SUMMARY:
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The Pope speaks with journalists on the papal flight
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The Pope arrives in Cuba, a meeting point for all peoples who come
together in friendship
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Mass in Plaza de la Revolucion: the importance of a people is based
on how it serves its most vulnerable members
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Angelus: Francis asks for definitive reconciliation in Colombia
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Meeting with President Raul Castro and with Commander Fidel in the
Palace of the Revolution
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Vespers in the Cathedral of Havana
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Francis meets with the young, Cuba's hope for the future
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Other News
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Message to the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East
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Message to Hungarian religious: seek the concerns and expectations of
the people
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The Pope speaks with young people from Cuba and the United States
before his apostolic trip
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Other Pontifical Acts
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The
Pope speaks with journalists on the papal flight
Vatican
City, 19 September 2015 (VIS) – Shortly after beginning his trip
from Rome to Havana, the Pope greeted the 76 journalists accompanying
him on the flight. As indicated by the Director of the Holy See Press
Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., the media coverage of this trip
will be more intense than usual. In a very cordial atmosphere, the
Holy Father enquired about the journalists' families and received
various edible gifts, including dulce de leche and an empanada, a
typical Argentinian pastry, that he offered to all those present.
“Thank
you for the welcome”, he said. “I wish you a good journey. If I
am not mistaken, I think this is the longest trip I have made. …
Fr. Lombardi mentioned peace. Today's world thirsts for peace. There
are wars, immigrants who flee, this wave of immigration as a result
of war, to escape from death and in search of life. Today I am happy
as I was greeted at the door of St. Anna by one of the two families
residing in the Vatican, in the parish of the same name. They are
Syrian refugees. You can see the suffering in their faces. … This
word: peace. I thank you for all that you do in your work to build
bridges: small bridges, but bridges nonetheless, that together all
form the great bridge of peace. I wish you a good trip and good work.
Pray for me. Thank you”.
He
also offered a greeting to all the journalists' colleagues working in
their offices.
The
Pope arrives in Cuba, a meeting point for all peoples who come
together in friendship
Vatican
City, 20 September 2015 (VIS) – “Missionary of Mercy” is the
theme chosen by Pope Francis for his visit to Cuba, where he began
his tenth apostolic trip yesterday. The Holy Father arrived in the
Jose Marti airport in Havana at 4 p.m. local time (10 p.m. in Italy)
after a twelve-hour flight, and was welcomed by the president of
Cuba, Raul Castro, and by the cardinal archbishop of Havana, Jaime
Ortega y Alamino, accompanied by Archbishop Dionisio Guillermo Garcia
Ibanez, president of the Episcopal Conference.
After
the protocol greetings and national anthems of Cuba and Vatican City
State, President Castro gave a welcome address on behalf of the
government and people of Cuba. The Pope thanked the president and
asked him to convey sentiments of particular respect and
consideration to his brother Fidel. “I would like my greeting to
embrace especially all those who, for various reasons, I will not be
able to meet, and to Cubans throughout the world”, continued
Francis.
After
remarking that 2015 marks the eightieth anniversary of the
establishment of uninterrupted diplomatic relations between the
Republic of Cuba and the Holy See, the Pope affirmed that his arrival
in this “beloved nation” follows “the indelible path opened by
the unforgettable apostolic journeys which my two predecessors, St.
John Paul II and Benedict XVI, made to this island. I know that the
memory of those visits awakens gratitude and affection in the people
and leaders of Cuba. Today we renew those bonds of cooperation and
friendship, so that the Church can continue to support and encourage
the Cuban people in its hopes and concerns, with the freedom, the
means and the space needed to bring the proclamation of the Kingdom
to the existential peripheries of society”.
This
Apostolic Journey also coincides with the first centenary of Pope
Benedict XV’s declaration of our Lady of Charity of El Cobre as
Patroness of Cuba, and Francis commented that it was the veterans of
the War of Independence who, moved by sentiments of faith and
patriotism, wanted the Virgen mambisa to be the patroness of Cuba as
a free and sovereign nation. “Since that time she has accompanied
the history of the Cuban people”, he said, “sustaining the hope
which preserves people’s dignity in the most difficult situations
and championing the promotion of all that gives dignity to the human
person. The growing devotion to the Virgin is a visible testimony of
her presence in the soul of the Cuban people. In these days I will
have occasion to go to El Cobre, as a son and pilgrim, to pray to our
Mother for all her Cuban children and for this beloved nation, that
it may travel the paths of justice, peace, liberty and
reconciliation”.
“Geographically,
Cuba is an archipelago, facing all directions, with an extraordinary
value as a 'key' between north and south, east and west. Its natural
vocation is to be a point of encounter for all peoples to join in
friendship, as Jose Marti dreamed, 'regardless of the languages of
isthmuses and the barriers of oceans'. Such was also the desire of
St. John Paul II, with his ardent appeal: 'May Cuba, with all its
magnificent potential, open itself to the world, and may the world
open itself to Cuba'”.
“For
some months now, we have witnessed an event which fills us with hope:
the process of normalising relations between two peoples following
years of estrangement. It is a sign of the victory of the culture of
encounter and dialogue, 'the system of universal growth' over 'the
forever-dead system of groups and dynasties'. I urge political
leaders to persevere on this path and to develop all its
potentialities as a proof of the high service which they are called
to carry out on behalf of the peace and well-being of their peoples,
of all America, and as an example of reconciliation for the entire
world. The world needs reconciliation, in this climate of a piecemeal
third world war in which we are living”.
The
Pope concluded his first discourse on Cuban soil by invoking “the
protection of our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Blessed Olallo Valdes
and Blessed Jose Lopez Piteira, and Venerable Felix Varela, the great
promoter of love between Cubans and all peoples, so that our bonds of
peace, solidarity and mutual respect may ever increase”.
Mass
in Plaza de la Revolucion: the importance of a people is based on how
it serves its most vulnerable members
Vatican
City, 20 September 2015 (VIS) – After spending the night in the
apostolic nunciature in Havana, the Pope began his second day in Cuba
by greeting the thousands of people who lined the streets on his
journey by popemobile to Plaza de la Revolucion Jose Marti, dedicated
to the poet and writer who fought for Cuban independence. The square,
where the Holy Father celebrated Holy Mass attended by more than
200,000 faithful, is a strongly symbolic location for the island, and
has provided the backdrop to important demonstrations.
Francis,
who before the Eucharistic celebration met with the representatives
of other Christian confessions present in Cuba in a provisional
sacristy, devoted his homily to the importance of serving the weakest
and frailest among us. “Let us not forget the Good News we have
heard today: the importance of a people, a nation, and the importance
of individuals, which is always based on how they seek to serve their
vulnerable brothers and sisters. Here we encounter one of the fruits
of a true humanity. Whoever does not live to serve, does not ‘serve’
to live”.
The
Pope commented on the Gospel passage in which Jesus asks a seemingly
indiscreet question of His disciples: “What were you discussing
along the way?” to which they did not answer because on the way
they had been arguing about who was the most important, and were
ashamed.
“Who
is the most important?”, continued the Pope. “This is a life-long
question to which, at different times, we must give an answer. ...
The history of humanity has been marked by the answer we give to this
question. Jesus is not afraid of people’s questions; He is not
afraid of our humanity or the different things we are looking for. On
the contrary, He knows the 'twists and turns' of the human heart,
and, as a good teacher, He is always ready to encourage and support
us. As usual, He takes up our searching, our aspirations, and he
gives them a new horizon … He somehow finds an the answer which can
pose a new challenge, setting aside the 'right answers', the standard
replies we are expected to give. As usual, Jesus sets before us the
'logic' of love. A mindset, an approach to life, which is capable of
being lived out by all, because it is meant for all”.
“Far
from any kind of elitism, the horizon to which Jesus points us is not
for those few privileged souls capable of attaining the heights of
knowledge or different levels of spirituality. The horizon to which
Jesus points us always has to do with daily life, also here on “our
island”, something which can season our daily lives with eternity.
Who is the most important? Jesus is straightforward in His reply:
'Whoever wishes to be the first among you must be the last of all,
and the servant of all'. Whatever wishes to be great must serve
others, not be served by others”.
“Here
lies the great paradox of Jesus”, emphasises the Pope. “The
disciples were arguing about who would have the highest place, who
would be chosen for privileges ... in order to stand out in the quest
for superiority over others. Who would climb the ladder most quickly
to take the jobs which carry certain benefits. Jesus upsets their
'logic', their mindset, simply by telling them that life is lived
authentically in a concrete commitment to our neighbour. That is, in
serving”.
But
the call to serve “involves something special, to which we must be
attentive. Serving others chiefly means caring for their
vulnerability. Serving means caring for the vulnerable of our
families, our society, our people. Theirs are the suffering, fragile
and downcast faces which Jesus tells us specifically to look at and
which He asks us to love. With a love which takes shape in our
actions and decisions. With a love which finds expression in whatever
tasks we, as citizens, are called to perform. People of flesh and
blood, people with individual lives and stories, and with all their
frailty: these are those whom Jesus asks us to protect, to care for,
to serve. Being a Christian entails promoting the dignity of our
brothers and sisters, fighting for it, living for it. That is why
Christians are constantly called to set aside their own wishes and
desires, their pursuit of power, and to look instead to those who are
most vulnerable”.
“There
is a kind of 'service' which truly 'serves' others, yet we need to be
careful not to be tempted by another kind of service, a 'service'
which is 'self-serving'. There is a way to go about serving which is
interested in only helping 'my people', 'our people'. This service
always leaves 'your people' outside, and gives rise to a process of
exclusion. All of us are called by virtue of our Christian vocation
to that service which truly serves, and to help one another not to be
tempted by a 'service' which is really 'self-serving'. … Without
looking to one side or the other to see what our neighbour is doing
or not doing. Jesus tells us: Whoever would be first among you must
be the last, and the servant of all. He will be the servant of all.
He does not say: if your neighbour wants to be first, let him be the
servant! We have to be careful to avoid judgemental looks and renew
our belief in the transforming look to which Jesus invites us. This
caring for others out of love is not about being servile. Rather, it
means putting our brothers and sisters at the centre. Service always
looks to their faces, touches their flesh, senses their closeness and
even, in some cases, 'suffers' in trying to help. Service is never
ideological, for we do not serve ideas, we serve people”.
“God’s
holy and faithful people in Cuba is a people with a taste for
celebration, for friendship, for beautiful things”, he concluded.
“It is a people which marches with songs of praise. It is a people
which has its wounds, like every other people, yet knows how to stand
up with open arms, to keep walking in hope, because it has a vocation
of grandeur. This is how it raised its heroes. Today I ask you to
care for this vocation of yours, to care for these gifts which God
has given you, but above all I invite you to care for and be at the
service of the frailty of your brothers and sisters. Do not neglect
them for plans which can be seductive, but are unconcerned about the
face of the person beside you. We know, we are witnesses of the
incomparable power of the resurrection, which 'everywhere calls forth
the seeds of a new world'”.
Angelus:
Francis asks for definitive reconciliation in Colombia
Vatican
City, 20 September 2015 (VIS) – At the end of Mass, the Pope spoke
for a few minutes before praying the Angelus.
“We
have heard in the Gospel how the disciples were afraid to question
Jesus when He spoke to them about His passion and death. He
frightened them, and they could not grasp the idea of seeing Jesus
suffer on the cross. We too are tempted to flee from our own crosses
and those of others, to withdraw from those who suffer. In concluding
this Holy Mass, in which Jesus has once more given Himself to us in
His body and blood, let us now lift our gaze to the Virgin Mary, our
Mother. We ask her to teach us to stand beside the cross of our
brothers and sisters who suffer. To learn to see Jesus in every
person bent low on the path of life, in all our brothers and sisters
who hunger or thirst, who are naked or in prison or sick. With Mary
our Mother, on the cross we can see who is truly “the greatest”
and what it means to stand beside the Lord and to share in His glory.
“Let
us learn from Mary to keep our hearts awake and attentive to the
needs of others. As the wedding feast of Cana teaches us, let us be
concerned for the little details of life, and let us not tire of
praying for one another, so that no one will lack the new wine of
love, the joy which Jesus brings us.
At
this time I feel bound to direct my thoughts to the beloved land of
Colombia, 'conscious of the crucial importance of the present moment
when, with renewed effort and inspired by hope, its sons and
daughters are seeking to build a peaceful society'. May the blood
shed by thousands of innocent people during long decades of armed
conflict, united to that of the Lord Jesus Christ crucified, sustain
all the efforts being made, including those on this beautiful island,
to achieve definitive reconciliation. Thus may the long night of pain
and violence, with the support of all Colombians, become an unending
day of concord, justice, fraternity and love, in respect for
institutions and for national and international law, so that there
may be lasting peace. Please, we do not have the right to allow
ourselves yet another failure on this path of peace and
reconciliation. Thank you, Mr. President, for all you have done in
this work towards reconciliation”.
“I
ask you now that we join together in praying to Mary, that we may
place all our concerns and hopes before the heart of Christ. We pray
to her in a special way for those who have lost hope and find no
reasons to keep fighting, and for those who suffer from injustice,
abandonment and loneliness. We pray for the elderly, the infirm,
children and young people, for all families experiencing difficulty,
that Mary may dry their tears, comfort them with a mother’s love,
and restore their hope and joy. Holy Mother, I commend to you these
your sons and daughters in Cuba. May you never abandon them!”.
Meeting
with President Raul Castro and with Commander Fidel in the Palace of
the Revolution
Vatican
City, 20 September 2015 (VIS) – Following Holy Mass, and after
lunch in the apostolic nunciature, the Pope transferred by car to the
Palace of the Revolution to pay a courtesy visit to the President of
the Council of State of Cuba, Raul Castro, elected in 2008 after his
brother Fidel Castro stood down for reasons of ill health. Although
this did not form part of the official programme for the visit, the
Holy Father also met with “Commander” Fidel.
“The
meeting was foreseeable, although it did not form part of the
programme”, explained Fr. Lombardi. “We all knew that Commander
Fidel wanted to see the Pope, as he did with Pope Benedict XVI during
his visit. Commander Fidel, who is an elderly man, is spending this
phase of his life in study and reflection: he reads a lot and enjoys
conversing with people with great experience. This is explicitly how
it was with Pope Benedict XVI, and also with Pope Francis”.
“Fidel
had asked Pope Benedict to send some books that could be useful for
his reflections, and Francis followed on from this by taking, on his
own initiative, two books by the Italian priest Alessandro Pronzato,
known to many as a prolific author of spiritual and catechetic texts.
He also took a book and two CDs by Fr. Armando Llorente, a Jesuit
priest who died a few years ago, who was close to Castro as a child
when he attended the Jesuit school at the Colegio de Belen. The
memorial of this relationship with a teacher who profoundly affected
his life during his youth was a very meaningful gesture on the part
of the Pope”.
“The
Holy Father also took his two great texts, 'Evangelii Gaudium' and
'Laudato si''. This latter focuses on themes of interest to Castro
also in this stage of his life – the great questions of the current
world and its future. It is certainly a document he will find most
interesting. Commander Castro gave the Pope a very well-known book,
'Fidel y la Religion' by Frei Betto, which takes the form of a
conversation with Frei Betto. It was a very informal encounter, a
serene exchange in the presence of various members of his family, and
certainly a positive moment”.
Vespers
in the Cathedral of Havana
Vatican
City, 21 September 2015 (VIS) – The Immaculate Conception is the
patroness of Havana and, in the historic cathedral dedicated to this
title and to St. Cristobal, whose baroque facade was designed by
Francesco Borromini, the Pope meet with the priests, men and women
religious and seminarians of Cuba to for the Vespers prayer. Francis
commented on the Gospel account of the rich young man, observant of
the law, who is saddened when Jesus tells him that if he wishes to
follow Him he must abandon his riches. He made some unscripted
comments regarding the value of poverty for all Christians, as well
as for consecrated persons. His original prepared discourse is
reproduced below.
“We
are gathered in this historic Cathedral of Havana to sing with psalms
the faithfulness of God towards his people, with thanksgiving for his
presence and his infinite mercy. A faithfulness and mercy not only
commemorated by this building, but also by the living memory of some
of the elderly among us, who know from experience that 'his mercy
endures forever and his faithfulness throughout the ages'. For this,
brothers and sisters, let us together give thanks.
“Let
us give thanks for the Spirit’s presence in the rich and diverse
charisms of all those missionaries who came to this land and became
Cubans among Cubans, a sign that God’s mercy is eternal.
“The
Gospel presents Jesus in dialogue with His Father. It brings us to
the heart of the prayerful intimacy between the Father and the Son.
As His hour drew near, Jesus prayed for His disciples, for those with
Him and for those who were yet to come. We do well to remember that,
in that crucial moment, Jesus made the lives of His disciples, our
lives, a part of His prayer. He asked His Father to keep them united
and joyful. Jesus knew full well the hearts of His disciples, and He
knows full well our own. And so He prays to the Father to save them
from a spirit of isolation, of finding refuge in their own
certainties and comfort zones, of indifference to others and division
into 'cliques' which disfigure the richly diverse face of the Church.
These are situations which lead to a kind of isolation and ennui, a
sadness that slowly gives rise to resentment, to constant complaint,
to boredom; this 'is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in
the Spirit' to which He invited them, to which He has invited us.
That is why Jesus prays that sadness and isolation will not prevail
in our hearts. We want to do the same, we want to join in Jesus’
prayer, in His words, so that we can say together: 'Father, keep them
in Your name… that they may be one, even as we are one', 'that Your
joy may be complete'.
“Jesus
prays and He invites us to pray, because He knows that some things
can only be received as gifts; some things can only be experienced as
gifts. Unity is a grace which can be bestowed upon us only by the
Holy Spirit; we have to ask for this grace and do our best to be
transformed by that gift.
“Unity
is often confused with uniformity; with actions, feelings and words
which are all identical. This is not unity, it is conformity. It
kills the life of the Spirit; it kills the charisms which God has
bestowed for the good of His people. Unity is threatened whenever we
try to turn others into our own image and likeness. Unity is a gift,
not something to be imposed by force or by decree. I am delighted to
see you here, men and women of different generations, backgrounds and
experiences, all united by our common prayer. Let us ask God to
increase our desire to be close to one another. To be neighbours,
always there for one another, with all our many differences,
interests and ways of seeing things. To speak straightforwardly,
despite our disagreements and disputes, and not behind each other’s
backs. May we be shepherds who are close to our people, open to their
questions and problems. Conflicts and disagreements in the Church are
to be expected and, I would even say, needed. They are a sign that
the Church is alive and that the Spirit is still acting, still
enlivening her. Woe to those communities without a 'yes' and a 'no'!
They are like married couples who no longer argue, because they have
lost interest, they have lost their love.
“The
Lord prays also that we may be filled with His own 'complete joy'.
The joy of Christians, and especially of consecrated men and women,
is a very clear sign of Christ’s presence in their lives. When we
see sad faces, it is a warning that something is wrong.
Significantly, this is the request which Jesus makes of the Father
just before He goes out to the Garden to renew His own 'fiat'. I am
certain that all of you have had to bear many sacrifices and, for
some of you, for several decades now, these sacrifices have proved
difficult. Jesus prays, at the moment of His own sacrifice, that we
will never lose the joy of knowing that He overcomes the world. This
certainty is what inspires us, morning after morning, to renew our
faith. 'With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always
capable of restoring our joy' – by His prayer, and in the faces of
our people – Christ 'makes it possible for us to lift up our heads
and to start anew'.
“How
important, how valuable for the life of the Cuban people, is this
witness which always and everywhere radiates such joy, despite our
weariness, our misgivings and even our despair, that dangerous
temptation which eats away at our soul!
“Dear
brothers and sisters, Jesus prays that all of us may be one, and that
His joy may abide within us. May we do likewise, as we unite
ourselves to one another in prayer”.
Francis
meets with the young, Cuba's hope for the future
Vatican
City, 21 September 2015 (VIS) – After Vespers, the Pope transferred
to the “Centro de Estudio Padre Felix Varela”, the Felix Varela
Cultural Centre, adjacent to the cathedral, to meet with the young
people of Cuba. The Centre is dedicated to the Servant of God Felix
Varela (1788-1853), considered to be the “father of Cuban culture”.
The priest, whose cause for beatification is underway, taught for ten
years at the San Carlos college and seminary, making a significant
contribution to the progress of sciences and letters on the island.
In 1821 he was elected as the representative of Cuba before the
Spanish court, where he appealed for the liberation of black slaves.
In 1823, following the reestablishment of absolutism in Spain under
Ferdinand VII, he transferred to the United States where he
proclaimed Cuba's right to independence and exercised his pastoral
ministry for thirty years, founding schools, building churches and
evangelising among the marginalised.
The
Centre is a lay institute, in operation since 2011, coordinated by
the Pontifical Council for Culture. It comprises a centre for
ecclesiastical studies, also offering courses in philosophy,
psychology, and a master's degree entitled Cuba-Emprende, aimed at
supporting private enterprise initiatives in favour of economic
change in the country. It also hosts concerts, conferences and other
events, and promotes the Festival of Latin American Cinema.
The
Pope expressed his joy at being in the company of the young in a
centre so important to Cuban history, and after receiving greetings,
he set aside his written discourse, and spoke informally with those
present. Extensive extracts from the prepared text are published
below:
“ … When
I look at all of you, the first thing that comes into my mind and
heart, too, is the word 'hope'. I cannot imagine a young person who
is listless, without dreams or ideals, without a longing for
something greater.
“But
what kind of hope does a young Cuban have at this moment of history?
Nothing more or less than that of any other young person in any other
part of the world. Because hope speaks to us of something deeply
rooted in every human heart, independently of our concrete
circumstances and historical conditioning. Hope speaks to us of a
thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfilment, a desire
to achieve great things, things which fill our heart and lift our
spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice
and love. But it also involves taking risks. It means being ready not
to be seduced by what is fleeting, by false promises of happiness, by
immediate and selfish pleasures, by a life of mediocrity and
self-centredness, which only fills the heart with sadness and
bitterness. No, hope is bold; it can look beyond personal
convenience, the petty securities and compensations which limit our
horizon, and can open us up to grand ideals which make life more
beautiful and worthwhile. I would ask each one of you: What is it
that shapes your life? What lies deep in your heart? Where do your
hopes and aspirations lie? Are you ready to put yourself on the line
for the sake of something even greater?
“Perhaps
you may say: 'Yes, Father, I am strongly attracted to those ideals. I
feel their call, their beauty, their light shining in my heart. But I
feel too weak, I am not ready to decide to take the path of hope. The
goal is lofty and my strength is all too little. It is better to be
content with small things, less grand but more realistic, more within
my reach'. I can understand that reaction; it is normal to feel
weighed down by difficult and demanding things. But take care not to
yield to the temptation of a disenchantment which paralyses the
intellect and the will, or that apathy which is a radical form of
pessimism about the future. These attitudes end either in a flight
from reality towards vain utopias, or else in selfish isolation and a
cynicism deaf to the cry for justice, truth and humanity which rises
up around us and within us.
“But
what are we to do? How do we find paths of hope in the situations in
which we live? How do we make those hopes for fulfilment,
authenticity, justice and truth, become a reality in our personal
lives, in our country and our world? I think that there are three
ideas which can help to keep our hope alive.
“Hope
is a path made of memory and discernment. Hope is the virtue which
goes places. It is not simply a path we take for the pleasure of it,
but it has an end, a goal which is practical and lights up our way.
Hope is also nourished by memory; it looks not only to the future but
also to the past and present. To keep moving forward in life, in
addition to knowing where we want to go, we also need to know who we
are and where we come from. Individuals or peoples who have no memory
and erase their past risk losing their identity and destroying their
future. So we need to remember who we are, and in what our spiritual
and moral heritage consists. This, I believe, was the experience and
the insight of that great Cuban, Father Felix Varela. Discernment is
also needed, because it is essential to be open to reality and to be
able to interpret it without fear or prejudice. Partial and
ideological interpretations are useless; they only disfigure reality
by trying to fit it into our preconceived schemas, and they always
cause disappointment and despair. We need discernment and memory,
because discernment is not blind; it is built on solid ethical and
moral criteria which help us to see what is good and just.
“Hope
is a path taken with others. An African proverb says: 'If you want to
go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with others'. Isolation
and aloofness never generate hope; but closeness to others and
encounter do. Left to ourselves, we will go nowhere. Nor by exclusion
will we be able to build a future for anyone, even ourselves. A path
of hope calls for a culture of encounter, dialogue, which can
overcome conflict and sterile confrontation. To create that culture,
it is vital to see different ways of thinking not in terms of risk,
but of richness and growth. The world needs this culture of
encounter. It needs young people who seek to know and love one
another, to journey together in building a country like that which
José Martà dreamed of: 'With all, and for the good of all'.
“Hope
is a path of solidarity. The culture of encounter should naturally
lead to a culture of solidarity. I was struck by what Leonardo said
at the beginning, when he spoke of solidarity as a source of strength
for overcoming all obstacles. Without solidarity, no country has a
future. Beyond all other considerations or interests, there has to be
concern for that person who may be my friend, my companion, but also
someone who may think differently than I do, someone with his own
ideas yet just as human and just as Cuban as I am. Simple tolerance
is not enough; we have to go well beyond that, passing from a
suspicious and defensive attitude to one of acceptance, cooperation,
concrete service and effective assistance. Do not be afraid of
solidarity, service and offering a helping hand, so that no one is
excluded from the path.
“This
path of life is lit up by a higher hope: the hope born of our faith
in Christ. He made himself our companion along the way. Not only does
He encourage us, He also accompanies us; He is at our side and He
extends a friendly hand to us. The Son of God, He wanted to become
someone like us, to accompany us on our way. Faith in His presence,
in His friendship and love, lights up all our hopes and dreams. With
Him at our side, we learn to discern what is real, to encounter and
serve others, and to walk the path of solidarity.
“Dear
young people of Cuba, if God Himself entered our history and became
flesh in Jesus, if He shouldered our weakness and sin, then you need
not be afraid of hope, or of the future, because God is on your side.
He believes in you, and He hopes in you.
“Dear
friends, thank you for this meeting. May hope in Christ, your friend,
always guide you along your path in life. And, please, remember to
pray for me. May the Lord bless all of you”.
Other
News
Message
to the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East
Vatican
City, 21 September 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has sent a message
to His Holiness Mar Gewargis, on the occasion of his election as
Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, in which he
extends his “good wishes and prayerful solidarity” to the
Patriarch and his faithful. He adds that it is his prayer that His
Holiness may be an inspirational pastor for the flock entrusted to
his care and “an untiring builder of peace and harmony, serving the
common good and the good of the entire Middle East”.
He
continues, “I join your Holiness in prayer and solidarity with all
who suffer because of the tragic situation in the Middle East,
especially our Christian brothers and sisters and other religious
minorities in Iraq and Syria. With you, I ask the Lord to grant them
strength so that they may persevere in their Christian witness. In
expressing gratitude to Almighty God for the bonds of fraternity
between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, I
hope and pray that our continuing friendship and dialogue may be
further developed and deepened”.
Message
to Hungarian religious: seek the concerns and expectations of the
people
Vatican
City, 19 September 2015 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon Pope Francis
sent a video message to the participants in the Meeting of
Consecrated Persons in Hungary, an initiative linked to the Year of
Consecrated Life.
“In
the various forms of consecrated life, I think of you as close to the
troubles and expectations of the people; I think of you as committed
in the contexts in which you are inserted, with their difficulties
and signs of hope. I encourage you to rejoice with those who rejoice,
and to weep with those who weep; to ask of God a heart capable of
compassion, to tend to the wounds of the body and the spirit and to
bring God's consolation to many people. I believe that the most
beautiful side of a country and a city is that of the Lord's
disciples – the bishops, religious and lay faithful – who live
with simplicity, in their daily lives, in the style of the Good
Samaritan and who are close to the flesh and the wounds of their
brethren, in whom they recognise the flesh and wounds of Jesus”.
“This
charity full of mercy – we know well – comes from the heart of
Christ, and we find this in prayer, especially in adoration, and in
partaking with faith in the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Penance.
May Mary, our Mother, help us always to be men and women of prayer”.
The
Pope speaks with young people from Cuba and the United States before
his apostolic trip
Vatican
City, 19 September 2015 (VIS) – On 17 September Pope Francis
participated in a programme organised by “Scholas Occurrentes” -
an initiative organised between the students of various countries,
cultures and religions – broadcast by CNN on Friday 18, in which
two groups of students from Havana and New York also took part. The
Holy Father answered questions posed by the students, starting with
one from a girl from New York on the responsibility of the young in
the care of the environment.
“It
is one of the things that we have to learn from when we are young”,
he said. “The environment, at this time, is one of the excluded. It
cries to us to pay attention and to take care of it. So, how can a
young person take care of the environment? First of all, by seeing
the problems that exist in his or her neighbourhood, city and nation.
… By looking for concrete measures you can take. The waste of paper
is impressive. Avoid wasting electricity … What little you can do,
but it is still a little more, a little more, a little more. Add to
the will to save our common home”.
A
girl from Havana asked the second question, regarding the capacity
for leadership attributed to the Pope. “A leader is a good leader
if he is capable of making other leaders emerge among the young”,
he said. “If a leader wishes to lead alone, then he is a tyrant. Or
rather, true leadership is fruitful. ... Sole leaders are here today
and gone tomorrow. There are those who are born leaders: leaders in
thought, leaders of action, leaders of joy, leaders of hope, leaders
in building a better world. This is the path for you to follow; but
you already have the seed of leadership within you. If they do not
sow leadership in others, if they do not serve, they are dictators. I
have no desire to be a dictator. I like to plant the seed of
leadership in others”.
The
third question was asked by a girl from New York, who showed the Pope
a photograph of a dead tree with a bird perched on a branch.
“Yes,
in the photo the tree is dead and the bird is alive”, observed
Francis. “In a few months' time the bird will need to build a nest
to lay its eggs and care for its young, but if the tree is dead, how
will it be able to make a nest? This is what happens when we do not
take care of the environment. One death leads to another, and then,
instead of sowing growth, instead of sowing hope, we sow death. The
way is the opposite: caring for life”.
A
boy from Havana then spoke about the need to lift the embargo against
Cuba. “I too will do everything possible not to forget”, replied
the Holy Father. “Building bridges and removing obstacles to
communication, so that communication can lead to friendship. One of
the most beautiful things is social friendship. That's what I would
like you to seek: friendship”.
The
final two questions regarded education of boys and girls. “Education
is one of the human rights”, affirmed Pope Francis. “A child has
the right to be loved … to play … and to receive an education. Do
you think about the number of children who, in countries at war at
the moment, do not receive an education? … It is a challenge that
must be faced. And it is up to us to start. … Do not wait for
States to make agreements or governments to agree. Many years will
pass in the meantime, as it is difficult. … So many children of
your age, so many boys and girls devote their weekends and holidays
to teach them. … A people that is not educated, who either because
of war or for other reasons cannot receive an education, decays; it
decays and declines even to the level of mere instinct. … We must
be committed to the education of the young”.
“This
morning I received a group of young people”, the Pope revealed.
“One boy was from a country at war and he gave me a bullet, one of
the many that rain down continually on his city. The young, in order
to survive, have to stay closed up inside their homes, and no longer
have the right to play. … We have lost the idea of how many
children do not experience the joy of play, either because of war, or
poverty, or because they live on the streets. And these children do
not know how to communicate with the joy of play. They become easy
prey to traffickers, who use them and lead them into delinquency,
theft, drug abuse, prostitution, and many other things. So, the best
way to begin to educate children is to give them the opportunity to
play”.
At
the end of the broadcast, the presenter invited the Pope to plant an
olive tree in a pot placed nearby, and asked the Pope to give him the
bullet so as to bury it in the ground on which the olive tree will
grow.
Other
Pontifical Acts
Vatican
City, 21 September 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed
Bishop Ferenc Palanki, auxiliary of Eger, Hungary, as bishop of
Debrecen-Nyiregyhaza, (area 11,300, population 1,137,000, Catholics
250,000, priests 93, religious 33), Hungary. He succeeds Bishop
Nandor Bosak, whose resignation from the pastoral ministry of the
same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy
Father.
On
Saturday 19 September the Holy Father:
-
accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese
of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg, Poland, presented by Bishop Pawel Cieslik,
upon reaching the age limit.
-
appointed Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi, archbishop emeritus of
Palermo, as his special envoy to the concluding celebration of the
fifth centenary of the creation of the diocese of Lanciano
(present-day archdiocese of Lanciano-Ortona), Italy, to be held on 22
November 2015.
On
Friday 18 September the Holy Father appointed Fr. Guy Joseph
Consolmagno, S.J., as director of the Vatican Observatory. Fr.
Consolmagno is currently a member of the same scientific institution
and president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.
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