SYNOD ALERT: For those who have been following the daily press briefings on the Amazon synod online with English translation at http://www.vaticannews.va, tomorrow, Saturday 26 October, the scheduled briefing starting at 13.30 is canceled. The final briefing will start around 7.45pm until around 8.30pm
VATICAN INSIDER AND THE CARDINAL NEWMAN SOCIETY
My guest this week on the interview segment of Vatican Insider is Patrick Reilly, president and founder of the Cardinal Newman Society. We spoke about the Society when he was in Rome for the October 13 canonization of Cardinal John Henry Newman, the namesake of this organization whose mission, as its website says, is to promote and defend faithful Catholic education. We talk about the work and outreach and challenges of the Society, including the many court challenges to faith-based institutions in U.S society.
IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at http://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 http://www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive (write Vatican Insider where it says Search Shows and Episodes)
POPE TO SERVITES: OUR LADY TEACHES US HOW TO SOW HOPE
Pope Francis this morning addressed the Order of the Servants of Mary who are participating in their General Chapter, urging them to be “men of hope (which) means finding the courage to face some of today’s challenges.” (Vatican News)
The Order of the Servants of Mary (Servites) has its origins in 13th century Florence and was established by a group of men known as the Seven Holy Founders. At its core is a special charism to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Order also bears witness to the Gospel, inspired by Our Lady, in its apostolate and mission.
Greeting the members of the Order on Friday at the end of their 214th General Chapter, Pope Francis, in off the cuff remarks said that the words “servants of Mary” made him think of how Our Lady brought us Jesus in the crib in Bethlehem. “Your founders understood this; they understood and became servants,” he commented. The Pope then told those present, to never move from that founding grace to be a servant. Continuing to focus on Our Lady, Pope Francis underlined how, despite everything that happened in her life, Mary looked forward; she was a woman of Hope.
Even today, in a world where there are wars, forms of slavery and cruelty, the Pope noted that Our Lady teaches us to sow hope.
In the Pope’s prepared remarks that were distributed to those present, he recalled the theme of their meeting, “Servants of Hope in a Changing World.” Dwelling on the Servites’ Holy Founders, the Pope noted that they had a profound encounter with the One who is Hope, Jesus Christ.
Vocations
Pope Francis explained that by going back to their unique human and vocational experience, today’s Servites become more and more “men of hope, capable of dispelling the fears that sometimes torment the heart, even in a religious community.”
The Pope mentioned in particular the scarcity of vocations in certain parts of the world; as well as the difficulty of being faithful to Jesus and to the Gospel in certain community or social contexts.
Courage to face challenges
Pope Francis told those gathered that, “being men of hope means finding the courage to face some of today’s challenges.” One of those, he pointed out, is a responsible use of the media, which, he said, “conveys positive news, but also can destroy the dignity of persons, weaken the spiritual momentum, wound fraternal life.”
Another challenge, the Pope highlighted, is that of multiculturalism, which was addressed in the Chapter.
Catholic religious’ communities as ‘laboratories’
There is no doubt, commented Pope Francis, “that Catholic religious communities have become ‘laboratories’ in this sense, certainly not without problems and yet offering to all a clear sign of the Kingdom of God, to which all peoples are invited, through the one Gospel of salvation.”
In conclusion, the Pontiff expressed the hope that their communities would be a sign of universal brotherhood, schools of welcome and integration, and places of openness.
“POPE FRANCIS SHOWERS AND LAUNDRY” OPENS IN GENOA
According to a communiqué from the Apostolic Almsgiver, an office also known as the Pope’s Charity, a “Laundry and Shower service of Pope Francis” was inaugurated today in Genoa. Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski is the papal almoner or almsgiver.
The communiqué noted that this is a service offered free of charge to the poorest people, particularly those without a fixed abode. It is located on the premises of Piazza Durazzo 12, and is managed by the Sant’Egidio community of Liguria. The homeless will be able to wash, dry and iron their clothes and blankets, and provide for personal cleaning in special shower spaces.
“The initiative,” says the communique, “was born from the Holy Father’s invitation to make ‘concrete’ the experience of grace of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Here, then, is a concrete sign desired by the Apostolic Almsgiving office and the Community of Sant’Egidio: a place and a service to give concrete form to charity and, at the same time, to render intelligent the works of mercy, to restore dignity to so many people who are our brothers and sisters, called with us to build a ‘reliable city’.”(photo from Whirlpool)
The laundry and showers will be managed by the Sant’Egidio Community of Liguria, together with other reception and assistance services for the poorest people. The communiqué goes on to mention some of the products that have been donated by companies such as Procter & Gamble and Whirlpool Corporation that, in 2017 contributed to the opening of the “Pope Francis Laundry” in Rome.
Joan's Rome 