The Holy Father was pleased to learn that negotiations have been finalized between the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP, concluding an intense process that took place over the last several years. He reiterates his support for the goal of attaining the peace and reconciliation of the entire Colombian people, in light of human rights and Christian values, which are at the heart of Latin American culture.
On 12 August last, His Holiness received the invitation to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selects the judges who will comprise the Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz (Special Jurisdiction for Peace). However, bearing in mind the universal vocation of the Church and the mission of the Successor of Peter as Pastor of the People of God, it would be more appropriate that the said task be entrusted to other parties.
Pope Francis commends the peace process in Colombia to the maternal protection of the Most Holy Mother of God, Queen of Peace, and he invokes the gift of the Holy Spirit to enlighten the hearts and minds of those who are called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation.
At the conclusion of the General Audience this morning in Saint Peter's Square, Pope Francis went to the site of the new Rome Fair (Fiera di Roma) where he greeted the participants taking part in the annual Congress organized by the European Society of Cardiologists. There are approximately 35,000 participants present from 140 different countries. The Pope arrived shortly before 12:30pm today.
Following the introductory remarks presented by Pietro Piccinetti, sole Administrator of the Fiera di Roma, greetings were offered by Professor Fausto Pinto, President of the European Society of Cardiologists.
Greetings offered by Professor Fausto Pinto
President of the European Society of Cardiologists
Your Holiness, we are extremely honoured to welcome you to the European Society of Cardiology ... at the conclusion of our scientific Congress. This annual event is the summit of cardiovascular research. During the past five days, more than 32,000 dedicated healthcare professionals have gathered here to share the very latest medical advances in the fight against cardiovascular disease, a most formidable enemy of mankind.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death around the world. It claims the lives of more than 17 million people a year. Many more struggle to live with its debilitating effects. The European Society of Cardiology – like the Vatican – is committed to alleviating suffering and promoting healthy life styles. We share a common purpose of delivering care to those in need; of helping people live longer, healthier, more productive lives.
The European Society of Cardiology began this mission more than sixty-five years ago. We are currently a federation of fifty-six national cardiac societies, representing more than 95 000 health professionals, eager to exchange scientific knowledge and improve patient care. Today the ESC is a global society, bringing together some of the most renowned cardiovascular specialists from more than 120 different countries – men and women who are pushing the boundaries of cardiovascular medicine.
And they do this – not only at Congresses like this – but throughout the year. The European Society of Cardiology publishes twelve scientific journals; delivers continuing medical education courses, creates clinical guidelines to define the latest and best practices, and shares a vast array of international data to compare different treatments and patient outcomes.
We are making progress. But there is so much more that could be done; that must be done. In Europe alone, 1.4 million people under the age of 75 die prematurely each year from heart attacks and strokes because, in many cases, they are not getting the timely and effective healthcare they need. 1.4 million people a year!!!. Many of these deaths could have been prevented!!!! We can do much better to protect our populations.
Governments, public health systems, clinics, hospitals, universities – we must all recognize the urgency of this public health crisis. And a crisis is exactly what it is ... and how it should be seen.
Your Holiness, I do hope your visit here today helps to shine a brighter light on cardiovascular disease and the need for a more concentrated and comprehensive response. Thank you very much for your support in this fight with no boundaries.
Speech of His Holiness, Pope Francis
to members of the
European Society of Cardiologists
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning!
I was pleased to accept the invitation of the Executive Committee of the European Society of Cardiology to meet with you on the occasion of this World Congress which brings together cardiologists from various countries. I am particularly grateful to Professor Fausto Pinto for his kind words and, through him, I thank each of you for the scientific work in these days of study and relating to one another – relating to others is so important – but above all for your dedication to so many who are sick. Relating well to those who are sick is a challenge.
You look after the heart. And how much symbolism is enshrined in this word! How many hopes are contained in this human organ! In your hands you hold the beating core of the human body, and as such your responsibility is very great! I am sure that as you find yourselves before this book of life with its many pages yet to be discovered, you are filled with trepidation and awe.
The Magisterium of the Church has always affirmed the importance of scientific research for human life and health. The Church not only accompanies you along this demanding path, but also promotes your cause and wishes to support you. The Church understands that efforts directed to the authentic good of the person are actions always inspired by God. Nature, in all its complexity, and the human mind, are created by God; their richness must be studied by skilled men and women, in the knowledge that the advancement of the philosophical and empirical sciences, as well as professional care in favour of the weakest and most infirm, is a service that is part of God’s plan. Openness to the grace of God, an openness which comes through faith, does not weaken human reason, but rather leads it to move forwards, to knowledge of a truth which is wider and of greater benefit to humanity.
At the same time, we know that the scientist, in his or her research, is never neutral, in as much as each one has their own history, their way of being and of thinking. Every scientist requires, in a sense, a purification; through this process, the toxins which poison the mind’s pursuit of truth and certainty are removed, and this enables a more incisive understanding of the meaning of things. We cannot deny that our knowledge, even our most precise and scientific knowledge, needs to progress by asking questions and finding answers concerning the origin, meaning and finality of reality; and this includes man. The sciences alone, however, whether natural or physical, are not sufficient to understand the mystery contained within each person. When man is viewed in his totality – allow me to emphasize this point – we are able to have a profound understanding of the poor, those most in need, and the marginalized. In this way, they will benefit from your care and the support and assistance offered by the public and private health sectors. We must make great efforts to ensure that they are not discarded by a culture which promotes a throwaway mentality.
By means of your invaluable work, you contribute to the healing of physical illness and are able to perceive that there are laws engraved within human nature that no one can tamper with, but rather must be discovered, respected and cooperated with so that life may correspond ever more to the designs of the Creator (cf Gaudium et Spes, 36). For this reason, it is important that men and women of science, as they examine themselves in the light of that great mystery of human existence, do not give in to the temptation to suppress the truth (cf Rom 1:18).
With these sentiments, I renew my appreciation for your work – I too have been in some of your hands – and I ask the Lord to bless your research and medical care, so that everyone may receive relief from their suffering, a greater quality of life and an increasing sense of hope. And I ask him to bless your daily efforts so that no one will be discarded from society and from the fullness of human life.
(Original text in Italian)
In today's edition of L'Osservatore Romano, the Holy Father's Motu Proprio establishing a new Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, along with the relevant Statutes was published. These documents were approved by the Holy Father, Pope Francis on August 17 of this year, at the suggestion of the Council of Cardinals.
As of January 1, 2017, this new Dicastery will combine the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants and the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Workers. As of that date, these four Pontifical Councils will cease to exist and their duties will be suppressed, and Articles 142-153 of the Constitution Pastor Bonus will be abrogated.
One section of the new Dicastery expresses in a special way the care of the Pope for refugees and for migrants. In fact, there cannot exist today a service toward integral human development without paying particular attention to the phenomenon of migration. For this reason, this section will be placed ad tempus (for the time being) directly subject to the guidance of the Supreme Pontiff (cf Statutes, Article 1, §4).
The Holy Father has appointed His Eminence, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, currently serving as the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace as the Prefect of this new Dicastery.
Apostolic Letter - Humanam Progressionem
issued Motu Proprioby the Supreme Pontiff
Francis
instituting the
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
In all her being and actions, the Church is called to promote the integral development of the human person in the light of the Gospel. This development takes place by attending to the inestimable goods of justice, peace, and the care of creation. The Successor of the Apostle Peter, in his work of affirming these values, is continuously adapting the institutions which collaborate with him, so that they may better meet the needs of the men and women whom they are called to serve.
So that the Holy See may be solicitous in these areas, as well as in those regarding health and charitable works, I institute the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. This Dicastery will be competent particularly in issues regarding migrants, those in need, the sick, the excluded and marginalized, the imprisoned and the unemployed, as well as victims of armed conflict, natural disasters, and all forms of slavery and torture.
In the new Dicastery, governed by the Statutes that today I approve ad experimentum, the competences of the following Pontifical Councils will be merged, as of 1 January 2017: the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers. On that date these four Dicasteries will cease exercising their functions and will be suppressed, and articles 142-153 of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus will be abrogated.
I decree that what has been set out in this Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio have the force of law, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, even if worthy of special mention, and that it be promulgated by publication in L’Osservatore Romano, therefore published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, entering into force on 1 January 2017.
Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on 17 August 2016, the Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Fourth Year of my Pontificate.
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 speech, the Pope continued the catechesis on mercy and added his meditation on Mercy offers dignity (cf Mt 9:20-22).
After having summarized his catechesis 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!
The gospel that we have heard presents a person who stands out for his faith and his courage. This is a woman who Jesus has healed from her loss of blood (cf Mt 9:20-22). Passing amidst the crowd, she came up behind Jesus in order to touch the hem of his garment. In fact, she was saying to herself: If only I could touch his cloak, I will be saved (Mt 9:21). What faith! What faith this woman had! This was her reasoning because she was motivated by such faith and hope that, merely with a touch, she believed that her heart's desires would come true. The desire to be saved by Jesus was such that it caused her to go beyond the requirements laid out by the law of Moses. For many years, this woman was not only sick but was considered impure because she suffered from haemorrhages (cf Lv 15:19-30). She was therefore excluded from the liturgies, from communal life, from normal relationships with her neighbours. The evangelist Mark adds the fact that she had consulted many doctors, giving everything she had in order to pay them and enduring painful treatments, but her situation had only gotten worse. This was a woman who had been shunned by society. It is important for us to consider her condition - of being shunned - in order to understand her state of mind: she felt that Jesus could free her from her illness and from the condition of marginalization and indignity in which she had lived for years. With a word, she knows, she feels that Jesus can save her.
This encounter helps us to reflect on how women are often perceived and represented. All of us are being put on guard, even Christian communities, by visions of femininity that have been affected by prejudice and suspicion that are injurious to the gift of inviolable dignity. In this sense, the gospels can restore truth and lead us to a liberating point of view. Jesus admired the faith of this woman that everyone else was avoiding and transformed her hope into salvation. We do not know her name, but the few lines with which the gospel describes her encounter with Jesus describe a journey of faith that is capable of restoring the truth and greatness of the dignity of every person. In the encounter with Christ, the path to liberation and salvation is opened for all people, men and women of every place and time.
Matthew's gospel says that when the woman touched Jesus' cloak, He looked at her and saw her (Mt 9:22), and then spoke to her. As we have said, it was because of her state of exclusion that this woman had acted in secret, behind Jesus' back, she was a bit timid, in order not to be seen, because she had been shunned. Instead, Jesus sees her and his gaze is not one of reproof, he does not say: Go way, you are an untouchable!, as if to say: You are a leper, go away! No, he did not reprove her, but Jesus' gaze is one of mercy and tenderness. He knows what has happened and he seeks out a personal encounter with her, which is ultimately what the woman wanted in the first place. This means that Jesus not only welcomed her, but considered her worthy of this encounter to the point of giving her the gift of his word and his attention.
In the central part of the story, the word salvation is repeated three times. If only I can touch his cloak, I will be saved. Jesus turns to her, sees her and says: Take courage, my daughter, your faith has saved you! And at that instant, the woman was saved (Mt 9:21-22). This word: take courage my daughter, expresses all the mercy that God has for that person. And for every person who has been cast aside. How often do we feel interiorly cast aside because of our sins, we have committed so many of them, we have committed so many ... And the Lord says: Take courage! Come! To me, you have not been cast aside. Take courage, my daughter. You are a son, a daughter. And this is the moment of grace, the moment of forgiveness, the moment of inclusion into the life of Jesus, into the life of the Church. This is the moment of mercy. Today, to every one of us, sinners, whether we are great sinners or little ones, we all are sinners, to every one of us, the Lord says: Take courage, come! We are no longer discarded, you are no longer cast aside: I forgive you, I embrace you. This is the mercy of God. We must be courageous and go to Him, ask pardon for our sins and go on. With courage, like the woman did. Then, salvation takes on many different meanings: first, it returned the woman to health; then it freed her from social and religious discrimination; it also brought about the hope that she carried in her heart, cancelling her fears and her despair; finally, it restored her to the community, freeing her from the need to act in secret. And this final thing is important: a person who has been shunned always acts in hidden and secret ways, sometimes or all through life. Consider the lepers of that time, consider the homeless of our time ...; consider the sinner, we who are sinners: we always do things in secret, we feel the need to do things in secret, because we are ashamed of who we are ... And he frees us from all this, Jesus frees us and puts us back on our feet: Get up, come, walk! Just as God created us: God created us to stand up, not to be humiliated. To stand up. What Jesus gives is total salvation, that reintegrates the life of that woman into the sphere of God's love and, at the same time, he re-establishes her in her full dignity.
To sum up, it is not the cloak that the woman touched that gave her salvation, but Jesus' word, received in faith, capable of comforting her, healing her and restoring her relationship with God and with his people. Jesus is the only source of blessing from which salvation flows for all people, and faith is the fundamental disposition for acquiring it. Jesus once again, with his merciful compassion, points out to the Church the path that we must follow in order to go out and to meet every person, for every one can be healed in body and in spirit and can rediscover the dignity of the children of God. Thank you.
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages and he offered greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from Ireland, Malta, the Philippines, Vietnam, the US Virgin Islands and the United States of America. 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!
Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, gave a keynote address for World Water Week yesterday, in which he examined the links between faith and development in the search to make drinkable water accessible to all people. His words were offered at the conference taking place in Stockholm, Sweden on 28 August - 2 September. In his address, Cardinal Turkson noted several contributions religious faith can make to societal development.
Keynote Address prepared by Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson
Session 'Water and Faiths: Faith based Organizations contributing to the Water SDGs'
at the World Water Week meetings (Stockholm, Sweden - 29 August 2016)
Faith and Development
Distinguished representatives of various Religions, Organizers, dear Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to greet you in the name of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Having been asked to speak on Faith and Development, I notice that many religions are represented here. This suggests that indeed there are many links between faith and development. Fruitful inter-religious collaborations and synergies have already started in several sectors, such as healthcare, food security, investment, education, stewardship of natural resources, and assistance to migrants.
From a Catholic perspective, our planet, its resources and ecosystems are a marvellous gift. So too, human life is a gift – we are not self-created, we receive our bodies and our first relationships through the same grand course of divinely-given nature. Hence, we readily understand that nature is intended to be shared between all the humans, one generation after the other, and that the whole human family is expected to take care of our common home. These fundamentals are easily found in other religions and spiritual traditions as well, regardless of their specific unique features.
Why is this shared fundamental understanding so important for development?
First of all, science can only explain concrete reality, its substances and causal relationships. Science can quantify the pollution in deep oceans or around a mining site, foreseeing its negative consequences and proposing remedies. But science cannot provide the motivation for virtuous action. The same holds beyond the realm of the natural sciences: sociologists, economists and lawyers can analyze and explain the negative effects of unemployment, speculation and corruption; they can warn us about rising inequalities, contradictory policies or geopolitical unrest. But in the end they cannot supply the motivation for virtuous action.
Pope Francis, in the Encyclical letter Laudato Si’, asks: What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up? … What is the goal of our work and all our efforts? (LS, 160). Observing numerous alarming environmental and social indicators leads us to the daunting question: why should I care? Science and technology will not help here. Any technical solution is powerless if we lose sight of the great motivations which make it possible for us to live in harmony, to make sacrifices and to treat others well (LS, 200). Pope Francis shares his conviction that change is impossible without motivation and a process of education – and for those purposes he proposes some inspired guidelines for human development to be found in the treasure of Christian spiritual experience (LS, 15), since faith convictions can offer Christians, and some other believers as well, ample motivation to care for nature and for the most vulnerable of their brothers and sisters (LS, 64).
Simply put, motivation to virtue is the valuable contribution that religious faith and spiritual practices can and must bring to development, through their spiritual leaders and the multitudes of believers and adherents. They must constantly feel challenged to live in a way consonant with their faith and not to contradict it by their actions (LS, 200). They must contribute, for example, to the adoption and further extension of ambitious and ethically-rooted frameworks for development action such as those pertaining to the implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals.
A second perspective grounded in faith touches on human dignity. We are much more than items or data to be measured and represented by GDP. We are not simply factors of production and consumption. When human beings are just human resources, they cease to be the measure of success of policies. Instead, humans become disposable. Throw these people away in favour of better producers. Displace those people in favour of more profitable consumption of water.
Our vision of being human must be much more complex. Pope Francis teaches that we must integrate spirituality, social relationality, and our connections with nature. This lies behind his conviction that what is at stake is our own dignity. Leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is, first and foremost, up to us. The issue is one which dramatically affects us, for it has to do with the ultimate meaning of our earthly sojourn (LS, 160).
Since we are gathered during the World Water Week, I would like to conclude by giving a few examples of the contributions that Faith-based-organizations can provide concerning water.
Educate youth to embrace solidarity, altruism and responsibility. The latter of these virtues will help them to be honest administrators and politicians.
In teaching Sacred Scriptures and spiritual traditions, show that water is a precious and even a divine element. It is used extensively in liturgy. This should inspire us to use water with respect and gratitude, reclaim polluted water sources and understand that water is not a mere commodity.
Organize inter-religious campaigns for cleaning rivers or lakes, in order to foster mutual respect, peace and friendship among different groups.
Reaffirm human dignity and the common good of the whole human family in order to promote a wise hierarchy of priorities for the use of water, especially where there are multiple and potentially competing demands for water.
All this will help in making universal and sustainable access to drinkable water a reality. This most vital challenge has been a focus for the Catholic Church for many years. It is a continuing shame that so many of our brothers and sisters are systematically thirsty or compelled to drink unsafe water; that their needs are secondary to industries which take too much and that pollute what remains; that governments pursue other priorities and ignore their parched cries. We already know how Jesus judges these matters. In the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 25:35), Jesus teaches what we are supposed to do: I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink. I pray that this conference will help the world to be more alert to the thirst of Jesus and give him sufficient, clean water to drink! Thank you.
Next Sunday the world celebrates the canonization of Mother Teresa of Caclutta. It is fitting to reflect on the words of The Paradoxical Commandments often attributed to Mother Teresa.
When she first heard The Paradoxical Commandments, written by Doctor Kent M. Keith, she was moved to put them on the wall of one of her homes for children in Calcutta. They are powerful guidelines for finding personal meaning in the face of adversity and transcend all creeds and cultures.
Dr. Keith’s creed very aptly describes Mother Teresa’s way of dealing personally with such a huge number of people throughout her lifetime. She understood well Jesus’ culture of encounter on every page of the gospels. Let us allow them to ring in our ears and in our communities this week as we prepare to celebrate the Church’s newest Saint.
The Paradoxical Commandments
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centred. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives, Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies, Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you, Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight, Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous, Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten, Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough, Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
Today the Holy Father received Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, who was accompanied by his wife, Priscilla Chan. Together they spoke about how to use communications technology to alleviate poverty, encourage a culture of encounter, and to communicate a message of hope, especially to the most disadvantaged.
(Source: Greg Burke, Director of the Holy See Press Centre)
One week before the Canonization of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, here is the reflection that I shared this weekend with those who came to pray with us.
Covered with the
poverty of the cross
Next Sunday there will be a wonderful celebration in Rome
and throughout the world.At 10:00am
local time, the Holy Father will begin the celebration of the Mass of
Canonization for the holy woman who is now known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.When the entrance procession for that liturgy
has been completed, Cardinal Angelo Amato, the Prefect of the Congregation for
the Causes of Saints will read a brief description of Mother Teresa’s life and
then he will ask Pope Francis to proclaim her a saint.Saints are those who have gone before us and
who the Church formally recognizes as having lived holy and exemplary
lives.We believe that they are now in
heaven where they continue to intercede on our behalf.
What is it about the life of this woman that brought her
such renown?Anjezë Bojaxhiu was raised in a family that was Catholic and that had Kosovar Albanian
roots.As a young child, she was always
fascinated by stories of missionaries who had spent time in Bengal (a region of
India).She was only 12 years old when
she became convinced that she should commit herself to a religious life, but
she was 18 years old when she accepted the Lord’s invitation and left home to
join the Sisters of Loretto, a teaching Order.She spent time in Ireland where she learned English and then was sent to
Darjeeling in 1929, where she learned Bengali and began to teach in a school
nearby the convent.In fact, she taught
school with the Loretto Sisters for twenty years both in Darjeeling and in
Calcutta.
Sister Teresa enjoyed this work but she was increasingly
disturbed by the poverty that she witnessed in Calcutta.In a sense you might say that although she
had already found her place at the banquet, there was a secondary call – an
invitation to move up higher (Lk
7:10).On September 10, 1946, she
experienced what she later described as the call
within the call: an order - not a request, but an order - to leave the convent and to help the poor while
living among them.In that moment, she
understood the words that we heard proclaimed in today’s second reading: you have come to … the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem … to innumerable angels in festal gathering … and
to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant (Heb 12:22, 24).
Two years after she heard this call within a call, Sister Teresa replaced her traditional Loretto
habit with a simple white cotton sari decorated
with a blue border and began to work among the poor in the streets of Calcutta.Responding to this new call was not easy: she
had no income, she had to resort to begging for food and supplies, she
experienced doubt, loneliness and the temptation to return to the comforts of
convent life, but through all this, she also heard the wisdom of Sirach the
Sage: My child, perform your tasks with
humility … the greater you are, the more you must humble yourself (Sir
3:17-18).
On October 7, 1950, Sister Teresa received official
Vatican permission to start a diocesan Congregation which would eventually
become the Missionaries of Charity. To
this day, these missionaries care for the
hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those
people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that
have become a burden to society and who are shunned by everyone (Teresa of
Calcutta).
In this final week, as we prepare for the Canonization of
this woman of deep faith, let us join our voices in prayer to give thanks and
praise to God for her example, for her teachings and for her willingness to be
a joyful witness of Christ’s closeness to those who have been forgotten, lost
and even orphaned. Let us ask her to
intercede on our behalf so that we too might have the courage to see Christ in
everyone we meet, and strive every day to invite
the poor, the lame, the crippled and the blind (Lk 14:13) to sit at our
tables. Jesus promises us that we will be repaid at the resurrection of the
righteous (Lk 14:14).
At noon today (in Rome), the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims who were gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the usual Sunday appointment.
Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today's gospel account shows Jesus in the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, keenly observing how the lunch guests rush to choose the prime positions at the table. This is a scene that we have witnessed many times: seeking the best places, even employing elbows if necessary. Seeing this, he tells two short parables with which he offers two instructions: one concerning the place of honour and the other concerning the reward.
The first similarity is set in a wedding banquet. Jesus says: When you are invited to someone's wedding, do not sit in the places of honour, in case there should be another guest who is more deserving of that place than you, and the one who has invited you and he should come to you and say: 'Give him this place'. Instead, when you are invited, choose the lowest place (Lk 14:8-9). With this recommendation, Jesus does not intend to point out rules for social behaviour, but rather a lesson concerning the value of humility. The story teaches us that pride, arrogance, vanity and ostentatious behaviour are the cause of many problems. Jesus helps us to understand the need to choose the lowest places, to seek out the smallest places, even if they are hidden: humility. When we place ourselves before God in this way, with humility, God exalts us, he bows down toward us and lifts us up to himself; for those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted (Lk 4:11).
Jesus' words point out completely different and opposing attitudes: the attitude of those who choose their own places and the attitude of those who allow their places to be assigned by God, who wait for him to reward them. Let us not forget this: God pays much better than we do! He gives us a place that is much more beautiful than the place that other people would give us! The place that God gives us is close to his heart and his reward is eternal life. You will indeed be blessed - Jesus says - for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (Lk 4:14).
This is what is described in the second parable, in which Jesus points out the attitude of disinterest that should characterize hospitality. He says: When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind; and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you (Lk 4:13-14). It's a matter of choosing freely rather than calculating in an opportune way that seeks to obtain some kind of reward, that seeks a payment or an opportunity to gain wealth. In fact, the poor, the simple, those who do not count can never invite anyone else to the table. In this way, Jesus shows us his preference for the poor and those who are excluded, the ones who are privileged in the kingdom of God. This is the most important gospel message: to serve others for love of God. Today, Jesus gives a voice to those who have no voice and sends each one of us an urgent appeal to open our hearts and to take upon ourselves the sufferings and the anxieties of the poor, the hungry, the marginalized, refugees, those who have been defeated by life, those who have been cast aside by society and by the arrogance of those who have power. Those who are discarded in this way in fact represent the majority of peoples.
At this moment, I am thinking with gratitude about all the tables where many people willingly offer their service, giving food to people who are alone, those who are in need, out of work or without a fixed address. These and other works of mercy - such as visiting the sick and those who are imprisoned ... are workshops of charity that spread the culture of gratitude, for those who do this work are motivated by the love of God and illuminated by the wisdom of the gospel. Therefore, service rendered toward others becomes a witness of love that makes the love of Christ visible and believable.
Let us ask the Virgin Mary to lead us every day along the path of humility - she who was humble for her entire life - and to help us to be capable of freely-offered gestures of welcome and of solidarity toward the marginalized so that we be worthy of the reward of heaven.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I want to renew my spiritual closeness to the residents of the regions of Lazio, Marche and Umbria who have been suffering because of the earthquake that struck this week. I am thinking especially about the people of Amatrice, Accumoli, Arquata and Pescara del Tronto, Norcia. Once again, I say to those beloved people that the Church shares in your suffering and your concern. Let us pray for all those who have died and for the survivors. The promptness with which Authorities, police forces, civil protection agencies and volunteers have been working demonstrates the importance of solidarity in order to overcome such painful trials. Dear brothers and sisters, as soon as it is possible, I hope to come and visit with you, to bring you in person the comfort of faith, the embrace of a father and a brother and the support of Christian hope. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters, all together now ...
Hail Mary ...
Yesterday in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, Sister Maria Antonia de San José was proclaimed Blessed; the people call her Mama Antula. May her example of Christian witness, especially her apostolate of promoting the Spiritual Exercises, arouse more and more the desire to grow closer to Christ and to the gospel.
Next Thursday, September 1, we will celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, together with our Orthodox brothers and with members of other Churches: this will be an occasion to strengthen our common commitment to protecting life, and respecting nature and the environment.
Now, I greet all the pilgrims who have come from various parts of Italy and from other countries, in particular, the altar boys from Kleinraming (Austria); los Marinos de la Nave Escuela 'Fragata Libertad' (sailors from the Fragata Libertad Navy School) - I said it in Spanish because it's a small world! - the faithful from Gonzaga, Spirano, Brembo, Cordenons and Daverio; and the young people from Venaria, Val Liona, Angarano, Moncalieri and Tombelle.
I wish you all a good Sunday, and please don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Today in Bogotá, Colombia, the Jubilee Celebration for the American Continent begins. It is sponsored by the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (CAL), in collaboration with the Bishops' Conferences of the United States and Canada. Participating in this event are bishops, priests, religious and laity from 22 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, together with delegates from Canada, the United States and representatives of the Holy See.
Pope Francis has recorded a video message for the occasion which was broadcast at the opening of the conference at 9:00am today (local time in Bogotá) - 4:00pm Rome time.
Transcription of Pope Francis' video message
for the opening of the Jubilee Celebration
of the American Continent
I welcome the initiative of CELAM and CAL, in association with the bishops of the United States and Canada – this makes me think of the Synod of the Americas – to make possible this continent-wide opportunity to celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy. I am pleased to know that all the countries of the Americas have been able to take part. Given the many attempts to fragment, divide and set our peoples at odds, such events help us to broaden our horizons and to continue our handshake; a great sign that encourages us in hope.
I would like to begin with the words of the apostle Paul to his beloved disciple: I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience (1 Tim 1:12-16a).
This is what Paul tells Timothy in his First Letter, in chapter 1, verses 12 to 16. In speaking to him, he wants to speak to each of us. His words are an invitation, I would even say, a provocation. Words meant to motivate Timothy and all those who would hear them throughout history. They are words that cannot leave us indifferent; rather, they profoundly affect our lives. Paul minces no words: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom Paul considers himself the worst. He is clearly aware of who he is, he does not conceal his past or even his present. But he describes himself in this way neither to excuse or to justify himself, much less to boast of his condition. We are at the very beginning of the letter, and he has already warned Timothy about myths and endless genealogies and meaningless talk, and he has warned him that all these end up in disputes, arguments. At first, we might think that he is dwelling on his own sinfulness, but he does this so that Timothy, and each of us with him, can identify with him. To use football (soccer) terms we could say: he kicks the ball to the centre so that another can head the ball. He passes us the ball to enable us to share his own experience: despite all my sins, I received mercy.
We have the opportunity to be here because, with Paul, we can say: We received mercy. For all our sins, our limitations, our failings, for all the many times we have fallen, Jesus has looked upon us and drawn near to us. He has given us his hand and showed us mercy. To whom? To me, to you, to everyone. All of us can think back and remember the many times the Lord looked upon us, drew near and showed us mercy. All those times that the Lord kept trusting, kept betting on us (cf Ez 16). For my part, I think of the sixteenth chapter of Ezekiel, and the Lord’s constant betting on each one of us. That is what Paul calls sound teaching – think about it! – sound teaching is this: that we received mercy. That is the heart of Paul’s letter to Timothy. During this time of the Jubilee, how good it is for us to reflect on this truth, to think back on how throughout our lives the Lord has always been near us and showed us mercy. To concentrate on remembering our sin and not our alleged merits, to grow in a humble and guilt-free awareness of all those times we turned away from God – we, not someone else, not the person next to us, much less all of our people – and to be once more amazed by God’s mercy. That is a sure message, sound teaching, and never empty talk.
There is one particular thing about Paul’s letter that I would like to share with you. Paul does not say: The Lord spoke and told me or The Lord showed me or taught me. He says: He treated me with mercy. For Paul, his relationship with Jesus was sealed by the way he treated him. Far from being an idea, a desire, a theory – much less an ideology –, mercy is a concrete way of touching weakness, of bonding with others, of drawing closer to others. It is a concrete way of meeting people where they are at. It is a way of acting that makes us give the best of ourselves so that others can feel treated in such a way that they feel that in their lives the last word has not yet been spoken. Treated in such a way that those who feel crushed by the burden of their sins can feel relieved at being given another chance. Far from a mere beautiful word, mercy is the concrete act by which God seeks to relate to his children. Paul uses the passive voice – pardon me for being a bit pedantic here – and the past tense. To put it loosely, he could well have said: I was ‘shown mercy’. The passive makes Paul the receiver of the action of another; he does nothing more than allow himself to be shown mercy. The past tense of the original reminds us that in him the experience took place at a precise moment in time, one that he remembers, gives thanks for, and celebrates. Paul’s God starts a movement from heart to hands, the movement of one who is unafraid to draw near, to touch, to caress, without being scandalized, without condemning, without dismissing anyone. A way of acting that becomes incarnate in people’s lives.
To understand and accept what God does for us – a God who does not think, love or act out of fear, but because he trusts us and expects us to change – must perhaps be our hermeneutical criterion, our mode of operation: Go and do likewise (Lk 10:37). Our way of treating others, in consequence, must never be based on fear but on the hope God has in our ability to change. Which will it be: hope for change, or fear? The only thing acting out of fear accomplishes is to separate, to divide, to attempt to distinguish with surgical precision one side from the other, to create false security and thus to build walls. Acting on the basis of hope for change, for conversion, encourages and incites, it looks to the future, it makes room for opportunity, and it keeps us moving forward. Acting on the basis of fear bespeaks guilt, punishment, you were wrong. Acting on the basis of hope of transformation bespeaks trusting, learning, getting up, constantly trying to generate new opportunities. How many times? Seventy times seven. For that reason, treating people with mercy always awakens creativity. It is concerned with the face of the person, with his or her life, history and daily existence. It is not married to one model or recipe, but enjoys a healthy freedom of spirit, and can thus seek what is the best for the other person, in a way they can understand. This engages all our abilities and gifts; it makes us step out from behind our walls. It is never empty talk – as Paul tells us – that entangles us in endless disputes. Acting on the basis of hope for change is a restless way of thinking that sets our heart pounding and readies our hands for action. The journey from heart to hands.
Seeing how God acts in this way, we might be scandalized, like the older son in the parable of the Merciful Father, by how the father treats his younger son upon seeing him return. We might be scandalized that he embraced him, treated him with love, called for him to be dressed in the best robes even though he was so filthy. We might be scandalized that upon seeing him return, he kissed him and threw a party. We might be scandalized that he did not scold him but instead treated him for what he was: a son.
We start being scandalized – and this happens to us all, it’s almost automatic, no? – we start being scandalized when spiritual Alzheimer’s sets in: when we forget how the Lord has treated us, when we begin to judge and divide people up. We take on a separatist mindset that, without our realizing it, leads us to fragment our social and communal reality all the more. We fragment the present by creating groups. Groups of good and bad, saints and sinners. This memory loss gradually makes us forget the richest reality we possess and the clearest teaching we have to defend. The richest reality and the clearest teaching. Though we are all sinners, the Lord has unfailingly treated us with mercy. Paul never forgot that he was on the other side, that he was chosen last, as one born out of time. Mercy is not a theory to be brandished: Ah! Now it is fashionable to talk about mercy for this Jubilee, so let’s follow the fashion. No, it is not a theory to be brandished so that our condescension can be applauded, but rather a history of sin to be remembered. Which sin? Ours, mine and yours. And a love to be praised. Which love? The love of God, who has shown me mercy.
We are part of a fragmented culture, a throwaway culture. A culture tainted by the exclusion of everything that might threaten the interests of a few. A culture that is leaving by the roadside the faces of the elderly, children, ethnic minorities seen as a threat. A culture that little by little promotes the comfort of a few and increases the suffering of many others. A culture that is incapable of accompanying the young in their dreams but sedates them with promises of ethereal happiness and hides the living memory of their elders. A culture that has squandered the wisdom of the indigenous peoples and has shown itself incapable of caring for the richness of their lands.
All of us are aware, all of us know that we live in a society that is hurting; no one doubts this. We live in a society that is bleeding, and the price of its wounds normally ends up being paid by the most vulnerable. But it is precisely to this society, to this culture, that the Lord sends us.
He sends us and urges us to bring the balm of his presence. He sends us with one programme alone: to treat one another with mercy. To become neighbours to those thousands of defenceless people who walk in our beloved American land by proposing a different way of treating them. A renewed way, trying to let our form of bonding be inspired by God’s dream, by what he has done. A way of treating others based on remembering that all of us came from afar, like Abraham, and all of us were brought out of places of slavery, like the people of Israel.
All of us still vividly recall our experience in Aparecida and its invitation once more to become missionary disciples. We spoke at length about discipleship, and wondered how best to promote the catechesis of discipleship and mission. Paul gives us an interesting key to this: showing mercy. He reminds us that what made him an apostle was how he was treated, how God drew near to his life: I received mercy. What made him a disciple was the trust God showed in him despite his many sins. And that reminds us that we may have the best plans, projects and theories about what to do, but if we lack that show of mercy, our pastoral work will be cut off midway.
All this has to do with our catechesis, our seminaries – do we teach our seminarians this path of showing mercy? – our parish structures and pastoral plans. All this has to do with our missionary activity, our pastoral plans, our clergy meetings and even our way of doing theology. It is about learning to show mercy, a form of bonding that we daily have to ask for – because it is a grace – and we need to learn it. Showing mercy among ourselves as bishops, priests and laity. In theory we are missionaries of mercy, yet often we are better at mistreating than at treating others well. How many times have we failed in our seminaries to inspire, accompany and encourage a pedagogy of mercy, and to teach that the heart of pastoral work is showing mercy. Being pastors who treat and not mistreat. Please, I ask you: be pastors who know how to treat and not to mistreat.
Today we are asked especially to show mercy to God’s holy and faithful people – they know a lot about being merciful because they have a good memory –, to the people who come to our communities with their sufferings, sorrows and hurts. But also to the people who do not come to our communities, yet are wounded by the paths of history and hope to receive mercy. Mercy is learned from experience – in our own lives first – as in the case of Paul, to whom God revealed all his mercy, all his merciful patience. It is learned from sensing that God continues to trust in us and to call us to be his missionaries, that he constantly sends us forth to treat our brothers and sisters in the same way that he has treated us. Each of us knows his or her own story and can draw from it. Mercy is learned, because our Father continues to forgive us. Our peoples already have enough suffering in their lives; they do not need us to add to it. To learn to show mercy is to learn from the Master how to become neighbours, unafraid of the outcast and those who are tainted and marked by sin. To learn to hold out our hand to those who have fallen, without being afraid of what people will say. Any treatment lacking mercy, however just it may seem, ends up turning into mistreatment. The challenge will be to empower paths of hope, paths that encourage good treatment and make mercy shine forth.
Dear brothers and sisters, this gathering is not a congress or a meeting, a seminary or a conference. This gathering is above all a celebration: we have been asked to celebrate the way God has treated each of us and all his people. For this reason, I believe that it is good time for us to say together: Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord; take me once more into your redeeming embrace (Evangelii Gaudium, 3).
Let us be grateful, as Paul told Timothy, that God trusts us to repeat with his people the immense acts of mercy he has shown us, and that this encounter will help us to go forth with renewed conviction as we seek to pass on the sweet and comforting joy of the Gospel of mercy.
(Original text in Spanish)
On Sunday, August 28, 2016 a new edition of Witness will premiere on Salt+Light Television: an interview with the priest who has been overseeing the coordination of the documents for the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, MC, is the postulator of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He is also Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity Fathers. Born in Winnipeg, Canada, Brian Kolodiejchuk obtained a B.A. in Philosophy from St. Michael’s College of the University of Toronto, Canada, in 1977, and his M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Manitoba, Canada, in 1981. He received a M.Div. in Theology from Saint Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie, New York, USA, in 1985 and went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Saybrook Institute, San Francisco, USA, in 2001.
Fahter Kolodiejchuk’s 20-year association with Mother Teresa began in 1977 when he joined a new group of contemplative brothers she was then starting. He later joined the priestly branch of Mother Teresa’s religious family, the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, at the time of their foundation in 1984. He was ordained to the priesthood in June 1985 in the Ukrainian Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist in Newark, New Jersey, USA, by the late Metropolitan-Archbishop of Winnipeg, Maxim Hermaniuk, C.Ss.R. In March 1999 he was appointed Postulator of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta and had the joy of seeing her beatified on October 19, 2003. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta will be canonized on September 4, 2016.
Non-Violence: A Style of Politics for Peace. This is the title of the Message for the 50th World Day of Peace, the fourth of Pope Francis which will be observed on January 1, 2017.
Violence and Peace are at the origin of two opposite ways to building society.
The proliferation of hotbeds of violence produces most serious negative social consequences. The Holy Father sums up this situation in the expression: A Third World War in Pieces. Peace, by contrast, promotes social positive consequences and it allows the achievement of real progress. Therefore, we should act within what is possible, and negotiate ways of peace even where they seem tortuous and impractical. Thus, non-violence can acquire a more comprehensive and new meaning. It will not only consist of desire, of moral rejection of violence, barriers, destructive impulses, but also of a realistic political method that gives rise to hope.
Such a political method is based on the primacy of law. If the rights and the equal dignity of every person are safeguarded without any discrimination and distinction, then non-violence, understood as a political method, can constitute a realistic way to overcome armed conflicts. In this perspective, it becomes important to increasingly recognize not the right of force but the force of right.
With this Message, Pope Francis wants to show a further step, a path of hope, appropriate to today’s historical circumstances. In this way, the settlement of disputes may be reached through negotiation without then degenerating into armed conflict. Within such a perspective the culture and identity of Peoples are respected and the opinion that some are morally superior to others is overcome. At the same time, however, it does not mean that one Nation can remain indifferent to the tragedies of another. Rather it means a recognition of the primacy of diplomacy over the noise of arms. Arms trade is so widespread that it is generally underestimated. Illegal arms trafficking supports not a few world’s conflicts. Non-violence as a political style can and must do much to stem this scourge.
The World Day of Peace, initiated by Paul VI, is celebrated each year on the first day of January. The Holy Father's Message is sent to all Foreign Ministries of the world and it indicates the diplomatic concerns of the Holy See during the coming year.
A month after that memorable experience of World Youth Day Krakow, Salt and Light Television is pleased to bring you a special hour-long WYD Wrap-Up show that premiered last night on our TV network. There were so many great story lines: the World Youth Day returning to its birthplace, the city of Saint John Paul II. The theme of mercy in the context of the great Jubilee Year in the backyard of Sr. Faustina. And of course, we had Pope Francis at his best with a pointed message for the youth of the world to build unity and fraternity. There were also some poignant moments for the church and young people to reflect on, including the brutal murder of Fr. Jaques Hamel in France only days before Pope Francis landed in Krakow.
S+L breaks it all down for you on World Youth Day Wrap-Up: Krakow 2016, a special recap with analysis from a few of our very own producers who covered the event for Salt and Light from Toronto and on the ground in Poland.
During his Apostolic Trip in Poland on the occasion of the 31st World Youth Day, on July 30, 2016 —after first vespers of Saint Ignatius of Loyola—at 5:00pm local time, Pope Francis met with a group of 28 Polish Jesuits belonging to two Provinces of the Society of Jesus in that country and two lay collaborators, accompanied by the two Father Provincials: Father Tomasz Ortman and Father Jakub Kolacz. Three other Jesuits also attended the meeting: Father Andrzej Majewski, Vatican Radio's Director of Programming, Father Federico Lombardi, who was at that time Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, and Father Antonio Spadaro, Editor in Chief of La Civiltà Cattolica.
The encounter occurred at the Archbishop's residence in Krakow in a climate of great simplicity, spontaneity and cordiality, and though it was not devoid of meaningful content relevant to the Order, it also held meaning for the Church in general. Pope Francis greeted everyone present, one by one, and he focused in particular on those he had known in the past. When he was seated and began the dialogue, he listened to the questions posed and answered in Italian. Father Kolacz translated his words into Polish, even though the majority of those present understood Italian well. Then the Pontiff received some gifts.
Before concluding the encounter, which lasted a total of 40 minutes, the Pope wanted to add a recommendation that is easily understandable in connection with his recent Magisterium. With the Holy Father’s approval, we report here the dialogue, in its immediacy, just as it happened, even preserving some personal memories. It is intended as a witnessing that—as you will read—even gathers some impressions of the Pontiff’s experience with the young people of WYD and also provides meaningful pastoral lines.
Antonio Spadaro S.J.
Question and answer period
between His Holiness, Pope Francis and Polish Jesuits
hosted at the residence of the Archbishop of Kraków
Question
Your message gets to the heart of the young people. How do you speak to them so effectively? Could you give us some advice for working with youth?
Pope Francis
When I speak, I must look people in the eyes. It isn’t possible to look in the eyes of all of them, but I look into the eyes of this one, of this one, of this one … and everyone feels I look at them. It is something that comes to me spontaneously. This is how I do it with the young people. But, then the young people, when you speak with them, ask questions …. Today at lunch they asked some questions … They even asked me how I go to confession! They have no discretion. They ask direct questions. And you always need to answer a young person with the truth. A young man asked me: How do you confess?. And I began to talk about myself. He said to me: In my country there were scandals tied to priests and we do not have to courage to go to confession with these priests who have lived these scandals. I cannot do it. You see: they tell you the truth, at times they reprimand you …Young people speak directly. They want the truth or at least a clear: I don’t know how to answer you. You never find subterfuges with young people. So with prayer. They asked me: How do you pray?. If you answer with a theory they remain disappointed. Young people are generous. But the work with them also requires patience, a lot of patience. One of them asked me today: What should I say to a friend who does not believe in God so that they can become a believer? Here, you see that at times young people need recipes. Then you must be ready to correct this attitude that requires recipes and ready answers. I answered: See that the last thing that you must do is to say something. Begin to do something. Then he or she will ask you explanations on how you live and why. Here, you must be direct, direct with the truth.
Question
What is the role of the Jesuit universities?
Pope Francis
A university as a straight line from which the Jesuits must point to a global formation, not only intellectual, a formation of the whole human person. In fact if the university becomes simply an academy of ideas or a factory of professionals or a mentality centred on business prevails in its structure then it is truly off the path. We have the Exercises in hand. Here’s the challenge: take the university on the path of the Exercises. This means risking being truthful, and not with the closed truth that no one discusses. The truth of the encounter with people is open and requires that we let ourselves make enquiries truly from reality. And the Jesuit university must be involved with the real life of the Church and the Nation: also this is reality, in fact. A particular attention must always be given to the marginalized, to the defence of those have more need of being protected. And this—it is clear—is not being a Communist: it is simply being truly involved with reality. In this case, in particular a Jesuit university must be fully involved with reality expressing the social thought of the Church. The free-market thought that removes man and woman from the centre and puts money at the centre is not ours. The doctrine of the Church is clear and it must move forward in this sense.
Question
Why did you become a Jesuit? Pope Francis
When I entered the seminary, I already had a religious vocation. But at that time my confessor was anti-Jesuit. I also liked the Dominicans and their intellectual life. Then I got sick and had to undergo lung surgery. Later another priest helped me spiritually. I remember when I then told the first priest that I had entered the Jesuits, he truly did not take it well. But here the irony of the Lord moved. In fact, at that time they were receiving minor orders. The tonsure is done in the first year of theology. The rector told me to go to Buenos Aires to the auxiliary bishop, His Excellency, Oscar Villena, to look for him to do the tonsure ceremony. I went to the Clergy House, but they told me that Bishop Villena was sick. There was in his place another bishop who was precisely that first priest who had then became a Bishop! And I received the tonsure precisely from him! And we have made peace after many years … But, yes, I can say, my choice of the Society matured by itself …
Question
There are some recently ordained priests in this group. Do you have advice for their future?
Pope Francis
You know: the future is from God. The most that we can do is what seems feasible. And everything that seems feasible is often from the bad spirit! An advice: the priesthood is truly a great grace: your priesthood as a Jesuit is soaked in the spirituality that you have lived up to now: the spirituality of the Suscipe of St Ignatius.
At this time the encounter seems to be ending with the delivery to the Pontiff of gifts from some Jesuits who followed some young people connected to Ignatian spirituality who came from all over the world to WYD. Francis then wants to add a recommendation and everyone sits down again.
I want to add something now. I ask you to work with seminarians. Above all, give them what you have received from the Exercises: the wisdom of discernment. The Church today needs to grow in the ability of spiritual discernment. Some priestly formation programs run the risk of educating in the light of overly clear and distinct ideas, and therefore to act within limits and criteria that are rigidly defined a priori, and that set aside concrete situations: you must do this, you must not do this. And then the seminarians, when they become priests, find themselves in difficulty in accompanying the life of so many young people and adults. Because many are asking: can you do this or can you not? That’s all. And many people leave the confessional disappointed. Not because the priest is bad, but because the priest doesn’t have the ability to discern situations, to accompany them in authentic discernment. They don’t have the needed formation. Today the Church needs to grow in discernment, in the ability to discern. And priests above all really need it for their ministry. This is why we need to teach it to seminarians and priests in formation: they are the ones usually entrusted with the confidences of the conscience of the faithful. Spiritual direction is not solely a priestly charism, but also lay, it is true. But, I repeat, you must teach this above all to priests, helping them in the light of the Exercises in the dynamic of pastoral discernment, which respects the law but knows how to go beyond. This is an important task for the Society.
A thought of Fr. Hugo Rahner has often struck me. He thought clearly and wrote clearly! Hugo said that the Jesuit must be a man with the nose for the supernatural, that is he must be a man gifted with a sense of the divine and of the diabolical relative to the events of human life and history. The Jesuit must therefore be capable of discerning both in the field of God and in the field of the devil. This is why in the Exercises Saint Ignatius asks to be introduced both to the intentions of the Lord of life and to those of the enemy of human nature and to his lies. What he has written is bold, it is truly bold, but discernment is precisely this! We need to form future priests not to general and abstract ideas, which are clear and distinct, but to this keen discernment of spirits so that they can help people in their concrete life. We need to truly understand this: in life not all is black on white or white on black. No! The shades of grey prevail in life. We must teach them to discern in this grey area.
The encounter ends here above all by the necessity to continue on the day’s program brought to the attention of the Holy Father by his collaborators. Before taking his leave, however, Francis wanted once more to greet the Jesuits one by one concluding with a final blessing.
As the death toll from an earthquake in central Italy continues to rise, Bishop Giovanni D'Ercole of Ascoli Piceno traveled the short 40 km to Pescara del Tronto to be with the hundreds of people affected by the quake. Bishop D'Ercole spoke to Vatican Radio early Wednesday morning, saying the scene was distressing.
When I arrived at the break of day, I saw a destroyed village, screams, death... We are truly in a desperate situation and unfortunately this is not the only area affected, because others are also in this situation.
He said there were still many areas unreached by rescue personnel.
There are several people who are not responding (to telephone calls), and I went to bless the bodies of two children buried under the rubble.
A certain part of the diocese is suffering. I think, however ..., that the area worst hit is the part near Rieti, that is, between Amatrice, Accumoli, Pescara del Tronto, Arquata, and near Force.
Pope Francis cancelled the catechism portion of his Wednesday General Audience and led pilgrims in praying the rosary for the victims of the earthquake.
This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am local time in Saint Peter's Square, where the Holy Father, Pope Francis was met by groups of pilgrims and the faithful from various parts of Italy and from every corner of the world.
Following the serious earthquake that struck throughout the night (last night) in Central Italy, the Pope decided to not follow the usual form for the General Audience. Instead he recited the sorrowful mysteries of the Holy Rosary with those who were in attendance, and at the conclusion of the rosary, he greeted the crowds and called for peace in Ukraine.
Prior to the recitation of the Holy Rosary, the Holy Father spoke the following words, which were then repeated in various languages so that non-Italian speaking pilgrims and visitors who were present for the General Audience would understand the change in the format.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the rosary
I had prepared the Catechesis for today, as for all Wednesdays during this Year of Mercy, focusing on the closeness of Jesus. However, on hearing the news of the earthquake that struck central Italy, which has devastated entire areas and left many wounded, I cannot fail to express my heartfelt sorrow and spiritual closeness to all those present in the zones affected. I also express my condolences to those who have lost loved ones and my spiritual support to those who are anxious and afraid. Hearing the Mayor of Amatrice say that the town no longer exists, and learning that there are children among the dead, I am deeply saddened.
For this reason I want to assure all the people of Accumoli, Amatrice, and beyond, in the Dioceses of Rieti, Ascoli Piceno, and all the people of Lazio, Umbria and le Marche, of the prayer and close solidarity of the entire Church who in these moments extends her maternal love. We too present in this square offer you our embrace.
In thanking all the volunteer and rescue personnel who are assisting these people, I ask you to join me in praying to the Lord Jesus, who is always moved by compassion before the reality of human suffering, that he may console the broken hearted and, by the intercession of the Virgin Mary, bring them peace.
With Jesus let our hearts be moved with compassion.
And so we will postpone this week’s Catechesis to next Wednesday. I invite you to pray with me a part of the Holy Rosary, the Sorrowful Mysteries:
Following the recitation of the sorrowful mysteries, the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from Ireland, Iraq, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the United States of America. My special greeting goes to the members of the International Paralympic Committee and the athletes preparing for the forthcoming Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. I also greet the participants in the General Assembly promoted by the World Conference of Secular Institutes. 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.
At the conclusion of the General Audience, the Holy Father called for prayers for the people of Ukraine:
During these past few weeks, international observers have expressed concern for the worsening situation in Eastern Ukraine. Today, while this beloved nation is celebrating her national feast, which coincides this year with the 25th anniversary of its independence, I offer my prayer for peace and renew my call to all parties involved and to the international bodies to strengthen their initiatives to resolve the conflict, to secure the release of hostages and to respond to this humanitarian emergency.
Pope Francis has sent thank you notes to the Church in Poland. He sent a note to Archbishop Stanislaw Gądecki, President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, and to Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow. Below are the letters, provided by the Bishops’ Conference of Poland:
Pope Francis with Archbishop Gądecki in the Wawel Cathedral, July 2016
Letter of Gratitude sent by His Holiness, Pope Francis
to the President of the Polish Bishops' Conference
Venerable Brother
Archbishop Stanislaw Gądecki
Archbishop of Poznan
President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference
Having returned from the Apostolic Journey to Poland, I want to renew the expression of my lively gratitude to you, Bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful, for your warm welcome and for the zeal with which my visit was prepared. I am deeply moved by your strong faith and the unwavering hope that you have kept in spite of difficulties and tragedies, and by your fervent love, which animates your human and Christian pilgrimage.
The memory of the moving Eucharistic celebration at the Shrine of Czestochowa for the 1050th anniversary of Poland’s Baptism and the moment of prayer in the concentration camp at Auschwitz are especially dear to me. I find great joy in remembering the encounter with the young people who came from different nations.
I assure you of my prayers so that the Church in Poland may continue advancing on its path with perseverance and courage, showing the Lord’s merciful love to all. Please, also pray for me. I heartily bless you all.
With fraternal greetings
Vatican City, 3 August 2016.
Francis
Pope Francis with Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz at World Youth Day, July 2016
Letter of gratitude sent by His Holiness, Pope Francis
to the Archbishop of Kraków
His Eminence
Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz
Archbishop of Krakow
Having returned from my Pastoral Visit to Krakow, during which I had the occasion to express my grateful remembrance of my Venerable Predecessor Saint John Paul II, to live moments of deep communion with your Diocesan Community, and to experience the enthusiasm of faith of the immense crowd of young people from different continents, I wish to express to you, to the priests, the consecrated persons and the entire Diocesan Community my sincere gratitude for the warm welcome in your home, and for the great kindness you showed to me and my collaborators. The memory of the moving liturgical celebrations, characterized by profound participation and animated by lively Faith, are still very present in my heart.
I thank you, the staff of the archdiocesan office, all your collaborators, and those who have worked to ensure the smooth running of these unforgettable days of faith and prayer. I am grateful also for the deep affection for the Successor of Peter, expressed by various ecclesiastical and civil circles, as well as by individual believers: all of this is a sign of love for the Church, in the wake of the perpetual and reverential affection for Pope John Paul II.
While encouraging the Archdiocese of Kraków to perseveringly advance on its path, constantly bearing witness to God’s mercy, I pray, through the intercession of Mary, to the Lord for an abundance of gifts and graces for you and all who are entrusted to your pastoral care, especially for the young, that they may grow in an increasingly solid commitment to the Gospel. With these sentiments, I also ask you to pray for me, and I again give to all my Apostolic Blessing.
