Cardinals are designated as either Cardinal-Deacons, Cardinal-Priests or Cardinal-Bishops according to an ancient rite of the Church.  They maintain this rank for the rest of their lives.

Titles assigned to each of the newly created Cardinals

• Cardinal Pietro PAROLIN, Titular pastor of Santi Simone e Giuda Taddeo in Torre Angela;
• Cardinal Lorenzo BALDISSERI, Deacon of Sant’Anselmo in the Aventino;
• Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig MÜLLER, Deacon of Sant’Agnese in Agone;
• Cardinal Beniamino STELLA, Deacon of Santi Cosma e Damiano;
• Cardinal Vincent Gerard NICHOLS, Titular pastor of Santissimo Redentore e Sant’Alfonso in via Merulana;
• Cardinal Leopoldo José BRENES SOLÓRZANO, Titular pastor of San Gioacchino ai Prati di Castello;
• Cardinal Gérald Cyprien LACROIX, I.S.P.X., Titular pastor of San Giuseppe all’Aurelio;
• Cardinal Jean-Pierre KUTWA, Titular pastor of Sant’Emerenziana at Tor Fiorenza;
• Cardinal Orani João TEMPESTA, O.Cist., Titular pastor of Santa Maria Madre della Provvidenza at Monte Verde;
• Cardinal Gualtiero BASSETTI, Titular pastor of Santa Cecilia
• Cardinal Mario Aurelio POLI, Titular pastor of San Roberto Bellarmino
• Cardinal Andrew YEOM SOO-JUNG, Titular pastor of San Crisogono
• Cardinal Ricardo EZZATI ANDRELLO, S.D.B., Titular pastor of Santissimo Redentore at Valmelaina;
• Cardinal Philippe Nakellentuba OUÉDRAOGO, Titular pastor of Santa Maria Consolatrice at the Tiburtino; 
• Cardinal Orlando B. QUEVEDO, O.M.I., Titular pastor of Santa Maria «Regina Mundi» at Torre Spaccata; 
• Cardinale Chibly LANGLOIS, Titular pastor of San Giacomo in Augusta; 
• Cardinal Loris Francesco CAPOVILLA, Titular pastor of Santa Maria in Trastevere;
• Cardinal Fernando SEBASTIÁN AGUILAR, C.M.F., Titular pastor of Sant’Angela Merici; and
• Cardinale Kelvin Edward FELIX, Titular pastor of Santa Maria della Salute at Primavalle.

After the announcement of their names and the ranks to which they have been assigned, those who are to be created Cardinals make a public Profession of Faith, spoken aloud before the People of God.  They also take an Oath of Fidelity to the Pope and to his successors.

Each newly-created Cardinal then kneels before the Holy Father who places the red zucchetto and berretta on his head, a ring on his finger, and assigns him one of the churches within the Diocese of Rome to signify his duty to assist the Pope in the pastoral guidance of the diocese.  Each newly-created Cardinal then receives the bulla - the written parchment testifying to the fact that he as been created a Cardinal - and there is an exchange of peace between the Holy Father and the Cardinals in attendance.

The Cardinals are created, part 1

At 11:00am today in the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father, Pope Francis held an Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of nineteen (19) new Cardinals.  At the beginning of the Consistory, the Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, the highest ranking among the newly-created Cardinals, greeted the Holy Father and expressed gratitude in the name of all the newly named Cardinals.

The celebration began with the liturgical greeting, a prayer and the proclamation of a passage from the Gospel (Mk 10:32-45).  Then the Holy Father shared his speech with the Cardinals and those who were present.

The Holy Father then read the formula of creation and solemn proclamation of the names of the new Cardinals, announcing at the same time the orders of Cardinal Priests or Cardinal Deacons which he had assigned to each of them.  The Rite of Creating Cardinals is preceded by the Profession of Faith by the new Cardinals, spoken aloud before the People of God, as well as the Oath of Fidelity to the Pope and to his Successors.

According to the established directives, each new Cardinal kneels before the Holy Father while the Pope places a red zucchetto and a Cardinalatial berretta on his head, places a ring on his finger and assigns him one of the Churches of Rome to signify his sharing in the Pope's duty to care for the city of Rome.  The Holy Father then presents each Cardinal with the Bull of Creation as a Cardinal (a parchment upon which the formula of creation is printed) and assigns either a title or a diaconate to each.  Finally, the Pope exchanges a sign of peace with each of the new Cardinals.

Among those who were created Cardinals this morning, one was not present: His Eminence, Loris Francesco Cardinal Capovilla.  His Cardinalatial beretta will be presented to him in the coming days in Sotto il Monte, the place where Blessed John XXIII was born, and where his Eminence currently resides.

All other Cardinals who have been present in Rome for the Extraordinary Consistory meetings this week were also present for this morning's celebration, including His Holiness, Benedict XVI.

Greetings and words of gratitude

offered to the Holy Father by Cardinal Parolin

Holy Father,

With great emotion and trepidation, I present a devoted greeting not only on my own behalf but in the name of the other Bishops who today Your Holiness will add to the College of Cardinals.

We greet with equal affection and veneration, the Pope-emeritus, His Holiness Benedict XVI, who we are happy to see is present with us today.

I would like to summarize and express the many thoughts and sentiments that are in our hearts and minds with two words.  The first is thank you.

Thank you, Holy Father, for the great confidence you have placed in us!  This confidence will allow us to respond with faithfulness, generosity and perseverance to the call that is demonstrated by the vestments we wear and expressed in the words of the exhortation which accompanies the imposition of the berretta, to be ready to act with fortitude even to the point of shedding blood for the sake of the increase of the Christian faith, for peace and tranquility among the People of God and for the freedom and spread of the Holy Roman Church. 

If, from the beginning of our vocational journey and thanks to the good example of so many brothers and sisters, who have accompanied us through the various stages of our lives, we have received the grace of understanding that we are disciples of Jesus embarked on an adventure of holiness and love, an adventure that is measured by the mere fact that it cannot be measured and requires even the gift of our lives - as has been the case and as the case is for many Christians throughout the world - today, in a certain sense, we accept this invitation in a public and solemn way.

Cardinals are called to a mission and an ecclesial service which is characterized by responsibility and which requires an ever greater willingness to act according to the example of the Son of God, who came among us as one who serves (cf. Lk 22:25-27) and to follow his example of humble and total gift of self given to his spouse, the Church, on the cross.  On this wood - Pope Benedict said - the grain of wheat was sown by the Father in the field of the world, and died in order to become ripened fruit.  We must therefore be rooted ever more firmly in Christ so that we can say with Saint Paul, 'it is no longer me who lives, but Christ who lives in me' (Gal 2:20) (Homily for the Public Ordinary Consistory, November 20, 2010).

Your Holiness also expressed this truth in the beautiful and affectionate letter which was sent to each of us following the publication of our nominations, sentiments for which we are profoundly grateful.  In it, you reminded us that the Cardinalate does not signify a promotion, an honour nor a decoration: it is simply a service that demands a broader vision and a bigger heart. And, although it seems a paradox, this ability to look further and love more universally with greater intensity can be acquired only by following the way of the Lord: the way of lowliness and of humility, taking the form of a servant (cf. Phil 2:5-8). Therefore, I ask you, please, to receive this appointment with a simple and humble heart. 

The second word is here I am.  The pages of the bible are filled with these words, since they resound on the lips of all those who have been called by God and who place themselves at his disposition in order to carry out the plan of salvation and peace.  We too will speak these words today.  We want to do so with profound sincerity and conviction, with the faith of Abraham our father in faith (Rom 14:11) and of Mary, the humble servant of the Lord (cf. Lk 1:48), with the humility of those who rely on the grace of God and the prayer of the Church more than on their own weak wills and fragile strengths.

Therefore here we are, Holy Father, to take up the task of all that being included among the College of Cardinals signifies and requires, that is to be His special collaborators, united more closely to the Church of Rome and to Him who presides in charity, witnesses to the unity and the universality of the Church, continuing with renewed enthusiasm the task of carrying out the specific mission entrusted to us, in the Roman Curia or in the various Episcopal Sees.

Here we are, Holy Father, ready to walk, to build and to confess together, as You yourself asked us to do during the first days of your pontificate, with the courage to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the cross of Jesus; to edify the Church with the blood of the Lord which was shed on the cross; and to confess the only glory: Christ Crucified.  In this way, the Church will go forward (Homily for Mass with the Cardinals, March 14, 2013). 

Here we are, Holy Father, ready to undertake and to continue with You, and under your guidance, the journey of pastoral and missionary conversion, which cannot leave things as they are, discovering in every region of the earth, a permanent state of mission (EG, 25), following the guidelines of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.

We assure you of our prayer and we entrust our intentions to Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of the Apostles.  May She, along with Saint Joseph, Blessed John XXIII and all the Saints intercede for you, Holy Father, for all of us here present, for the Church and for the whole world!

New MOUs with Austrailia and Cypress

Yesterday, the Autorità di Informazione Finanziaria (AIF), the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Holy See and Vatican City State, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with its Australian counterpart, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC). Earlier this week, on the margins of the Egmont Working Group meeting held in Budapest, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed with the Financial Intelligence Unit of Cyprus, the Unit for Combating Money Laundering (MOKAS). These Memoranda were signed by Rene Bruelhart, Director of the AIF.

A Memorandum of Understanding is standard practice and formalizes the cooperation and exchange of financial information to fight money laundering and terrorist financing across borders between the competent authorities of both countries. It is based on the model Memorandum of Understanding prepared by the Egmont Group, the global organization of national Financial Intelligence Units, and contains clauses on reciprocity, permitted uses of information and confidentiality.

These Memoranda are strengthening AIF’s international reach and are a strong commitment of the Holy See and the Vatican City State to fight Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism pro-actively on a global level, said AIF Director Rene Bruelhart. Today’s signing underlines our fruitful relationship with our international counterparts and will further facilitate our joint efforts.

AIF became a member of the Egmont Group in July 2013. It has signed MOUs and cooperates with the Financial Intelligence Units of the United States, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Germany. More MOUs are expected to be signed in the course of the coming weeks.

AIF is the competent authority of the Holy See/Vatican City State to fight money laundering and financing of terrorism. It was established in 2010.

Thanks for your commitment

Today, the Vatican Press Office published the text of a message that the Holy Father, Pope Francis sent to those who are participating in the Sacrosanctum Concilium Symposium, the focus of which is Gratitude and commitment to a great ecclesial movement which took place from February 18-20 at the Pontifical Lateran University.  The meeting was organized by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in collaboration with the Lateran Athenian University, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy promulgated by Pope Paul VI.

Message of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

to his Venerable Brother

Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera

Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Liturgy

and the Discipline of the Sacraments

Fifty years have now passed since the promulgation of the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, the first document to be promulgated by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, and this important anniversary is an occasion for sentiments of gratitude for the profound and widespread renewal of liturgical life, made possible by the Magesterium of the Council, for the glory of God and the edification of the Church, and at the same time, this occasion provides added impetus for us to revive our commitment to accept and implement the teachings of this Constitution in an ever fuller way.

The Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium and the other developments advanced by the Magisterium have allowed us to more fully understand the liturgy in the light of divine Revelation and the exercise of the priestly function of Jesus Christ through which all public worship is performed by the mystical body of Jesus Christ, that is by the head and all its members (SC, 7).  Christ is revealed as the true protagonist of every celebration, and He always draws the Church ever closer to himself, his beloved spouse, who invokes him as its Lord and through him gives praise to the eternal Father (ibid).   This action, which takes place through the power of the Holy Spirit, possesses a deeply creative force which is capable of attracting every human being to himself, in fact, all of creation.

To truly celebrate spiritual worship is to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (Rom 12:1).  A liturgy that is detached from spiritual worship would be empty, void of Christian originality in the generic sense of the sacred, almost magical, and empty of aestheticism.  Through the action of Christ, the liturgy pushes us from within, inspiring us to clothe ourselves with the sentiments of Christ, and in this way, all of reality is transfigured.  Our daily corporeal lives, experienced through the little things, should be inspired, perfumed, immersed in the divine reality; it should become an action in union with God.  This does not mean that we should always be thinking about God, but that we should be truly penetrated by the reality of God, so that our entire lives ... are a liturgy, an act of adoration (Benedict XVI, Lectio divina at the Roman Seminary, February 15, 2012).

In order to give thanks to God for all that he makes possible, we must be united our renewed willingness to proceed along the path indicated by the Council Fathers, because there is still much to do before the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy is completely assimilated by the baptized and by the ecclesial community.  I am thinking in particular of our commitment to a solid and well thought-out initiation and liturgical formation both for the lay faithful and for the clergy and for consecrated persons.

While I express my gratitude to all those who have encouraged and prepared this encounter, I also hope that it will bear the desired fruit.  To this end, I invoke the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and willingly impart the Apostolic Blessing upon you, Your Eminence, upon your Collaborators, the Relators and all the participants.

From the Vatican
February 18, 2014
Francis

On behalf of the College

Following this morning's meeting of the College of Cardinals in the Synod Hall at the Vatican, Father Federico Lombardi, SJ shared the following statement with journalists.

Declaration of Father Federico Lombardi, SJ

on behalf of the College of Cardinals
meeting in the Extraordinary Consistory

During the Extraordinary Consistory, the Holy Father and the College of Cardinals have raised to the Lord a special supplication in favor of the numerous Christians who, in various parts of the world, seem to fall victim more and more frequently to acts of intolerance or persecution.  To all of those who suffer because of the Gospel, the Holy Father and the Cardinals wish to renew the assurance of their constant prayer, while encouraging them to remain steadfast in faith and to imitate the example of the Lord Jesus in willingly forgiving their persecutors.

Likewise, the thoughts of the Holy Father and the Cardinals are also directed toward the nations which, at this time, are wounded by internal conflicts or by serious tensions which affect the normal life of society, such as South Sudan and Nigeria, where a steady stream of attacks have left numerous innocent victims in their wake against an ever-growing climate of indifference.  In these most recent hours, they are also following the dramatic developments in the Ukraine, and are united in calling for a hasty cessation of all violence so that concord and peace may be re-established.

At the same time, we are very concerned by the ongoing conflict in Syria, which still seems far from the possibility of finding an enduring peaceful solution, as is also the case in the Central African Republic, which appears to continually escalate every day.  Ever more urgent is the need for the initiatives of the international community in favor of internal peace and reconciliation, and toward the restoration of security and the rule of law which will allow indispensable access to those who bear humanitarian assistance for victims.

Unfortunately, we have noted that many of the conflicts currently in progress are described as religious in nature, often pitting Christians and Muslims against each other, while in reality these conflicts are often rooted in ethnic, political or economic realities.

For its part, the Catholic Church, which condemns all violence perpetrated in the name of religious affiliation, will continue its commitment to peace and reconciliation, by means of inter-religious dialogue and the many works of charity which bring daily help and comfort to those who are suffering in all parts of the world.

To begin the second day of meetings

At 9:30am today in the Synod Hall in the Vatican, the second and final day of the Extraordinary Synod meeting of the College of Cardinals with the Holy Father began.  As they did yesterday, today's meeting will be devoted to reflection on the theme of the family.

Following the celebration of the liturgical hour of Terce, the Holy Father addressed the gathered Cardinals.

Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

to the Cardinals gathered for the second day

of the Extraordinary Synod on the Family

I want to send a greeting, not only a personal greeting but a collective greeting on behalf of all to the Ukrainian Cardinals - Cardinal Jaworski, Archbishop emeritus of Leopoli and Cardinal Husar, Major Archbishop emeritus of Kiev - who are suffering so much and experiencing so much difficulty in their homeland.  Perhaps it would be good to send this message on behalf of all of us: do you agree, all of you, do you agree?  (Applause)

Another thing: last night before I went to bed, but not before I went to sleep, I read - I reread - Cardinal Kasper's report and I want to thank him for it, because I found it profoundly theological, a serene theological reflection.  It is a pleasure to read theological things in a calm reflective manner.  I also found in this reflection an example what Saint Ignatius once called the sensus Ecclesiae, love for Mother Church.  I enjoyed this reflection and the thought came to me - excuse me Your Eminence if I am embarrassing you - but I was reminded about the importance of doing theology on our knees.  Thank you.  Thank you.