Greetings to the Legionaires of Christ

The Holy Father, Pope Francis sent the following text of his speech to those who are participating in the General Chapter of the Legionaries of Christ, and the General Assemblies of the Consecrated Women and Lay Consecrated persons who are part of Regnum Christi.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

addressed to the General Chapter of the

Legionaries of Christ and members of Regnum Christi

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am happy to have this opportunity of meeting with you at the end of one stage of the journey you are traveling under the maternal guidance of the Church. You, Legionaries of Christ, have recently concluded the General Chapter and you, Consecrated and Lay Consecrated Persons of Regnum Christi, your General Assemblies. These were gatherings to elect the new general governments, the conclusion of a stage on the path you are taking. This means that it is not accomplished, but must continue.

The criminal behaviour of your founder, Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, which emerged in all its gravity, has produced a strong institutional and individual crisis throughout the entire reality of Regnum Christi. In fact, on the one hand it cannot be denied that he was the historical founder of all the reality you represent, but on the other hand, you cannot consider it as an example of holiness to be imitated. He managed to make himself considered a point of reference, through an illusion that he had managed to create with his double life. Furthermore, his long personalized governance had to some extent polluted the charisma that the Spirit originally provided for the Church; and this was reflected in the norms, as well as in the practice of government and obedience and in the way of life.

In the face of the discovery of this situation, the Church has not failed to express her maternal concern and has come to meet you with different means, placing people of great human and pastoral sensitivity, and those who have recognized juridical competence, alongside you. Among them I wish to mention the late Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, Pontifical Delegate. Your new Constitutions and your new Statutes are truly new, both because they reflect a new spirit and a new vision of religious life that is consistent with the Second Vatican Council and the guidelines of the Holy See, and because they are the product of work that has gone on for three years, during which time all your communities have been involved.  This work has led to a change in mentality. It was an event that brought about a true conversion of heart and mind. This was possible because you have been docile to the help and support that the Church has offered you, having realized the actual need for a renewal that would have brought you out of self-reference, within which you had closed yourself.

You courageously opened yourself to the action of the Holy Spirit, thus entering the path of true discernment. Accompanied by the Church, you have done a demanding job patiently and willingly, in order to overcome even the very strong tensions that have sometimes occurred. This prompted a further change of mentality, because it required a new vision in the mutual relationships between the different realities that make up Regnum Christi. I am well aware of the fact that it was not easy, because what we are most strongly attached to are our ideas and we often lack real indifference, to which we must open up with an act of our will, to make the Holy Spirit work within us. The Spirit leads us to detachment from ourselves and commitment to the search for the will of God alone, because only from this does the good of the whole Church and of each one of us come.

This work led to the establishment of the Federation of Regnum Christi, made up of the religious Institute of the Legion of Christ, the Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi and the Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Lay People of Regnum Christi. Numerous lay people who do not take up the evangelical counsels join this reality of the Federation, thus constituting a spiritual family, a wider reality of the Federation itself. The Federation is a canonically new reality, but also an ancient one, because it was already present in the unity and autonomy you already lived in fact in the years after 2014. There is still a very large field that must be discerned. Therefore, the journey must continue, looking forward, not backward. You can only look back in order to find trust in God's support, which has never been missing.

It is a question of determining the concrete application of the Federation Statutes. This requires discernment of both the collegial governing bodies and the general and territorial governments of the three federated entities. The Statutes must always stimulate discernment. However, if this is not easy on a personal level, much less it is in a governing group. Discernment requires from everyone a lot of humility and prayer; and the latter, nourished by the contemplation of the mysteries of the life of Jesus, leads you to assimilate yourselves to him and to see reality with his eyes. In this way, you can act objectively, with a healthy detachment from your ideas: which does not mean not having your own assessment of the reality and the problem that you have to face, but it means submitting your point of view to the common good.

You have elected the new Superiors General and their Councils. Certainly the Directors responsible for addressing the Legion of Christ or the Consecrated Women and the Lay Consecrated Persons of Regnum Christi are their Directors, but the Councils have a very important function, even if the Councillors are not Superiors. In fact, the Councils must be a valid aid to the Superiors in their government, but at the same time they also have a function of control over the work of the Superiors themselves. In fact, they are called to govern in the consideration of people and in respect of the common law of the Church and of that which is proper to the Institute or Society. For this reason, the canonical legislation provides that when a matter is submitted to the consent of the Council, the Superior cannot vote, precisely in order to leave the Councillors more free (cf Can. 627 §2; 127 CIC; Pontifical Commission for the Authentic Interpretation of the Code of Canon Law, Reply dated August 1, 1985, in AAS 77, 1985, 771).

I hope that your new governments are aware that the path of renewal has not ended, because the change of mentality in individual people and in an institution requires a long time of assimilation, therefore a continuous conversion is called for. This is a change that must continue in all members of the Federation. Returning to the past would be dangerous and meaningless. This journey is called to be travelled with perseverance and patience on the part of the individual governments of the three federated realities, both with regard to their own religious Institute or Society of Apostolic Life and with regard to the Federation and the laity associated with it. This requires that the three governments each have a vision that is consistent with the will that the Church has shown in all these years with her closeness and with all the concrete means she has made available.

You, members of the new general governments, have received a mandate from the Church to continue on the path of renewal, reaping and consolidating the fruits matured in these years. I urge you to act fortiter et suaviter: energetically in substance and gently in ways, knowing how to grasp with courage and at the same time with prudence what other paths are to be taken in the line that has been drawn and approved by the Church. If you docilely go to the school of the Holy Spirit you will not be overwhelmed by fear and doubt, which upset the soul and prevent action. I entrust you to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary; I accompany you with my affection and my prayerful memory and with all my heart I impart the Apostolic Blessing, which I extend to the whole Family of Regnum Christi. And please, don't forget to pray for me.
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Establishment of a task force for the protection of minors

The Holy Father, Pope Francis concluded the meeting entitled The protection of minors in the Church, which took place at the Vatican from 21 to 24 February 2019 with the declaration of his intention to establish a task force whose aim would be to help the Episcopal Conferences, the Institutes of Religious Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in the preparation and the updating of the guidelines in relation to the protection of minors.

One year later, during which time the details of this undertaking have been further defined, the Holy Father has ordered that:

1.  The task force will be overseen by His Excellency, Edgar Peña Parra, Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, together with Cardinals Oswald Garcias, Archbishop of Bombay; Blase Joseph Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago; His Excellency, Charles Jude Scicluna, Archbishop of Malta and Associate Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; and Father Hans Zollner, SJ, Dean of the Institute for Psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

2.  The task force will assist the Episcopal Conferences, the Institutes of Religious Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, at their request, in the preparation and development of guidelines concerning the protection of minors, in conformity with the guidelines which were published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as well as with that which is established by the current canonical legislation in the matter of abuse and, in particular, in accordance with the Motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi which was published on 7 May 2019.

3.  The preparation of the guidelines will however remain in the competence and subject to the responsibility of the respective Episcopal Conferences, Institutes of Religious Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

4.  The working group will have a mandate of two years, beginning on 24 February 2020. It is composed of a Coordinator, Doctor Andrew Azzopardi, Head of the Safeguarding Commission for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults for the Maltese Ecclesiastical Province, and by some experts in canon law of different nationalities.

5.  The Coordinator will report quarterly to the Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State concerning the activities carried out by the task force.

6.  The activities carried out by this working group will be funded by benefactors.

7.  Requests for assistance coming from Episcopal Conferences, Religious Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life, can be submitted by email (taskforce@org.va).

Greetings to the Pontifical Academy for Life

The Holy Father, Pope Francis prepared a speech which was shared today with those who are participating in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life.  They have been meeting at the Vatican this week (26-28 February 2020) and focusing on the theme: Artificial Intelligence.  The Holy Father's address was read aloud by His Excellency, Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

offered to members of the

Pontifical Academy for Life

Distinguished Authorities,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear brothers and sisters,

I offer you a cordial greeting on the occasion of the General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life. I thank Archbishop Paglia for his kind words. I am grateful too for the presence of the President of the European Parliament, the FAO Director-General and the other authorities and leaders in field of information technology. I also greet those who join us from the Conciliazione Auditorium. And I am heartened by the numerous presence of young people: I see this as a sign of hope.

The issues you have addressed in these days concern one of the most important changes affecting today’s world. Indeed, we could say that the digital galaxy, and specifically artificial intelligence, is at the very heart of the epochal change we are experiencing. Digital innovation touches every aspect of our lives, both personal and social. It affects our way of understanding the world and ourselves. It is increasingly present in human activity and even in human decisions, and is thus altering the way we think and act. Decisions, even the most important decisions, as for example in the medical, economic or social fields, are now the result of human will and a series of algorithmic inputs. A personal act is now the point of convergence between an input that is truly human and an automatic calculus, with the result that it becomes increasingly complicated to understand its object, foresee its effects and define the contribution of each factor.

To be sure, humanity has already experienced profound upheavals in its history: for example, the introduction of the steam engine, or electricity, or the invention of printing which revolutionized the way we store and transmit information. At present, the convergence between different scientific and technological fields of knowledge is expanding and allows for interventions on phenomena of infinitesimal magnitude and planetary scope, to the point of blurring boundaries that hitherto were considered clearly distinguishable: for example, between inorganic and organic matter, between the real and the virtual, between stable identities and events in constant interconnection.

On the personal level, the digital age is changing our perception of space, of time and of the body. It is instilling a sense of unlimited possibilities, even as standardization is becoming more and more the main criterion of aggregation. It has become increasingly difficult to recognize and appreciate differences. On the socio-economic level, users are often reduced to consumers, prey to private interests concentrated in the hands of a few. From digital traces scattered on the internet, algorithms now extract data that enable mental and relational habits to be controlled, for commercial or political ends, frequently without our knowledge. This asymmetry, by which a select few know everything about us while we know nothing about them, dulls critical thought and the conscious exercise of freedom. Inequalities expand enormously; knowledge and wealth accumulate in a few hands with grave risks for democratic societies. Yet these dangers must not detract from the immense potential that new technologies offer. We find ourselves before a gift from God, a resource that can bear good fruits.

The issues with which your Academy has been concerned since its inception present themselves today in a new way. The biological sciences are increasingly employing devices provided by artificial intelligence. This development has led to profound changes in our way of understanding and managing living beings and the distinctive features of human life, which we are committed to safeguarding and promoting, not only in its constitutive biological dimension, but also in its irreducible biographical aspect. The correlation and integration between life that is lived and life that is experienced cannot be dismissed in favour of a simple ideological calculation of functional performance and sustainable costs. The ethical problems that emerge from the ways that these new devices can regulate the birth and destiny of individuals call for a renewed commitment to preserve the human quality of our shared history.

For this reason, I am grateful to the Pontifical Academy for Life for its efforts to develop a serious reflection that has fostered dialogue between the different scientific disciplines indispensable for addressing these complex phenomena.

I am pleased that this year’s meeting includes individuals with various important roles of responsibility internationally in the areas of science, industry and political life. I am gratified by this and I thank you. As believers, we have no ready-made ideas about how to respond to the unforeseen questions that history sets before us today. Our task is rather one of walking alongside others, listening attentively and seeking to link experience and reflection. As believers, we ought to allow ourselves to be challenged, so that the word of God and our faith tradition can help us interpret the phenomena of our world and identify paths of humanization, and thus of loving evangelization, that we can travel together. In this way we will be able to dialogue fruitfully with all those committed to human development, while keeping at the centre of knowledge and social praxis the human person in all his or her dimensions, including the spiritual. We are faced with a task involving the human family as a whole.

In light of this, mere training in the correct use of new technologies will not prove sufficient. As instruments or tools, these are not neutral, for, as we have seen, they shape the world and engage consciences on the level of values. We need a broader educational effort. Solid reasons need to be developed to promote perseverance in the pursuit of the common good, even when no immediate advantage is apparent. There is a political dimension to the production and use of artificial intelligence, which has to do with more than the expanding of its individual and purely functional benefits. In other words, it is not enough simply to trust in the moral sense of researchers and developers of devices and algorithms. There is a need to create intermediate social bodies that can incorporate and express the ethical sensibilities of users and educators.

There are many disciplines involved in the process of developing technological equipment (one thinks of research, planning, production, distribution, individual and collective use…), and each entails a specific area of responsibility. We are beginning to glimpse a new discipline that we might call the ethical development of algorithms or more simply algor-ethics (cf. Address to Participants in the Congress on Child Dignity in the Digital World, 14 November 2019). This would have as its aim ensuring a competent and shared review of the processes by which we integrate relationships between human beings and today’s technology. In our common pursuit of these goals, a critical contribution can be made by the principles of the Church’s social teaching: the dignity of the person, justice, subsidiarity and solidarity. These are expressions of our commitment to be at the service of every individual in his or her integrity and of all people, without discrimination or exclusion. The complexity of the technological world demands of us an increasingly clear ethical framework, so as to make this commitment truly effective.

The ethical development of algorithms – algor-ethics – can be a bridge enabling those principles to enter concretely into digital technologies through an effective cross-disciplinary dialogue. Moreover, in the encounter between different visions of the world, human rights represent an important point of convergence in the search for common ground. At present, there would seem to be a need for renewed reflection on rights and duties in this area. The scope and acceleration of the transformations of the digital era have in fact raised unforeseen problems and situations that challenge our individual and collective ethos. To be sure, the Call that you have signed today is an important step in this direction, with its three fundamental coordinates along which to journey: ethics, education and law.

Dear friends, I express my support for the generosity and energy with which you have committed yourselves to launching this courageous and challenging process of reassessment. I invite you to continue with boldness and discernment, as you seek ways to increase the involvement of all those who have the good of the human family at heart. Upon all of you, I invoke God’s blessings, so that your journey can continue with serenity and peace, in a spirit of cooperation. May the Blessed Virgin assist you. I accompany you with my blessing. And I ask you please to remember me in your prayers. Thank you.
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Reflecting on forgiveness

In keeping with the established tradition in the Diocese of Rome, a penitential liturgy was held today at the Vatican for all the clergy of that Diocese.  The Holy Father was supposed to attend, but remained at the Casa Santa Marta due to a slight imposition.  

Pope Francis had prepared a speech for the meeting with clergy, which was read aloud by His Eminence, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Vicar General for His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the penitential liturgy at the Vatican

Bitterness in the life of a priest

An inner reflection

I do not want to reflect so much on the tribulations that derive from the mission of the priest: they are things that are well known and already widely diagnosed. I wish to speak with you, on this occasion, about a subtle enemy who finds many ways to disguise himself and hide, and like a parasite slowly steals the joy of the vocation to which we were called. I want to talk to you about that bitterness while focused around the relationship with faith, the Bishop, and our confreres. We know that other roots and situations may exist. But these summarize many encounters that I have had with some of you.

Right away, I want to note two things: the first is that these lines are the result of listening to some seminarians and priests from different Italian dioceses; they cannot or should not refer to any specific situation. The second is that most of the priests I know are happy with their lives and consider this bitterness to be part of normal living, without any drama. I preferred to repeat what I have heard rather than express my opinion on the topic.

Looking our bitterness in the face and confronting it allows us to make contact with our humanity, with our blessed humanity, and so remember that as priests we are not called to be omnipotent but sinful men who are forgiven and sent. As Saint Irenaeus of Lyon said: what is not taken into consideration is not redeemed. Let these bitternesses also show us the way towards greater adoration of the Father and help us to experience again the strength of his merciful anointing (cf Lk 15: 11-32). To put it in the psalmist's language: You have changed my lament into dance, you have taken off my sackcloth, you have clothed me with joy, so that my heart will sing to you, without keeping silent (Ps 30: 12-13).

The first cause of bitterness: problems with the faith

We believed it was He, the disciples of Emmaus confided to each other (cf. Lk 24:21). A disappointed hope is at the root of their bitterness. But we must reflect: is it the Lord who has disappointed us or have we exchanged hope with our expectations? Christian hope does not really disappoint and it does not fail. Hope is not a matter of being convinced that things will get better, but that everything that happens makes sense in the light of Easter. But to hope in a Christian way it is necessary - as Saint Augustine taught Proba - to live a life of substantial prayer. It is there that you learn to distinguish between expectations and hopes.

Now, the relationship with God - more than a matter of pastoral disappointments - can be a profound cause of bitterness. Sometimes it almost seems that He does not respect the expectations of a full and abundant life which we had on the day of our ordination. Sometimes an unfinished adolescence does not help us to move on from dreams to reality. Perhaps as priests we are too respectable in our relationship with God and we do not dare to protest in prayer, as the psalmist does on many occasions - not only for ourselves, but also for our people; because the shepherd also carries the bitterness of his people -; but also the psalms have been censored and we can hardly make our own a spirituality of protest. So we fall into cynicism: discontented and a little frustrated. The real protest - of the adult - is not against God but before Him, because it arises precisely from a level of confidence in Him: the person praying reminds the Father who he is and what is worthy of his name. We have to sanctify his name, but sometimes the disciples have to wake up the Lord and say to him: Don't you care that we are lost? (Mk 4,35-41). So the Lord wants to involve us directly in his kingdom. Not as spectators, but actively participating.

What is the difference between expectation and hope? Expectation arises when we spend our lives saving our lives: we struggle to find safety, rewards, progress ... When we receive what we want, we almost feel that we will never die, that it will always be like this! Because we are the reference point. Instead, hope is something that is born in the heart when you decide not to defend yourself anymore. When I recognize my limitations, and that not everything starts and ends with me, then I recognize the importance of trusting. Already the Theatine Lorenzo Scupoli, in his spiritual Combat, taught this concept: the key to everything is in a dual and simultaneous movement: to be wary of yourself and to trust in God. I hope, not when there is nothing more to do, but when I stop giving of myself by doing things just for me. Hope rests on an alliance: God spoke to me and promised me on the day of my ordination that I would have a full life, with the fullness and flavour of the Beatitudes; my life would certainly be troubled - like that of all men - but beautiful. My life is flavourful if I live Easter, not if things go as I say.

And here we understand another thing: listening to history is not enough to understand these processes. We must listen to history and look at our own lives in the light of the Word of God. The disciples of Emmaus overcame their disappointment when the Risen Christ opened their minds to the intelligence of the Scriptures. Here: things will get better not only because we will change superiors, or mission, or strategies, but because we will be comforted by the Word. The prophet Jeremiah confessed: Your Word was the joy and gladness of my heart (Jer 15:16).

Bitterness - which is not a fault - must be accepted. It can be a great opportunity. Perhaps it is also healthy, because it makes the inner alarm bells ring: be careful, you have exchanged security for an alliance, you are becoming foolish and half-hearted. There is a sadness that can lead us to God. Let us welcome it, we need not get angry with ourselves. It may be the right time. Even Saint Francis of Assisi experienced it, he reminds us of it in his Testament (cf Franciscan sources, 110). Bitterness will change into a great sweetness, and the easy, worldly sweetnesses will turn into bitterness.

The second cause of bitterness: problems with the Bishop

I don't want to fall into rhetoric or look for a scapegoat, or even defend myself or defend those in my area. The commonplace attitude that finds the blame for everything in superiors no longer holds. We are all missing something in the small and the large. Nowadays there seems to be a general atmosphere (not only among us) of a widespread mediocrity, which does not allow us to climb on to easy judgments. But the fact remains that much bitterness in the life of the priest is the result of omissions by the Pastors.

We all experience our limitations and shortcomings. We face situations in which we realize that we are not adequately prepared ... But going out to perform the services and ministries with greater visibility, the shortcomings become more evident and noisy; and it is also a logical consequence that there is a lot of play in this relationship, for better or for worse. What omissions? We do not allude here to the often inevitable divergences about managerial problems or pastoral styles. This is tolerable and part of life on this earth. As long as Christ is not all in all, everyone will try to impose themselves on everyone else! It is the fallen Adam in us who plays these jokes.

The real problem that causes bitterness is not the differences (and perhaps not even the mistakes: even a bishop has the right to make mistakes like all creatures!), But rather two very serious and destabilizing reasons for priests.

First of all a certain soft authoritarian drift: we do not accept those of us who think differently. With a word you are transferred to the category of those who are rowing against the tide, with a distinction you are registered among the discontented. Parrhesia is buried in the frenzy of imposing plans. The cult of initiatives is replacing the essential: one faith, one baptism, one God who is Father of all. Adherence to initiatives risks becoming the yardstick of communion. But it does not always coincide with the unanimity of opinions. Nor can one claim that communion is exclusively one-way: priests must be in communion with the bishop ... and bishops in communion with priests: it is not a question of democracy, but of fatherhood.

In his Rule, Saint Benedict - we are in the famous chapter III - recommends that the abbot, when facing an important question, should consult the entire community, including the youngest monks. Then he continues by reiterating that the final decision is up to the abbot alone, that everything must be disposed of with prudence and equity. For Benedict, there is no question of authority, quite the opposite, it is the abbot who answers before God for the running of the monastery; however it is said that in deciding he must be prudent and fair. We know the first word well: prudence and discernment are part of the common vocabulary.

Equity is less usual: equity means taking everyone's opinion into account and safeguarding the representative nature of the flock, without making preferences. The great temptation of the shepherd is to surround himself with his people, with neighbours; and so, unfortunately, real competence is supplanted by a certain presumed loyalty, no longer distinguishing between those who please and those who advise selflessly. This makes the flock suffer a lot, and the flock often accepts without externalizing anything. The Code of Canon Law recalls that the faithful have the right, and sometimes even the duty, to express their thoughts to the sacred Pastors on what concerns the good of the Church (Can. 212 § 3). Of course, in this time of precariousness and widespread fragility, the solution seems to be authoritarianism (in the political sphere this is evident). But the real cure - as Saint Benedict advises - lies in fairness, not in uniformity.

A second reason for bitterness comes from a 'loss' in the ministry of pastors: suffocated by management problems and personnel emergencies, we risk neglecting the munus docendi. The bishop is the teacher of faith, of orthodoxy and 'orthopathy', of right belief and right feeling in the Holy Spirit. In episcopal ordination, the epiclesis is prayed with the Gospel Book open on the candidate's head and the imposition of the miter externally reaffirms the munus of transmitting not personal beliefs but evangelical wisdom. Who is the catechist of that permanent disciple who is the priest? The bishop of course! But who remembers it? It could be argued that priests do not usually want to be educated by bishops. And it's true. But this - even if it were - is not a good reason to give up the munus. The holy people of God have the right to have priests who teach them to believe; and deacons and priests have the right to have a bishop who in turn teaches them to believe and hope in the One Master, the Way, the Truth and the Life, who inflames their faith. As a priest I don't want the bishop to please me, but to help me believe. I wish I could found my theological hope in him! Sometimes we are reduced to following only our confreres in crisis (and it is a good thing), but even the healthy donkeys need a more targeted, serene ear to listen, and not only in times of emergency. So here is a second omission that can cause bitterness: the renunciation of the munus docendi towards priests (and not only priests). Authoritarian pastors who have lost the authority to teach?

The third cause of bitterness: problems among us

In recent years, priests have suffered the blows of scandals: financial and sexual. Suspicion has drastically made relationships colder and more formal; one no longer enjoys the gifts of others, on the contrary, it seems that ours is a mission to destroy, minimize, make people suspect. In the face of scandals, the evil one tempts us by pushing us towards a Donatist vision of the Church: where everyone inside is impeccable, and everyone who is wrong is out out! We have false conceptions of the militant Church, in a sort of ecclesiological puritanism. The Bride of Christ is and remains the field in which wheat and weeds grow together, up toward paradise. Anyone who has not made this evangelical vision of reality his own exposes himself to unspeakable and useless bitterness.

However, the public and publicized sins of the clergy have made everyone more cautious and less willing to forge meaningful bonds, especially in order to share the faith. Common appointments multiply - ongoing formation and other activities - but you participate with a less willing heart. There is more community, but less communion! The question we ask ourselves when we meet a new confrere emerges silently: Who do I really have before me? Can I trust him?.

It is not a matter of loneliness: it is not a problem but an aspect of the mystery of communion. Christian solitude - that of those who enter their rooms and pray to the Father in secret - is a blessing, the true source of the loving welcome of the other. The real problem lies in not finding time to be alone anymore. Without loneliness there is no free love, and others become a substitute for the voids. In this sense as priests we must always re-learn how to be alone evangelically, like Jesus at night with the Father.

It is half loneliness - let's face it - because it is the loneliness of the shepherd who is full of names, faces, situations, of the shepherd who arrives in the evening tired of talking with his Lord about all these people. The shepherd's solitude is a solitude inhabited by the laughter and tears of people and the community; it is a solitude filled with faces to offer to the Lord.

Here the drama is isolation, which is something other than loneliness. Isolation not only and not so much external - we are always in the midst of people - as an inherent trait in the soul of the priest. I start with the deepest isolation and then touch its most visible form.

Isolated from grace: lapped up by secularism we no longer believe or feel that we are surrounded by heavenly friends - the cloud of witnesses (cf Heb 12: 1) -; we seem to experience that our story, our afflictions, do not affect anyone. The world of grace has gradually become foreign to us, the saints seem to be only the imaginary friends of children. The Spirit that inhabits the heart - substantially and not in only as an idea - is something that perhaps we have never experienced due to dissipation or negligence. We know, but we don't touch. This distance from the strength of grace produces rationalisms or sentimentalisms. Never a redeemed flesh.

To isolate oneself from history: everything seems to be consumed in the here and now, without hope in promised goods and in a future reward. Everything opens and closes with us. My death is not the passing of the witness, but an unjust interruption. The more special, powerful, rich in gifts you feel, the more you close your heart to the continuous meaning of the history of the people of God to whom you belong. Our individualized consciousness makes us believe that there has been nothing before and nothing after. This is why we struggle so much to take care of and to keep what our predecessors have begun well: we often arrive in the parish and we feel compelled to start with a clean slate, in order to distinguish ourselves and mark the difference. We are unable to continue to live the good that we did not give birth to! We start from scratch because we do not feel the taste of belonging to a community that is on a journey of salvation.

Isolated from others: isolation from grace and history is one of the causes of the inability among us to establish significant relationships of trust and evangelical sharing. If I am isolated, my problems seem unique and insurmountable: nobody can understand me. This is one of the favorite thoughts of the father of lies. We remember the words of Bernanos: Only after a long time is it recognized, and the sadness that announces it, precedes it, how sweet it is! It is the most substantial of the elixirs of the devil, his ambrosia! (Diary of a country priest, Milano 2017, 103). This is a thought that gradually takes shape and closes us in ourselves; it distances us from others and puts us in a position of superiority because nobody would live up to our needs. It is a thought that by reason of repeating its words ends up nesting in us. Whoever hides his sins will not succeed, whoever confesses and abandons them will find mercy (Pr 28,13).

The devil does not want you to speak, does not want you to tell, does not want you to share. So you are looking for a good spiritual father, a smart elderly man who can accompany you. Never isolate yourself, never! The deep feeling of communion occurs only when, personally, I become aware of the we that I am, that I have been and that I will be. Otherwise, the other problems come cascading down: from isolation, from a community without communion, competition arises and certainly not cooperation; the desire for recognition emerges and not the joy of shared holiness; one enters into a relationship either to compare oneself or to support one another.

We remember the people of Israel when, walking in the desert for three days, they arrived in Mara, but could not drink the water because it was bitter. Faced with the protest of the people, Moses called on the Lord and the water became sweet (cf Ex 15.22-25). The holy faithful people of God know us better than anyone else. They are very respectful and know how to accompany and take care of their shepherds. They know our bitterness and they also pray to the Lord for us. Let's add our prayers to their prayers, and ask the Lord to turn our bitterness into fresh water for his people. We ask the Lord to give us the ability to recognize what is embittering us and in this way, allow us to transform ourselves and be reconciled people who reconcile, pacified people who pacify, people full of hope that instil hope in others. The people of God are waiting for us to be teachers of the spirit, capable of pointing out the wells of fresh water in the middle of the desert.
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Be reconciled

Here is the text of the reflection I shared with those who gathered today to begin the annual observance of Lent.

Be reconciled

The season of Lent has begun.  Over the next forty days, we will travel together along a journey that will take us to the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter.  As we travel this road, the Lord invites us to prepare ourselves.  The prophet Joel calls out to us today: even now ... return to the Lord with your whole heart (Joel 2:12).

Because we are human beings who need visible reminders to keep us focused, the Church invites us to fast, to pray and to give alms (cf Mt 6:1-18), but these tangible realities are but means to an end.  The point of our fasting is to help us identify the earthly preoccupations, the noises that sometimes make it difficult for us to listen for the Lord's voice.  The practice of listening for the voice of the Lord is what we refer to as prayer, and the fruit of our prayer is a sharpened awareness of our brothers and sisters who are in need.

As we set out on this journey, what direction should we turn to?  The prophet reminds us that we should rend our hearts, not our garments (Joel 2:13).  Those who first heard these words were well aware of the imperative of taking care of others.  It would have been unheard of for someone to ignore the needs of a stranger who knocked at his door.  If that stranger needed food, they would hurry to feed; if that stranger needed clothing, they would willingly supply whatever was needed; if that person needed lodgings, they would gladly make room.  Lent reminds us that we are all travelling on the journey of life.  As we do, we sometimes realize that we need to change our hearts and get re-focused.

Brothers and sisters, let us courageously set out on the journey that lies ahead.  It takes courage to admit that we need to change so that we can return to the Lord (Joel 2:13), but at the same time we can find encouragement in the promise that our God, who invites us to come back to him, is always gracious and merciful ... slow to anger and rich in mercy.  God is waiting for us to come back to him, and Lent is a perfect time to do just that.  Coming back to the Lord might seem like a daunting task, but it is meant to be a joyous encounter, like children who is coming home, returning to a father who truly loves each one of them.

Dear friends, we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20).  Not only is God inviting us to come back to him this Lent; he is also inviting us to share the example of our own lives with those we encounter.  Through the example of our own willingness to come back to the Lord, God will work in the hearts of others.  Even without uttering a word, let us dare to call out to the men and women of our time, echoing the words of Saint Paul: we implore you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God.  With this hope in our hearts, let us set out on the journey toward the celebration of Easter.

Soyez reconcilié

Le temps du Carême a commencé. Au cours des quarante prochains jours, nous voyagerons ensemble le long d'un voyage qui nous mènera à la célébration de la mort et de la résurrection de Jésus à Pâques. En parcourant cette route, le Seigneur nous invite à nous préparer. Le prophète Joël nous appelle aujourd'hui: même maintenant ... revenez au Seigneur de tout votre cœur (Joël 2:12).

Nous sommes des êtres humains qui ont besoin de rappels visibles pour nous tenir concentrés, alors l'Église nous invite à jeûner, à prier et à faire l'aumône (cf Mt 6, 1-18), mais ces réalités tangibles ne sont que des moyens pour une fin. Le but de notre jeûne est de nous aider à identifier les préoccupations terrestres, les bruits qui nous rendent parfois difficile l'écoute de la voix du Seigneur. La pratique de l'écoute de la voix du Seigneur est ce que nous appelons la prière, et le fruit de notre prière c'est une prise de conscience accrue de nos frères et sœurs qui se trouvent dans le besoin.

Alors que nous entreprenons ce voyage, dans quelle direction devons-nous nous tourner? Le prophète nous rappelle que nous devons déchirer nos cœurs et non nos vêtements (Joël 2, 13). Ceux qui ont entendu ces mots pour la première fois étaient bien conscients de l'impératif de prendre soin des autres. Il aurait été inouï pour quelqu'un d'ignorer les besoins d'un étranger qui a frappé à sa porte. Si cet étranger avait besoin de la nourriture, il se dépêcherait de le nourrir; si cet étranger avait besoin de vêtements, il fournirait volontiers tout ce dont il aurait besoin; si cette personne avait besoin d'un logement, il ferait volontiers de la place. Le Carême nous rappelle que nous voyageons tous sur le chemin de la vie. Ce faisant, nous réalisons parfois que nous devons changer nos cœurs et nous recentrer.

Frères et sœurs, entreprenons avec courage le chemin qui nous attend. Il faut du courage pour admettre que nous devons changer pour retourner au Seigneur (Joël 2:13), mais en même temps, nous pouvons trouver des encouragements dans la promesse que notre Dieu, qui nous invite à revenir vers lui, est toujours gracieux et miséricordieux ... lent à la colère et riche en miséricorde. Dieu attend que nous revenions à lui, et le Carême c'est le moment idéal pour le faire. Revenir au Seigneur peut sembler une tâche intimidante, mais c'est censé être une rencontre joyeuse, comme des enfants qui rentrent à la maison, revenant jusqu'à un père qui aime vraiment chacun d'eux.

Chers amis, nous sommes des ambassadeurs du Christ (2 Co 5, 20). Non seulement Dieu nous invite-t-il à lui revenir ce Carême; il nous invite également à partager l'exemple de notre propre vie avec ceux que nous rencontrons. Par l'exemple de notre propre volonté de revenir au Seigneur, Dieu agira dans le cœur des autres. Même sans prononcer une parole, osons appeler aux hommes et aux femmes de notre temps, en faisant écho aux paroles de saint Paul: nous vous implorons au nom du Christ de vous réconcilier avec Dieu. Avec cette espérance dans nos cœurs, entreprenons le voyage vers la célébration de Pâques.

Ash Wednesday celebrated in Rome

This afternoon in Rome, there was a prayer gathering in the form of the Roman Stations, which was presided over by the Holy Father, Pope Francis.

At 4:30pm local time (10:30am EST), inside the Church of Saint Anselm on the Aventino, there was a moment of prayer which was followed by a penitential procession that made its way toward the Basilica of Saint Sabina.  Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Benedictine Monks from Saint Anslem's Abbey, Dominican Priests from Saint Sabina's church and some faithful all participated.

At the conclusion of the procession, inside the Basilica of Saint Sabina, the Holy Father, Pope Francis presided over the celebration of the Eucharist with the rite of blessing and imposition of ashes.

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

during the Mass for Ash Wednesday

We begin the Lenten Season by receiving ashes: You are dust, and to dust you shall return (cf Gen 3:19). The dust sprinkled on our heads brings us back to earth; it reminds us that we are dust and to dust we shall return. We are weak, frail and mortal. Centuries and millennia pass and we come and go; before the immensity of galaxies and space, we are nothing. We are dust in the universe. Yet we are dust that is loved by God. It pleased the Lord to gather that dust in his hands and to breathe into it the breath of life (cf Gen 2:7). We are thus a dust that is precious, destined for eternal life. We are the dust of the earth, upon which God has poured out his heaven, the dust that contains his dreams. We are God’s hope, his treasure and his glory.

Ashes are thus a reminder of the direction of our existence: a passage from dust to life. We are dust, earth, clay, but if we allow ourselves to be shaped by the hands of God, we become something wondrous. More often than not, though, especially at times of difficulty and loneliness, we only see our dust! But the Lord encourages us: in his eyes, our littleness is of infinite value. So let us take heart: we were born to be loved; we were born to be children of God.

Dear brothers and sisters, may we keep this in mind as we begin this Lenten season. For Lent is not a time for useless sermons, but for recognizing that our lowly ashes are loved by God. It is a time of grace, a time for letting God gaze upon us with love and in this way change our lives. We were put in this world to go from ashes to life. So let us not turn our hopes and God’s dream for us into powder and ashes. Let us not grow resigned. You may ask: How can I trust? The world is falling to pieces, fear is growing, there is so much malice all around us, society is becoming less and less Christian… Don’t you believe that God can transform our dust into glory?

The ashes we receive on our foreheads should affect the thoughts passing through our minds. They remind us that, as God’s children, we cannot spend our lives chasing after dust. From there a question can pass into our hearts: What am I living for? If it is for the fleeting realities of this world, I am going back to ashes and dust, rejecting what God has done in my life. If I live only to earn money, to have a good time, to gain a bit of prestige or a promotion in my work, I am living for dust. If I am unhappy with life because I think I do not get enough respect or receive what I think is my due, then I am simply staring at dust.

That is not why we have been put in this world. We are worth so much more. We live for so much more, for we are meant to make God’s dream a reality and to love. Ashes are sprinkled on our heads so that the fire of love can be kindled in our hearts. We are citizens of heaven, and our love for God and neighbour is our passport to heaven. Our earthly possessions will prove useless, dust that scatters, but the love we share – in our families, at work, in the Church and in the world – will save us, for it will endure forever.

The ashes we receive remind us of a second and opposite passage: from life to dust. All around us, we see the dust of death. Lives reduced to ashes. Rubble, destruction, war. The lives of unwelcomed innocents, the lives of the excluded poor, the lives of the abandoned elderly. We continue to destroy ourselves, to return to ashes and dust. And how much dust there is in our relationships! Look at our homes and families: our quarrels, our inability to resolve conflicts, our unwillingness to apologize, to forgive, to start over, while at the same time insisting on our own freedom and our rights! All this dust that besmirches our love and mars our life. Even in the Church, the house of God, we have let so much dust collect, the dust of worldliness.

Let us look inside, into our hearts: how many times do we extinguish the fire of God with the ashes of hypocrisy! Hypocrisy is the filth that Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel that we have to remove. Indeed, the Lord tells us not only to carry out works of charity, to pray and to fast, but also to do these without pretence, duplicity and hypocrisy (cf Mt 6:2, 5,16). Yet how often do we do things only to be recognized, to look good, to satisfy our ego! How often do we profess to be Christians, yet in our hearts readily yield to passions that enslave us! How often do we preach one thing and practice another! How many times do we make ourselves look good on the outside while nursing grudges within! How much duplicity do we have in our hearts ... All this is dust that besmirches, ashes that extinguish the fire of love.

We need to be cleansed of all the dust that has sullied our hearts. How? The urgent summons of Saint Paul in today’s second reading can help us. Paul says: Be reconciled to God! He does not simply ask; he begs: We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Cor 5:20). We would have said: Reconcile yourselves with God! But no, Paul uses the passive form: Be reconciled! Holiness is not achieved by our efforts, for it is grace! By ourselves, we cannot remove the dust that sullies our hearts. Only Jesus, who knows and loves our hearts, can heal them. Lent is a time of healing.

What, then, are we to do? In journeying towards Easter, we can make two passages: first, from dust to life, from our fragile humanity to the humanity of Jesus, who heals us. We can halt in contemplation before the crucified Lord and repeat: Jesus, you love me, transform me ... Jesus, you love me, transform me ... And once we have received his love, once we have wept at the thought of that love, we can make the second passage, by determining never to fall again from life into dust. We can receive God’s forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance, because there, the fire of God’s love consumes the ashes of our sin. The embrace of the Father in confession renews us from inside and purifies our hearts. May we allow ourselves to be reconciled, in order to live as beloved children, as forgiven and healed sinners, as wayfarers with him at our side.

Let us allow ourselves to be loved, so that we can give love in return. Let us allow ourselves to stand up and walk towards Easter. Then we will experience the joy of discovering how God raises us up from our ashes.
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General Audience for Ash Wednesday

This morning's General Audience began at 9:15am in Saint Peter's Square where the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful from Italy and from every corner of the world.

In his speech, the Pope added his meditation on the subject of Lent: entering into the desert (cf Lk 4:1)

After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.  Then, he expressed once again his closeness to those who are suffering from the Coronavirus and those who are caring for them.

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!

Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin our Lenten journey, a forty-day journey toward Easter, toward the heart of the liturgical year and the heart of our faith.  This is a journey that follows the journey of Jesus, who at the beginning of his ministry went away for forty days to pray, to fast and to be tempted by the devil in the desert.  It is precisely about the spiritual significance of the desert that I would like to speak to you today.  What is the spiritual significance of the desert for all of us; even for those of us who live in cities, what is the significance of the desert?

Let us imagine that we are in a desert. The first sensation would be to find ourselves surrounded by great silence: no noises, apart from the wind and our breath. Here, the desert is the place of detachment from the noise that surrounds us. It is the absence of words in order to make room for another Word, the Word of God, which caresses our hearts like a light breeze (cf 1 Kings 19:12). The desert is the place of the Word, with a capital W. In fact, in the Bible, the Lord loves to talk to us in the desert. In the desert he gives Moses the ten words, the ten commandments. And when the people turn away from him, becoming like an unfaithful bride, God says: Behold, I will lead her to the desert and speak to her heart. There he will answer me, as in the days of his youth (Hos 2: 16-17). In the desert we hear the Word of God, which is like a light sound. The Book of Kings says that the Word of God is like a thread of sonorous silence. In the desert one finds intimacy with God, the love of the Lord. Jesus loved to withdraw every day to deserted places in order to pray (cf Lk 5:16). He taught us how to look for the Father, who speaks to us in silence. And it is not easy to keep silence in the heart, because we always try to talk a little, to spend time with others.

Lent is the right time to make room for the Word of God. It is the time to turn off the television and open the Bible. It is the time to disconnect from the cell phone and connect to the Gospel. When I was a child there was no television, but there was a habit of not listening to the radio. Lent is deserted, it is the time to give up, to detach ourselves from the cell phone and connect to the Gospel. It is the time to give up unnecessary words, chatter, rumours, gossip, and to speak and give yourself to the Lord. It is the time to devote yourself to a healthy ecology of the heart, to clean up there. We live in an environment that is polluted by too much verbal violence, by many offensive and harmful words, which the network amplifies. Today, people hurl insults as if they were saying, Good day. We are inundated with empty words, with advertisements, with subtle messages. We have become used to hearing everything about everyone and we risk slipping into a worldliness that hardens our heart and there is no bypass to heal this, but only silence. We struggle to distinguish the voice of the Lord who speaks to us, the voice of conscience, the voice of good. Jesus, calling to us in the desert, invites us to listen to what matters, to the important, to the essential. To the devil who tempted him, he replied: Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Mt 4: 4). Like bread, more than bread, we need the Word of God, we need to speak with God: we need to pray. Because only before God do the inclinations of the heart come to light and the duplicity of the soul fall away. This is the desert, a place of life, not of death, because dialogue in silence with the Lord brings us back to life.

Let's try again to think of a desert. The desert is the place of the essential. Let's look at our lives: how many useless things surround us! We chase a thousand things that seem necessary but in reality are not. How good it would be for us to get rid of so many superfluous realities, to rediscover what really matters, to find the faces of those around us! Jesus also sets an example in this regard: fasting. Fasting is knowing how to give up vain things, superfluous things, to go to the essentials. Fasting is not just for weight loss, fasting is going to the essentials, it is seeking the beauty of a simpler life.

Finally, the desert is a place of solitude. Even today, near to us, there are many deserts. There are lonely and abandoned people. How many poor and elderly people stand by us and live in silence, without making a fuss, yet they are marginalized and discarded! Talking about them doesn't create audiences. But the desert leads us to them, to those who, having been silenced, silently ask for our help. There are many silent glances that ask for our help. The path in the Lenten desert is a path of charity towards the weak.

Prayer, fasting, works of mercy: this is the path through the desert of Lent.

Dear brothers and sisters, with the voice of the prophet Isaiah, God has made this promise: Behold, I am doing something new, I will open a road in the desert (Is 43: 19). The road that leads us from death to life opens up in the desert. If we enter the desert with Jesus, we will come out of it savouring Easter, the power of God's love that renews life. It will happen to us as it does in those deserts that bloom in the spring, making buds and plants suddenly sprout out of nowhere. Be courageous; today, we enter this desert of Lent, we follow Jesus in the desert: with him our deserts will flourish.
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The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages and His Holiness offered particular greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.  To English-speaking visitors, he said:

I welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from England, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Indonesia, the Philippines and the United States of America. May the Lenten journey we begin today bring us to Easter with hearts purified and renewed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Upon you and your families I invoke joy and peace in Christ our Redeemer. May God bless you.

At the conclusion of the General Audience, the Holy Father issued the following appeal:

I wish to express once again my closeness to those who are suffering from the Coronavirus and to those health care workers who are caring for the sick, as well as the civil authorities and all those who are working to help the patients and to contain the spread of the virus.

Pope Francis' Lenten Message

This morning, the Holy See Press Centre Published the Message which the Holy Father, Pope Francis has written for Lent 2020.  The theme of this message is We implore you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God (2 Cor 5:20).

Message of His Holiness, Pope Francis

for the liturgical season of Lent

We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Cor 5:20)

Dear brothers and sisters,

This year the Lord grants us, once again, a favourable time to prepare to celebrate with renewed hearts the great mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the cornerstone of our personal and communal Christian life. We must continually return to this mystery in mind and heart, for it will continue to grow within us in the measure that we are open to its spiritual power and respond with freedom and generosity.

1. The paschal mystery as the basis of conversion

Christian joy flows from listening to, and accepting, the Good News of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This kerygma sums up the mystery of a love so real, so true, so concrete, that it invites us to a relationship of openness and fruitful dialogue (Christus Vivit, 117). Whoever believes this message rejects the lie that our life is ours to do with as we will. Rather, life is born of the love of God our Father, from his desire to grant us life in abundance (cf Jn 10:10). If we listen instead to the tempting voice of the father of lies (Jn 8:44), we risk sinking into the abyss of absurdity, and experiencing hell here on earth, as all too many tragic events in the personal and collective human experience sadly bear witness.

In this Lent of 2020, I would like to share with every Christian what I wrote to young people in the Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit: Keep your eyes fixed on the outstretched arms of Christ crucified, let yourself be saved over and over again. And when you go to confess your sins, believe firmly in his mercy which frees you of your guilt. Contemplate his blood poured out with such great love, and let yourself be cleansed by it. In this way, you can be reborn ever anew (No. 123). Jesus’ Pasch is not a past event; rather, through the power of the Holy Spirit it is ever present, enabling us to see and touch with faith the flesh of Christ in those who suffer.

2. The urgency of conversion

It is good to contemplate more deeply the paschal mystery through which God’s mercy has been bestowed upon us. Indeed, the experience of mercy is only possible in a face to face relationship with the crucified and risen Lord who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20), in a heartfelt dialogue between friends. That is why prayer is so important in Lent. Even more than a duty, prayer is an expression of our need to respond to God’s love which always precedes and sustains us. Christians pray in the knowledge that, although unworthy, we are still loved. Prayer can take any number of different forms, but what truly matters in God’s eyes is that it penetrates deep within us and chips away at our hardness of heart, in order to convert us ever more fully to God and to his will.

In this favourable season, then, may we allow ourselves to be led like Israel into the desert (cf Hos 2:14), so that we can at last hear our Spouse’s voice and allow it to resound ever more deeply within us. The more fully we are engaged with his word, the more we will experience the mercy he freely gives us. May we not let this time of grace pass in vain, in the foolish illusion that we can control the times and means of our conversion to him.

3. God’s passionate will to dialogue with his children

The fact that the Lord once again offers us a favourable time for our conversion should never be taken for granted. This new opportunity ought to awaken in us a sense of gratitude and stir us from our sloth. Despite the sometimes tragic presence of evil in our lives, and in the life of the Church and the world, this opportunity to change our course expresses God’s unwavering will not to interrupt his dialogue of salvation with us. In the crucified Jesus, who knew no sin, yet for our sake was made to be sin (cf 2 Cor 5:21), this saving will led the Father to burden his Son with the weight of our sins, thus, in the expression of Pope Benedict XVI, turning of God against himself (Deus Caritas Est, 12). For God also loves his enemies (cf Mt 5:43-48).

The dialogue that God wishes to establish with each of us through the paschal mystery of his Son has nothing to do with empty chatter, like that attributed to the ancient inhabitants of Athens, who spent their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new (Acts 17:21). Such chatter, determined by an empty and superficial curiosity, characterizes worldliness in every age; in our own day, it can also result in improper use of the media.

4. A richness to be shared, not kept for oneself

Putting the paschal mystery at the centre of our lives means feeling compassion towards the wounds of the crucified Christ present in the many innocent victims of wars, in attacks on life, from that of the unborn to that of the elderly, and various forms of violence. They are likewise present in environmental disasters, the unequal distribution of the earth’s goods, human trafficking in all its forms, and the unbridled thirst for profit, which is a form of idolatry.

Today too, there is a need to appeal to men and women of good will to share, by almsgiving, their goods with those most in need, as a means of personally participating in the building of a better world. Charitable giving makes us more human, whereas hoarding risks making us less human, imprisoned by our own selfishness. We can and must go even further, and consider the structural aspects of our economic life. For this reason, in the midst of Lent this year, from 26 to 28 March, I have convened a meeting in Assisi with young economists, entrepreneurs and change-makers, with the aim of shaping a more just and inclusive economy. As the Church’s magisterium has often repeated, political life represents an eminent form of charity (cf Pius XI, Address to the Italian Federation of Catholic University Students, 18 December 1927). The same holds true for economic life, which can be approached in the same evangelical spirit, the spirit of the Beatitudes.

I ask Mary Most Holy to pray that our Lenten celebration will open our hearts to hear God’s call to be reconciled to himself, to fix our gaze on the paschal mystery, and to be converted to an open and sincere dialogue with him. In this way, we will become what Christ asks his disciples to be: the salt of the earth and the light of the world (cf Mt 5:13-14).

Francis

Rome, at Saint John Lateran
7 October 2019
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
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Greetings to members of the Pro Petri Sede Association

At 9:00am local time this morning (3:00am EST) in the Consistory Hall at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the members of the Pro Petri Sede Association who are in Rome for their traditional pilgrimage.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

offered to the members of the

Pro Petri Sede Association

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am happy to welcome you ad to meet with you, members of the Pro Petri Sede Association, during your pilgrimage to Rome.  Like Saint Peter, you have come here, guided by your love for Christ.  And as you pray at the tomb of him who spilled his blood for his Master and Saviour, you are carrying out an act of faith that allows you to spiritually rejuvenate yourselves.

This pilgrimage is also an occasion for you to offer your financial and spiritual support for the social and charitable works associated with my pastoral charge and the activities of the Holy See.  By following in the footsteps of your predecessors, you are participating in the missionary action of the Church which is fighting for the integral human development of all persons.  In fact, the human person must always be defended and protected in his integrity and his dignity regardless of his origin or social status.

In the frantic race for power, for careers, for honours or for power, the weak and the small are sometimes ignored and rejected. In fact, In the frenzy of running, of achieving everything right now, anyone left behind is viewed as a nuisance. And considered disposable. How many elderly, unborn, disabled and poor persons are considered useless (Homily, November 17, 2019). This is why, the Church, by advocating the preferential option for the poor, relies on men and women of good will and steeped in the Gospel to bring the peace and joy of the Risen Christ to everyone in need. Through your charitable contribution to the life of the Church, you become the salt and the light (cf Mt 5: 13-14) which help so many people to rediscover a taste for life.

Dear friends, I express my gratitude to you for your constant support for my responsibility as successor to Saint Peter. Today, we face several challenges that concern the human family and its common home. At the heart of our concerns, we have the cry of distress of people who are suffering from war, displacement, poverty and the degradation of the ecosystem, among others. It is urgent that the exploitation of the poor should end! There is an urgent need to end the atrocities in war-torn and conflict-ridden countries that throw many people out onto the road to exile!

I would like to insist on the safeguarding of our common home by launching, once again, the call for ecological conversion. Your testimony of Christian life, which manifests itself through your generosity and your attention to others, invites us all today to fight against the generalized climate of individualism, selfishness and indifference, which threaten peace as well between humans and the environment.

I invite you to remain firm in your convictions and in your faith, to be a flame that brings hope to the hearts of the men and women of today! Like Saint Peter, step out with courage and share this great love that Christ has revealed to us!

Entrusting each of you and your families, as well as all the members of your Association to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, to Saint peter and to the saints of your country, I willingly grant you my Apostolic blessing.  And please, don't forget to pray for me!  Thank you!
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How far should we go?

Here is the text of the reflection I shared with the people who came to pray with us this weekend: as we prepare for Lent, some thoughts about how far we should go to love one another, and what that might look like.

How far should we go?

In just a few days' time, we will enter into the season of Lent.  On Wednesday, we will have ashes placed upon our heads, to mark the beginning of this time of grace, but what grace can we hope for?  What changes do we need to make?  How will life be different this year because we have lived Lent well?

Perhaps the scripture passages we have heard today can help us to begin even now to prepare our hearts.  The first reading says: you shall love your neighbour as yourself (Lev 19:18), but what does it really mean to love my neighbour?  How far should a Christian disciple's love extend?  Does this Command mean that we must always like everyone? Are there times when we might appropriately retaliate in response to a slight or an attack?

To answer this question, we must first remember that we are all children of God; we all belong to God and God is a loving parent.  Saint Paul says it this way: Brothers and sisters, do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (1 Cor 3:16)  We are all God's temple.  God dwells within each of us, in our hearts.  If only we could begin the season of Lent with a prayer, asking for the grace to understand this truth more deeply, I think that we would already have more than enough reason to rejoice and to give thanks, but Christian love is not only about recognizing the goodness of another person.  It is not even only about recognizing God's Spirit dwelling within another person.  It is about loving everyone as we love ourselves.

Christian love is meant to be limitless, extending beyond the local communities and comfort zones that we have grown accustomed to.  Jesus told the disciples that it wasn't enough for them to follow the letter of the Law, Christian disciples must be willing to go beyond the limits of the law; we must be willing to do more than people expect of us.  Jesus told those first disciples: if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, offer them the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give them your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them also the second mile (Mt 5:39-41).  The extent of a disciple's obligation exceeds the limits of merely treating others the way that we ourselves would like to be treated.  A disciple's love gives priority to the other person's welfare first.

During this year's Lenten season, let us all pray for the grace to emulate God's love for us.  Let us strive to love selflessly, forgiving others and loving unconditionally.  God's love for us has called all creation into being.  God's love for us is ongoing: it knows no boundaries.  God's love is redemptive and self-giving.  God's love for us was made known to us in the person of Jesus Christ who willingly gave himself up to death, death on a cross.

How far are we willing to go to love one another?

Jusqu'où devons-nous aller?

D'ici quelques jours, nous entreprendrons le temps du Carême. Mercredi de cette semaine, on placera  des cendres sur nos fronts, pour marquer le début de ce temps de grâce, mais quelle grâce pouvons-nous espérer? Quels changements devons-nous apporter? En quoi la vie sera-t-elle différente cette année à cause du fait que nous avons bien vécu le Carême?

Peut-être que les Saints Écritures que nous avons entendus aujourd'hui peuvent nous aider à commencer dès maintenant à préparer nos cœurs. La première lecture nous dit: tu aimeras ton prochain comme toi-même (Lév 19,18), mais que signifie vraiment aimer mon prochain? Jusqu'où doit s'étendre l'amour d'un disciple chrétien? Est-ce que ce commandement signifie que nous devons toujours aimer tout le monde? Y a-t-il des moments où nous pourrions riposter de manière appropriée en réponse à une méprise ou une attaque?

Pour répondre à cette question, nous devons d'abord nous rappeler que nous sommes tous enfants de Dieu; nous appartenons tous au Seigneur et notre Dieu est un parent aimant. Saint Paul le dit ainsi: Ne savez-vous pas que vous êtes un sanctuaire de Dieu et que l'esprit de Dieu habite en vous? (1 Co 3, 16). Nous sommes tous le temple de Dieu. Dieu habite en chacun de nous, dans nos cœurs. Si seulement nous pouvions commencer le temps du Carême par une prière, en demandant la grâce de comprendre cette vérité plus profondément, je pense que nous aurions déjà plus qu'assez de raisons de nous réjouir et de rendre grâce à Dieu, mais l'amour chrétien ne consiste pas seulement à reconnaître la bonté d'une autre personne. Il ne s'agit même pas seulement de reconnaître l'Esprit de Dieu vivant au sein d'une autre personne. Il s'agit d'aimer tout le monde comme nous nous aimons.

L'amour chrétien est censé d'être illimité, s'étendant au-delà des communautés locales et des zones de confort auxquelles nous nous sommes habitués. Jésus a dit aux disciples qu'il ne leur suffisait pas de réagir selon la Loi, les disciples chrétiens doivent être prêts à aller au-delà des limites de la loi; nous devons être prêts à faire plus que ce que les gens attendent de nous. Jésus a dit à ces premiers disciples: si quelqu'un te gifle sur la joue droite, tends-lui encore l'autre.  Et si quelqu'un veut te ... prendre ta tunique, laisse-lui encore ton manteau.  Et si quelqu'un te réquisitionne pour faire mille pas, fais-en deux mille avec lui (Mt 5, 39-41). L'étendue de l'obligation d'un disciple dépasse les limites du simple fait de traiter autrui comme nous aimerions nous-mêmes être traités. L'amour d'un disciple donne la priorité au bien-être de l'autre en premier.

Pendant le temps du Carême, prions tous pour la grâce d'imiter l'amour que Dieu a pour nous. Efforçons-nous d'aimer de façon désintéressée, de pardonner aux autres et d'aimer inconditionnellement. L'amour de Dieu pour nous a fait naître toute la création. L'amour de Dieu est en cours: il ne connaît pas de frontières. L'amour de Dieu est rédempteur et généreux. L'amour de Dieu nous a été révélé par la personne de Jésus-Christ qui s'est volontairement livré à la mort, la mort sur une croix.

Jusqu'à quel point sommes-nous prêts à aller afin d'aimer notre prochain?

Mass in Bari

At 10:45am this morning (3:45am EST), along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II in Bari, the Holy Father, Pope Francis presided over the Eucharistic Celebration which took place at the conclusion of the Meeting for reflection and spirituality entitled The Mediterranean: a border of peace.

At the conclusion of the Mass, after some greetings and words of gratitude which were offered by the Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto, His Excellency, Francesco Cacucci, the Pope led the recitation of the Angelus along with the faithful and the pilgrims who were gathered.  Then, His Holiness travelled by car to Christopher Columbus Square where, at 12:50pm local time (6:50am EST), he departed aboard a helicopter for the return flight to the Vatican.

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

celebrated in Bari

Jesus quotes the ancient law: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Mt 5:38; Ex 21:24). We know what that law meant: when someone takes something from you, you are to take the same thing from him. This law of retaliation was actually a sign of progress, since it prevented excessive retaliation. If someone harms you, then you can repay him or her in the same degree; you cannot do something worse. Ending the matter there, in a fair exchange, was a step forward.

But Jesus goes far beyond this: But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil (Mt 5:39). But how, Lord? If someone thinks badly of me, if someone hurts me, why can I not repay him with the same currency?  No, says Jesus. Nonviolence. No act of violence.

We might think that Jesus’ teaching is a part of a plan; in the end, the wicked will desist. But that is not why Jesus asks us to love even those who do us harm. What, then, is the reason? It is that the Father, our Father, continues to love everyone, even when his love is not reciprocated. The Father makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Mt 5:45). In today’s first reading, he tells us: You shall be holy; for I, the Lord your God, am holy (Lev 19:2). In other words: Live like me, seek the things that I seek. And that is precisely what Jesus did. He did not point a finger at those who wrongfully condemned him and put him to a cruel death, but opened his arms to them on the cross. And he forgave those who drove the nails into his wrists (cf Lk 23:33-34).

If we want to be disciples of Christ, if we want to call ourselves Christians, this is the only way; there is no other. Having been loved by God, we are called to love in return; having been forgiven, we are called to forgive; having been touched by love, we are called to love without waiting for others to love first; having been saved graciously, we are called to seek no benefit from the good we do. You may well say: But Jesus goes too far! He even says: 'Love your enemies and pray for those who they persecute you' (Mt 5:44). Surely he speaks like this to gain people’s attention, but he cannot really mean it. But he really does. Here Jesus is not speaking in paradoxes or using nice turns of phrase. He is direct and clear. He quotes the ancient law and solemnly tells us: But I say to you: love your enemies. His words are deliberate and precise.

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. This is the Christian innovation. It is the Christian difference. Pray and love: this is what we must do; and not only with regard to those who love us, not only with regard to our friends or our own people. The love of Jesus knows no boundaries or barriers. The Lord demands of us the courage to have a love that does not count the cost. Because the measure of Jesus is love without measure. How many times have we neglected that demand, behaving like everyone else! Yet his commandment of love is not simply a challenge; it is the very heart of the Gospel. Where the command of universal love is concerned, let us not accept excuses or preach prudent caution. The Lord was not cautious; he did not yield to compromises. He asks of us the extremism of charity. This is the only legitimate kind of Christian extremism: the extremism of love.

Love your enemies. We do well today, at Mass and afterwards, to repeat these words to ourselves and apply them to those who treat us badly, who annoy us, whom we find hard to accept, who trouble our serenity. Love your enemies. We also do well to ask ourselves: What am I really concerned about in this life? About my enemies, or about those who dislike me? Or about loving? Do not worry about the malice of others. about those who think ill of you. Instead, begin to disarm your heart out of love for Jesus. For those who love God have no enemies in their hearts.

The worship of God is contrary to the culture of hatred. And the culture of hatred is fought by combatting the cult of complaint. How many times do we complain about the things that we lack, about the things that go wrong! Jesus knows about all the things that don’t work. He knows that there is always going to be someone who dislikes us. Or someone who makes our life miserable. All he asks us to do is pray and love. This is the revolution of Jesus, the greatest revolution in history: from hating our enemy to loving our enemy; from the cult of complaint to the culture of gift. If we belong to Jesus, this is the road we are called to take! There is no other.

True enough, you can object: I understand the grandeur of the ideal, but that is not how life really is! If I love and forgive, I will not survive in this world, where the logic of power prevails and people seem to be concerned only with themselves. So is Jesus’ logic, his way of seeing things, the logic of losers? In the eyes of the world, it is, but in the eyes of God it is the logic of winners. As Saint Paul told us in the second reading: Let no one deceive himself ... For the wisdom of this world is folly with God (1 Cor 3:18-19). God sees what we cannot see. He knows how to win. He knows that evil can only be conquered by goodness. That is how he saved us: not by the sword, but by the cross. To love and forgive is to live as a conqueror. We will lose if we defend the faith by force.

The Lord would repeat to us the words he addressed to Peter in Gethsemane: Put your sword into its sheath (Jn 18:11). In the Gethsemanes of today, in our indifferent and unjust world that seems to testify to the agony of hope, a Christian cannot be like those disciples who first took up the sword and later fled. No, the solution is not to draw our sword against others, or to flee from the times in which we live. The solution is the way of Jesus: active love, humble love, love to the end (Jn 13:1).

Dear brothers and sisters, today Jesus, with his limitless love, raises the bar of our humanity. In the end, we can ask ourselves: Will we be able to make it? If the goal were impossible, the Lord would not have asked us to strive for it. By our own effort, it is difficult to achieve; it is a grace and it needs to be implored. Ask God for the strength to love. Say to him: Lord, help me to love, teach me to forgive. I cannot do it alone, I need you. But we also have to ask for the grace to be able to see others not as hindrances and complications, but as brothers and sisters to be loved. How often we pray for help and favours for ourselves, yet how seldom do we pray to learn how to love! We need to pray more frequently for the grace to live the essence of the Gospel, to be truly Christian. For in the evening of life, we will be judged on love (Saint John of the Cross, Sayings of Light and Love, 57).

Today let us choose love, whatever the cost, even if it means going against the tide. Let us not yield to the thinking of this world, or content ourselves with half measures. Let us accept the challenge of Jesus, the challenge of charity. Then we will be true Christians and our world will be more human.
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Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

prior to the recitation of the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters,

While we are gathered here to pray and reflect on the peace and fate of the peoples bordering the Mediterranean, on the other side of this sea, particularly in the north-west of Syria, an immense tragedy is taking place. From our hearts: the hearts of shepherds there is a strong appeal to the actors involved and to the international community, because it is silent about the noise of arms and the tears of the little ones and the defenceless are being shed; ours is an appeal to put aside the individual calculations and interests in order to safeguard the lives of civilians and the many innocent children who are paying the consequences.

Let us pray to the Lord, asking that he may move hearts so that all the interested parties might overcome the logic of confrontation, hatred and revenge in order to rediscover the presence of their brothers, who are children of one Father, the One who makes the sun rise on the good and the bad (see Mt 5:45). Let us invoke the Holy Spirit so that each of us, starting with daily gestures of love, may contribute to building new relationships, inspired by understanding, acceptance and patience, thus laying the conditions for experiencing the joy of the Gospel and spreading it in every environment of life. May the Virgin Mary, the Star of the Sea (the Holy Mother of God) to whom we look as the highest example of fidelity to Jesus and his word, help us to walk on this road.

Before reciting the Angelus together, I warmly thank all the Bishops and all those who participated in this meeting on the Mediterranean as a frontier of peace; as well as those - and there are many! - who worked in various ways for the success of this gathering. Thank you all! You have contributed to the growth of the culture of encounter and dialogue in this region, dialogue that is so important for world peace.