DUBAI TRIP IS CANCELLED BUT POPE FRANCIS PRESIDES GENERAL AUDIENCE – THE BENEDICTINE APOTHECARY OF THE POPE’S COLLECTIONS – “REGULA BULLATA”: FRANCISCANS CELEBRATE 800 YEARS OF RULE OF ST. FRANCIS

DUBAI TRIP IS CANCELLED BUT POPE FRANCIS PRESIDES GENERAL AUDIENCE

Pope Francis presided at today’s general audience in the Paul VI Hall but, because he still has breathing issues and a weak voice, an aide, Msgr. Filippo Ciampanelli, read the Italian-language catechesis that continued Francis’ cycle  on The passion for evangelization: the apostolic zeal of the believer, focusing on the theme “Proclamation is for today.”

In fact, the Pope’s doctors, who have been treating him for an inflammation in the lungs since November 25, felt it would be unwise of him to travel to Dubai for the climate conference Cop28 that starts there tomorrow, and the Vatican announced last night that the Holy Father had cancelled the scheduled three-day trip.

Obviously, however, the doctors felt he could be present for today’s general audience. Before the audience the Pope met with Glasgow’s Celtic Football Club in a small room off the audience hall while, at the end of the audience, a very animated group of circus performers entertained the Pope and the faithful present. (vatican media)

Scroll down on Colm’s page for a few minutes of video of that entertainment: https://twitter.com/colmflynnire

Here’s a video link to the entire general audience.  https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-11/pope-francis-general-audience-apostolic-zeal-evangelii-gaudium.html

THE BENEDICTINE APOTHECARY OF THE POPE’S COLLECTIONS

The entire set of the ancient pharmacy, now displayed in the Vatican Museums, comes from the monastery of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. In 1936, Pope Pius XI ordered its transfer to the Apostolic Library. Since then, spices, jars, and precious items have been preserved in their entirety. They bear witness to the ancient knowledge of the Benedictine nuns, who served in the care of the sick and the needy.

You really want to watch this video: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-11/segreti-musei-vaticani-antica-spezieria-santa-cecilia.html

“REGULA BULLATA”: FRANCISCANS CELEBRATE 800 YEARS OF RULE OF ST. FRANCIS

As the Franciscan family celebrates the 800th anniversary of the Rule of St. Francis on 29 November, Fr. Luke Gregory of the Custody of the Holy Land reflects on the evangelical creativity and freshness that the ‘Regula Bullata’ represents for the entire Church.

By Fr. Luke Gregory, OFM*

In their essentiality, the Chapters of the Regula Bullata of Saint Francis of Assisi contain an abundant wealth of indications and stimuli for the Christian life, which for 800 years has raised, oriented, and supported hosts of simple men and women, determined to follow Jesus and the Gospel: the Friars Minor — “The Franciscans”.

We are able to “read” the best commentary on this Holy Rule in the lives of our Franciscan brothers and sisters, who throughout history have distinguished themselves for virtue and holiness.

Allow me to limit myself to underlining some traits that always fascinate me for the wisdom and concreteness wherewith they are imbued, and which have the strength to restore impetus and meaning to my own vocation. FOR MORE: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-11/saint-francis-rule-regula-bullata-800th-anniversary.html

JESUS IS OUR JOY, PROCLAIM HIM WITH JOY! – PAPAL APPEALS FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE, HOLY LAND, SUDAN – TODAY’S GOOD NEWS STORY

FYI (and FYE -For your edification): Here is a fascinating piece that you might even read twice: https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/ruling-vs-leading-the-church?

JESUS IS OUR JOY, PROCLAIM HIM WITH JOY!

At today’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis put a new twist on his 26th catechesis on apostolic zeal, telling the faithful that, “I propose summarizing this cycle of catecheses on apostolic zeal in four points, inspired by the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, whose tenth anniversary we celebrate this month.”

He explained that, “the first point, which we will see today, the first of the four, cannot but relate to the attitude on which the substance of the evangelizing gesture depends: joy. Joy. The Christian message, as we have heard from the angel’s words to the shepherds, is the proclamation of “a great joy.”

“And the reason?” Francis asked. “Good news, a surprise, a beautiful event? Much more, a Person: Jesus! He is the God made man who came to us. The question, dear brothers and sisters, is therefore not whether to proclaim it, but how to proclaim it, and this “how” is joy. Either we proclaim Jesus with joy, or we do not proclaim him, because another way of proclaiming him is not capable of bringing the true reality of Jesus.”

“We must show our joy,”  stated the Pope. “This is why a Christian who is discontented, a sad Christian, a dissatisfied, or worse still, resentful or rancorous Christian, is not credible. This person will talk about Jesus but no-one will believe him! Once someone said to me, talking about these Christians, ‘But these are cod-faced Christians!’, that is, they express nothing, they are like that, and joy is essential.”

The Holy Father went on to explain that, “the birth of Jesus, in history as in life, is the source of joy: think of what happened to the disciples of Emmaus, who could not believe their joy, and the others, then, the disciples all together, when Jesus goes to the Upper Room, could not believe their joy. The joy of having the risen Jesus. An encounter with Jesus always brings you joy, and if this does not happen to you, it is not a true encounter with Jesus.”

Pope Francis stressed that, “Even the civilization of programmed unbelief and institutionalized secularity; indeed, especially the society that leaves the spaces of religious meaning deserted, needs Jesus. This is the right moment for the proclamation of Jesus.”

In closing, he advised the pilgrims: “Each of us today take a little time and think: ‘Jesus, You are within me: I want to meet You every day. You are a Person, not an idea; You are a companion, not a programme. You are Love that solves so many problems. You are the beginning of evangelisation. You, Jesus, are the source of joy.’ Amen”

(For some great photos of the audience in St. Peter’s Square: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/events/event.dir.html/content/vaticanevents/en/2023/11/15/udienza-generale.html)

PAPAL APPEALS FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE, HOLY LAND, SUDAN

At the end of his weekly general audience, Pope Francis turned his thoughts to the many nations suffering the horrors of war. He asked for prayers for peace “every day” and “wherever there is war”.

In particular, on Wednesday, the Holy Father asked for prayers “for martyred Ukraine, which suffers so much.” Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, over 9,600 civilians have been killed and over 17,500 injured.

Pope Francis also asked for prayers for the Holy Land, “in Palestine and Israel.”

On 7 October, over 1,400 Israelis were killed in attacks perpetrated by Hamas. Since then, in retaliation airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, over 11,000 people have been killed and some 2,500 are missing under the rubble, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

Finally, the Holy Father turned his thoughts to Sudan, where an estimated 9,000 people have been killed and another 5.6 million have been forced to flee their homes due to a devastating war between two rival military factions that erupted in April.

That civil war has been described as a “humanitarian catastrophe,” with visible signs of ethnic cleansing, according to the UK’s Minister for Africa.

“Let us think about wherever there is war,” concluded the Pope, reminding all the faithful that sadly, “there are so many wars!”

“Let us pray for peace: Every day, take some time to pray for peace. We desire peace,” said the Pope.  (vatican news)

TODAY’S GOOD NEWS STORY 

(CNA) – A week after desecrating and robbing a chapel in the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante in Spain, the thieves have sacramentally confessed and returned the stolen sacred objects.

Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of the diocese made the announcement during the broadcast of his program “Sixth Continent,” which he hosts every Monday and Friday on Radio María Spain, and expressed his gratitude that the prayers requested last week had had an effect.

“We asked for the gift of conversion for those who had committed that sacrilege and today I am going to give you good news. The prayers have been heard and those who perpetrated this sacrilegious theft have repented and confessed,” he explained.

The prelate added that those who desecrated the chapel “have returned everything stolen” and that “the Church will obviously preserve under the sacramental seal the persons, the identities of those who sinned in this way.”

 

POPE FRANCIS ASKS “IMMEDIATE RELEASE” OF HOSTAGES – MERCIFUL LOVE AFFIRMS HUMAN DIGNITY, BRINGS FREEDOM, ENABLES FORGIVENESS

POPE FRANCIS ASKS “IMMEDIATE RELEASE” OF HOSTAGES

After the catechesis on St. Josephine Bakhita in today’s general audience, Pope Francis stated: “I continue to follow what is happening in Israel and Palestine with tears and apprehension: many people killed, others injured. I pray for those families who have seen a feast day transformed into a day of mourning, and I ask that the hostages be released immediately.

“It is the right,” he continued, “of those who are attacked to defend themselves, but I am very concerned about the total siege under which the Palestinians are living in Gaza, where there have also been many innocent victims. Terrorism and extremism do not help reach a solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, but fuel hatred, violence, revenge, and only cause each to other suffer. The Middle East does not need war, but peace, a peace built on dialogue and the courage of fraternity.”

MERCIFUL LOVE AFFIRMS HUMAN DIGNITY, BRINGS FREEDOM, ENABLES FORGIVENESS

The Holy Father today at the general audience continued his catechesis on apostolic zeal and, turning once more to Africa, spoke of “the powerful witness of Saint Josephine Bakhita.”

“Born in Darfur in Sudan,” said the Pope, “Josephine was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery. Despite the violence and terrible sufferings she endured, she never despaired. In the cross of Christ she discovered the source of a merciful love that affirms our innate dignity as God’s children, brings true freedom and enables us to forgive and indeed love those who wrong us.”

He asked: “What is Saint Bakhita’s secret? We know that often a wounded person wounds in turn: the oppressed easily becomes an oppressor. Instead, the vocation of the oppressed is that of freeing themselves and their oppressors, becoming restorers of humanity. Only in the weakness of the oppressed can the force of God’s love, which frees both, be revealed.”

“Saint Bakhita expresses this truth very well,” explained the Holy Father, “One day her tutor gave her a small crucifix and she, who had never owned anything, conserved her treasure jealously. Looking at it, she experienced inner liberation, because she felt understood and loved and therefore capable of understanding and loving: this is the beginning. She felt understood, she felt loved, and as a consequence capable of understanding and loving others.”

Francis stressed that “the experience of God’s mercy and forgiveness inspired Josephine to devote herself to Christ as a religious and to serve others humbly and selflessly in Italy, her new country.” Her life “reveals the power of God’s grace to transform lives, to resolve conflicts and to bring about the justice, reconciliation and peace so greatly needed in our time. Let us entrust ourselves to her prayers and ask especially for the gift of peace for our brothers and sisters in war-torn Sudan and in so many other parts of our world.”

In multi-language greetings after the catechesis, Francis spoke of the brutal conflict in Israel and Palestine and appealed for hostages taken by Hamas to be immediately released.

He also made a second appeal: “I address a special thought to the population of Afghanistan, suffering following the devastating earthquake that struck, claiming thousands of victims, including many women and children, and displaced persons. I invite all people of good will to help this people, already sorely tried, contributing in a spirit of fraternity to alleviating the sufferings of the people and supporting the necessary reconstruction.”

CLICK here for a series of photos: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/events/event.dir.html/content/vaticanevents/en/2023/10/11/udienza-generale.html

 

NEWS BRIEFS: THE VATICAN, UKRAINE AND RUSSIA – ST. MARY MACKILLOP’S APOSTOLIC ZEAL WITH AUSTRALIA’S ABORGINES – ARE THE WORLD’S DIOCESES TO FOLLOW THE VATICAN CURIA RENEWAL?

NEWS BRIEFS: THE VATICAN, UKRAINE AND RUSSIA

Ukraine: According to the director of the Holy See Press Office, a delegation of wives of Ukrainian diplomats is in Rome and attended the Pope’s general audience this morning where they met the pontiff, together with the Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See. They will be present tomorrow at the papal Mass for the feast of St. Peter and Paul, Apostles.

Russia: ANSA news agency and Italian journalists in Moscow to cover the visit of the papal envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, report that the cardinal’s agenda is top secret. A report this morning from a RAI TV correspondent at 11 am Moscow time said Cardinal Zuppi had just returned to the nunciature where he is staying. He was out several hours but nothing has been said of where he was, whom he saw, etc. “Mouths are sewed shut,” wrote the journalist. The Kremlin spokesperson Peskov did confirm that a meeting was scheduled between the cardinal and Putin’s foreign policy advisor Ushakov. Cardinal Zuppi will say Mass in Moscow’s cathedral tomorrow night at 7, Moscow time, for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. No word at all on whether the cardinal will meet or not with Orthodox Patriarch Kirill

MARY MACKILLOP’S APOSTOLIC ZEAL WITH AUSTRALIA’S ABORGINES

At the Wednesday general audience, his first since June 7 and the last before the July summer break, Pope Francis reflected on the apostolic zeal of St. Mary MacKillop, praising her desire to bring Christ and good education to the aboriginal peoples of rural Australia. She founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Born near Melbourne to Scottish immigrants to Australia, Mary felt called from a young age to serve God in a special way.

Pope Francis said Mary MacKillop believed she was sent “to spread the Good News and invite others to encounter the living Christ.”

She read the signs of her times, he said, and felt drawn to found several schools to spread the Gospel through Catholic education.

“One essential characteristic of her zeal for the Gospel,” he said, “was her desire to care for the poor and marginalized. This pushed her to go where others refused or were unable to go.”

The Pope highlighted her belief that education should promote “the integral development of the person both as an individual and as a member of the community, which requires wisdom, patience, and charity on the part of every teacher.”

“Education consists not in filling heads with ideas,” he said, “but is about accompanying and encouraging students along their path of human and spiritual growth, showing them how friendship with the Risen Jesus opens their hearts and makes their lives more human.”

Pope Francis praised this insight as relevant to our own times, as shown in his own calls for a Global Compact on Education to unite families, schools, and societies. For a ton of great photos, click here: General Audience – Activities of the Holy Father Pope Francis | Vatican.va

ARE THE WORLD’S DIOCESES TO FOLLOW THE VATICAN CURIA RENEWAL?

The following communique was released last evening just before 7 pm by the Vatican press office. As I read it, I began to wonder if the second paragraph was alerting the world’s bishops that the renewal of the Roman Curia, as seen in Apostolic Constitution Praedicate evangelium, was now coming to a diocese near them! The key word seems to be “implement.” I could be reading too much into this but am going to see if, indeed, there is a deeper meaning to Cardinal Ghirlanda’s words.

“The Council of Cardinals met on 26 and 27 June. Together with the Holy Father, all the Cardinals who are part of it and the Secretary of the Council participated.

“During the session, with the collaboration of Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, the first steps were taken in reflecting on how to implement the spirit, principles and criteria of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate evangelium in diocesan curias.

“The theme of synodality was the subject of discussion, with reference to the ongoing Synod, with an update on the passages of recent months brought by Cardinal Mario Grech, in view of the October Assembly.

“Cardinal O’Malley briefed on the recent Plenary of the Commission for the Protection of Minors in May and the work of the Commission to update regulations and practices throughout the Church so that child protection mechanisms are effective in each diocese.

“The ongoing conflict in Ukraine was the subject of reflection.

“The next session will be in December of this year.”

SPEAKING PERSONALLY… – CANDLELIT PROCESSION IN VATICAN GARDENS MARKS FEAST OF THE VISITATION – MATTEO RICCI: “HE BROUGHT CHRISTIANITY TO CHINA”

SPEAKING PERSONALLY…

FEAST OF THE VISITATION: One of my favorite places in Vatican City has always been the small, historic, beautiful church of Santo Stefano degli Abissini. I have attended several funeral visitation vigils for cardinals, and have been to Mass there as well, always a bit overcome by the history and simple beauty. And one of my favorite events in the Vatican is the annual procession that is about to start in the Vatican gardens at the church of Santo Stefano to mark the feast of the Visitation. If you are ever in Rome on May 31, try to attend this remarkable annual event.

MATTEO RICCI , JOAN AND CHINA: Today’s general audience catechesis focussed, as it has for weeks, on apostolic zeal with Pope Francis choosing a special “witness to zeal” each week. Today he spoke at length on Jesuit Fr. Matteo Ricci, a singular and amazing missionary who dedicated his life to evangelization in China, a goal his fellow Jesuit, Fr. Francis Xavier, wished to reach but never did, as we learned at the May 17 general audience.

In 1995 I was in Beijing where Fr. Ricci, who died May 11, 1610, is buried. I was a member of the Vatican delegation to the United Nations conference on Women in September 1995. We had extraordinarily little time in the weeks that we were in Beijing to see some of the sights but several delegation members did visit Fr. Ricci’s tomb in Zhalan Cemetery, the oldest Christian cemetery in China.

I was enormously impressed with Italian-born Fr. Ricci’s story and tried to learn all I could about this man – who always dressed as a Chinese scholar – whom the Chinese called “Sage of the West.”

YouWenhui 游文輝, alias Manuel Pereira c. 1610, oil on canvas, 120 × 95 cm. © Society of Jesus, Il Gesù, Rome.

One biographical site noted, “Ricci arrived at the Portuguese settlement of Macau in 1582 where he began his missionary work in China. He became the first European to enter the Forbidden City of Beijing in 1601 when invited by Emperor who sought his services in matters such as court astronomy and calendar science.”

It was Emperor Wanli of the Ming dynasty who donated the land specifically for the burial of Matteo Ricci. It was an unheard of honor for the Chinese to do this but Emperor Wanli did have great respect for the Jesuits in general and Fr. Ricci in particular whose name in China was Li Matou.

I felt very privileged not just to be a member of the Holy See delegation to the Beijing conference but privileged to be in China, whose millennia-old history is one of the most fascinating imaginable. I could write a small volume on what I learned and experienced during those weeks in this vast Asian nation. A few years later I had an equally amazing learning experience when I visited Taiwan for 12 days – another small volume for sure!

One chapter of such a book would be the offer I received to return some day to Taiwan to teach English at the Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages in Kaohsiung, Taiwan! I will have to find my video of that trip!

CANDLELIT PROCESSION IN VATICAN GARDENS MARKS FEAST OF THE VISITATION

At 7 this evening, feast of the Visitation, the annual candlelit procession in the Vatican Gardens will take place as the faithful pray the rosary and process from the church of Santo Stefano degli Abissini to the Grotto of Lourdes in Vatican City. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, will deliver remarks at the grotto.

Tradition says this church was built by Pope Lei I (400–461), who named it St. Stephen Major in remembrance of St. Stephen protomartyr. There was already a monastery here at the time of Pope Gregory III (8^th century). It was restored by Pope Sixtus IV who assigned it in 1479 to Coptic monks in the city and the name was changed to St. Stephen of the Abyssinians (Ethiopians). Considered the national church of Ethiopia, St. Stephen’s is one of the only standing structures in the Vatican to survive the destruction of the first St. Peter’s basilica in 1506.

MATTEO RICCI: “HE BROUGHT CHRISTIANITY TO CHINA”

Today at the general audience, Pope Francis praised the apostolic zeal of Venerable Matteo Ricci, one of the early Jesuit missionaries to the Far East whose love for the Chinese people remains a model of consistency for Christian witness.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov
Matteo Ricci’s love for the Chinese people remains an enduring source of inspiration.

With this sentiment, Pope Francis described Venerable Matteo Ricci, one of the early Jesuit missionaries to the Far East, at his weekly General Audience on Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square, as he continued his catechesis series on saints who personified apostolic zeal.

“His love for the Chinese people is a model; but what is a very timely one, is his consistency of life, his Christian witness. He brought Christianity to China…”

The Pope praised Ricci’s excellence in various areas, but stressed that his greatness, above all, lies in his being “consistent with his vocation, consistent with that desire to follow Jesus Christ.”

Last week, Pope Francis praised St. Andrew Kim Taegon, the first native priest of Korea and a martyr for the faith, who dreamed of reaching China, but was not able to fulfill that dream. This week, instead, he spoke of Ricci who did.

Reflecting on the saint to the thousands of faithful in the Square, the Pope remembered how originally from Macerata, in Italy’s Marche region, Ricci studied in Jesuit schools and having himself entered the Society of Jesus. Enthused by the reports of missionaries, like many of his young companions, he asked to be sent to the missions in the Far East.

Father Ricci would go to China, and patiently go on to master the difficult Chinese language and immerse himself in the country’s culture.  It would take 18 years, and unshakeable faith, to arrive in Peking, the Pope said, overcoming frequent mistrust and opposition.

Thanks to his writings in Chinese and his knowledge of mathematics and astronomy, the Jesuit Pope observed, Matteo Ricci became known and respected “as a sage and scholar.”

His vast learning and ability to engage in sincere and respectful dialogue, the Holy Father explained, were employed in the service of the Gospel. “This opened many doors to Him,” the Pope said. Ricci, he noted, made the Gospel known not only in his writings, but by his example of religious life, prayer and virtue.

In this way, the Pope suggested, Ricci attracted many of his Chinese disciples and friends to embrace the Catholic faith.

Matteo Ricci died in Peking (modern Beijing) in 1610, at the age of 57, “dedicating his whole life to mission.”  Ricci was the first foreigner permitted by the Emperor to be buried on Chinese soil.

Great Missionaries

The Pope praised the strong prayer life of Ricci which propelled all his work, and that animates the life of missionaries.

Consistency and closeness to Christ, through prayer, the Pope suggested, is one of the greatest characteristics of the great missionaries, before inviting the faithful to ask themselves whether they are consistent in their Christian faith.

 

POPE FRANCIS: “MAY GOSPEL BE PROCLAIMED IN ITS FULLNESSS, BEAUTY AND FREEDOM IN CHINA” – APOSTOLIC ZEAL IN A FAR AWAY LAND: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF KOREAN SAINT ANDREW KIM TAE-GON, FIRST NATIVE PRIEST

I so enjoyed today’s catechesis, not just for the content and wonderful story of a Korean saint and priest, but the way Pope Francis told the story. On Wednesdays, at the general audience, the Pope is a storyteller but some days are more remarkable than others. Today was such a day – a real life story – the kind of story you’d love to tell – and should tell – to children. Tell it – read it – around the dinner table.

True life stories, biographies, are usually fascinating and often just plain riveting. And they always contain some great lesson for life such as determination, self-discipline, honesty, self-denial, humility, and a passion for something be it languages, art, music, teaching or living out a religious vocation.

If you are a parent, grandparent or aunt or uncle, you might want to share this story with the kids (and make sure the adults are listening). I made the same suggestion last week when Pope Francis spoke of the great missionary, St. Francis Xavier. You could use my column below where I offer a great deal of today’s catechesis or go here for the full English text (and great photos): General Audience – Activities of the Holy Father Pope Francis | Vatican.va

You might want to show your listeners where Korea is on a map, and perhaps explain a word from time to time, such as what is a ‘martyr’, what does ‘laity’ mean, etc.

Happy story-telling time!

POPE FRANCIS: “MAY GOSPEL BE PROCLAIMED IN ITS FULLNESSS, BEAUTY AND FREEDOM IN CHINA”

On May 27, 2007 Pope Benedict XVI wrote a letter to Christians in China, a beautiful, powerful letter, in which he proclaimed May 24, feast of Our Lady Help of Christians as a world day of prayer for the Church in China.

Pope Francis acknowledged this at the general audience, saying, “Today is the World Day of Prayer for the Catholic Church in China. It coincides with the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, venerated and invoked at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan in Shanghai.

“On this occasion, I wish to offer an assurance of my remembrance and express my closeness to our brothers and sisters in China, sharing in their joys and hopes. I turn my thoughts especially to all those who suffer, pastors and faithful, that in the communion and solidarity of the universal Church they may experience consolation and encouragement.

The Holy Father concluded: “I invite everyone to raise their prayers to God that the Good News of Christ crucified and Risen may be proclaimed in its fullness, beauty, and freedom, bearing fruit for the good of the Catholic Church and all of Chinese society.”

Several chaplains who serve the Chinese Catholic community in various parts of Italy were at today’s audience. (Vatican photo).

APOSTOLIC ZEAL IN A FARAWAY LAND: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF KOREAN SAINT ANDREW KIM TAEGON, FIRST NATIVE PRIEST

Under sunny skies, Pope Francis presided at today’s weekly general audience in a jam-packed St. Peter’s Square where he continued his series of catecheses on apostolic zeal. He began by saying, “today we are going to find a great example of a saint of the passion for evangelization in a land far away, namely the Korean Church. Let us look at the Korean martyr and first priest St Andrew Kim Taegon.”

Then, in a kind of off-the-cuff statement, the Pope said, “But, the first Korean priest! You know something? The evangelization of Korea was done by the laity! It was the baptized laity who transmitted the faith, there were no priests, because they had none. Then, later … but the first evangelisation was done by the laity. Would we be capable of something like that?”

The Holy Father explained that, “about 200 years ago, the Korean land was the scene of a very severe persecution: Christians were persecuted and annihilated. At that time, believing in Jesus Christ in Korea meant being ready to bear witness even unto death. Specifically from the example of St Andrew Kim, we can draw out two concrete aspects of his life.

Francis then noted how very careful Andrew Kim had to be when talking to people about the faith, about Christ. Fr. Andrew, as well as the people he was talking to, could very well have been put in prison or even killed just for believing in Christ.

“The first aspect (of his life) was the way he used to meet with the faithful. Given the highly intimidating context, the saint was forced to approach Christians in a discreet manner, and always in the presence of other people, as if they had been talking to each other for a while. Then, to confirm the Christian identity of his interlocutor, St Andrew would implement these devices: first, there was a previously agreed upon sign of recognition: “You will meet with this Christian and he will have this sign on his outfit or in his hand.” “And after that, he would surreptitiously ask the question—but all this under his breath, eh?—“Are you a disciple of Jesus?” Since other people were watching the conversation, the saint had to speak in a low voice, saying only a few words, the most essential ones. So, for Andrew Kim, the expression that summed up the whole identity of the Christian was “disciple of Christ.” “Are you a disciple of Christ?”—but in a soft voice because it was dangerous. It was forbidden to be a Christian there.”

The Pope went on to look at another concrete example: “When he was still a seminarian, St Andrew had to find a way to secretly welcome missionary priests from abroad. This was not an easy task, as the regime of the time strictly forbade all foreigners from entering the territory. That’s why it had been, before this, so difficult to find a priest that could come to do missionary work: the laity undertook the mission.”

“One time,” Francis added, “—think about what St Andrew did—one time, he was walking in the snow, without eating, for so long that he fell to the ground exhausted, risking unconsciousness and freezing. At that point, he suddenly heard a voice, “Get up, walk!” Hearing that voice, Andrew came to his senses, catching a glimpse of something like a shadow of someone guiding him.

The Pope then made an important point: “This experience of the great Korean witness makes us understand a very important aspect of apostolic zeal; namely, the courage to get back up when one falls.

“But do saints fall? Yes! Indeed, from the earliest times. Think of St Peter: he committed a great sin, eh? But he found strength in God’s mercy and got up again. And in St Andrew we see this strength: he had fallen physically but he had the strength to go, go, go to carry the message forward.”

St. Andrew Kim is the patron saint of Korean clergy.

St. Andrew Kim Taegon shrine in Lolomboy Bocaue Bulacan –

The general audience in Vatican photos –

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A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT…

A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT…

POPE GETS PHONE CALL DURING GENERAL AUDIENCE: At minute 40 of today’s general audience (see video here: Pope at Audience: Love of Christ drove St. Francis Xavier to furthest frontiers – Vatican News), an assistant handed Pope Francis a cell phone. TV cameras panned to cover the crowd in attendance and silence dominated the airwaves for just over a minute. Naturally we ask: Who has the pope’s private number? We must also ask: If you are important enough to have his number, you should also know not to call the pontiff during the weekly general audience between 9am and 10am on Wednesdays. Interestingly enough, Francis has warned in talks about the overuse of mobile phones.

(EWTN/CNA photo:

APOSTOLIC ZEAL LIVED BY JESUIT MISSIONARY ST. FRANCIS XAVIER: A remarkable catechesis this morning by Pope Francis on a man who has to be one of his favorite saints, Francis Xavier, who, with Ignatius Loyola was one of the founders of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, and id patron of Catholic Missions. Francis said, “The 16th century, the age of discovery, called for a great missionary outreach. Francis set out for the East Indies where, starting in Goa, he carried out an intense activity of preaching, baptizing, catechizing and caring for the sick. From India, he passed to the Maluku islands and from there to Japan. Unable to fulfil his dream of entering China, Francis died, at only 46 years of age on the nearby island of Shangchuan. His heroic zeal for evangelization was the fruit of a life of deep prayer and loving union with the person of Jesus Christ. May the example of Saint Francis Xavier inspire our own efforts to advance the Church’s mission, as joyful witnesses to the risen Lord and his saving word.”

Francis used words similar to an American expression usually associated with sports figures – GOAT, Greatest of All Time – when he said, “Today, we choose as an example, Saint Francis Xavier, who some say is considered the greatest missionary of modern times. But it is not possible to say who is the greatest, who is the least. There are so many hidden missionaries who, even today, do much more than Saint Francis Xavier. And Saint Francis Xavier is the patron of missions, like Saint Therese of the Child Jesus.”

The Pope recounted the brief but intense life of Francis Xavier in such a story-telling manner that it made you think that such catecheses could well be read to children, educating them, inspiring them and perhaps making them yearn for more such stories of saints and heroic lives. A great dinner table possibility? (General Audience of 17 May 2023 – Catechesis. The passion for evangelization: the apostolic zeal of the believer. 13. Witnesses: Saint Francis Xavier | Francis (vatican.va))

By the way: St. Francis Xavier’s incorrupt body is in Bom Jesus Basilica, part of the world heritage site of Old Goa in Goa, India. He was buried here over 400 years ago.

ITALY COMMEMORATES BENEDICT XVI WITH STAMP: Italy commemorates the pontificate of Benedict XVI with a new postage stamp (ewtnvatican.com). The Vatican already issued a stamp honoring the late Holy Father: (JFL photo)

IN BRIEF (RELATIVELY SPEAKING!)

So much news today – the nuncio to Hungary speaks on the Holy Father’s weekend visit to Budapest, the end of the two-day meeting of the new C9 (the Council of Cardinals who are advisers to the Pope), the announcement that lay people and women will be able to vote in the October synod (historical!), the weekly general audience and a speech by Francis to the Chicago-based Catholic Extension Society!

I especially enjoyed the interview with a longtime friend of mine, Abp. Michael Banach, a luminary of Vatican diplomacy whom I’ve known for many years, now the Vatican nuncio to Hungary.

It was also interesting to read the Pope’s remarks to the Catholic Extension Society, an institution I learned about as a child as various relatives dedicated philanthropic resources to this body. Last night, after dinner at Taverna Agape in Pza. San Simeone I was walking on Via dei Coronari to a nearby taxi stand and ran into Cardinal Cupich from Chicago. He said he was in town for today’s meeting with the Holy Father. I’ve also known Extension President, Fr. Jack Wall, for a few years and he has been a dinner guest of mine.

As I always do in IN BRIEF, I’ll give just a few lines about each story and then the link to read the full piece, should it interest you.

IN BRIEF (RELATIVELY SPEAKING!)

HUNGARIANS LOVE POPE FRANCIS’ JOY AND SINCERITY: The Apostolic Nuncio to Hungary, Archbishop Michael Wallace Banach, insists that Hungarians love Pope Francis’ joy and sincerity, and appreciate his maintaining his promise to return to visit them after his brief 12 September 2021 stay in Budapest for the closing Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress. In an interview granted to Vatican News – Vatican Radio for the occasion of the Holy Father’s Apostolic Journey to the country, the long-serving American diplomat, who has served in several continents, granted his insight into the realities for the faithful in the country and the meaning of the Pope’s return to Hungarian soil, marking his 41st Apostolic Journey abroad. Apostolic Nuncio: Hungarians love Pope Francis’ joy, sincerity – Vatican News

THE VATICAN ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY THAT THERE WILL BE LAY PEOPLE PARTICIPATING AS VOTING MEMBERS IN THE SYNOD ON SYNODALITY’S OCTOBER ASSEMBLY, a break with past custom, which allowed laypeople to participate without the right to vote. Pope Francis will also approve every member in advance. The general assembly of the Synod on Synodality will take place in two sessions, in October 2023 and October 2024. After the vote on a final document for the assembly, the pope alone decides whether to take any actions based on the recommendations in the final text or whether to adopt it as an official Church document…According to the synod leadership, it is requested that “50% of [the selected people] be women and that the presence of young people also be emphasized.” Vatican announces laypeople, including women, will vote in Synod on Synodality assembly | Catholic News Agency

NEW COUNCIL OF CARDINALS ENDS TWO-DAY MEETING. Vatican news announced today the end of a two-day meeting of the new C9, Council of Cardinals, stating the next meeting will be in June, without specifying a date. (I listed the cardinal members, new and returning, here: POPE PRESIDES OVER THE FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW COUNCIL OF CARDINALS – ARCHBISHOP PAGLIA CLARIFIES STANCE ON ASSISTED SUICIDE | Joan’s Rome (wordpress.com) Past meetings, since the first one in 2013, usually took place over three days, with the Pope always participating, except on Wednesday mornings when he presided over the general audience. Summaries of those meetings, released on the final day, Wednesday, usually went on at some length in describing the topics discussed. Today’s announcement, much briefer, was summarized by Vatican news: Council of Cardinals discusses ongoing wars and need for peace-building – Vatican News

“IN OUR CONTINUING CATECHESIS ON APOSTOLIC ZEAL,” SAID POPE FRANCIS AT THE GENERAL AUDIENCE IN ST. PETER’S SQUARE, “we now turn to the example of the saints of every age, beginning with those who embraced the monastic life. Their witness of following Christ in poverty, chastity and obedience was combined with unceasing intercessory prayer for the spread of the Gospel and the growth of the Church. Today we consider Saint Gregory of Narek, a medieval Armenian monk and Doctor of the Church, whose writings embody the profound Christian tradition of the Armenian people, the first to embrace the Gospel. In the hiddenness of his monastery, Gregory sensed a profound solidarity with the whole Church and her mission of preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ to all nations and peoples. Identifying with sinful humanity, he devoted his entire existence to interceding for sinners, the poor and those in need of the Lord’s healing and forgiveness. The example of Saint Gregory of Narek reminds us of our responsibility to cooperate, by our own intercessory prayer, in the Church’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel message of reconciliation, redemption and peace for the entire human family. General Audience – Activities of the Holy Father Pope Francis | Vatican.va

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“I OFFER A CORDIAL WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU FROM THE CATHOLIC EXTENSION SOCIETY WHO HAVE GATHERED THIS WEEK IN ROME,” said the Holy Father. “Your presence gives me the opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude for your efforts in providing assistance to missionary Dioceses, particularly in the United States, and in caring for the needs of the poor and most vulnerable. I thank you, too, for your valuable contributions to the rebuilding of the Church and the broader society in Puerto Rico, following the various hurricanes and earthquakes which brought such devastation to the island in recent years….In striving to build up the Body of Christ, the Church, by giving a voice to those who are frequently voiceless, you bear witness to the God-given dignity of every person. …I encourage you as well to continue to express ‘God’s style’ in the work that you do. God’s style is never distant, detached or indifferent. Instead, it is one of closeness, compassion and tender love. This is God’s style: closeness, compassion and tender love. God is like this, this is his style.” To a delegation from the “Catholic Extension Society” – Activities of the Holy Father Pope Francis | Vatican.va

 

PAPAL CATECHESIS: APOSTOLIC ZEAL, MARTYRS AND MISSIONARIES, A SUFFERING YEMEN

An interesting article has surfaced in a British paper about a gift – small relics of the True Cross – that Pope Francis allegedly gave to King Charles for his coronation. Interesting photos included: Pope gifts two fragments from cross Jesus was crucified on to King Charles for coronation procession | Daily Mail Online

A Vatican source told journalists that “some time ago, the Holy See donated to England two fragments from the reliquary of the True Cross as an ecumenical sign. They were preserved in the Lipsanoteca Room of the Vatican Museums.” Pope Francis was not specifically named in the comment.

A lipsanotheca is a reliquary, specifically a small box containing the actual relics inside a reliquary (wiki).

PAPAL CATECHESIS: APOSTOLIC ZEAL, MARTYRS AND MISSIONARIES, A SUFFERING YEMEN

Pope Francis continues his series of catecheses on apostolic zeal and speaks of the Church’s many martyrs, praying especially for those working in Yemen, dominated by war for so many years.

By Francesca Merlo (vatican news)

Addressing the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square for his weekly general audience, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on apostolic zeal, and again turned to the figure of St Paul, describing him as “a true ‘champion’ of apostolic zeal.”

Referring to the day’s reading, the Pope noted that, “today our gaze turns not to a single figure, but to the host of martyrs, men and women of every age, language and nation who gave their lives for Christ.”

Martyrs, fruits of the Lord’s vineyard

Speaking of martyrs, Pope Francis stressed that they should not be seen as “heroes’” who acted individually, but rather “as mature and excellent fruits of the Lord’s vineyard,” the Church.

Pope Francis added that Christians, in participating in the celebration of the Eucharist, “were led by the Spirit to set their lives on the basis of that mystery of love,” which is that the Lord Jesus had given His life for them, and therefore they too could and should give their lives for Him and for their brothers and sisters.

Martyrs of the Church

The Pope then asked that we “remember all the martyrs who have accompanied the life of the Church.”

He explained that Christian martyrs are more numerous in our time than in the first centuries, and recalled that the Second Vatican Council “reminds us that ‘martyrdom, by which the disciple is made like his master who freely accepts death for the sake of the world, and by which he becomes like Him in the shedding of blood, is esteemed by the Church as a distinguished gift and a supreme proof of charity’.” (vatican media)

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Years of war in Yemen

Bringing his catechesis to an end, Pope Francis shed light on the Christian witnesses present all over the world, and in a particular way brings everyone’s attention to Yemen, “a land that has been wounded for many years by a terrible, forgotten war, which has caused so many deaths and still causes so many people to suffer, especially children.”

A shining example of self-giving by those serving Christ in that suffering nation, continued the Pope, is that of the Missionary Sisters of Charity, who “even today they are still present in Yemen, where they offer assistance to the sick elderly and people with disabilities.”

They, the Pope said, welcome everyone, of whatever religion, “because charity and fraternity have no boundaries. One must never kill in the name of God, because for Him we are all brothers and sisters. But together we can give our lives for others.”

May we never grow weary

Finally, the Pope asked that we pray, “that we will not grow weary in bearing witness to the Gospel even in times of tribulation” and that “all the saints and holy martyrs be seeds of peace and reconciliation between peoples for a more human and fraternal world, while waiting for the Kingdom of Heaven to be fully manifested, when God will be all in all.”

 

APOSTOLIC ZEAL IS “PUTTING ON THE ARMOR OF GOD,” PROCLAIMING GOSPEL OF PEACE – PAPAL MOTU PROPRIO AMENDS PENAL LEGISLATION, JUDICIAL SYSTEM OF VATICAN CITY STATE

APOSTOLIC ZEAL IS “PUTTING ON THE ARMOR OF GOD,” PROCLAIMING GOSPEL OF PEACE

Pope Francis began this week’s general audience catechesis on apostolic zeal, by noting that “we have been reflecting on the example of the Apostle Paul. From his earlier experience as a persecutor of the Church, Paul was well aware of the danger of misguided zeal, or a zeal motivated not by love of Christ but by vanity or self-assertion. Authentic zeal for the Gospel is instead, Paul teaches, completely centred on Christ and the power of his resurrection.

“By virtue of his own experience,” explained the Pope to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, “Paul is not unaware of the danger of a distorted zeal, oriented in the wrong direction. He himself had fallen into this danger before the providential fall on the road to Damascus. Sometimes we have to deal with a misdirected zeal, doggedly persistent in the observance of purely human and obsolete norms for the Christian community.”

The square was still decorated with the tens of thousands of flowers brought from Holland by Dutch florists for the Easter liturgies.

“We cannot ignore the solicitude with which some devote themselves to the wrong pursuits even within the Christian community itself; one can boast of a false evangelical zeal while actually pursuing vainglory or one’s own convictions or a little bit of love of self.”

The Holy Father underscored how, “In his Letters, Paul uses the imagery of putting on the ‘armour of God’ and exhorts his listeners to have their ‘feet shod’ in readiness to proclaim the Gospel of peace. The image is eloquent, since the feet of an evangelist must be solidly planted yet constantly in movement, ever ready to confront new situations in the effort to proclaim the Good News with creativity and conviction.”

Francis adds, “we find reference to the feet of a herald of good news. Why? Because the one who goes to proclaim must move, must walk! But we also note that Paul, in this text, speaks of footwear as part of a suit of armour, following the analogy of the equipment of a soldier going into battle: in combat it was essential to have stability of footing in order to avoid the pitfalls of the terrain – because the adversary often littered the battlefield with traps – and to have the strength to run and move in the right direction. So the footwear is to run and to avoid all these things of the adversary.”

The Pope insisted on the idea that “there is no proclamation without movement, without walking. One does not proclaim the Gospel standing still, locked in an office, at one’s desk or at one’s computer, arguing like ‘keyboard warriors’ and replacing the creativity of proclamation with copy-and-paste ideas taken from here and there. The Gospel is proclaimed by moving, by walking, by going.”

“May each of us,” said Pope Francis in conclusion, “in the circumstances of our daily lives, prove zealous in discerning when and how best to proclaim the risen Jesus and his promise of the fullness of life and peace.

(For more photos: General Audience – Activities of the Holy Father Pope Francis | Vatican.va)

PAPAL MOTU PROPRIO AMENDS PENAL LEGISLATION, JUDICIAL SYSTEM OF VATICAN CITY STATE

In yet another Motu proprio, Pope Francis once again is making changes to the penal legislation and judicial system of Vatican City State.

The juridical and very technical motu proprio was sent to journalists this morning. No summary yet on the English Vatican news site. The following are some of the opening paragraphs from the Italian that I translated:

In the light of the “needs that have emerged over the last few years in the Vatican’s sector of the administration of justice, Pope Francis has established some changes to the penal legislation and the judicial system of the Vatican City State, in force from tomorrow, April 13.

Defining them in the new motu Proprio, Francis wrote “Further adjustments” were also made necessary by the “multiplying” of issues that require “a prompt and just definition in the procedural field” and therefore with the “increasing workload” for the judiciary.” A reference is made to the various ongoing judicial proceedings, starting with the one for the management of the Holy See’s funds that began on July 27, 2021 and is still in full swing.

The changes introduced today by the Pope are aimed at simplifying the mechanisms and ensuring that “the functionality of the system” is maintained and, if possible, improved. Among the innovations, a more precise classification of the investigative and prosecutorial functions of the Office of the Promoter of Justice; the possibility of adding a substitute to the college of three magistrates – who must remain the only one – in the event one of the members has to leave; the possibility for the Pope to appoint an additional president of the Vatican Tribunal in the event that the one in office is in the year of his resignation; the repeal of the full-time presence of at least one judge in the judging panel. The latter was a novelty introduced in Law number CCCLI of March 16, 2020, with which the Pope promulgated a new judicial system.