SUMMARY:
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“AD LIMINA” VISIT OF THE BISHOPS OF EAST TIMOR: REVOLUTION OF
TENDERNESS
-
POPE FRANCIS RECEIVES IN AUDIENCE THE PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINA
-
ERADICATE MODERN SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
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POPE FRANCIS: TO LISTEN TO JESUS, CARRY THE GOSPEL WITH YOU
-
THE POPE PRAYS FOR THE PASSENGERS OF THE MISSING MALAYSIAN AIRLINER
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LISTEN TO AND LOOK AT JESUS TO ILLUMINATE THE SOUL
-
POPE FRANCIS CLOSE TO THE VICTIMS OF THE MAFIA
-
AUDIENCES
-
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
“AD
LIMINA” VISIT OF THE BISHOPS OF EAST TIMOR: REVOLUTION OF
TENDERNESS
Vatican
City, 17 March 2014 (VIS) – This morning Pope Francis received in
audience the prelates of the Episcopal Conference of East Timor on
their “ad limina Apostolorum” visit, and delivered to them the
text of the address he had prepared. In the text, the Pope considers
some of the concerns the prelates had referred to him: the
contribution of the bishops as the critical conscience of the nation;
the Church in mission, motivated by mercy; and conveying the good
news of salvation in local languages.
“The
Church asks of society just one thing: the freedom to proclaim the
Gospel in full, also when it goes against current values. … Dear
brothers, do not be afraid to make this contribution to the Church
for the good of all society. But if there is no mercy nowadays, there
is little chance of entering into the world of the 'wounded' who are
in need of understanding, forgiveness and love. This is why I never
tire of calling all the Church to a 'revolution of tenderness'”.
The
Holy Father encourages them, “without diminishing the value of the
evangelical ideal, to control, with mercy and patience, the potential
for growth in the steps taken day by day … and to meet this
challenge through the solid formation of priests, religious and lay
faithful”. The Pope adds that “this does not require a
specialised form of evangelisation”, and that it is necessary to
make each Christian an agent of evangelisation since “once a person
truly experiences God's saving love, it does not take long for that
person to rise and proclaim the Gospel, and they do not require great
lessons or instruction. Every Christian is a missionary to the extent
that he encounters God's love in Jesus Christ. … In all baptised
persons, it is the Spirit that leads them to evangelise”. In
addition, Pope Francis emphasises that “challenge” does not imply
a threat.
The
Pontiff refers to the triple position the bishop must assume in
relation to the faithful: he must be at the head of his flock, in
order to show the way; in the centre, to maintain unity and
neutralise any stampedes; and behind, to ensure that no-one is left
behind or strays. “In any case, be men who are able to support,
with love and patience, the steps of God alongside his people, and
bring to bear all that may keep them united, taking care of possible
dangers but above all enabling hope to grow: may you have sun and
light in your hearts!”.
POPE
FRANCIS RECEIVES IN AUDIENCE THE PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINA
Vatican
City, 16 March 2014 (VIS) – The Holy See Press Office today issued
an informative note from the director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J.
regarding the private audience of the Holy Father with the president
of the Argentine Republic the full text of which is published below:
In
the late morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the
Domus Sanctae Marthae the president of the Argentine Republic,
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, accompanied by a large delegation.
The
visit had the aim of presenting to the Holy Father the greetings,
wishes and affection of the Argentine people to commemorate the
anniversary of the first year of his pontificate.
The
Pope awaited and received the president and the delegation at the
door of the Domus Sanctae Marthae around 1.10 p.m. The meeting took
place in the Hall on the ground floor, first with the entire
delegation, then with the president alone. Then, at around 1.30 p.m.,
the Pope and the president lunched privately.
ERADICATE
MODERN SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Vatican
City, 17 March 2014 (VIS) – This morning a press conference was
held in the Holy See Press Office to present the “Global Freedom
Network”, an agreement between the representatives of the great
world religions to eradicate modern forms of slavery and human
trafficking, in collaboration with the Walk Free Foundation. The
speakers at the conference were: Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo,
chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Social Sciences,
on behalf of the Holy Father; Mahmoud Azab, on behalf of the Grand
Imam of Al Azhar, Egypt; Rev. Sir John Moxon, on behalf of the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, and Andrew
Forrest, founder of the Walk Free Foundation.
The
objective of the agreement is to eradicate modern slavery and human
trafficking across the world by 2020”; it is a revolutionary and
unprecedented agreement among representatives of major faiths. The
joint statement made by the signatories underscores the “searing
personal destructiveness of modern slavery and human trafficking”
and calls for “urgent action by all other Christian Churches and
global faiths”.
According
to the Joint Statement, “Modern slavery and human trafficking are
crimes against humanity. The physical, economic and sexual
exploitation of men, women and children condemns 30 million people to
dehumanisation and degradation. Every day we let this tragic
situation continue is a grievous assault on our common humanity and a
shameful affront to the consciences of all peoples. Any indifference
to those suffering exploitation must cease. We call to action all
people of faith and their leaders, all governments and people of
goodwill, to join the movement against modern slavery and human
trafficking and support the Global Freedom Network”.
POPE
FRANCIS: TO LISTEN TO JESUS, CARRY THE GOSPEL WITH YOU
Vatican
City, 16 March 2014 (VIS) – At midday today the Holy Father
appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the
faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. On this, the second Sunday
of Lent, Pope Francis reflected upon the Transfiguration of Christ
and urged the faithful this week to “listen to Jesus” and to read
a passage from the Gospel every day.
“We,
as Jesus' disciples, are called upon to be people who listen to His
voice and take His words seriously. To listen to Jesus, we need to be
near to Him, to follow Him, as did the crowds in the Gospel who ran
after him through the streets of Palestine. … But we also listen to
Jesus in his written Word, in the Gospel. Let me ask you a question:
do you read a passage from the Gospel every day? Yes, no, yes, no,
so-so. But it is important. It is a good idea to have a small Gospel,
a pocket-sized Gospel that you can carry around with you, and to read
a short passage from it at any time of the day. At any time in the
day I take the Gospel out of my pocket and read a little something, a
short passage. There we find Jesus, Who speaks to us, in the Gospel!
Think about this. It is not difficult, and it is not even necessary
to have all four of them: we can carry just one of the Gospels, a
little copy, with us at all times. Let us always keep the Gospel with
us, because it is the Word of Jesus, so that we can listen to Him at
all times.
The
Pope commented that, in order to share the Word of the Lord, we must
learn to “ascend” in prayer and “descend” with fraternal
charity, and he emphasised that this is a mission that involves the
entire Church, all baptised persons. “In this episode of the
Transfiguration, I would like to comment on two significant elements
that can be summarised in two words – ascent and descent”, he
said. “We need to take time out to climb the mountain in silent
space, to find ourselves and to better hear the voice of the Lord. We
do this in prayer. But we cannot remain there! The encounter with God
in prayer inspires us to go back down the mountain, onto the plain,
where we meet many brothers and sisters who are weighed down by
fatigue, injustice, ignorance and poverty, both material and
spiritual. We must bring to these brothers of ours who are in
difficulty the fruits of our experience with God, sharing the grace
we have received. And this is curious. When we hear the Word of
Jesus, when we listen to the Word of Jesus and commit it to our
hearts, that Word grows. And do you know how we make it grow? By
giving it to others! The Word of Christ grows in us when we proclaim
it, when we give it to others. And this is Christian life”.
Finally,
the Bishop of Rome asked all those present to turn to the Mother of
God and our Mother, invoking her guidance in our Lenten journey.
THE
POPE PRAYS FOR THE PASSENGERS OF THE MISSING MALAYSIAN AIRLINER
Vatican
City, 16 March 2014 (VIS) – Following today's Angelus prayer, the
Holy Father called for prayers for the passengers and crew of the
missing Malaysian airliner, and for their families and loved ones.
Pope Francis also addressed the members of the Pope John XXIII
Community, founded by the Italian priest Oreste Benzi, and mentioned
the Via Crucis organised by this community for women who are victims
of trafficking, to take place next Friday evening in the streets of
the centre of Rome.
LISTEN
TO AND LOOK AT JESUS TO ILLUMINATE THE SOUL
Vatican
City, 16 March 2014 (VIS) – “The Christian's first task is to
listen to the Word of God, to listen to Jesus, because He speaks to
us, and He saves us with His Word. And He makes our faith stronger
and more robust, with his Word”. Pope Francis addressed these words
to the faithful who awaited him at 4 p.m. today in the parish of
Santa Maria dell'Orazione in Setteville di Guidonia, to the north of
the Italian capital. The Pope met with various groups within the
parish, in particular the sick and disabled, children and young
catechumens preparing to receive their first Communion, Confirmation
and Post Confirmation, Neocatechumenal Communities and families with
children baptised during recent months. Before beginning the
celebration, Pope Francis confessed several penitents.
The
Pope's homily focused on the grace of “listening to and watching
Jesus”. “Do we keep a copy of the Gospel at home? And each day,
do we listen to Jesus in the Gospel, do we read a short passage from
the Gospel? Are we afraid of this, or are we unaccustomed to it?
Listening to the Word of Jesus to nourish us – this means that the
Word of Jesus is the strongest sustenance for the soul: it nourishes
our soul and our faith. I recommend that every day you set aside a
few minutes to read a good passage from the Gospel and to see what
happens there. Hear the voice of Jesus, and that Word of Jesus will
enter into our hearts every day and make us stronger in our faith”.
“We
are invited to listen to Jesus, and Jesus manifests himself, and in
His Transfiguration He invites us to look upon him. And looking at
Him purifies our eyes and prepares us for eternal life, for the
vision of Heaven. Perhaps our eyes have sickened as they have seen so
many things that are not of Jesus, or that are indeed against Jesus:
worldly things, things that are not good for the light of the soul.
And so this light gradually goes out, and without knowing it we end
up in inner darkness, in spiritual darkness, in the darkness that
excludes faith; darkness as we are not used to looking at or
imagining those things proper to Jesus”.
POPE
FRANCIS CLOSE TO THE VICTIMS OF THE MAFIA
Vatican
City, 15 March 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father will visit the parish
of San Gregorio VII in Rome on Friday 21 March to meet with the
participants in a meeting organised by the “Libera” Foundation,
presided by Don Luigi Ciotti. The meeting is dedicated to relatives
of the victims of the mafia and will be held on the eve of the 19th
“Day of memory and commitment”, in remembrance of the victims of
the mafia, to be held in Latina on 22 March.
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 17 March 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in
audience:
-
His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, major archbishop of Kyiv-Halyc.
-
Archbishop Nicola Girasole, apostolic nuncio in Trinidad and Tobago,
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, Grenada,
the Co-operative Republic of
On
Saturday 15 March, the Holy Father received in audience:
-
Archbishop Orlando Antonini, apostolic nuncio in Serbia;
-
Michael Anthony Perry, O.F.M., minister general of the Order of
Friars Minor, with members of the General Definitory;
-
Fr. Saverio Cannistra, O.C.D., prepositor general of the Descalced
Carmelites.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 15 March 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father:
-
accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of
Sincelejo, Colombia, presented by Bishop Nel Hedye Beltran
Santamaria, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon
Law.
-
appointed Bishop Romulo T. de la Cruz of Kidapawan as metropolitan
archbishop of Zamboanga (area 1,683, population 764,000, Catholics
597,865, priests 76, religious 105), Philippines.
-
appointed Rev. Jose Manuel Garita Herrera as bishop of Ciudad Quesada
(area 9,838, population 297615, Catholics 223,257, priests 42,
religious 35), Costa Rica. The bishop-elect was born in Heredia,
Costa Rica in 1965 and was ordained a priest in 1988. He holds a
licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University,
Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral, administrative and
academic roles in the archdiocese of San Jose de Costa Rica,
including vicar of the parish of “Nuestra Senora del Carmen”;
auditor, defender of the bond and judicial vicar of the
ecclesiastical tribunal; professor of sacred scriptures at the
Autonomous University of Central America; archdiocesan
vice-chancellor and chancellor, archdiocesan bursar and head of
personnel of the Curia, professor of canon law at the Catholic
University, the Theological Institute of Central America and in the
national major seminary, rector of the “Santuario Nacional Templo
Votivo al Sagrado Corazon de Jesus”, vicar forane, formator and
spiritual director. He is currently rector of the national major
seminary “Nuestra Senora de los Angeles”.
-
appointed Fr. Robert Byrne as bishop of Birmingham (area 9,936,
population 5,455,000, Catholics 286,700, priests 354, permanent
deacons 81, religious 700), England. The bishop-elect was born in
Urmston, England in 1956 and was ordained a priest in 1985. He
completed his studies as King's College, University of London, and
the Birmingham Oratory. He founded a new Oratory in the parish of St.
Aloysius, Oxford in 1993. He has served as provost of the Oratory,
chaplain of the prisons of Oxford and Bullingdon, and governor of the
Oratory School. He is currently president of the Permanent Deputation
of the International Confederation of the Oratory and secretary of
the Department for Dialogue and Unity of the Catholic Bishops'
Conference of England and Wales.
-
appointed Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical
Council for Interreligious Dialogue, as his special envoy to the
consecration of the recently restored shrine to St. Augustine
d'Ippona at Annaba, Algeria, to take place on 2 May 2014, the
centenary of its elevation to a Basilica.
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