VATICAN INSIDER: IN ASSISI WITH POPE FRANCIS AND THE POOR – POPE: IT IS TIME FOR POOR TO HAVE VOICE AND DIGNITY RESTORED

VATICAN INSIDER: IN ASSISI WITH POPE FRANCIS AND THE POOR

No, I am not actually in Assisi to cover Pope Francis’ wonderful, moving visit today with the 500 poor from around Europe. However, I did prepare a Special for Vatican Insider on the Fifth World Day of the Poor that takes place Sunday and that was given a jumpstart by the Assisi event for the poor. I look at the history of this world day, why and when the Pope instituted it and how it has now been celebrated for five years. (vatican media)

I think you might want to read the entire talk the Holy Father gave this morning. It really is a remarkable read…..lots of food for thought about the poor and disenfranchised. Here is a link: Day of prayer and witness on the occasion of World Day of the Poor in Assisi – Activities of the Holy Father Pope Francis | Vatican.va

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 serarching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear.

POPE: IT IS TIME FOR POOR TO HAVE VOICE AND DIGNITY RESTORED

In view of the Catholic Church’s 5th World Day of the Poor, on 14 November, Pope Francis paid a private visit to Assisi on Friday, to listen to and pray with poor people from around Europe.

By Robin Gomes (vaticannews)

“May this meeting open all of our hearts to put ourselves at each other’s disposal, so make our weakness a strength to help continue on the journey of life, to transform our poverty into wealth to be shared, and thus to make the world better.”

Pope Francis made the call Friday morning at a meeting with some 500 poor people from around Europe in Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis in central Italy. It was a private visit of listening and prayer in view of Sunday’s World Day of the Poor.

On his arrival, he was given a cloak and a staff, symbols of a pilgrim to the places of St Francis, to listen to his word. Inside the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Holy Mary of the Angels), where St. Francis understood his vocation and renounced the world in order to live in poverty among the poor, Pope Francis listened to the testimony of 6 poor people from Italy, France, Poland and Spain.

Need for one another
Addressing them, Pope Francis said, “Every one of us needs the other, and that even weakness, if experienced together, can become a strength that will make the world better.”

He expressed pain that the presence of the poor is often seen as an annoyance and sometimes are blamed for poverty in the world, which is an insult.  Instead, we should make a serious examination of conscience on our actions, on the injustice of certain laws and economic measures, on the hypocrisy of those who want to enrich themselves excessively.

Restoring the rights of the poor
The Holy Father said it is time that the poor are given back their voice, that eyes be opened to see the state of inequality in which many families live, that sleeves to be rolled up so dignity can be restored by creating jobs.

“It is time to be scandalized once again before the reality of children who are starving, reduced to slavery, tossed about in the water in the aftermath of a shipwreck, innocent victims of every sort of violence. It is time that violence against women ends, that they be respected and not treated like bargaining chips. It is time that the circle of indifference be broken so as to discover once again the beauty of encounter and dialogue.” Unless we men and women learn to meet each other, he warned, humanity will head for a very sad end.

The hope and perseverance of the poor

Pope Francis said he was impressed by the tremendous sense of hope of the poor that gives way to holding out against every odd.  “Marginalization, suffering sickness and loneliness, the lack of so many necessary means,” he said, “has not stopped you from seeing with eyes filled with gratitude the little things that have enabled you to hold out.”

The strength to keep going against the current despite every odd, he said, requires the courage to take a new path, knowing it will bear fruit. We do not face difficulties alone but together, and only together can we overcome them, without giving in to the temptation to give up and fall into loneliness or sadness.

Pope Francis drew attention to the simplicity of heart and life of St. Francis, which, he said, is more powerful than preaching.

He recalled an episode where St. Francis and Brother Masseo on a journey to go to France had to beg for food. Despite the poverty and lack of necessity all around, St. Francis considered the pieces of stale, hard bread they collected a great treasure, saying it was a gift of Providence.  “Knowing how to be content with the little we have and to share it with others,” the Pope said, is the lesson St. Francis teaches us.

Repairing the Lord’s house
Drawing attention to the Portiuncula, the tiny chapel inside the basilica that St. Francis restored after Jesus had asked him to “repair his house,” the Pope said, “the Lord was asking him to give his life to renew not the church made of stone, but the one made of persons, of men and women who are the living stones of the Church”.

The Pope said the poor were gathered in the church to ask the Lord to hear their cry of help.

The first marginalization they suffer from is a spiritual one. Many people find time to help the poor and bring them food and hot beverages, but what brings more joy, he said, is that these volunteers stop a bit and speak with the people, and sometimes pray with them.

“The Portiuncula reminds us of the Lord’s company, that He never leaves us alone, he always accompanies us in every moment of our lives.”

Hospitality and fraternity
Another lesson of the Portiuncula is that it was where St. Francis welcomed Saint Clare, the first brothers, and many poor people as brothers and sisters, sharing everything with them.

Hospitality, the Pope said is the most evangelical expression we are called to make our own. It means opening the door of our house and heart to allow the person who knocks to come in, that he or she might feel welcome and not ashamed.

A true sense of fraternity leads to a sincere experience of hospitality and community, the Pope said, adding its absence leads to egoism and breeds fear, contempt and rejection of the other, or worse still indifference, which looks the other way.

In this regard, he recalled a saying of Mother Teresa: “what is the best welcome? A smile”.

“A smile as an expression of sympathy and tenderness,” the Pope said, “does me and the other person good.”  Later, he pointed out, the smile involves you because you cannot distance yourself from the one you smiled at.

Inspiration of the poor
While thanking everyone for the occasion, Pope Francis thanked God for the World Day of the Poor, the idea of which, he said, came from a boy called Etienne in a sacristy.  Pondering on it, the Pope felt it as an inspiration from the Holy Spirit and instituted the annual observance.

Among those present was French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, who accompanied the poor people from France.  The former Archbishop of Lyon stepped down after a court in 2019 convicted him for covering up a priest’s child sex abuse in his diocese.  He was later acquitted on appeal.   The Pope thanked Cardinal Barbarin his witness.  “He is among the poor.  He too endured poverty, abandonment and mistrust with dignity, and he defended himself with silence and prayer.”  Turing to the cardinal, he said, “Thank you, Cardinal Barbarin, for your witness.”

POPE EXPRESSES CLOSENESS TO IRAQI PM FOLLOWING ATTACK – PROGRAM FOR POPE FRANCIS’ VISIT TO ASSISI – NOVEMBER 9: FEAST OF THE DEDICATION OF ST. JOHN LATERAN

POPE EXPRESSES CLOSENESS TO IRAQI PM FOLLOWING ATTACK

Pope Francis sends a message of solidarity to Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in the wake of an attack on his residence in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital

By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis has expressed his closeness to Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, after a recent attack on his residence, from which Al-Kadhimi came out unscathed.

The Prime Minister’s residence in Baghdad’s high-security Green Zone was attacked by an explosive-laden drone on Sunday. The drone struck the building injuring seven of the Prime Minister’s bodyguards and drawing condemnation from several quarters.

News sources say that three drones were used in the attack, but two were shot down.

“Following the attack on your residence in Baghdad, His holiness, Pope Francis wishes me to convey his prayerful closeness to you and your family, and to those injured,” read the telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Pope Francis expressed hope that in condemning this “vile act of terrorism,” he is confident that with God’s blessing, the Iraqi people “will be confirmed in wisdom and strength in pursuing the path of peace through dialogue and fraternal solidarity.”

The Holy Father visited the Middle Eastern country from March 5 to 8 this year, making stops at Baghdad, Mosul, Qaraqosh and Erbil. The Prime Minister was part of the delegation that greeted the Holy Father upon his arrival at the Baghdad International Airport.

In July, Pope Francis received Al-Kadhimi in a private audience in the Vatican.

The Holy Father’s message joins the many voices condemning the Sunday attack on the Iraqi Prime Minister.

In an interview, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, denounced the attack, describing it as an attempt to destabilize the state that is based on law, citizenship, order and justice. Cardinal Sako encouraged Iraqi Christians not to get carried away by opposing tensions but to pray for the good of the country.

PROGRAM FOR POPE FRANCIS’ VISIT TO ASSISI

The Vatican has released the program for Pope Francis’ one-day, private visit to Assisi to meet the poor on November 12.

By Vatican News

Pope Francis will travel to the Italian town of Assisi on Friday, November 12, on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor. The meeting in Assisi, St. Francis’ hometown, will be a private one, during which Pope Francis will share moments of listening and prayer with about 500 people from all over Europe.

Arrival of the Holy Father in Assisi at 9:00 a.m.

In addition to the authorities, who will greet him in the courtyard of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the Pope will be welcomed by the poor, who will form a symbolic “embrace” to welcome him. Some of the poor will also symbolically hand over to Pope Francis the pilgrim’s cloak and staff, indicating that all have come as pilgrims to the places of St Francis, to listen to his word.

In the Basilica

Testimony of six poor people (two French, one Polish, one Spanish, two Italians). Response of the Holy Father

10:30 a.m. Moment of pause to offer refreshments to the poor

11:00 a.m. Return to the Basilica. Moment of prayer with the Holy Father, Distribution of the Holy Father’s gift to the poor

Concluding greetings

The Pope returns to the Vatican by helicopter while the poor will be hosted for lunch by the Bishop of Assisi, Domenico Sorrentino.

NOVEMBER 9: FEAST OF THE DEDICATION OF ST. JOHN LATERAN

(franciscanmedia.org) – Most Catholics think of St. Peter’s as the pope’s main church, but they are wrong. St. John Lateran is the pope’s church, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome where the Bishop of Rome presides.

The first basilica on the site was built in the fourth century when Constantine donated land he had received from the wealthy Lateran family. That structure and its successors suffered fire, earthquake, and the ravages of war, but the Lateran remained the church where popes were consecrated. In the 14th century when the papacy returned to Rome from Avignon, the church and the adjoining palace were found to be in ruins.

Pope Innocent X commissioned the present structure in 1646. One of Rome’s most imposing churches, the Lateran’s towering facade is crowned with 15 colossal statues of Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist, and 12 doctors of the Church. Beneath its high altar rest the remains of the small wooden table on which tradition holds Saint Peter himself celebrated Mass. (JFL photos)

Reflection: Unlike the commemorations of other Roman churches, this anniversary is a feast. The dedication of a church is a feast for all its parishioners. In a sense, St. John Lateran is the parish church of all Catholics, because it is the pope’s cathedral. This church is the spiritual home of the people who are the Church.

 

VATICAN INSIDER: A TRIBUTE TO ST. JOHN PAUL ON HIS FEAST DAY – POPE FRANCIS TO MARK WORLD DAY OF THE POOR IN ASSISI

VATICAN INSIDER: A TRIBUTE TO ST. JOHN PAUL ON HIS FEAST DAY

In this week’s interview segment, I pay tribute to St. John Paul on his October 16 feast day by re-airing a conversation I had in Poland a couple of years ago with Fr. Jan Machniak, a Polish priest who is the author of Apostles of Divine Mercy and professor at Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow.

He shares wonderful stories of his interactions with Pope St. John Paul II!  Among other things he speaks of the meeting Mother Angelica had with Pope John Paul and his gift to her for the shrine. Father recounts the Pope’s words to Mother Angelica, words that have a powerful meaning for EWTN today. So stay tuned for that conversation!

This photo shows newly created Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, archbishop of Krakow, on the day he received the red hat from Pope Paul VI, June 26, 1967 (from @ChurchinPoland):

October 16, 1978: Cardinal Wojtyla elected to papacy, takes name of John Paul II:

One of my first meetings with St. John Paul – World Youth Day in Denver:

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 serarching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear.

POPE FRANCIS TO MARK WORLD DAY OF THE POOR IN ASSISI

The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization announced today that Pope Francis will mark the next World Day of the Poor in Assisi.

Now in its fifth edition, the World Day of the Poor was established by Pope Francis with the aim of raising awareness of listening to the cry of the poor and the suffering. This year it will be celebrated on Sunday, November 14. In preparation for that celebration which affects the whole Church, the Pope will visit Assisi on Friday, November 12, where, in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, he will privately meet a group of 500 poor people from different parts of Europe and will spend a moment listening to the and praying with them.

THE “PARDON OF ASSISI”

THE “PARDON OF ASSISI”

As you may have seen on my Facebook page and on Twitter yesterday, I posted a link to a piece by Aleteia entitled “All your sins will be forgiven if you go to a Franciscan church on August 2.”

Since my place is a 5-minute walk from a Franciscan church I frequent – San Gregorio VII – I made plans to go in early evening as there were confessions from 6 to 7pm and Mass at 6:30 so I could fulfil all the conditions for a plenary indulgence that is granted on August 2, the day of the famed “Pardon of Assisi.”

The “Pardon of Assisi” can be obtained from vespers of August 1 to midnight of August 2. This is a plenary indulgence (elimination of temporal punishment due to sin) that may be received by going to Confession, attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist (August 2), visiting a parish or Franciscan church, reciting the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and praying for the Pope and his intentions. (A link to my video on the Porziuncula is below)

Things were not well-organized for the many people who wanted to go to confession so I will go asap to St. Peter’s where a portion of the basilica is always dedicated to priests who hear confessions in many languages from the basilica’s opening until it closes. Confessions are often heard during Mass in Italy but I don’t like missing even a moment of Mass so that is not a choice for me. The conditions needed for a plenary indulgence may be fulfilled for a week before or a week after the special date, such as August 2.

The story of the “Pardon of Assisi” and the Indulgence of Porziuncula is a wonderful story, all the more so if you have a great love for the saint of Assisi or bear his name – Francis (my middle name is Frances).

St. Francis of Assisi – a statue on a hillside on the way to the church of San Damiano –

That Porziuncula website tells us that a small abandoned chapel, situated in an area known in Latin as “Portiuncula” – which means “small piece of land” – was given by Benedictine monks to St. Francis who, having promised the abbot to make it the mother house of his new order, promptly restored it with his own hands. It was here that he came to understand his vocation clearly and here he founded the Order of the Friars Minor in 1209, entrusting it to the protection of the Virgin Mother of Christ, to whom the little church is dedicated.

The Porziuncula is one of the first churches that St. Francis rebuilt after hearing God’s voice from the San Damiano cross say, “Francis, Francis, go and repair My house which, as you can see, is falling into ruins”.  It is also where he received St. Clare and where he died.

He died here:

One night in 1216, while Francis was immersed in prayer, a radiant light spread through the little church and he saw above the altar Christ and his Mother Mary, surrounded by a multitude of Angels. They asked him what he wanted for the salvation of souls. Francis’ reply was immediate; “I ask that all those persons who have repented and confessed their sins who will come to this church, may obtain a full and generous pardon, and a complete remission of all their faults.”

Francis was told he had to get permission for this from Pope Honorious III. He did get permission but when the Pope asked him for how many years he wanted the indulgence, Francis is said to gave responded: “Not for a number of years but for all souls!”

Though Honorious did agree, he stipulated that the indulgence would only be received in the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, the immense basilica that houses the Porziuncula, and only on August 2, the date the chapel was dedicated. That was soon extended to included Franciscan churches throughout the world.

St. Mary of the Angels –

Before St. Francis’ request for an indulgence, a plenary indulgence could only be gained by visiting the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, St. Peter’s in Rome or Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Because not everyone could travel to these faraway places, Francis thus asked that the Porziuncula be designated such a place.

See more on my Joan’s Rome video: A VISIT TO THE PORZIUNCULA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbPFdmSTOcY

 

THE “PARDON OF ASSISI” – :FUROR OVER REQUEST TO REMOVE ST. DAMIEN STATUE FROM CAPITOL ROTUNDA

I have read the same reports that many of you have that Pope emeritus Benedict is suffering from some kind of a rash, possibly shingles, on his face that has in past days been very painful. The papal biographer Peter Seewald, about to release his latest book on the Pope emeritus, told a German paper that he saw Benedict last Saturday and, “at the meeting the emeritus Pope, despite his illness, was optimistic and declared that if his strength increased again he would possibly take up his pen again.” Seewald also used the word “frail” to describe the Pope emeritus.

I hesitated to write about something without having confirmed facts but about 5:30 this afternoon, the Holy See Press Office, after persistent requests by journalists: had this to say: “According to reports from the personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the health conditions of the Pope Emeritus are not of particular concern, if not those for a 93-year old who is going through the most acute phase of a painful, but not serious, disease.”

THE “PARDON OF ASSISI”

Sunday at the Angelus, day, Francis invited everyone to receive the “Pardon of Assisi” which can be obtained from vespers of August 1 to midnight of August 2. He explained this “is a plenary indulgence that may be received by going to Confession, attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist (August 2), visiting a parish or Franciscan church, reciting the Creed, the Lord’s prayer and praying for the Pope and his intentions.”

The story of the “Pardon of Assisi” and the Indulgence of Porziuncula is a wonderful story, all the more so if you have a great love for the saint of Assisi or bear his name – Francis (my middle name is Frances).

That Porziuncula website tells us that a small abandoned chapel, situated in an area known in Latin as “Portiuncula” – which means “small piece of land” – was given by Benedictine monks to St. Francis who, having promised the abbot to make it the mother house of his new order, promptly restored it with his own hands. It was here that he came to understand his vocation clearly and here he founded the Order of the Friars Minor in 1209, entrusting it to the protection of the Virgin Mother of Christ, to whom the little church is dedicated.

One night in 1216, while Francis was immersed in prayer, a radiant light spread through the little church and he saw above the altar Christ and his Mother Mary, surrounded by a multitude of Angels. They asked him what he wanted for the salvation of souls. Francis’ reply was immediate; “I ask that all those persons who have repented and confessed their sins who will come to this church, may obtain a full and generous pardon, and a complete remission of all their faults.”

I have read that this was the first plenary indulgence in the history of the Church, other indulgences up to that year being partial indulgences.

See more on my Joan’s Rome video: A VISIT TO THE PORZIUNCULA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbPFdmSTOcY

FUROR OVER REQUEST TO REMOVE ST. DAMIEN STATUE FROM CAPITOL ROTUNDA

Anyone who knows me and who has followed me on my Youtube page, my blog Joan’s Rome or on Facebook knows of my great love for Hawaii and her two Saints, Father Damien and Mother Marianne Cope, You probably also know that I am on a guild in the diocese of Honolulu that is looking into the cause for canonization of a third saint, Brother Joseph Dutton who worked brief with St. Damien and many years with Mother Marianne, spending 44 years on Kalaupapa.

I focus on St. Damien today because he is at the center of an avalanche of news stories due to an Instagram post by New York congresswoman Alessandra Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, who has asked that his statue in the Capitol Rotunda be removed as he was part of colonialism. She said, “This is what patriarchy and white supremacist culture looks like! It’s not radical or crazy to understand the influence white supremacist culture has historically had in our overall culture & how it impacts the present day.”

St. Damien, born in Belgium in the 19^th century, is known worldwide as the priest who for the last 16 years of his life, in the worst imaginable circumstances, served and cared for victims of leprosy who were exiled to the peninsula of Kalaupapa on the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i. He died there after contracting the disease.

The Washington Times reported that, “Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez experienced instant blowback on Friday after calling a statue of a Catholic saint who died caring for lepers an example of the ‘patriarchy’ and ‘white supremacist culture’ at work. The New York Democrat’s comments about Hawaii’s tribute to St. Damien of Molokai in the U.S. Capitol came just days after National Catholic Reporter touted her in a story titled, ‘AOC is the future of the Catholic Church’.”

I saw a brief video by Bishop Robert Barron on Facebook and re-posted it, saying, “This is FAR too important to ignore! Thank you Bishop Barron! Congresswoman AOC has definitely gone over the edge, wanting to take down the statue of Saint Damien in the Rotunda!” https://www.facebook.com/BishopRobertBarron/videos/231380727981938

I went to my Youtube page and saw ever so many videos I’ve done from Hawaii – from stories about saints to professional hula dancing to tours of the island to the Arizona monument in Pearl Harbor to a story about the Japanese who worked in a consular office in Honolulu and fed information back to Japan that allowed the Japanese to attach Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Here are two Damien-related videos:
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST DAMIEN ON KALAUPAPA, MOLOKA’I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIzeFhvgmfM

KALAUPAPA, MOLOKA’I, HOME TO STS DAMIEN AND MARIANNE…IN SEARCH OF A NEW SAINT, JOSEPH DUTTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOB-UqbGF1M

THE INDULGENCE OF PORZIUNCULA, “THE MOST SACRED PLACE OF FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY”

The Franciscans and Bishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi announced today, July 4 that Pope Francis will visit the Umbrian village on Thursday August 4. During the afternoon visit to the Porziuncola inside the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels, the Pope will officially mark the 8th centenary of the event known as the Pardon of Assisi.”According to Vatican Radio, the papal trip to Assisi is being described as a private pilgrimage to the tiny chapel which St Francis built and where he founded the Franciscan order at the beginning of the 13th century.

The following is a story I did about the Porziuncula and the Pardon after a visit to Assisi.

THE INDULGENCE OF PORZIUNCULA, “THE MOST SACRED PLACE OF FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY”

The story of the “Pardon of Assisi” and the Indulgence of Porziuncula is a wonderful story, all the more so if you have a great love for the saint of Assisi or bear his name – Francis (my middle name is Frances).

That Porziuncula website tells us that a small abandoned chapel, situated in an area known in Latin as “Portiuncula” – which means “small piece of land” – was given by Benedictine monks to St. Francis who, having promised the abbot to make it the mother house of his new order, promptly restored it with his own hands.

It was here that he came to understand his vocation clearly and here he founded the Order of the Friars Minor in 1209, entrusting it to the protection of the Virgin Mother of Christ, to whom the little church is dedicated.

One night in 1216, while Francis was immersed in prayer, a radiant light spread through the little church and he saw above the altar Christ and his Holy Mother, surrounded by a multitude of Angels. They asked him what he wanted for the salvation of souls. Francis’ reply was immediate; “I ask that all those persons who have repented and confessed their sins who will come to this church, may obtain a full and generous pardon, and a complete remission of all their faults.”

“What you ask is very for is a very great favor,” the Lord said to him, “but of greater things you are worthy and greater things you shall have. I accept your prayer therefore on condition that you ask my vicar on earth, on my behalf, for this indulgence.” Francis immediately presented himself before Pope Honorius III who listened attentively to him and gave his approval. To the question “Francis, for how many years do you wish this indulgence?” the saint replied, “Holy Father, I am not asking for years but for souls.” On August 2, 1216, together with the bishops of Umbria, he happily announced to the people gathered at the Porziuncola, “My brothers and sisters, I want to send all of you to Paradise.”

The great basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Holy Mary of the Angels), was constructed between 1569 and 1679 in accordance with the wishes of Pope St. Pius V, (1566-72), in order to contain the chapels of the Porziuncola, the original cell where Francis lived and died, the Rose Garden, and the Passing, as well as other places sacred to the memory of St. Francis, and to welcome the visitors from all around the world who came to visit them.

The powerful earthquakes that struck Umbria in 1832 caused serious damage to the basilica. At the end of a long and complex restoration, directed by the architect, Luigi Poletti, it was reopened for religious celebrations on September 8, 1840. The façade was radically restructured by Cesare Bazzani, with the intention of conferring a majesty worthy of the importance of the Shrine. It was officially inaugurated on June 8, 1930 and an imposing gilded bronze statue of the Virgin Mary was placed on top of it.

Upon entering the Porziuncola, one is immediately struck by the light and the colors of the Altar Screen of Prete Ilario da Viterbo (1393). The story of the Indulgence of Assisi is recounted in a series of five paintings: Francis throws himself amongst the thorns in order to overcome temptation; he is accompanied by two angels while going towards the Porziuncula;  he contemplates the apparition of Jesus and the Virgin and asks for the plenary indulgence; he asks for confirmation of this from the Pope and finally declares to all the great gift received from Christ and the Church.

Millions of souls have crossed the threshold of the Porziuncula chapel’s “door to eternal life” and have knelt here in order to rediscover the peace and forgiveness of the great Indulgence. On the threshold of this little church are written the words “hic locus sanctus est,” this is a holy place, because God descended here to meet Francis and whoever enters here in faith.

The Chapel of the Passing is a simple stone building that served as the infirmary for the first friary. St. Francis passed the last days of his life here, and being placed naked on the bare earth, died here on the evening of October 3, 1226, after having composed the final verses of his Canticle of the Creatures:

“Praised be you my Lord, for our Sister Bodily Death from whom no living man can escape: woe to those who die in mortal sin; blessed are those whom she finds doing Your Most Holy Will, because the Second Death will do them no harm.”

The Rose garden area of the Sanctuary is what remains of the old forest where the friars lived. Here the rose garden is situated amongst whose thorns Francis rolled himself one night in order to overcome doubt and temptation. According to a tradition, already attested to in the thirteenth century, the briars on contact with the Poor Man’s body turned into roses without thorns, and this is the origin of the “Rosa Canina Assisiensis,” which continues to flower only at the Porziuncola.

TO OBTAIN THE INDULGENCE:

1) Visit the Sanctuary and say an Our Father and the Creed; 2) Make a sacramental Confession and receive Communion at Mass; 3) Say a prayer for the intentions of the Pope.

 

A DAY THE LORD MADE

A DAY THE LORD MADE

I was up at 5:30 this morning for our early morning departure for Siena and points beyond and it is 11:30 pm as I write so you can imagine I have neither the time nor the energy to writer about a day made by the Lord for me, for our WINE group of women on pilgrimage and for a special and small group of us who dined together in Assisi on our last night St. Francis’ home town.

It is such an amazing and serendipitous – and yes, divine – story that I dare not write it late at night. Divine is the key word and I will explain tomorrow (hoping I have time after another full day), along with some photos. There were no Internet moments along our route to post photos so you will just have to wait – and I promise it will be worth it.

Up early again tomorrow for our departure for Cascia to experience St. Rita, then Rome, the Eternal City.

Today was a day on which I can easily say I was blessed beyond telling!

CATHOLIC WOMEN EXPLORE THE WOMEN SAINTS OF ITALY

CATHOLIC WOMEN EXPLORE THE WOMEN SAINTS OF ITALY

I got to Assisi yesterday in mid-afternoon and had some time to get settled into my hotel and go out to buy a jacket or heavy sweater because the weather was drastically different than the hot, sunny weather in Rome – much cooler with gray, cloudy skies and a promise of rain – which we got today as you will see by the photos.

Dinner with the women of WINE (Women In the New Evangelization)  was at the wonderful Enoteca Mazzini just across from the hotel I am staying at, Hotel dei Priori. about a block off of Assisi’s main square. This was my first chance to meet some of the amazing women who have joined this pilgrimage – women I met again for this morning’s visit to the basilicas of Saint Clare and Saint Francis and women I want to get to know better in the coming two days as we visit St. Catherine and Siena and environs and then Wednesday, on our way to Rome, to see Saint Rita of Cascia.

Outside the church built over the home where St. Francis was born and lived for years

Statues of the parents of St. Francis:

Because of my Cracow delay I did not get to joint them on Saturday, their arrival day in Italy and first day in Assisi but here is a link to some of the photos posted by Kelly Wahlquist, founder of WINE and one of the most amazing women I will ever know. She and Teresa Tomeo are co-hosts of this pilgrimage and the three of us were together today after our tour of the basilicas to tape a segment for Teresa’s Catholic Connection program on EWTN radio. A temporary studio was set up in a small office just off the lobby of the Subasio Hotel near the basilica of Saint Francis.   (http://www.winepilgrimages.com/wine-shrine-2016/)

See the cross in the photo above? This was in the hotel office and there was also a cross in the hotel restaurant – and in many other restaurants and stores. Can you imagine what would happen if a cross was placed in a restaurant in America!

I hope to spend some quality time with each of the women during our Umbria journey and to learn their stories and their reasons for taking this pilgrimage. The story of one such journey was told today by Julie on Teresa’s program, There were four of us in the studio and, as the expression goes, not a dry eye in the house.

One of the four altars in this church shaped like a Greek cross.

Another altar under restoration. the area I have highlighted had been hidden for years under stone but one Franciscan felt the stone was hiding frescoes and he was right, The narrow strip you see in the middle (there were four of these in each chapel) is what was hidden under the stone and is being restored. You can see the restoration also in my previous photo.

I did have an unexpected thrill when I went to the Hotel Subasio after visiting the basilica as I intended to have lunch before doing the show with Teresa. I was sitting in the lobby texting Teresa when three people came in with luggage to register. They looked at me and I heard a chorus of, “Oh my goodness, it’s Joan’s Rome, it Joan from EWTN.” It turned out they were with a group guided by Steve Ray and as the others poured into the lobby, I was mobbed by well-wishers, A half dozen people took out their copies of my book and I signed those books and we did a lot of photos. What a fun-filled serendipitous meeting!

In this photo, our guide was bringing us down to the saint’s home but the doors were closed this morning and we could not enter the small rooms. I have photos somewhere in my archives and will try to find those.

Everyone in our group had the afternoon off to explore Assisi or, as many will have done, to rest, given the early morning call for prayers with the sisters of St. Clare convent.

We meet for dinner at 7:30 at the Hotel dei Congressi where most of the WINE group are staying, high on a hill above Assisi.

Stay tuned – and visit the website whose link I gave earlier!

 

SUNDAY ENGLISH MASS IN ASSISI: ALTAR OF THE LOWER BASILICA – UPDATE ON PAPAL TRIP IN BOLIVIA, CLARIFICATION OF MORALES GIFT

There is one phrase in the CAN/EWTN news story below about Bolivian President Morales’ gift to the Holy Father that struck a chord with me: “While the audio is a bit marred by the clicking of journalists’ cameras, the embarrassment of the Pope seems clear.”

When visiting heads of State or Government are received in the Apostolic Palace by Popes, a Swiss Guard honor guard accompanies them from the San Damaso courtyard where their car arrives, to an elevator that brings the guest of honor and his/her entourage to the upper floors of the papal palace. There is also an official, usually Abp. Georg Gaenswein, of the Prefecture of the Papal Household by the side of the visitor.

The guest is ushered into the papal library where the Pope is usually waiting behind his desk. For just a matter of seconds, perhaps even a minute or two, the two heads of State greet each other.

Recording such public moments are members of the media, including a small delegation of television people and photographers from the visitor’s country, CTV (Vatican television), the official Vatican photographer and a pool of journalists – traditionally two – from the press office, generally chosen by language, especially that of the visitor. Photographers and TV cameramen vie with each other for the small space accorded them on one side of the papal desk as they seek to capture an important moment.

The print media almost always end up (and I’ve been in this spot a number of times) behind the photogs and TV people, and the clicks of the cameras always drive us crazy as it makes it close to impossible – sometimes actually impossible – to catch the words of the Pope and his guest.  The pool journalists are responsible for returning to the press office to share what they saw and heard with their colleagues.

What a guest –wherever they are from – says to a Pope and what the papal response is, is always news, even if it is just the formality of greeting one another. Sometimes there can be huge political overtones in these remarks and they must be captured exactly.

I mention this so you can understand the problem the media seems to have faced in Bolivia when the president gave his unusual gifts to Pope Francis.

Try to listen to the camera clicks the next time you see two heads of State meet and you’ll understand the dilemma of the print media!

By the way, another, little mentioned but very important aspect of such visits is the protocol –protocol involving the order in which people are received, who speaks to whom, how gifts will be exchanged, etc.  I am guessing that publicly refusing a gift might be frowned on in protocol handbooks! What one says in private is another matter.

A HEADS UP on Vatican Insider: I offer a Special this week on must-see churches in Rome  – after you have visited the papal basilicas!

SUNDAY ENGLISH MASS IN ASSISI: ALTAR OF THE LOWER BASILICA

Last Sunday, Bishop Robert Baker presided at a concelebrated Mass at the main altar of the lower basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Celebrating with him was a priest accompanying a group of Canadian pilgrims from Calgary and several Franciscans, including Fr. Justin, who had helped our small group two years earlier when the bishop said the Sunday English Mass in the upper basilica.

Following are some photos I took in the lower basilica last Sunday as we waited for Mass to start. After Mass, as Canadian pilgrims departed and others arrived, Fr. Justin told pilgrims not to take photos!  I already had taken mine and did feel somewhat guilty, for if there were “no photo” signs, I truly did not see them. In any case, when Julie and Joe Helow and I went into the sacristy with Bishop Baker and saw the beauty of the frescoes there, I did specifically ask Fr. Justin’s permission.

The sacristy wall:

And now some history:

Pope Gregory IX laid the first stone of the Lower Basilica the day after the canonization of St. Francis, on July 17, 1228. Two years later the saint’s body, that had been resting in the church of San Giorgio (the future St. Clare basilica) was brought here in secret for fear of looting by tomb raiders and buried in the unfinished church. No date has been recorded concerning the start of works on the Upper Basilica, but it must have been after the abdication from the order of Brother Elia in 1239, who had hitherto directed the works on the Romanesque Lower Basilica.

Both churches were consecrated by Pope Innocent IV in 1253, before work was started on the large cycle of fresco decorations. The square outside the main facade did not exist at the time. A large flight of steps led upwards to the gothic entrance, pierced by a large rose window surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists. This in turn was sealed off by a central drum. The lateral towers served as supports for the structure, while those near the choir contained stairs.

In the Lower Basilica the visitor arrives first at a transept that was built after the building of the church between 1280 and 1300. The lateral chapels opposite the entrance were added between 1350 and 1400. The ceiling of the single nave that runs the entire length of the Lower Basilica is supported by cross vaulting all the way to a semicircular apse at its farthest extremity, which is preceded by a transept with barrel vaulting in its lateral arms. Between 1300 and 1350 a series of chapels were opened up in the lateral wall of the transept and nave, wrecking the frescoes that once decorated the side wall.

Mostly painted in tempera, the cycle of paintings that decorate the nave was completed around 1260 by an unknown artist, later known as the Maestro di San Francesco. It features episodes from the life of St Francis on the left side opposite episodes from the life of Christ on the right. When the lateral chapels were opened, several of these paintings were cut in half. Although the paintings are deteriorated, they are the most important examples of Tuscan wall paintings prior to Cimabue. The high altar is from 1230, while the canopy above dates from the 14th century. Originally, it was surrounded by twelve columns, as a direct analogy with the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, but these were removed in1870.

The paintings in the vaults (1315-20) depict the “Apotheosis of St Francis“ and allegories of Obedience, Poverty and Chastity by the so-called Maestro delle Vele. The cycle of paintings on the right hand side of the transept (The Childhood of Christ, Posthumous Miracles of St Francis) is less unitary and is partly ascribable to the workshop of Giotto (1315-20). It also contains work by Cimabue (“Enthroned Madonna with Angels and St Francis“, 1280), and Simone Martini (1321-26 “Madonna with Child and Two Wise men“ and “St Francis, St Ludwig of Toulouse, St Elisabeth of Thuringia, St Claire and an Unknown Saint“).

The left side of the transept was on the other hand completely decorated by Lorenzo Lorenzetti and his workshop between 1315 and 1330. The cycle represents the “Passion of Christ“. (Photos by JFL: Text selections from http://www.assisionline.com/assisi__162.html)

UPDATE ON PAPAL TRIP IN BOLIVIA, CLARIFICATION OF MORALES GIFT

La Paz, Bolivia, Jul 9, 2015 / 10:45 am (CNA/EWTN News).- When leftist Bolivian president Evo Morales on Thursday presented Pope Francis with a “communist crucifix” – a carving of Christ crucified on the hammer of a hammer and sickle – the Pope appeared to say, “This is not ok,” while shaking his head. Shortly after his July 8 arrival at the Bolivian administrative capital of La Paz, Pope Francis made a courtesy visit to Morales at the Palace of Government. At such meetings, the leaders customarily exchange gifts; Pope Francis gave the Bolivian president a mosaic of the Marian icon of the “Salus Populus Romani,” her role as patroness of Rome. Morales explained what his gift to the Pope was as he gave it to him. In the video, filmed by the Vatican Television Center and transmitted throughout the world, the Pope appears to be saying “No está bien eso” – “This is not ok” – while shaking his head. While the audio is a bit marred by the clicking of journalists’ cameras, the embarrassment of the Pope seems clear.

The cross with a hammer and sickle is a reproduction of another carved during the 1970s by Fr. Luis Espinal Camps, a Spanish Jesuit who was a missionary in Bolivia who was killed in 1980 during the Bolivian dictatorship. At a July 9 press briefing the Holy See Press Office director, Fr. Federico Lombardi, noted the lack of clarity in the audio of the exchange, and remarked that Pope Francis had been unaware the crucifix was a replica of Fr. Espinal’s. He also claimed that Fr. Espinal’s use of it was not ideological but expressed a hope for dialogue between communism and the Church, adding that Pope Francis’ remark likely expresed a sentiment of “I didn’t know,” rather than “This is not right.”

Morales’ gift has sparked a worldwide controversy, and reactions were not long in coming. The majority of them accuse Morales of trying to politicize the Pope’s visit. Morales is head of Bolivia’s Movement for Socialism party, and his adminstration has focused on implementing leftist policies in the nation. Since coming to power in 2006, Morales has frequently sparred with the Bolivian bishops. Catholics from various Hispanophone countries rejected Morales’ gesture, considering it offensive to the numerous victims of terrorist groups in Latin America and of the historical totalitarian communist regimes.

Bishop Jose Munilla Aguirre of San Sebastián, a Spaniard, tweeted: “The height of arrogance is to manipulate God in the service of atheistic ideologies … Today, once again: #ChristCrucified”.

Fr. Espinal – whose “communist crucifix” was the model for Morales’ gift to the Pope – was a journalist who advocated for human rights and democracy, continues to be a source of controversy in Bolivia. While en route from the La Paz airport to the presidential palace,

Pope Francis stopped to pray at the location where Fr. Espinal’s corpse was found after his March 21, 1980 kidnapping and murder. “Dear sisters and brothers. I stopped here to greet you and above all to remember. To remember a brother, our brother, a victim of interests who did not want him to fight for the freedom of Bolivia,” the Pope said to those gathered at the site, after arriving by way of an open popemobile. “May Christ draw this man into himself. Lord give him eternal rest and may light shine for him that has no end.”

Some regard Fr. Espinal as a martyr who lived the Gospel with the same spirit as Blessed Oscar Romero – who was martyred by right wing Salvadorans two days after Fr. Espinal’s death – while others claim the priest was a communist and became too involved in politics.

Born in 1932 in Barcelona, Fr. Espinal studied both philosophy and theology before entering the Jesuit novitiate in Veruela in Zaragoza at the age of 17. The same year he traveled to Bergamo, Italy to study audiovisual journalism. After two years he returned to Spain and began to work for Spanish radio and television corporation TVE at the height of  Francisco Franco’s rule. Fr. Espinola denounced the censorships placed on TVE under Franco and left Spain. He moved to Bolivia in August 1968, where he took over as chair in the journalism department of the Bolivian Catholic University, and later become sub-director. He was granted Bolivian citizenship in 1970, and over the course of the next 10 years worked in both the written and radio press, produced documentaries on social themes and got into screenwriting.

As an avid defender of human rights, the priest cofounded the Permanent Assembly of Human Rights in Bolivia in 1976. During the 1971 military coup led by Hugo Banzer Suarez, Fr. Espinola intervened on behalf of persecuted and detained politicians and trade unions. In 1977 he participated in a three-week-long hunger strike to gain general amnesty for political exiles, validity of trade unions and the withdrawal of the army from mining centers.

In 1979 Fr. Espinola founded the weekly newspaper “Aqui,” which was quickly dubbed “leftist” due to its anti-establishment views and vocal criticism of government corruption. As a result of his work, the priest was kidnapped by a group of paramilitaries March 21, 1980, while on his way home. According to police and militants at the time, the militants took Fr. Espinola to La Paz’ Achachicala slaughterhouse, where he was tortured for five hours before being shot 17 times. His body was found handcuffed and gagged the next morning.

In 2007, Morales officially declared March 21 as the “Day of Bolivian Cinema” due to the priest’s contributions in the area. On that day, cinemas and television channels are obliged to show national films, particularly relating to the themes of human rights and indigenous peoples.

Fr. Lombardi noted during a July 6 press briefing that no cause has been opened for Fr. Espinal’s beatification.

ASSISI: MASS AT THE TOMB OF ST. FRANCIS – U.N. ADDS BAPTISM SITE OF JESUS TO WORLD HERITAGE SITES

UPDATE ON ISAAC – From emails I got this morning from Fr. Craig:

Issac went into surgery at 3:00 pm.  The goal of the surgery was to remove the cysts and biopsy the two known tumors.  The neurosurgeon was successful in obtaining tissue and the cyst drainage, unfortunately numerous small clusters of tumors were also discovered.  We will start chemotherapy when the pathology is confirmed.

2nd email really made me smile:

By the way, when he woke up for those few minutes he wanted to watch the video from Mr. Del Rio and Derek. (see my Monday post about this)

A GIFT FOR YOU:

Food for thought on a torrid July day – in Rome, for sure! I got the following six “little stories” in an email from a friend and enjoyed them as they are pithy but so very true! You can guess why I love – and will often repeat – Number 6! Young at heart – that’s me!  Joan

{1} Once all villagers decided to pray for rain, on the day of prayer all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella.  That’s FAITH

{2} When you throw a baby in the air, she laughs because she knows you will catch her. That’s TRUST

{3} Every night we go to bed, without any assurance of being alive the next morning but still we set the alarms to wake up. That’s HOPE

{4} We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That’s CONFIDENCE

{5} We see the world suffering, but still we get married and have children. That’s LOVE

{6} On an old man’s shirt was written a sentence ‘I am not 80 years old….I am sweet 16 with 64 years experience’.  That’s ATTITUDE

Have a happy day, live your life like the six stories! Love the people God gave you because we don’t know how long we will be sharing this life!

ASSISI: MASS AT THE TOMB OF ST. FRANCIS

Saturday, July 4, Bishop Baker had arranged to say Mass at 8 am at the tomb of St. Francis. I had visited and prayed in this small chapel many times over the years but never had it been as special as it was Saturday. The Del Rios and Helows and I were at Mass, as was a family from Florida, friends of the bishop, that happened not only to be on the same plane to Rome days earlier but in Assisi at the same time we were! Perhaps a dozen people all told attended this Mass.

Jack Del Rio and I did the readings while Joe Helow was the bishop’s “altar boy.” Linda Del Rio was a minister of the cup at communion but I did not get a photo of her – apologies to Linda.

Bishop Baker’s homily last Saturday and in other Masses focused on peace.

Afterwards, a Franciscan priest took photos of all of us with Bishop Baker and we took one of him.

In the Prayers of the Faithful we prayed, of course, for the United States as it celebrated the 239th anniversary of independence, and I added prayers for the Holy Father’s trip to Latin America and for little Isaac.  Bishop Baker had not been in the dining room when Fr. Craig told us Isaac’s story, so I explained to him over breakfast at a nearby café. After that, we were praying for Isaac almost every time we passed a church, went inside a church or heard church bells ring!

I realized I did not have a photo of Julie Helow so here is one with her husband Joe from a lunch we had together:

U.N. ADDS BAPTISM SITE OF JESUS TO WORLD HERITAGE SITES

The Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Amman. Jordan has announced that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has voted to add the Baptism site of Jesus Christ to the World Heritage sites. (Pope Francis at the site last year)

CCSM Director Fr. Rifat Bader praised the efforts of Jordan’s King Abdullah and Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad, chairman of the board of trustees of the Baptism Site; the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; and the Jordan Tourism Board to see this objective attained. He also noted that it is a source of pride that four Popes had prayed at the Baptism site’s blessed waters over the past 50 years – Pope Paul VI visited the site in 1964, St. John Paul II in 2000, Pope Benedict in 2009 and Pope Francis in 2014.