Condolences for one of his own

This morning, the Vatican Press Centre published the text of a telegram which was sent by His Holiness, Pope Francis to His Eminence, Agostino Vallini, his Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, expressing his condolences at the death of His Eminence, Giovanni Canestri, former Archbishop of Genoa (Italy).

Telegram of Condolence

sent by His Holiness, Pope Francis

to His Eminence, Agostino Cardinal Vallini
Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome
Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, 4
00184 Rome

The death of the venerated Cardinal Giovanni Canestri, originally from the Diocese of Alessandria and belonging to the clergy of Rome, incites in my soul both deep emotions and sincere admiration for an esteemed man of the Church who lived his long and fruitful priesthood and episcopacy with humility and fidelity in service to the Gospel and the souls confided to his care.

I recall with gratitude his fervent ministry first as an associate pastor, during the difficult war years, on the outskirts of Rome marked by suffering and poverty; then as pastor of two populous villages, intent on educating especially the young in the joy of the faith.  Named an Auxiliary Bishop of Rome, he dedicated himself with apostolic intensity to the spiritual and material requests of the people, while participating actively in the work of the Second Vatican Council.

In his Episcopal ministry in Tortona, then as Auxiliary and then as Archbishop of Cagliari and finally in Genoa-Bobbio, he demonstrated pastoral wisdom and generous attention to the needs of others, going out to meet everyone with kindness and meekness.

I offer fervent prayers of supplication that the Lord may welcome the praise worthy Cardinal into eternal glory and peace, and that He may send him and all those who share in suffering because of his departure, the comfort of an Apostolic benediction, with a special thought for the Sisters Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who lovingly assisted him especially in the final years of his illness.

Francis

The Funeral Mass for Cardinal Canestri will be celebrated on Saturday, May 2, 2015 beginning at 8:30am at the Altar of the Chair in the Vatican Basilica.  

His Eminence, Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals will preside at the Funeral Mass and will be assisted by other Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops who are present in Rome.

At the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration, the Holy Father, Pope Francis will preside at the Rite of Final Commendation.

Meeting with European Cursillista

This evening, at 6:00pm in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the participants in the third European Ultreya, taking place in Rome from April 30 to May 1), a meeting which was organized by the Movement of Christian Cursillos.

Questions posed by participants

to the Pope during a discussion

with those who were present

Questions for the Holy Father

Holy Father, we want to ask you a few questions which we feel arise from the very nature of the Charism of the Cursillo.  In every movement a double commitment is strongly felt: fidelity to the Initial Charism and the necessity for change and renewal in order to respond to changing situations.  How do we maintain harmony between these two?  How should we discern the changes that the Holy Spirit is suggesting from those that would distance us from our charism?  How can we tell if a certain fidelity to our Initial charism is more of a stiffening rather than a true response of fidelity to the Spirit?

Friendship with Christ and friendship with others are at the heart of all Cursillos.  How can we live this double friendship today?  How can we grow in our friendship with Christ and with others, in current-day situations that touch our lives?

Cursillo was born out of a charism of going out, it is missionary, closely tied to Christian witness in our environment and to proclamation.  How can we trust the Holy Spirit to the point of daring to proclaim the mercy of God in places where he is not even sought and in places where people suffer most because of their distance from him, in order to bring about the profession of Isaiah: I was found by those who were not seeking me (Is 65:1)?

There are various resistances that oppose a spirit of missionary going out.  Some come from outside, from the world: indifference, mistrust and opposition.  Others we discover within ourselves: inability, indecision, delusion, uncertainty, fear, defensive reactions.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

Dear brothers and sisters, good evening!

First of all I must ask you to forgive me, because this gathering was planned for tomorrow and I believe that you had to make many changes, some of you had a lot of difficulty, with transportation, with various means of transportation ... Please excuse me; truly, I'm sorry!

There was some confusion.  You know that the Pope is infallible when he makes dogmatic definitions, things that he rarely does ... but even the Pope has his defects and with these defects there is no question of infallibility!  This Pope isn't too organized, even undisciplined.  Because of all of this, there is some confusion.  This is the reason why I have to ask you to excuse me.  Thank you!

I knew your questions, I wrote a speech to respond to them, but sometimes I focus on some questions because there are things that I want to highlight.

As the president said, you have come to Rome for your Ultreya, a name that continues the ancient greeting used by pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela to encourage others to stick together and to keep going, more than ever.  For you, this is truly a gathering among friends, a fraternal meeting of prayer, of celebration, of the sharing of your experiences of Christian life.  I thank your representatives who provided me with an overview of your proposals, the difficulties and the perspectives of your Movement.  On my part, I wish to offer a few suggestions which may be useful for your spiritual growth and your mission in the Church and in the world.

You are called - you yourselves did not make a choice, no, you were called, and you were called - to bear the fruit of the charism that the Lord has confided to you and that is at the heart of the Cursillo Movement, among the founders of which stand Eduardo Bonnín Aguiló and the then Bishop of Mallorca, Juan Hervas y Benet - they were very courageous! - they knew how to accompany the growth of the Movement with paternal concern.  In the 1940s, together with other young lay people, they recognized the need to reach out to their peers who had a desire for truth and love to be present in their hearts.  These pioneers of your Movement truly were missionaries: they did not hesitate to take the initiative and they courageously drew close to people, sharing their struggle in a sympathetic way and accompanying them on their journey of faith with respect and love.  This is important: sympathy, togetherness ... There is one thing I will say about your Movement: you are not proselytizers, and this is a virtue.  The Church does not grow through proselytizing, but through witness - Pope Benedict said.  It's true!  You have never been proselytizers .  This is a grace from God.  Following the example of your founders, you too want to proclaim the Good News of God's love today, drawing close to friends, acquaintances, fellow students ... and you want to work with them so that they too can have a personal experience of the infinite love of Christ that frees and transforms our lives.  When it is necessary, you go out, toward others, never tiring, in order to meet even those who have been distanced!

In order to help others to grow in faith, to follow a path that leads to the Lord, you must first be aware within yourselves of the goodness and the tenderness of God.  This experience is the beginning of the journey that you are on.  When you see ... see within your own life that God is has been so good, so tender, so merciful, this makes you go out, it makes you open yourself to others.  The Lord wants to meet us, the Lord wants to live with us, to be our friend and our brother, our teacher who reveals the path we should follow in order to achieve happiness.  He seeks nothing in return, he only wants to welcome us because God's love is free, a pure gift.  This is important!  In order to witness to this, we need to recognize that everything we have is pure gift, a present, it's free, a grace.  It can't be bought; it can't be sold!  Its is a journey of gratitude, a path that we can't explain: Why me Lord?  What should I do?  Give it to others!  To communicate what the Lord has done with me, with such tenderness, with such goodness, with such mercy.  This is what it means to witness.  The friendly testimony of dialogue between friends.  The encounter with Christ and with the merciful Father that he gives us, is possible above all through the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation.  In the Mass, we celebrate the memorial of his sacrifice: even today He really gives his Body for us and pours out his Blood to redeem humanity.  In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Jesus welcomes us with all our limits and sins, and gives us a new heart that is capable of loving like He loves, loving his own until the end (cf Jn 13:1).  Every time we come back to him and ask for forgiveness, He forgives, because He knows that we are weak, that we are sinners!  We have the joy of being sinners!  All of us.  He knows this.  And He always receives us with love.  Another way is to meditate on the Word of God, especially through lectio divina, reading the Word of God, reading the Bible.  Many times I have recommended, and I do it even now: always carry in your pocket or in your purse a copy of the Gospels, a small one.  In your travels, when you're waiting for the dentist, or to do something, read a passage from the Bible and then think calmly about it.  This familiarity with the Word of God will keep us close to the Lord.  In this way, we can listen to the Lord who points out the way that we should follow.  He encourages us to face our uncertainties and the difficulties that life presents.  Finally, we encounter the love of Christ in the Church which bears witness through various activities to the charity of God and the love of Jesus in works of mercy.  I want to ask you something: are all of you able to recite the seven works of corporal mercy and the seven works of spiritual mercy?  You are good ... Raise you hand if you can't do it!  (many of them raise their hands).  Look ... work for you, bishops!  Work for you!  It's important to read the works of corporal mercy.  A few of them - to be sure - you can remember, but there are seven of them ... and the Spiritual ones: there are seven of them too.  Challenge yourself to do this at home: search for them, study the works of mercy.  Why?  To put them into practice.  Everyone in the Church community should have as their aim to help others to discover and to touch the infinite mercy of God.  Some may think: No, God is far away.  I'm going to hell ... I have done so many bad things.  But if you've done so many things, so many bad things, He will be very happy to celebrate if you draw close to him and ask for forgiveness.  This is the work of persuasion that you need to do with your friends, in  your Cursillos, because it's true, God has a party!  God throws a party.  And someone may feel jealous of this: consider the elder son of the merciful father (cf Lk 15:11-32) who threw a party for the other son who had spent all his money, who had lived the good life, and returned with nothing ... the father threw a party.  This is a strange characteristic of our Father!  He throws a party when a serious sinner approaches.  This is very good.

The Cursillos' approach to evangelization was born out of this ardent desire for friendship with God, which is the source of our friendship with our brothers and sisters.  From the very beginning it was understood that only within an authentic relationship of friendship would it be possible to prepare and to accompany a person on his or her journey, a journey that begins with conversion, discovers the beauty of a life lived in the grace of God, and finally reaches the joy of becoming an apostle in daily life.  Thus it is that since that time, thousands of people throughout the world have been able to grow in their faith.  In the current context of anonymity and isolation that is typical in our cities, it is even more important than ever to promote a welcoming atmosphere, a sense of familiarity on a human scale, something that you offer in your group meetings.  You make friends.  There will be problems, here or there ... There will always be problems, but we need to allow a sense of friendship to take root and grow: But Father, when friendships grow, there is also sometimes a sense of elitism that grows, or jealousy or envy ... What did the Lord say?  When the devil sows weeds, we should leave them alone and allow them to grow.  You allow the good grain to grow, and the weeds will be burned at the time of the harvest while the grain will bear its fruit.  I ask you to always maintain a climate of friendship and fraternity as you pray each week and share your experiences, your successes and your apostolic failures every week.

I remember a woman, born in an atheist family; she too was an atheist; not an agnostic, an atheist.  She was a wonderful woman, a professional, a woman who was doing her job, she was married, she had children but she had no religion.  One of her children met Jesus Christ, or I should say that her child was found by Jesus Christ.  That child converted and lived a Christian life, and the mother respected this decision: It's your choice, my child.  Go ahead!  I don't believe, but you go right ahead.  Years went by, her daughter was a committed Christian, convinced, we might even say a militant Christian - I don't like that particular word but I use it so that you can understand.  The mother, when she was older, more than 80 years old, got sick, drew closer to death but was still lucid.  The day before she died, while her daughter was close by, taking care of her, she asked her: Tell me - I have never asked this question, because I respected your decision - what do you feel when you pray?  Her daughter, out of respect for her mother, said that she spoke to God, to the Lord ... Thus began a conversation on the theme, slowly, calmly.  Then another theme came along, and then they returned to the first subject ... In the end, the mother said: You are happy with what you found in religion? ... Yes, because mama, I believe in Jesus, I believe that Jesus loves us!  How I would love to feel the same way!  The daughter encouraged her saying: Tell me mama, do you really want this?  Yes! But it's too late ...  Never mama.  Do you want me to baptize you? ... and the mother said: Yes!  The daughter couldn't call a priest because her mother would have been scared.  The daughter baptized her mother and two hours later, the mother fell into a coma and died, at midnight.  These are God's miracles for closeness, for service.  Not proselytism!  This daughter had never been involved in proselytism.  I knew her well enough, to the point that she came to me to tell me what she had done and that she was afraid that she might have done something wrong.  No, you did well!  You helped your mother to enter into Paradise!  But this takes patience.  It takes patience.  Proselytism is not patient!  Read this, do this, come here, come there; they push you out the door ... No, no.  Friendship.  And then, sow in friendship.  The process of sowing in friendship truly takes patience.

In these meetings of small groups, it is important that you support moments that favour openness to a larger social and ecclesiastical dimension, including those who have come into contact with your charism but who do not regularly participate in a group.  In fact, the Church is an open hearted mother who invites us at times to slow down, to turn aside from other urgent matters in order to accompany those who stand on the side of the road (Evangelii Gaudium, 46).  Helping others is a beautiful thing, even those who work hard at living their faith; to help them to always remain in contact with our mother, the Church, always close to this great welcoming family that is the mother Church, our holy mother Church.  In recent years in Argentina, there were a few problems with Cursillos; but external problems, because at one time, people would work up to a certain point, then there would be Saturday, Sunday, maybe even Monday ... It was possible at times.  Today, they work on Saturday, even on Sunday.  No one finds time for the meetings that strengthen them, prayer meetings that last three days.  They have lost wages, they have lost business, some of them are even at risk of losing their jobs.  They have tried to update their charism in such situations.  What can you do in such circumstances?  What did Christians do, think about it, during the time of the Nazis, of communism: maybe they found ways to do catechism in another way, at another time, maybe they celebrated Mass in hidden places, underground ... I don't know.  Find ways to continue with your charism.  This is very important!  Don't let external conditions stop you.

I encourage you to always go beyond, faithful to your charism! ... to keep alive the zeal, the fire of the Spirit that always motivates Christ's disciples to reach beyond, without proselytizing, to go beyond our own comforts and to have the courage to reach all the peripheries that need the light of the Gospel (EG, 20).  What you have heard, I have told you on many other occasions, in large cities, Christian cities, even in Christian families, there are children who do not know how to make the sign of the cross.  This paganization of society challenges us: do something to evangelize.  The Spirit motivates us to go out of our own comfort zones.  How beautiful it is to proclaim to everyone the love of God who saves us and makes sense of our lives! ... and to help men and women of our time to discover the beauty of faith and of the life of grace that we can live in the Church, our mother!  There are some Christian and Catholic communities - there really are - where no one ever speaks of the life of grace, no one ever speaks of the beauty of having the Trinity within us, the presence of the Living God within us.  Your challenge is to go forward and to take the good news with you: God lives in us, God is in us.  This is the grace!  To help men and women today to discover the beauty of faith and of a life of grace.  If you do this, you will be docile with an attitude of humility and trust in the guidance of this holy mother, the Church, which always seeks to good in all her children; if you are in tune with your pastors and united with them in the mission of proclaiming to everyone the joy of the Gospel.

May the Virgin Mary, Mother of divine grace help you on your journey and in your apostolate.

Before I give you the blessing, I want to see the questions, in case there is something that I didn't say ...

How do we trust in the Holy Spirit, to the point of daring to bring the proclamation of God's mercy, where he is not being sought? Well, if you can't confide yourself to the Holy Spirit, go home!  Go in search of another, more agnostic religion, more ideological.  Jesus told us: I will not leave you alone.  I will send you the Spirit.  And what does the Spirit do?  Two things.  The Spirit reminds us of what Jesus taught and teaches us what to do.  Then, this trust of the Holy Spirit is amazing!  Be aware of the moments when the Holy Spirit that motivates you.  I like to think of Philip, when the Spirit said to him: Go to this street, the Gaza street (cf Acts 8:26-40).  And he goes.  At a certain point, he sees a chariot, a travelling carriage and sitting there is the Ethiopian minister of the economy, from the Candace region, reading the book of Isaiah ... A dialogue begins: Explain this to me ... And when they find some water, this minister of the economy asks for Baptism ... May the Spirit guide you.  Truly the Spirit!  Entrust yourselves to the Spirit.  Think of Philip, think of others, all those who entrust themselves to the Spirit.  It is good to read the Book of the Acts of the Apostles: after Pentecost, the things that the Spirit did! ... Great things!  And entrust yourself to the Spirit.

In every movement there is a strong sense of double commitment: faithfulness to your original charism and the necessity for change and renewal in order to respond and to change the situation.  And the question was: how can we keep these two tensions in harmony?  How should we discern the novelty that the Holy Spirit is suggesting in the novelty but ignore the charism?  How can I tell whether a certain fidelity to original charism is more a rigidity that is not faithful to the Holy Spirit?  This is important.  Understand and know the spirits: Do not entrust yourself, beloved, to every Spirit, says the Apostle.  To know when an inspiration is in harmony with your original charism and when it is not.  This makes you go further to find various situations, various cultures and the original charism should be interpreted for this culture.  Not betrayed!  Translated.  It should be the charism, but interpreted, applied!  I don't want problems, I'll stick with the original charism ... In this way, you will become a beautiful demonstration, a museum.  Make your movement a museum of things that are useless today.  Every charism is called to grow!  Why?  Because it bears within it the Holy Spriit and the Holy Spirit brings growth!  Every charism must come face to face with various cultures, with varying ways of thinking, with differing values.  And what to do?  Let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit.  Here, I have to do this, here I have to do this ... And how do I do this?  Pray, ask!  Praery: without prayer no one can go on, no movement.  None of them!

Thank you again for this gathering.  Thank you for everything that you do in the Church, that is so beautiful: helping others to meet Jesus, helping them to understand that to live in the grace of God is a beautiful thing.  It's beautiful!  Thank you very much and I would like to ask you, please to pray for me.  Pray for me because even the Pope should be faithful to the Holy Spirit.

Now, I will give you the blessing, but let us pray together to Our Lady, our Mother.  Hail Mary ...

(Blessing)

And don't forget to learn the seven works of corporeal mercy and the seven works of spiritual mercy.

Meeting with the Community of Christian Life

At 11:45am today, in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father received in audience the Christian Life Community (CLC) and the Missionary Students League on the occasion of the opening of the National Convention of these two groups of Ignatian spirituality which is taking place beginning today and continuing until May 3, focused on the theme Beyond the walls.

Having distributed copies of the speech that had been prepared for this occasion, the Pope responded to four questions posed by the participants.

While awaiting the transcription of the discourse which the Pope shared with the participants, below is the text of the prepared speech which was distributed.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

prepared for the meeting with members of the

Christian Life Community and the Missionary Students League

Dear brothers and sisters,

I greet all of you, who represent the Community of Christian Life of Italy, and the exponents of various groups of Ignatian spirituality, close to your formative tradition and committed in evangelization and human promotion. A particular greeting goes to the students and former students of the Massimo Institute of Rome, as well as to the students and staff of other schools directed by the Jesuits in Italy.

I know your Association well, having been a National Assistant in Argentina at the end of the 60s. Your roots are found in the Marian Congregations, which go back to the first generation of the companions of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. It has been a long journey in which the Association has distinguished itself throughout the whole world for the intense spiritual life and apostolic zeal of its members, and anticipating, in certain ways, the dictates of Vatican Council II regarding the role and service of the lay faithful in the Church. From this perspective, you chose the theme of your Congress, which is entitled Beyond the Walls.

Today I would like to offer you some guidelines for your spiritual and communal journey.

First: the commitment to spread the culture of justice and peace. Faced with the culture of illegality, of corruption and of dispute, you are called to dedicate yourselves to the common good, also through service to people that identify themselves in politics. As Blessed Paul VI affirmed, it is the highest and most demanding form of charity. If Christians were to disengage from direct commitment in politics, it would be to betray the mission of the lay faithful who are called to be salt and light in the world even through this way of presence.

As a second apostolic priority, I point out the importance of a pastoral approach to the family based on the reflections of the recent Synod of Bishops. I encourage you to help diocesan communities to support engaged couples as they prepare for marriage. At the same time, you can collaborate in hospitality toward the so-called estranged: among them, many are separated and many suffer because of the failure of their plans for conjugal life, as well as other situations of family hardship which can make the journey of faith and life in the Church laborious.

The third guideline I suggest to you is missionizing. I was happy to learn that you have undertaken a common path with the Students’ Missionary League, which has projected you on the streets of the world, in the encounter with the poor and with communities most in need of pastoral workers. I encourage you to maintain this capacity to go out to the frontiers of humanity's most needy. Today you have invited delegations of members of your communities present in countries twinned with you, especially in Syria and Lebanon to be present: martyred people by terrible wars. I renew to them my affection and solidarity. These people are experiencing the hour of the cross; therefore, we must help them ti feel the love, closeness and support of the whole Church. May your bonds of solidarity with them confirm your vocation to build bridges of peace everywhere.

Your style of fraternity, which has you committed also to projects of hospitality for migrants in Sicily, renders you generous in the education of young people, be it within your Association or in schools. Saint Ignatius understood that to renew society it was necessary to begin with young people and he encouraged the opening of colleges. The first Marian Congregations were born in them. In the luminous and fertile wake of this apostolic style, you can also be active in the animation of the various educational, Catholic and State institutions, present in Italy, as is already the case in many parts of the world. At the root of your pastoral action there must always be the joy of evangelical witness, united to the delicacy of the approach and to respect for others.

May the Virgin Mary, who with her yes inspired your Founders, enable you to respond without reservations to the vocation to be light and salt in the environments in which you live and work. May my blessing also accompany you, a blessing which I impart to you and to your families from my very heart. Please, do not forget to pray for me.

Meeting with the International Anglican-Catholic Commission

At 11:15 this morning, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the members of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

addressed to the members of the

Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is a pleasure to be with you, the members of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission. In these days you are gathered for a new session of your dialogue, which is now studying the relationship between the universal Church and the local Church, with particular reference to processes for discussions and decision making regarding moral and ethical questions. I cordially welcome you and wish you a successful meeting.

Your dialogue is the result of the historic meeting in 1966 between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Ramsey, which gave rise to the first Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission. On that occasion, they both prayed with hope for a serious dialogue which, founded on the Gospels and on the ancient common traditions, would lead to that unity in truth for which Christ prayed (The Common Declaration by Pope Paul VI and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Michael Ramsey, Rome, 24 March 1966).

We have not yet reached that goal, but we are convinced that the Holy Spirit continues to move us in that direction, notwithstanding new difficulties and challenges. Your presence here today is an indication of how the shared tradition of faith and history between Anglicans and Catholics can inspire and sustain our efforts to overcome the obstacles to full communion. Though we are fully aware of the seriousness of the challenges ahead, we can still realistically trust that together great progress will be made.

Shortly you will publish five jointly agreed statements of the second phase of the Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue, with commentaries and responses. I offer my congratulations for this work. This reminds us that ecumenical relations and dialogue are not secondary elements of the life of the Churches. The cause of unity is not an optional undertaking and the differences which divide us must not be seen as inevitable. Some wish that, after fifty years, greater progress towards unity would have been achieved. Despite difficulties, we must not lose heart, but we must trust even more in the power of the Holy Spirit, who can heal and reconcile us, and accomplish what humanly does not seem possible.

There is a strong bond that already unites us which goes beyond all divisions: it is the testimony of Christians from different Churches and traditions, victims of persecution and violence simply because of the faith they profess. And not only now, that there are many of them: I think also of the martyrs of Uganda, half Catholics and half Anglicans. The blood of these martyrs will nourish a new era of ecumenical commitment, a fervent desire to fulfill the last will and testament of the Lord: that all may be one (cf Jn 17:21). The witness by these our brothers and sisters demands that we live in harmony with the Gospel and that we strive with determination to fulfill the Lord's will for his Church. Today the world urgently needs the common, joyful witness of Christians, from the defence of life and human dignity to the promotion of justice and peace.

Together let us invoke the gifts of the Holy Spirit in order to be able to respond courageously to the signs of the times which are calling all Christians to unity and common witness. May the Holy Spirit abundantly inspire your work. Many thanks for your service.

Seychelles at the Vatican

This morning, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in Audience, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the President of the Republic of the Seychelles, His Excellency, Mister James Alix Michel, who subsequently met with His Eminence, the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, Under Secretary for Relations with States.

During the cordial discussions, satisfaction was expressed for the good relations existing between the Holy See and the Republic of the Seychelles. Mention was made of the Catholic Church’s contribution to the service of society, especially in the fields of welfare and education, and themes of common interest were considered, such as the dignity and full development of the human person and the protection of the environment.

Finally, there was an exchange of opinions on the socio-political situation in the country and in the region.

A new Commission for Vatican Communications

During the most recent meeting of the Council of Cardinals, the body that is assisting the Holy Father with the task of governing the Universal Church and studying possible revisions of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus concerning the Roman Curia, which took place from April 13 to 15, 2015, the Final Report which was dated March 5, 2015 which was furnished by the Committee in charge of proposals for the reform of Vatican Communication policies - the Vatican Media Committee - was examined.

The Council of Cardinals proposed to His Holiness the possibility of establishing a Commission for the study of this Final Report and for the proposal of appropriate and feasible paths to be followed in the future.

Joyfully welcoming this suggestion, as of April 23, 2015, the Holy Father has decided to institute the aforementioned Commission and has appointed the following members:

President
Reverend Monsignor Dario Edouardo Viganò, Director of the Vatican Television Centre;

Members
The eminent Doctor Paolo Nusiner, Managing Director of Avvenire, New Italian Editorial, Milan;
Reverend Monsignor Lucio Adrian Ruiz, Office Lead of the Vatican Internet Service, part of the Telecommunications Department of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State;
Reverend Father Antonio Spadaro, SJ, Director of La Civiltà Cattolica; and
Reverend Monsignor Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

General Audience on Marriage

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

During his address, the Pope continued the cycle of catechesis on the family, focusing this week on matrimony.

After the customary summaries of His catechesis were presented in various languages, the Holy Father spoke greetings to each of the groups of the faithful who were present.

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

Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the General Audience

Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!

After having considered the two accounts of the book of Genesis, our reflection on God’s original design on the male-female couple is now addressed directly to Jesus.

At the beginning of his Gospel, the Evangelist John recounts the episode of the Wedding at Cana, in which the Virgin Mary and Jesus, with his first disciples, were present (cf John 2:1-11). Not only did Jesus participate in that marriage, but he saved the celebration with his miracle of the wine! Therefore, the first of his prodigious signs, with which he revealed his glory, he carried out in the context of a marriage, and it was a lovely gesture for that nascent family, solicited by Mary’s maternal concern. This makes us recall the Book of Genesis, when God finishes the work of creation and makes his masterpiece; the masterpiece is man and woman. And here, in fact, with this masterpiece is where Jesus begins his miracles, in a marriage, in a wedding feast: a man and a woman. Thus Jesus teaches us that the masterpiece of society is the family: man and woman who love one another! This is the masterpiece!

Since the time of the Wedding at Cana, so many things have changed, but that sign of Jesus contains a message that is always valid.

Today it does not seem easy to speak of marriage as a celebration that is renewed in time, in the different stages of the whole life of the spouses. It is a fact that persons who marry are fewer and fewer; this is a fact: young people do not want to get married. Instead, in many countries the number of separations increases, while the number of children decreases. The difficulty to remain together – be it as a couple, be it as a family – leads to the breaking of bonds with ever greater frequency and rapidity, and, in fact, it is the children that are the first to bear the consequences. But let us think that the first victims, the most important victims, the victims that suffer most in a separation are the children. If you experience from the time you are little that marriage is a bond for a determined length of time, it will be so for you unconsciously. In fact, many young people are led to renounce even the hope of an irrevocable bond and of a lasting family. I think we have to reflect very seriously on why so many young people don’t feel like getting married. There is this culture of the provisional ... everything is provisional, it seems there is nothing definitive.

This fact of young people not wanting to marry is one of the concerns that emerges today: why don’t young people marry? Why do they often prefer to live together and, so often, with limited responsibility? Why do many – also among the baptized – have little trust in marriage and the family? It is important to try to understand, if we want young people to be able to find the right way to follow. Why don’t they have confidence in the family?

The difficulties are not only of an economic character, although these are truly serious. Many hold that the change that has happened in these last decades has to do with the emancipation of woman. However, this argument is not valid either; it is a falsehood, it’s not true! It is a form of machismo that always wants to dominate woman. We put forward the bad image that Adam made when God said to him: Why have you eaten the fruit of the tree? and he answered: The woman gave it to me. And the fault is the woman’s. Poor woman! We must defend women! In reality, almost all men and women would like affective stability, a solid marriage and a happy family. The family is at the top of all the measures of satisfaction among young people; however, out of fear of making a mistake, many do not even want to think about it; although they are Christians, they do not think of sacramental marriage, the unique and unrepeatable sign of the covenant, which becomes a testimony of faith. In fact, perhaps this fear of failing is the greatest obstacle to receiving the word of Christ, who promises his grace to the conjugal union and to the family. The most persuasive testimony of the blessing of Christian marriage is the good life of Christian spouses and of the family. There is no better way to describe the beauty of the Sacrament! Marriage consecrated by God  to safeguard that bond between man and woman that God has blessed since the creation of the world; and it is source of peace and of goodness for the whole of conjugal and family life. For instance, in the early times of Christianity, this great dignity of the bond between man and woman overcame an abuse held then to be altogether normal, that is, the right of husbands to chastise their wives, even with the most pretentious and humiliating motives. The Gospel of the family, the Gospel that in fact announces this Sacrament has overcome this culture of habitual repudiation.

The Christian seed of the radical equality between spouses must bear new fruits today. The testimony of the social dignity of marriage will become persuasive in fact by following this way, the way of a witness that attracts, the way of reciprocity between men and women, of the complementarity between them.

Therefore, as Christians, we must become more exacting in this regard. For instance: to support with determination the right of equal compensation for equal work, why is it taken for granted that women must earn less than men? No! They have the same rights. The disparity is pure scandal! At the same time, we must recognize the maternity of women and the paternity of men as an always valid richness, for the benefit especially of children. Likewise, the virtue of hospitality of Christian families is of crucial importance today, especially in situations of poverty, degradation and family violence.

Dear brothers and sisters, we are not afraid to invite Jesus to the marriage feast, to invite him to our home, so that he is with us and watches over the family. And we are not afraid to invite his Mother Mary also! When Christians marry in the Lord, they are transformed into an effective sign of the love of God. Christians do not marry only for themselves: they marry in the Lord for the sake of the whole community, of the entire society.

I will speak of this beautiful vocation of marriage also in the next catechesis.

The Holy Father's catechesis was then presented in summary form in various languages, and he spoke words of greeting to each of the groups of pilgrims who were present.  To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:

I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Ireland, Sweden, Africa, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Canada and the United States. May your pilgrimage to the Eternal City confirm you in love for our Lord and his Church. May God bless you all!

Video message to the theatre

The Holy Father sent a video message to the guests who are staying at a welcome centre that is run by Rome's diocesan offices of Caritas, who have organized a show entitled If not for you which is being performed tonight at 8:30pm at the Brancaccio Theatre.

Text of the Video message sent by His Holiness, Pope Francis

to guests of a Caritas Shelter in Rome

Brothers and sisters, good evening!

Someone told me that tonight, in the impressive Brancaccio theatre, you who are guests of welcome centres run by the Caritas organization affiliated with our Church in Rome, will be actors in the play entitled If not for you, which recounts true and difficult experiences of abandonment and marginalization that you yourselves have lived.  This theatrical initiative speaks of your love for your brothers and sisters, for your parents, for life and for God.

I am happy to be present in some way with you, encouraged by your courage, to urge you not to lose your sense of trust and hope.  God loves you, loves you all!

The way in which you are speaking to the city furnishes an occasion for dialogue and of significant exchange.  You are sitting in the chair - demonstrating hidden talents, helped by professional experts who are able to help you, the actors, to bring out the resources and potentials of each one of you - and others who are listening are - I'm not sure - amazed by the enriching experiences that are offered.  Who would ever have thought that we could learn things from a homeless person?  Who would have thought that a homeless person could ever be a saint?

Tonight, it is you who will make the stage a place from which to send out precious teachings about love, about others' needs, about solidarity, about how it is possible to discover the love of the Father in difficult times.

Poverty is the great lesson that Jesus gave us when he descended into the waters of the Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist.  He didn't do it out of a need for doing penance, or for conversion; he did it in order to place himself among the people, people in need of forgiveness, in our midst ... for we are sinners, to take upon himself the weight of our sins.  This is the way he chose to console us, to save us, to free us from our suffering.  This is what gives us true freedom, true salvation and true happiness: his compassionate love, tenderness and willingness to share our suffering.  The Good Samaritan who picks us up when we have been beaten down by brigands.

Saint Gregory of Nissa, a great theologian of antiquity wrote: Consider well those who are poor in the gospel and who discover their dignity: they have recovered the face of the Lord.  In his mercy, he has given them his own face.

And Saint Augustine used to say: On this earth, Christ is poor in the persona of his poor.  Therefore we must fear the Christ of heaven and recognize him on earth: on this earth, he is poor, in heaven he is rich.  In his own humanity, he ascended into heaven where he is rich, but he still remains here among us in the poor and the suffering.

I too want to make these words my own.  You are not a burden to us.  You are the treasure without which our attempts to discover the face of the Lord are worthless.

A few days after my election, I received from you a letter of congratulations and an offer of your prayers.  I remember having immediately responded by saying that I keep you in my heart and that I am at your disposal.  I wish to reaffirm these words.  On that occasion, I asked you to pray for me.  I renew that request.  I really need your prayers.

I also wish to thank all the Caritas workers.  I feel as though you are my hands, the hands of the Bishop, as you touch the body of Christ.  I also want to thank all the volunteers from the parishes of Rome and from other parts of Italy.  You have discovered a world that needs attention and solidarity: men and women who seek affection, relationships, dignity and together with them, we all can experience the love of learning how to accept, listen and give of ourselves.

How I wish that this city, filled at all times with people who know the love of God - we might think of Saint Lawrence (his true joy were the poor), Saint Pammachius (a Roman senator who converted and completely dedicated himself to the service of others), Saint Fabiola (the first to build a hostel for the poor in Porto), Saint Philip Neri, Blessed Angelo Paoli, Saint Giuseppe Labre (a man of the streets), and Father Luigi di Liegro (founder of Caritas Rome) - I said, how I wish that Rome might shine with piety toward the suffering, welcome for those who are fleeing war and death, openness, smiles and hope for the sake of those who have lost hope.  How I wish that the Church of Rome might always be seen as a more attentive and caring mother to those who are weak.  We all have weaknesses, we all have them, each of us has our own weaknesses.  How I wish that praying parish communities, upon the arrival of a poor person in our churches, might kneel in veneration toward them as if they were the Lord!  How I wish for this, that we might touch Christ's flesh which is present in this city!

Through your work, tonight's theatre presentation, I am sure that you will contribute to the realization of these hopes.  Thank you!

While I wait for an occasion to meet you in person, as recently occurred in the Sistine Chapel, I send you my paternal blessing.

May the Lord help us to recognize him in the face of the poor!  May the Virgin Mary be with us on this journey, and to all of you, I ask, please: don't forget to pray for me!  Thank you.

Some assistance for Nepal

Following the earthquake which, during the past weekend, hit the territory of Nepal with extraordinary strength, the Holy Father, through the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, has decided to send a first contribution of 100 million dollars in support of the peoples of that land.

This sum, which will be sent to the local Church, will be used in support of works carried out to provide assistance to those who have been displaced and to earthquake victims, and will represent a first and immediate concrete expression of spiritual closeness and paternal encouragement toward affected persons and territories, who Pope Francis assured of his prayer during the Regina Coeli last Sunday (April 26).  Episcopal Conferences and Catholic charitable organizations are already extensively involved in rescue efforts.

According to the data that are currently available, but not yet definitive, there are some 4,300 victims, some of whom are in neighbouring countries; approximately 7 million people have been affected in 34 districts of the State of Nepal; 1 million are homeless and 2 million are children in need of help.  Several locations are isolated and therefore relief has not yet reached them.  The government has also established that approximately 400 buildings have been destroyed. 

A visit with the Secretary General

Shortly after 9:00am this morning, the Holy Father travelled to the offices of the Science Academy located at the Casina Pio IV for a brief and private courtesy meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations, His Excellency, Ban Ki-moon, who is at the Academy of Science to deliver a speech for the opening of an international Workshop entitled: Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity.  The Moral Dimensions of Climate Change and Sustainable Development.

During their encounter, the Secretary of the United Nations - as he himself explained during a press conference which followed - demonstrated to the Pope his gratitude for having accepted his invitation to address the Assembly of the United Nations on September 25 of this year.  He also expressed his anticipation regarding the Pope's upcoming speech and the fact that he is looking forward to His Holiness' next encyclical, and he explained a few points regarding the United Nations' commitment not only to environmental concerns but also to issues of migration and the dramatic humanitarian situations in various parts of the world where conflicts are taking place.

Stats for 2013 and a Directory for 2015

On April 16 of this year, a statistical report of the life of the Church was published.

The 2015 Pontifical Directory which was prepared under the direction of Monsignor Vittorio Formenti along with the Church's Central Statistical Office, Professor Enrico Nenna and other collaborators, has finally seen the light of day.

In this context, the Church's Statistical Directory for 2013, which was also prepared by the Central Statistical Office, has also been completed.

The complex work of publishing both these volumes was entrusted to Father Sergio Pellini, SDB, General Director; Reverend Marek Kaczmarczyk, SDB; and Mister Domenico Nguyên Duc Nam, SDB from the Vatican Publishing House.

Reading the data which is reported, one can glean some insights into the life of the Catholic Church in the world from February 22, 2014 o February 14, 2015.

During this period, one (1) Episcopal See and two (2) Metropolitan Eparchies, three (3) new Episcopal Sees, three (3) Eparchies and 1 Archepiscopal Exarchate were created; one (1) Territorial Prelature was elevated to the status of a Diocese and one (1) Apostolic Prefecture was made an Apostolic Vicariate.

The statistical data in the Annuarium Statisticum, referring to 2013, provide a synthesis of the major trends concerning the Catholic Church in 2,989 ecclesiastical circumscriptions (Dioceses, Archdioceses, Eparchies, Archeparchies etc) across the planet.

During the period from 2005 to 2013, there was a rapid rise in the number of Catholics who were baptized - an increase of 12%.  In the same time frame, the number of baptized Catholics has grown from 1,115  to 1,254 million: an absolute increase of 139 million baptized faithful.  Since during this same time period, the world's population has increased from 6,6463 million to 7,094 million, the number of Catholics has increased worldwide from 17.3% to 17.7%.  Although this number expresses the situation as a whole, the particular situations from one continent to another are widely varied.

For Europe, there is clear evidence of stagnation due essentially to the well-known demographic situation  of the old continent whose population is actually in a phase of stabilization and is expected to sharply decline within the coming decades.  In 2013, the number of baptized faithful, slightly increased from the preceding year, amounted to 287 million, a number which is 6.5 million more than the number reported in 2005.

More dynamic is the situation in Africa, where Catholics have grown by 34%: in 2005, there were 153 million and in 2013 this number had risen to 206 million.  This trend is in part attributable purely to demographic factors, reflecting an effective increase of the presence of the baptized faithful: in fact, Catholics, who numbered 17.1% of the African population in 2005, eight years later accounted for 19%.

Intermediate results between those described above can be found in America and in Asia where the growth in the number of baptized faithful represented an important level (respectively +10.5 and +17.4%) but can also be accounted for as a result of demographics registered over the same period.  In fact, in relative terms, American Catholics solidly represent 63% of the population while in Asia, the number of Catholics has grown from 2.9% in 2005 to 3.2% in 2013.

On a percentage basis, the number of baptized Catholics remains stable in Oceania, although absolute values are significantly lower.

The members of the apostolate, including Bishops, priests, permanent deacons, religious who are not priests, professed religious, members of lay secular institutes and catechists amounted to 4,762,458 in 2013 with a positive variation of a little less than 300,000 souls relative to the same time in 2005.

The breakdown of the various components which make up the above-mentioned members of the apostolate are significantly varied from one continent to another.  On average, the percentage ratio between the number of Bishops, priests and permanent deacons and the sum of all other pastoral workers amounted in 2013 to 9.7%, with lower values in Africa (8.1%) and in South-east Asia (9.4%) compared with higher numbers in Europe (19%) and in North America (12.5%): the mission territories are characterized as a kind of accentuated lay apostolate.

As of December 31, 2013, there were a total of 5,173 Bishops present in all the various circumscriptions.  This represents an augmentation in respect to the figures from the previous year of 40 which was a little less than the average over the eight years previous (+41.5).  A comparison with figures from December 31, 2012 shows that in North America and in Oceania there was a decrease (respectively 6 and 5 bishops) as opposed to the remainder of the American continent where there has been an increase of 23, in Africa where there are 5 more, in Asia where the number has risen by 14 and in Europe where there are 9 more.  However the changes that occurred between 2012 and 2013 are, in relative terms of minor import.  This shows that the larger presence is in America and in Europe (where respectively, 37.4% and 31.4% of the Bishops on the planet are to be found), followed at quite a distance by Asia (15.1%), Africa (13.6%) and Oceania (2.5%).  One aspect that is interesting to note is the slow but gradual replacement of missionary Bishops with local ones.  Considering the percentage ratio between non-native bishops on a given continent versus the total number as an indication of this phenomenon, we find that in the period from 2005 to 2013 the value of this indicator diminished in Oceania, Africa and America, while it rose in Europe and in Asia just slightly.

The total number of priests - secular and religious - at the end of 2013 was 415,348.  Compared to the year before, when the number of priests was 414,313, there was an increase of 0.3%.  This increase was verified in all regions (except North America and Europe where the number of priests has fallen over the past year, respectively by 1.4 and by 1.2%): in fact, there were decreases of 1.6% in Central America, 1.0% in South America and 2.4% in South-east Asia while in Africa there was an increase of 4.2%.

An examination of the longer term clearly reveals the evolution of this phenomenon.  Compared with 2005, the number of priests as a whole increased by 2.2%.  The greatest positive variations were in Africa (+29.2%) and in Asia (+22.8%) while in Europe there was a decline of 7.1%.  America experienced a more modest increase than the world average (+1.7%), but this value is the average between the +11.5% registered in the Centre-South of the continent and -10.4% corresponding to the variation in dioceses located in the North of the continent.

The distribution of priests by geographic area reveals a marked concentration.  For example, 44.3% of priests in 2013 were present in Europe where we find a little less than 23% of all Catholics in the world, 29.6% of priests can be found in America which has 49% of the Catholics, 14.8% of all priests in Asia compared with 10.9% of Catholics, 10.1% of priests in Africa which is home to 16.4% of Catholics and finally 1.2% of priests in Oceania where we find barely 0.8% of all Catholics.

The number of permanent deacons, religious and diocesan is increasing both globally and on individual continents, increasing from a total number of 33,391 in 2005 to more than 43,000 in 2013, with a positive variation of 29%.  Europe and America recorded both the most consistently significant number, and the most lively evolutionary trend.  The number of European deacons, in fact, more or less 11,000 in 2005, was at the end of 2013 a little more than 14,000, with an increase of 30%.  In America, the consistency of more than 21,000 deacons at the beginning of the period, rose to almost 28,000 in 2013.  These two continents alone, represented in 2013, 97.6% of the deacons in the world, with the remaining proportions divided between Africa, Asia and Oceania.

The group of professed religious who are not priests grew by 1% between 2005 and 2013.  In 2005, there were 54,708 in the world and by 2013, there were a few more than 55,000.  The growing trend is common in Africa and in Asia where we find a variance of +6% and +30% respectively.  In 2013, these two continents together represented a quota of 36% of the total (of the 31% in 2005).  On the contrary, the group made up of Europe (with a variation of -10.9%), America (-2.8%) and Oceania (-2%), was reduced by more than 5% in the course of the same period.

The number of professed religious decreased between 2012 and 2013 by 1.3%, a value which equals the annual average between 2005 and 2013.  Within this period the number changed from 760,529 in 2005 to 693,575 in 2013, with a variation of -8.8%.  The decline, also in this case, was experienced on three continents (Europe, America and Oceania), with a negative relative variation (-18.3% in Europe, -15.5% in America and -17.1% in Oceania).  In Africa and in Asia however, the increase was decidedly sustained at 18% for Africa and at 10% for Asia.  The numbers compared across the world in 2005 and 2013 are practically the same in Oceania; in Europe and America though they are down from 42.5% to 38% for the first continent and from 28.3% to 26.2% for the second, while the number in Asia has risen from 20.2% to 23.8% and on the African continent it has risen from 7.7% to 10.1%.

Following a period of constant and sustained increase in the number of priestly vocations, which had its moment of greatest growth in 2011, we see in the latest verification that there has been a downward tendency.  The combined number of those registered in courses of Philosophy and Theology in diocesan and religious houses of formation for priesthood across the entire Catholic world was 118,251 in 2013 compared with120,616 in 2011, therefore reflecting a change of -2% over the past two years.  In general, there was a decrease in priestly vocations in 2013 (with the only exception being found in Africa where there was an increase of 1.5% in this number from 2011 to 2013), which was found in all continents to varying degrees.  In North America and in particular in the United States, there was a quite pronounced decreasing trend with a reduction of 5.2% from 2011 to 2013.  Central continental America demonstrated a contraction of 0.1% while South America registered during the same period a decrease of almost 7% which was particularly evident in Columbia (-10.1%), in Chile (-11.2%) and in Peru (-11.2%).  Following the average trend in the same sub-continent, there was a decrease in Brazil of 6.7%.

Even in Asia, priestly vocations have suffered a decline over the past two years: in 2013 the number had fallen by 0.5% compared to the same number in 2011.  The tendency was found mostly in Indonesia, in the Republic of Korea and in the Philippines, while there was an upward trend in India where the number of seminarians rose by 0.5%.

In the European continent, there was a decrease of 3.6% during the period.  Contributing to this factor, there was a decrease in Poland (-10.0%), in Great Britain (-11.5%), in Germany (-7.7%), in the Czech Republic (-13.0%), in Austria (-10.9%), in France (-3.5%) and in Spain (-1.8%).  However, there were increases in Italy (+0.3%), in Ukraine (+4.5%) and in Belgium (+7.5%).  In Hungary and in Bosnia-Herzegovina, there was no change.

In Oceania between 2011 and 2013, the number of seminarians decreased by 5.1%.

A new Canadian Blessed

Pope Francis mentioned during his greetings offered at the Vatican on Sunday of this week, just prior to the recitation of the Regina Caeli that there was a newly named Canadian Blessed.

His Eminence, Angelo Cardinal Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints was in Rimouski (Quebec) on Sunday to preside at a special Mass which was celebrated in the parish church of Saint Robert Bellermine.  During this Mass, which began at 2:30pm, His Eminence formally beatified Sister Marie Elizabeth Turgeon, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

Also present for this liturgy were His Eminence, Gerald Cyprien Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec City and Primate of Canada; His Excellency, Luigi Bonazzi, Apostolic Nuncio to Canada; and His Excellency, Paul-Andre Durocher, Archbishop of Gatineau and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was founded on September 12, 1879, to prepare qualified teachers for schools in the parishes of what was then the Diocese of Rimouski, especially those lacking in resources.

Chief Rabbi meets the Pope

Pope Francis met this morning at the Vatican with the Chief Rabbi of Rome, Riccardo Di Segni. The Chief Rabbi had intended to meet with the Pope last week, during the audience with the delegation of European Rabbis. He was unable to attend, however, due to the death of his predecessor Elio Toaff.

A press statement from the spokesman of the Jewish community in Rome described the meeting as cordial. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed a number of issues, including matters arising from immigration to Europe. The statement said the Pope and the Chief Rabbi spoke about the duties of religion with regard to these issues, and about future projects of collaboration.

Bishops from Benin at the Vatican

The Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience this morning the Bishops from the Episcopal Conference of Benin who are in Rome for their visit ad limina Apostolorum.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the meeting with Bishops from

the Episcopal Conference of Benin

Dear brother bishops,

I am very happy to welcome you on the occasion of your pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul.  I cordially greet His Excellency, Antoine Ganyé, President of your Conference, and I thank him for his words.  I hope that your visit in Rome will be for you a moment of profound peace and spiritual renewal, an occasion which gives you an opportunity to give thanks for the good work that has been accomplished in your dioceses to proclaim the gospel, and which provides for you the necessary help to persevere in your mission as pastors.  Our meeting demonstrates the fraternal communion that exists among all bishops, and with him who presides over this communion: the successor of Peter.  It is my hope that once you have returned to your dioceses, you may keep in mind this profound and supernatural reality: you are never alone.  We are all united in service to the same Lord.

First of all, I wish to thank the Lord for the progress he has granted, through the exercise of your ministry, to the Church in Bénin.  You bear witness to a beautiful enthusiasm in the visible expression of the faith of God's people.  Parish life is vibrant, great numbers of the faithful participate in the celebrations, conversions to Christ are numerous as are the number of priestly and religious vocations.  However, you are right to underscore in your reports the fact that this faith, which is more and more spread, is at times superficial and lacking in strength.  It is important that the desire for a deep knowledge of the Christian mystery not be the prerogative of the elite, but that it be energized by all the faithful since all people are called to holiness.  This is of prime importance in order that the Church in Benin might resist and vanquish the contrary winds that are rising throughout the world and which are sure to be felt in your land.  And I know that you are alert to the many ideological and media aggressions.  The spirit of secularism is at work also in your country, even if it is only barely visible.  Only a profound faith rooted in the hearts of the faithful and concretely lived will allow them to deal with these challenges.

I am thinking in particular of the major challenges that concern the family and which the forthcoming Synod in Rome will attempt to answer. I thank you for your prayers for this intention, and for your prayers for me. I thank you also for the mobilization of which you have given proof, with your dioceses, to take part in this very important reflection. And I cannot but encourage you to pursue with determination the efforts undertaken to support families, both in their faith as well as in their daily life. I know that your pastoral approach to Marriage remains difficult, taking into account the concrete social and cultural situation of your people. On the other hand, you must not be discouraged, but persevere ceaselessly, because the family, as the Catholic Church defends it, is a reality willed by God; it is a gift of God that gives joy, peace, stability and happiness to persons as well as socieies. The issue is important, because since the family is the basic cell of society as well as of the Church, it is at its heart that authentic human and evangelical values are transmitted: the educational mission of the Christian family is a true ministry, thanks to which the Gospel is transmitted and spread, to such a point that family life becomes a path of faith and ... a school of life in the following of Christ (Familiaris consortio, n. 39).

Another important challenge that you highlight with vigilance is that of youth and education. You have opened numerous Catholic schools in your dioceses, and young people are well trained in the movements. This effort must be pursued without pause because the integral formation, both human as well as spiritual, of the young generations is important for the future of the society to which they will be able to make their precious contribution, notably in the matter of solidarity, of justice and of respect for the other. In fact, it is necessary to foster in your countries – of course without renouncing anything of the Truth revealed by the Lord – the encounter between cultures as well as the dialogue between religions, notably with Islam. It is well known that Benin is an example of harmony among the religions present in the territory. It is appropriate to be vigilant, taking into account the present world climate, in order to preserve this fragile heritage. I was particularly happy about the international colloquium held recently under the presidency of Cardinal Tauran, on inter-religious dialogue, which was appreciated by all.

By fostering concord and justice, your local Churches have therefore, dear brothers, a primary role to play in the progress of your country. However, they also fulfil this role through works of health care and human promotion. How much work has been accomplished in your dioceses in the name of the Gospel! While the world economic crisis affects a great number of countries, it is appropriate to go courageously against the current, fighting against the widespread disposable culture (cf Evangelii gaudium, 53), and diffusing the evangelical values of hospitality and encounter. The service of charity is a constitutive dimension of the mission of the Church, and it constitutes an expression of her very essence (EG, 179). However, it is important to guard well the spirit that the works carried out by the Church have, a specificity that must be clearly identified: it is never about simple social assistance, but the manifestation of the tenderness and mercy of Jesus himself who bends down over the wounds and the weaknesses of his brothers. It is thus that the joy of the Gospel is proclaimed in the most effective way to men. May all those who take part in it be warmly thanked, whether it is priests, lay faithful or men and women Religious. And I invite the latter to live intensely this Year of Consecrated Life, so that they root their life and their actions even more profoundly in Christ Jesus: It is in this way that they will be able to love in truth and in mercy each person that they meet on the way, because they will have learned from Him what love is and how to love: they will be able to love because they will have his very heart (cf Message for the Year of Consecrated Life 2025).

I wish to greet also the generous engagement of priests in service to the Good News. May the Lord bless your communities with the blossoming of numerous priestly vocations. Formation in the Seminary is determinant for the future, and I invite the pastors to watch over its balance, which must always be both human, spiritual and communal as well as intellectual. The Bishop must be a father for his priests, foster communion and fraternity at the heart of the priestly family, take care of those who are in difficulty, of the most fragile, in particular of the youth who must be more supported. Moreover, as vocations are not lacking, you are ready to share your resources generously with the Churches of other regions that lack them. It is appropriate, however, when you send priests to study or on foreign missions, that you do so with discernment, not forgetting the needs of your own Churches.

Dear Brother Bishops, the Church in Benin enjoys good relations with the civil Authorities. The voice of the Church is listened to and her actions are appreciated. I invite you to continue to take your place in the public life of the country, particularly at this time. I know that you are involved in constant work to encourage relations between the different components of the society. I invite you to persevere in this path, while being careful not to enter directly into the political game or parties’ quarrels. The conduct of public affairs falls on the laity that, on the other hand, you have the important duty to form and encourage without ceasing.

May the Virgin Mary sustain you and illuminate you in your ministry; may she lead you, as well as your priests, the consecrated persons, the catechists and all the laity of your dioceses to her Son Jesus. I extend to all of you my heartfelt Apostolic Blessing.

Swedish Queen at the Vatican

At 10:00am today, in the private library in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father received Her Majesty, Queen Sylvia of Sweden along with a few of her family members and staff in a private audience.

Her Majesty took part this afternoon in a workshop which took place at the Pontifical Academy of Science.  This workshop was organized by the Swedish Embassy to the Holy See and by the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences on the theme of the fight against human trafficking, with particular attention paid to children.  Her Majesty subsequently visited the Vatican Apostolic Library where she inaugurated the new distribution desk which was constructed through a contribution from the King Gustavo VI Adolfo Foundation.

The conversation between the Queen and the Pope was conducted mostly in Spanish, a language which is well known to the Queen.  Her Majesty informed the Pope about activities that she is sponsoring in Sweden, especially to benefit children; the Pope took advantage of the occasion to express gratitude for the welcome which has been offered by Sweden to refugees and migrants.  Among the gifts presented by Queen Sylvia to the Pope, there are three small books of prayers in Swedish which are suitable for children.  These books came about because of circumstances which the Queen herself holds very dear: she believes strongly in the religious education of her children, something for which the Pope expressed his deep appreciation.

Since Princess Madeleine, along with her husband and their one-year-old daughter Leonore had also accompanied Queen Sylvia, the Pope was also able to spend some precious time with this young family.

Follow the good shepherd

Here is the reflection I prepared for this Sunday's gathering of the faithful, inspired by the image of Jesus, the good shepherd who leads us.

Listen for his call

On Wednesday of this past week, students from the intermediate grades of our elementary schools began the preparation process for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation.  There were more than seventy students present for this first meeting, along with their parents who had also been invited.  In most cases, it was these parents who brought their children to the waters of baptism.  Throughout their lives to this point, parents have played a key role in teaching their children about faith and in providing an example of faith for them.  Parents were often the ones who introduced their children to the person of Jesus and began to tell them about the story of his life.  Through the words and example set by their parents, many of these children have begun to experience for themselves what it’s like to follow in his footsteps.  Now, parents and other catechists are present with these young people as they begin the next phase of their faith journey.  In the coming weeks, they will learn more about Jesus: about his constant and abiding love for us, about the special gift of the Holy Spirit which he sent to us, and through which he shares with us the gifts that allow us to be true and authentic witnesses of his joy and his love in the world.

None of us is able to bear witness to Christ on our own.  We all need the strength and support of the community of believers, and we need to always remember that Jesus walks by our side.  He is the good shepherd spoken of in the gospel today.  Over the past couple of weeks, we have been reminded time and time again of the great love that Jesus has for each of his disciples, including each one of us.  He loves us so much that he is even willing to lay down his life for us (cf Jn 10:11). 

At some of the Masses this weekend, we are celebrating the Baptisms of children.  Along with their parents and families, we are giving thanks with great joy for the birth of these little ones and bringing them to the font at which their lives of faith will begin.  When a parent gazes into the eyes of his or her newborn child, he or she is overcome with a sense of love.  Have you ever considered, just for a moment that God gazes into our eyes too, with the same love for us that parents have for their children?  God loves us so much that he is willing to lay down his life for us?  No one in the world will ever love us more than our parents will, except for God.  He loves us, he protects us, he knows us even better than we know ourselves.

Today, the Church all over the world celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  Ever since the time of the first disciples, God has continued to call others in our world to share the good news with those we meet; to tell them about the love Jesus has for all those who are called to the font.  Since he no longer has human hands, he uses our hands to reach out to those who are in need; since he no longer has human eyes, he uses our eyes to look lovingly on those who are searching for him; since he no longer has human ears, he uses our ears to listen compassionately to those who need to know that they are not alone; and since he no longer has a human voice, he uses our voices to speak to the hearts of all those who need to hear that we are God’s beloved children (1 Jn 3:2).

Having heard this good news, he calls us to share this good news with others.   Through acts of love and mercy we follow in the footsteps of Jesus himself.  It takes courage to be a disciple, to speak to people about the resurrection of Jesus (cf Acts 4:7), to not be afraid even to be arrested and persecuted for speaking the truth that we believe.

Children who are brought to this font to be baptized need the adults in their lives to be faithful witnesses of faith.  Young adults who will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation in the coming weeks are seeking examples of commitment to faith, truth and love.  Like the elders and scribes mentioned in today’s second reading, they have lots of questions to ask.  For their sakes, let us not be afraid to be witnesses to Christ, courageously and joyfully proclaiming to them that Jesus, the stone rejected by the elders, has become the cornerstone of our faith (cf Acts 4:12).  This is our vocation; this is the vocation of every disciple who seeks to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Regina Caeli to give thanks for Ordinations

At the conclusion of the celebration of the Mass in the Vatican Basilica this morning during which he ordained 19 new priests, at noon today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace to recite the Regina Caeli with the faithful and with pilgrims who were gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the usual Sunday appointment.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

prior to the recitation of the Regina Caeli

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

The Fourth Sunday of Easter - this Sunday - known as Good Shepherd Sunday, invites us every year to rediscover with renewed wonder the definition that Jesus gives of himself, re-reading this passage in the light of his passion, his death and his resurrection.  The Good Shepherd offers his life for sinners (Jn 10:11): these words were fulfilled when Jesus, freely obeying the will of the Father, offered himself on the Cross.  In this action, he clarified the meaning of the reference that He is the good shepherd: he gives his life, he offered his life in sacrifice for all of us: for you, for you, for you, for me, for all of us!  This is why he is the good shepherd!

Christ is the true shepherd who shows us the highest level of love for the flock: He freely offers his own life, no one takes it from him (cf Jn 10:18), but he gives it for the sake of the sheep (cf Jn 10:17).  In open opposition to the false shepherds, Jesus presents himself as the only true shepherd of his people: the bad shepherd is concerned about himself and uses the sheep; the good shepherd is concerned about the sheep and gives of himself for their sakes.  Unlike the hired hand, Christ leads and guides those who participate in the life of his flock, he seeks no other interests, he has no other desire than to guide, feed and protect the flock.  All of this he does with the highest price attached, the price of sacrificing his own life.

In the figure of Jesus, the good shepherd, we can contemplate God's providence, his pastoral concern for each of us.  He never leaves us alone!  The result of this contemplation on the part of Jesus, the true and good shepherd is the exclamation of profound wonder that we find in the second reading for today's liturgy: See what great love the Father has lavished upon us ... (1 Jn 3:1).  It is truly a surprising and mysterious love, for in giving us Jesus as a shepherd who gives his life for us, the Father has given us everything, the most valuable treasure that he could ever give us!  It is the highest and purest love because it is not given out of any other necessity, there are no conditions attached, there is no one who wants anything in return for this love.  In the face of this love, given by God, we experience an immense joy and we open our hearts to recognize how much we have truly received, without having to pay the price - it's completely freely given.

Contemplating this truth and giving thanks for it is not enough.  We must also follow the Good Shepherd.  Especially those who have the mission to guide the Church - priests, bishops, popes - are called to take on not a mentality of a manager but a mentality of service in imitation of Jesus who, stripping himself, has saved us with his mercy.  The new priests for the Diocese of Rome who I have had the joy of ordaining this morning in Saint Peter's Basilica are also called to this style of pastoral life.

Two of them now wish to thank you for your prayers and to greet you ... (two of the newly-ordained priests appeared at the window, beside the Holy Father).

May Holy Mary obtain for me, for the bishops and for the priests throughout the world the grace to serve the holy people of God through joyous preaching of the gospel, the heart-felt celebration of the Sacraments and with patient and humble pastoral guidance.

After the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the Holy Father continued:

Dear brothers and sisters,

I want to assure my closeness in prayer to the people who are suffering as a result of the strong earthquake in Nepal and in surrounding countries.  I am praying for victims, for those who have been wounded and for all those who are suffering because of this calamity.  You can count on the support of fraternal solidarity.  Let us pray to Our Lady and ask her to be close to all of them: Hail Mary ...

Today in Canada, Maria Elisa Turgeon will be declared Blessed. She was the foundress of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and Saint Germain: an exemplary religious, dedicated to prayer, to teaching in the small towns of her diocese and to works of charity.  Let us give thanks to the Lord for this woman, a model of a life consecrated to God and of generous commitment to serving others.

I greet most affectionately all the pilgrims who have come from Rome, from Italy and from various other countries, especially those who have come in such great numbers from Poland on the occasion of the first anniversary of the canonization of John Paul II.  Beloved, his words will always resound in your hearts: Open wide the doors to Christ! - words that he spoke with that strong and holy voice he had.  May the Lord bless you and your families and may Our Lady protect you.

I greet the faithful from Budapest, Madrid, Burgos, Bratislava, and Cairo; as well as those from Trieste, Giovinazzo, Gorga, Gorlago, Pesaro and Lamezia Terme.  I greet the young people from Niscemi and Trezzano Rosa and the boys from the vicariate of Casalpusterlengo and Codogno, who are here to renew their profession of faith.

I wish you all a good Sunday.  Please don't forget to pray for me.  Enjoy your lunch.  Good bye!