VATICAN INSIDER VISITS SOLIDARITY HEALTH CARE – TODAY WE HONOR SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA

VATICAN INSIDER VISITS SOLIDARITY HEALTH SHARE

My guest this week and next on Vatican Insider is Brad Hahn, CEO of Solidarity Health Share, who will tell us about this community, a ministry really, that supports you and your family by lowering your medical bills, providing you with a team of care professionals to help you navigate the health care system, and giving you peace of mind knowing your health care dollars are used ethically. Learn of the challenges facing health care providers and how solidarity helps families in their own health challenges. By the way, Brad is a lawyer and has worked for decades in the Phoenix, Arizona area. (photo taken after lunch at the marvellous Taverna Agape)

IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio, or on http://www.ewtn.com. OUTSIDE THE U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. On the GB-IE feed (which is on SKY in the UK and Ireland), VI airs at 5:30am, 12 noon and 10pm CET on Sundays. Both of these feeds are also available on the EWTN app and on www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: go to https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive and write the name of the guest for whom you are searching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear.

TODAY WE HONOR SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA

(franciscanmedia.com) – The value Catherine makes central in her short life and which sounds clearly and consistently through her experience is complete surrender to Christ. What is most impressive about her is that she learns to view her surrender to her Lord as a goal to be reached through time.

She was the 23rd child of Jacopo and Lapa Benincasa and grew up as an intelligent, cheerful, and intensely religious person. Catherine disappointed her mother by cutting off her hair as a protest against being overly encouraged to improve her appearance in order to attract a husband. Her father ordered her to be left in peace, and she was given a room of her own for prayer and meditation.

She entered the Dominican Third Order at 18 and spent the next three years in seclusion, prayer, and austerity. Gradually, a group of followers gathered around her—men and women, priests and religious. An active public apostolate grew out of her contemplative life. Her letters, mostly for spiritual instruction and encouragement of her followers, began to take more and more note of public affairs. Opposition and slander resulted from her mixing fearlessly with the world and speaking with the candor and authority of one completely committed to Christ. She was cleared of all charges at the Dominican General Chapter of 1374.

Photos from a visit several years ago to St. Catherine’s home in Siena, a very large home given the size of the family. The room with all the paintings was the family dining room:

Her public influence reached great heights because of her evident holiness, her membership in the Dominican Third Order, and the deep impression she made on the pope. She worked tirelessly for the crusade against the Turks and for peace between Florence and the pope.

In 1378, the Great Schism began, splitting the allegiance of Christendom between two, then three, popes and putting even saints on opposing sides. Catherine spent the last two years of her life in Rome, in prayer and pleading on behalf of the cause of Pope Urban VI and the unity of the Church. She offered herself as a victim for the Church in its agony. She died surrounded by her “children” and was canonized in 1461.

Her body is under the main altar of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. We could not take photos in the church in Siena with relic of her skull – this is from Atlas Obscura:

Catherine ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church. In 1939, she and Francis of Assisi were declared co-patrons of Italy. Pope Paul VI named her and Teresa of Avila doctors of the Church in 1970. Her spiritual testament is found in The Dialogue.

REFLECTION

Though she lived her life in a faith experience and spirituality far different from that of our own time, Catherine of Siena stands as a companion with us on the Christian journey in her undivided effort to invite the Lord to take flesh in her own life. Events which might make us wince or chuckle or even yawn fill her biographies: a mystical experience at six, childhood betrothal to Christ, stories of harsh asceticism, her frequent ecstatic visions. Still, Catherine lived in an age which did not know the rapid change of 21st-century mobile America. The value of her life for us today lies in her recognition of holiness as a goal to be sought over the course of a lifetime.

SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA IS A PATRON SAINT OF: Europe, Fire Prevention, Italy

 

SOLIDARITY WITH SUCCESSOR OF PETER IS A HALLMARK OF THE PAPAL FOUNDATION

If you have a few extra minutes today, you might enjoy this interview by Vatican News of Cardinal Timothy Dolan who is currently in Rome prior to his trip to Poland and Ukraine to help refugees: A conversation with Cardinal Dolan ahead of mission to help Ukraine – Vatican News

SOLIDARITY WITH SUCCESSOR OF PETER IS A HALLMARK OF THE PAPAL FOUNDATION

Pope Francis received members of the Papal Foundation this morning on their first visit since the coronavirus shut things down in 2020, including travel, in-person visits and meetings, etc.

Foundation members usually pay an annual visit to Rome and the Holy Father and that visit usually coincides with the annual Rector’s Dinner at the Pontifical North American College that takes place tonight.

The Papal Foundation is the only charitable organization in the United States that is exclusively dedicated to fulfilling the requests of the Holy Father for the needs of the Church. Since its inception in 1988, The Papal Foundation and its Stewards of Saint Peter have allocated $200 million in grants and scholarships around the world to more than 2000 projects selected by Popes Francis, Benedict, and John Paul II. Each Steward of St. Peter makes a $1 million gift to a carefully managed fund that annually delivers a portion of its resources to support the Holy Father’s responses. (Vatican media photo)

During today’s audience, Pope Francis touched a photo of St. John Paul II who was canonized, along with Pope John XXIII, eight years ago yesterday, April 27, 2014.

The Holy Father opened his remarks by saying, “It is good that we can meet this year in person, as restrictions put in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic have been somewhat eased.   Our time together affords me the opportunity to express my deep gratitude for the generous support you have provided both to me and to the Church in so many areas of the world.”

Francis noted that, “over the years, the Papal Foundation has fostered on a global level the integral development of so many of our brothers and sisters. In particular, your response to the various requests that you receive for assistance with educational, charitable and ecclesial projects enables you to facilitate the Church’s ongoing efforts to build a culture of solidarity and peace.”

In particular, Pope Francis underscored how “your charitable outreach continues to extend to those on the peripheries of society who live in material, and frequently spiritual, poverty. At the same time, as we are witnessing in these days the devastating effects of war and conflict, you increasingly see the need to provide care and humanitarian assistance to its victims, to refugees and to those forced to leave their homelands in search of a better and more secure future for themselves and their loved ones. Your work helps to bring the love, hope and mercy that the Gospel proclaims to all who benefit from your generosity and commitment.”

“I ask you, please,” concluded Francis, “to pray for me and for my ministry, for the needs of the Church, the spread of the Gospel and the conversion of hearts.”

THE PARABLE OF RUTH AND THE BEAUTY OF FAMILY BONDS

THE PARABLE OF RUTH AND THE BEAUTY OF FAMILY BONDS

Today’s weekly general audience was again held in a sun-splashed St. Peter’s Square, as Pope Francis, seated in a swivel chair in the open papal jeep, toured the square to greet the tens of thousands of faithful present. At times he stood to wave to the crowd, He was brought to the stage area and was assisted to his seat, given his very painful knee that recently has made walking so problematic. (EWTN photos Daniel Ibanez)

In fact yesterday, Francis, on doctor’s advice, cancelled his Tuesday appointments to rest the knee.

He began his catechesis saying, “today we will continue to reflect on the elderly, on grandparents, on old age – the word seems ugly but no, the elderly are great, they are beautiful! And today we will let ourselves be inspired by the splendid book of Ruth, a jewel of the Bible. The parable of Ruth sheds light on the beauty of family bonds: generated by the relationship of a couple, but which go beyond it. Bonds of love capable of being equally strong, in which the perfection of that polyhedron of fundamental affections that make up the family grammar of love shines.”

He explained that he wanted to “reflect on the figure of the widow Naomi as presented in the biblical Book of Ruth. This short yet beautiful story speaks of the relationship of love and mutual support between the elderly Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth. Naomi, dwelling in a foreign land, is left alone when her two sons die. Despite her grief, she encourages her two daughters-in-law to remain among their own people as she returns to Bethlehem, her native town. Ruth chooses not to abandon her beloved mother-in-law, and accompanies her to Judah, telling her: ‘Your people shall be my people, and your God my God’.”

The Holy Father then notes how “Ruth’s love supports Naomi, and Naomi in turn helps Ruth to find a new husband, Boaz. God blesses this marriage with a son, Obed, who was the father of Jesse, the father of David. The story of these two faithful women shows us that, in God’s providential plan, the covenant of love and fidelity uniting the generations can prove immensely enriching for our families and for the growth of a society that respects the dignity and gifts of each of its members, however young or old.”

Pope Francis acknowledged “that clichés about the bonds of kinship created by marriage, especially that of the mother-in-law, the relationship between mother- and daughter-in-law, speak against this perspective. But, precisely for this reason, the word of God becomes precious. The inspiration of faith can open up a horizon of witness that counters the most common prejudices, a horizon that is precious for the entire human community. I invite you to rediscover the book of Ruth! Especially in the meditation on love and in catechesis on the family.”

The Pope closed with some words about grandparents and grandchildren:

“If the young open themselves to gratitude for what they have received, and the elderly take the initiative of relaunching their future, nothing can stop the flourishing of God’s blessings among peoples! Do not forget, may young people speak with their grandparents, may the young speak with the old, may the old speak with the young. This bridge must be rebuilt in a strong way – there is a current of salvation, of happiness there. May the Lord help us, doing this, to grow in harmony with families, that constructive harmony that goes from the oldest to the youngest, that beautiful bridge that we must protect and safeguard.

The Pope also recalled that today marks the 8^th anniversary of the canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II.

For video of the audience with English translations: General Audience – Activities of the Holy Father Pope Francis | Vatican.va

POPE CANCELS DAILY SCHEDULE DUE TO KNEE PAIN – PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES SHOW SOLIDARITY IN UKRAINE

EWTN had a terrific meeting and light buffet lunch today with our CEO Michael Warsaw. The Rome bureau staff was present on our rooftop terrace and shared ideas with Michael under a splendid spring sun as he spoke to us of plans for the network in Alabama, Rome and around the world. It was wonderful to see him again as his last visit was 2019, so pre-Covid. I really enjoyed catching up with him.

POPE CANCELS DAILY SCHEDULE DUE TO KNEE PAIN

The press office put out a note today saying that “because of his continuing knee pain, and on the advice of his doctor, Pope Francis interrupted his activity scheduled for today, including participating in a meeting of the Council of Cardinals who just began a new session in recent days.”

PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES SHOW SOLIDARITY IN UKRAINE

The National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the US, Msgr. Kieran Harrington, traveled to Ukraine during Holy Week there, to offer the Church’s solidarity with the suffering people there by being present in listening, visiting and praying together them.

By Sr. Bernadette Reis and Vatican News staff writer
Video and photos courtesy of Pontifical Mission Society, USA

Expressing a solidarity of presence with the people of Ukraine, the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the US, Msgr. Kieran Harrington, traveled to the war-torn nation for Holy Week and Easter (according to the Julian calendar). He met with the people and local Church leaders to offer personally the Church’s solidarity through humanitarian support, visits to families and participation together in the Holy Week and Easter liturgies in Lviv and Kyiv.

The role of the Pontifical Mission Societies is to support the proclamation of the Gospel, the building of the Church and the work and witness of mission priests, religious and lay pastoral leaders. These missionaries also provide food, education and medical care to the most vulnerable communities and, through their work, witness to the compassionate heart of Jesus.

Solidarity of presence

Msgr. Harrington’s visit during the summit of the Eastern Church’s liturgical calendar recalled in a poignant way the suffering of Jesus manifested in the faces of the local people trying to recover from lost loved ones killed in the fighting, the ongoing conflict and precarious humanitarian conditions. In an interview with Vatican News, he described the visit as responding to the call Pope Francis expressed in his  Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti which speaks about being near to others, “to touch and heal the wounds of others.” He said he wanted to be there to offer “a sense of real solidarity,” that went beyond providing material assistance, accompanying “the people in the midst of their suffering.”

Click here for more of this wonderful and inspiring story and some lovely photos: Pontifical Mission Societies shows solidarity in Ukraine visit – Vatican News

SHOW THE FACE OF GOD’S BOUNDLESS MERCY TO ALL

Today is a major holiday in Italy known as Festa della Liberazione or Liberation Day. How and why do Italians celebrate April 25: Italy marks Liberation Day with holiday on 25 April – Wanted in Rome

A holiday throughout Italy – and you had to be here to see the tourists on this long, holiday weekend! – but it was a regular work day in the Vatican, as you will see.

Among the hundreds of Missionaries of Mercy in town for their third international meeting since Pope Francis instituted these Missionaries for the 2016 Jubilee Year of Mercy is EWTN’s own Father John Paul. He is also in the Eternal City for a period to tend to the Rome-based flock of EWTN, to hear confessions, to offer daily masses and to just be with us for several weeks. It is always a joy to be with this humble, happy priest, whatever side of the pond we’re on.

Michael Warsaw, Chairman of the Board and CEO of EWTN, is also in Rome this week for a number of events, EWTN-related and not. I’ll be seeing both Fr. John Paul and Michael in coming days and if these pages show a Joan’s Rome lite, it means time is not being very generous to me in a week marked by the arrival of perhaps a dozen friends, luncheons, dinners, interviews, etc. Today was such a day.

Here is the Vatican story of Pope Francis’ encounter with the Missionaries of Mercy this morning:

SHOW THE FACE OF GOD’S BOUNDLESS MERCY TO ALL

Pope Francis welcomed Missionaries of Mercy from around the world, and encouraged them to receive warmly those seeking God’s mercy and to offer consolation to the sad and lonely, offering the biblical figure Ruth as an inspiration for their ministry.

By Thaddeus Jones (vaticannews)

Welcoming the Missionaries of Mercy from around the world in the Paul VI Audience Hall on Monday, Pope Francis explained how he wanted to bring them back to Rome as a way to renew their ministry of being instruments of God’s mercy.

Saying their ministry is the one closest to his heart, the Pope recalled that he even had their fundamental role included in the new Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, “Praedicate Evangelium,” under the section focusing on evangelization.

He said they are now part of the structure of the Church, and hopefully will grow in number as bishops identify priests “who are holy, merciful, ready for forgiveness, in order to become full-fledged missionaries of Mercy.”

Pope Francis instituted the role of the Missionaries of Mercy six years ago when he met them in Rome during the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016 to give them their mandate to witness around the world the closeness of God and His love, mercy and forgiveness.

The Missionaries of Mercy offer a special ministry of outreach, hearing confessions and finding new ways to proclaim, express and bring God’s mercy to all. They also have special faculties to give absolution to serious sins that ordinarily would require consultation and permission from the local bishop or the Holy See.

The testimony of Ruth

Pointing to previous meetings with the Missionaries of Mercy, the Pope recalled how he encouraged them to bring God’s mercy and be a sign of His consolation so that they know God never forgets or abandons us.

On this occasion, he reflected on the biblical figure of Ruth, who can inspire them in their ministry. The Book of Ruth in the Old Testament tells the story of a Moabite woman committed to the people of Israel through an oath to her mother-in-law Naomi. Both were widows living in extreme poverty.

The Pope spoke about Ruth’s very difficult life, suffering as a poor widow and foreigner, but despite it all offering heroic love, loyalty, generosity and mercy in her service to Naomi and others. She became the great-grandmother of David through her later marriage to Boaz of Bethlehem, and so a full part of the people of ancient Israel.

God communicates through Ruth

Pope Francis observed how, in the Book of Ruth, God never speaks directly, but He communicates through Ruth’s every gesture of kindness towards her mother-in-law Noemi.

While the path of life is often difficult and full of sadness at times, God sets out on his path to reveal His love, the Pope explained, saying we too are invited to discern the presence of God in people’s lives.

And as Missionaries of Mercy, “it is up to us, through our ministry, to give voice to God and show the face of His mercy.” He added that God works in people’s daily lives often through silent, discreet and simple ways manifested through those who become a sacrament of God’s presence.

Forgiveness in your pocket

The Pope appealed to the Missionaries of Mercy to avoid every form of judgement when receiving those coming to them and to always strive to understand the person fully, not just partially.

We are all sinners, he noted, and we all fall on our knees to ask for forgiveness, the Pope pointed out. And departing from this prepared text, he encouraged them not to get bogged down in what the rules say, but to look at the person asking for forgiveness and to be generous with that forgiveness “in your pocket,” as priests and Missionaries of Mercy.

He called them to “look into the heart of a person, where the desire is hidden, and the longing to return to the Father and to his house.” He added for emphasis, “always, always forgive!”

Mercy and consolation

In conclusion, Pope Francis encouraged the Missionaries of Mercy to always be ready to show God’s mercy, like having a blanket always ready to warm those who seek to come in from the cold and receive God’s mercy and forgiveness.

He called on them to be generous like Ruth, to draw near with consolation to those who are sad and lonely, adding that in this way the Lord will recognize them as His faithful ministers.

The Pope added two stories off-the-cuff about two great confessors he remembered from his experience back home in Argentina. He spoke about how they heard confessions all day long until the last years of their lives as examples of showing God’s boundless mercy in the confessional.

He encouraged the Missionaries of Mercy to do the same – to never tire of forgiving, “because the Lord never tires of forgiving us, never!”

VATICAN INSIDER PAYS TRIBUTE TO VICKI THORN

VATICAN INSIDER PAYS TRIBUTE TO VICKI THORN

I was totally breathless as I read the news from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on Wednesday, April 20 that one of dearest people I knew, and a prolife warrior par excellence, had died that very morning. I’ve known Bill and Vicki for years and phoned Bill as soon as I knew, only to discover that it was a sudden death as she was getting ready for the morning

The three of us have had many meetings in Rome, laughed over many a good story and broke bread in many great restaurants. On one occasion, I interviewed Vicki for “Vatican Insider” and that is what you will hear this weekend.

We are doing a “Best Of” this weekend built around the interview with Vicki because I have a terrible cold with cough and little energy and I can barely talk so could not have even recorded the news segment, etc.

I posted the archdiocese report of her death on Facebook on Wednesday the minute I learned of it. I can see by your many responses how much Vicki was loved and valued as a friend and immensely appreciated as for her prolife work and her ministry to help those who were suffering from having decided to have an abortion.

I’m not sure if you know but Vicki, as founder of the post-abortion healing ministry Project Rachel and executive director of the National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing, was due to receive Notre Dame’s Evangelium Vitae Medal at a banquet on April 25, 2020. Covid made that personal award ceremony impossible and there were dozens of us who were disappointed. I had made plans to fly in to Notre Dame for the ceremony.

From the news.nd.edu website:

“Vicki Thorn has dedicated her life to caring for women and men who have been wounded by abortion,” said O. Carter Snead, the William P. and Hazel B. White Director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. “Her work is a living witness to the unconditional love and mercy that lies at the heart of the Culture of Life. We are pleased to honor her with the Notre Dame Evangelium Vitae Medal.”

“Vicki Thorn’s work has been a source of healing for women and men whose lives have been touched by abortion,” said University President  Rev. John I. Jenkins, CSC. “I’m grateful to the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture for recognizing Ms. Thorn for her service to the Church and to the work of mercy on behalf of a Culture of Life.”

This coming Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. I just know the Lord’s arms are wide open with both mercy and love to welcome this beautiful daughter into his kingdom!

IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio, or on http://www.ewtn.com. OUTSIDE THE U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. On the GB-IE feed (which is on SKY in the UK and Ireland), VI airs at 5:30am, 12 noon and 10pm CET on Sundays. Both of these feeds are also available on the EWTN app and on www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: go to https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive and write the name of the guest for whom you are searching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear.

 

 

HOLY SEE AND POPE FRANCIS JOIN U.N. CALL FOR CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE – CARDINAL ARINZE: THANKING THE LORD MORNING AND EVENING

HOLY SEE AND POPE FRANCIS JOIN U.N. CALL FOR CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE

The Vatican today released a statement that noted “how Pope Francis, on Palm Sunday had asked for an Easter truce, in order to achieve peace.”

It stated further that, “the Holy See and the Holy Father join in the appeal that António Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations, along with His Beatitude Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine, launched on April 19 for a truce in the occasion of the celebration of Easter according to the Julian calendar on April 24th.

“In the knowledge that nothing is impossible for God, they invoke the Lord King so that the population trapped in war zones is evacuated and peace will soon be restored, and they ask those who have the responsibility of the Nation to listen to the cry of peace of the people.” (Vatican photo)

At that time, Guterres said, “Easter is a season for renewal, resurrection and hope. It is a time for reflection on the meaning of suffering, sacrifice, death, and rebirth. It is meant to be a moment of unity.”

According to Vatican News, the U.N. chief said today, “I am calling for a four-day, Holy Week humanitarian pause, beginning on Holy Thursday and running through Easter Sunday, April 24, to allow for the opening of a series of humanitarian corridors. Humanitarian needs are dire. People do not have food, water supplies, to treat the sick, or simply to live day-to-day.

“For all these life-or-death reasons, I call on Russians and Ukrainians to silence the guns and forge a path to safety for so many at immediate risk.” The four-day Easter period should be a moment to unite around saving lives and furthering dialogue to end the suffering in Ukraine.

“Put the weapons down,” said Pope Francis on Palm Sunday. “Let an Easter truce start. But not to rearm and resume combat but a truce to reach peace through real negotiations open to some sacrifices for the good of the people.”

CARDINAL ARINZE: THANKING THE LORD MORNING AND EVENING

One of the books I re-discovered during Lent was a delight volume by Cardinal Francis Arinze, a gift of his when I invited him to dinner one night. The book is “Draw Near to Me, O Lord: Heartfelt Prayers for Everyday Life.”

This small volume has countless prayers for so many situations that arise in anyone’s life. But there are two occasions that occur for all of us, getting up in the morning and going to bed at night. How do we thank the Lord? Do we thank the Lord? Words should come fairly easily and I think you’ll find that in these two prayers from his book!

THANK GOD FOR A NEW DAY

Lord God, a new day dawns. It is a gift of Your creating hand. You are giving me this gift of another 24 hours to be at Your service and to be in solidarity with my neighbor.

I thank You for this providential design of Yours. May every thought, word, or deed of mine in this day be pleasing to You, be according to Your will and be my own yes to the unfolding of Your plan for me, for my dear ones, for the people for whom or with whom I work and indeed for all humanity.

Help me, Lord, to overcome my basic defects and weaknesses. May I show the hand of togetherness to every brother or sister with whom I am in contact today. At the end of this day, may I be able to look back with gratitude and joy and without regret. This I beg You, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

THANK GOD AT THE END OF THE DAY

Lord, the day You gave me has ended. The darkness of night descends as part of Your providential design.

I thank You for the opportunities you have given me today to live in your service and that of my neighbor. What I may have done well, I beg You to purify, elevate and accept through Christ, with Christ and in Christ. What I have not done well, I beg You to correct so that everything may finally turn out to Your greater glory, the good of my neighbor, and my own spiritual growth.

Night rest and sleep are Your gift. May I have the blessing of being refreshed by rest and sleep so that I may be better able to serve You. I am joyfully confident of Your love and protection.

I pray also for all the people who find rest and sleep difficult for those who are obliged to work long hours with a little time for rest, and for those who have turned the night into a time of restless activities that are not always according to Your will. Lord, curb the devil and all forces of evil that operate more at night so that we may be better disposed to serve You when a new day dawns. To You be honor and glory through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

LOVE, HONOR, DIGNITY AND THE FRAGILITY OF OLD AGE

LOVE, HONOR, DIGNITY AND THE FRAGILITY OF OLD AGE

Today, the weekly general audience was held in St. Peter’s Square for the first time in over two years. The Vatican gendarmerie estimated the faithful present to number about 20,000.

In powerful images and words, the Holy Father continued his catechesis on the elderly, focussing on “the fragility of old age, marked in a special way by the experiences of confusion and despondency, of loss and abandonment, of disillusionment and doubt.” (Vatican photo)

“Of course,” continued Francis, “the experiences of our frailty in the face of life’s dramatic – sometimes tragic – situations can occur at any stage of life. However, in old age they can produce less of an impression and induce in others a kind of habituation, even annoyance. How many times have we heard or thought: ‘Old people are a nuisance’’ – ‘But, these old people are always a nuisance’: don’t deny it, that’s the way it is… We’ve said it, we’ve thought it…”

But this is where love and honor and human dignity come into play.

“In the common human experience,” he explained, “love – as is said – descends…That is, we have received the love of parents, of grandparents, and now we return this love to them, to the elderly, to our grandparents. Today we have rediscovered the term ‘dignity’, to indicate the value of respecting and caring for the age [life] of everyone. Dignity, here, is essentially equivalent to honor: honoring father and mother, honoring the elderly, and recognizing the dignity they possess.”

“This special love that paves the way in the form of honor – that is, tenderness and respect at the same time – intended for the elderly is sealed by God’s commandment. ‘Honor thy father and mother’ is a solemn commitment, the first of the ‘second tablet’ of the Ten Commandments. It is not just about one’s own father and mother. It is about their generation and the generations before, whose leave-taking can also be slow and prolonged, creating a time and space of long-lasting coexistence with the other ages of life. In other words, it is about the old age of life, old age…”

Honor is lacking, however, exclaimed the Pope, when, for example, “young people are encouraged, even indirectly, to an attitude of condescension – and even contempt – for the elderly, for their weaknesses and their precariousness, this produces horrible things. It opens the way to unimaginable excesses. The young people who set fire to a ‘bum’s blanket – we’ve seen this, haven’t we? – because they see him as a human reject, and we often think that the old are the refuse, or we put them in the trash; … ‘Refuse’ is the word, isn’t it? To despise the elderly and cast them from life, to put them aside, to put them down.”

“This contempt that dishonors the elderly,” declared Francis, “actually dishonors all of us. If I dishonor the elderly, I dishonor myself.”

The Holy Father went on to say: “On this point, allow me to offer some advice to parents: please, bring your children, young children, closer to the elderly, always bring them closer. And when the elderly person is ill, a bit out of their mind, always approach them: let them know that this is our flesh, that this is what has made it possible for us to be here. Please don’t push the elderly away. And if there is no other option than to send them to a nursing home, please visit them and bring the children to see them: they are the honor of our civilisation, the old people who opened the doors. And many times, the children forget this.”

Pope Francis concluded the audience: “I’ll tell you something personal: I used to love visiting nursing homes in Buenos Aires. I went often. I went often, I visited each one… And I remember once I asked a lady: ‘And how many children do you have?’ – ‘I have four, all married, with grandchildren …,’ and she started talking to me about the family. ‘And do they come [to visit]?’ – ‘Yes, [she said,] ‘they always come!’ When I left the room, the nurse, who had heard, said to me: ‘Father, she told a lie to cover up for her children. Nobody has come for six months!’ This is discarding the old, it is thinking that the old are refuse. Please: it is a grave sin. This is the first great commandment, and the only one that says the reward: ‘Honor your father and your mother, and you will have long life on earth’.”

THE CARDINAL BARTOLUCCI CHOIR COMES TO CHICAGO

THE CARDINAL BARTOLUCCI CHOIR COMES TO CHICAGO

A number of fascinating concerts are scheduled in coming days in Chicago and environs featuring the Cardinal Bartolucci Choir. The cardinal was the late choirmaster of the Sistine Chapel Choir.

Following is a little more information about the cardinal and some posters for the Chicago area events. I’ve been collaborating in small ways on some interesting projects for the Rome-based Bartolucci Foundation and its executive director, Alessandro Biciocchi who is in Chicago these days with the Choir.

DEDICATED TO MUSIC. Domenico Bartolucci was born in 1917 in Borgo San Lorenzo in the Province of Florence. He began composing at the age of 14 and in 1939 became a priest. After several years as the Maestro in the Cathedral of

Florence, he continued his studies in Rome, the cradle of polyphony and religious music. In just a short time he became known among the various musical chapels of the Papal Basilicas and in 1956, at just 39 years old, Pope Pius XII appointed him to the prestigious office of Perpetual Maestro and Director of the Sistine Chapel Choir.

THE GREAT MAESTRO OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL. Domenico Bartolucci reformed and revived the Sistine Chapel Choir as we now know it through a major project approved by St. John XXIII: a specific office, a defined body of adult singers, and a school of child singers. For almost fifty years he oversaw the music of the solemn papal liturgies, contributing to their splendor and sacredness. Furthermore, he energetically promoted the Sistine Chapel Choir’s concert activities, an effective method of evangelization, with memorable tours and hundreds of concerts that brought the inestimable musical tradition of the Catholic church to the most prestigious venues in Italy and the world, unanimously appreciated by audiences and critics alike.

Maestro Bartolucci also dedicated himself to teaching at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory and at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music. In 1965 he was named an Academic of Santa Cecilia and, with this prestigious institution, was directly involved in important concerts in the Vatican as well.

CARDINAL OF THE HOLY ROMAN CHURCH. 2010: Holy Father Benedict XVI, in an extraordinary gesture, decided to elevate him to cardinal, the first time in history for a Maestro of the Sistine Chapel, thus expressing the Church’s gratitude and recognition of a life dedicated entirely to religious music in service to Peter’s successors.

COMPOSER. Masses, motets, chamber music, organ music, symphonies: an
extraordinary collection of musical works published in over 40 volumes. And last

but not least, the “Brunellesco”, a monumental lyric opera in three acts composed to honor the City of Florence and dedicated to the construction of the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore.

(The Bartolucci Foundation in Rome – www.fondazionebartolucci.it – is making a concerted effort to bring to fruition in Florence this opera, the only one ever written by a cardinal. There is exciting news related to this and I’ll be offering more information in coming months.)

EASTER, THE RESURRECTION AND RECONCILIATION AMONG TWO PEOPLES – PASQUETTA IN ITALY: POPE FRANCIS WELCOMES 50,000 TEENS

EASTER, THE RESURRECTION AND RECONCILIATION AMONG TWO PEOPLES

It has been a truly wonderful, very special Easter this year in Rome! Huge numbers of tourists fill the city’s squares and restaurants and monuments and churches! After two years of Covid restrictions, for the first time since Easter 2019, there was the Good Friday Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) at the Colosseum, and Easter Sunday Mass was once again celebrated in St. Peter’s Square!

The police estimated that 100,000 were present in and near St. Peter’s Square Sunday, including the thousands who filled Via della Conciliazione, almost down to Castel Sant’Angelo! Gorgeous weather has framed all events of this splendid Holy Week and Easter season!

Holy Saturday night, I had dinner at a restaurant, Pummarola, owned by a friend. Towards the end of my dinner, Salih sat down and we began talking and he asked a couple seated one table over where they were from. They said they were both students and very close friends and visiting from Israel: she was Ukrainian and he was Russian!

I was especially touched by their close friendship, given, of course, the current situation in Ukraine, invaded in February by Russia. We began a fascinating discussion and I only wished we’d met earlier in the evening, not just as we were paying our bills!

I could not help but think back to the previous night, to the Via Crucis at the Colosseum where the meditations and reflections were written by families – families with adopted children, a widow with two children, families who had lost a child, families hit by many hardships, families who wanted children and had none, families with special needs sons and daughters. Each family carried the cross at the specific station assigned to them.

The Vatican published all the reflections several days before Good Friday.

At the 13^th Station – Jesus Dies on the Cross – two women, very good friends and colleagues at a Rome medical center – Albina from Russia and Irina from Ukraine – carried the cross. However, the reflections they wrote caused great concern among Ukrainians, and the first to express his disapproval of the written text, which focused on the women’s angst, their sorrow, their pain at the current war, was Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, major archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. He said “such an idea (is) untimely, ambiguous and such that it does not take into account the context of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.” He was not alone on his criticism of the Via Crucis text.

While the printed booklet, published online and carried by the faithful Friday at the Colosseum did carry the original text, as the event unfolded at the Colosseum, we learned that the prepared text, in a last minute change by the Vatican, was not read. Instead, a reader said: “In the face of death, silence is more eloquent than words. Let us therefore pause in prayerful silence and each one in his heart pray for peace in the world.”

The two women did carry the cross and exchanged knowing glances between them. It was quite an extraordinary moment for anyone following this story related to the 13^th Station.

This was definitely a coin with two sides.

On the one side are those who agree that the Vatican did the right thing by not having the original text read, thus showing it shared the deep feelings of the Ukrainian people who daily watch their family members and friends die, see their homes and businesses destroyed and lose great numbers as people flee to neighboring countries, becoming refugees. They asked: how could the Vatican seem to equate aggressor and victim?

On the other hand are those who, like Pope Francis, sincerely believe that reconciliation is possible, healing is possible.

As Andrea Gagliarducci wrote in his Monday Vatican column: “Pope Francis wished the cross to be carried at the 13th station by two women, one Russian and one Ukrainian, who were already friends, to testify to the possibility of reconciliation between peoples. Pope Francis wanted to exemplify his ideal of social friendship outlined in Fratelli Tutti with this gesture. For him, it was a sign that peace is possible and that this peace comes from friendship among peoples.”

He wrote much more but this captured one side of that coin.

As I sat and spoke briefly with the couple seated at the table next to me, saw their friendship, but also saw how they also shared pain at the thought that the homeland of one of them had invaded the homeland of the other, I almost could see both sides of the coin.

Their friendship, as that of Irina and Albina, was not a question of “reconciliation between peoples.” They already had a deep friendship, irrespective of the war, and knew they’d have to work hard to maintain that, and to perhaps even become instruments of reconciliation among the peoples of their homeland.

All of this really makes one pause in prayer. Lord, what is the right ‘feeling,’ the right emotion, the right judgment at this time?

PASQUETTA IN ITALY: POPE FRANCIS WELCOMES 50,000 TEENS

As I write, it is Pasquetta – Little Easter – a big holiday in Italy and the Vatican. It’s also known as Monday of the Angel – the Angel, of course, who told Mary Magdalene and the disciples on that first Easter that the tomb was empty because “He is Risen!”

This is a day for families and friends to be together as the Easter break holidays end. Vatican employees are also enjoying the last of their six days off at Easter, starting Holy Thursday and ending tomorrow. However, I’m sure the people happiest to have a day to breathe after so many arduous Holy Week liturgies, are priests!

After preparing a segment for “At Home with Joy and Joy” today, I decided to go to Homebaked for lunch. Jesse and I saw big numbers of young people walking by on both sides of Via di Porta Cavalleggeri. There were many large groups of youth walking together who identified themselves by wearing identical T-shirts, scarves, hats or carrying signs that indicated who they were and from what diocese or parish.

After lunch I went to a nearby bus stop to catch a bus for an errand I wanted to run (some but not all stores are open on such a holiday). After 35 minutes and no bus, I decided no errand was worth the wait, but I had to say I was totally amused during the wait simply by watching the happy, smiling, singing Italian teens make their way to St. Peter’s Square for their meeting at 6 pm today with Pope Francis. And I heard several languages other than Italian!

I know that between 50 and 100 youth walked by each minute of the 35 that I waited. About 50,000 are expected at the encounter with the Holy Father, according to the Vatican.

The theme of this joyful Easter encounter, promoted by the National Service for Youth of the Italian Episcopal Conference, is “Follow Me.” The teens are being led by bishops, priests, men and women religious, by educators and by leaders of associations, movements, communities and groups such as scouts.