At 11:00am today (5:00am EST), in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the Members of the Circolo San Pietro, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of their foundation, and shared with them the following speech.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
offered to members of the Circolo San Pietro
Dear members of the Circolo San Pietro!
I am pleased to welcome you and I cordially greet you. I extend my thoughts to your families and to all those who work with you in your various charitable activities. I thank your President, Duca Leopoldo Torlonia, for his kind words. This meeting has a special character, since it is taking place on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the foundation of your association, which began in 1869 on the initiative of some young Romans. They were animated by the desire to witness concrete support and unconditional fidelity to Pope Pius IX, in a time of misunderstandings between Church and State. This fidelity was manifested through gestures of solidarity to be carried out in favour of the poor of Rome; thus the club became the longus manus of the Pope towards the most destitute sections of the population.
Together with you, I praise the Lord for the good that has been accomplished over these 150 years, with a thought of gratitude for the Members of yesterday and for those of today. In this long period of its existence, the original programmatic lines, synthesized in the three cornerstones: prayer, action and sacrifice, have never failed in your Circle. They have been the basis of the wonderful flourishing of activities in the area of charity and acceptance of the poor. These distinctive characteristics will be the springboard for the apostolic vitality and the future of your association: I encourage you to follow them with renewed enthusiasm. In particular, I would like to focus your reflection on one of these three fundamental points: prayer.
If Jesus is present in the brothers and sisters we meet, then voluntary activity can become an experience of God and of prayer. Do not forget the strength and importance of prayer for you and for all those involved in charitable work: it requires being nurtured with appropriate prayers and listening to the Word of God. The secret of the effectiveness of each of your projects is fidelity to Christ and a personal relationship with him in prayer. In this way, you will be ready to nourish those who live today in conditions of hardship or abandonment. Our daily life is in fact permeated by the presence of Jesus, under whose gaze we must also place the sufferings of the sick, the loneliness of the elderly, the fears of the poor and the fragility of the excluded.
Also in our times your precious service, articulated in various Commissions, seeks to be an efficacious expression and a living testimony of the love that the Church and in particular the Holy See reserve for the poor and the suffering. You are addressing mainly the sectors of human poverty in Rome, participating generously in the situations and needs of many brothers and sisters. Continue to pay great attention to new forms of poverty, trying in every situation to give comfort and help to the poor, without any distinction. Every poor person is worthy of our concern, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or any other condition. Going out to meet the poor, bringing relief to the sick and suffering, you serve Jesus, who assured us: That which you have done to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me! (Mt 25, 40).
Your praiseworthy institution, although it has been present for a long time in the Roman social fabric, brings with it evangelical ideals and a vitality that makes it suitable even today to offer a valid contribution in the field of the reception of the apostolate of charity. In a time of great changes and persistent economic precariousness, in which the ecclesial community feels called to proclaim the Christian message again and its power of humanization, you must be aware that your work still has an important role to play.
I thank you for all you do and for Peter's Pence, a contribution that you have come to give me every year: it is a further sign of your openness to people in need. At the same time, it is a concrete participation in the solicitude of the Apostolic See to respond to the growing urgencies of the Church especially in the poorest of countries. I wish once again to express my deep appreciation for your commitment, animated by your fervent fidelity and devotion to the Successor of Peter. May the Blessed Virgin accompany and support your intentions and your good work with her maternal protection.
I ask you to pray for me and for my service to the Church, and with all my heart I impart the Apostolic blessing to you who are here present, as well as to all those who assist you in your various activities, and I willingly extend this blessing also to your families. Thank you.
(Original text in Italian)
At 10:40am this morning (4:40am EST), in the Consistory Hall at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father received in audience those who are participating in the Meeting to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Cardinal Agostino Bea. This encounter has been organized by the Cardinal Bea Centre for Jewish Studies in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Centre for the Study of Christianity at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
offered to those who are Meeting to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death
of Cardinal Agostino Bea
Dear brothers and sisters,
I greet all of you and I offer you a warm welcome. I thank Cardinal Koch for his kind words of introduction to our meeting.
Your Centre, in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is commemorating Cardinal Augustin Bea by a series of scholarly lectures marking the fiftieth anniversary of his death. You thus have an opportunity to reconsider this outstanding figure and his decisive influence on several important documents of the Second Vatican Council. The issues of the Church’s relationship with Judaism, Christian unity, and freedom of conscience and religion, remain significant and extremely timely.
Cardinal Bea should not only be remembered for what he did, but also the way he did it. He remains a model and a source of inspiration for ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, and in an eminent way for the intra-familial dialogue with Judaism (cf Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, The Gifts and the Calling of God are Irrevocable, 20). Nahum Goldmann, then President of the World Jewish Congress, used three words to describe Bea: understanding, good and courageous (Staatsmann ohne Staat. Autobiographie, 1970, 378). These are three essential requisites for anyone who works for reconciliation between human beings.
First, understanding with regard to others. Cardinal Bea was convinced that love and respect are the primary principles of dialogue. He was convinced that Respect will also teach us the right way to propose the truth (L’Unione dei Cristiani, 1962, 72). It is true: there is no truth apart from love, and love finds expression above all in the capacity to accept, to embrace, to take to oneself (com-prehend). Second, goodness and humanity, the ability to forge bonds of friendship based on our shared fraternity as creatures of God who is Father and desires us to be brothers and sisters. Understanding that accepts the other, and goodness that seeks out and creates bonds of unity: these were sustained in him – and here is a third requisite – by a courageous temperament that Father Congar defined as stubborn patience (S. Schmidt, Augustin Bea, The Cardinal of Unity, 1992, 538). Cardinal Bea faced a number of obstacles in his efforts on behalf of dialogue. Although accused and maligned, he moved forward with the perseverance of one who never stops loving. When told that the times were not ripe for what the then Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity was proposing, he responded spiritedly: Then we have to make them ripe! (cf A. Bea, L’ecumenismo nel Concilio, 1968, 36). Neither an optimist nor a pessimist, he was a realist about the future of unity: on the one hand, conscious of the difficulties, on the other convinced of the need to respond to the heartfelt desire of the Lord that his disciples be one (Jn 17:21).
As Cardinal Bea put it, the Council should not be a goal but rather a point of departure (L’unione dei cristiani, 22). With you, then, I would like to emphasize the fruitful advances made in dialogue between Jews and Catholics after Bea and following his example. Your Centre represents a fundamental step on this journey. In asking the Gregorian University to establish the Centre, the Holy See charged it to become the Catholic Church’s premier program in Jewish Studies (Joint Declaration on the Program of Jewish Studies, 14 November 2002). In reaffirming this desire, I congratulate the students who have undertaken the challenge of studying Hebrew and becoming acquainted with a religious and cultural world of great richness and complexity. I encourage you in this effort. I think too of the teaching staff, who so generously offer their time and expertise. In a particular way, I would say a word to the Jewish instructors from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere who are engaged in the work of the Centre. You are teaching in an environment where your very presence represents a novelty and already sends a message. How can we introduce students to authentic dialogue without knowledge from within? Dialogue calls for hearing two voices, and the witness of Jewish and Catholic instructors who teach together is worth more than many speeches.
How are we to continue this journey? Up to now, Jewish-Christian dialogue has often taken place in settings for the most part reserved to specialists. Specialized research and knowledge are essential but not sufficient. Together with this path, there is a need to set out on another, broader one: that of making known the fruits of the dialogue, so that it will not remain the prerogative of a select few, but become a productive opportunity for many. Friendship and dialogue between Jews and Christians need to pass beyond the boundaries of the scientific community. It would be wonderful, for example, if in the same city rabbis and parish priests could work, together with their respective communities, in service to those in need and by promoting paths of peace and dialogue with all. I am confident that your commitment, your research and personal ties between Christians and Jews can produce a fertile terrain for planting the roots of further communion.
Dear friends, may this commemoration of the person and work of Cardinal Bea be a stimulus to strengthening our irreversible commitment to the quest for unity between Christians, and to promoting in concrete ways renewed friendship with our Jewish brothers and sisters. With these prayerful good wishes, I invoke upon you and your work the abundant blessings of the Most High. Thank you.
(Original text in Italian; translation by Libreria Editrice Vaticana)
The Holy Father, Pope Francis has sent a Video Message on the occasion of the opening of the working sessions being undertaken by the organizations and individuals taking part in the VII World Congress against the Death Penalty, which has been organized by the Ong ECPM (Together Against the Death Penalty - Insieme contro la pena di morte), in collaboration with the World Coalition against the Death Penalty. The Congress is taking place at the seat of the European Parliament in Brussels (Belgium) from 27 February to 1 March 2019.
Video Message of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
addressed to those participating in the
VII World Congress against the Death Penalty
Greetings to the organizers and participants taking part in the VII World Congress against the Death Penalty, which is taking place in Burssels.
Human life is a gift that we have received, the most important and primary gift, the source of all other gifts and all other rights. And as such it needs to be protected. In addition, for the believer, the human being has been created in the image and likeness of God. But, both for believers and non-believers, each life is a good and its dignity must be guarded without exceptions.
Capital punishment is a serious violation of the right to life that every person has. While it is true that human societies and communities often face very serious crimes that threaten the common good and the safety of people, it is no less true that today there are other means to atone for the damage caused, and detention systems are increasingly effective in protecting society from the harm that some people can cause. On the other hand, the conviction of offering even those guilty of crimes the possibility of repentance can never be abandoned.
For this reason, it is a positive sign that more and more countries are betting on life and no longer use the death penalty, or have completely eliminated it from their criminal legislation.
The Church has always defended life, and her vision of the death penalty has matured. For this reason, I wanted this point be modified in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For a long time the death penalty was taken into account as an adequate response to the seriousness of some crimes and also to protecting the common good. However, the dignity of the person is not lost even if he has committed the worst of crimes. No one can take his life and deprive him of the opportunity to embrace again the community he has hurt and caused to suffer.
The objective of the abolition of the death penalty worldwide represents a courageous affirmation of the principle of the dignity of the human person and the conviction that the human race can face crime, as well as reject evil, offering the condemned persons the possibility and time to repair the damage committed, think about their action and thus be able to change their lives, at least internally.
I accompany you with my prayer and I encourage you in your work and deliberations, as well as the Rulers and all those who have responsibilities in their countries so that the necessary steps are taken towards the total abolition of the death penalty. In our hands is the responsibility to recognize in each person their dignity and work so that no more lives are eliminated, but lived for the good of the whole society. Thank you.
(Original text in Spanish)
This morning's General Audience began at 9:20am (3:20am EST) in Saint Peter's Square where the Holy Father met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful from Italy and from all corners of the world.
In his speech, Pope Francis continued the cycle of catechesis on the Our Father, adding his mediation on the phrase Hallowed be thy name (Ezekiel 36:22-23).
After having summarized His catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered 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!
It seems as though winter is departing and therefore we have returned to the Square. Welcome to the Square! In our journey of rediscovering the prayer of the Our Father, today we will explore the first of Jesus' seven invocations: hallowed be thy name.
There are seven questions in the Our Father, which are are easily divisible into two subgroups. The first three have the You of God the Father as their focus; the other four have us and our human needs as their focus. In the first part, Jesus makes us enter into his desires, all addressed to the Father: hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done; in the second it is He who enters into us and becomes the interpreter of our needs: our daily bread, forgiveness of our sins, help in times of temptation and liberation from evil.
This is the matrix of every Christian prayer - I would say of every human prayer - which is always made up, on the one hand, of contemplation of God, of his mystery, of his beauty and goodness, and, on the other hand, of sincere and courageous requests for what we need in order to live, and to live well. Thus, in its simplicity and its essentials, the Our Father teaches those who pray to Him not to multiply vain words, because - as Jesus himself says - your Father knows what things you need even before you ask them (Mt 6.8).
When we speak to God, we do not do so in order to reveal what we have in our hearts: He knows us much better than we know ourselves! If God is a mystery to us, we are not an enigma in his eyes (cf Ps 139:1-4). God is like those mothers who need only a glance to understand everything about their children: if they are happy or sad, if they are sincere or if they are hiding something ...
The first step in Christian prayer is therefore the surrender of ourselves to God, to his providence. It is like saying: Lord, You know everything, you do not even need me to tell you about my pain, I only ask you to stay here beside me: you are my hope. It is interesting to note that Jesus, in the sermon on the mount, immediately after repeating the text of the Our Father, exhorts us not to worry about things. It seems like a contradiction: first he teaches us to ask for our daily bread and then he tells us: Do not worry therefore, saying: what will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? (Mt 6:31). But the contradiction is evident: the Christian's questions express confidence in the Father; and it is precisely this trust that makes us ask for what we need without worry and agitation.
This is why we pray by saying: Hallowed be thy name!. In this question - the first! - Hallowed be thy name!" - you can feel all the admiration of Jesus for the beauty and the greatness of the Father, and the desire that all people may recognize him and love him for what he really is. And at the same time there is the supplication that his name be sanctified in us, in our families, in our communities, in the whole world. It is God who sanctifies us, who transforms us with his love, but at the same time we too are the ones who, through our witness, manifest the holiness of God in the world, making his name present. God is holy, but if we are not holy, if our lives are not holy, there is a great incoherence! The holiness of God must be reflected in our actions, in our lives. I am a Christian, God is holy, but I do so many bad things, no, this is not good. This also hurts; this scandalizes and does not help.
The holiness of God is an expanding force, and we plead with Him that this force may quickly break down the barriers of our world. When Jesus begins to preach, the first to pay the consequences is precisely the evil one who afflicts the world. The evil spirits call out: What do you want from us, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to ruin us? I know who you are: the saint of God! (Mk 1:24). No one had never seen such holiness: holiness that helps us not to be worried about ourselves, but outstretched and willing to serve others. A holiness - that of Jesus - that spreads out in concentric circles, like when a stone is thrown into a pond. Evil has its days counted - evil is not eternal - evil can no longer harm us: the strong man who takes possession of his house has arrived (cf Mk 3: 23-27). And this strong man is Jesus, who also gives us the strength to take possession of our inner homes.
Prayer drives away all fear. The Father loves us, the Son raises his arms side by side with ours, the Spirit works in secret for the redemption of the world. And us? We do not waver in uncertainty. But we have a great certainty: God loves us; Jesus gave his life for us! The Spirit is inside of us. This is the great and sure thing. And the evil one? He's afraid. And this is beautiful.
(Original text in Italian)
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and His Holiness 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, especially those from England, Wales, Norway and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy and peace. God bless you!
This morning, the Holy See Press Centre published the Message of His Holiness, Pope Francis for Lent 2019 (which begins on 6 March 2019).
Message of His Holiness, Pope Francis
for Lent 2019
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God (Rom 8:19)
Dear brothers and sisters,
Each year, through Mother Church, God gives us this joyful season when we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed… as we recall the great events that gave us new life in Christ (Preface of Lent I). We can thus journey from Easter to Easter towards the fulfilment of the salvation we have already received as a result of Christ’s paschal mystery – for in hope we were saved (Rom 8:24). This mystery of salvation, already at work in us during our earthly lives, is a dynamic process that also embraces history and all of creation. As Saint Paul says, the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God (Rom 8:19). In this perspective, I would like to offer a few reflections to accompany our journey of conversion this coming Lent.
1. The redemption of creation
The celebration of the Paschal Triduum of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, the culmination of the liturgical year, calls us yearly to undertake a journey of preparation, in the knowledge that our being conformed to Christ (cf Rom 8:29) is a priceless gift of God’s mercy.
When we live as children of God, redeemed, led by the Holy Spirit (cf Rom 8:14) and capable of acknowledging and obeying God’s law, beginning with the law written on our hearts and in nature, we also benefit creation by cooperating in its redemption. That is why Saint Paul says that creation eagerly longs for the revelation of the children of God; in other words, that all those who enjoy the grace of Jesus’ paschal mystery may experience its fulfilment in the redemption of the human body itself. When the love of Christ transfigures the lives of the saints in spirit, body and soul, they give praise to God. Through prayer, contemplation and art, they also include other creatures in that praise, as we see admirably expressed in the Canticle of the Creatures by Saint Francis of Assisi (cf Laudato Si’, 87). Yet in this world, the harmony generated by redemption is constantly threatened by the negative power of sin and death.
2. The destructive power of sin
Indeed, when we fail to live as children of God, we often behave in a destructive way towards our neighbours and other creatures – and ourselves as well – since we begin to think more or less consciously that we can use them as we will. Intemperance then takes the upper hand: we start to live a life that exceeds those limits imposed by our human condition and nature itself. We yield to those untrammelled desires that the Book of Wisdom sees as typical of the ungodly, those who act without thought for God or hope for the future (cf Wis 2:1-11). Unless we tend constantly towards Easter, towards the horizon of the Resurrection, the mentality expressed in the slogans I want it all and I want it now! and Too much is never enough, gains the upper hand.
The root of all evil, as we know, is sin, which from its first appearance has disrupted our communion with God, with others and with creation itself, to which we are linked in a particular way by our body. This rupture of communion with God likewise undermines our harmonious relationship with the environment in which we are called to live, so that the garden has become a wilderness (cf Gen 3:17-18). Sin leads man to consider himself the god of creation, to see himself as its absolute master and to use it, not for the purpose willed by the Creator but for his own interests, to the detriment of other creatures.
Once God’s law, the law of love, is forsaken, then the law of the strong over the weak takes over. The sin that lurks in the human heart (cf Mk 7:20-23) takes the shape of greed and unbridled pursuit of comfort, lack of concern for the good of others and even of oneself. It leads to the exploitation of creation, both persons and the environment, due to that insatiable covetousness which sees every desire as a right and sooner or later destroys all those in its grip.
3. The healing power of repentance and forgiveness
Creation urgently needs the revelation of the children of God, who have been made a new creation. For if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Cor 5:17). Indeed, by virtue of their being revealed, creation itself can celebrate a Pasch, opening itself to a new heaven and a new earth (cf Rev 21:1). The path to Easter demands that we renew our faces and hearts as Christians through repentance, conversion and forgiveness, so as to live fully the abundant grace of the paschal mystery.
This eager longing, this expectation of all creation, will be fulfilled in the revelation of the children of God, that is, when Christians and all people enter decisively into the travail that conversion entails. All creation is called, with us, to go forth from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom 8:21). Lent is a sacramental sign of this conversion. It invites Christians to embody the paschal mystery more deeply and concretely in their personal, family and social lives, above all by fasting, prayer and almsgiving.
Fasting, that is, learning to change our attitude towards others and all of creation, turning away from the temptation to devour everything to satisfy our voracity and being ready to suffer for love, which can fill the emptiness of our hearts. Prayer, which teaches us to abandon idolatry and the self-sufficiency of our ego, and to acknowledge our need of the Lord and his mercy. Almsgiving, whereby we escape from the insanity of hoarding everything for ourselves in the illusory belief that we can secure a future that does not belong to us. And thus to rediscover the joy of God’s plan for creation and for each of us, which is to love him, our brothers and sisters, and the entire world, and to find in this love our true happiness.
Dear brothers and sisters, the lenten period of forty days spent by the Son of God in the desert of creation had the goal of making it once more that garden of communion with God that it was before original sin (cf Mk 1:12-13; Is 51:3). May our Lent this year be a journey along that same path, bringing the hope of Christ also to creation, so that it may be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom 8:21). Let us not allow this season of grace to pass in vain! Let us ask God to help us set out on a path of true conversion. Let us leave behind our selfishness and self-absorption, and turn to Jesus’ Pasch. Let us stand beside our brothers and sisters in need, sharing our spiritual and material goods with them. In this way, by concretely welcoming Christ’s victory over sin and death into our lives, we will also radiate its transforming power to all of creation.
From the Vatican
4 October 2018
Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi
The programme for the Holy Father, Pope Francis' Apostolic voyage to Marocco was first published on 9 February 2019, but has been updated. Here is the most recent plan for His Holiness' visit.
Itinerary for the Apostolic voyage of His Holiness, Pope Francis
to Morocco (Updated)
Saturday, 30 March 2019
10:45am (4:45am EST)
Departure by air from Rome's Fiumicino International Airport
2:00pm (8:00am EST)
Arrival at the International Airport in Rabat-Salé
Official welcome
2:30pm
Welcome ceremony in the Square outside the Royal Palace
2:50pm
Courtesy visit to King Mohammed VI inside the Royal Palace
3:30pm
Meeting with the People of Marocco, Authorities, members of Civil Society and members of the Diplomatic Corps on the Esplanade outside the Hassan II Mosque
Speech by the Holy Father
4:30pm
Visit to the Mausoleum of Mohammed V
5:00pm
Visit to the Mohammed VI Institute for Imams and Preachers
6:00pm
Meeting with Migrants at the Diocesan Caritas offices
Greetings by the Holy Father
Sunday, 31 March 2019
9:30am
Private visit to the Rural Centre for Social Services in Témara
10:35am
Meeting with Priests, Religious men and women, Consecrated persons and members of the Ecumenical Council of Churches inside the Cathedral of Rabat
Speech by the Holy Father
Angelus greetings by the Holy Father
12:00noon
Lunch with some members of the Papal Party and the Bishops of Marocco
2:45pm
Holy Mass inside the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex
Homily by the Holy Father
5:00pm
Departure ceremony at the International Airport in Rabat-Salé
5:15pm
Departure from Marocco
9:30pm
Arrival at Rome's Ciampino International Airport
The Director of the Holy See Press Centre, Alessandro Gisotti has issued a statement today concerning the case of Australian Cardinal George Pell.
Statement issued by Alessandro Gisotti
Interim Director of the Holy See Press Centre
The Holy See agrees with the statement issued by the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference regarding the sentence of guilt in the first instance concerning Cardinal George Pell.
This is painful news that, as we are well aware, has shocked many people, not only in Australia. As already expressed on other occasions, we have the utmost respect for the Australian judicial authorities.
Out of this respect, we await the outcome of the appeals process, recalling that Cardinal Pell maintains his innocence and has the right to defend himself until the last stage of appeal.
While awaiting the definitive judgement, we unite ourselves with the Australian bishops in praying for all victims of abuse, and reaffirm our commitment to do everything possible so that the Church might be a safe home for all, especially for children and the most vulnerable.
In order to ensure the course of justice, the Holy Father has confirmed the precautionary measures which had been imposed by the local Ordinary on Cardinal George Pell when he returned to Australia. That is, while awaiting the definitive assessment of the facts, as is the norm, Cardinal George Pell is prohibited from exercising public ministry and from having any voluntary contact whatsoever with minors.
At 11:20am today (5:20am EST), in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience those who are participating in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
The theme of the meeting - which is taking place from 25 to 27 February in the New Synod Hall at the Vatican is: Robo-ethics, people, machines and health.
Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis
offered to the Plenary Assembly of the
Pontifical Academy for Life
Dear brothers and sisters,
I cordially greet you on the occasion of your General Assembly, and I thank Archbishop Paglia for his kind words. This meeting takes place in the first Jubilee of the Academy for Life: 25 years after its birth. On this important anniversary, I sent the President last month a letter titled Humana communitas. What moved me to write this message is, first of all, the wish to thank all the Presidents who have taken the lead of the Academy and all the Members for the competent service and the generous commitment to protect and promote human life during these 25 years of activity.
We know the difficulties with which our world struggles. The fabric of family and social relations seems to wear down more and more and there is a tendency to close in on oneself and on one's own individual interests, with serious consequences regarding the great and decisive question of the unity of the human family and its future (Letter, Humana communitas, 2). A dramatic paradox is thus outlined: just when humanity possesses the scientific and technical capacities to achieve a fairly widespread well-being, according to God's delivery, we observe instead an exacerbation of conflicts and an increase in inequality. The enlightenment myth of progress declines and the accumulation of the potentialities that science and technology have provided us do not always get the desired results. In fact, on the one hand, technological development has allowed us to solve problems that were insurmountable until a few years ago, and we are grateful to the researchers who have achieved these results; on the other hand, difficulties and threats, sometimes more insidious than the previous ones, have emerged. The being able to do risks obscuring the person doing it. The technocratic system based on the criterion of efficiency does not respond to the most profound questions that man poses; and if on the one hand it is not possible to do without its resources, on the other it imposes its logic on those who use them. Yet the technique is characteristic of the human being. It should not be understood as a force that is alien and hostile to it, but as a product of its ingenuity through which it provides for the needs of living for oneself and for others. It is therefore a specifically human mode of inhabiting the world. However, today's evolution of technical capacity produces a dangerous enchantment: instead of delivering the tools that improve their care for human life, there is the risk of giving life to the logic of the devices that decide its value. This overturning is destined to produce nefarious outcomes: the machine is not limited to driving alone, but ends up guiding man. Human reason is thus reduced to an alienated rationality of effects, which cannot be considered worthy of man.
Unfortunately, we see the serious damage caused to the planet, our common home, from the indiscriminate use of technical means. This is why global bioethics is an important front on which to engage. It expresses awareness of the profound impact of environmental and social factors on health and life. This approach is very in tune with the integral ecology, described and promoted in the Encyclical Laudato si '. Moreover, in today's world, marked by a close interaction between different cultures, we need to bring the specific contribution of believers to the search for universally shared operational criteria, which are common points of reference for the choices of those who have the serious responsibility for decisions made on a national and international level. This also means engaging in dialogue regarding human rights, clearly highlighting their corresponding duties. In fact they constitute the ground for the common search for a universal ethic, on which we find many questions that tradition has dealt with by drawing on the patrimony of natural law.
The Letter Humana communitas explicitly recalls the theme of emerging and converging technologies. The possibility to intervene on living matter to orders of ever smaller size, to process ever larger volumes of information, to monitor - and manipulate - the cerebral processes of cognitive and deliberative activity, has enormous implications: it touches the very threshold of the specifically biological and spiritual differences of the human being. In this sense, I affirmed that the difference in human life is an absolute good (HC, 4).
It is important to reiterate: Artificial intelligence, robotics and other technological innovations must be used to contribute to the service of humanity and to the protection of our common home rather than to the exact opposite, as unfortunately some estimates predict ( Message to the World Economic Forum in Davos, 12 January 2018). The inherent dignity of every human being must be firmly placed at the centre of our reflection and action. In this regard, it should be noted that the designation of artificial intelligence, although certainly effective, may risk being misleading. The terms conceal the fact that - in spite of the useful fulfillment of servile tasks (this is the original meaning of the term robot), functional automatons remain qualitatively distant from the human prerogatives of knowledge and action. And therefore they can become socially dangerous. Moreover, the risk of man being technologized, rather than the humanized technique, is already real: so-called intelligent machines are hastily attributed capacities that are properly human.
We need to better understand what intelligence, conscience, emotionality, affective intentionality and the autonomy of moral action mean in this context. In fact, artificial devices that simulate human capabilities are devoid of human qualities. These must be taken into account to guide the regulation of their use, and the research itself, towards a constructive and equitable interaction between human beings and the latest versions of machines. In fact, they spread in our world and radically transform the scenario of our existence. If we can also bring these references to bear in mind, the extraordinary potential of the new discoveries can radiate their benefits on every person and on the whole of humanity.
The ongoing debate among the same specialists already shows the serious problems of the governability of algorithms that process huge amounts of data. In addition, serious ethical questions are posed by technologies involved in the manipulation of genetic makeup and brain functions. In any case, the attempt to explain the entirety of thought, sensitivity and the human psyche on the basis of the functional sum of its physical and organic parts, does not account for the emergence of the phenomena of experience and consciousness. The human phenomenon exceeds the result of the calculable assembly of the individual elements. Also in this context, the axiom according to which the whole is superior to the parts takes on new depth and meaning (cf Evangelii Gaudium, 234-237).
Precisely along this line of the complexity of the synergy of psyche and techno, on the other hand, what we learn about brain activity provides new clues about the way of understanding conscience (of self and of the world) and the human body itself: it is not possible to disregard the interweaving of multiple relationships for a deeper understanding of the integral human dimension.
Of course, from the data of the empirical sciences we can not draw metaphysical deductions. We can, however, draw from them indications that instruct anthropological reflection, even in theology, as has always happened in its history. It would indeed be decidedly contrary to our more genuine tradition to set ourselves on an anachronistic conceptual apparatus, incapable of adequately intermingling with the transformations of the concept of nature and artifice, conditioning and freedom, of means and ends, induced by the new culture of acting which are typical of the technological era. We are called to place ourselves on the path taken firmly by the Second Vatican Council, which calls for the renewal of theological disciplines and a critical reflection on the relationship between Christian faith and moral action (cf. Optatam Totius, 16).
Our commitment - both intellectual and specialist - will be a point of honour for our participation in the ethical alliance in favour of human life. This is a project that now, in a context in which increasingly sophisticated technological devices directly involve the human qualities of the body and the psyche, we must urgently share with all men and women engaged in scientific research and care work. It is a difficult task, certainly, given the fast pace of innovation. The example of the teachers of the believing intelligence, who entered with wisdom and audacity in the processes of their contemporaneity, in view of an understanding of the patrimony of the faith worthy of a man's reason, must encourage and sustain us.
I encourage you to continue your study and research, so that the work of promoting and defending life may always be increasingly effective and fruitful. May the Virgin Mother help you and may my blessing accompany you. And please, do not forget to pray for me. Thank you.
(Original text in Italian)
The interim Director of the Holy See Press Office, Alessandro Gisotti gave some details today about a meeting that has taken place at the Casa Santa Marta between the Holy Father and the Minister of Foreign Affairs from the United Arab Emirates.
Declaration of Alessandro Gisotti
Interim Director of the Holy See Press Centre
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness, Sheikh Abdallah Ben Zayed Al Nahyan was received today in private at the Casa Santa Marta by the Holy Father, Pope Francis. The meeting began at 12:30 and they spoke for 45 minutes.
Minister Ben Zayed wished to communicate to the Pope the decision that the government of the United Arab Emirates has agreed upon to promote the application of the intentions outlined in the document entitled Human Fraternity for World Peace and common coexistence, which was signed by the Holy Father and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahamad al-Tayyib in Abu Dhabi on 4 February 2019. Some of the expressions contained therein have already been implemented and others will be enacted in the future.
The Delegation presented to the Holy Father a box set containing some stones with inscriptions in Arabic, which express messages related to love, tolerance and brotherhood.
The Pope presented a copy of an engraving dating from the seventeenth century that shows the construction works in Saint Peter's Square and four large photo albums, intended for the President and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, containing a selection of the best images of the visit of the Pontiff to their country.
At the conclusion of their meeting, the Holy Father shared lunch together with the Minister and the delegation from the United Arab Emirates.
The interim Director of the Holy See Press Centre provided information to journalists today concerning the follow-up meeting that took place today in the wake of the Meeting for the Protection of Minors.
Declaration of Alessandro Gisotti
Interim Director of the Holy See Press Centre
From 9:00am to 1:00pm today (3:00am to 7:00am EST) in the Sala Bologna at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, there was an Inter-dicasterial meeting held. The focus of this meeting was the ongoing fight against child abuse. This meeting is the first concrete effect of the Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church which concluded yesterday.
At the meeting, together with some Superiors of the Secretariat of State and the Heads of Dicasteries who are particularly involved in this topic, members of the Organizing Committee and the Moderator of the Meeting, Father Federico Lombardi, SJ focused on the development of the next steps, the initial reactions to the Meeting and the necessary follow up.
First of all, unanimous focus was placed upon what is needed as a result of this Meeting, which was strongly desired by Pope Francis. It was also pointed out that this event must now be followed up by concrete measures as has strongly been requested by the People of God. In this context, the fundamental principles that inspire the documents and task forces, which were announced in the Press Conference addressing the Meeting were illustrated. These initiatives - it has been affirmed - will have to be communicated in the clearest, most timely and detailed way possible.
In the discussions that followed, the Leaders of the Dicasteries reaffirmed their commitment to follow the example of Pope Francis in the fight against abuses. The accent was placed on the need to listen to the victims as a starting point for this commitment. Other points raised included: greater involvement of the laity in this initiative and the need to invest in training and prevention using reality and consolidated experience in this field.
Finally, the progress of the follow-up to this Meeting should be verified with Inter-dicasterial meetings in the name of synodality and synergy.
At 11:05am this morning (5:05am EST), in the Hall of Popes inside the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience a delegation from the Apostolikì Diakonia from the Church of Greece.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
offered to members of the Church of Greece
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
It is with particular joy that I welcome you and thank you for your visit. I am especially grateful to Bishop Agathanghelos. Before all else, I ask you a favour: that on your return to Athens you convey my cordial and fraternal good wishes to His Beatitude Hieronymos II, who a few days ago, on 16 February, celebrated the eleventh anniversary of his enthronement. I ask the Father who is the giver of every good gift (cf Jas 1:17) to grant him health, peace and spiritual joy. I pray too that, through the intercession of the Apostle Paul who preached the Gospel in Greece and crowned his witness by martyrdom here in Rome, he may abundantly bless the beloved Greek people.
Cooperation between Apostolikí Diakonía and the Council for Promoting Christian Unity has been taking place for over fifteen years and has resulted in a number of praiseworthy cultural and educational projects. It is a fine example of how fruitful it can be when Catholics and Orthodox work together. In these years, both the organizers of these initiatives and those who have benefited from them, chiefly the young students of our Churches, have realized that what we have in common is much greater than what keeps us apart. Working together helps us to see one another as brothers and sisters. Our young people teach us not to remain prisoners of our differences, but to grow in the desire to journey together and to dream of surmounting the difficulties standing in the way of full communion. It is up to us to continue to advance together, to work together and to see ourselves once more as brothers and sisters. At every step, and in all we do, we can glimpse, with God’s help, his loving presence that leads us to ever deeper communion. I would like, then, to join with you in imploring the grace to make this journey. And to do so, not as individuals going their separate ways and working for their own goals, as if others were simply set at our side by history, but rather as brothers and sisters whom God’s providence has made us encounter as we journey together towards the one Lord, bearing one another’s burdens and rejoicing in each other’s progress. I thank Apostolikí Diaconía for the steps already taken on this journey, and I assure you of the support of the Catholic Church for its continuation.
The pastoral care of the family is another fruitful field for cooperation between Orthodox and Catholics, one that needs to be cultivated with passion and urgency. In our time, marked by swift social changes that have resulted in an increased inner fragility, Christian families in a variety of geographic and cultural settings face many similar challenges. We are called to remain close to them and to help families rediscover the gift of marriage and the beauty of preserving a love renewed daily by patient and generous sharing and the quiet power of prayer. We are also called to be present wherever family life does not correspond to the fullness of the evangelical ideal, or is not lived in peace and joy (cf. Amoris Laetitia, 5). Together, then, while respecting our different spiritual traditions, we can actively cooperate in promoting, in various settings, both national and international, activities and initiatives having to do with families and family values.
Once more, I thank you for your visit, and I ask the Lord to grant you his abundant blessings. I ask you, please, to save a place for me in your prayers. Thank you.
(Original text in Italian)
Here is the reflection I shared with those who came to pray with us today: some thoughts motivated by the meeting for the Protection of Minors in the Church.
A defining moment
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you (Lk 6:27-28). The gospel passage that we have just heard describes a defining moment in the ministry of Jesus and in the lives of his disciples. There were a few such moments during the time that the disciples shared with Jesus when he described a way of life that was – and still is – very different from the life that his followers had been used to living until then. Ever since that moment, those who have followed in his footsteps have been trying to put those words into practice ... including us.
This week, there is a special Meeting taking place in Rome, one that has drawn the attention of many in our country and indeed around the world. At the very beginning of their meeting, Pope Francis set the tone: In the light of the scourge of sexual abuse perpetrated by ecclesiastics to the great harm of minors, I wanted to consult with you, Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and Religious Superiors and Leaders, so that together we might listen to the Holy Spirit and, in docility to his guidance, hear the cry of the little ones who plead for justice (Pope Francis, Introductory Remarks, 21 February 2019).
In various parts of the world, Bishops and other Leaders in the Church have been listening to the cries of the little ones – children, teenagers and adults – who have been crying out for justice, but unfortunately, too many of these voices have been ignored. Not any more! This is a defining moment in the history of the Church. For far too long, we have not wanted to stand face to face with the truth that innocent people have suffered unspeakable harm and the result is that the reputation of the Church and of her members has suffered and continues to suffer. Many of those who once placed great trust in us have turned away because when they needed us, we too turned our backs. Not any more!
From a human point of view, it does not seem natural for us to want to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to bless those who curse us or to pray for those who abuse us, but these are precisely the attitudes that have defined Jesus’ disciples throughout the centuries. He never wanted us to be like everyone else. He wanted us to set an example so that others would see a different way.
On Wednesday of this week, prior to the beginning of the Meeting in Rome, the members of the Organizing committee met with 12 people who have suffered abuse – men and women from different parts of the world, who wanted to share their stories. In addition, each of the participants who is present for these Meetings has brought stories of others who have also suffered.
Skeptics would have us believe that nothing will come of the meetings that are taking place in Rome this week, but the gospel by which we live challenges us to show the world that this is indeed a defining moment in the life of the Church. The holy people of God are watching, and we must all pray that this Meeting in Rome will result not in simple and predictable condemnations, but concrete and effective measures to be undertaken.
Un moment déterminant
Aimez vos ennemis, faites du bien à ceux qui vous haïssent, souhaitez du bien à ceux qui vous maudissent, priez pour ceux qui vous calomnient (Lc 6, 27-28). Le passage de l'évangile que nous venons d'entendre décrit un moment décisif dans le ministère de Jésus et dans la vie de ses disciples. Il y a eu quelques moments de ce genre pendant le temps que les disciples ont partagé avec Jésus lorsqu’il a décrit un mode de vie qui était - et qui est toujours - très différent de la vie que ses disciples avaient l'habitude de vivre jusque-là. Depuis ce moment, ceux qui ont suivi ses traces ont essayé de mettre ces paroles en pratique ... y compris nous.
Cette semaine, une réunion spéciale se tient à Rome, une réunion qui a attiré l’attention de plusieurs personnes de notre pays et même du monde entier. Au tout début de la rencontre, le pape François a donné le ton: Face au fléau des abus sexuels perpétrés par des hommes d’Église contre des mineurs, j’ai pensé vous consulter vous, Patriarches, Cardinaux, Archevêques, Évêques, Supérieurs religieux et Responsables, afin que tous ensemble nous nous mettions à l’écoute de l’Esprit Saint, et que dociles sous sa conduite nous écoutions le cri des petits qui demandent justice (Pape François, Introduction, 21 février 2019).
Dans diverses parties du monde, les évêques et les autres dirigeants de l'Église ont écouté les cris des tout-petits – des enfants, des adolescents et des adultes - qui réclamaient justice, mais malheureusement, trop de ces voix ont été ignorées. . Plus maintenant! C'est un moment décisif dans l'histoire de l'Église. Pendant trop longtemps, nous n'avons pas voulu nous confronter à la vérité selon laquelle des personnes innocentes ont subi un préjudice indescriptible et il en résulte que la réputation de l'Église et de ses membres a souffert et elle continue de souffrir. Beaucoup de ceux qui nous faisaient une grande confiance se sont détournés de nous parce qu’ils avaient besoin de nous et nous avons tourné le dos. Plus maintenant!
Du point de vue humain, il ne nous semble pas naturel de vouloir aimer nos ennemis, de faire du bien à ceux qui nous haïssent, de souhaitez le bien à ceux qui nous maudissent ou de prier pour ceux qui nous calomnient, mais ce sont des attitudes qui ont défini les disciples de Jésus au cours des siècles. Notre Seigneur n'a jamais voulu que nous soyons comme tout le monde. Il voulait que nous donnions l'exemple afin que les autres voient les choses différemment.
Le mercredi de cette semaine, avant le début de la réunion à Rome, les membres du comité d'organisation ont rencontré 12 personnes (des hommes et des femmes des quatre coins du monde) victimes de maltraitance, qui souhaitaient partager leurs histoires. De plus, chacun des participants présents à ces réunions a apporté d’autres histoires de personnes qui ont souffert.
Les sceptiques voudraient nous faire croire que rien ne viendra des réunions qui se tiennent à Rome cette semaine, mais l'évangile selon lequel nous vivons nous met au défi de montrer au monde que c'est vraiment un moment déterminant de la vie de l'Église. Le saint Peuple de Dieu nous regarde et nous devons tous prier pour que cette réunion à Rome ne débuche pas sur des simples et faciles condamnations, mais des mesures concrètes et efficaces à préconiser.
At the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration inside the Sala Regia at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, at the conclusion of the Meeting for the Protection of Minors in the Church, at noon today (6:00am EST), the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study inside the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
This Sunday's gospel (cf Lk 6:27-38) concerns a central and characterizing point of Christian life: love for our enemies. The words of Jesus are clear: To you who hear, I say: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly (Lk 6:27-28). And this is not an option, it is a command. It is not for everyone, but for the disciples, who Jesus calls you who listen. He knows very well that loving our enemies goes beyond our possibilities, but it was for this reason that he became a man: not to leave us as we are, but to transform us into men and women capable of a greater love, that of his Father and ours . This is the love that Jesus gives to those who listen to him. And then it becomes possible! With him, thanks to his love, thanks to his Spirit we can also love those who do not love us, even those who make us evil.
In this way, Jesus wants God's love to triumph over hatred and rancour in every heart. The logic of love, which culminates in the Cross of Christ, is the badge of the Christian and leads us to go out to meet everyone with a heart of brothers. But how is it possible to overcome human instinct and the worldly law of retaliation? The answer is given by Jesus in the same gospel passage: Be merciful, as your Father is merciful (Lk 6:36). Whoever listens to Jesus, whoever strives to follow him even if it costs, becomes a child of God and begins to really resemble the Father in heaven. We become capable of things that we would never have thought we could say or do, and of which we would rather be ashamed, but instead now give us joy and peace. We no longer need to be violent, with words and gestures; we discover ourselves capable of tenderness and goodness; and we feel that all this does not come from us but from Him!, and therefore we do not boast about it, but we are grateful.
There is nothing greater and more fruitful than love: it confers to the person all his dignity, while, on the contrary, hatred and revenge diminish it, disfiguring the beauty of the creature made in the image of God.
This command, to respond to insult and wrongdoing with love, has generated a new culture in the world: the culture of mercy - we must learn it well !, and practice it well, this culture of mercy - which gives life to a true revolution (Misericordia et misera, 20). It is the revolution of love, whose protagonists are the martyrs of all time. And Jesus assures us that our behaviour, marked by love towards those who make us evil, will not be in vain. He says: Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and you will receive ..., because with the measure with which you measure, it will be measured for you in return (Mk 6:37-38). This is nice. It will be a beautiful thing that God will give us if we are generous and merciful. We must forgive because God has forgiven us and he always forgives us. If we do not completely forgive, we can not pretend to be completely forgiven. Instead, if our hearts are open to mercy, if forgiveness is sealed with a fraternal embrace and the bonds of communion are tightened, we will proclaim before the world that it is possible to overcome evil with good. Sometimes it is easier for us to remember the wrongs they have done to us and the evils they have done us and not the good things; to the point that there are people who have this habit and become a disease. They are collectors of injustice: they only remember the bad things they did. And this is not a road. We have to do the opposite, says Jesus. Remembering good things, and when someone comes to chat, and speaks badly about the other, saying: But yes, maybe ... but he has this good ... Reverse the speech. This is the revolution of mercy.
May the Virgin Mary help us to allow our hearts to be touched by this holy word of God, a word which is burning like fire, able to transform us and make us capable of doing good without seeking recompense, doing good without seeking any payment; bearing witness everywhere to the victory of love.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father said:
Dear brothers and sisters,
This morning a very important meeting on the subject of child protection ended here in the Vatican. The Patriarchs, the Presidents of all the Episcopal Conferences, the Heads of the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Representatives of the Superiors of the religious Congregations and several of my collaborators in the Roman Curia took part in these meetings.
As you know, the problem of sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy has long provoked a serious scandal in the Church and in public opinion, both due to the tragic sufferings of the victims and to the unjustifiable inattention towards them and the covering up of the culprits by responsible people in the Church.
Since it is a widespread problem, existing on every continent, I wanted to address it together, in a co-responsible and collegial way, we Pastors of the Catholic communities all over the world. We have heard the voice of the victims, we have prayed and asked God - and people who have been offended - for forgiveness, we have become aware of our responsibilities, of our duty to do justice in the truth, to radically refuse all forms of abuse of power, conscience and sexuality.
We want all Church activities and places to always be safe for minors; that all possible measures are taken so that similar crimes are not repeated; that the Church returns to being absolutely credible and reliable in its mission of service and education for the little ones according to the teaching of Jesus.
In this way we will be able to collaborate with all our hearts and effectively, together with all people of good will and all the components and positive forces of society, in all countries and internationally, so that we can fight to the end, in every its form, the very serious scourge of violence against hundreds of millions of children - girls and boys - all over the world.
I offer a cordial greeting to all of you, pilgrims from Rome, from Italy and from various other countries.
I greet the faithful from the dioceses of Seville; those from Trieste, Agropoli and Lower Venegono.
I greet the groups who have come to Rome on the occasion of the World Day of Rare Diseases and I hope that the patients and their families are being adequately supported along their journey which is not easy, both medically and legally.
And I wish you all a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
(Original text in Italian)
At the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration which took place this morning inside the Sala Regia at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis shared his concluding speech with the Presidents of the Catholic Church's Episcopal Conferences, Leaders of the Eastern Catholic Churches, representatives from the Union of Superiors General and the International Union of Superiors General, Members of the Roman Curia and Members of the Council of Cardinals who have been participating in the Meeting for the Protection of Minors in the Church, which has been taking place in the Vatican from 21 to 24 February 2019.
Speech of His Holiness, Pope Francis
at the conclusion of the Meeting for the
Protection of Minors in the Church
Dear brothers and sisters,
As I thank the Lord who has accompanied us during these days, I would like to thank all of you for the ecclesial spirit and concrete commitment that you have so generously demonstrated.
Our work has made us realize once again that the gravity of the scourge of the sexual abuse of minors is, and historically has been, a widespread phenomenon in all cultures and societies. Only in relatively recent times has it become the subject of systematic research, thanks to changes in public opinion regarding a problem that was previously considered taboo; everyone knew of its presence yet no one spoke of it. I am reminded too of the cruel religious practice, once widespread in certain cultures, of sacrificing human beings – frequently children – in pagan rites. Yet even today, the statistics available on the sexual abuse of minors drawn up by various national and international organizations and agencies (the WHO, UNICEF, INTERPOL, EUROPOL and others) do not represent the real extent of the phenomenon, which is often underestimated, mainly because many cases of the sexual abuse of minors go unreported, [1] particularly the great number committed within families.
Rarely, in fact, do victims speak out and seek help. [2] Behind this reluctance there can be shame, confusion, fear of reprisal, various forms of guilt, distrust of institutions, forms of cultural and social conditioning, but also lack of information about services and facilities that can help. Anguish tragically leads to bitterness, even suicide, or at times to seek revenge by doing the same thing. The one thing certain is that millions of children in the world are victims of exploitation and of sexual abuse.
It would be important here to cite the overall data – in my opinion still partial – on the global level, [3] then from Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania, in order to give an idea of the gravity and the extent of this plague in our societies. [4] To avoid needless quibbling, I would point out from the start that the mention of specific countries is purely for the sake of citing the statistical data provided by the aforementioned reports.
The first truth that emerges from the data at hand is that those who perpetrate abuse, that is acts of physical, sexual or emotional violence, are primarily parents, relatives, husbands of child brides, coaches and teachers. Furthermore, according to the UNICEF data of 2017 regarding 28 countries throughout the world, 9 out of every 10 girls who have had forced sexual relations reveal that they were victims of someone they knew or who was close to their family.
According to official data from the American government, in the United States over 700,000 children each year are victims of acts of violence and mistreatment. According to the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC), 1 out of every 10 children experiences sexual abuse. In Europe, 18 million children are victims of sexual abuse. [5]
If we take Italy as an example, the 2016 Telefono Azzurro Report states that 68.9% of abuses take place within the home of the minor. [6]
Acts of violence take place not only in the home, but also in neighbourhoods, schools, athletic facilities [7] and, sadly, also in church settings.
Research conducted in recent years on the phenomenon of the sexual abuse of minors also shows that the development of the web and of the communications media have contributed to a significant increase in cases of abuse and acts of violence perpetrated online. Pornography is rapidly spreading worldwide through the net. The scourge of pornography has expanded to an alarming degree, causing psychological harm and damaging relations between men and women, and between adults and children. It is a phenomenon in constant growth. Tragically, a considerable part of pornographic production has to do with minors, who are thus gravely violated in their dignity. The studies in this field - it is sad - document that it is happening in ever more horrible and violent ways, even to the point of acts of abuse against minors being commissioned and viewed live over the net. [8]
Here I would mention the World Congress held in Rome on the theme of child dignity in the digital era, as well as the first Forum of the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities held on the same theme in Abu Dhabi last November.
Another scourge is sexual tourism. According to 2017 data provided by the World Tourism Organization, each year 3 million people throughout the world travel in order to have sexual relations with a minor. [9] Significantly, the perpetrators of these crimes in most cases do not even realize that they are committing a criminal offence.
We are thus facing a universal problem, tragically present almost everywhere and affecting everyone. Yet we need to be clear, that while gravely affecting our societies as a whole, [10] this evil is in no way less monstrous when it takes place within the Church.
The brutality of this worldwide phenomenon becomes all the more grave and scandalous in the Church, for it is utterly incompatible with her moral authority and ethical credibility. Consecrated persons, chosen by God to guide souls to salvation, let themselves be dominated by their human frailty or sickness and thus become tools of Satan. In abuse, we see the hand of the evil that does not spare even the innocence of children. No explanations suffice for these abuses involving children. We need to recognize with humility and courage that we stand face to face with the mystery of evil, which strikes most violently against the most vulnerable, for they are an image of Jesus. For this reason, the Church has now become increasingly aware of the need not only to curb the gravest cases of abuse by disciplinary measures and civil and canonical processes, but also to decisively confront the phenomenon both inside and outside the Church. She feels called to combat this evil that strikes at the very heart of her mission, which is to preach the Gospel to the little ones and to protect them from ravenous wolves.
Here again I would state clearly: if in the Church there should emerge even a single case of abuse – which already in itself represents an atrocity – that case will be faced with the utmost seriousness. Brothers and sisters: in people’s justified anger, the Church sees the reflection of the wrath of God, betrayed and insulted by these deceitful consecrated persons. The echo of the silent cry of the little ones who, instead of finding in them fathers and spiritual guides encountered tormentors, will shake hearts dulled by hypocrisy and by power. It is our duty to pay close heed to this silent, choked cry.
It is difficult to grasp the phenomenon of the sexual abuse of minors without considering power, since it is always the result of an abuse of power, an exploitation of the inferiority and vulnerability of the abused, which makes possible the manipulation of their conscience and of their psychological and physical weakness. The abuse of power is likewise present in the other forms of abuse affecting almost 85,000,000 children, forgotten by everyone: child soldiers, child prostitutes, starving children, children kidnapped and often victimized by the horrid commerce of human organs or enslaved, child victims of war, refugee children, aborted children and so many others.
Before all this cruelty, all this idolatrous sacrifice of children to the god of power, money, pride and arrogance, empirical explanations alone are not sufficient. They fail to make us grasp the breadth and depth of this tragedy. Here once again we see the limitations of a purely positivistic approach. It can provide us with a true explanation helpful for taking necessary measures, but it is incapable of giving us a meaning. Today we need both explanation and meaning. Explanation will help us greatly in the operative sphere, but will take us only halfway.
So what would be the existential meaning of this criminal phenomenon? In the light of its human breadth and depth, it is none other than the present-day manifestation of the spirit of evil. If we fail to take account of this dimension, we will remain far from the truth and lack real solutions.
Brothers and sisters, today we find ourselves before a manifestation of brazen, aggressive and destructive evil. Behind and within, there is the spirit of evil, which in its pride and in its arrogance considers itself the Lord of the world[ 11] and thinks that it has triumphed. I would like to say this to you with the authority of a brother and a father, certainly a small one and a sinner, but who is the pastor of the Church that presides in charity: in these painful cases, I see the hand of evil that does not spare even the innocence of the little ones. And this leads me to think of the example of Herod who, driven by fear of losing his power, ordered the slaughter of all the children of Bethlehem. [12] Behind this there is satan.
Just as we must take every practical measure that common sense, the sciences and society offer us, neither must we lose sight of this reality; we need to take up the spiritual means that the Lord himself teaches us: humiliation, self-accusation, prayer and penance. This is the only way to overcome the spirit of evil. It is how Jesus himself overcame it. [13]
The Church’s aim will thus be to hear, watch over, protect and care for abused, exploited and forgotten children, wherever they are. To achieve that goal, the Church must rise above the ideological disputes and journalistic practices that often exploit, for various interests, the very tragedy experienced by the little ones.
The time has come, then, to work together to eradicate this evil from the body of our humanity by adopting every necessary measure already in force on the international level and ecclesial levels. The time has come to find a correct equilibrium of all values in play and to provide uniform directives for the Church, avoiding the two extremes of a justicialism provoked by guilt for past errors and media pressure, and a defensiveness that fails to confront the causes and effects of these grave crimes.
In this context, I would mention the best practices formulated under the guidance of the World Health Organization [14] by a group of ten international bodies that developed and approved a packet of measures called INSPIRE: Seven Strategies for Ending Violence against Children. [15]
With the help of these guidelines, the work carried out in recent years by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and the contributions made by this Meeting, the Church, in developing her legislation, will concentrate on the following aspects:
1. The protection of children. The primary goal of every measure must be to protect the little ones and prevent them from falling victim to any form of psychological and physical abuse. Consequently, a change of mentality is needed to combat a defensive and reactive approach to protecting the institution and to pursue, wholeheartedly and decisively, the good of the community by giving priority to the victims of abuse in every sense. We must keep ever before us the innocent faces of the little ones, remembering the words of the Master: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of scandals! For it is necessary that scandals come, but woe to the man by whom the scandal comes! (Mt 18:6-7).
2. Impeccable seriousness. Here I would reaffirm that the Church will spare no effort to do all that is necessary to bring to justice whosoever has committed such crimes. The Church will never seek to hush up or not take seriously any case (Address to the Roman Curia, 21 December 2018). She is convinced that the sins and crimes of consecrated persons are further tainted by infidelity and shame; they disfigure the countenance of the Church and undermine her credibility. The Church herself, with her faithful children, is also a victim of these acts of infidelity and these real sins of 'peculation' (Address to the Roman Curia, 21 December 2018).
3. Genuine purification. Notwithstanding the measures already taken and the progress made in the area of preventing abuse, there is need for a constantly renewed commitment to the holiness of pastors, whose conformity to Christ the Good Shepherd is a right of the People of God. The Church thus restates her firm resolve to pursue unstintingly a path of purification, questioning how best to protect children, to avoid these tragedies, to bring healing and restoration to the victims, and to improve the training imparted in seminaries … An effort will be made to make past mistakes opportunities for eliminating this scourge, not only from the body of the Church but also from that of society” (Address to the Roman Curia, 21 December 2018). The holy fear of God leads us to accuse ourselves – as individuals and as an institution – and to make up for our failures. Self-accusation is the beginning of wisdom and bound to the holy fear of God: learning how to accuse ourselves, as individuals, as institutions, as a society. For we must not fall into the trap of blaming others, which is a step towards the alibi that separates us from reality.
4. Formation. In other words, requiring criteria for the selection and training of candidates to the priesthood that are not simply negative, concerned above all with excluding problematic personalities, but also positive, providing a balanced process of formation for suitable candidates, fostering holiness and the virtue of chastity. Saint Paul VI, in his encyclical Sacerdotalis Caelibatus, wrote that the life of the celibate priest, which engages the whole man so totally and so sensitively, excludes those of insufficient physical, psychic and moral qualifications. Nor should anyone pretend that grace supplies for the defects of nature in such a man (SC, 64).
5. Strengthening and reviewing guidelines by Episcopal Conferences. In other words, reaffirming the need for bishops to be united in the application of parameters that serve as rules and not simply indications. Rules, not simply indications. No abuse should ever be covered up (as was often the case in the past) or not taken sufficiently seriously, since the covering up of abuses favours the spread of evil and adds a further level of scandal. Also and in particular, developing new and effective approaches for prevention in all institutions and in every sphere of ecclesial activity.
6. Accompaniment of those who have been abused. The evil that they have experienced leaves them with indelible wounds that also manifest themselves in resentment and a tendency to self-destruction. The Church thus has the duty to provide them with all the support they need, by availing herself of experts in this field. Listening, let me even put it this way: wasting time in listening. Listening heals the hurting person, and likewise heals us of our egoism, aloofness and lack of concern, of the attitude shown by the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
7. The digital world. The protection of minors must take into account the new forms of sexual abuse and abuse of all kinds that threaten minors in the settings in which they live and through the new devices that they use. Seminarians, priests, men and women religious, pastoral agents, indeed everyone, must be aware that the digital world and the use of its devices often has a deeper effect than we may think. Here there is a need to encourage countries and authorities to apply every measure needed to contain those websites that threaten human dignity, the dignity of women and particularly that of children. Brothers and sisters: crime does not enjoy the right to freedom. There is an absolute need to combat these abominations with utter determination, to be vigilant and to make every effort to keep the development of young people from being troubled or disrupted by an uncontrolled access to pornography, which will leave deep scars on their minds and hearts. We must ensure that young men and women, particularly seminarians and clergy, are not enslaved to addictions based on the exploitation and criminal abuse of the innocent and their pictures, and contempt for the dignity of women and of the human person. Here mention should be made of the new norms on graviora delicta approved by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, which included as a new species of crime the acquisition, possession or distribution by a cleric of pornographic images of minors … by whatever means or using whatever technology. The text speaks of minors under the age of fourteen. We now consider that this age limit should be raised in order to expand the protection of minors and to bring out the gravity of these deeds.
8. Sexual tourism. The conduct, the way of looking at others, the very heart of Jesus’ disciples and servants must always acknowledge the image of God in each human creature, beginning with the most innocent. It is only by drawing from this radical respect for the dignity of others that we will be able to defend them from the pervasive power of violence, exploitation, abuse and corruption, and serve them in a credible way in their integral human and spiritual growth, in the encounter with others and with God. Combatting sexual tourism demands that it be outlawed, but also that the victims of this criminal phenomenon be given support and helped to be reinserted in society. The ecclesial communities are called to strengthen their pastoral care of persons exploited by sexual tourism. Among these, those who are most vulnerable and in need of particular help are certainly women, minors and children; these last however need special forms of protection and attention. Government authorities should make this a priority and act with urgency to combat the trafficking and economic exploitation of children. To this end it is important to coordinate the efforts being made at every level of society and to cooperate closely with international organizations so as to achieve a juridical framework capable of protecting children from sexual exploitation in tourism and of ensuring the legal prosecution of offenders. [16]
Allow me now to offer a heartfelt word of thanks to all those priests and consecrated persons who serve the Lord faithfully and totally, and who feel themselves dishonoured and discredited by the shameful conduct of some of their confreres. All of us – the Church, consecrated persons, the People of God, and even God himself – bear the effects of their infidelity. In the name of the whole Church, I thank the vast majority of priests who are not only faithful to their celibacy, but spend themselves in a ministry today made even more difficult by the scandals of few (but always too many) of their confreres. I also thank the faithful who are well aware of the goodness of their pastors and who continue to pray for them and to support them.
Finally, I would like to stress the important need to turn this evil into an opportunity for purification. Let us look to the example of Edith Stein – Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross – with the certainty that in the darkest night, the greatest prophets and saints rise up. Still, the life-giving stream of the mystical life remains invisible. Surely, the decisive events of history of the world have been essentially influenced by souls about whom the history books remain silent. And those souls that we must thank for the decisive events in our personal lives is something that we will know only on that day when all that which is hidden will be brought to light. The holy, faithful People of God, in its daily silence, in many forms and ways continues to demonstrate and attest with stubborn hope that the Lord never abandons but sustains the constant and, in so many cases, painful devotion of his children. The holy and patient, faithful People of God, borne up and enlivened by the Holy Spirit, is the best face of the prophetic Church which puts her Lord at the centre in daily giving of herself. It will be precisely this holy People of God to liberate us from the plague of clericalism, which is the fertile ground for all these disgraces.
The best results and the most effective resolution that we can offer to the victims, to the People of Holy Mother Church and to the entire world, are the commitment to personal and collective conversion, the humility of learning, listening, assisting and protecting the most vulnerable.
I make a heartfelt appeal for an all-out battle against the abuse of minors both sexually and in other areas, on the part of all authorities and individuals, for we are dealing with abominable crimes that must be erased from the face of the earth: this is demanded by all the many victims hidden in families and in the various settings of our societies.
(Original text in Italian; texte en français)
[1] cf Maria Isabel Martínez Pérez, Abusos sexuales en niños y adolescentes, ed. Criminología y Justicia, 2012, according to which only 2% of cases are reported, especially when the abuse has taken place in the home. She sets the number of victims of paedophilia in our society at between 15% and 20%. Only 50% of children reveal the abuses they have suffered, and of these cases only 15% are actually reported. Only 5% end up going to trial.
[2] One out of three mentions the fact to no one (2017 data compiled by the non-profit organization THORN).
[3] On the global level: in 2017 the World Health Organization estimated that up to 1 billion minors between 2 and 17 years of age have experienced acts of violence or physical, emotional or sexual neglect. Sexual abuse (ranging from groping to rape), according to some 2014 UNICEF estimates, would affect 120 million girls, who are the greatest number of victims. In 2017, UNICEF reported that in 38 of the world’s low to middle income countries, almost 17 million adult women admitted having had a forced sexual relation in childhood.
Europe: in 2013, the World Health Organization estimated over 18 million abuses. Of these, 13.4% were girls, while 5.7% were boys. According to UNICEF, in 28 European countries, about 2.5 million young women reported having experienced sexual abuse with or without physical contact prior to 15 years of age (data released in 2017). In addition, 44 million (equivalent to 22.9%) were victims of physical violence, while 55 million (29.6%) were victims of psychological violence. Not only this: in 2017, the INTERPOL Report on the sexual exploitation of minors led to the identification of 14,289 victims in 54 European countries. With regard to Italy, in 2017 CESVI estimated that 6 million children experienced mistreatment. Furthermore, according to data provided by Telefono Azzurro, in the calendar year 2017, 98 cases of sexual abuse and pedophilia were handled by the Servizio 114 Emergenza Infanzia, equivalent to about 7.5% of the total cases handled by that service. 65% of the minors seeking help were female victims and over 40% were under 11 years of age.
Asia: in India, in the decade 2001-2011, the Asian Centre for Human Rights reported a total of 48,338 cases of the rape of minors, with an increase equivalent to 336% over that period: the 2,113 cases in 2001 rose to 7,112 cases in 2011.
The Americas: in the United States, official government data state that more than 700,000 children each year are victims of violence and mistreatment. According to the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC), 1 out of every 10 children experiences sexual abuse.
Africa: in South Africa, the results of a study conducted by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention of the University of Cape Town showed in 2016 that 1 out of 3 South African young people, male or female, risks being sexually abused before the age of 17. According to the study, the first of its kind on a national scale in South Africa, 784,967 young people between 15 and 17 years of age have already experienced sexual abuse. The victims in this case are for the most part male youths. Not even a third of them reported the violence to the authorities. In other African countries, cases of sexual abuse of minors are part of the wider context of acts of violence linked to the conflicts affecting the continent and are thus difficult to quantify. The phenomenon is also closely linked to the widespread practice of underage marriages in various African nations, as elsewhere.
Oceania: in Australia, according to data issued by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) in February 2018 and covering the years 2015-2017, one out of six women (16%, i.e., 1.5 million) reported experiencing physical and/or sexual abuse prior to 15 years of age, and one out of nine men (11%, i.e., 992,000) reported having experienced this abuse when they were children. Also, in 2015-2016, around 450,000 children were the object of child protection measures, and 55,600 minors were removed from their homes in order to remedy abuses they had suffered and to prevent others. Finally, one must not forget the risks to which native minors are exposed: again, according to AIHW, in 2015-2016 indigenous children had a seven times greater probability of being abused or abandoned as compared with their non-indigenous contemporaries (cf. http://www.pbc2019.org/protection-of-minors/child-abuse-on-the-global-level).
[4] The data provided refer to sample counties selected on the basis of the reliability of available sources. The studies released by UNICEF on 30 countries confirm this fact: a small percentage of victims stated that they had asked for help.
[6] Specifically, those allegedly responsible for the difficulties experienced by a minor are, in 73.7% of the cases a parent (the mother in 44.2% and the father in 29.5%), a relative (3.3%), a friend (3.2%), an acquaintance (3%), a teacher (2.5%). The data show that only in a small percentage of cases (2.2%) is the person responsible an adult stranger. Cf. ibid.
[7] A 2011 English study carried out by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) found that 29% of those interviewed reported that they had experienced sexual molestation (physical and verbal) in sports centres.
[8] According to the 2017 data of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), every 7 minutes a web page sends pictures of sexually abused children. In 2017, 78,589 URLs were found to contain images of sexual abuse concentrated particularly in the Low Countries, followed by the United States, Canada, France and Russia. 55% of the victims were under 10 years of age, 86% were girls, 7% boys and 5% both.
[9] The most frequented destinations are Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, as well as Thailand and Cambodia. These have recently been joined by some countries of Africa and Eastern Europe. On the other hand, the six countries from which the perpetrators of abuse mostly come are France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Japan and Italy. Not to be overlooked is the growing number of women who travel to developing countries in search of paid sex with minors: in total, they represent 10% of sexual tourists worldwide. Furthermore, according to a study by ECPAT (End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism) International, between 2015 and 2016, 35% of paedophile sexual tourists were regular clients, while 65% were occasional clients (cf. https://www.osservatoriodiritti.it/2018/03/27/turismo-sessuale-minorile-nel-mondo-italia-ecpat).
[10] For if this grave tragedy has involved some consecrated ministers, we may ask how deeply rooted it may be in our societies and in our families (Address to the Roman Curia, 21 December 2018).
[11] cf R.H. Benson, The Lord of the World, Dodd, Mead and Company, London, 1907.
[12] Quare times, Herodes, quia audis Regem natum? Non venit ille ut te excludat, sed ut diabolum vincat. Sed tu haec non intelligens turbaris et saevis; et ut perdas unum quem quaeris, per tot infantium mortes efficeris crudelis… Necas parvulos corpore quia te necat timor in corde (Saint Quodvultideus, Sermo 2 de Symbolo: PL 40, 655).
[13] Quemadmodum enim ille, effuso in scientiae lignum veneno suo, naturam gusto corruperat, sic et ipse dominicam carnem vorandam praesumens, deitatis in ea virtute corruptus interituque sublatus est (Saint Maximus the Confessor, Centuria 1, 8-3: PG 90, 1182-1186).
[14] (CDC: United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; CRC: Convention on the Rights of the Child; End Violence Against Children: The Global Partnership; PAHO: Pan American Health Organization; PEPFAR: President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief; TfG: Together for Girls; UNICEF: United Nations Children’s Fund; UNODC: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; USAID: United States Agency for International Development; WHO: World Health Organization).
[15] Each letter of the word INSPIRE represents one of the strategies, and for the most part has shown to be preventively effectual against various types of violence, in addition to having benefits in areas such as mental health, education and the reduction of crime. The seven strategies are the following: Implementation and Enforcement of Laws (for example, avoiding violent discipline and limiting access to alcohol and firearms); Norms and Values that need changing (for example, those that condone sexual abuse against girls or aggressive behaviour among boys); Safe Environments (for example, identifying neighbourhood violence “hotspots” and dealing with local causes through policies that resolve problems and through other interventions); Parent and Caregiver Support (for example, by providing formation to parents for their children, and to new parents); Income and Economic Strengthening (such as microcredit and formation concerning equity in general); Response and Support Services (for example, ensuring that children exposed to violence can have access to effective emergency care and can receive adequate psychosocial support); Education and Life Skills (for example, ensuring that children attend school and equipping them with social skills).
[16] cf Final Document of the VI World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Tourism, 27 July 2004.
