SUMMARY:
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Meeting of the Council of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops
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Pentecost: the Holy Spirit makes us capable of dedicating ourselves
to works of justice and peace
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Regina Coeli: the Church is not born isolated
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The Pope urges the international community to help refugees in the
Bay of Bengal
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Message for World Missions Day: “There is an inseparable bond
between our faith and the poor”
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Francis prays with the Pentecostal evangelical pastors of Phoenix for
the unity of the Church
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The Pope to Christian workers' association: fight for free, creative,
participatory and fraternal work
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Blessed Oscar Arnulfo Romero: a martyr who knew how to guide, defend
and protect his flock
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Pope's message for the Second International Conference on Women
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Audiences
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Other Pontifical Acts
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Meeting
of the Council of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops
Vatican
City, 25 May 2015 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father chaired the
meeting of the Council of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.
Pentecost:
the Holy Spirit makes us capable of dedicating ourselves to works of
justice and peace
Vatican
City, 24 May 2015 (VIS) – “Strengthened by the Spirit – who
guides, who guides us into the truth, who renews us and the whole
earth, and who gives us his fruits – strengthened in the Spirit and
by these many gifts, may we be able to battle uncompromisingly
against sin, to battle uncompromisingly against corruption, which
continues to spread in the world day after day, by devoting ourselves
with patient perseverance to the works of justice and peace”, said
the Holy Father during Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on the solemnity
of Pentecost.
Pope
Francis repeated several times during his homily that the Holy
Spirit, today as yesterday, guides, renews and bears fruit, acting
through people and communities, and making them capable of receiving
God, “capax Dei” the Holy Fathers have affirmed.
“On
the evening of Easter, Jesus appeared to the Apostles and breathed on
them his Spirit; on the morning of Pentecost the outpouring occurred
in a resounding way, like a wind which shook the place the Apostles
were in, filling their minds and hearts. They received a new strength
so great that they were able to proclaim Christ’s Resurrection in
different languages. ... Together with them was Mary, the Mother of
Jesus, the first disciple, there too as Mother of the nascent Church.
With her peace, with her smile,with her maternity, she accompanied
the joyful young Bride, the Church of Jesus”.
In
the Gospel, Jesus promises his disciples that, when he has returned
to the Father, the Holy Spirit will come to “guide them into all
the truth”, and explains to them that its action will bring them to
understand ever more clearly what he, the Messiah, has said and done,
especially with regard to his death and resurrection. “To the
Apostles, who could not bear the scandal of their Master’s
sufferings, the Spirit would give a new understanding of the truth
and beauty of that saving event. At first they were paralysed with
fear, shut in the Upper Room to avoid the aftermath of Good Friday.
Now they would no longer be ashamed to be Christ’s disciples; they
would no longer tremble before the courts of men. Filled with the
Holy Spirit, they would now understand 'all the truth': that the
death of Jesus was not his defeat, but rather the ultimate expression
of God’s love, a love that, in the Resurrection, conquers death and
exalts Jesus as the Living One, the Lord, the Redeemer of mankind,
the Lord of history and of the world. This truth, to which the
Apostles were witnesses, became Good News, to be proclaimed to all”.
The
Holy Spirit also renews the earth. “Respect for creation, then, is
a requirement of our faith: the 'garden' in which we live is not
entrusted to us to be exploited, but rather to be cultivated and
tended with respect. Yet this is possible only if Adam – the man
formed from the earth – allows himself in turn to be renewed by the
Holy Spirit, only if he allows himself to be re-formed by the Father
on the model of Christ, the new Adam. In this way, renewed by the
Spirit of God, we will indeed be able to experience the freedom of
the sons and daughters, in harmony with all creation. In every
creature we will be able to see reflected the glory of the Creator”.
“The
world needs men and women who are not closed in on themselves, but
filled with the Holy Spirit”, exclaimed the Pope at the end of his
homily. “Closing oneself off from the Holy Spirit means not only a
lack of freedom; it is a sin. There are many ways one can close
oneself off to the Holy Spirit: by selfishness for one’s own gain;
by rigid legalism – seen in the attitude of the doctors of the law
to whom Jesus referred as 'hypocrites'; by neglect of what Jesus
taught; by living the Christian life not as service to others but in
the pursuit of personal interests; and in so many other ways.
However, the world needs the courage, hope, faith and perseverance of
Christ’s followers. The world needs the fruits, the gifts of the
Holy Spirit, as Saint Paul lists them: 'love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control'. The gift
of the Holy Spirit has been bestowed upon the Church and upon each
one of us, so that we may live lives of genuine faith and active
charity, that we may sow the seeds of reconciliation and peace”.
Regina
Coeli: the Church is not born isolated
Vatican
City, 24 May 2015 (VIS) – As is usual on a Sunday, the Pope
appeared at the window of his study at midday today to pray the
Regina Coeli with the thousands of pilgrims and faithful gathered in
St. Peter's Square.
Before
the Marian prayer he again referred to the solemnity of Pentecost,
which represents “the baptism of the Church, which thus begins her
path through history, guided by the strength of the Holy Spirit”.
He continued, “That event, which changes the heart and the life of
the apostles and the other disciples, is immediately reflected
outside the Cenacle. Indeed, the door that had been kept closed for
fifty days is finally opened and the first Christian Community, no
longer closed in on itself, begins to speak to the crowds of
different origins of the great things that God has done. … And
every person present hears the disciples speak in his own language.
The gift of the Spirit re-establishes the harmony of language lost in
Babel, and prefigures the universal dimension of the apostles'
mission”.
The
Church “is not born isolated: she is born universal, one, Catholic,
with a precise identity but open to all, not closed, an identity that
embraces the whole world, without exception. The Mother Church does
not close her door to anyone! Not even the greatest sinner! And this
is due to the strength and the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Mother
Church throws her doors wide open to all, because she is a mother”.
Pentecost
is also “the beginning of a new season: the season of witness and
fraternity. It is a season that comes from above, that comes from
God, like the flames of fire that came to rest of the head of each
disciple. It was the flame of love that burned away all bitterness;
it was the language of the Gospel that crosses the boundaries set by
man and touches the hearts of the multitude, without distinction of
language, race or nationality. As on that day of Pentecost, today too
the Holy Spirit is continually poured onto the Church and on each one
of us, so that we leave behind our mediocrity and narrow-mindedness,
and communicate the merciful love of the Lord to all the world … so
that as we announce Jesus, resurrected, living and present in our
midst, we warm our own heart and the heart of peoples, drawing them
close to Him, the path, the truth, and life”.
The
Pope urges the international community to help refugees in the Bay of
Bengal
Vatican
City, 24 May 2015 (VIS) – Following today's Regina Coeli the Pope
voiced his concern and suffering for the fate of the many refugees
stranded at sea in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, expressing
his appreciation for the efforts made by those countries which “have
shown their willingness to welcome these people who face great
suffering and danger”, and urged the international community to
offer humanitarian aid.
He
went on to recall that today marks the centenary of Italy's entry
into the First World War, “that senseless slaughter”. “Let us
pray for the victims”, he said, “asking the Holy Spirit for the
gift of peace”.
He
also mentioned the beatification yesterday of Archbishop Oscar Romero
in El Salvador and the Italian religious sister Irene Stefanini in
Kenya. “The first was killed in hatred of the faith as he
celebrated the Eucharist”, he remarked. “This zealous pastor,
following Jesus' example, chose to stay among his people, especially
the poor and oppressed, even at the cost of his own life. Sister
Irene Stefanini, Missionary of Consolation, served the Kenyan
population with joy, mercy and tender compassion. May the example of
these blesseds inspire in every one of us the wish to bear witness to
the Gospel with courage and self-sacrifice”.
Finally,
on the feast day of Mary Help of Christians, he greeted the Salesian
community, asking that the Lord might give them the strength to
continue in their work in the spirit of St. John Bosco.
Message
for World Missions Day: “There is an inseparable bond between our
faith and the poor”
Vatican
City, 24 May 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father's message for the 89th
World Mission Day was published today. To be held on Sunday 18
October 2015, this year the Day will take place in the context of the
Year of Consecrated Life and will therefore highlight the bond
between faith and mission.
The
following is the full text of the message:
“The
2015 World Mission Sunday 2015 takes place in the context of the Year
of Consecrated Life, which provides a further stimulus for prayer and
reflection. For if every baptised person is called to bear witness to
the Lord Jesus by proclaiming the faith received as a gift, this is
especially so for each consecrated man and woman. There is a clear
connection between consecrated life and mission. The desire to follow
Jesus closely, which led to the emergence of consecrated life in the
Church, responds to his call to take up the cross and follow him, to
imitate his dedication to the Father and his service and love, to
lose our life so as to gain it. Since Christ’s entire existence had
a missionary character, so too, all those who follow him closely must
possess this missionary quality.
The
missionary dimension, which belongs to the very nature of the Church,
is also intrinsic to all forms of consecrated life, and cannot be
neglected without detracting from and disfiguring its charism. Being
a missionary is not about proselytising or mere strategy; mission is
part of the 'grammar' of faith, something essential for those who
listen to the voice of the Spirit who whispers 'Come' and 'Go forth'.
Those who follow Christ cannot fail to be missionaries, for they know
that Jesus 'walks with them, speaks to them, breathes with them. They
sense Jesus alive with them in the midst of the missionary
enterprise'.
Mission
is a passion for Jesus and at the same time a passion for his people.
When we pray before Jesus crucified, we see the depth of his love
which gives us dignity and sustains us. At the same time, we realise
that the love flowing from Jesus’ pierced heart expands to embrace
the People of God and all humanity. We realise once more that he
wants to make use of us to draw closer to his beloved people and all
those who seek him with a sincere heart. In Jesus’ command to 'go
forth', we see the scenarios and ever-present new challenges of the
Church’s evangelising mission. 'l her members are called to
proclaim the Gospel by their witness of life. In a particular way,
consecrated men and women are asked to listen to the voice of the
Spirit who calls them to go to the peripheries, to those to whom the
Gospel has not yet been proclaimed.
The
fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Decree Ad
Gentes is an invitation to all of us to reread this document and to
reflect on its contents. The Decree called for a powerful missionary
impulse in Institutes of Consecrated Life. For contemplative
communities, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, Patroness of the
Missions, appears in a new light; she speaks with renewed eloquence
and inspires reflection upon the deep connection between
contemplative life and mission. For many active religious
communities, the missionary impulse which emerged from the Council
was met with an extraordinary openness to the mission ad gentes,
often accompanied by an openness to brothers and sisters from the
lands and cultures encountered in evangelisation, to the point that
today one can speak of a widespread 'interculturalism' in the
consecrated life. Hence there is an urgent need to reaffirm that the
central ideal of mission is Jesus Christ, and that this ideal demands
the total gift of oneself to the proclamation of the Gospel. On this
point there can be no compromise: those who by God’s grace accept
the mission, are called to live the mission. For them, the
proclamation of Christ in the many peripheries of the world becomes
their way of following him, one which more than repays them for the
many difficulties and sacrifices they make. Any tendency to deviate
from this vocation, even if motivated by noble reasons due to
countless pastoral, ecclesial or humanitarian needs, is not
consistent with the Lord’s call to be personally at the service of
the Gospel. In Missionary Institutes, formators are called to
indicate clearly and frankly this plan of life and action, and to
discern authentic missionary vocations. I appeal in particular to
young people, who are capable of courageous witness and generous
deeds, even when these are countercultural: Do not allow others to
rob you of the ideal of a true mission, of fol lowing Jesus through
the total gift of yourself. In the depths of your conscience, ask
yourself why you chose the religious missionary life and take stock
of your readiness to accept it for what it is: a gift of love at the
service of the proclamation of the Gospel. Remember that, even before
being necessary for those who have not yet heard it, the proclamation
of the Gospel is a necessity for those who love the Master.
Today,
the Church’s mission is faced by the challenge of meeting the needs
of all people to return to their roots and to protect the values of
their respective cultures. This means knowing and respecting other
traditions and philosophical systems, and realising that all peoples
and cultures have the right to be helped from within their own
traditions to enter into the mystery of God’s wisdom and to accept
the Gospel of Jesus, who is light and transforming strength for all
cultures.
Within
this complex dynamic, we ask ourselves: 'Who are the first to whom
the Gospel message must be proclaimed?'. The answer, found so often
throughout the Gospel, is clear: it is the poor, the little ones and
the sick, those who are often looked down upon or forgotten, those
who cannot repay us. Evangelisation directed preferentially to the
least among us is a sign of the Kingdom that Jesus came to bring:
'There is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. May we
never abandon them'. This must be clear above all to those who
embrace the consecrated missionary life: by the vow of poverty, they
choose to follow Christ in his preference for the poor, not
ideologically, but in the same way that he identified himself with
the poor: by living like them amid the uncertainties of everyday life
and renouncing all claims to power, and in this way to become
brothers and sisters of the poor, bringing them the witness of the
joy of the Gospel and a sign of God’s love.
Living
as Christian witnesses and as signs of the Father’s love among the
poor and underprivileged, consecrated persons are called to promote
the presence of the lay faithful in the service of Church’s
mission. As the Second Vatican Council stated: 'The laity should
cooperate in the Church's work of evangelisation; as witnesses and at
the same time as living instruments, they share in her saving
mission'. Consecrated missionaries need to generously welcome those
who are willing to work with them, even for a limited period of time,
for an experience in the field. They are brothers and sisters who
want to share the missionary vocation inherent in Baptism. The houses
and structures of the missions are natural places to welcome them and
to provide for their human, spiritual and apostolic support.
The
Church’s Institutes and Missionary Congregations are completely at
the service of those who do not know the Gospel of Jesus. This means
that they need to count on the charisms and missionary commitment of
their consecrated members. But consecrated men and women also need a
structure of service, an expression of the concern of the Bishop of
Rome, in order to ensure koinonia, for cooperation and synergy are an
integral part of the missionary witness. Jesus made the unity of his
disciples a condition so that the world may believe. This convergence
is not the same as legalism or institutionalism, much less a stifling
of the creativity of the Spirit, who inspires diversity. It is about
giving a greater fruitfulness to the Gospel message and promoting
that unity of purpose which is also the fruit of the Spirit.
The
Missionary Societies of the Successor of Peter have a universal
apostolic horizon. This is why they also need the many charisms of
consecrated life, to address the vast horizons of evangelisation and
to be able to ensure adequate presence in whatever lands they are
sent.
Dear
brothers and sisters, a true missionary is passionate for the Gospel.
St. Paul said: 'Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!'. The Gospel
is the source of joy, liberation and salvation for all men and women.
The Church is aware of this gift, and therefore she ceaselessly
proclaims to everyone 'what was from the beginning, what we have
heard, what we have seen with our eyes'. The mission of the servants
of the Word – bishops, priests, religious and laity – is to allow
everyone, without exception, to enter into a personal relationship
with Christ. In the full range of the Church’s missionary activity,
all the faithful are called to live their baptismal commitment to the
fullest, in accordance with the personal situation of each. A
generous response to this universal vocation can be offered by
consecrated men and women through an intense life of prayer and union
with the Lord and his redeeming sacrifice.
To
Mary, Mother of the Church and model of missionary outreach, I
entrust all men and women who, in every state of life work to
proclaim the Gospel, ad gentes or in their own lands. To all
missionaries of the Gospel I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing”.
Francis
prays with the Pentecostal evangelical pastors of Phoenix for the
unity of the Church
Vatican
City, 24 May 2015 (VIS) – The diocese of Phoenix, U.S.A., has
organised a day of dialogue and prayer, on the eve of Pentecost, with
a group of evangelical pastors of Pentecostal orientation, including
the Italian Giovanni Traettino, whom Pope Francis visited during his
trip to Caserta. The Holy Father participated with a video message,
screened yesterday afternoon at the opening of the meeting (during
the night in Europe), ample extracts of which are given below:
“'Father,
may we be one so that the world may believe you sent me'. This is the
slogan, the theme of the meeting: Christ’s prayer to the Father for
the grace of unity. Today, Saturday … I will be with you
spiritually and with all my heart. We will search together, we will
pray together, for the grace of unity. The unity that is budding
among us is that unity which begins under the seal of the one Baptism
we have all received. It is the unity we are seeking along a common
path. It is the spiritual unity of prayer for one another. It is the
unity of our common labour on behalf of our brothers and sisters, and
all those who believe in the sovereignty of Christ. Dear brothers and
sisters, division is a wound in the body of the Church of Christ. And
we do not want this wound to remain open. Division is the work of the
father of Lies, the father of Discord, who does everything possible
to keep us divided.
“Together
today, I here in Rome and you over there, we will ask our Father to
send the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and to give us the grace
to be one, 'so that the world may believe'. I wish to say something
that may sound controversial, or even heretical, perhaps. But there
is someone who 'knows' that, despite our differences, we are one. It
is he who is persecuting us. It is he who is persecuting Christians
today, he who is anointing us with (the blood of) martyrdom. He knows
that Christians are disciples of Christ: that they are one, that they
are brothers! He doesn’t care if they are Evangelicals, or
Orthodox, Lutherans, Catholics or Apostolic … he doesn’t care!
They are Christians. And that blood (of martyrdom) unites. Today,
dear brothers and sisters, we are living an 'ecumenism of blood'.
This must encourage us to do what we are doing today: to pray, to
dialogue together, to shorten the distance between us, to strengthen
our bonds of brotherhood.
“I
am convinced it will not be theologians who bring about unity among
us. Theologians help us, the science of the theologians will assist
us, but if we hope that theologians will agree with one another, we
will reach unity the day after Judgement Day. The Holy Spirit brings
about unity. Theologians are helpful, but most helpful is the
goodwill of us all who are on this journey with our hearts open to
the Holy Spirit! In all humility, I join you as just another
participant on this day of prayer, friendship, closeness and
reflection. In the certainty that we have one Lord: Jesus is the
Lord. In the certainty that this Lord is alive: Jesus is alive, the
Lord lives in each one of us. In the certainty that He has sent the
Spirit He promised us so that this 'harmony' among all His disciples
might be realised”.
The
Pope to Christian workers' association: fight for free, creative,
participatory and fraternal work
Vatican
City, 23 May 2015 (VIS) - “We must ensure that through work –
free, creative, participatory and mutually supportive – human
beings may express and increase the dignity of their lives”, said
Pope Francis this morning as he received in audience the members of
the Christian Associations of Italian Workers (ACLI), who celebrate
the 70th anniversary of their foundation this year.
The
Holy Father took the opportunity to reflect on the scale and urgency
of the employment problem in today's world and the need to propose
equitable, fraternal and genuinely practicable solutions. “The
spread of precariousness, illegal work and organised crime,
especially among the younger generations, ensure that the lack of
work robs dignity and obstructs the fullness of human life. This
demands an immediate and vigorous response”, he said, then
indicating the four features that should be present in all work.
Firstly,
work must be free: the true freedom of work means that man,
continuing the work of the Creator, ensures that the world reaches
its objective. Too often, however, work is a vehicle for oppression
at several levels: man against another man; new forms of organised
slavery that oppress the poorest. “In particular, many children and
women suffer as the result of an economy that obliges them to carry
out undignified work that contradicts creation in its beauty and
harmony. We must ensure that work is not a tool of alienation, but
rather of hope and new life”.
Creative
work allows one to use his or her unique and original abilities. This
is achieved “when man is permitted to express with freedom and
creativity in certain forms of activity, in collaborative work
conducted in the community that enable full economic and social
development to him and to others. We cannot clip the wings of those,
especially the young, who have much to give with their intelligence
and capacities; they must be freed of the burdens that oppress them
and prevent them from fully entering the world of work as soon as
possible”.
Participatory
work corresponds to the relational dimension of the person, and
involves the establishment of responsible bonds of collaboration.
However, “when, due to an 'economistic' vision … others are
regarded as a means and not an end, work loses its primary meaning as
the continuation of God's work, a work destined for all humanity, so
that all may benefit”.
Finally,
mutually supportive work means responding to the many men and women
who have lost their jobs or are seeking employment, above all with
closeness and solidarity. Associations such as the ACLI, as places of
welcome and encounter, must also identify opportunities for formation
and professional training.
Francis
went on to refer to some key aspects of the ACLI. The first is its
presence outside Italy, which began with the phase of Italian
emigration and continues to be valuable since many young people leave
Italy to seek work pertinent to their studies or to enrich their
professional experience. “Support them on their path”, he said.
“In their eyes you may see the reflection of your parents or
grandparents who travelled far to work”.
The
Association is also engaged in the battle against poverty and that of
the impoverishment of the middle classes. “Offering support, not
only of an economic nature, to those below the poverty line, who have
increased in number in Italy in recent years, can bring benefits to
all of society. At the same time, those who yesterday lived a
dignified life must be prevented from slipping into poverty. It takes
very little these days to become poor: the loss of a job, an elderly
relative who is no longer self-sufficient, sickness in the family, or
even – think of this terrible paradox – the birth of a child. It
is an important cultural battle, that of ensuring that welfare is
considered to be the infrastructure of development rather than a
cost. You can act as a coordinator and motor for the 'alliance
against poverty', which proposes the development of a national plan
for decent and dignified work”.
“Christian
inspiration and the popular dimension determine that way of
understanding and implementing the ACLI's historic triple fidelity to
workers, democracy and the Church. In the current context, it may be
said that these three attitudes may be summarised in one, new and
simple: fidelity to the poor”.
Blessed
Oscar Arnulfo Romero: a martyr who knew how to guide, defend and
protect his flock
Vatican
City, 23 May 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has sent a letter to
Archbishop Jose Luis Escobar Alas of San Salvador, president of the
Episcopal Conference of El Salvador, for the beatification of Oscar
Arnulfo Romero Galdamez, former archbishop of the same archdiocese
and martyr, killed in hatred of the faith on 24 March 1980. The the
beatification Mass, celebrated in Plaza del Divino Salvador del Mundo
in the Salvadoran capital, was attended by the Pope's special envoy
Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the
Causes of Saints.
The
following is the full text of the letter:
“The
beatification of Msgr. Oscar Arnulfo Romero Galdamex, who was the
pastor of this beloved archdiocese, is a cause for great joy for
Salvadorans and for those who rejoice in the example of the best sons
of the Church. Msgr. Romero, who built peace with the strength of
love, bore witness to faith, giving his life to the extreme.
The
Lord never abandons His people in difficulties, and always shows
solicitude to its needs. He sees oppression, He hears the cries of
pain of His children, and he comes to their aid to free them from
oppression and to lead them to a new land, of 'milk and honey',
fertile and spacious. Just as He chose Moses to guide His people in
His name, He continues to raise pastors after His own heart, who
graze His flock with wisdom and prudence.
In
this beautiful central American country, bathed by the Pacific Ocean,
the Lord granted His Church a zealous bishop who, loving God and
serving his brothers, converted himself in the image of Christ the
Good Shepherd. In times of difficult co-existence, Msgr. Romero knew
how to guide, defend and protect his flock, remaining faithful to the
Gospel and in communion with all the Church. His ministry was
distinguished by his particular care for the poorest and most
marginalised. And at the moment of his death, as he celebrated the
Holy Sacrifice of love and reconciliation, he received the grace of
fully identifying himself with He Who gave His life for his flock.
On
this day of celebration for the Salvadoran nation, and also for our
brother countries in Latin America, let us give thanks to God for
granting to the bishop martyr the capacity to see and hear the
suffering of his people, and for forming his heart so that, in His
name, he was guided and enlightened, and his work was filled with
Christian charity.
The
voice of the newly Blessed continues to resonate today, reminding us
that the Church, a convocation of brothers around the Lord, is the
family of God, in which there should be no division. Faith in Jesus
Christ, when it is well understood and its full consequences are
realised, generates communities that are builders of peace and
solidarity. This is what the Church is called to do today in El
Salvador, America and the world at large: to be rich in mercy, to
convert into leaven for reconciliation for society.
Msgr.
Romero invites us to good sense and reflection, respect for life and
harmony. It is necessary to reject 'the violence of the sword, of
hatred' and to live 'the violence of love, which caused Christ to be
nailed to a cross, which enables us all to overcome our selfishness
and ensures there may no longer be such cruel inequalities between
us'. He was able to see and to experience in his own flesh 'the
selfishness that lurks in those who do not wish to give what is
theirs for the benefit of others'. And, with a father's heart, he
cared for the 'poor majority', urging the powerful to transform their
weapons into ploughshares.
May
those who regard Msgr. Romero as a friend in faith, those who invoke
him as a protector and intercessor, those who admire him, find in him
the strength and encouragement to build the Kingdom of God, and to
commit themselves to creating a more equitable and dignified social
order.
It
is the right time for true national reconciliation when faced with
today's challenges. The Pope participates in your hopes, and unites
himself to your prayers so that the seed of martyrdom may flourish
and become entrenched in the true paths of the sons and daughters of
that nation, which proudly bears the name of the divine Saviour of
the World.
Dear
brother, I ask you to pray and to ask for prayers for me, and I
impart my apostolic blessing to all those who join in any way in the
celebration of the new Blessed”.
Pope's
message for the Second International Conference on Women
Vatican
City, 23 May 2015 (VIS) – The Pope has sent a message of greetings
and encouragement to the participants in the Second International
Conference on Women held in Rome, and which today comes to an end.
The event was organised by the Pontifical Pontifical Council “Justice
and Peace”, in cooperation with the World Union of Women’s
Catholic Organisations and the World Women’s Alliance for Life and
Family, on the theme “Women and the post-2015 development agenda:
the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
“Women
face a variety of challenges and difficulties in various parts of the
world”, he writes. “In the West, at times they still experience
discrimination in the workplace; they are often forced to choose
between work and family; they not infrequently suffer violence in
their lives as fiancees, wives, mothers, sisters and grandmothers. In
poor and developing countries, women bear the heaviest burdens: it is
they who travel many miles in search of water, who too often die in
childbirth, who are kidnapped for sexual exploitation or forced into
marriages at a young age or against their will. At times they are
even denied the right to life simply for being female. All of these
problems are reflected in the proposals for the post-2015 Development
Agenda currently being discussed in the United Nations.
“Issues
relating to life are intrinsically connected to social questions.
When we defend the right to life, we do so in order that each life –
from conception to its natural end – may be a dignified life, one
free from the scourge of hunger and poverty, of violence and
persecution. Pope Benedict XVI, in his encyclical Caritas in
Veritate, highlighted how the Church 'forcefully maintains this link
between life ethics and social ethics, fully aware that a society
lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such
as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the
other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating
a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated,
especially where it is weak or marginalised'.
“I
encourage you, who are engaged in defending the dignity of women and
promoting their rights, to allow yourselves to be constantly guided
by the spirit of humanity and compassion in the service of your
neighbour. May your work be marked first and foremost by professional
competence, without self-interest or superficial activism, but with
generous dedication. In this way you will manifest the countless
God-given gifts which women have to offer, encouraging others to
promote sensitivity, understanding and dialogue in settling conflicts
big and small, in healing wounds, in nurturing all life at every
level of society, and in embodying the mercy and tenderness which
bring reconciliation and unity to our world. All this is part of that
'feminine genius' of which our society stands in such great need”.
Audiences
Vatican
City, 23 May 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father received in audience:
-
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for
Bishops;
-
Boyko Borissov, prime minister of Bulgaria, and entourage;
-
Nikola Gruevski, president of the government of the ex-Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, with his wife and entourage.
Other
Pontifical Acts
Vatican
City, 23 May 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed:
-
Archbishop Ghaleb Moussa Abdalla Bader of Algiers, Algeria, as
apostolic nuncio to Pakistan.
-
Sergio Melillo as bishop of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia (area 781,
population 74,970, Catholics 74,270, priests 44, permanent deacons 8,
religious 80), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in 1955 in Avellino,
Italy and was ordained a priest in 1989. A licentiate in dogmatic
theology, he has exercised his pastoral ministry in the diocese of
Avellino in the roles of parish priest, vice director of diocesan
Caritas and parish vicar of the Cathedral. He has also served as
lecturer in dogmatic theology at the “San Giuseppe Moscati”
Higher Institute of Religious Sciences, lecturer in religious culture
the Avellino “Università della Terza Età ”. He is currently
vicar general and a member of the presbyteral council and college of
consultors.
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