Teacher and student

In the coming days, a new academic year is about to begin.  Here is the text of the reflection I shared with those who came to pray with us this weekend: a few thoughts inspired by the words of the scriptures proposed for our meditation this week.

Know the teacher

Last weekend, we bid farewell to some of the young people of this parish who were leaving North Bay in order to begin university and college studies in other cities, and we said hello to some newly-arrived students who will soon be beginning their studies at Nipissing University or Canadore College.  In a few days’ time, all students, teachers and professors will begin this new academic year.  Some may be excited about the year that lies ahead while others might be nervous about this new beginning in their lives.  Excitement and apprehension are a normal part of the lives of teachers and students, especially at this time of year.

The gospel passage we have heard today speaks of another time in history when excitement and apprehension were present in the lives of another teacher and other students.  Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering … and be killed, and on the third day be raised.  The Church teaches that Jesus was both fully divine and fully human.  That means that he knew – at least to some extent – that he would soon be going Home to the Father.  Perhaps he was excited about this possibility, but he must also have been apprehensive about the way that this final journey would play out.

By this time in their relationship, the disciples were growing more and more comfortable with Jesus.  They had gotten to know him, they had lived many adventures with him, maybe they were excited about the lessons he had been teaching them, but they certainly weren’t prepared to hear that the next step of the journey would involve suffering.  Peter speaks on behalf of all the rest: Lord, this must never happen to you.  No matter how long we may live, we are never prepared for some lessons in life, especially the experience of suffering, yet experiences of suffering are often the ones that teach us the most valuable lessons.  Jesus knew that he had to suffer.  He knew that his suffering was meant to reveal the depth of the Father’s love.  He knew that every one of his disciples needed to understand this next lesson as an integral part of the extent they all might be asked to experience in order to show love for their neighbour.  The same is true for us today.

If anyone wants to become my follower, let him deny himself and take us his cross and follow me.  Jesus came to this earth in order to show us the depth of the Father’s love for us.  God’s love is made known to us through the relationships of joy and celebration we experience within our own families, within the community of the Church, among friends at school and with colleagues in our workplaces … but alongside the moments of excitement in our lives, there are also moments of apprehension, and God’s love is present in those moments too.

As another new beginning opens before us in the coming days, Saint Paul urges us to welcome the lessons that are to come, but more importantly, to welcome the opportunity to know the Teacher.  Let us ask Jesus to teach us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Angelus on thinking like God thinks

At noon today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims who had come to Saint Peter's Square for the weekly Sunday gathering.

Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis

prior to the recitation of the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In the weekly itinerary presented to us in the Gospel of Matthew, today we reach a crucial point in which Jesus, after having verified the fact that Peter and the other eleven truly believed in him as the Messiah and the Son of God, began to explain to them that he had to go to Jerusalem and there he would undergo much suffering ... that he would be put to death and that he would rise again on the third day (Mt 16:21).  This is a critical moment in which we see the contrast between Jesus' way of thinking and that of his disciples.  Peter even feels obligated to chastise the Master because he could not even conceive of such ignoble things happening to a Messiah.  So Jesus in turn severely reprimands Peter, putting him in his place, because he was not thinking as God thinks, but as man thinks (Mt 16:23) and without realizing it, was playing the part of Satan, the tempter.

The apostle Paul also focuses on this point in today's liturgy; writing to the Christians in Rome, he says: Do not conform yourselves to this world - don't enter into the scheming of this world - but let yourselves be transformed and renew your way of thinking, so that you might be able to discern the will of God (Rom 12:2).

It's a fact that we Christians live in the world, fully functioning as part of the social and cultural reality of our time, and it should be this way; but there is a risk that we can become worldly, that the salt can lose its taste as Jesus would say (cf Mt 5:13), that is, that Christians might water down or lose the freshness that comes from the Lord and from the Holy Spirit.  Instead, it should be the opposite: when the strength of the Gospel is alive among Christians, the criteria for judgement, the determining values, the points of interest, the lines of thinking, the fonts of inspiration and the models for life are all increasingly transformed (cf. Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii muntiandi, 19).  It makes me sad to discover watered down Christians, who are like weakened wine, who don't even know the difference between being worldly or being a Christian, like wine that has been watered down to the point where we don't even know whether it's still wine or whether it's just coloured water!  This is truly sad.  It's a sad situation when we find Christians who are no longer the salt of the earth - we know that when salt loses its taste, it is no longer good for anything.  Their salt loses its saltiness because they have allowed themselves to be invaded by the spirit of the world: they have become worldly.

Therefore, we must continually renew ourselves by drawing nourishment from the gospel.  And how can we do this in a practical way?  First, by properly reading and meditating upon the gospel every day, so that Jesus' words can always be present in our lives.  Remember, it will always be helpful to carry the gospel with you: a small copy of the gospel, in your pocket, in your purse, reading a passage of the scriptures every day.  If we always in the presence of the gospel, carrying Jesus' words with us, it will be an easy task.  Also, attending Sunday Mass, where we meet the Lord in the community, listen to his Word and receive the Eucharist which unites us to Him and to one another; and days of spiritual renewal and retreat are also important.  The gospel, the Eucharist and prayer.  Don't forget: the gospel, the Eucharist, prayer.  Thanks to these gifts which the Lord has given us, we can be more conformed not to the world, but to Christ, and follow his way, the way of losing our own lives in order to find true life (Mt 16:25).  Losing it in the sense of giving it away, offering it for love and as an act of love - this will lead us to the true meaning of sacrifice, even the cross - in order to receive renewed purification, freedom from selfishness and the price of death paid so that we can enjoy the fullness of eternity.

The Virgin Mary always leads us along this road; let us ask her always to lead us and accompany us along the way.

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

Dear brothers and sisters,

Tomorrow, Italy will celebrate the Day of caring for creation, promoted by the Episcopal Conference.  The theme for this year is very important: Educating for the custody of creation, for the good of our country and of our city.  I hope that it will strengthen the commitment of all peoples: institutions, associations and all citizens, so that life may be protected and people's health be promoted while respecting the environment and all of nature.

I greet all pilgrims who have come from various parts of Italy and other countries, particularly those who have come from Santiago (Chile), Pistoia, San Giovanni Bianco and Albano Sant'Alessandro (Bergamo); the young people from Modena, Bassano del Grappa and Ravenna; the large group of police motorcyclists and the police band.  It would be good to hear a song when we are finished ....

A special greeting is offered to Catholic parliamentarians, meeting for their fifth international gathering.  I encourage you to live  the delicate rule of representing the people in conformity with gospel values.

Yesterday, I met a large family from Mirabella Imbaccari, who brought me greetings from all their fellow citizens.  I thank you all for your affection.  I greet all of those who are participating in the Scholas meeting: continue your work with children and youth, educating them, availing them of the possibility of sports and culture; I wish you all a good meeting tomorrow at the Olympic Stadium!

From here, I see the young people who belong to the model union.  Be faithful to your motto: it is very dangerous to walk alone through life.  Continue the path, always walking together.

I wish you a good Sunday, I ask you to pray for me, and enjoy your lunch.  Good bye!

General Audience on One Holy Church

Wednesday's General Audience began at 10:30am 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 every corner of the world.

During his speech, spoken in Italian, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the Church, adding a mediation on the Church which is one and holy.

Following the customary summaries of the catechesis, the Holy Father added greetings which were addressed to each group of the faithful which was present.

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!

Every time we renew our profession of faith reciting the Creed, we affirm that the Church is one and holy. She is one because she has her origin in the Triune God, a mystery of unity and full communion. The Church is holy in as much as she is founded on Jesus Christ, animated by His Holy Spirit and filled with His love and His salvation. At the same time however, she is holy and is made up of sinners, all of us. Every day, we experience our own fragilities and our miseries. Now, this faith that we profess pushes us to conversion, to have the courage to live daily in unity and holiness, and if we are not united, if we are not holy, it is because we are not faithful to Him. However, He does not leave us alone; He does not abandon His Church! He walks with us. He understands us. He understands our weaknesses, our sins, and he forgives us. He always forgives us. He is always with us, helping us, and making us to be less sinful, more saintly and more united.

Our first comfort comes from the fact that Jesus prayed so much for the unity of the disciples. He prayed for unity, and He did so above all in the moments leading up to His Passion, when He was about to offer His whole life for us. It is that prayer which we are continually invited to reread and meditate, in one of the most intense and moving pages of John’s Gospel, chapter 17 (cf. vv. 11.21-23). How lovely it is to know that the Lord, just before dying, was not concerned about Himself, but thought of us! And in His heartbroken dialogue with the Father, He prayed in fact that we would be one with Him and among ourselves. You see, with these words, Jesus makes Himself our intercessor with the Father, so that we can also enter into the full communion of love with Him. At the same time, He entrusts us to the Father as His spiritual testament, in order that unity might become increasingly the distinctive characteristic of our Christian communities and the most beautiful answer to anyone who asks us the reason for the hope that is in us (cf. 1 Peter 3:15).

That they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me (John 17:21). The Church has sought from the beginning to realize this intention, which is so much in Jesus’ heart. The Acts of the Apostles remind us that the first Christians were distinguished by the fact of having one heart and soul (Acts 4:32). The Apostle Paul then exhorted his communities not to forget that they are one body (1 Corinthians 12:13). However, experience tells us that there are many sins against unity. And we do not think only of the great heresies and the schisms; we think of the many common failures in our communities, of parish sins, those sins in the parishes ... Sometimes, in fact, our parishes, called to be places of sharing and communion, are sadly marked by envy, jealousy and antipathy. And this chitchat is carried to all people and places.  How much this chitchat exists in the parishes! This is not good.This is not the Church! One must not do this, we must not do it! We need to ask the Lord for the grace not to do this.

This is human, all right, but not Christian! This happens when we seek the first places, when we put ourselves at the centre, with our personal ambitions and our ways of seeing things, and we judge others; when we look at the defects of our brothers and sisters instead of their gifts, when we give more weight to what divides that to what brings us together.

Faced with all this, we must make a serious examination of conscience. In a Christian community, division is one of the gravest sins, because it renders not the work of God but a sign of the devil, who by definition is the one who separates, who ruins relationships, who insinuates prejudices. Instead, God wants us to grow in our capacity to accept, forgive and love one another, to be ever more like Him who is communion and love. Herein lies the holiness of the Church who recognizes herself as the image of God, filled with His mercy and His grace.

Dear friends, let us allow these words of Jesus to resound in our hearts: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9). Let us ask sincerely for forgiveness for all the times we have been the occasion of division or incomprehension within our communities, knowing full well that communion is not attained except through constant conversion. And let us pray that the daily fabric of our relationships can become an ever more beautiful and joyful reflections of the relationship between Jesus and the Father.

There followed a series of summaries of this catechesis, offered in various languages.  The Holy Father then added particular greetings which he offered to each group of visitors.  To English-speaking pilgrims who were present at the Audience, he said:

I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Malta and Canada. May Jesus Christ confirm you in faith and make you witnesses of the holiness and unity of the Church. May God bless you all!

A Message for a Meeting for Friendship

On the occasion of the 35th Meeting for Friendship Among the Peoples, which begins today in Rimini and which will focus on the theme Toward the periphery of the world and of existence. Destiny does not leave man alone, the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin sent a message to His Excellency, Francesco Lambiasi, Bishop of Rimini on behalf of the Holy Father.

Message sent on behalf of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the Meeting for Friendship Among the Peoples

His Excellency, the Most Reverend

Francesco Lambiasi

Bishop of Rimini

Your Excellency,

On the occasion of the 35th Meeting for Friendship Among the Peoples, I am delighted to send to Your Excellency, to the organizers, the volunteers and to all those who will participate, the cordial greetings and blessing of His Holiness, Pope Francis, along with my personal good wishes for this important initiative.

The theme chosen for this year - Toward the periphery of the world and of existence - responds to the constant call of the Holy Father.  During his episcopate in Buenos Aires, His Holiness realized that the peripheries are not only places, but also and above all persons, as he explained during his address to the General Congregations before the beginning of the Conclave: the Church is called to go outside of herself and to go out toward the peripheries, not only geographic boundaries, but also existential ones: such as the mystery of sin, of suffering, of injustice, of ignorance of and ascent of faith, of thought, of every form of misery (March 9, 2013).

Therefore, Pope Francis is grateful to the organizers of this Meeting for having heard and spread his invitation to develop this prospect.  A Church which goes out is the only possibility according to the gospel; it demonstrates the life of Jesus, who went from village to village announcing the Kingdom of God and who sent his disciples ahead of him.  This is the reason why the Father sent him into the world.

Destiny does not leave man alone is the second part of the theme of this Meeting: and expression used by the Servant of God, Father Luigi Giussani who would recall that the Lord has never abandoned us, he never forgets us.  In ancient times, a man was chosen, Abram, and God sent him on a journey toward the land that he had promised.  In the fullness of time, he chose a young woman, the Virgin Mary, in order that his word might become flesh and come to live among us.  Nazareth was truly an insignificant village, a periphery according to political and religious customs; but even there, God was looking for a way to bring to fruition his plan for mercy and faithfulness.

A Christian is never afraid to look outward, to go toward the periphery, because he or she is centred on Jesus Christ.  He sets us free from our fears; with him by our side we can go forward, confident in every place, even in the dark moments of life, knowing that, wherever we go, the Lord will always go before us with his grace, and our joy is found in sharing with others the good news that He is with us. After having accomplished their mission, Jesus' disciples returned enthusiastic about the success they had experienced.  But Jesus said to them: Do not rejoice because the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather because your names are written in heaven (Lk 10:20-21).  It's not up to us to save the world, only God can save it.

Men and women of our time are running a great risk of experiencing individual sadness, isolated from one another even though they may find themselves surrounded by many consumer goods, from which many are excluded.  Often, there are prevailing lifestyles that put their hopes in economic securities or successes, or entirely worldly successes.  Even Christians run this risk. It is evident - the Holy Father affirms - that in some places there is a spiritual desertification taking place, the fruit of society's attempts to build without God (Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, 86). But this should not discourage us, as Pope Benedict XVI reminded us at the beginning of the Year of Faith: In the desert, we begin to understand the value of what is essential to life; so in the contemporary world there are innumerable signs, often manifested in implicit or negative signs, the thirst for God, the ultimate sense of life.  And in the desert, we need above all, persons of faith who, with their own lives, point the way toward the promised land and therefore keep hope alive (Homily at the Mass commemorating the opening of the Year of Faith, October 11, 2012).

Pope Francis invites us to collaborate, even with the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, with this return to the essentials, which are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians have a duty to proclaim this truth without excluding anyone, not as someone who is imposing a new obligation, but rather as people who share a joy, pointing out a beautiful horizon offering a desirable banquet.  The Church does not grow through proselytizing but through attraction (Evangelii gaudium, 14). that is through personal witness, a story, a gesture or the form that the same Holy Spirit can inspire in a practical circumstance (Evangelii gaudium, 128).

The Holy Father points out to those responsible for this gathering, and to all those who participate in this Meeting two particular points of attention.

First, he invites you to never lose contact with reality; on the contrary, to be lovers of reality.  This too is part of Christian witness: before a dominant culture which puts prime importance on appearance, which is superficial and provisional, the challenge is to choose and to love reality.  Father Giussani has left you a plan for life as your inheritance.  He used to say: The only thing necessary in order to always truly be religious is to always intensively live reality.  The best way to be real is to live in reality, no holds barred, without denying or forgetting anything.  In fact, it would not be human, that is to say reasonable, to limit our consideration of experience to a superficial examination, as though it were merely the crest of a wave, without delving to the depth of its motivation (The religious sense, p. 150).

In addition, he calls upon you to keep your eyes fixed on the essentials.  The most important problem appears in fact when the Christian message is identified with secondary aspects which do not express the heart of the message.  In a world such as this, after two thousand years, Jesus has become a stranger in too many countries of the West.  We need to be realistic and not assume that our audience understands the full background to what we are saying, or is capable of relating what we say to the very heart of the Gospel which gives it meaning, beauty and attractiveness (Evangelii gaudium, 34).

For this reason, a world in such rapid transformation needs Christians to be willing to seek forms and ways of communicating in understandable language the perennial freshness of Christianity.  Here too, we must be realistic.  Often it is better simply to slow down, to put aside our eagerness in order to see and listen to others, to stop rushing from one thing to another and to remain with someone who has faltered along the way (Evangelii gaudium, 46).

His Holiness offers these reflections as a contribution to the week of your Meeting, to all those who will participate, in particular to those who are leading your deliberations, to the organizers and to presenters who have come from various corners of the world and of existence to bear witness that God our Father never leaves his children alone.  The Pope hopes that many of you will relive the experience of the first disciples of Jesus, who, encountering him on the banks of the Jordan, heard him ask: What are you looking for?  May this question posed by Jesus always be part of the journey of those who take part in the Meeting for the Friendship Among the Peoples.

While asking you to pray for him and for his ministry, Pope Francis invokes the maternal protection of the Virgin Mother and willingly imparts his Apostolic Blessing upon Your Excellency and to all those participating in this Meeting.

Assuring Your Excellency also of my personal best wishes, I take this opportunity to confirm my highest esteem

Pietro Cardinal Parolin
Secretary of State

Angelus on Peter's profession

At noon today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims who had come to Saint Peter's Square for his weekly appointment.

Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis

prior to the recitation of the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

This Sunday's gospel (Mt 16:13-20) is the famous passage, central to Matthew's account, in which Simon, on behalf of the Twelve, professes his faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God; and Jesus calls him blessed Simon because of his faith, seeing in it a special gift received from the Father; he says to him: You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.

Let us pause a moment and focus on this point, on the fact that Jesus gives Simon this new name: Peter, which in the language of Jesus is pronounced Kefa, a word that means rock.  In the bible, this term, rock, is a reference to God.  Jesus assigns this name to Simon not because of any particular quality or human merit of his own, but because of his authentic and solid faith which is a gift given him from above.

Jesus experiences a great joy in his heart, for in Simon, he sees the work of the Father, the action of the Holy Spirit.  He recognizes that God the Father has given Simon a reliable faith, on which He, Jesus, can build his Church, that is to say his community, all of us.  Jesus wants to give life to his Church, a people no longer based on blood relationships or descendance but rather on faith, centred on a relationship with Himself, a relationship of love and of trust.  Our relationship with Jesus builds the Church.  Thus it was that in order to begin his Church, Jesus needed to find solid reliable faith in his disciples.  This is what Jesus had to verify at this point in their journey of faith.

In his mind, the Lord has an image of the construction of this Church, an image of the community of faith as a building.  This is the reason why, when he hears the profession of sincere faith in Simon, he calls him rock, and demonstrates his intention to build his Church on the foundation of this faith.

Brothers and sisters, what happened in a unique way in Saint Peter also takes place in every Christian who develops a sincere faith in Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God.  Today's gospel challenges each of us.  How is your faith developing?  Everyone must give a response based on the truth that is taking place in his or her heart.  How is your faith developing?  Are our hearts capable of finding the Lord?  Have our hearts been hardened like rocks or are they more like sand, that is to say are they doubtful, suspicious or unbelieving?  It would be good during the day today to think about this.  If the Lord finds some faith in our hearts, even if it is not perfect, but it is sincere, genuine, then He will also see in us living stones with which he can build his community.  Christ is the cornerstone of this community.  For his part, Peter is the rock, the visible foundation of the Church, but every baptized person is called to offer his or her own faith to Jesus, even though it might be poor, as long as it is sincere, and with our feeble faith, Jesus continues to build his Church today, in every corner of the world.

Even today, many people think of Jesus as a great prophet, a master of wisdom, a model of justice ... And even today, Jesus asks his disciples, all of us: But you, who do you say I am?  How will we reply?  Let's think about it.  But first, let's pray to God the Father, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary; let's pray for the gift of grace to respond with sincere hearts: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.  This is a confession of faith, the true credo.  Let us repeat it together three times: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

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

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today my thoughts are particularly directed to the beloved land of the Ukraine, where this day is celebrated as a national feast.  I think of all her sons and daughters who yearn for peace and serenity, even as they are threatened by situations of tension and conflict which continue unabated, causing such suffering among the civilian population.  Let us confide that entire nation to the Lord Jesus and to Our Lady, and let us pray above all for the victims, for their families and for all those who are suffering.  I received a letter from one of the bishops who described all the pain.  Let us pray together to Our Lady on behalf of the beloved land of the Ukraine on the day of their national feast:  Hail Mary ... Mary, Queen of peace, pray for us!

I cordially greet all the Roman pilgrims and all those who have come from other countries, especially the faithful from Santiago de Compostela (Spain), the children from Maipù (Chile), the young people from Chiry-Ourscamp (France) and all those taking part in the international gathering organized by the Diocese of Palestrina

I affectionately greet all the new seminarians from the Pontifical North American College who have come to Rome to study theology.

I greet the young scientists from Bergamo, who have come to Rome from Assisi on foot along with their bishop; as I see it is written there, you have come from Francis to Francis.  You Bergamese are very brave!  Last night, your bishop and one of the priests who is accompanying you were telling me how yo have lived these days of pilgrimage: congratulations!  Dear young people, return to your homes with the desire to witness to all the beauty of the Christian faith.  I greet the youth from Verona, Montegrotto Terme and from Valle Liona, as well as the faithful from Giussano and Bassano del Grappa.

I ask you please, don`t forget to pray for me.  I wish you all a good Sunday.  Enjoy your lunch.  Good bye.

Side by side

Here is the reflection I shared with those who gathered earlier today to witness the wedding that was celebrated in our parish church.

Homily for the Wedding 

of Justin Viau and Mariah Rennedette

Justin and Mariah have invited the members of their respective families and their friends to celebrate with them this weekend.  The festivities began yesterday and will continue throughout the remainder of this day and then spill over into tomorrow.  This is an occasion of great joy because they are standing side by side today to publicly profess their love for one another, and from this day onward they will stand side by side, joyfully bearing witness to the love that they share.  This love is a gift from our God, so it is fitting that we have come to this place to thank our God for His gift of love, and to pray for guidance so that we might always use his gift of love in wise and wonderful ways.

God’s love has been made known to us throughout the history of our existence.  On the day of our baptism, God makes each and every one of us his beloved child.  From that day forward, he reveals to us, little by little, the many ways that he is always with us, helping us, guiding us and filling us with the joy of knowing that we are loved.  The first reading that was chosen for this celebration is actually part of a love poem.  At first glance, we often think that the Song of Songs describes a young lover, but in reality, it is speaking about God who is my beloved and your beloved: the one who loves us and who inspires us to love him in return.

It is God therefore who says to you today, Justin and Mariah, to me and to all of us: Set me like a seal on your heart, a permanent reminder of this day, of its joy, of the people who have gathered here to celebrate with you.  In just a few moments, you will speak the words of your vows to one another and God will join you together as husband and wife in a bond that no human being can separate.  Love is the bond that will join you together: a bond that you can rely on to give you strength when you feel challenged by the demands of the world around us, a bond which will bring you comfort and support when trials must be faced; a bond which will bring you the joy of knowing how to stand side by side with each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives.

It is easy to love when times are good.  It is easy to speak of love on days like today, but the scriptures also challenge us to love, not only in word or speech, but in truth and action.  Married life is a school of love.  When two people truly love one another, it’s easy to spend hours and hours together: time seems to slip away almost unnoticed.  When two people love each other, they learn that there are times in life when this love will be put to the test, but this is only so that we might come to understand how strong the bond of love can be.  When love is tested, it often becomes stronger.  This is why Saint John encourages us to always believe in the name of Jesus Christ, and to love one another just as God has commanded us to do.

Justin and Mariah, thank you for the witness of your love.  Thank you for standing side by side today and sharing this witness with your family and your friends, with your colleagues and with everyone you meet.  I pray that God’s love will always live in your hearts and fill you with a joy that will radiate for all to see.  May the Lord bless you, and may Mary our mother protect you.

Condolences to Detroit

On Wednesday of this week, August 20, His Eminence Edmund Casimir Cardinal Szoka died.  Cardinal Szoka was Archbishop emeritus of Detroit, Michigan (USA) and President emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City as well as President emeritus of the Governatorate (the office responsible for the physical oversight of Vatican City.

Yesterday, the Holy Father sent a telegram of condolence to the current Archbishop of Detroit, His Excellency, Allen Henry Vigneron.

Telegram of Condolence sent by His Holiness, Pope Francis

for the death of His Eminence, Edmund Cardinal Szoka

TO THE MOST REVEREND
ALLEN H. VIGNERON
ARCHBISHOP OF DETROIT

HAVING LEARNED WITH SADNESS OF THE DEATH OF CARDINAL EDMUND CASIMIR SZOKA, ARCHBISHOP EMERITUS OF DETROIT, I OFFER HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO YOU AND TO THE CLERGY, RELIGIOUS AND LAY FAITHFUL OF THE ARCHDIOCESE. RECALLING WITH GRATITUDE THE LATE CARDINAL’S TIRELESS EPISCOPAL MINISTRY IN GAYLORD AND DETROIT, AND HIS YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE APOSTOLIC SEE AND THE VATICAN CITY STATE, I WILLINGLY JOIN YOU IN COMMENDING THE SOUL OF THIS GENEROUS SERVANT OF CHRIST AND THE CHURCH TO THE MERCIFUL LOVE OF GOD OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. TO ALL WHO MOURN CARDINAL SZOKA IN THE HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION I CORDIALLY IMPART MY APOSTOLIC BLESSING AS A PLEDGE OF CONSOLATION AND PEACE IN THE LORD.

FRANCISCUS PP.

With workers for Nazareth

At 6:00pm on Wednesday evening, in the Domus Sanctae Marthae at the Vatican, the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with members of a group from the Works for Nazareth Association, who were accompanied by His Eminence, Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis

for the meeting with members of the

Works for Nazareth Association

Dear friends,

Thank you for coming.  I thank Cardinal Tauran for having accompanied you and I also thank Madam President for her presentation.

I simply want to highlight a few aspects of your history which I found interesting and which are important.

First:  The discovery of Jesus as man's Way.  Not just one of the ways, but the Way.  He himself said: I am the way (Jn 14:6).  The way that leads where?  Toward the Father.  Jesus is the way that opens before every person in order to encounter God, in order to enter into a relationship and into communion with Him, and thus to truly find him- or herself! We find the fullness of ourselves when we fully become sons and daughters of our Father, and this is possible thanks to Jesus: this is the reason for which he died on the cross.

The second aspect comes with consequences, and this is joy: when someone discovers Jesus as the way, joy enters into his or her life.  It enters in for good, and it is a radical joy within us which no one can take away from us, as the Lord himself has promised (cf. Jn 16:22)

This joy of being a disciple of Jesus makes us witnesses, apostolic and missionary. You do this with a discreet, humble and simple presence - the spirit of Nazareth - in the environments where you live and work, especially in university settings.  I encourage you to continue this work, and I thank you for the good that you have already done, through the grace of God.

I am glad to know that you always try to be in communion with the local Church: keep doing this.  And I join you in thanking God for the journey that your community has experienced so far, including the recent ordinations ...

May the Lord bless you and may Our Lady protect you.

Cardinal Filoni speaks about Iraq

The Pope’s special envoy to Iraq has said Christians and religious minorities in the country are facing genocide and the international community must act quickly to come to their aid.

In an interview with the Italian bishops’ newspaper Avvenire held today, Cardinal Fernando Filoni said Iraqis have told him the world must urgently help them and not wait until they are in a hopeless situation. We are faced with a tragedy that is genocide, Cardinal Filoni said, “because when all the men are taken and killed, when women are robbed, taken away, their dignity violated in the worst human way and then sold, then you are destroying these people, knowing that in this way they will no longer have a future.

The special envoy, who has been in Iraq and Jordan since August 12, was speaking after celebrating Mass in Ankawa, an Assyrian suburb of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Pope Francis sent Cardinal Filoni to the region after Islamic State terrorists brutally drove Christians and Yazidis from their homes in northern Iraq.

Asked about offering the religious minorities international protection, the Church diplomat echoed comments made by other Church leaders in suggesting that military action is necessary but on a multilateral basis. The international community must intervene to take responsibility for the situation and not only morally, he said. It’s nice to say we defend these people, but they are dying. How can they be removed from the clutches of these predators? There’s already an answer.

He said a stable solution must be found to the refugee crisis, and that the primary responsibility for dealing with those displaced rests with the civil authorities, but with help from international bodies such as the United Nations and the European Union. “We must act at different levels and with different capacities.

The special envoy said his presence on behalf of the Pope has been much appreciated. My visit has been of great benefit. Thousands have told me and the authorities: 'Thank you for coming to see how we are' ... please don’t forget about us', and 'tell people about us'.  

As a pastor, Cardinal Filoni added, I feel that these are the forgotten sheep that, as Pope Francis said, we must take on our shoulders. The local church, bishops and patriarchy have all given an extraordinary hand, and although they alone cannot give hope, we promise to be always present. Walking in the midst of the Iraqi people gives us strength and gives them strength to want to continue living here.

As (Iraq’s) President Barzani said, ‘This is a mosaic of large stones and small stones, but even removing only one piece of the jigsaw, we are no longer the same: this is not Iraq.’ We must ensure that these stones do not fall, but are part of this coexistence. We must find a means to foster peaceful coexistence.

News from Argentina

Yesterday, the Holy Father learned of a tragic accident that happened to some of his relatives.  Three of Pope Francis' relatives (two great nephews - Antonio, aged 8 months and Jose, aged 2 years - and their mother - 39 year-old Valeria Carmona) died in a motor vehicle accident which took place in the province of Cordoba (Argentina).  The Holy Father's nephew, Emanuel Horacio Bergoglio, the son of his brother, the late Alberto Bergoglio was also in the car at the time and is now recovering in hospital, but listed as in critical condition.

Apparently, the car carrying the family was travelling at the time between Cordoba and Rosario when it struck a truck loaded with corn.  The Holy Father was informed yesterday about the accident and was deeply saddened.  His Holiness has asked that all those sharing in his grief join him in prayer.

At the close of this morning's General Audience, Pope Francis thanked the faithful for their prayers: I thank you for the prayers and condolences for what happened in my family, he said in the Paul VI Hall.

Even the Pope has a family, he continued. We are 5 siblings, I have 16 nieces and nephews. One of these nephews had a car accident. His wife died as well as two young children; one was 2 years old and the other only a few months old. And he right now is in critical condition.  I thank you so much, so much, for your condolences and prayers, he said.

General Audience on Korea

This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am local time and was held in the Paul VI Hall.  There, His Holiness, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful who had come from various parts of Italy as well as other corners of the world.

During his discourse, the Pope spoke of his recent Apostolic voyage to the Republic of Korea on the occasion of the 6th Asian Youth Day.

As is the custom, synopses of the catechesis were presented in various languages and the Holy Father spoke particular greetings to each group of the faithful who were present.

The General Audience concluded as it always does: with the recitation 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!

In recent days I completed an apostolic journey to Korea and today, together with you, I thank the Lord for this great gift.  I was able to visit a young and dynamic Church, founded on the witness of the martyrs and animated by a missionary spirit in a country where ancient asiatic cultures meet the perennial newness of the gospel.

I wish once again to express my gratitude to my dear brother bishops in Korea, to Madam President of the Republic, to the other Authorities and to all those who assisted in any way with my visit.

The significance of this apostolic voyage can be condensed into three words: memory, hope and witness.

The Republic of Korea is a country which has had a noteworthy and rapid economic development.  Its inhabitants are hard workers. They are disciplined, ordered and strive to maintain the strength inherited from their ancestors.

In such circumstances, the Church is entrusted with memory and with hope: she is a spiritual family in which adults pass on to the youth the torch of faith that they in turn have received from the elderly; the memory of the witness of the past becomes a new witness for the present and a hope for the future.  From this perspective we can better understand the two principal events of this voyage: the beatification of 124 Korean martyrs, who are now added to those who had been canonized thirty years ago by Saint John Paul II; and the encounter with the youth on the occasion of the 6th Asian Youth Day.

Young people are always looking for something that makes life worth living, and the martyrs bear witness to something, indeed, to Someone for whom it is worthwhile even to give your life.  This reality is the love of God, which took on flesh in Jesus, the Witness of the Father.  During the two moments of the trip which were dedicated to the youth, the Spirit of the Risen Lord filled us with joy and with hope which the youth will carry with them to their various countries and these gifts will do them much good!

The Church in Korea also preserves the memory of the primary role that the laity have played since the dawn of faith in the work of evangelization.  In fact, in that land, the Christian community was not founded by missionaries, but by a group of young Koreans during the second half of the eighteenth century (1700s), who were fascinated by some Christian texts, studied them and chose to follow them as a rule of life.  One of them was sent to Peking in order to be baptized and then this lay person in turn baptized his companions.  From this first nucleus, a great community developed; from its very beginning and for a century afterward, this community endured violent persecution, including thousands of martyrs.  Therefore, the Church in Korea is founded on faith, on the missionary spirit and on the martyrdom of the lay faithful.

The first Korean Christians took as their model the community of apostles in Jerusalem, practicing fraternal love which transcends all social differences.  In the same way, I have encouraged Christians today to be generous in sharing with the poorest and those who are excluded, according to the prescripts of chapter 25 of the gospel of Matthew: As you have done this even to the least of my brothers, you have done it to me (Mt 25:40).

Dear brothers and sisters, in the history of faith in Korea, we see how Christ never negates a culture, never overrides the journey of a people who throughout the centuries and the millennia seek the truth and practice love for God and for their neighbours.  Christ does not abolish anything that is good, but he helps it to grow, helps it to flourish.

However, Christ fights against and defeats the evil one, who sows the weeds of discord between one person and another, between one people and another; leading to exclusion because of idolatry and the worship of money and sows the poison of emptiness in the hearts of the young.   Yes, Jesus Christ has fought this fight and has won the battle through his sacrifice of love.  If we remain in him, in his love, we too, like the martyrs, can life and bear witness to his victory.  With this faith, we prayed, and now we pray that all the sons and daughters of the Korean land, who suffer the consequences of war and division, might discover the way that leads to fraternity and reconciliation.

This voyage was illuminated by the Feast of Mary, Assumed into Heaven.  From her place on high, where she reigns with Christ, the Mother of the Church accompanies the people of God on their journey, she sustains us when we are fatigued, comforts those who face trials and opens the way to hope.  Through her maternal intercession, may the Lord always bless the Korean people, give them peace and prosperity, and bless the Church that lives in that land, so that it may always be rich and full of the joy of the gospel.

This catechesis was then summarized and spoken in various languages.  The Holy Father in turn offered particular greetings to each group of the faithful who were present at the General Audience.  To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:

I offer an affectionate greeting to the young altar servers from Malta, and I thank them for their faithful service in Saint Peter’s Basilica this past month. Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims taking part in today’s Audience, including those from the United Kingdom and Japan, I invoke the joy and peace of the Lord Jesus. God bless you!

Farewell to Korea

Having concluded the Eucharistic celebration at the Cathedral of Seoul, the Holy Father, Pope Francis then traveled to the Seongnam Air Base, located south of the city, where, in the presence of civil and religious authorities as well as a group of the faithful, he departed for Rome.

Following the military honours and the respective delegations having greeted one another, the Pope boarded the Korean Airlines B777 which subsequently lifted off at 1:00pm local time (6:00am in Italy; midnight EDT).

As the aircraft left Korean airspace, and while it flew over China, Mongolia, Russia, Bielorussia, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia before finally arriving in Italy, the Holy Father sent telegrams of greeting to the Heads of State of each of those countries.

The Holy Father arrived at Ciampino airport (Rome) shortly before 6:00pm local time yesterday.  He left the airport and traveled by car to Santa Maria Maggiore, where he paused in silent prayer as he had done on the morning prior to his departure for Korea before the image of the Blessed Virgin Salus Populi Romani.  He also left a small bouquet of flowers in front of the image which he had received yesterday morning from one of the Korean children prior to boarding the flight home.

A Mass for peace and reconciliation

Having met briefly with religious leaders from various traditions in the Myeong-dong Cathedral in Seoul, which is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, the Holy Father then presided over a Mass for peace and reconciliation for all of Korea.  Also present to concelebrate with His Holiness were all the Korean Bishops.  Also present for this celebration was the President of the Republic of Korea, Mrs. Park Geun-hye.

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the Mass for peace and reconciliation

Myeong-dong Cathedral (Seoul)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As my stay in Korea draws to a close, I thank God for the many blessings he has bestowed upon this beloved country, and in a special way, upon the Church in Korea. Among those blessings I especially treasure the experience we have all had in these recent days of the presence of so many young pilgrims from throughout Asia. Their love of Jesus and their enthusiasm for the spread of his Kingdom have been an inspiration to us all.

My visit now culminates in this celebration of Mass, in which we implore from God the grace of peace and reconciliation. This prayer has a particular resonance on the Korean peninsula. Today’s Mass is first and foremost a prayer for reconciliation in this Korean family. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us how powerful is our prayer when two or three of us join in asking for something (cf. Mt 18:19-20). How much more when an entire people raises its heartfelt plea to heaven!

The first reading presents God’s promise to restore to unity and prosperity a people dispersed by disaster and division. For us, as for the people of Israel, this is a promise full of hope: it points to a future which God is even now preparing for us. Yet this promise is inseparably tied to a command: the command to return to God and wholeheartedly obey his law (cf. Dt 30:2-3). God’s gifts of reconciliation, unity and peace are inseparably linked to the grace of conversion, a change of heart which can alter the course of our lives and our history, as individuals and as a people.

At this Mass, we naturally hear this promise in the context of the historical experience of the Korean people, an experience of division and conflict which has lasted for well over sixty years. But God’s urgent summons to conversion also challenges Christ’s followers in Korea to examine the quality of their own contribution to the building of a truly just and humane society. It challenges each of you to reflect on the extent to which you, as individuals and communities, show evangelical concern for the less fortunate, the marginalized, those without work and those who do not share in the prosperity of the many. And it challenges you, as Christians and Koreans, firmly to reject a mindset shaped by suspicion, confrontation and competition, and instead to shape a culture formed by the teaching of the Gospel and the noblest traditional values of the Korean people.

In today’s Gospel, Peter asks the Lord: If my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times? To which the Lord replies: Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy times seven (Mt 18:21-22). These words go to the very heart of Jesus’ message of reconciliation and peace. In obedience to his command, we ask our heavenly Father daily to forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Unless we are prepared to do this, how can we honestly pray for peace and reconciliation?

Jesus asks us to believe that forgiveness is the door which leads to reconciliation. In telling us to forgive our brothers unreservedly, he is asking us to do something utterly radical, but he also gives us the grace to do it. What appears, from a human perspective, to be impossible, impractical and even at times repugnant, he makes possible and fruitful through the infinite power of his cross. The cross of Christ reveals the power of God to bridge every division, to heal every wound, and to reestablish the original bonds of brotherly love.

This, then, is the message which I leave you as I conclude my visit to Korea. Trust in the power of Christ’s cross! Welcome its reconciling grace into your own hearts and share that grace with others! I ask you to bear convincing witness to Christ’s message of reconciliation in your homes, in your communities and at every level of national life. I am confident that, in a spirit of friendship and cooperation with other Christians, with the followers of other religions, and with all men and women of good will concerned for the future of Korean society, you will be a leaven of the Kingdom of God in this land. Thus our prayers for peace and reconciliation will rise to God from ever more pure hearts and, by his gracious gift, obtain that precious good for which we all long.

Let us pray, then, for the emergence of new opportunities for dialogue, encounter and the resolution of differences, for continued generosity in providing humanitarian assistance to those in need, and for an ever greater recognition that all Koreans are brothers and sisters, members of one family, one people. They speak the same language.

Before leaving Korea, I wish to thank President Park Geun-hye, the civil and ecclesiastical authorities and all those who in any way helped to make this visit possible. I especially wish to address a word of personal appreciation to the priests of Korea, who daily labor in the service of the Gospel and the building up of God’s people in faith, hope and love. I ask you, as ambassadors of Christ and ministers of his reconciling love (cf. 2 Cor 5:18-20), to continue to build bridges of respect, trust and harmonious cooperation in your parishes, among yourselves, and with your bishops. Your example of unreserved love for the Lord, your faithfulness and dedication to your ministry, and your charitable concern for those in need, contribute greatly to the work of reconciliation and peace in this country.

Dear brothers and sisters, God calls us to return to him and to hearken to his voice, and he promises to establish us on the land in even greater peace and prosperity than our ancestors knew. May Christ’s followers in Korea prepare for the dawning of that new day, when this land of the morning calm will rejoice in God’s richest blessings of harmony and peace! Amen.

Meeting with leaders at the Cathedral

At 8:30 yesterday morning, the Holy Father left the Apostolic Nunciature in seoul and traveled by car to the Myeong-dong Cathedral where he was welcomed by the Rector in front of the old curial palace.

Inside one of the rooms of the old Curia, the Pope met with some Korean leaders and members of various religious confessions.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the meeting with Korean leaders

and members of various religious confessions

I thank you for the kindness and affection which you have shown by coming here to meet me. Life is a journey, a long journey, but a journey which we cannot make by ourselves. We need to walk together with our brothers and sisters in the presence of God. So I thank you for this gesture of walking together in the presence of God: that is what God asked of Abraham. We are brothers and sisters. Let us acknowledge one another as brothers and sisters, and walk together. May the Lord bless you. And please, pray for me. Thank you!

Persistance pays off

Here is the text of the reflection I shared with those who gathered in prayer this weekend: a few thoughts inspired by a woman from southern Lebanon who once had the chance to speak with Jesus.

Persistance in prayer

I had lunch the other day with the family of one of the people who I hope will be joining our upcoming pilgrimage to England and Ireland.  Before our encounter, I had never met them, and they had never met me, so this was an opportunity for each of us to tell a bit of our stories.  While we sat at that table, I learned about the father of the family who is Coptic Catholic: originally from Egypt; about the mother of the family who is Melkite Catholic: originally from Lebanon.  I heard stories of their respective families’ struggles as they faced many obstacles to faith, and eventually came to Canada, a place where they say it is easier to raise their children and to practice their faith … although no situation is perfect.

I thought of this family as I read the gospel that we have heard today.  Jesus went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon.   This is a place located just north of Israel, in southern Lebanon, perhaps not far from the place where the mother of that family used to call home.  Two thousand years ago and more, Jesus visited that place, encountered a woman from that region and heard her plea: Have mercy on me Lord.  His disciples were surprised that he was even paying attention to such pleas, perhaps because they were thinking as human beings think.  At the time, since Jesus and his disciples would have been in foreign territory, far away from the places they called home and the people they knew, it would have been expected that they would not speak with strangers.  We see evidence of this human way of thinking in Jesus words: I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, yet it was the woman’s persistence in prayer that convinced him that she had faith in him, and because of this faith, he responds: Let it be done for you as you wish.

Today, two millennia later, voices continue to be raised in prayer.  From the cities of Tyre and Sidon, across the lands of Lebanon and Israel, throughout the lands of Jordan, Syria and Iraq where such devastating news continues to be told, people are crying out in prayer: Have mercy on me Lord.  They are in great need of our prayers, and of the gift of hope that God will bring them to his holy mountain, and make them joyful in his house of prayer. 

The joy that is given in God’s house is evident on the faces of those who have come to know it, even though they have to struggle every day to live their faith.  I wonder if we are aware of what a blessing it is that we can practice our faith here in this land without having to hide.  Sometimes such blessings can be taken for granted until we meet a woman like the one who Jesus met in the gospel today: there are many such men and women in our world and they have a story to tell: a story of challenge, a story of struggle, a story of conviction, a story of the joy of having experienced the mercy of Jesus.  This was the story that Saint Paul told to the Christians in Rome; it is the story that is told by every witness who speaks of the power of faith in his or her life, even today.

All of us can tell such stories.  The details of the struggle might be different, but they are always there.  In this land, we must bear witness to God’s merciful presence for the sake of our children, for the sake of the marginalized and for the sake of our elderly.  Together with them, we continue to pray: Have mercy on me Lord. Bring us to your holy mountain and make us joyful in your house of prayer.

At Mass with Asian Youth

This afternoon, the Holy Father traveled by car to Haemi Castle where, in the inner courtyard, beginning at 4:30pm local time, he presided over the celebration of the Eucharist which concluded the 6th Asian Youth Day which focused on the theme Youth of Asia!  Arise!  The glory of the martyrs shines upon you.  There were more than 40,000 persons present for this celebration, the majority of them young people who had come from 23 different Asian nations.

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the concluding Mass of the

6th Asian Youth Day

Dear Young Friends,

The glory of the martyrs shines upon you!

These words – a part of the theme of the Sixth Asian Youth Day – console and strengthen us all. Young people of Asia: you are the heirs of a great testimony, a precious witness to Christ. He is the light of the world; he is the light of our lives! The martyrs of Korea – and innumerable others throughout Asia – handed over their bodies to their persecutors; to us they have handed on a perennial witness that the light of Christ’s truth dispels all darkness, and the love of Christ is gloriously triumphant. With the certainty of his victory over death, and our participation in it, we can face the challenge of Christian discipleship today, in our own circumstances and time.

The words which we have just reflected upon are a consolation. The other part of this Day’s theme – Asian Youth! Wake up! – speaks to you of a duty, a responsibility. Let us consider for a moment each of these words.

First, the word Asian. You have gathered here in Korea from all parts of Asia. Each of you has a unique place and context where you are called to reflect God’s love. The Asian continent, imbued with rich philosophical and religious traditions, remains a great frontier for your testimony to Christ, the way, and the truth and the life (Jn 14:6). As young people not only in Asia, but also as sons and daughters of this great continent, you have a right and a duty to take full part in the life of your societies. Do not be afraid to bring the wisdom of faith to every aspect of social life!

As Asians too, you see and love, from within, all that is beautiful, noble and true in your cultures and traditions. Yet as Christians, you also know that the Gospel has the power to purify, elevate and perfect this heritage. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit given you in Baptism and sealed within you at Confirmation, and in union with your pastors, you can appreciate the many positive values of the diverse Asian cultures. You are also able to discern what is incompatible with your Catholic faith, what is contrary to the life of grace bestowed in Baptism, and what aspects of contemporary culture are sinful, corrupt, and lead to death.

Returning to the theme of this Day, let us reflect on a second word: Youth. You and your friends are filled with the optimism, energy and good will which are so characteristic of this period of life. Let Christ turn your natural optimism into Christian hope, your energy into moral virtue, your good will into genuine self-sacrificing love! This is the path you are called to take. This is the path to overcoming all that threatens hope, virtue and love in your lives and in your culture. In this way your youth will be a gift to Jesus and to the world.

As young Christians, whether you are workers or students, whether you have already begun a career or have answered the call to marriage, religious life or the priesthood, you are not only a part of the future of the Church; you are also a necessary and beloved part of the Church’s present! You are Church’s present! Keep close to one another, draw ever closer to God, and with your bishops and priests spend these years in building a holier, more missionary and humble Church, a holier, more missionary and humble Church, a Church which loves and worships God by seeking to serve the poor, the lonely, the infirm and the marginalized.

In your Christian lives, you will find many occasions that will tempt you, like the disciples in today’s Gospel, to push away the stranger, the needy, the poor and the broken-hearted. It is these people especially who repeat the cry of the woman of the Gospel: Lord, help me!. The Canaanite woman’s plea is the cry of everyone who searches for love, acceptance, and friendship with Christ. It is the cry of so many people in our anonymous cities, the cry of so many of your own contemporaries, and the cry of all those martyrs who even today suffer persecution and death for the name of Jesus: Lord, help me! It is often a cry which rises from our own hearts as well: Lord, help me! Let us respond, not like those who push away people who make demands on us, as if serving the needy gets in the way of our being close to the Lord. No! We are to be like Christ, who responds to every plea for his help with love, mercy and compassion.

Finally, the third part of this Day’s theme – Wake up! – This word speaks of a responsibility which the Lord gives you. It is the duty to be vigilant, not to allow the pressures, the temptations and the sins of ourselves or others to dull our sensitivity to the beauty of holiness, to the joy of the Gospel. Today’s responsorial psalm invites us constantly to be glad and sing for joy. No one who sleeps can sing, dance or rejoice. I don’t like to see young people who are sleeping. No! Wake up! Go! Go Forward! Dear young people, God, our God, has blessed us! (Ps 67:6); from him we have received mercy (Rom 11:30). Assured of God’s love, go out to the world so that, by the mercy shown to you, they – your friends, co-workers, neighbours, countrymen, everyone on this great continent – may now receive the mercy of God (cf. Rom 11:31). It is by his mercy that we are saved.

Dear young people of Asia, it is my hope that, in union with Christ and the Church, you will take up this path, which will surely bring you much joy. Now, as we approach the table of the Eucharist, let us turn to our Mother Mary, who brought Jesus to the world. Yes, Mother Mary, we long to have Jesus; in your maternal affection help us to bring him to others, to serve him faithfully, and to honour him in every time and place, in this country and throughout Asia. Amen.

Asian youth, wake up!

With the Bishops of Asia

This morning, the Holy Father, Pope Francis left the Apostolic Nunciature and from Seoul's Yongsan heliport, departed at 10:00am destined for the Shrine of Haemi where he met with Bishops from various parts of Asia.

Upon his arrival at the Shrine, known as the Shrine of the unknown martyr, since the identity of most of the 132 martyrs killed on that spot is unknown, Pope Francis was welcomed by the Rector at the main entrance to the church within which he met with Bishops who had come from various parts of Asia as well as other Bishops who were visiting.

After having prayed Mid-morning Prayer, the President of the Federation of the Asian Conferences of Bishops (FABC), His Eminence, Oswald Cardinal Garcias, Archbishop of Mumbay offered a word of welcome, then the Pope shared his reflections with those who were gathered.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the meeting with the Bishops of Asia

I offer you a warm and fraternal greeting in the Lord as we gather together at this holy site where so many Christians gave their lives in fidelity to Christ. I have been told that some are nameless martyrs, since we do not know all their names: they are saints without a name. But this makes me think about the many, many holy Christians in our churches: children and young people, men, women, elderly persons… so very many of them! We do not know their names, but they are saints. It is good for us to think of these ordinary people who are persevering in their lives as Christians, and the Lord alone recognizes their sanctity. Their testimony of charity has brought blessings and graces not only to the Church in Korea but also beyond; may their prayers help us to be faithful shepherds of the souls entrusted to our care. I thank Cardinal Gracias for his kind words of welcome and for the work of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences in fostering solidarity and promoting effective pastoral outreach in your local Churches.

On this vast continent which is home to a great variety of cultures, the Church is called to be versatile and creative in her witness to the Gospel through dialogue and openness to all. This is the challenge before you! Dialogue, in fact, is an essential part of the mission of the Church in Asia (cf. Ecclesia in Asia, 29).

But in undertaking the path of dialogue with individuals and cultures, what should be our point of departure and our fundamental point of reference, which guides us to our destination? Surely it is our own identity, our identity as Christians. We cannot engage in real dialogue unless we are conscious of our own identity. We can’t dialogue, we can’t start dialoguing from nothing, from zero, from a foggy sense of who we are. Nor can there be authentic dialogue unless we are capable of opening our minds and hearts, in empathy and sincere receptivity, to those with whom we speak. In other words, an attentiveness in which the Holy Spirit is our guide. A clear sense of one’s own identity and a capacity for empathy are thus the point of departure for all dialogue. If we are to speak freely, openly and fruitfully with others, we must be clear about who we are, what God has done for us, and what it is that he asks of us. And if our communication is not to be a monologue, there has to be openness of heart and mind to accepting individuals and cultures. Fearlessly, for fear is the enemy of this kind of openness.

The task of appropriating and expressing our identity does not always prove easy, however, since – being sinners – we will always be tempted by the spirit of the world, which shows itself in a variety of ways. I would like to point to three of these. One is the deceptive light of relativism, which obscures the splendor of truth and, shaking the earth beneath our feet, pulls us toward the shifting sands of confusion and despair. It is a temptation which nowadays also affects Christian communities, causing people to forget that in a world of rapid and disorienting change, there is much that is unchanging, much that has its ultimate foundation in Christ, who is the same yesterday, and today, and forever (Gaudium et Spes, 10; cf. Heb 13:8). Here I am not speaking about relativism merely as a system of thought, but about that everyday practical relativism which almost imperceptibly saps our sense of identity.

A second way in which the world threatens the solidity of our Christian identity is superficiality, a tendency to toy with the latest fads, gadgets and distractions, rather than attending to the things that really matter (cf. Phil 1:10). In a culture which glorifies the ephemeral, and offers so many avenues of avoidance and escape, this can present a serious pastoral problem. For the ministers of the Church, it can also make itself felt in an enchantment with pastoral programs and theories, to the detriment of direct, fruitful encounter with our faithful, and others too, especially the young who need solid catechesis and sound spiritual guidance. Without a grounding in Christ, the truths by which we live our lives can gradually recede, the practice of the virtues can become formal in nature, and dialogue can be reduced to a form of negotiation or an agreement to disagree. An agreement to disagree… so as not to make waves… This sort of superficiality does us great harm.

Then too, there is a third temptation: that of the apparent security to be found in hiding behind easy answers, ready formulas, rules and regulations. Jesus clashed with people who would hide behind laws, regulations and easy answers… He called them hypocrites. Faith by nature is not self-absorbed; it goes out. It seeks understanding; it gives rise to testimony; it generates mission. In this sense, faith enables us to be both fearless and unassuming in our witness of hope and love. Saint Peter tells us that we should be ever ready to respond to all who ask the reason for the hope within us (cf. 1 Pet 3:15). Our identity as Christians is ultimately seen in our quiet efforts to worship God alone, to love one another, to serve one another, and to show by our example not only what we believe, but also what we hope for, and the One in whom we put our trust (cf. 2 Tim 1:12).

Once again, it is our living faith in Christ which is our deepest identity, our being rooted in the Lord. If we have this, everything else is secondary. It is from this deep identity – our being grounded in a living faith in Christ – it is from this profound reality that our dialogue begins, and this is what we are asked to share, sincerely, honestly and without pretence, in the dialogue of everyday life, in the dialogue of charity, and in those more formal opportunities which may present themselves. Because Christ is our life (cf. Phil 1:21), let us speak from him and of him readily and without hesitation or fear. The simplicity of his word becomes evident in the simplicity of our lives, in the simplicity of our communication, in the simplicity of our works of loving service to our brothers and sisters.

I would now touch on one further aspect of our Christian identity. It is fruitful. Because it is born of, and constantly nourished by, the grace of our dialogue with the Lord and the promptings of his Spirit, it bears a harvest of justice, goodness and peace. Let me ask you, then, about the fruits which it is bearing in your own lives and in the lives of the communities entrusted to your care. Does the Christian identity of your particular Churches shine forth in your programs of catechesis and youth ministry, in your service to the poor and those languishing on the margins of our prosperous societies, and in your efforts to nourish vocations to the priesthood and the religious life? Does it make itself felt in their fruitfulness? This is a question I raise, for each of you to think about.

Finally, together with a clear sense of our own Christian identity, authentic dialogue also demands a capacity for empathy. For dialogue to take place, there has to be this empathy. We are challenged to listen not only to the words which others speak, but to the unspoken communication of their experiences, their hopes and aspirations, their struggles and their deepest concerns. Such empathy must be the fruit of our spiritual insight and personal experience, which lead us to see others as brothers and sisters, and to hear, in and beyond their words and actions, what their hearts wish to communicate. In this sense, dialogue demands of us a truly contemplative spirit of openness and receptivity to the other. I cannot engage in dialogue if I am closed to others. Openness? Even more: acceptance! Come to my house, enter my heart. My heart welcomes you. It wants to hear you. This capacity for empathy enables a true human dialogue in which words, ideas and questions arise from an experience of fraternity and shared humanity. If we want to get to the theological basis of this, we have to go to the Father: he created us all; all of us are children of one Father. This capacity for empathy leads to a genuine encounter – we have to progress toward this culture of encounter – in which heart speaks to heart. We are enriched by the wisdom of the other and become open to travelling together the path to greater understanding, friendship and solidarity. But, brother Pope, this is what we are doing, but perhaps we are converting no one or very few people… But you are doing it anyway: with your identity, you are hearing the other. What was the first commandment of God our Father to our father Abraham? Walk in my presence and be blameless. And so, with my identity and my empathy, my openness, I walk with the other. I don’t try to make him come over to me, I don’t proselytize. Pope Benedict told us clearly: The Church does not grow by proselytizing, but by attracting. In the meantime, let us walk in the Father’s presence, let us be blameless; let us practice this first commandment. That is where encounter, dialogue, will take place. With identity, with openness. It is a path to greater knowledge, friendship and solidarity. As Saint John Paul II rightly recognized, our commitment to dialogue is grounded in the very logic of the incarnation: in Jesus, God himself became one of us, shared in our life and spoke to us in our own language (cf. Ecclesia in Asia, 29). In this spirit of openness to others, I earnestly hope that those countries of your continent with whom the Holy See does not yet enjoy a full relationship, may not hesitate to further a dialogue for the benefit of all. I am not referring to political dialogue alone, but to fraternal dialogue… But these Christians don’t come as conquerors, they don’t come to take away our identity: they bring us their own, but they want to walk with us. And the Lord will grant his grace: sometimes he will move hearts and someone will ask for baptism, sometimes not. But always let us walk together. This is the heart of dialogue.

Dear brothers, I thank you for your warm and fraternal welcome. When we look out at the great Asian continent, with its vast expanses of land, its ancient cultures and traditions, we are aware that, in God’s plan, your Christian communities are indeed a pusillus grex, a small flock which nonetheless is charged to bring the light of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. A true mustard seed! A very small seed… May the Good Shepherd, who knows and loves each of his sheep, guide and strengthen your efforts to build up their unity with him and with all the members of his flock throughout the world. And now, together, let us entrust your Churches, and the continent of Asia, to Our Lady, so that as our Mother she may teach us what only a mother can teach: who you are, what your name is, and how you get along with others in life. Let us all pray to Our Lady.

Encouragement for the laity in Korea

Having completed his meeting with the religious men and women of Korea yesterday afternoon, the Holy Father then traveled by car to the Kkottongnae Spiritual Centre where he met with leaders of the Lay Apostolate.  In recognition of the fundamental importance of the role of the laity in the Church in Korea, a Catholic Council for the Apostolate of the Laity was formed in 1968.  This Apostolate has offices established throughout the country and its central mission is the promotion of dialogue with non-believers.

In the chapel at the Centre, there were about 150 members of the laity who are particularly involved in this dialogue, waiting to greet the Holy Father.  Following introductory remarks offered by Mister Paul Kwon Kil-joog, President of the Association of the Laity, Pope Francis shared his remarks with those who were present.

Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis

for the meeting with members of the

Apostolate of the Laity

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am grateful to have this opportunity to meet you, who represent the many expressions of the flourishing apostolate of the laity in Korea: it has always flourished! It continues to flourish! I thank the President of the Catholic Lay Apostolate Council, Mister Paul Kwon Kil-joong, for his kind words of welcome in your name.

The Church in Korea, as we all know, is heir to the faith of generations of lay persons who persevered in the love of Christ Jesus and the communion of the Church despite the scarcity of priests and the threat of severe persecution. Blessed Paul Yun Ji-chung and the martyrs beatified today represent an impressive chapter of this history. They bore witness to the faith not only by their sufferings and death, but by their lives of loving solidarity with one another in Christian communities marked by exemplary charity.

This precious legacy lives on in your own works of faith, charity and service. Today, as ever, the Church needs credible lay witnesses to the saving truth of the Gospel, its power to purify and transform human hearts, and its fruitfulness for building up the human family in unity, justice and peace. We know there is but one mission of the Church of God, and that every baptized Christian has a vital part in this mission. Your gifts as lay men and women are manifold and your apostolates varied, yet all that you do is meant to advance the Church’s mission by ensuring that the temporal order is permeated and perfected by Christ’s Spirit and ordered to the coming of his Kingdom.

In a particular way, I wish to acknowledge the work of the many societies and associations directly engaged in outreach to the poor and those in need. As the example of the first Korean Christians shows, the fruitfulness of faith is expressed in concrete solidarity with our brothers and sisters, without any attention to their culture or social status, for in Christ there is no Greek or Jew (Gal 3:28). I am deeply grateful to those of you who by your work and witness bring the Lord’s consoling presence to people living on the peripheries of our society. This activity should not be limited to charitable assistance, but must also extend to a practical concern for human growth. Not just charitable assistance, but personal development. To assist the poor is good and necessary, but it is not enough. I encourage you to multiply your efforts in the area of human promotion, so that every man and every woman can know the joy which comes from the dignity of earning their daily bread and supporting their family. This dignity is presently under threat by a cult of money which leaves many people without work… We might say: But Father, we are making sure that they are fed. But this is not enough! The unemployed, whether men or women, must also sense the dignity which comes from providing for their household, of being breadwinners! I entrust this task to you.

I wish also to acknowledge the outstanding contribution made by Korean Catholic women to the life and mission of the Church in this country as mothers of families, as catechists and teachers, and in countless other ways. Similarly, I can only stress the importance of the witness given by Christian families. At a time of great crisis for family life – as we are all aware – our Christian communities are called to support married couples and families in fulfilling their proper mission in the life of the Church and society. The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable them to be a beacon of goodness, integrity and justice in our communities.

Dear friends, whatever your particular contribution to the Church’s mission, I ask you to continue to promote in your communities a more complete formation of the lay faithful through ongoing catechesis and spiritual direction. In all that you do, I ask you to work in complete harmony of mind and heart with your pastors, striving to place your own insights, talents and charisms at the service of the Church’s growth in unity and missionary outreach. Your contribution is essential, for the future of the Church in Korea – as throughout Asia – will depend in large part on the development of an ecclesiological vision grounded in a spirituality of communion, participation and the sharing of gifts (cf. Ecclesia in Asia, 45).

Once again I express my gratitude for all that you do for the building up of the Church in Korea in holiness and zeal. May you draw constant inspiration and strength for your apostolates from the Eucharistic sacrifice, wherein that love of God and of humanity which is the soul of the apostolate is communicated and nourished (Lumen Gentium, 33). Upon you and your families, and all who take part in the corporal and spiritual works of your parishes, associations and movements, I invoke joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ and the loving protection of Mary, our Mother.

I ask you, please, to pray for me. And now, together, let us all pray to the Blessed Mother, and then I will give you my blessing.

Hail Mary…(followed by the blessing)

Thank you and pray for me. Don’t forget!