The year 2016 was a very busy one for Pope Francis and for the Church.
During the celebration of a Lenten Penitential Liturgy that took place in the Vatican Basilica on the eve of the Fourth Sunday of Lent 2015, Pope Francis called for the Church to observe a Jubilee Year of Mercy:
Dear brothers and sisters, I have often thought of how the Church may render more clear her mission to be a witness to mercy; and we have to make this journey. It is a journey which begins with spiritual conversion. Therefore, I have decided to announce an Extraordinary Jubilee which has at its centre the mercy of God. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy. We want to live in the light of the word of the Lord: 'Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful' (cf. Lk 6:36). And this especially applies to confessors! So much mercy!
A few weeks later, on the Second Sunday of Easter (April 11, 2015, His Holiness issued the formal decree, called a Bull of Indiction in which he outlined the plan for the celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, beginning on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, December 8, 2015 and concluding with the liturgical Solemnity of Christ the King, November 20, 2016.
The year was filled with celebrations of various kinds, including many travels in Italy and to other parts of the world. At the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee, the Holy Father issued the Apostolic Letter Misericordia et misera, summarizing the spiritual fruits of the Extraordinary Jubilee.
Looking back at the year that has been, the Vatican Secretariat for Communication has prepared a video montage of the visits and moments of grace that have been observed during the past year.
At 5:00pm local time this evening, in the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father, Pope Francis presided over the celebration of First Vespers for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. This was followed by a period of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and the chanting of the Te Deum, a song of praise to God for the blessings of the past year. During the liturgy, His Holiness shared the following homily:
Homily of His Holiness, Pope Francis
for the First Vespers of the
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons (Gal 4:4-5).
These words of Saint Paul are powerful. In a brief and concise way, they introduce God’s plan for us: he wants us to live as his sons and daughters. The whole of salvation history echoes in these words. He who was not subject to the law chose, out of love, to set aside every privilege and to appear in the most unexpected place in order to free us who were under the law. What is so surprising is that God accomplishes this through the smallness and vulnerability of a newborn child. He decides personally to draw near to us and in his flesh to embrace our flesh, in his weakness to embrace our weakness, in his littleness to envelop our littleness. In Christ, God did not put on a human mask; instead he became man and shared completely in our human condition. Far from remaining an idea or an abstract essence, he wanted to be close to all those who felt lost, demeaned, hurt, discouraged, inconsolable and frightened. Close to all those who in their bodies carry the burden of separation and loneliness, so that sin, shame, hurt, despair and exclusion would not have the final word in the lives of his sons and daughters.
The manger invites us to make this divine logic our own. It is not a logic centred on privilege, exemptions or favours but one of encounter and closeness. The manger invites us to break with the logic of exceptions for some and exclusion for others. God himself comes to shatter the chains of privilege that always cause exclusion, in order to introduce the caress of compassion that brings inclusion, that makes the dignity of each person shine forth, the dignity for which he or she was created. A child in swaddling clothes shows us the power of God who approaches us as a gift, an offering, a leaven and opportunity for creating a culture of encounter.
We cannot allow ourselves to be naïve. We know that we are tempted in various ways to adopt the logic of privilege that separates, excludes and closes us off, while separating, excluding and closing off the dreams and lives of so many of our brothers and sisters.
Today, before the little Child Jesus, we should acknowledge that we need the Lord to enlighten us, because all too often we end up being narrow-minded or prisoners of an all-or-nothing attitude that would force others to conform to our own ideas. We need this light, which helps us learn from our mistakes and failed attempts in order to improve and surpass ourselves; this light born of the humble and courageous awareness of those who find the strength, time and time again, to rise up and start anew.
As another year draws to an end, let us pause before the manger and express our gratitude to God for all the signs of his generosity in our life and our history, seen in countless ways through the witness of those people who quietly took a risk. A gratitude that is no sterile nostalgia or empty recollection of an idealized and disembodied past, but a living memory, one that helps to generate personal and communal creativity because we know that God is with us. God is with us.
Let us pause before the manger to contemplate how God has been present throughout this year and to remind ourselves that every age, every moment is the bearer of graces and blessings. The manger challenges us not to give up on anything or anyone. To look upon the manger means to find the strength to take our place in history without complaining or being resentful, without closing in on ourselves or seeking a means of escape, looking for shortcuts in our own interest. Looking at the manger means recognizing that the times ahead call for bold and hope-filled initiatives, as well as the renunciation of vain self-promotion and endless concern with appearances.
Looking at the manger means seeing how God gets involved by involving us, making us part of his work, inviting us to welcome the future courageously and decisively.
Looking at the manger, we see Joseph and Mary, their young faces full of hopes and aspirations, full of questions. Young faces that look to the future conscious of the difficult task of helping the God-Child to grow. We cannot speak of the future without reflecting on these young faces and accepting the responsibility we have for our young; more than a responsibility, the right word would be debt, yes, the debt we owe them. To speak of a year’s end is to feel the need to reflect on how concerned we are about the place of young people in our society.
We have created a culture that idolizes youth and seeks to make it eternal. Yet at the same time, paradoxically, we have condemned our young people to have no place in society, because we have slowly pushed them to the margins of public life, forcing them to migrate or to beg for jobs that no longer exist or fail to promise them a future. We have preferred speculation over dignified and genuine work that can allow young people to take active part in the life of society. We expect and demand that they be a leaven for the future, but we discriminate against them and condemn them to knock on doors that for the most part remain closed.
We are asked to be something other than the innkeeper in Bethlehem who told the young couple: there is no room here. There was no room for life, there was no room for the future. Each of us is asked to take some responsibility, however small, for helping our young people to find, here in their land, in their own country, real possibilities for building a future. Let us not be deprived of the strength of their hands, their minds, and their ability to prophesy the dreams of their ancestors (cf Joel 2:28). If we wish to secure a future worthy of them, we should do so by staking it on true inclusion: one that provides work that is worthy, free, creative, participatory and in solidarity with others (cf Address at the Conferral of the Charlemagne Prize, 6 May 2016).
Looking at the manger challenges us to help our young people not to become disillusioned by our own immaturity, and to spur them on so that they can be capable of dreaming and fighting for their dreams, capable of growing and becoming fathers and mothers of our people.
As we come to the end of this year, we do well to contemplate the God-Child! Doing so invites us to return to the sources and roots of our faith. In Jesus, faith becomes hope; it becomes a leaven and a blessing. With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, Christ makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew (Evangelii Gaudium, 3).
In the final days of this calendar year, we celebrated a wedding today. Here are the thoughts I offered to the newly-wed couple, inspired by the word of God that was proclaimed during the celebration of their nuptial gathering.
Wedding homily for
James Yantha and Jennifer Mills
James, Jennifer, I have good news for you: all the
details you’ve been worrying about have now been taken care of.Just for a moment, I want you to take a
breath, be still, and allow yourselves to realize that this is your wedding
day.Today is a very important day for
both of you because in a few moments, you will speak words to each other that
will change you forever.If that thought
scares you, please don’t be alarmed.You’re about to take another step in your life’s journey, and we are
thankful that you have chosen to take this step along with your family and
friends who are here with you today.Members of this faith community of Saint Peter the Apostle are also
praying for you today: praying that God will bless you with many happy years to
spend together in love with each other.
You have chosen to exchange your vows in this church, and
therefore this is also an act of faith for you: an act that expresses your
belief that God is present in this moment.In fact, it is God who first loved each of us, and because we have
experienced his love for us, we are able to love others.When a husband and wife ask for the blessing
of the Church upon their marriage, they are also committing themselves to being
living examples of love.Each day of
your lives will be another opportunity for you to show your family and friends,
your colleagues and everyone you meet how much you love one another, how much
you love others, how much God’s love fills your hearts with joy.Saint Paul gives us an easy way to keep tabs
on whether or not we are acting and speaking in love.He says: If
I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a
noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (cf 1 Cor 13:1) – making lots of noise but
not a lot of sense.
You have come to the Church because God has brought you
together.From this day onward, every
time you look into your husband’s eyes, every time you look into your wife’s
face, let your first response be love.Love changes as we mature in life.At first, it fills us with giddy laughter, but as it matures, it brings
a deeper, richer sense of calm and commitment.Like the wisdom of the Book of the Song of Songs, love finds a way to be
set like a permanent seal upon our hearts
and we in turn discover that it is
stronger than any trial that we may have to face.
The gospel passage you chose for this celebration places
us in the intimacy of a moment that was shared between Jesus and his disciples:
people he loved very much. He was
speaking to them about the gift of love, and about how he himself had learned
to love because he had experienced the love of the Father (cf Jn 15:9).Many people in the world around us think that
the secret to success is somehow tied to material wealth; according to that
line of thinking, there is little if any place at all for love, but Jesus
reassures us that love is the key to finding true joy: I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that
your joy may be complete (Jn 15:11).
Welcome the gift of love that is offered to you
today.Look for it every day of your
lives.It will be present wherever you
find patience, kindness and truth (1 Cor 13:4-6), and should you ever encounter
envy, pride, arrogance, irritability, resentfulness or even rudeness, pray for
the great grace to overcome these temptations.Jesus will always be close, ready to show you the way of love, and
through you to show others how to love as well.
Thank you for the example of your love and your commitment
to one another.I promise to pray for
you every day, from this day onward, so that day after day, you will grow in
love with one another, and so that you will find ways every day to share the
great gift of your love with those you meet.
This morning's General Audience, the last one of the year 2016, began at 10:00am in the Paul VI Hall, where the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful from Italy and from every corner of the world.
In his speech, the Pope continued the new cycle of catechesis on the theme of Christian hope, adding a mediation on Abram, our Father in faith and in hope (cf Gen 15:3-6).
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed particular 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 the Letter to the Romans, Saint Paul reminds us of the great figure of Abram, in order to show us the path of faith and hope. Of him, the apostle writes: He believed, hoping against all hope, and in that way, he became a father to many peoples (Rom 4:18); Hoping against all hope. This concept is strong: even when there is no hope, I hope. Our father Abraham is like this. Saint Paul was referring to the faith with which Abraham believed in the word of God who had promised him a son. His was truly a trusting hope, against all hope, what the Lord was promising was so far-fetched because he (Abram) was elderly - he was almost one hundred years old - and his wife was barren. This couldn't be! But God had said so, and he believed. There was no human hope because he was old and his wife was barren: yet he believed.
Sharing in this promise, Abraham set out on a journey, accepting God's invitation to leave his homeland and to become a stranger, hoping in this impossible son that God had promised to give him despite the fact that Sarah's womb was now as good as dead. Abraham believed, his faith opened him to a hope of unreasonable appearance - the ability to go beyond the limits of human reasoning, the wisdom and the prudence of this world, above and beyond that which is normally considered to be common sense, in order to believe in the impossible. Hope opens new horizons, makes it possible for us to dream that which seems to be unimaginable. Hope allows us to enter into the darkness of an uncertain future and to walk on toward the light. The virtue of hope is beautiful; it gives us great strength in order to walk through life.
But it is a difficult journey. There were moments when, even Abraham experienced moments of discomfort. He had confided himself, he had left his home, his land, his friends ... Everything. He had left, he had arrived in the land God had pointed out to him, time had passed. At that time, travelling was not what it is today, with aircrafts - in a few hours it is over -; it took months, even years! Time passed, but the promised son did not arrive, Sarah's womb remained closed in its infertility.
And Abraham, I wouldn't say he lost his patience, but he lamented with the Lord. This is another thing that we learn from our father Abraham - to complain to the Lord is one form of prayer. Sometimes I hear, when I listen to confessions: I complained to the Lord ..., and I respond: But, no! You complained to him, he is your father! This is a form of prayer: lamenting with the Lord, it is good. Abraham complained to the Lord, saying: Lord, God ... I am childless and the steward of my household is Eliezer of Damascus (Eliezer was the one who controlled everything). Abraham continued: Behold, to me you have given no seed and my servant will be my heir. And then there came a word from the Lord: He will not be your heir, but one born of you will be your heir. Then God made him go outside; He led him out and said to him: Look to the skies and count the stars, if you can; and then he added: Such will be your descendants. And once again, Abraham believed the Lord, and credited it to him as an act of righteousness (Gen 15:2-6).
The scene takes place at night, outside in the dark, but also in Abraham's heart there is darkness and doubt, discouragement, difficulty for him to continue hoping in something that seems impossible. Now, the patriarch is too advanced in years, it seems that there will no longer be time for a son and his servant will inherit everything.
Abraham turns to the Lord, but God, even if he is present and speaking with him, seems to be far away, as though he has not remained faithful to his word. Abraham feels all alone; he is old and tired, death is near. How can he continue to trust?
Yet, his lament is itself a form of faith, a prayer. Despite everything else, Abraham continues to believe in God and to hope that something can happen. Otherwise, why would he question the Lord, why complain to him, why remind him of his promise? Faith is not merely an act of silence and of accepting without replying, hope is not a certitude that makes us secure in the face of doubt and perplexity. Many times, hope is dark, but there is hope ... that leads us onward. Faith is also found in the act of struggling with God, showing our bitterness, there is no magic pie. I was angry with God and I told him so and so ... He is your father, He understands: go in peace! We need to have courage! This is what it means to hope. Hope is also the act of not being afraid of seeing reality for what it is and accepting its contradictions.
Therefore in faith, Abraham turned to the Lord and sought his help so that he could continue to hope. It is curious, he did not ask for a child. He asked: Help me to continue hoping, his prayer was to have hope. And the Lord answered, insisting on his far-fetched promise: the heir would not be a servant, but truly a son, born of Abraham, created by him. Nothing had changed on God's part. He continued to repeat what he had said and did not offer any possibility for Abraham to feel reassured in his doubt. is only security was to trust in the word of God and to continue hoping.
The sign that God gave to Abraham was a request to continue believing and hoping: Look to the skies and count the stars ... Such will your descendants be (Gen 15:5). This is still God's promise, there is still something to look forward to in the future. God led Abraham outside his tent, actually outside of his narrow-mindedness, and showed him the stars. In order to believe, we need to know how to look with the eyes of faith; they were only stars, which everyone could see, but for Abraham they became a sign of God's faithfulness.
This is the meaning of faith, of the journey in faith that every one of us must undertake. Even if the only thing we can do is look to the stars, it is time for us to trust in God. There is nothing more beautiful. Hope does not disappoint. Thank you.
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized and repeated 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, particularly those from Bangladesh and the United States of America. May each of you, and your families, cherish the joy of Christmas and draw near in prayer to the Saviour who has come to dwell among us. God bless you!
At noon today - the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr - 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.
Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, the joy of Christmas fills our hearts, while the liturgy sees us celebrate the martyrdom of Saint Stephen, the first martyr, inviting us to recall the witness which he has left us through his sacrifice. His is the glorious testimony of Christian martyrdom suffered for love of Jesus Christ; a martyrdom which is continually present throughout the history of the Church, from Saint Stephen to those of our times.
Today's gospel passage (cf Mt 10:17-22) speaks of this testimony. Jesus speaks to his disciples about the punishment and persecution that they would encounter: You will be hated by all because of my name (Mt 10:22). But why does the world persecute Christians? The world hates Christians for the same reason that it hated Jesus, because He brought the light of God and the world preferred to hide its wicked works in the shadows. Let us remember that Jesus himself, during the Last Supper, prayed to the Father and asked him to defend them from the evils of the spirit of worldliness. There is opposition between the thinking of the Gospel and the thinking of the world. To follow Jesus means to follow his light, which was lit on that night in Bethlehem, and to abandon the shadows of the world.
Stephen, the first martyr, filled with the Holy Spirit, was stoned because he confessed his faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The First-born son of God who came into the world invites every believer to chose the path of light and life. This is the meaning of his appearance among us. By loving the Lord and obeying his voice, the deacon Stephen chose Christ, the source of Life and Light for every man. By choosing truth, he also became at the same time, a victim of the mystery of iniquity that is present in the world. But in Christ, Stephen was victorious!
Even today, the Church bears witness to the light and to truth, as she experiences persecution in various places, at times including the supreme proof of martyrdom. How many of our brothers and sisters in faith suffer abuse, violence and are hated because of Jesus! I say one thing to them: there are more martyrs today than there were in the early centuries of the Church. When we read the history of the first centuries, here in Rome, we read about much cruelty toward Christians; I say to them: the same cruelty exists today, and in greater numbers, for Christians. Today, we want to think about those who are suffering persecution, and we want to be close to them with our affection, our prayer and also our cries. Yesterday, on Christmas day, persecuted Christians in Iraq celebrated Christmas in their destroyed cathedral: an example of faithfulness to the gospel. Despite many trials and dangers, they courageously bear witness to the fact that they belong in Christ and to the gospel, and are committed to live it's truths for the sake of the smallest ones, the most overlooked persons, doing good to all people with no distinction, bearing witness in this way to charity and truth.
By making space within our hearts for the Son of God who gives himself to us at Christmas, we renew our joyous and courageous willingness to follow him faithfully as our only guide, persevering in our task of striving to live according to the mentality of the gospel and refuting the mentality of the leaders of this world.
Let us raise our prayer to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Queen of martyrs, that she may guide us and support us always on our journey as we follow Jesus Christ, who we contemplate in the manger scene and who is the faithful witness of God the Father.
After the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
I express my sincere condolences, having received the sad news of the Russian airliner which crashed into the Black Sea. May the Lord console the beloved people of Russia and the families of the passengers who were aboard: journalists, crew and the excellent choir and orchestra of the Armed Forces. May the Blessed Virgin Mary sustain the search efforts currently in progress. In 2004, that choir was here in the Vatican to celebrate the 26th anniversary of the Pontificate of Saint John Paul II. Let us pray for them.
Dear brothers and sisters,
In the climate of Christian joy that emanates from the Birth of Jesus, I greet you and thank you for your presence.
To all of you, who have come from Italy and from various other nations, I renew my wishes for peace and serenity: that these may be for you and for your families, days of joy and fraternity. I greet and send my best wishes to all those whose names are Stephen and Stefania!
In recent weeks, I have received many messages of congratulations from various parts of the world. It would be impossible for me to respond to them all one by one, therefore today I wish to express my gratitude to all of you, especially for the gift of your prayers. Thank you with all my heart! May the Lord reward you with his generosity!
Happy feast day! Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch, and good bye.
At noon today, the Solemnity of Christmas, from the Central Loggia of the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father, Pope Francis offered his traditional Christmas greetings to those gathered in Saint Peter's Square before imparting the Urbi et Orbi blessing. The greeting was also broadcast by radio and television throughout the world.
Christmas Message of His Holiness, Pope Francis
Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world)
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Christmas!
Today the Church once more experiences the wonder of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph and the shepherds of Bethlehem, as they contemplate the newborn Child laid in a manger: Jesus, the Saviour.
On this day full of light, the prophetic proclamation resounds:
For to us a child is born,To us a son is given.And the government will be upon his shoulder;and his name will be calledWonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Is 9:6)
The power of this Child, Son of God and Son of Mary, is not the power of this world, based on might and wealth; it is the power of love. It is the power that created the heavens and the earth, and gives life to all creation: to minerals, plants and animals. It is the force that attracts man and woman, and makes them one flesh, one single existence. It is the power that gives new birth, forgives sin, reconciles enemies, and transforms evil into good. It is the power of God. This power of love led Jesus Christ to strip himself of his glory and become man; it led him to give his life on the cross and to rise from the dead. It is the power of service, which inaugurates in our world the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of justice and peace.
For this reason, the birth of Jesus was accompanied by the angels’ song as they proclaimed:
Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased! (Lk 2:14).
Today this message goes out to the ends of the earth to reach all peoples, especially those scarred by war and harsh conflicts that seem stronger than the yearning for peace.
Peace to men and women in the war-torn land of Syria, where far too much blood has been spilled. Particularly in Aleppo, the site of horrendous fighting in recent weeks, it is most urgent that, in respect for humanitarian law, assistance and support be guaranteed to the sorely-tried civilian population, who continue to live in desperate straits and immense suffering and need. It is time for weapons to be still forever, and the international community to seek actively a negotiated solution, so that civil coexistence can be restored in the country.
Peace to the women and men of the beloved Holy Land, the land chosen and favoured by God. May Israelis and Palestinians have the courage and determination to write a new page of history, where hate and revenge give way to the will to build together a future of mutual understanding and harmony. May Iraq, Libya and Yemen – whose peoples suffer war and the brutality of terrorism – be able once again to find unity and concord.
Peace to the men and women in various parts of Africa, especially in Nigeria, where fundamentalist terrorism exploits even children in order to perpetrate horror and death. Peace in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, so that divisions may be healed and all people of good will may strive to undertake the path of development and sharing, preferring the culture of dialogue to the mindset of conflict.
Peace to women and men who to this day suffer the consequences of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, where there is urgent need for a common desire to bring relief to the civil population and to put into practice the commitments which have been assumed.
We implore harmony for the dear people of Colombia, which seeks to embark on a new and courageous path of dialogue and reconciliation. May such courage also motivate the beloved country of Venezuela to undertake the necessary steps to put an end to current tensions, and build together a future of hope for the whole population.
Peace to all who, in different areas, are enduring sufferings due to constant dangers and persistent injustice. May Myanmar consolidate its efforts to promote peaceful coexistence and, with the assistance of the international community, provide necessary protection and humanitarian assistance to all those so gravely and urgently in need of it. May the Korean peninsula see the tensions it is experiencing overcome in a renewed spirit of collaboration.
Peace to all who have been injured or have suffered the loss of a loved one due to the brutal acts of terrorism that have sown fear and death in the heart of many countries and cities. Peace – not merely the word, but real and concrete peace – to our abandoned and excluded brothers and sisters, to those who suffer hunger and to all the victims of violence. Peace to exiles, migrants and refugees, to all those who in our day are subject to human trafficking. Peace to the peoples who suffer because of the economic ambitions of a few, because of sheer greed and the idolatry of money, which leads to slavery. Peace to those affected by social and economic unrest, and to those who endure the consequences of earthquakes or other natural catastrophes.
And peace to the children, on this special day on which God became a child, above all those deprived of the joys of childhood because of hunger, wars or the selfishness of adults.
Peace on earth to men and women of goodwill, who work quietly and patiently each day, in their families and in society, to build a more humane and just world, sustained by the conviction that only with peace is there the possibility of a more prosperous future for all.
Dear brothers and sisters,
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: he is the Prince of peace. Let us welcome him!
After the blessing Urbi et Orbi, the Holy Father continued:
To you, dear brothers and sisters, who have gathered in this Square from every part of the world, and to those in various countries who are linked to us by radio, television and other means of communication, I offer my greeting.
On this day of joy, we are all called to contemplate the Child Jesus, who gives hope once again to every person on the face of the earth. By his grace, let us with our voices and our actions give witness to solidarity and peace. Merry Christmas to all!
Merry Christmas! Here is the reflection I prepared for the celebration of the Christmas liturgies (with help from Pope Francis): an invitation to contemplate the figures in the manger scene in order to help us discover and appreciate the gift that we have received.
Light for those who have walked in darkness
Christmas is here! All the preparations are complete, and it is time for us to pause and to contemplate the meaning of this moment. The prophet Isaiah says that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light (Is 9:2), but we might ask: what is this light? From the earliest years of my childhood, I have always associated Christmas with the manger scene. It is a scene of simplicity and yet it is filled with hope, and hope is the great gift that God showers upon us.
The scene takes place in Bethlehem, which at the time was nothing more than a small village, but despite its remote status, Bethlehem already held great importance for people of faith. You see, it was the place where David was born; you remember the story of David, the shepherd boy who was chosen by God and named king of Israel? Bethlehem was not the capital of Israel, and perhaps for that reason, it was the preferred location where God would make himself known: not through human power, but rather through little ones, humble people. In that hill country, Jesus, the son of David, was born. In him, God sent the gift of his peace and the promise of true happiness. In fact, everything that the human heart desires can be found in Jesus.
In the gospel, we heard the story of Joseph and Mary, who travelled from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem. This would not have been an easy journey, but it was a necessary journey because Caesar Augustus had issued a decree, calling for a census to be taken (cf Lk 2:1), and since Joseph was descended from the house and family of David (Lk 2:4) he needed to return to the city of David – Bethlehem – together with Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was expecting a child (Lk 2:6).
Our contemplation of the manger scene must include Mary. What was it like for her, a young girl who was promised in marriage, to meet an angel? What was that conversation like? Yet, she said yes to God’s invitation, and her yes opened the door of this world so that God’s plan could be fulfilled. Hers is a heart filled with hope and faith. She who discovered the meaning of her life through the message of an angel (cf Lk 1:26-38), and who had carried the Son of God in her womb can teach us to find the meaning in our lives, to find true joy, happiness and purpose. She does this by bringing us to the manger, and teaching us to contemplate the child who is lying there. In him, we see the love of God who came to save his people.
Joseph can also be found in the manger, standing beside Mary, gazing upon the child. As he did, I wonder whether the words the angel spoke to him in a dream were not also ringing in his ears. He too had said yes, but in that moment, was he perhaps both excited and fearful at the same time about the mission that God had entrusted to him. This child was from the Holy Spirit, and God himself had commanded that his name be Jesus. In this woman’s son, God has saved all humanity from death and sin. Mary and Joseph can help all of us not only to know about Jesus, but to encounter him and to know him personally.
We also find shepherds in the manger scene. Shepherds were humble and poor. They too were waiting for the fulfillment of Isaiah’s promise (cf Is 9:2-7), that one day Israel would be comforted (cf Lk 2:25) and that Jerusalem would be redeemed (cf Lk 2:38). In the child born of Mary, the shepherds saw the fulfillment of their hope that God’s salvation would finally reach them. We too can draw near to the manger, like the shepherds. We too can trust in God, hope in him and rejoice in him when we recognize in Him the sign that the angels sang about (cf Lk 2:12).
In this child, God established his kingdom of love, justice and peace. This is the promise in which we all can hope, and we express this hope by praising and thanking God as together with the angels, we sing: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace among those he favours! (Lk 2:14).
At 9:30pm tonight, in the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father, Pope Francis presided over the celebration of Mass for the Solemnity of Christmas. During the Eucharistic Celebration, following the proclamation of the gospel, the Pope spoke the following homily.
Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the Mass of Christmas
The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all (Tit 2:11). The words of the Apostle Paul reveal the mystery of this holy night: the grace of God has appeared, his free gift. In the Child given to us, the love of God is made visible.
It is a night of glory, that glory proclaimed by the angels in Bethlehem and by ourselves as well, all over the world. It is a night of joy, because henceforth and for ever, the infinite and eternal God is God with us. He is not far off. We need not search for him in the heavens or in mystical notions. He is close at hand. He became man and he will never withdraw from our humanity, which he has made his own. It is a night of light. The light prophesied by Isaiah (cf Is 9:1), which was to shine on those who walked in a land of darkness, has appeared and enveloped the shepherds of Bethlehem (cf Lk 2:9).
The shepherds discover simply that a child has been born to us (Is 9:5). They realize that all this glory, all this joy, all this light, converges to a single point, the sign that the angel indicated to them: You will find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger (Lk 2:12). This is the enduring sign for all who would find Jesus. Not just then, but also today. If we want to celebrate Christmas authentically, we need to contemplate this sign: the frail simplicity of a tiny newborn child, the meekness with which he is placed in a manger, the tender affection with which he is wrapped in his swaddling clothes. That is where God is.
With this sign, the Gospel reveals a paradox. It speaks of the emperor, the governor, the high and mighty of those times, yet God does not make himself present there. He appears not in the splendour of a royal palace, but in the poverty of a stable; not in pomp and show, but in simplicity of life; not in power, but in astonishing smallness. In order to meet him, we need to go where he is. We need to bow down, to humble ourselves, to make ourselves small. The newborn Child challenges us. He calls us to leave behind fleeting illusions and to turn to what is essential, to renounce our insatiable cravings, to abandon our endless yearning for things we will never have. We do well to leave such things behind, in order to discover, in the simplicity of the divine Child, peace, joy and the luminous meaning of life.
Let us allow the Child in the manger to challenge us, but let us also be challenged by all those children in today’s world who are lying not in a crib, caressed with affection by their mothers and fathers, but in squalid mangers that devour dignity. Children who hide underground to escape bombardment, on the pavements of large cities, in the hold of a boat overladen with immigrants … Let us allow ourselves to be challenged by those children who are not allowed to be born, by those who cry because no one relieves their hunger, by those who hold in their hands not toys, but weapons.
The mystery of Christmas, which is light and joy, challenges and unsettles us, because it is at once a mystery of hope and of sadness. It has a taste of sadness, inasmuch as love is not accepted, and life discarded. Such was the case with Joseph and Mary, who met with closed doors, and placed Jesus in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Lk 2:7). Jesus was born rejected by some and regarded by many others with indifference. Today too, that same indifference can exist, whenever Christmas becomes a holiday with ourselves at the centre rather than Jesus; when the lights of shop windows push the light of God into the shadows; when we are enthused about gifts but indifferent to our neighbours in need. This worldliness has kidnapped Christmas; we need to liberate it!
Yet Christmas has above all a taste of hope because, for all the darkness in our lives, God’s light shines forth. His gentle light does not frighten us. God, who is in love with us, draws us to himself with his tenderness, by being born poor and frail in our midst, as one of us. He is born in Bethlehem, which means house of bread. In this way, he seems to tell us that he is born as bread for us; he enters our life to give us his life; he comes into our world to give us his love. He does not come to devour or to lord it over us, but instead to feed and serve us. There is a straight line between the manger and the cross where Jesus will become bread that is broken. It is the straight line of love that gives and saves, the love that brings light to our lives and peace to our hearts.
That night, the shepherds understood this. They were among the marginalized of those times. Yet no one is marginalized in the sight of God, and that Christmas, they themselves were the guests. People who felt sure of themselves, self-sufficient, were at home with their possessions. It was the shepherds who set out with haste (cf Lk 2:16). Tonight, may we too be challenged and called by Jesus. Let us approach him with trust, starting from all those things that make us feel marginalized, from our limitations and our sins. Let us be touched by the tenderness that saves. Let us draw close to God who draws close to us. Let us pause to gaze upon the crib, and relive in our imagination the birth of Jesus: light and peace, dire poverty and rejection. With the shepherds, let us enter into the real Christmas, bringing to Jesus all that we are, our alienation, our unhealed wounds, our sins. Then, in Jesus, we will enjoy the taste of the true spirit of Christmas: the beauty of being loved by God. With Mary and Joseph, let us pause before the manger, before Jesus who is born as bread for my life. Contemplating his humble and infinite love, let us simply tell him: Thank you. Thank you because you have done all this for me.
In the name of the Holy Father, a first gift of funds will be released to help those affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. This gift amounts to approximately 6 million Euros of the approximately 12 million that has so far been collected. These funds will help more than 2 million people regardless of their religious, faith or ethnic background, especially in the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv and Dnepropetrovsk.
Following the extraordinary collection, called for by Pope Francis on 24 April 2016 in all churches throughout Europe in support of the people who are suffering because of conflict, the Holy See, through the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, coordinated the creation of a technical Committee on site, presided over by His Excellency, Jan Sobiło, Auxiliary Bishop of Kharkiv-Zaporizhia. The committee is operating in contact with the Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine, His Excellency, Claudio Gugerotti.
Since the beginning of this activity, in the month of July, the Committee which is headquartered in Zaporizhia, has selected and evaluated the aid projects presented by Christian charity organizations and international agencies. The Committee currently funds 20 large scale projects (representing amounts up to 250,000 Euros per project) and 39 Solidarity projects (representing amounts up to 20,000 Euros per project). The money will be distributed, in collaboration with the Apostolic Nunciature, and support for the work currently being done to provide food, housing, medical and hygienic assistance.
According to a recent report furnished by the Office of the High Commission of the United Nations for Human Rights (OHCHR), the conflict, which is still ongoing, left 9,758 people dead and 22,779 wounded between April 2014 and December 1, 2016.
At noon today (in Rome), in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with the employees of the Holy See and those of the Vatican City State, along with their families to exchange Christmas greetings.
Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
during the exchange of Christmas greetings
with employees of the Holy See and
the Vatican City State
Dear brothers and sisters,
We meet for this beautiful family moment, to exchange Christmas greetings. This is a moment that I welcome, for it is an occasion for us to meet all together, including the members of your families, your husbands and wives, your parents, who are often grandparents ...
First of all, along with you, I want to thank the Lord for all his gifts, because it is true that during these days, we think about Christmas gifts, but in truth He is the one who gives the true gift, our Father, who gives us Jesus. Our gifts, this beautiful tradition of exchanging gifts, should express precisely that: a reflection of the unique gift that is his Son made man and born of the Virgin Mary.
Today, we want to thank God first of all for the gift of work. Work is very important both for the person himself who works, and for his family. While we thank him, we also pray for people and for their families, in Italy and throughout the world, who do not have work, or, many times, work in undignified situations, badly paid, in conditions that are harmful to their health ... We should always thank God for work. And we should commit ourselves, each with our own responsibilities, to creating a world that is worthy, respectful of people and of families, a just world. Here in the Vatican, we have even more reasons to do this, we have the gospel, and we should follow the directives of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Here in the Vatican, I don't want any work that is not in line with these directives: no black market labour, no subterfuge.
Therefore, we thank the Lord. But, for me, today I want to thank you for your work. I thank each and every one of you, for the commitment that you demonstrate every day to doing your work and to doing it well, even when (at times) you are not feeling well, or you are preoccupied with family concerns ... One of the beautiful things about the Vatican is that, since we are a small group, it is possible to perceive the whole, with various tasks that make up the whole, and each one is important. The various work areas are close by and connected to one another, we all know each other, more or less; and we feel the satisfaction of seeing a certain order, that things are functioning well, with all the limitations, naturally, we can always improve and we should, but it is good to hear that every section is doing its part and together we function well for the good of all. Here, this is easier, because we are small, but this is no reason to detract from commitment and personal merit, and therefore I feel the need to thank you all.
This year that we have lived together was a special year: the Holy Year of Mercy. We too have lived it, together, our Jubilee, do you remember it? The first part here, in this Hall, and then we went together to the courtyard, to the Holy Door. This year, the Lord has poured out his mercy upon us. And does all this grace end with the Jubilee? No! This grace is within us, because we help it to bear fruit in our lives every day, either in our families or at work, everywhere. Christmas reminds us: The grace of God appeared, bringing salvation to all men and teaching us ... to live in this world with sobriety, justice and piety (Titus 2:11-12), says the apostle Paul. The grace of God has appeared in Jesus, He is Love, the Love of God incarnate, through the work of the Holy Spirit. This same Spirit, we have all received in Baptism and Confirmation; but we must call upon the Spirit every day, we must reawaken the action of the Spirit in us, to live in this world - even in the little world of the Vatican - with sobriety, justice and piety.
Dear brothers and sisters, while I thank you, I ask you also to convey my special greetings to your children and to the elderly members of your families. They are so very important, each one for the others. My greetings are also accompanied by my prayers for those who are sick.
My wish for all of you is: that your hearts be filled with mercy, filled with the grace of the Jubilee that Jesus comes to re-ignite in us.
May the Lord bless you and may Our Lady protect you.
And, standing before the manger scene, remember to pray for me. Thank you.
At 10:30am this morning (Rome time), in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the Cardinals and the Superiors of the Roman Curia for the annual exchange of Christmas greetings.
Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
during the meeting with Cardinals and
Superiors of the Roman Curia
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I would like to begin this meeting of ours by offering cordial good wishes to all of you, superiors and officials, papal representatives and staff of the Nunciatures worldwide, all those working in the Roman Curia and to your families. Best wishes for a holy and serene Christmas and a happy New Year 2017!
Saint Augustine, contemplating the face of the Baby Jesus, exclaimed: “immense in the form of God, tiny in the form of a slave (Sermon 187,1: PL 38,1001: Magnus dies angelorum, parvus in die hominum … magnus in forma Dei, brevis in forma servi). To describe the mystery of the Incarnation, Saint Macarius, the fourth-century monk and disciple of Saint Anthony Abbot, used the Greek verb smikryno, to become small, to reduce to the bare minimum. He says: Listen attentively: the infinite, unapproachable and uncreated God, in his immense and ineffable goodness has taken a body, and, I dare say, infinitely diminished his glory (Homily IV, 9: PG 34, 480).
Christmas is thus the feast of the loving humility of God, of the God who upsets our logical expectations, the established order, the order of the dialectician and the mathematician. In this upset lies all the richness of God’s own thinking, which overturns our limited human ways of thinking (cf Is 55: 8-9). As Romano Guardini said: “What an overturning of all our familiar values – not only human values but also divine values! Truly this God upsets everything that we claim to build up on our own (Il Signore, Milan 1977, 404). At Christmas, we are called to say yes with our faith, not to the Master of the universe, and not even to the most noble of ideas, but precisely to this God who is the humble lover.
Blessed Paul VI, at Christmas in 1971, said: “God could have come wrapped in glory, splendour, light and power, to instill fear, to make us rub our eyes in amazement. But instead he came as the smallest, the frailest and weakest of beings. Why? So that no one would be ashamed to approach him, so that no one would be afraid, so that all would be close to him and draw near him, so that there would be no distance between us and him. God made the effort to plunge, to dive deep within us, so that each of us, each of you, could speak intimately with him, trust him, draw near him and realize that he thinks of you and loves you… He loves you! Think about what this means! If you understand this, if you remember what I am saying, you will have understood the whole of Christianity (Homily for Christmas Day, 1971).
God chose to be born a tiny child (cf Saint Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 118: PL 52, 617) because he wanted to be loved (Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus – the little beloved one of Jesus - in her last letter, dated 25 August 1897, directed to a priest who had been confided to her as a spiritual brother, she wrote: I cannot fear a God who made himself so small for me! I love him! IN fact, he is nothing but love and mercy (LT 266: Complete Works, Rome 1997, 606). Here we see, as it were, how the logic of Christmas is the overturning of worldly logic, of the mentality of power and might, the thinking of the Pharisees and those who see things only in terms of causality or determinism.
In this gentle yet overpowering light of the divine countenance of the Christ Child, I have chosen as the theme of this, our yearly meeting, the reform of the Roman Curia. It seemed to me right and fitting to share with you the framework of the reform, to point out its guiding principles, the steps taken so far, but above all the logic behind every step already taken and what is yet to come.
Here I spontaneously think of the ancient adage that describes the process of the Spiritual Exercises in the Ignatian method: deformata reformare, reformata conformare, conformata confirmare et confirmata transformare (reform what is deformed, conform what has been reformed, confirm what has been conformed and transform what has been confirmed).
There can be no doubt that, for the Curia, the word reform is to be understood in two ways. First of all, it has to make the Curia con-form “to the Good News which must be proclaimed joyously and courageously to all, especially to the poor, the least and the outcast”. To make it con-form “to the signs of our time and to all its human achievements”, so as better to meet the demands of the men and women whom we are called to serve (cf Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio with which Pope Francis created the Dicastery for Service toward Integral Human Development, 17 August 2016). At the same time, this means con-forming the Curia ever more fully to its purpose, which is that of cooperating in the ministry of the Successor of Peter (cum ipso consociatam operam prosequuntur - with continuing cooperative efforts, as the Motu Proprio Humanam Progressionem puts it), and supporting the Roman Pontiff in the exercise of his singular, ordinary, full, supreme, immediate and universal power.
Consequently, the reform of the Roman Curia must be guided by ecclesiology and directed in bonum et in servitium, as is the service of the Bishop of Rome. This finds eloquent expression in the words of Pope Saint Gregory the Great, quoted in the third chapter of the Constitution Pastor Aeternus of the First Vatican Council: My honour is that of the universal Church. My honour is the solid strength of my brothers. I feel truly honoured when none of them is denied his due honour.
Since the Curia is not an immobile bureaucratic apparatus, reform is first and foremost a sign of life, of a Church that advances on her pilgrim way, of a Church that is living and for this reason semper reformanda, in need of reform because she is alive.
Here it must clearly be said that reform is not an end unto itself, but rather a process of growth and above all of conversion.
Consequently, the aim of reform is not aesthetic, an effort to improve the looks of the Curia, nor can it be understood as a sort of facelift, using make-up and cosmetics to embellish its aging body, nor even as an operation of plastic surgery to take away its wrinkles.
Dear brothers and sisters, it isn’t wrinkles we need to worry about in the Church, but blemishes!
Seen in this light, we need to realize that the reform will be effective only if it is carried out with men and women who are renewed and not simply new. We cannot be content simply with changing personnel, but need to encourage spiritual, human and professional renewal among the members of the Curia. The reform of the Curia is in no way implemented with a change of persons – something that certainly is happening and will continue to happen – but with a conversion in persons. Permanent formation is not enough; what we need also and above all is permanent conversion and purification. Without a change of mentality, efforts at practical improvement will be in vain.
That is why, in our last two meetings at Christmas, I discussed certain diseases, drawing on the teaching of the Desert Fathers (2014), and compiled, on the basis of the word mercy, a catalogue of virtues necessary for curial officials and all those who wish their consecration or service to the Church to become more fruitful (2015). The underlying reason is that, as in the case of the Church overall, the semper reformanda (always being reformed) must also become, in the case of the Curia, a permanent personal and structural process of conversion.
It was necessary to speak of disease and cures because every surgical operation, if it is to be successful, must be preceded by detailed diagnosis and careful analysis, and needs to be accompanied and followed up by precise prescriptions.
In this process, it is normal, and indeed healthy, to encounter difficulties, which in the case of the reform, might present themselves as different types of resistance. There can be cases of open resistance, often born of goodwill and sincere dialogue, and cases of hidden resistance, born of fearful or hardened hearts content with the empty rhetoric of spiritual window-dressing typical of those who say they are ready for change, yet want everything to remain as it was before. There are also cases of malicious resistance, which spring up in misguided minds and come to the fore when the devil inspires ill intentions (often cloaked in sheep’s clothing). This last kind of resistance hides behind words of self-justification and often accusation; it takes refuge in traditions, appearances, formalities, in the familiar, or else in a desire to make everything personal, failing to distinguish between the act, the actor, and the action (cf Homily, Domus Sanctae Marthae, 1 December 2016).
The absence of reaction is a sign of death! Consequently, the good cases of resistance – and even those not quite so good – are necessary and merit being listened to, welcomed and their expression encouraged, because this is a sign that the body is living.
All this is to say that the reform of the Curia is a delicate process that has to take place in fidelity to essentials, with constant discernment, evangelical courage and ecclesial wisdom, careful listening, persevering action, positive silence and firm decisions. It requires much prayer, much prayer, profound humility, farsightedness, concrete steps forward and – whenever necessary – even with steps backward, with determination, vitality, responsible exercise of power, unconditioned obedience, but above all abandonment to the sure guidance of the Holy Spirit and trust in his necessary support. And, for this reason, prayer, prayer and more prayer is necessary.
Some Guiding Principles of the Reform
These are principally twelve: individualism; pastoral concern; missionary spirit; clear organization; improved functioning; modernization; sobriety; subsidiarity; synodality; catholicity; professionalism and gradualism.
Once again I reaffirm the importance of individual conversion, without which all structural change would prove useless. The true soul of the reform are the men and women who are part of it and make it possible. Indeed, personal conversion supports and reinforces communal conversion.
There is a powerful interplay between personal and communal attitudes. A single person can bring great good to the entire body, but also bring great harm and lead to sickness. A healthy body is one that can recover, accept, reinforce, care for and sanctify its members.
2. Pastoral concern (pastoral conversion)
Mindful of the figure of the shepherd (cf Ez 34:16; Jn 10:1-21) and recognizing that the Curia is a community of service, it is good for us too, called to be pastors in the Church, to let the face of God the Good Shepherd enlighten us, purify us and transform us, fully renewed, to our mission. That even in our workplaces we may feel, cultivate and practise a sound pastoral sense, especially towards the people whom we meet each day. May no one feel overlooked or mistreated, but may everyone experience, here first of all, the care and concern of the Good Shepherd (Homily for the Jubilee of the Roman Curia, 22 February 2016; cf Speech at the inauguration of the work of the Consistory, 12 February 2015). Behind every paper there is a person.
The efforts of all who work in the Curia must be inspired by pastoral concern and a spirituality of service and communion, for this is the antidote to all the venoms of vain ambition and illusory rivalry. Paul VI cautioned that the Roman Curia should not be a bureaucracy, as some wrongly judge it, pretentious and apathetic, merely legalistic and ritualistic, a training ground of concealed ambitions and veiled antagonisms, as others would have it. Rather, it should be a true community of faith and charity, of prayer and of activity, of brothers and sons of the Pope, who carry out their duties respecting one another’s competence and with a sense of collaboration, in order to serve him as he serves his brothers and sons of the universal Church and of the entire world (Paul VI, Speech to the Roman Curia, 21 September 1963).
3. Missionary spirit (Christocentrism)
As the Council taught, it is the chief aim of all forms of service in the Church to bring the Good News to the ends of the earth. For there are Church structures which can hamper efforts at evangelization, yet even good structures are only helpful when there is a life constantly driving, sustaining and assessing them. Without new life and an authentic evangelical spirit, without the Church’s fidelity to her own calling, any new structure will soon prove ineffective.
4. Clear organization
On the basis of the principle that all Dicasteries are juridically equal, a clearer organization of the offices of the Roman Curia (cf Paul VI, Apostolic Constitution Regimini Ecclesiae universae, Art. 1 §2; John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution, Pastor Bonus, Art. 2 §2) was needed, in order to bring out the fact that each Dicastery has its own areas of competence. These areas of competence must be respected, but they must also be distributed in a reasonable, efficient and productive way. No Dicastery can therefore appropriate the competence of another Dicastery, in accordance with what is laid down by law. On the other hand, all Dicasteries report directly to the Pope.
5. Improved functioning
The eventual merging of two or more Dicasteries competent in similar or closely connected matters to create a single Dicastery serves on the one hand to give the latter greater importance (even externally). On the other hand, the closeness and interaction of individual bodies within a single Dicastery contributes to improved functioning (as shown by the two recently created Dicasteries).
Improved functioning also demands an ongoing review of roles, the relevance of areas of competence, and the responsibilities of the personnel, and consequently of the process of reassignment, hiring, interruption of work and also promotions.
6. Modernization (updating)
This involves an ability to interpret and attend to the signs of the times. In this sense, We are concerned to make provisions that the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia be suited to the circumstances of our time and adapted to the needs of the universal Church (Motu proprio Sedula Mater, 15 August 2016). Such was the request of the Second Vatican Council: the departments of the Roman Curia should be reorganized in a manner more appropriate to the needs of our time and of different regions and rites, especially in regard to their number, their titles, their competence, their procedures and how they coordinate their activities (Decree Christus Dominus, 9).
7. Sobriety
Here, what is called for is a simplification and streamlining of the Curia. This involves the combination or merging of Dicasteries based on their areas of competence; simplification within individual Dicasteries; the eventual suppression of offices no longer responding to contingent needs; the integration of Dicasteries or the reduction of Commissions, Academies, Committees, etc., all in view of the essential sobriety needed for a proper and authentic witness.
8. Subsidiarity
This involves the reordering of areas of competence specific to the various Dicasteries, transferring them if necessary from one Dicastery to another, in order to achieve autonomy, coordination and subsidiarity in areas of competence and effective interaction in service.
Here too, respect must be shown for the principles of subsidiarity and clear organization with regard to relations with the Secretariat of State and, within the latter, among its various areas of competence, so that carrying out its proper duties it will be of direct and immediate assistance to the Pope. This will also improve coordination between the various sectors of the Dicasteries and the Offices of the Curia themselves. The Secretariat of State will be able to carry out its important function precisely in achieving unity, interdependence and coordination between its sections and different sectors.
9. Synodality
The work of the Curia must be synodal, with regular meetings of Heads of the Dicasteries, presided over by the Roman Pontiff (Pastor Bonus, 22); regularly scheduled Audiences of Heads of the Dicasteries with the Pope, and the customary inter-dicasterial meetings. The reduced number of Dicasteries will allow for more frequent and systematic meetings of individual Prefects with the Pope and productive meetings of Heads of Dicasteries, since this cannot be the case when groups are too large.
Synodality must also be evident in the work of each Dicastery, with particular attention to the Congress and at least a greater frequency of the Ordinary Sessions. Each Dicastery must avoid the fragmentation caused by factors such as the multiplication of specialized sectors, which can tend to become self-absorbed. Their coordination must be the task of the Secretary, or the Undersecretary.
10. Catholicity
Among the Officials, in addition to priests and consecrated persons, the catholicity of the Church must be reflected in the hiring of personnel from throughout the world, of permanent deacons and lay faithful carefully selected on the basis of their unexceptionable spiritual and moral life and their professional competence. It is fitting to provide for the hiring of greater numbers of the lay faithful, especially in those Dicasteries where they can be more competent than clerics or consecrated persons. Also of great importance is an enhanced role for women and lay people in the life of the Church and their integration into roles of leadership in the Dicasteries, with particular attention to multiculturalism.
11. Professionalism
Every Dicastery must adopt a policy of continuing formation for its personnel, to avoid their falling into a rut or becoming stuck in a bureaucratic routine.
Likewise essential is the definitive abolition of the practice of promoveatur ut amoveatur. This is a cancer.
12. Gradualism (discernment)
Gradualism has to do with the necessary discernment entailed by historical processes, the passage of time and stages of development, assessment, correction, experimentation, and approvals ad experimentum. In these cases, it is not a matter of indecision, but of the flexibility needed to be able to achieve a true reform.
Steps already taken
I will now mention briefly and concisely some steps already taken to put into practice these guiding principles and the recommendations made by the Cardinals in the plenary meetings before the Conclave, by the COSEA, by the Council of Cardinals (C9), and by the Heads of the Dicasteries and other experts and individuals:
1. On 13 April 2013 it was announced that the Council of Cardinals (Consilium Cardinalium Summo Pontifici) – the C8 and, after 1 July 2014, the C9 – was created, primarily to counsel the Pope on the governance of the universal Church and on other related topics, also with the specific task of proposing the revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus.
2. With the Chirograph of 24 June 2013, the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Institute for Works of Religion was established, in order to study the legal status of the IOR and to allow for its greater harmonization with the universal mission of the Apostolic See. This was to ensure that economic and financial activities be permeated by Gospel principles and to achieve a complete and acknowledged transparency in its operation.
3. With the Motu Proprio of 11 July 2013, provisions were made to define the jurisdiction of the judicial authorities of Vatican City State in criminal matters.
4. With the Chirograph of 18 July 2013, the COSEA (Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Organization of the Economic-Administrative Structure) was instituted and given the task of research, analysis and the gathering of information, in cooperation with the Council of Cardinals for the study of the organizational and economic problems of the Holy See.
5. With the Motu Proprio of 8 August 2013, the Holy See’s Financial Security Committee was established for the prevention and countering of money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This was to bring the IOR and the entire Vatican economic system to the regular adoption of, and fully committed and diligent compliance with, all international legal norms on financial transparency.
6. With the Motu Proprio of 15 November 2013, the Financial Intelligence Authority (AIF), established by Benedict XVI with his Motu Proprio of 30 December 2010 for the prevention and countering of illegal activities in the area of monetary and financial dealings, was consolidated.
7. With the Motu Proprio 24 February 2014 (Fidelis Dispensator et Prudens), the Secretariat for the Economy and the Council for the Economy were established to replace the Council of 15 Cardinals, with the task of harmonizing the policies of control in regard to the economic management of the Holy See and the Vatican City.
8. With the same Motu Proprio of 24 February 2014, the Office of General Auditor (URG) was established as a new agency of the Holy See, charged with auditing the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the institutions connected with the Holy See or associated with it, and the administrations of the Governatorate of Vatican City.
9. With the Chirograph of 22 March 2014, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors was established, in order to promote the protection of the dignity of minors and vulnerable adults, using the forms and methods, consonant with the nature of the Church, which they consider most appropriate.
10. With the Motu Proprio of 8 July 2014, the Ordinary Section of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See was transferred to the Secretariat for the Economy.
11. On 22 February 2015, the Statutes of the new economic agencies were approved.
12. With the Motu Proprio of 27 June 2015, the Secretariat for Communication was established and charged to respond to the current context of communication, characterized by the presence and evolution of digital media, and by factors of convergence and interactivity. The Secretariat was also charged with overall restructuring, through a process of reorganization and merging, of all the realities which in various ways up to the present have dealt with communications, so as to respond ever better to the needs of the mission of the Church.
13. On 6 September 2016, the Statutes of the Secretariat for Communication were promulgated; they took effect last October.
14. With the two Motu Proprios (Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesusand Mitis et misericors Iesus) of 15 August 2015, provisions were made for the reform of the canonical process in cases of declaration of marital nullity: Mitis et Misericors Iesus for the Code of Canons of the Oriental Churches, and Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus for the Code of Canon Law.
15. With the Motu Proprio of 4 June 2016 (As a Loving Mother), an effort was made to prevent negligence on the part of bishops in the exercise of their office, especially with regard to cases of the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.
16. With the Motu Proprio of 4 July 2016 (Temporal Goods), following the rule whereby the organs of oversight should be separate from those that are being overseen, the respective areas of competence of the Secretariat of the Economy and of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See should be more carefully delineated.
17. With the Motu Proprio of 15 August 2016 (Sedula Mater), the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life was established, in the light of the general pastoral purpose of the Petrine ministry: I hasten to arrange all things necessary in order that the richness of Christ Jesus may be poured forth appropriately and profusely among the faithful.
18. With the Motu Proprio of 17 August 2016 (Humanum progressionem), the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development was established, so that development can take place by attending to the inestimable goods of justice, peace and the care of creation. Beginning in January 2017, four Pontifical Councils - Justice and Peace, Cor Unum, the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and Healthcare Workers – will be merged into this Dicastery. For the time being, I will directly head the section for the pastoral care of migrants in the new Dicastery.
19. On 18 October 2016, the Statutes of the Pontifical Academy for Life were approved.
Our meeting today began by speaking of the meaning of Christmas as the overturning of our human criteria, in order to emphasize that the heart and centre of the reform is Christ (Christocentrism).
I would like to conclude simply with a word and a prayer. The word is to reiterate that Christmas is the feast of God’s loving humility. As the prayer I have chosen the Christmas message of Father Matta el Meskin, a monk of our time, who, addressing the Lord Jesus born in Bethlehem, said: If for us the experience of (your) infancy is so difficult, it is not so for you, O Son of God. If we stumble along the way that leads to communion with you because of your smallness, you are capable of removing all the obstacles that prevent us from doing this. We know that you will not be at peace until you find us in your likeness and with this (same) smallness. Allow us today, O Son of God, to draw near to your heart. Grant that we may not consider ourselves great in our experiences. Grant us instead to become small like you, so that we can draw near to you and receive from you abundant humility and meekness. Do not deprive us of your revelation, the epiphany of your infancy in our hearts, so that with it we can heal all our pride and all our arrogance. We greatly need … for you to reveal in us your simplicity, by drawing us, and indeed the Church and the whole world, to yourself. Our world is weary and exhausted, because everyone is vying to see who is the greatest. There is a ruthless competition between governments, churches, peoples, within families, from one parish to another: Who of us is the greatest? The world is festering with painful wounds because of this great illness: Who is the greatest? But today we have found in you, O Son of God, our one medicine. We, and the whole world, will not find salvation or peace unless we go back to encounter you anew in the manger of Bethlehem. Amen.
Thank you, and I wish you a Holy Christmas and a Blessed New Year 2017! The Pope added the following extemporaneous remarks:
When, two years ago, I spoke about the illnesses, one of you came to say to me: Where must I go, to the pharmacy or to confession? -Well… both! I replied. And when I greeted Cardinal Brandmüller, he looked me in the eye and said: Acquaviva! I, at the time, did not understand, but later, thinking about it, I remembered that Acquaviva, the third general of the Society of Jesus, had written a book which we students read in Latin; the spiritual fathers made us read it, and it was entitled: Industriae pro Superioribusejusdem Societatis ad curandos animae morbos, that is, the illnesses of the soul. Three months ago, a very good edition came out in Italian, done by Father Giuliano Raffo, who died recently, with a good prologue which indicates how to read the book, and also with a good introduction. It is not a critical edition, but it is a really beautiful translation, very well done, and I believe it could be useful. As a Christmas gift, I would like to offer it to each one of you. Thank you.
At 9:08am this morning (local time in Rome), the Holy Father, Pope Francis communicated by telephone with the television programme TG1-RAI1 Unomattina (One morning), marking the thirtieth anniversary of transmission of that programme.
Transcription of the words spoken by Pope Francis
during the telephone conversation
Interviewer
We are ready, Holiness ...
Pope Francis
Good morning!
Interviewer
Good morning, thank you! Pope Francis
They told me that today is an important day for you at Unomattina: the thirtieth anniversary of your programme's transmission.
Interviewer
That is true ...
Pope Francis
I wanted to complement you, along with the authors of the programme, the directors, the journalists, the cameramen, the technicians, the employees ... in short, all those who are working to bring about this very popular programme. I know that today, the directors of TG1 and RAI1 are also present with you: I greet them too and wish you all good fortune with your work! Interviewer
Thank you, Holiness. We - Francesca and I - also want to congratulate you, along with all the journalists, the directors and the technicians for your birthday, for your 80th birthday. And now, we have prepared a little surprise for You, Holiness. Here it is ...
Pope Francis
Let's see what this little surprise is ...
(a pictorial montage of Pope Francis is shown on the live broadcast) Interviewer
Holiness, are you still on the phone with us? Pope Francis
Yes, yes, and I thank you for the surprise. Interviewer
We want to thank You, and since in a few days it will be Christmas, we want to know if ... meanwhile, we wish you Merry Christmas, Holiness! ... if you wanted to leave a message for those who are watching at home: among them are also many who are elderly, many who are sick ... Pope Francis
Yes. I wish them a Christian Christmas, like the first one was, when God wanted to turn worldly values upside down, he made himself small and was born in a stall, with the little ones, with the poor, with the marginalized ... Smallness. In this world, where the god of money is so much adored, may Christmas help us to look toward the smallness of this God who turned worldly values upside down. I wish you a holy and happy Christmas: a holy and a happy Christmas. Greetings to everyone.
Interviewer
Thank you, Holiness. Merry Christmas! Pope Francis
Merry Christmas!
