SUMMARY:
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The Pope to the Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the
East: there is no religious, political or economic justification for
the condition of thousands of Christians and other religious
minorities in Iraq and Syria
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To the prelates of Chad: the behaviour of the Church is a model for
all society
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To Justice and Peace: rising inequality and poverty endanger
democracy
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Pope Francis receives in audience the survivors of the Lampedusa
shipwreck that claimed 368 lives
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Papal representatives in the Middle East gather in the Vatican to
discuss the situation of Christians in the region
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Audiences
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The
Pope to the Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East:
there is no religious, political or economic justification for the
condition of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities
in Iraq and Syria
Vatican
City, 2014 (VIS) – “Our meeting is marked by the suffering we
share on account of the wars that beset various regions of the Middle
East and in particular for the violence suffered by Christians and
members of other religious minorities, especially in Iraq and Syria”,
said Pope Francis this morning, as he received in audience His
Holiness Mar Dinka IV, Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of
the East. “When we think of their suffering, it is natural to
overcome the distinctions of rite or confession; in them there is the
body of Christ that, still today, is injured, beaten and humiliated.
There are no religious, political or economic factors that can
justify what is happening to hundreds of thousands of innocent men,
women, and children. We are deeply united in our prayers for
intercession and in charity towards these suffering members of the
body of Christ”.
“Your
visit is another step along the path of an increasing closeness and
spiritual communion between us, after the bitter misunderstandings of
previous centuries”, continued the bishop of Rome. Twenty years
ago, the joint Christological declaration you signed along with my
predecessor, the Pope St. John Paul II, was a milestone in our path
to full communion. In this declaration we acknowledged that we
confess the sole faith of the apostles, faith in the divinity and
humanity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, united in a single person, without
confusion or alteration, without division or separation.
Finally,
the Pope referred to the work of the Joint Commission for Theological
Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the
East, which he accompanies with prayer “so that the blessed day may
come in which we are able to celebrate at the same altar the
sacrifice of praise, that will make us one in Christ. … What unites
us is far greater than what divides, and for this reason we feel
urged by the Spirit to share from now the spiritual treasures of our
ecclesial traditions, to live, like true brothers, sharing the gifts
that the Lord does not cease to give to our Churches, as a sign of
His goodness and mercy”.
To
the prelates of Chad: the behaviour of the Church is a model for all
society
Vatican
City, 2014 (VIS) – The implementation of catechetical methods for
inculturation, the defence of the family and the role of women, and
the need for dialogue with other religions in a country where
Catholics are a minority are the main themes of the discourse Pope
Francis handed to the bishops of Chad this morning, at the end of
their “ad Limina” visit. The Holy Father writes that the Catholic
communities in this country “are growing, not only numerically, but
also in terms of quality and the strength of their efforts”, and
expressed his satisfaction for the work carried out in the spheres of
education, health and development.
“The
civil authorities are very grateful to the Catholic Church for her
contribution to society as a whole in Chad. I encourage you to
persevere along this path, as there is a strong bond between
evangelisation and human development, a bond that must be expressed
and developed in all the work of evangelisation. Service to the poor
and the most disadvantaged constitutes a true testimony of Christ,
Who made Himself poor in order to be close to us and to save us. Both
the religious congregations and lay associations who work with them
play an important role in this respect, and they are to be thanked
for this”.
“However”,
he observes, “it is certain that this commitment to social service
does not constitute the entirety of evangelizing activity; the
deepening and strengthening of faith in the hearts of the faithful,
that translates into an authentic spiritual and sacramental life, are
essential to enable them to withstand the many trials of contemporary
life, and to ensure that the behaviour of the faithful is more
coherent with the requirements of the Gospel. … This is especially
necessary in a country where certain cultural traditions bear
considerable weight, where less morally demanding religious
possibilities are present everywhere, and where secularism begins to
make headway”.
Therefore,
“it is necessary for the faithful to receive a solid doctrinal and
spiritual formation. And the first locus of formation is certainly
catechesis. I invite you, with a renewed missionary spirit, to
implement the catechetical methods used in your dioceses. First, the
good aspects of their traditions must be considered and accorded
their due value – because Christ did not come to destroy cultures,
but rather to lead them to fulfilment – while that which is not
Christian must be clearly denounced. At the same time, it is
essential to ensure the accuracy and integrity of doctrinal content”.
The
Pope goes on to refer to families, who are “the vital cell of
society and the Church, and who are currently very vulnerable. …
And within the family, it is important that the role and the dignity
of the woman are recognised, to bear eloquent witness to the Gospel.
Therefore, in this respect, “behaviour within the Church must be a
model for the whole of society”.
After
reiterating the need for the permanent formation of the clergy and
the closeness of bishops and priests, Pope Francis observes that the
Church in Chad, “despite her vitality and development, is a
minority in a population in which there is a Muslim majority and
which is still partly bound to its traditional religions”, and
encouraged the prelates to ensure “that the Church, which is
respected and listened to, occupies the space justly accorded to her
in society in Chad, in which a significant element has converted,
even though this remains a minority”. He continues, “in this
context, I must urge you to foster interreligious dialogue, which was
fortunately initiated by the late Archbishop of N'Djamena, Mathias
M'Garteri Mayadi, who did much to promote the co-existence of
different religious communities. I believe that it is necessary to
continue with this type of initiative to prevent the violence to
which Christians have fallen victim in neighbouring countries”.
The
Holy Father concluded by reiterating the importance of maintaining
the good relations established with the civil authorities, and
highlighted the recent signing of a Framework Agreement between the
Holy See and the Republic of Chad that, once ratified, will greatly
help the mission of the Church.
To
Justice and Peace: rising inequality and poverty endanger democracy
Vatican
City, 2014 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father received in
audience the participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical
Council “Justice and Peace”: a meeting that coincides with the
fifth anniversary of the publication of Benedict VI's encyclical
“Caritas in veritate”. Pope Francis described it as “a
fundamental document for the evangelisation of the social sphere,
which offers valuable guidance for the presence of Catholics in
society, in the institutions, in the economy, in finance and in
politics”, which “has drawn attention to both the benefits and
the dangers of globalisation, when the latter is not guided towards
the good of the people. While globalisation has increased aggregate
wealth and that of a number of individual States, it has also caused
division between various social groups, creating inequality and new
forms of poverty in within those same countries that are considered
to be among the richest”.
The
Pope remarked that one of the aspects of the current economic system
is the exploitation of international imbalances in the costs of
labour, which affects millions of people who live on less than two
dollars a day. This imbalance not only fails to respect the dignity
of those who provide low cost labour, but also removes sources of
work from those areas where it is most protected. “This poses the
problem of creating mechanisms for protecting working rights, as well
as the environment, in the presence of an increasingly consumerist
ideology, that does not demonstrate responsibility with regard to
cities and to creation. Rising inequality and poverty put
participatory and inclusive democracy at risk; the latter always
presupposes an economy and a market that are fair and do not exclude.
This therefore means that the structural causes of inequality and
poverty must be dealt with”. Frances remarked that in his apostolic
exhortation “Evangelii gaudium” he indicated three basic
instruments for the social inclusion of the those most in need:
education, access to healthcare, and work for all.
“In
other words”, he explained, “the State of social rights must not
be dismantled, and in particular the right to work must be protected.
This must not be considered a variable, dependent upon financial and
monetary markets. It is a fundamental right for dignity, for the
formation of a family, for the realisation of the common good and for
peace. Education and work and access to welfare for all are key
elements both for development and for the just distribution of goods,
for achieving social justice and for belonging to society, and for
participating freely and responsibly in political life, understood as
the management of the “res publica”. Ideas that claim to increase
income at the cost of restricting the job market and creating further
exclusion are not coherent with an economy at the service of man and
the common good, or with an inclusive and participatory democracy”.
Further
problems arise from the “lasting imbalances between economic
sectors, remuneration, commercial banks and banks engaged in
speculation, between institutions and global problems: it is
necessary to remain vigilant about poverty and social justice. This
requires, on the one hand, radical reforms that provide for the
redistribution of the wealth produced, and the universalisation of
free markets in the service of families, and on the other, a
redistribution of sovereignty, at both national and supranational
levels”.
Returning
to the encyclical “Caritas in veritate”, the Pope noted that this
document emphasised the bond between the environmental and human
ecology, and affirmed the current relevance of its principles. “A
love full of truth is in fact the foundation on which we must build
the peace that is particularly hoped for and necessary for the good
of all today. It enables us to overcome dangerous fanaticism,
conflicts over the possession of resources, migration of biblical
dimensions, the lasting wounds of hunger and poverty, human
trafficking, social and economic injustice and disparity, and
imbalance in terms of access to collective goods”. He concluded,
“the Church is always on the move, in the search of new ways to
proclaim the Gospel, also in the social sphere”.
Pope
Francis receives in audience the survivors of the Lampedusa shipwreck
that claimed 368 lives
Vatican
City, 2014 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon the Holy Father received a
delegation of Eritrean survivors and relatives of the victims of the
shipwreck that occurred a year ago in the waters of Lampedusa,
Sicily, in which 368 migrants lost their lives. The delegation was
composed of 37 people – more than 20 survivors and some relatives –
from the various European countries where they have settled, often
with family members who were already present there. These countries
include Germany, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark. Other
survivors are due to arrive tomorrow, to join the delegation to
participate in the commemoration of the tragedy in Lampedusa
tomorrow. A few days ago a proposal was put forward to the Italian
parliament that 3 October be declared a “Day of Remembrance for
Victims of the Sea”.
The
delegation was organised by the “3 October Committee”, chaired by
Tareke Brhane, and was accompanied by Archbishop Konrad Krajewski,
almoner of His Holiness, and Fr. Giovanni Lamanna, former president
of the Astalli Centre, the Italian home of the Jesuit Refugee Service
(JRS), an international Catholic organisation active in more than
forty countries, whose mission is to accompany and assist refugees
and asylum-seekers, and to defend their rights.
During
the meeting, which took place in a room adjacent to the Vatican's
Paul VI Hall, one of the refugees addressed the Pope, asking for his
help and support in work that remains to be done, for instance in
identifying the bodies, that in some cases has not yet been possible.
Another young person thanked the Pope for his support for and
interest in the welfare of migrants and refugees.
The
Pope, moved by these testimonies, said, “I cannot find the words to
say what I feel. What you have suffered is to be contemplated in
silence; one weeps, and seeks a way of being close to you. At times,
when you seem to have arrived in the port, we encounter very
difficult situations. You find closed doors and do not know where to
go. But there are many people whose hearts are open to you. The door
of the heart is the most important in these moments. I implore all
men and women in Europe to open the doors of their hearts! I want to
say that I am close to you, I pray for you, I pray that the closed
doors open up”.
The
delegation presented the Holy Father with a sculpture in iron,
depicting a bottle in the sea, containing a family. At the end of the
encounter, the Pope personally greeted all those present.
Papal
representatives in the Middle East gather in the Vatican to discuss
the situation of Christians in the region
Vatican
City, 2014 (VIS) – The papal representatives in the Middle East are
meeting in the Vatican from 2 to 4 October, at the Holy Father's
behest, to discuss the presence of Christians in the region, due to
the grave situation that has prevailed in recent months. The meeting
began this morning at the Secretariat of State and was attended by
the Superiors of the Secretariat of State and the Roman Curia
directly linked with the issue, as well as the Holy See Permanent
Observers at the United Nations in New York and Geneva, and the
apostolic nuncio to the European Union.
The
meeting demonstrates the Holy Father's closeness and interest in this
important question. He opened the meeting, thanking the participants
convened to pray and reflect together on what to do to approach the
dramatic situation experienced by Christians in the Middle East,
along with other religious and ethnic minorities who suffer as a
result of the violence that continues to rage throughout the region.
With heartfelt words the Holy Father demonstrated his concern
regarding the situations of conflict currently in progress in many
areas, and for the phenomenon of terrorism, which holds human lives
to have no value. The Pontiff also mentioned the problem of arms
trafficking that is the basis of many problems, as well as the
humanitarian drama experienced by many people forced to leave their
countries. In emphasising the importance of prayer, the Holy Father
expressed his hope that multi-level initiatives and actions may be
identified in order to manifest the solidarity of all the Church
towards the Christians of the Middle East and also to involve the
international community and all men and women of good will, to
respond to the needs of the very many people who suffer in the
region.
Cardinal
Secretary of State Pietro Parolin illustrated the importance and aim
of the meeting. Cardinal Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the
Oriental Churches, offered a complete report on the situation
experienced by Christians in the Middle East, presenting different
aspects of the question and opening up dialogue with the
participants. The papal representatives in Syria and Iraq then went
on to provide information on the conditions of Christians in their
respective countries, and finally, Cardinal Robert Sarah, president
of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”, spoke on the role of the
Church in facing the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
This
afternoon, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical
Council for Interreligious Dialogue, will speak on religious dialogue
with Islam, and the challenges faced by Christians in the Middle
East. This will be followed by a presentation by Cardinal Fernando
Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of
Peoples, on his recent visit to Iraq as the Holy Father's special
envoy. After the debate, the session will close with Vespers.
Audiences
Vatican
City, 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
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Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, Peru;
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Archbishop Pedro Ricardo Barreto Jimeno of Huancayo, Peru;
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Seven prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Chad, on their “ad
Limina” visit:
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Bishop Rosario Pio Ramolo, O.F.M. Cap., of Gore;
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Bishop Miguel Angel Sebastian Martinez, M.C.C.I., of Lai, apostolic
administrator “sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis” of Doba;
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Bishop Joachim Kouraleyo Tarounga of Moundou;
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Bishop Jean-Claude Bouchard, O.M.I., of Pala;
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Bishop Goetbe Edmond Djitangar of Sarh;
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Bishop Henri Coudray, S.J., apostolic vicar of Mongo; and
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Rev. Alphonse Karamba, diocesan administrator of N'Djamena.
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