Merciful love in action

Two weekends before the beginning of Lent, here is the text of the meditation I offered to those who came to pray with us.  Inspired by the scripture passages provided for the celebration of the liturgy for the fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, these thoughts might help us to recognize God's merciful love at work in us, and spur us on to share the marvels we discover with others.

Born of mercy to proclaim mercy

Every person in this church today has a story to tell.  Even if each one of us were to answer a simple question: Why are you here today? - we would be able to fill the pages of a book, and the story would be well worth publishing.  One such story is told in the first reading we heard today.  Jeremiah was only a young boy – most probably a teenager - when he heard the word of the Lord: Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you … I consecrated you, I appointed you a Prophet to the nations (Jer 1:5).

I wonder how long Jeremiah had heard these words echoing in his heart before he actually paid attention to them.  The truth of the matter is that God formed each and every one of us in our mothers’ wombs.  He has known each one of us from the very first moment of our existence.  He has set out a plan for each of us and has waited with infinite patience for us to respond to his invitation.

You might ask: What is it that God wants of me?  Some of us he calls to be parents, others he calls to be priests, still others he calls to be religious sisters, contemplatives, or to live single lives as witnesses of his love in the world.  Young people and elderly alike, each of us must seek to listen for his guidance if we are ever to discover what it is that he asks of us, and once we have heard his invitation, we must pray for the strength and the grace to respond in trust.

Even Jesus had to take time to pray, to be still, to listen for the Father’s voice.  Only in this way could he be filled with the power of the Spirit (Lk 4:14) and be able to speak the truth that was in his heart.  The same is true for us today.  The challenge set before us is to speak the truth that is in our hearts.  At times this truth is only a whisper, easily drowned out by other preoccupations that clutter our lives, but if we are willing to listen, and to believe the words that we hear uttered in the depth of our hearts, we will discover there the beating heart of tender love and forgiveness that is the gift of our loving and merciful God.  In a little less than two weeks’ time, we will begin the liturgical season of Lent.  Even now, as we prepare for that period of grace, we can begin praying for divine guidance, listening for the gentle voice of our loving Father who is tender and full of mercy.

When Jesus spoke in the synagogue that day, it was probably the case that every one of his hearers knew him.  They had known him as a child, they had watched him grow to adulthood, yet his words that day astounded them: No prophet is accepted in his hometown (Lk 4:24).  Even today, Jesus words may surprise us, but the truth is that God never gives us a gift or a blessing so that we can keep it and treasure it for ourselves.  The first and the most precious gift that God offers to us is love, and like all God's gifts, his love challenges us even as it comforts us.  Saint Paul tells us that love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious, boastful, arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rather in truth (1 Cor 13:4-6).

As we prepare to live the upcoming season of Lent, each of us should take some time to ask ourselves: Have I heard God’s gentle voice speaking in the depth of my heart? How well do I manage to be a living example of God’s merciful love for the sake of those whose paths intersect with mine?

Angelus with the Caravan of Peace

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 gathered in Saint Peter's Square.  Present today, among others, were the youth from Catholic Action in the Diocese of Rome who were concluding the month of January, which is traditionally dedicated to the theme of peace with their annual Caravan of Peace.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

prior to the recitation of the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today's gospel account takes us once again, as it did last Sunday, to the synagogue in Nazareth, the village in Galilee where Jesus grew up in a family and where he was known by everyone.  He, who only a short time ago had begun his public life, now returned for the first time and appeared among the community, gathered on Saturday in the Synagogue.  He read the passage from the prophet Isaiah that speaks about the future Messiah and at the end he declared: Today, this scripture is accomplished in your hearing (Lk 4:21).  At first, his fellow citizens were amazed and filled with admiration, then they began to make funny faces, whispering among themselves: why is it that this man, who claims to be the Lord's chosen one, doesn't perform here in our presence the signs they say he has performed in Capernaum and in the surrounding villages?  Jesus affirms: No prophet is accepted in his own hometown (Lk 4:24), and calls upon Elijah and Elisha, the great prophets of the past, who worked miracles for the unbelievers in order to denounce the unbelief of their people.  At this point, those who were present felt offended, became indignant, threw Jesus out and wanted to throw him off a hill.  But He, with the strength of his peace, passed through their midst and went on his way (Lk 4:30).  His hour had not yet come.

This passage from the evangelist Luke is not simply a retelling of a quarrel between neighbours, as it sometimes happens even in our own neighbourhoods, brought about by envy and jealousy, but it brings into evidence a temptation to which religious people are always exposed - to which we are all exposed - and from which we should definitely distance ourselves.  What is this temptation?  It is the temptation to consider religious as a human investment and, by consequence, a matter of making bargains with God, each one of us seeking our own interests.  Instead, true religion is a matter of welcoming the revelation of a God who is a Father and who cares for every one of his creatures, even the smallest and least significant in the eyes of mankind.   Herein lies the prophetic ministry of Jesus: in proclaiming that no human condition can constitute grounds for exclusion - no human condition can provide a motive for exclusion! - from the Father's heart, and that in the eyes of God, the only privilege is to have no privileges at all.  In the eyes of God, the only privilege is not to have any privileges, to not have godfathers, to be totally abandoned into his hands.

Today, this scripture is being accomplished in your hearing (Lk 4:21).  The today that was proclaimed by Christ that day, is valid for all time; it even resounds for us in this square, reminding us of the relevance and the necessity for salvation brought about by Jesus for all humanity.  God comes to meet all men and women of every time and place in the concrete situations of our lives.  He comes to meet even us.  It is always He who makes the first step: he comes to visit us with his mercy, to lift us from the dust of our sins; he comes to extend a hand to us in order to bring us back from the brink over which we are hanging because of our pride, and invites us to welcome the consoling truth of the gospel and to walk in the right paths.  He is always the one who comes to visit us, looking for us.

Let us return to the Synagogue.  I am certain that on that day, Mary his mother was also present in the Synagogue in Nazareth.  Let us imagine how Jesus' words resounded in her heart, a little foretaste of the suffering on the cross as she saw Jesus there in the Synagogue: first admired and then challenged, then insulted, then threatened with death.  In her heart, which was filled with faith, he kept everything.  May she help us to be converted from a God of miracles to the miracle of God who is Jesus Christ.

Following the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Francis continued:

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today, we celebrate the World Day of those suffering from leprosy.  This illness, even though it is declining, unfortunately still affects those who are poor and marginalized most of all.  It is important to maintain solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are disabled as a result of this disease.  We assure them of our prayers and pledge our support to those who assist them: good lay people, good sisters, good priests.

I extend affectionate greetings to all of you, pilgrims who have come from various parishes across Italy and from other countries, as well as associations and groups.  In particular, I greet the students from Cuenca and those from Toreagüera (Spain).  I greet the faithful from Taranto, Montesilvano, Macerata, Ercolano and Fasano.

And now, I greet the young boys and girls from Catholic Action in Rome!  Now I understand why there is so much noise in the Square!  Dear young people, once again this year, along with the Cardinal Vicar and with your Assistants, you have come in great numbers at the conclusion of your Caravan of Peace.

This year, your witness of peace, enlivened by your faith in Jesus, will be even more joyous and recognizable because it is enriched by the gesture you have just performed by entering through the Holy Door.  I encourage you to be instruments of peace and mercy among your friends!  Let us now listen to the message which your friends here beside me will read.

The message of the youth was read, and then the Pope continued:

And now, boys and girls, let us launch the balloons, a symbol of peace.

I wish you all a good Sunday, and enjoy your lunch.  Please don't forget to pray for me.  Goodbye!

A Message to Cebu

With the celebration of a Mass, presided over by the Pontifical Legate, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, SDB, Archbishop of Yangon, the 51st International Eucharistic Congress focused on the theme: The Eucharist: font and summit of the mission of the Church came to a close today in Cebu (Philippines).

At the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration, a video message prepared by Pope Francis was broadcast.

Video Message of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the closing of the 51st Eucharistic Congress

Cebu, Philippines

Dear brothers and sisters,

I greet all of you gathered in Cebu for the Fifty-first International Eucharistic Congress. I thank Cardinal Bo, who is my representative among you, and I offer a special greeting to Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop Palma and the bishops, priests and faithful in Cebu. I also greet Cardinal Tagle and all the Catholics of the Philippines. I am particularly happy that this Congress has brought together so many people from the vast continent of Asia and from throughout the world.

Just one year ago, I visited the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda. I was able to witness at first hand the deep faith and resilience of its people. Under the protection of Santo Niño, the Filipino people received the Gospel of Jesus Christ some five hundred years ago. Ever since, they have given the world an example of fidelity and deep devotion to the Lord and his Church. They have also been a people of missionaries, spreading the light of the Gospel in Asia and to the ends of the earth.

The theme of the Eucharistic Congress – Christ in You, Our Hope of Glory – is very timely. It reminds us that the risen Jesus is always alive and present in his Church, above all in the Eucharist, the sacrament of his Body and Blood. Christ’s presence among us is not only a consolation, but also a promise and a summons. It is a promise that everlasting joy and peace will one day be ours in the fullness of his Kingdom. But it is also a summons to go forth, as missionaries, to bring the message of the Father’s tenderness, forgiveness and mercy to every man, woman and child.

How much our world needs this message! When we think of the conflicts, the injustices and the urgent humanitarian crises which mark our time, we realize how important it is for every Christian to be a true missionary disciple, bringing the good news of Christ’s redemptive love to a world in such need of reconciliation, justice and peace.

So it is fitting that this Congress has been celebrated in the Year of Mercy, in which the whole Church is invited to concentrate on the heart of the Gospel: Mercy. We are called to bring the balm of God’s merciful love to the whole human family, binding up wounds, bringing hope where despair so often seems to have the upper hand.

As you now prepare to go forth at the end of this Eucharistic Congress, there are two gestures of Jesus at the Last Supper which I would ask you to reflect on. Both have to do with the missionary dimension of the Eucharist. They are table fellowship and the washing of feet.

We know how important it was for Jesus to share meals with his disciples, but also, and especially, with sinners and the outcast. Sitting at table, Jesus was able to listen to others, to hear their stories, to appreciate their hopes and aspirations, and to speak to them of the Father’s love. At each Eucharist, the table of the Lord’s Supper, we should be inspired to follow his example, by reaching out to others, in a spirit of respect and openness, in order to share with them the gift we ourselves have received.

In Asia, where the Church is committed to respectful dialogue with the followers of other religions, this prophetic witness most often takes place, as we know, through the dialogue of life. Through the testimony of lives transformed by God’s love, we best proclaim the Kingdom’s promise of reconciliation, justice and unity for the human family. Our example can open hearts to the grace of the Holy Spirit, who leads them to Christ the Saviour.

The other image which the Lord offers us at the Last Supper is the washing of feet. On the eve of his passion, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as a sign of humble service, of the unconditional love with which he gave his life on the Cross for the salvation of the world. The Eucharist is a school of humble service. It teaches us readiness to be there for others. This too is at the heart of missionary discipleship.

Here I think of the aftermath of the typhoon. It brought immense devastation to the Philippines, yet it also brought in its wake an immense outpouring of solidarity, generosity and goodness. People set about rebuilding not just homes, but lives. The Eucharist speaks to us of that power, which flows from the Cross and constantly brings new life. It changes hearts. It enables us to be caring, to protect the poor and the vulnerable, and to be sensitive to the cry of our brothers and sisters in need. It teaches us to act with integrity and to reject the injustice and corruption which poison the roots of society.

Dear friends, may this Eucharistic Congress strengthen you in your love of Christ present in the Eucharist. May it enable you, as missionary disciples, to bring this great experience of ecclesial communion and missionary outreach to your families, your parishes and communities, and your local Churches. May it be a leaven of reconciliation and peace for the entire world.

Now, at the end of the Congress, I am happy to announce that the next International Eucharistic Congress will take place in 2020 in Budapest, Hungary. I ask all of you to join me in praying for its spiritual fruitfulness and for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all engaged in its preparation. As you return to your homes renewed in faith, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing to you and your families as a pledge of abiding joy and peace in the Lord.

God Bless you: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The first of the Jubilee Audiences

This morning, at 10:00am (GMT+1), Pope Francis held the first of the audiences which are scheduled to take place once a month during the Jubilee of Mercy, during which he will meet with pilgrims and the faithful who have come to Rome to celebrate the Jubilee.

In his speech, the Pope focused his catechesis on Mercy and Mission, commenting on a passage of scripture: Jn 1: 41-42.

Following each of the summaries of his catechesis, which were presented in various languages, the Holy Father addressed particular greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.

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

Catechesis of the Holy Father

for the Jubilee Audience
on Mercy and Mission

Dear brothers and sisters,

Day after day, we enter into the life of the Holy Year of Mercy.  In his grace, the Lord guides our steps as we pass through the Holy Door and meets with us, remaining with us always, even despite our failings and our contradictions.  We never grow tired of feeling the need for his forgiveness, for when we are weak, his nearness makes us strong and enables us to live with greater joy and faith.

Today, I would like to explain to you the close link between mercy and mission.  As Saint John Paul II reminded us: The Church lives an authentic life when she professes and proclaims mercy and when she brings people close to the font of mercy (Encyclical, Dives in misericordia, 13).  As Christians, we have a responsibility to be missionaries of the gospel.  When we receive good news, or when we l experience something good, it is natural that we feel compelled to share it with others.  We feel within us that we cannot contain the joy that has been given to us: we want to share it.  Joy itself is what drives us to share it with others.

It should be the same when we meet the Lord: the joy of our encounter, of his mercy ... to share the mercy of the Lord.  Indeed, the concrete sign that we have truly encountered Jesus is the joy that we experience as we tell others about the one we have met.  This is not a matter of proselytizing, it is a gift that we give: I give you something that makes me happy.  Reading the Gospel, we see that this was the experience of the first disciples: after his first encounter with Jesus, Andrew went right away to tell his brother Peter about it (cf Jn 1:40-42), and the same thing happened between Philip and Nathaniel (cf Jn 1:45-46).  Meeting Jesus is the same as encountering his love.  This love transforms us and makes us able to transmit to others the strength that it gives.  In a way, we could say that on the day of our Baptism, each one of us receives a new name, along with the names that our mothers and fathers have given to us, and his name is Christopher: we are all Christophers.  What does this mean?  Christ bearers.  This is the name of our attitude, an attitude of joyful carriers of Christ, of Christ's mercy.  Every Christian is a Christopher, a Christ bearer!

The mercy that we receive from the Lord is not given as a consolation prize, but it makes us instruments, so that others can also receive the same gift.  There is a wonderful circular connection between mercy and mission.  Living mercy makes us missionaries of mercy, and being missionaries allows us to grow in the mercy of God.  Thus, let us seriously consider our Christianity and strive to live as believers, for only in this way can the gospel touch the hearts of people and open them to receive the grace of love, and to receive the great mercy of God who welcomes all people.

The above remarks were then presented in summary in various languages, and the Holy Father offered greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims in attendance.  To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:

I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience. May your stay in the Eternal City confirm you in love for our Lord, and may he make you his missionaries of mercy, especially for all those who feel distant from God. May God bless you all!

In his address to Italian-speaking pilgrims, the Holy Father asked them to pray for one of the members of his household:

Someone among you asked what the Pope's house is like, where the Pope lives.  The Pope lives here, inside, in the Casa Santa Marta.  It's a large house, where there are forty priests and other bishops who work with me in the Curia, and there are some guests: Cardinals, Bishops, lay people who have come to Rome for meetings in various Dicasteries, and such things ... And there is a group of men and women who work within the house, either cleaning, cooking or serving in the dining room.  This group of men and women are part of our family, they make up a part of our family: they are not only employees, we consider them as part of our family.  I want to tell you that today, the Pope is a bit sad because yesterday, one of the ladies who has helped us very much, for a very long time, was missing.  Her husband also works here with us, in this house.  Following a long illness, the Lord has called her to Himself.  Her name is Elvira.  I invite you, today, to do two works of mercy: pray for the dead and console the suffering.  I invite you to pray a Hail Mary for eternal peace and joy for Elvira and that the Lord will console her husband and her children.

Meeting with the CDF

At noon today, in the Sala Clementina at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience those who are participating in the Plenary meeting of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

addressed to participants in the Plenary Assembly

of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Dear brothers and sisters,

We meet at the conclusion of your Plenary Assembly; I greet you all cordially and thank the Cardinal Prefect for his courteous words.

We find ourselves within the Holy Year of Mercy.  I hope that during this Jubilee, all the members of the Church will renew their faith in Jesus Christ who is the face of the Father's mercy, the path that unites God with man.  Mercy is therefore the cornerstone that sustains the life of the Church: in fact, it is the first truth of the Church and of the love of Christ.

How then can we not desire that all Christian people - pastors and the faithful - rediscover and refocus their lives during the Jubilee on corporal and spiritual works of mercy?  When, in the evening of life, we will be asked whether we have given food to the hungry and drink to those who are thirsty, we will also be asked whether we have helped people to overcome doubt, whether we were committed to welcoming sinners, warning them of the error of their ways or correcting them, whether we were able to combat ignorance, above all as it pertains to the Christian faith and to living well.  Such attention to the works of mercy is important: it is not only a devotion.  It is the concrete manner in which a Christian should act in a spirit of mercy.  Once, recently, I met with an important group in the Paul VI Hall: it was full.  I touched on the theme of the works of mercy.  At a certain point, I stopped and asked: Who among you remembers the spiritual and corporal works of mercy?  All those who remember them, please raise your hands.  There were no more than 20 in the hall, filled with 7 thousand.  We must begin again to teach these things to the faithful; this is very important.

Faith and charity provide us with a relationship of knowing and unifying ourselves with the mystery of Love, which is God himself.  Even though God himself remains a mystery, in the person of Jesus, the effective mercy of God has become affective mercy, since He took on human flesh for the sake of mankind's salvation.  The task entrusted to your Dicastery, finds in this point its ultimate foundation and justification.  In fact, the Christian faith is not only a matter of knowledge to be stored up in memory, but the truth of living in love.  For this reason, together with the doctrine of the faith, you must also maintain the integrity of morals, especially in the most delicate aspects of life.  The presence of faith in the Christian person implies both an act of reasoning and a moral response to the gift that is given.  In this regard, I thank you for your commitment and responsibility carried out in the exercise of treating the cases of abuse of minors by clergy.

Caring for the integrity of faith and morals is a delicate task.  Fulfilling this mission requires a collegial commitment.  Your Congregation places much value in the contribution of its Consultors and Commissioners, who I would like to thank for their precious and humble work; and I encourage you to continue your practice of dealing with questions in your weekly meetings and more importantly in your Ordinary and Plenary sessions.  Such a process of synodal justice needs to be promoted at all levels of ecclesial life.  In this sense, it was opportune last year that you organzied a meeting with the representatives of the Doctrinal Commissions of the European Episcopal Conferences to examine together some of the doctrinal and pastoral challenges.  In this way, you help to arouse in the faithful a new missionary approach and a precious openness to the transcendent dimension of life, without which Europe would be in danger of losing the spirit of humanism that we all love and defend.  I invite you to continue and to intensify your collaboration with these consultative bodies who help the Episcopal Conferences and each Bishop in their care for the doctrinal health of God's people in a time of rapid change and of growing complexity of problems.

Another of your important contributions to the renewal of ecclesiastical life is your study of the complementarity between hierarchical and charismatic gifts.  According to the logic of the unity in legitimate difference - a logic that characterizes every authentic form of communion among the People of God -, hierarchical and charismatic gifts are called to collaborate in synergy for the good of the Church and of the world.  The witness of this complementarity is more urgent today than ever before and represents an eloquent expression of the ordered plurality that characterizes every ecclesial community as a reflection of the harmonious community that is alive in the heart of the One and Triune God.  The relationship between hierarchical and charismatic gifts refers in fact to its Trinitarian roots, in the relationship between the divine incarnated Logos (Word) and the Holy Spirit, which is still and always a gift of the Father and of the Son.  This very root, if it is recognized and accepted with humility, enables the Church to be renewed in every time as a people which draws its unity from the unity between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit according to the words of Saint Cyprian (De oratione dominica, 23).  Unity and plurality are the marks of a Church that, marked by the Spirit, is able to set out with confidence toward the goals that the Risen Lord points out throughout history.   In these aspects, one can see how synodal dynamism, if it is properly understood, is born out of communion and makes its way toward an evermore faithful communion, deepened and expanded in service to the life and mission of the People of God.

Dear brothers and sisters, I assure you of my rememberance in prayer and I ask you to pray for me.  May the Lord bless you and may Our Lady protect you.

Mercy during the Year of Mercy

At 11:30am today, in the John Paul II Hall at the Vatican Press Centre, there was a press conference held to present the commissioning of the Missionaries of Mercy and the temporary transfer to Rome of the relics of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina and of Saint Leopold Mandić.

Presentations at this morning's press conference were made by His Excellency, Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization and Monsignor Graham Bell, Under-secretary of that same dicastery.

Intervention prepared by His Excellency, Rino Fisichella

for the press conference describing the transfer of the mortal remains

of Saint Pio and Saint Leopold Mandić

It is has been almost two months now since Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s. Since that moment, the Doors of Mercy have been opened all around the world. The incredible number of people who have registered for these events allows us to acknowledge how this insight of Pope Francis, his idea of having this Extraordinary Jubilee, has answered a true need of the people of God who are receiving this event of grace with great joy and enthusiasm. We can conclude from this participation that the Jubilee is being intensely lived in all the world and in every local Church, where this time of grace is being organized as a genuine form of renewal for the Church and as a particular moment of the new evangelization.

Every day we receive thousands of pictures and documents from around the world attesting to the commitment and the faith of believers. Yet all of this activity has not stopped a substantial number of pilgrims from arriving in Rome during this period. According to the data available to us on a daily basis, as of today 1,392,000 people have participated in Jubilee events. An interesting detail is that 40% of those who have attended come from abroad, speaking largely Spanish and French. We have registered pilgrims from Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Korea, Kenya, Mozambique, El Salvador, New Zealand, Argentina, Mexico, the Fiji Islands, Russia, Belarus, the Seychelles, the Ivory Coast, Chad, Kuwait, the United States of America, Albania and from many other countries. I would like to reiterate that this is not the criteria by which to judge the actual outcome of the Jubilee. A Holy Year of mercy goes well beyond numbers, for it is intended to touch the hearts and the minds of people in order to assist them in coming to understand the ways in which God’s great love manifests itself in their daily lives. It is a time during which to assess our lives of faith and to understand how we are capable of conversion and renewal, both of which come from recognizing the importance of remaining focused upon what is essential. In any case, a general evaluation of the Jubilee cannot be made after only two months but must be done at its conclusion. All of the other considerations at the moment are incomplete and temporary and, thus, do not merit particular attention.

During this period, Pope Francis has carried out two particular signs of his concrete witness of mercy. On Friday, December 18, he opened the Door of Charity in the homeless shelter, Don Luigi di Liegro, where he celebrated Holy Mass in the refectory (dining room). On January 15, he visited the Bruno Buozzi nursing home for the aged, in Torrespaccata, after which he went to Casa Iride where he spent time with those in vegetative states who are being assisted by their families. These signs possess a symbolic value before all of the many needs that are present in society today. They are, however, intended to stir in all of us a greater awareness of the many situations of need in our cities and to offer a small response of caring and aid.

There are two particular events that now merit our attention. The first pertains to the presence in Rome of the urns containing the relics of Saint Leopold Mandić and Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. Such an occasion is of great significance for it is an unprecedented event, given the stories of these two saints who spent their lives in the service of the mercy of God. Padre Leopold (1866-1942) was canonized by John Paul II on December 16, 1983 and is less well known than Padre Pio. Yet, his hunger for holiness spread beyond the Church of Padua, where he lived the major part of his life and where his memory and his relics remain. Originally from Croatia, this Capuchin father dedicated all of his life to the confessional. For almost thirty years, he spent from ten to fifteen hours a day in the secrecy of his cell, the very place which became a confessional for thousands of people who found in their relationships with him the privileged witness of forgiveness and of mercy. Some of his brothers noted that he was ignorant and too lenient in forgiving everyone without discernment. Yet, his simple and humble response to this charge leaves one speechless: Should the Crucified blame me for being lenient, I would answer Him: Lord, you gave me this bad example. I have not yet reached the folly of your having died for souls.

Padre Pio (1887-1968), who was canonized in 2002 and also by John Paul II, does not require lengthy presentations. This simple Capuchin friar spent his entire life at San Giovanni Rotondo without ever leaving that town. Certainly, during his life, some in Rome caused him to suffer, but his holiness always prevailed. In the silence of obedience, he also became a privileged witness of mercy, dedicating all of his life to the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We are grateful to the Capuchin Fathers and to the Bishops of the Dioceses of Padua and Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo for having responded so graciously to the wish of the Pope that the relics of these two saints remain in Rome for a period of time during the Jubilee.

The program is quite simple. The urns containing the relics will arrive in Rome on February 3 where they will be placed in the Church of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura. The church will be open to the faithful starting at 3:00pm with a celebration of reception. The relics will remain in San Lorenzo until 8:30pm the following day, during which time there will be a number of celebrations reserved for the vast extended Franciscan Family. An all-night vigil is being organized in the Jubilee Church of San Salvatore in Lauro, which will begin at 10:00pm on February 4. The prayer will continue until the following day, February 5, with various celebrations and will conclude with Holy Mass at 2:00pm celebrated by His Excellency, Michele Castoro, the Archbishop of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo. At 4:00pm, a procession with the two urns containing the relics will begin from San Salvatore in Lauro and then proceed the entire length of Via della Conciliazione in order to arrive at the sagrato (the area in Saint Peter's Square where the outdoor altar is set up) of Saint Peter’s Basilica. There on the sagrato, His Eminence Angelo Cardinal Comastri, the Archpriest of Saint Peter’s Basilica, will receive the relics and after a moment of prayer, will then accompany the relics into the Basilica where they will be placed in the central nave before the Altar of the Confession for people to venerate. The relics will remain in Saint Peter’s for veneration until the morning of February 11 when, after the Holy Mass of thanksgiving, celebrated at 7:30am at the Altar of the Chair, they will be returned to their original homes. It is opportune to note that on February 10, Ash Wednesday, the Basilica will remain closed in the morning for the General Audience and then, in the afternoon, Holy Mass will be celebrated in the Basilica to mark the beginning of Lent. Thus, those who wish to venerate the relics are kindly asked to choose to do so on one of the previous days and to follow along the Jubilee reserved walkway in order to enter through the security check point as rapidly as possible.

As previously noted, the second event pertains to the celebration that will take place on Ash Wednesday when the Holy Father will give the mandate to the Missionaries of Mercy. As attested to in the Bull of Indiction, Misericordiae vultus, the Missionaries are to be a sign of the Church’s maternal solicitude for the People of God, enabling them to enter the profound richness of this mystery so fundamental to the faith. There will be priests to whom I will grant the authority to pardon even those sins reserved to the Holy See, so that the breadth of their mandate as confessors will be even clearer. They will be, above all, living signs of the Father’s readiness to welcome those in search of his pardon. They will be missionaries of mercy because they will be facilitators of a truly human encounter, a source of liberation, rich with responsibility for overcoming obstacles and taking up the new life of Baptism again. They will be led in their mission by the words of the Apostle: ‘For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all’ (Rom 11:32).

Thus, the Missionaries of Mercy are a select number of priests who have received from the Pope the charge to be privileged witnesses in their respective Churches of the extraordinariness of this Jubilee event. It is only the Pope who nominates these Missionaries, not the Bishops, and it is he who entrusts them with the mandate to announce the beauty of the mercy of God while being humble and wise confessors who possess a great capacity to forgive those who approach the confessional. The Missionaries, who come from every continent, number over 1,000. I am delighted to announce that there are Missionaries coming from many distant countries and, among these, some of which have a uniquely significant importance such as: Burma, Lebanon, China, South Korea, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Burundi, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Latvia, East Timor, Indonesia, Thailand, and Egypt. There will also be Oriental Rite priests.

We have received a great response for participation but must place a limit on the large number of requests in order to ensure that the specific sign value, one which expresses how truly special the initiative is, be maintained. All of the Missionaries have received the permission of their respective diocesan Bishops or Religious Superiors and will make themselves available to those requesting their services throughout the entirety of the Jubilee but, most especially, during the Lenten Season.

There will be 700 Missionaries arriving in Rome. Pope Francis will meet with them on February 9 in order to express his feelings regarding this initiative which will certainly be one of the most touching and significant of the Jubilee of Mercy. On the following day, only the Missionaries of Mercy will concelebrate with the Holy Father, during which time they will receive the mandate, as well as the faculty to absolve those sins reserved to the Holy See. An interesting story may help to capture the pastoral interest that this initiative has garnered around the world. Father Richard from Australia will visit 27 communities in his rural Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle where there is only one church and no priests in residence. Traveling in a camper, he will journey from community to community as a Missionary of Mercy on Wheels! This is but an example of the way in which the Jubilee is meant to reach all, allowing everyone to touch the closeness and the tenderness of God.

Finally, regarding other Jubilee events, the first Jubilee Audience will be held in Saint Peter’s Square on Saturday, January 30. Pope Francis has responded generously to the many requests he has received from pilgrims who wish to meet him. Consequently, one Saturday a month has been added to the official calendar for a special audience, one which will be in addition to the regular Wednesday Audiences. This first audience already has 20,000 people registered. Another event of particular interest is the Jubilee for the Curia, the Governorate, and Institutions connected to the Holy See to be held on February 22. This celebration will begin with a reflection given by Father Marco Rupnik at 8:30am in the Paul VI Hall. After this meditation, there will be a procession through Saint Peter’s Square which will pass through the Holy Door. Holy Mass will then be celebrated by Pope Francis at 10:00am.

The Jubilee continues to follow its course and we are certain that, in accord with the desires of Pope Francis, it will be an important occasion to live out in our daily lives the mercy which the Father constantly extends to all of us.

Meeting with the Italian National Bioethics Committee

At 11:30am today, in the Consistory Hall at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the members of the Italian National Bioethics Committee.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

addressed to members of the

Italian National Bioethics Committee

I cordially welcome each of you, and I thank your President, Professor Casavola for the courteous words with which he has introduced our gathering.

I am pleased to be able to express the appreciation of the Church for the fact that, more than 25 years ago, the National Bioethics Committee was established in Italy under the leadership of the Council for Ministries.  And everyone knows that the Church is sensitive to ethical issues, but perhaps not everyone is aware that the Church does not claim a privileged place in this field; in fact, it is satisfied when the civic consciousness, on various levels, is able to reflect, to discern and to operate on the basis of freedom and rational openness and the basic values of persons and of society.  In fact, responsible civil maturity itself is a sign that the planting of the gospel - this yes, entrusted and affirmed in the Church - has borne fruit, managed to promote the search for truth and for goodness in the complex human and ethical questions.

In essence, it's a matter of serving mankind, all mankind, all men and women, with particular attention and care - as was previously pointed out - for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged who are struggling to make their voices heard, as well as those who cannot yet, or those who can no longer make their voices heard.  On these grounds the ecclesial and civil communities meet and are called to collaborate, both according to their respective skills.

This committee has repeatedly dealt with issues related to respect for the integrity of the human person and the protection of health from conception to natural death, considering the person in his or her own self, always as an end and never simply as a means.  This ethical principle is also essential with regard to the application of biotechnology in the medical field which may never be used in a manner detrimental to human dignity, and which should never be guided solely by industrial and commercial concerns.

Bioethics was created to compare the reasons and conditions required for the dignity of the human person through critical efforts through the developments of science as well as biological and medical technology which, at their accelerated pace, risk losing every reference that is not either related to usefulness or profit.

How difficult it is at times to identify these reasons and the many and various ways attempts are made to argue them, evidenced by the opinions formulated by the National Committee for Bioethics. And therefore the demanding work of research for the ethical truth is ascribed to the merit of all those who have done so, all the more so in a context marked by relativism and not very trustworthy in the capacities of the human reason. You are aware that such research on complex bioethical problems is not easy and does not always quickly reach a harmonious conclusion; that it always requires humility and realism, and does not fear confrontation with different positions and that, finally, the witness given to truth contributes to the maturation of the conscience.

I would like to encourage your work, in particular, in some realms which I will briefly recall.

1. The inter-disciplinary analysis of the causes of environmental degradation. I hope that the Committee will be able to formulate guidelines in the fields that concern the biological sciences, to stimulate interventions of conservation, preservation and care of the environment. In this regard, a comparison between the bio-centric and anthropocentric theories would be well worth the effort, in search of ways that recognize the correct centrality of man in respect to other living beings and to the whole environment, as well as to help define the inalienable conditions for the protection of the future generations. Once when I said this about protection of the future generations, a somewhat saddened and skeptical scientist answered me: Tell me, Father, will there be any?

2. The subject of the disability and marginalization of vulnerable subjects in a society inclined to competition and to the acceleration of progress. It is the challenge of opposing the throwaway culture, which has so many expressions today, among which is treating human embryos as disposable material, and also sick and elderly persons approaching death.

3. An ever greater effort towards an international confrontation in view of a possible and desirable, even if complex, harmonization of the standard and rules of biological and medical activities, rules that recognize fundamental values and rights.

Finally, I express my appreciation for the fact that your Committee has sought to identify strategies of sensitization of public opinion, beginning with schools, on bioethical questions, for instance, for understanding biotechnological progresses.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your visit and for this moment of reflection and encounter. May the Lord bless each one of you and your valuable work. I assure you of my sympathy and my remembrance in prayer, and I trust that you will also do so for me. Thank you.

Togo at the Vatican

The Holy Father Francis today received in audience the President of the Republic of Togo, His Excellency, Mister Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, who subsequently met with His Eminence, the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, accompanied by His Excellency, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.

During the cordial discussions, the Parties acknowledged the good existing relations between the Holy See and Togo, and the prospects for their further consolidation. Mention was made of the contribution of the Catholic Church to the development of the country and the integral progress of the Togolese population, especially in the field of education.

Attention then turned to various challenges affecting West and Sub-Saharan Africa, with special emphasis on the need for joint commitment to the promotion of security and peace in the region.

General Audience tracing mercy in the bible

Today'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 speech, the Pope continued the cycle of catechesis on mercy from a biblical persepctive.  He then issued an invitation to participate in a day of spiritual retreat which has been organized by the Pontifical Council Cor Unum in the context of the Jubilee of Mercy, for people and groups who are involved in charitable work.

Following the customary summaries of his catechesis presented in various languages, the Holy Father addressed greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.

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!

In Sacred Scripture, God's mercy is presented throughout the history of the people of Israel.

With his mercy, the Lord accompanies the journey of the Patriarchs, giving them children despite the condition of sterility, leading them along the paths of grace and reconciliation, as was shown in the story of Joseph and his brothers (cf Gen 37-50).  I am conscious of the many people, our brothers, who have been distanced from their families and no longer speak with them.  This Year of Mercy provides a good opportunity to meet one another, to embrace and to forgive, and to forget the things that have been hurtful.  However, as we all know, life for people in Egypt is difficult, and it is precisely when the Israelites are about to give in to their temptations that the Lord intervenes and offers salvation.

In the book of Exodus, we read: After a long time, the king of Egypt died.  The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their complaint about their slavery reached God.  God heard their lament, God remembers his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  God saw the conditions of the Israelites.  God cared for them (Ex 2:23-25).  Mercy cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of the oppressed, to the cry of those who suffer violence, who are enslaved, who are condemned to death.  It is a painful reality that has affected every era, including our present time, and that at times has caused people to feel powerless, tempted to harden their hearts and to think about other things.  Instead, God is not indifferent (Message for the World Day of Peace 2016, 1), he does not take his eye off the condition of human suffering.  The God of mercy responds and cares for the poor, for those who cry out in their despair.  God hears and intervenes to save, calling forward men who are capable of hearing the sufferings and groans of others and to work for the good of the oppressed.

The story of Moses begins, presenting him as a mediator for his people's freedom.  He stands before the Pharaoh to convince him to let the Israelites go; and then he guides his people to freedom through the Red Sea and through the desert.  Moses, who himself has been saved by divine mercy as a newborn child who was spared death on the waters of the Nile, became a mediator for mercy, making it possible for his people to be born to freedom, saved by the waters of the Red Sea.  We too, during this Year of Mercy, can continue this work of being mediators of mercy with works of mercy in order to draw close to others, to soothe and to build unity.  Many good works are possible.

God's mercy is always at work in order to save, the very opposite of those who are always looking for ways to kill: for example, those who promote war.  Through his servant Moses, the Lord guided Israel through the desert as a father would guide his son, taught them faith and established a covenant with them, creating an everlasting bond of love, like the bond that exists between a father and his son, or between a husband and a wife.

Divine mercy is offered for all people.  God offers us a privileged exclusive loving relationship.  When he instructed Moses about his covenant, he said: If you listen to my voice and keep my covenant, you will be to me a treasured possession, even though all the earth is mine!  You will be for me a kingdom of priests, a holy people (Ex 19:5-6).

Surely, God already possesses all the earth, for he has created it, but people become for him a different, special possession: his personal treasure of gold and silver, like the treasure that King David said that he donated for the construction of the Temple.

Therefore, we become a treasure for God by welcoming his covenant and allowing ourselves to be saved by Him.  The Lord's mercy makes all people precious, like a personal treasure that belongs to Him, that He cares for and into which we are welcomed.

These are the wonders of divine mercy, that are fulfilled in the Lord Jesus, in a new and eternal covenant in his blood; his forgiveness destroys our sin and makes us definitive children of God (cf 1 Jn 3:1), precious jewels in the hands of the good and merciful Father.  If we are children of God and heirs of this inheritance - of goodness and mercy - in comparison with others, we can ask the Lord that during this Year of Mercy, we too might do merciful things; opening our hearts to others through acts of mercy, the legacy of mercy that God our Father has established with us.

The above catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.  To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:

I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from the United States of America. With prayerful good wishes that the present Jubilee of Mercy will be a moment of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all!

The Holy Father then issued the following call for participation in the upcoming spiritual retreat organized by the Pontifical Council Cor Unum:

During the Jubilee of Mercy, the Pontifical Council Cor Unum has organized a day of spiritual retreat for people and for groups who are involved in works of charity.  The day, which will be offered in every diocese during the season of Lent, will be an occasion to reflect on the call to be merciful like the Father.  I invite you to welcome this opportunity and to make use of the directives and resources provided by Cor Unum.

Condolences to La Loche

This past weekend, there was a terrible tragedy in LaLoche (SK) which left four people dead and many others injured.

Fires were set within the cemetery at La Loche (SK)
in order to thaw the ground where victims will be buried

Archbishop Murray Chatlain of Keewaitin-Le Pas granted an interview to the Canadian Press about the La Loche community and the suffering that they are now enduring.

As an expression of sympathy and prayerful closeness, the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, His Excellency, Douglas Crosby (Hamilton) sent a letter to his brother bishop.  The text of the letter, dated January 25, 2016, was published on the website of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

A memorial service was held at Our Lady of the Visitation
church in LaLoche (SK) on Sunday, January 24

Letter addressed by His Excellency, Douglas Crosby

Bishop of Hamilton

President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

to His Excellency, Murray Chatlain

Dear Archbishop Chatlain,

The prayers of all the Bishops of Canada and of Catholics across our country
accompany the community of La Loche and you in this moment of tragedy. With you and
the faithful of your Archdiocese, we pray for God’s healing -- of spiritual and physical
wounds, of families and friends torn apart by death and violence, of the hearts of the
perpetrator and the victims, of the community as it suffers through this present moment
and begins to look for ways forward which can offer new hope.

As you know so well from your own pastoral experience, healing and new vision
are only possible when the heart and the community experience mercy and find hope.
Filled with faith in God the Father, and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, Christians join
with Jesus in sharing hope and mercy. We do this each moment we bring Good News,
proclaim release from captivity, offer sight to the blind, and free the oppressed. Yet to do
this, we also need to recognize the suffering, the blindness, the forms of imprisonment
and oppression that are within us and among us. Together with you, we trust this present
tragedy will spur renewed and ongoing determination to bring about much needed
changes to the severe rates of unemployment, poverty and suicide which affect so many
in the North -- a people whom you admire for their generosity and caring.

May La Loche find mercy and hope through the deep faith and love of its people,
and so be a sign to communities across our land that new life is possible through the
mercy and hope offered us in Christ, and which we in turn are to offer others.

Fraternally in Christ, the face of God’s mercy,

(Most Rev.) Douglas Crosby, OMI
Bishop of Hamilton and
President of the Canadian Conference

of Catholic Bishops

Pope's message for Lent

This morning, the Vatican Press Centre released the text of the Message prepared by His Holiness, Pope Francis for the approaching liturgical season of Lent.

Message of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the Season of Lent 2016

I desire mercy, and not sacrifice (Mt 9:13)

The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee

1. Mary, the image of a Church which evangelizes because she is evangelized

In the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, I asked that the season of Lent in this Jubilee Year be lived more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God’s mercy (Misericordiae Vultus, 17). By calling for an attentive listening to the word of God and encouraging the initiative 24 Hours for the Lord, I sought to stress the primacy of prayerful listening to God’s word, especially his prophetic word. The mercy of God is a proclamation made to the world, a proclamation which each Christian is called to experience at first hand. For this reason, during the season of Lent I will send out Missionaries of Mercy as a concrete sign to everyone of God’s closeness and forgiveness.

After receiving the Good News told to her by the Archangel Gabriel, Mary, in her Magnificat, prophetically sings of the mercy whereby God chose her. The Virgin of Nazareth, betrothed to Joseph, thus becomes the perfect icon of the Church which evangelizes, for she was, and continues to be, evangelized by the Holy Spirit, who made her virginal womb fruitful. In the prophetic tradition, mercy is strictly related – even on the etymological level – to the maternal womb (rahamim) and to a generous, faithful and compassionate goodness (hesed) shown within marriage and family relationships.

2. God’s covenant with humanity: a history of mercy

The mystery of divine mercy is revealed in the history of the covenant between God and his people Israel. God shows himself ever rich in mercy, ever ready to treat his people with deep tenderness and compassion, especially at those tragic moments when infidelity ruptures the bond of the covenant, which then needs to be ratified more firmly in justice and truth. Here is a true love story, in which God plays the role of the betrayed father and husband, while Israel plays the unfaithful child and bride. These domestic images – as in the case of Hosea (cf Hos 1-2) – show to what extent God wishes to bind himself to his people.

This love story culminates in the incarnation of God’s Son. In Christ, the Father pours forth his boundless mercy even to making him mercy incarnate (Misericordiae Vultus, 8). As a man, Jesus of Nazareth is a true son of Israel; he embodies that perfect hearing required of every Jew by the Shema, which today too is the heart of God’s covenant with Israel: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might (Dt 6:4-5). As the Son of God, he is the Bridegroom who does everything to win over the love of his bride, to whom he is bound by an unconditional love which becomes visible in the eternal wedding feast.

This is the very heart of the apostolic kerygma, in which divine mercy holds a central and fundamental place. It is the beauty of the saving love of God made manifest in Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead (Evangelii Gaudium, 36), that first proclamation which we must hear again and again in different ways, the one which we must announce one way or another throughout the process of catechesis, at every level and moment (EG, 164). Mercy expresses God’s way of reaching out to the sinner, offering him a new chance to look at himself, convert, and believe (MV, 21), thus restoring his relationship with him. In Jesus crucified, God shows his desire to draw near to sinners, however far they may have strayed from him. In this way he hopes to soften the hardened heart of his Bride.

3. The works of mercy

God’s mercy transforms human hearts; it enables us, through the experience of a faithful love, to become merciful in turn. In an ever new miracle, divine mercy shines forth in our lives, inspiring each of us to love our neighbour and to devote ourselves to what the Church’s tradition calls the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. These works remind us that faith finds expression in concrete everyday actions meant to help our neighbours in body and spirit: by feeding, visiting, comforting and instructing them. On such things will we be judged. For this reason, I expressed my hope that the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; this will be a way to reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty, and to enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy (MV, 15). For in the poor, the flesh of Christ becomes visible in the flesh of the tortured, the crushed, the scourged, the malnourished, and the exiled … to be acknowledged, touched, and cared for by us (MV, 15). It is the unprecedented and scandalous mystery of the extension in time of the suffering of the Innocent Lamb, the burning bush of gratuitous love. Before this love, we can, like Moses, take off our sandals (cf Ex 3:5), especially when the poor are our brothers or sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith.

In the light of this love, which is strong as death (cf Song of Songs 8:6), the real poor are revealed as those who refuse to see themselves as such. They consider themselves rich, but they are actually the poorest of the poor. This is because they are slaves to sin, which leads them to use wealth and power not for the service of God and others, but to stifle within their hearts the profound sense that they too are only poor beggars. The greater their power and wealth, the more this blindness and deception can grow. It can even reach the point of being blind to Lazarus begging at their doorstep (cf Lk 16:20-21). Lazarus, the poor man, is a figure of Christ, who through the poor pleads for our conversion. As such, he represents the possibility of conversion which God offers us and which we may well fail to see. Such blindness is often accompanied by the proud illusion of our own omnipotence, which reflects in a sinister way the diabolical you will be like God (Gen 3:5) which is the root of all sin. This illusion can likewise take social and political forms, as shown by the totalitarian systems of the twentieth century, and, in our own day, by the ideologies of monopolizing thought and technoscience, which would make God irrelevant and reduce man to raw material to be exploited. This illusion can also be seen in the sinful structures linked to a model of false development based on the idolatry of money, which leads to lack of concern for the fate of the poor on the part of wealthier individuals and societies; they close their doors, refusing even to see the poor.

For all of us, then, the season of Lent in this Jubilee Year is a favourable time to overcome our existential alienation by listening to God’s word and by practising the works of mercy. In the corporal works of mercy we touch the flesh of Christ in our brothers and sisters who need to be fed, clothed, sheltered, visited; in the spiritual works of mercy – counsel, instruction, forgiveness, admonishment and prayer – we touch more directly our own sinfulness. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy must never be separated. By touching the flesh of the crucified Jesus in the suffering, sinners can receive the gift of realizing that they too are poor and in need. By taking this path, the proud, the powerful and the wealthy spoken of in the Magnificat can also be embraced and undeservedly loved by the crucified Lord who died and rose for them. This love alone is the answer to that yearning for infinite happiness and love that we think we can satisfy with the idols of knowledge, power and riches. Yet the danger always remains that by a constant refusal to open the doors of their hearts to Christ who knocks on them in the poor, the proud, rich and powerful will end up condemning themselves and plunging into the eternal abyss of solitude which is Hell. The pointed words of Abraham apply to them and to all of us: They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them (Lk 16:29). Such attentive listening will best prepare us to celebrate the final victory over sin and death of the Bridegroom, now risen, who desires to purify his Betrothed in expectation of his coming.

Let us not waste this season of Lent, so favourable a time for conversion! We ask this through the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, who, encountering the greatness of God’s mercy freely bestowed upon her, was the first to acknowledge her lowliness (cf Lk 1:48) and to call herself the Lord’s humble servant (cf Lk 1:38).

From the Vatican
4 October 2015
Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi

Franciscus

Iran at the Vatican

Today, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience His Excellency, Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who subsequently met with His Eminence, the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, accompanied by His Excellency, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.

During the cordial discussions, common spiritual values emerged and reference was made to the good state of relations between the Holy See and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the life of the Church in the country and the action of the Holy See to favour the promotion of the dignity of the human person and religious freedom.

Attention then turned to the conclusion and application of the Nuclear Accord and the important role that Iran is called upon to fulfil, along with other countries in the Region, to promote suitable political solutions to the problems afflicting the Middle East, to counter the spread of terrorism and arms trafficking. In this respect, the Parties highlighted the importance of inter-religious dialogue and the responsibility of religious communities in promoting reconciliation, tolerance and peace.

Concluding the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Last evening at 5:30pm local time, in the Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls, the Holy Father presided over the celebration of the Second Vespers for the Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the Apostle, and with this celebration, marked the end of the 49th Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which focused on the theme: Called to announce the marvellous works of God to all people (cf 1 Peter 2:9).

Representatives of other Churches and ecclesial communities present in Rome were also present for this celebration.

At the conclusion of Vespers, before the Apostolic Blessing, Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity presented greetings to the Holy Father.

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the celebration of the Second Vespers

for the Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

I am the least among the apostles ... for I persecuted the Church of God.  By the grace of God however, I am who I am and his grace in me has not been in vain (1 Cor 15:9-10).  In this way, the Apostle Paul sums up the significance of his conversion.  Having taken place after a dazzling encounter with the risen Jesus (cf 1 Cor 9:1) on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, it was not above all a moral change, but a transformative experience of the grace of Christ, and at the same time a call to a new mission, the mission of proclaiming to all people this Jesus who he had first persecuted by persecuting his disciples.  In fact, at that moment, Paul understood that there was a real unity and transcendence existing between Christ, living in eternity, and his followers: Jesus is alive and present in them and they live in him.  Paul's vocation to be an apostle was not founded on his own human merit - he considered himself to be lowly and unworthy.  It is however founded on the infinite goodness of God, who chose him and confided this ministry to him.

This understanding of what happened on the road to Damascus was also witnessed by Saint Paul in his first letter to Timothy: I give thanks to him who strengthens me, Christ Jesus our Lord, for he has found me worthy of trust by putting me at his service, I who first was a blasphemer, a persecutor and violent.  But I received mercy, for I acted in ignorance, far from faith and the grace of our Lord who is exceedingly abundant in faith and care for us in Christ Jesus (1 Tim 1:12-14).  The abundant mercy of God is the only reasoning upon which Paul's ministry is founded and at the same time, that which the Apostle has to share with others.

Saint Paul's experience is similar to that of the community to which Saint Peter addressed his first letter.  Saint Peter spoke to members of a small and fragile community, exposed to the threat of persecution and applied to them the glorious titles attributed to the holy people of God: a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy people, people chosen by God (1 Peter 2:9).  For those first Christians, as it is today for all the baptized, it is a source of comfort and constant wonder to know that we have been chosen to be part of God's plan for salvation carried out in Jesus Christ and in the Church.   Why me Lord?; why us?  Here we draw upon the mystery of God's mercy and God's choice: the Father loves everyone and wants to save everyone, and for this reason he calls some to be conquered by his grace, so that through them his love might reach all people.  The mission of the entire people of God is to proclaim the marvellous work of the Lord, above all the Paschal mystery of Christ through which we have passed from the darkness of sin and death to the splendour of his new and eternal life (cf 1 Peter 2:10).

In the light of the Word of God which we have heard, and which has guided us during this Week of prayer for Christian unity, we can truly say that all believers in Christ are called to proclaim the marvellous works of God (cf 1 Peter 2:9).  Over and above the differences that still separate us, we joyfully recognize that at the root of our Christian life there is still a call issued by God himself.  We can move forward on the road toward full visible communion between all Christians not only to the extent that we spend time together, but above all according to the measure by which we are converted to the Lord, who through his grace has chosen us and called us to be his disciples.  Conversion means allowing the Lord to live and to work in us.  For this reason, when Christians from different churches together listen to the Word of God and seek to put it into practice, they are able to take truly significant steps toward unity.  It is not only this call that unites us; we also share the same mission: to proclaim the marvellous works of God.  Like Saint Paul and like the faithful to whom Saint Peter wrote, we too cannot do otherwise than to proclaim the merciful love that has conquered and changed us.  While we journey toward full communion between us, we can already develop various forms of collaboration, working together and collaborating to promote the spread of the gospel.  Walking and working together, we take account of the fact that we are already united in the name of the Lord.  Unity is created as we journey together.

During this extraordinary jubilee year of mercy, we keep before us the fact that there can be no genuine search for unity among Christians without fully relying on the Father's mercy.  We begin by asking forgiveness for the sin of our divisions which are an open wound in the Body of Christ.  As Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the Catholic Church, I wish to ask for mercy and forgiveness for behaviour that is contrary to the gospel by Catholics against Christians from other Churches.  At the same time, I invite all Catholic brothers and sisters to forgive, if presently or in the past they have been offended by other Christians.  We cannot undo that which has been done, but we must not allow the weight of past sins to continue polluting our relationships.  May the mercy of God renew our relationships.

In this atmosphere of intense prayer, I extend fraternal greetings to His Eminence, Metropolitan Gennadios, the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch; His Grace, David Moxon, personal representative in Rome of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and all the representatives of the various Churches and ecclesial communities in Rome, who are gathered here this evening.  With them, we have passed through the Holy Door of this Basilica, remembering that Jesus Christ our Lord, the face of the merciful Father, is the only door that leads to salvation.  I extend cordial greetings also to the young members of the Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches who are studying here in Rome with the support of the Committee for Cultural Collaboration with the Orthodox Churches, which is headquartered at the offices of the Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, as well as the students from the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey who are visiting here in Rome to deepen their knowledge of the Catholic Church.

Dear brothers and sisters, today let us be united in offering the prayer that the Lord Jesus himself offered to the Father: may they be one ... so that the world may believe (Jn 17:21).  Unity is a gift from God our merciful Father.  Here, at the tomb of Saint Paul, apostle and martyr, located in this splendid Basilica, we know that our humble prayer is sustained by the intercession of a multitude of Christian martyrs both past and present.  They generously responded to the call of the Lord, giving faithful witness with their lives to the marvellous works that God accomplishes for us, and already experiencing full communion in the presence of God our Father.  Supported by their example - the example that is found in the ecumenism of blood - and comforted by their intercession, we offer our humble prayers to God.

A meeting with seminarians

At 11:45am this morning, in the Sala Clementina at the Vatican, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the Community of the Lombard Pontifical Seminary in Rome.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

addressed to the members of the Lombard Pontifical Seminary

Dear brothers and sisters,

I greet you with affection and thank Cardinal Scola for his courteous words.  I am happy to meet with you on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of your institution: during the Holy Year of Mercy you therefore are also celebrating a jubilee of thanksgiving to God, the rock on which our life is founded, since his faithfulness endures forever (cf Ps 117:2).  Do not ever forget this:  God is faithful.

Blessed Paul VI blessed the Lombardo Seminary on November 11, 1965 so that that new house was established at the end of the Second Vatican Council, during which the Fathers sensed strongly that the walls which for too long had made the Church a kind of fortress were torn down and the time had come to proclaim the Gospel in a new way (Misericordiae Vultus, 4).  In this way, during Roman years, which are not only spent in study, but truly represent a time of priestly formation, you too are preparing yourselves to follow this sense of the Spirit, to be the future of the Church according to the heart of God; not according to individual preferences or the style of the moment, but as the enriching proclamation of the gospel.  Preparing well necessitates a thorough effort, but above all an interior conversion which day by day is rooted in the ministry of the initial call of Jesus and enlivened in the personal relationship each of us has with Him, like the apostle Paul whose conversion we recall today.

In this regard, I would like to draw your attention to an example that you already know so well: Saint Charles Borromeo.  Father de Certeau presented his life as a constant movement of conversion which reflected the image of the Shepherd: He identified himself with this image, nourished it with his life, knowing that his words would be transformed from reality to the price of blood: for him, sanguinis ministri were true priests.  He therefore established the forgiving image and employed all his 'passions' to copy it (Biographical dictionary of Italians, XX, 1977, p. 263).  In this way, the great work of theologians of the time, culminating in the celebration of the Council of Trent, resulted in the presence of holy priests such as Borromeo.  Dear friends, you are heirs and witnesses of a great history of holiness that is rooted in your patrons, Bishops Ambrose and Charles, and in more recent times seen also in some of your alumni, three of whom are Blesseds and three of whom are Servants of God.  This is the goal you must strive for!

However, it often happens along the journey that we are tempted to feel rejected: rejected from what is normal or to be a shepherd who is content with a normal life.  Such a priest begins to content himself with the attention he receives, to judge his ministry based on his accomplishments and acting on the search for that which will bring pleasure, leading him to become tepid and lacking in true interest for others.  For us, normal is instead defined by pastoral holiness, the gift of life.  If a priest chooses to be only a normal person, he will be a mediocre priest, or worse.

Saint Charles wanted pastors who would be servants of God and fathers for his people, above all for the poor.  But - it is always good for us to remember - words of life can only be proclaimed by those who seek to transform their own lives into a constant dialogue with the Word of God, or better, with God who speaks with them.  During these past years, you have been entrusted with the mission of training others to participate in this dialogue of life: the knowledge of various disciplines that are studied are not ends in and of themselves, but should be implemented in the dialogue of prayer and in the real personal encounters.  This is not a question of stagnant compartmentalism: prayer, culture and pastoral culture are but stepping stones leading to a unified construction: we must always be firmly united in supporting each other, well connected with others so that priests today and tomorrow can be spiritual men and merciful pastors, inwardly unified by the love of the Lord and capable of spreading the joy of the gospel in the simplicity of their lives.  It seems today that evangelization calls us to go back to the simple life.  Simplicity of life, avoiding all forms of duplicity and worldliness that includes genuine communion with the Lord and with our brothers; simplicity of language: not preachers of complex doctrine but proclaimers of Christ who died and rose for us.

Another essential aspect that I want to point out is the necessity, in order to be good priests, of contact and closeness with your bishop.  The characteristic of a diocesan priest is precisely a sense of belonging to his diocese, and this sense of belonging has its cornerstone in a close relationship with the bishop, in dialogue and discernment with him.  A priest who does not have an ongoing relationship with his bishop will slowly become isolated from the diocesan body and his fruitfulness will diminish, precisely because he does not enter into dialogue with the Father of his diocese.

Finally, I want to tell you that I am delighted, not only for your fruitful efforts at your studies, but also for the global dimension of your community: including various regions of Italy, Africa, Latin America, Asia and other European countries.  I hope that you will cultivate the beauty of friendship and the art of stable relationships, in order to create a priestly fraternity that is stronger than your personal diversities.  In this way, you will always be able to welcome and enrich this house!  From now on, whenever I come to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, I will remember this meeting and I will remember you as I pray before the Virgin Mother.  You too, I ask you to pray for me, to do the same for me!  Thank you.