FYI – POPE FRANCIS: EVERYONE MUST COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, NEVER BE COMPLICIT – POPE: THE LITURGY MUST BE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE OF GOD

FYI –

• The Dicastery for Clergy has just unveiled its new website in Italian and English. English: https://www.clerus.va/en.html
• Reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris to be marked by “six months of celebration and praise” – Archbishop of Paris announces series of events that will begin in December with the re-opening of the world-renown gothic cathedral, which was nearly destroyed by fire in 2019. Read more at: https://international.la-croix.com/news/culture/reopening-of-notre-dame-de-paris-to-be-marked-by-six-months-of-celebration-and-praise/19145?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Mailjet_08Feb24N1&cmid=1bdb4688-1440-45ee-a074-d54264d7faa6
• You may recall this story from June 2023 – A Vatican court is hearing their appeal today:

Vatican convicts climate activists, orders them to pay $30,000 in damages.

Vatican judges on Monday found two climate activists guilty of criminally damaging the base of an important statue in the Vatican Museums during a protest last year.

As part of the conviction, Guido Viero, 61, and Ester Goffi, 26, were ordered to pay a combined approximately $30,390 in damages to Vatican City State. They were also ordered to pay $1,080 for the Vatican’s defense and, together with a third defendant, an unspecified amount in trial costs.

Viero and Goffi were additionally each given suspended fines of $1,620 and suspended sentences of nine months in prison. The suspensions are lifted if the crime is committed again within five years.

POPE FRANCIS: EVERYONE MUST COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, NEVER BE COMPLICIT

Pope Francis releases his message for the 10th World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, and urges society at all levels to combat the scourge and to feel moved by the testimonies of victims, as well as those whose voices remain unheard. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-02/pope-francis-message-10th-world-day-against-human-trafficking.html

POPE: THE LITURGY MUTS BE FOR ALL THE PEOPLEM OF GOD

Pope Francis meets with members of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and reminds them that the Church cannot be reformed without a reform of the liturgy, which must be for all the people of God.

By Francesca Merlo (Vatican news)

Pope Francis on Wednesday met with members of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, as they gathered for their plenary assembly.

The Holy Father opened his discourse by noting that, even sixty years after the promulgation of the Sacrosanctum Concilium, it is still highly relevant. It contains, the Pope said, “a precise will to reform the Church in its fundamental dimensions: to make the Christian life of the faithful grow more and more every day; to adapt the institutions subject to change better to the needs of our time; to foster that which can contribute to the union of all believers in Christ; to reinvigorate that which serves to call all to the bosom of the Church”.

This is therefore a profound work of spiritual, pastoral, ecumenical and missionary renewal, said the Pope, adding that the Church Fathers were aware that “without a liturgical reform there is no reform of the Church.”

Pope Francis then went on to explain that Church reform depends on the Church’s love for Christ, like “spousal fidelity”, to the point of being fully conformed to him.

The Church as woman
Speaking of the role of women in the Church, Pope Francis stressed the importance of the Church itself being a woman. “That is why I said that every instance of Church reform is always a matter of spousal fidelity, because she [the Church] is a woman”, he said.

The purpose of the liturgical reform – within the broader framework of the renewal of the Church – is precisely to “bring about that formation of the faithful and promote that pastoral action which has the sacred Liturgy as its summit and its source”, the Pope said.

Pope Francis went on to note that although liturgical formation is necessary, “it does not exclude that there is a priority in the formation of those who, by virtue of the sacrament of Orders, are called to be mystagogues”, that is, the Pope explains, a teacher of mysticism.

A joint effort
In the spirit of synodal collaboration between the dicasteries, Pope Francis expressed his desire that the question of liturgical formation of ordained ministers be handled together with the Dicastery for Culture and Education, with the Dicastery for the Clergy and with the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, “so that each one may offer its own specific contribution”.

“It is necessary to ensure that the formation of ordained ministers also increasingly has a liturgical-sapiential imprint,” the Pope said, “both in the curriculum of theological studies and in the life experience of seminaries”.

Think of all the people of God
Bringing his discourse to a close, Pope Francis stressed that, as we prepare new formation paths for ministers, “we must at the same time think of those intended for the people of God”. The first concrete opportunities for liturgical formation, the Holy Father noted, are Sundays and the feasts days celebrated throughout the liturgical year.

“Other moments when people participate more in the celebrations and their preparation”, noted the Pope, referring to patronal feasts and the Sacraments of Christian initiation, can also be moments for liturgical formation of all the baptised. He added that “prepared with pastoral care, they become favourable occasions for people to rediscover and deepen the meaning of celebrating the mystery of salvation today”.

Finally, Pope Francis reminded those present that their task “is great and beautiful”. For this, he concludes, “I thank you so much” and “I bless you from my heart”.

VATICAN INSIDER: TALITHA KUM AND THE FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING

VATICAN INSIDER: TALITHA KUM AND THE FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING

My guest this week in the interview segment is Sr. Gabriella Bonnati, the dedicated and enthusiastic international coordinator of Talitha Kum, the Catholic network against human trafficking under the auspices of UISG   (International Union of Superiors General). This week and next, we talk about the name Talitha Kum, how people are trained to help rescue women from traffickers, how rescued women are cared for and reinserted into society, the difficulties nations have with stopping human trafficking, and much more!

You might recall that on Sunday, February 6 at the Angelus, Pope Francis reflected on the World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking, marked in the Catholic Church on the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, February 8. He also blessed a statue of St. Josephine Bakhita that had been brought to the square by representatives of Talitha Kum.

The sculpture group, “Let the Oppressed Go Free,” was created by Canadian Catholic artist Timothy Schmalz, the same sculptor who created the “Angels Unawares” sculpture in St. Peter’s Square that depicts migrants throughout history crammed on a boat.

These photos of “Let the oppressed Go Free” were taken by Margherita Mirabella and sent to me by Sr. Gabriella. (I took photos of the sculpture group, now in the chapel of the Talitha Kum Rome office and will post those next week)

St. Josephine, patron of human trafficking victims and of Sudan, was born in Sudan in 1869. She was kidnapped at age 7 and sold into slavery during which she was beaten, tortured, and left scarred. She eventually discovered Christ and the Catholic Church in her early 20s and, once freed from slavery, was baptized into the Catholic faith. She joined the Canossian Sisters in Italy. She was canonized in Rome on October 1, 2000.

 

 

POPE AT ANGELUS DECRIES TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN, FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

POPE AT ANGELUS DECRIES TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN, FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

Yesterday at the Angelus, Pope Francis reflected on two International Days and he blessed a statue of St. Josephine Bakhita that had been brought to the square by representatives of Talitha Kum, an international network of Catholic nuns against trafficking in persons.

The sculpture group, “Let the Oppressed Go Free,” was created by Canadian Catholic artist Timothy Schmalz, the same sculptor who created the “Angels Unawares” sculpture in St. Peter’s Square that depicts migrants throughout history crammed on a boat. (Let the Oppressed Go Free – photo from Holy See Press Office)

Francis created the day of prayer and reflection for human trafficking victims in 2015 and is expected to release a message tomorrow.

After reflections on the day’s Gospel and then praying the Angelus with the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope noted that February 6 is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, a widespread practice, he said, “that demeans the dignity of women and gravely undermines their physical integrity.”

He then noted that Tuesday, February 8, the liturgical memorial of Saint Josephine Bakhita, is the World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking.”

Trafficking “is a deep wound, inflicted by the shameful pursuit of economic interests without any respect for the human person. So many girls – we see them on the streets – who are not free, are slaves of traffickers, who send them to work and, if they do not bring the money, beat them. This is happening in our cities today. Let us really think about it!”

St. Josephine, patron of human trafficking victims and of Sudan, was born in Sudan in 1869. She was kidnapped at age 7 and sold into slavery during which she was beaten, tortured, and left scarred. She eventually discovered Christ and the Catholic Church in her early 20s and, once freed from slavery, was baptized into the Catholic faith. She joined the Canossian Sisters in Italy.   She was canonized in Rome on October 1, 2000. (For her biography: Saint Josephine Bakhita | Franciscan Media)

I took these photos of the Angels Unawares sculpture yesterday in St. Peter’s Square. The Bakhita statue group was only in the square for the Angelus and I arrived afterwards:

THE REAL STARS IN THE WAR ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN, TRAFFICKING, EXPLOITATION

THE REAL STARS IN THE WAR ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN, TRAFFICKING, EXPLOITATION

Two ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, Callista Gingrich of the United States and Britain’s Sally Axworthy this morning co-chaired an online symposium about women religious on the frontlines in the wars on human trafficking and exploitation, on violence against children, often sold into slavery or prostitution, and how they are challenged in a world dominated by the coronavirus pandemic.

The hour-long program, conducted online via Zoom, allowed participants toward the end to ask questions of or make comments about the presentations by three amazing, women religious: Sr. Stan Terese Mario Mumuni spoke of her work in Ghana, Sr. Imelda Poole, a Sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary spoke of her work with victims of human trafficking in Albania, and native Italian, Sr. Alicia Vacass, a Comboni Sister working in Jerusalem who told the story of how her community in Bergamo was affected by the Coronavirus.

This was one of the most riveting hours I have spent in recent weeks. I was glued to my screen as each nun told her particular story and the most riveting part was that they never saw themselves as the center of the story. These unsung heroines – and there are tens of thousands of them around the world – focused on the people they were trying to help, mostly women and children. They focused on the challenges and difficulties that societies and governments (and now the pandemic) brought to their work. If they had a degree of success in their work, they said, it was because of community, because of solidarity and, in many cases, because of the help they received from laypeople.

If you have time – or are willing to make time – you can spend an hour that might change you in a number of ways, the first being a new awareness of the horrible scourge of human trafficking, a new awareness of violence (including murder) inflicted on children in certain societies simply because they were born with a birth defect or born blind or born without a limb (Sr. Mumuni may well leave you in tears). Click here for the video encounter: https://www.facebook.com/holysee.usembassy/

The stories are not told with bitterness or rancor. They reflect the love these sisters have for their faith, for their calling, and for their fellow religious but above all, their love of humanity, of their brothers and sisters around the globe who need their help and, when they receive it, can offer nothing in return, except perhaps love.

The following brief biographies are from vaticannews.va. I took the pictures from my iPad screen during the symposium.

Frontline work amid pandemic
Sr. Stan Terese Mario Mumuni spoke of her work in Ghana.

In 2009 she opened an orphanage for children with birth defects who would otherwise have been killed. The work that she and her sisters do is also recognized by the Muslim population, she said. The pandemic caught them by surprise. All of a sudden one day the Sisters were called to pick up the children they care for from the schools where they receive education. All of their support systems fell apart overnight due to the pandemic. Now the Sisters are trying to feed and support the children round the clock. Some are blind, others are deaf, others have spinal and other defects…. They continue to get calls from people who beg them to come and take in children who would otherwise be killed. Sister Stan said that they rely completely on God’s Providence and marvelled at what they are able to do with next to nothing.

Human trafficking
Sr Imelda Poole, a Sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary spoke of her work with victims of human trafficking in Albania.

The NGO she founded, called Mary Ward Loreto, addresses the root causes of human trafficking. In her work with RENATE (Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation), she sees three shifts that have taken place since the lockdown began. RENATE is now working 70-80% online, which includes counseling victims, she said. This, Sr Imelda said, is vital to people who have become victims to human trafficking. The second major shift she cited is a massive increase of starvation and hunger, and the third is an explosion of children going online leading to an increase in sexual exploitation. “Together we need to break the chains of the exploiters,” she said. “We call on the governments to ensure that law is implemented at this time”. Her organization is also, therefore, in touch with law enforcement responsible for human trafficking crimes and encouraging them not to lower their guard in this area.

Helping friends in need
A Comboni Sister working in Jerusalem, Sr Alicia Vacas recounted the story of how her community in Bergamo was affected by the Coronavirus.

She and other sisters who are nurses traveled there to help. Sr Alicia said that about 45 sisters and staff out of a total of 55 or 60 sisters were sick with the virus. Their main concern, she said, was lack of protection. This need was met by others religious communities, one as far away as Hong Kong, who sent material and protection. Even a contemplative community in Bergamo helped them. As a Comboni Sister, Sr Alicia underlined it is part of their DNA to share the tragedies that others go through. Being able to communicate care, affection and gratitude to her older sisters was a blessing, she said. She also spoke of what other Comboni sisters are doing to care for people in mission territories. “They are bearing the burdens of their people”, she said. “They live witnessing to the love that God has for all his children”.

Sr Jolanda Kafka, President of the Union of Superiors General, closed the event saying that the examples the sisters recounted are touching, and have brought us to touch concrete reality and persons. About 650,000 sisters are working at the grass roots providing sisterly and motherly care, she noted. “This is what consecration means”, she said, “giving our lives and serving Him through humanity.”

Here are links to the opening remarks by Ambassadors Callista Gingrich and Sally Axworthy:

https://va.usembassy.gov/ambassador-gingrichs-opening-remarks-at-women-religious-on-the-frontlines-symposium/

https://va.usembassy.gov/british-ambassador-to-the-holy-see-sally-axworthys-remarks-at-women-religious-on-the-frontlines-symposium/

IN BRIEF – FEBRUARY PAPAL PRAYER INTENTION: HEAR THE CRIES OF MIGRANTS

I think most everyone got the memo about wearing a blue suit to the conference with global finance leaders that the Pope addressed yesterday!

IN BRIEF

POPE FRANCIS THURSDAY ADDRESSED THE GLOBAL ASSOCIATION of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) and said that fairs and exhibits offer significant opportunities for showcasing to the wider world the rich diversity and beauty of local cultures and ecosystems. The UFI is an international network of the world’s leading tradeshow organizers and fairground owners. The Association is in Rome on the occasion of its global executive summit. Francis said this morning that “global exhibitions contribute to the growth of a culture of encounter, that strengthens bonds of solidarity and fosters mutual enrichment between the members of our human family.” The Pope highlighted that in the case of their area of expertise, “it has been shown that fairs and exhibitions not only have positive effects on regional economies and labour markets, but also offer significant opportunities for showcasing to the wider world the rich diversity and beauty of local cultures and ecosystems.” (vaticannews)

POPE URGES GLOBAL FINANCE LEADERS TO REDUCE ECONOMIC INEQUALITY as he addressed finance ministers from France, Argentina, Mexico, Paraguay, and El Salvador; a Nobel economics laureate; and the director of the International Monetary Fund, among others, who attended a Vatican workshop on Wednesday entitled “New Forms of Solidarity.” He called on the architects of the global financial system to reduce rising income inequality by prioritizing the needs of the poor who are left behind by the globalization of indifference. Francis laid out several dangers lurking behind prevailing economic models, including rising inequality, as well as several ways to build bridges between the rich and the poor. He said, poverty can be overcome if an economic system is put in place that includes, feeds, cures, and dresses those left behind by society. “We have to choose what and who to prioritise. … Our choice will lead either to increased social injustice and violence, or to humanizing socio-economic systems.” (vaticannews)

FEBRUARY PAPAL PRAYER INTENTION: HEAR THE CRIES OF MIGRANTS

Pope Francis on Thursday released a video message accompanying his prayer intention for February 2020 which is “Hear the cries of migrants”. He calls on the entire world to hear the cries of migrants, many of whom are victims of criminal human trafficking.

It has become Pope Francis’ custom to release a video message detailing his prayer intention for each month.

The full text of his intention is below:

Migrants are often victims of criminal human smuggling and human trafficking. Among other causes, this happens because of corruption on the part of people willing to do anything for financial gain. The money from their dirty, underhanded business is blood money. I’m not exaggerating: it’s blood money. We pray that the cries of our migrant brothers and sisters, victims of criminal human smuggling and human trafficking, may be heard and considered.

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network of the Apostleship of Prayer developed “The Pope Video” initiative to assist in the worldwide dissemination of monthly intentions of the Holy Father in relation to the challenges facing humanity.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-02/pope-francis-prayer-intention-february-2020.html

POPE: HUMAN TRAFFICKING A CRIME OF “COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE OTHER”

POPE: HUMAN TRAFFICKING A CRIME OF “COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE OTHER”

Pope Francis on April 11 addressed participants in a conference organized by the Vatican’s Migrants and Refugees Section to examine the implementation of the Pastoral Orientations on Human Trafficking.

By Robin Gomes (vaticannews)

Pope Francis on Thursday condemned trafficking in human beings as one of the most dramatic manifestations of the “commercialization of the other,” a crime against humanity that disfigures both the victims as well as those who carry it out.

Francis said, “Those who commit this crime do not only harm others, but also themselves. …In its many forms, it constitutes a wound ‘in the body of contemporary humanity’, a profound wound in the humanity of those who suffer it and those who carry it out.”

Commercialization of persons
The Holy Father lamented the “growth of individualism and egocentricity” in our times, that tend to consider others in a merely utilitarian perspective, attributing value to them according to criteria of convenience and personal advantage. This is essentially a question of a “tendency towards the commercialization of the other,” which the Pope said he has repeatedly denounced. And “among the most dramatic manifestations of this commercialization is the trafficking in persons,” he said.

Using the words of Jesus in John’s Gospel as the yardstick of the Church’s mission of mercy – “I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance” (John 10:10) – Pope Francis said tha, “trafficking disfigures the humanity of the victim, offending the person’s freedom and dignity. …At the same time, it dehumanizes those who carry it out, denying them access to ‘life in abundance’.”

The Pope explained that trafficking constitutes an unjustifiable violation of the freedom and dignity of the human being willed and created by God. For this reason, he said, trafficking it is to be considered a “crime against humanity.”

Combatting trafficking
On the contrary, all actions aimed at restoring and promoting the human dignity of the survivors of trafficking are in line with the saving mission of Christ and His Church. This, said Francis, benefits our own humanity, opening the way to the fullness of life, the ultimate goal of our existence.

The Holy Father expressed admiration for those in local Churches and the many religious congregations who work, including networking with others, in order to fight the scourge

He noted that much has been done and is being done in the fight against trafficking, but that much remains to be done. He encouraged the coordination of various pastoral initiatives, both at local and international levels, and encouraged that they join forces to tackle the problem in countries of origin, transit and destination of the people being trafficked.

In order to be more effective, the Pope underscored, the Church needs also to accept the help of other political and social actors.

POPE AT ANGELUS: JOIN FORCES TO END HUMAN TRAFFICKING

As he did at today’s Angelus, Pope Francis has spoken out many times on human trafficking. It has also been for quite some time now one of the main concerns of the United States and, in particular, the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See (see their website: https://va.usembassy.gov/)

POPE AT ANGELUS: JOIN FORCES TO END HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Pope Francis appeals for renewed efforts to protect victims of human trafficking, and to denounce the exploitation and slavery of men, women, and children.
By Christopher Wells (vaticannews)

At the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis drew attention to the “plague” of human trafficking, and called on government leaders to confront the causes of the trade in human beings.

Recalling the World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, which takes place on the feast of St Josephine Bakhita, the Holy Father said the motto for this year’s observance – “Together against Human Trafficking” – is “an invitation to join forces to overcome this challenge”. All of us, he said, “can and must work together to denounce the cases of exploitation and slavery of men, women, and children”.

Prayer sustains our commitment

The Pope insisted, “Prayer is the force that sustains our common commitment” to ending trafficking. He led the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square in a prayer to St. Josephine, who had herself suffered as a slave before her conversion to Christianity.

The following prayer was printed and distributed at the Angelus, and shown on the screens for those present:

St Josephine Bakhita, as a child you were sold as a slave, and had to face unspeakable difficulties and suffering.

Once you were freed from physical slavery, you found true redemption in the encounter with Christ and His Church.

Saint Josephine Bakhita, help all those who are trapped in slavery.
In their name, intercede with the God of mercy, that the chains of their captivity might be broken.

May God Himself free all those who have been threatened, wounded, or mistreated by the trade and trafficking of human beings. May He bring relief to those who survive this slavery, and teach them to see Jesus as a model of faith and hope, that their wounds may be healed.

We implore you to pray and intercede for all of us: that we not fall into indifference; that we may open our eyes and look upon the miseries and wounds of so many brothers and sisters deprived of their dignity and freedom, and hear their cry for help. Amen.

A strong commitment
At a press conference on Friday, the actual World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, Jesuit Father Frédéric Fornos noted Pope Francis’ strong commitment “to the fight against this scourge in its different expressions”. It is a “drama”, he said, that the Holy Father has had “in heart and in prayer for a long time”.

The scourge of human trafficking is also the subject of Pope Francis’ February prayer intention: “Let us pray for a generous welcome to the victims of human trafficking, enforced prostitution, and violence.”

VATICAN INSIDER VISITS THE VENERABLE ENGLISH COLLEGE – POPE: DUTY OF CHRISTIANS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING – VENEZUELA: POPE WANTS TO VERIFY WILL OF BOTH PARTIES FOR MEDIATION

Below you will find Pope Francis’ talk this morning to the Galileo Foundation, remarks that focussed on human trafficking. Human trafficking is an issue that is of great concern to President Trump and to the United States Embassy to the Holy See, as you will note when you visit the website (https://va.usembassy.gov/).

VATICAN INSIDER VISITS THE VENERABLE ENGLISH COLLEGE

Join me this weekend on Vatican insider for my conversation with my special guest and friend, Msgr. Philip Whitmore, rector of the Venerable English College, the English seminary in Rome. You will learn that the VEC is one of the oldest and most venerable institutions in the Eternal City. Msgr. Whitmore, rector since June 2013, is from the Archdiocese of Westminster, and before 2013 served in the Roman Curia, working first at the Congregation for Bishops and then at the Secretariat of State. He tells fascinating stories about the college, its amazing and very long history, the young men studying here, the historical Archives project, and much more. Some very surprising facts as well.

How historic are the ties between the English and Rome? As we learn from the website – http://www.vecrome.org: The links between England and Rome go back to 597 when Pope Gregory the Great sent St. Augustine to convert the English. In the centuries that followed English pilgrims travelled to Rome in ever-greater numbers, staying in hostels known as Hospices. In 1362 a Guild of English residents bought a house owned by John and Alice Shepherd, rosary bead sellers, in via di Monserrato and turned it into a pilgrim Hospice dedicated to the Trinity and St Thomas of Canterbury. Up to 100 pilgrims could lodge there, usually for 3-8 days, or if they fell ill until they recovered or succumbed to illness.

Here’s Msgr. Whitmore in the stunning St. Thomas of Canterbury Chapel at the college that today, as centuries ago, is on Via Monserrato!

More photos of the chapel including one picture of a large reliquary below the altar with relics of English martyrs. The panels you see on some of the side walls commemorate previous rectors, the founder of the College and other notable figures in its history. The statue of Our Lady came to the College in Rome in 2015 from the English seminary in Portugal which was closed a number of years ago.

Behind the altar is the Martyrs’ Picture, painted in 1583 by Durante Alberti. Msgr. Whitmore will tell you the story of the English martyrs. Every year on December 1 students celebrate the traditional singing of the Te Deum beneath the painting (my photo did not turn out that well, sorry to say):

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POPE: DUTY OF CHRISTIANS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Pope Francis on Friday received in audience members of the Galileo Foundation, telling them on the feast day of Saint Josephine Bakhita, the patron of victims of human trafficking, that Christians can follow her great example.
By Lydia O’Kane (vaticannews)

The aim of the Galileo Foundation is “to strive for a society where no one is left behind or deprived through poverty.” It also places particular emphasis on the elimination of modern slavery and human trafficking in all its forms.

Human trafficking and Christian duty to raise awareness
In his prepared remarks to members of the foundation, Pope Francis told them that they had “an essential part to play in making known the saving message of the Gospel to the people of our time, and especially to the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters.” He then encouraged the group “to keep on generously offering such important witness”, before adding, that it was an essential duty for Christians today to highlight the plight of those who suffer from exploitation, and “the deadly crime of human trafficking.”

Saint Josephine Bakhita
The 8th of February marks the World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking and is also the feast day of Saint Josephine Bakhita, the patron of victims of human trafficking. Reflecting on this 21st century Saint, the Pope said, “she knew from painful experience the reality of slavery and its humiliating and violent consequences. Yet, by God’s grace, she also came to know true freedom and joy.”

Attend the poor with gentleness and compassion
He underlined that her holiness of life was “a summons not only to fight with greater determination against modern forms of slavery which are an open wound on the body of society, a scourge upon the body of Christ and a crime against humanity, but also to learn from her great example.” “She teaches us”, he added, “how to attend to the poor with tenderness, gentleness and compassion.”

Concluding his address the Pope prayed that the members of the Galileo Foundation would be sustained “by an ever deeper rootedness in prayer, by the intercession of Saint Josephine Bakhita and by the strength, the Holy Spirit alone can give.”

VENEZUELA: POPE WANTS TO VERIFY WILL OF BOTH PARTIES FOR MEDIATION

Responding to journalists’ questions regarding the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, and the possibility of a mediation on the part of the Holy See, the interim Director of the Vatican Press Office, Alessandro Gisotti, said: “The Holy Father reserves the right to verify the will of both parties by ascertaining whether the conditions exist for following this path”.

Mediation if requested by all parties
On the flight back from Abu Dhabi to the Vatican, Pope Francis spoke to journalists on board, in similar terms: “We will see what can be done”, said the Pope. “But for a mediation to happen, you need the will of both sides: both sides need to request it. This is a condition must make them think first, before asking for help or for the presence of an observer, or for mediation. Both sides, always”.

Thinking of Venezuela while in Panama
The crisis in Venezuela reached a turning point on January 23rd when the Leader of the National Assembly, Juan Gerardo Guaidó Márquez, declared himself interim President of the country. It was the same day of the Pope arrived in Panama to celebrate World Youth Day. He addressed the people of Venezuela during the Angelus on January 27th: “Here in Panama I have thought a lot about the Venezuelan people, to whom I feel particularly united these days”, said the Pope. “In the face of the current serious situation, I ask the Lord that a just and peaceful solution be sought and reached to overcome the crisis, with respect for human rights and seeking exclusively the good of all the inhabitants of the country. I invite you to pray, placing this intercession under the protection of Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela”.

The Pope’s appeals
This is not the first appeal Pope Francis has made on behalf of Venezuela. When the crisis began in 2014, he sent a message encouraging dialogue, speaking of “the heroism of forgiveness and mercy”: elements we need, said the Pope, to free ourselves “from resentment and hatred” and to take “a truly new path”, one that requires patience and courage”, but “the only one that can lead to peace and justice”, he said.

More recently, in May 2017, Pope Francis wrote to the Venezuelan Bishops, urging them to build bridges. He expressed his “deep sorrow for the clashes and violence” that, according to recent estimates of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, have cost the lives of 43 people and about 850 arrests, in the last few days alone.

A country on its knees
The humanitarian situation in Venezuela is the greatest cause of concern of the Bishops of the country, which has been on its knees for years, despite its massive oil reserves. The latest figures tell the story: according to the FAO, 12% of the population is undernourished, and the rate of malnutrition is at its highest in 25 years. The UN estimates that about 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2015.

The voice of the Venezuelan Bishops
Bishop José Trinidad Fernández is auxiliary bishop of Caracas and secretary general of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference. “We don’t want bloodshed, for any reason in the world”, he says. “We know the people of Venezuela are peaceful”, so “a negotiated and peaceful solution is needed, one that respects everyone. The commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’ is particularly valid at this moment and this must be a process of peace, not of war”, he says. Bishop José Trinidad Fernández continues, by saying: “Ours is a request for dialogue that we have reiterated many times in our pronouncements. A dialogue that must lead to that peaceful transition and that political change the people are asking for. A political change, to go to clear and transparent elections”.

The humanitarian situation
The Church in Venezuela is also deeply concerned about the dramatic situation of the population, the lack of food and medicine: “We must open the country to humanitarian aid”, they say, emphasizing the “dramatic and unprecedented situation” in which the country finds itself. Speaking on behalf of the Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference, the Secretary General says: “We bishops are inspired by the recent Message of the Pope for the world Day of Peace, in which he speaks of the need for a good policy in the service of peace”. This is what we are trying to do at this moment, he continues, because “we no longer want to see people being arbitrarily detained, or children looking for food in the garbage”. (vaticannews)

POPE: STAFF CAN HELP MAKE PRISON A PLACE OF REDEMPTION – POPE’S FEBRUARY PRAYER INTENTION: HUMAN TRAFFICKING

In case you missed it on Monday, February 4, here’s the link to “At Home with Jim and Joy.” As I do every week with Jim and Joy, I bring some news from Rome towards the end of the show. I’ll be on again tomorrow, Friday.

As I read Pope Francis’ words today to the staff of Rome’s Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven) prison (see below), I immediately thought of a story I’ve seen on Fox News about Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary.

Its website notes that when Eastern State Penitentiary opened more than 180 years ago, it changed the world. Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world’s first true “penitentiary,” a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of prisoners.

The building itself was an architectural wonder; it had running water and central heat before the White House, and attracted visitors from around the globe. Its vaulted, sky-lit cells once held many of America’s most notorious criminals, including bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton and Al “Scarface” Capone.

For more information, including how you can take a tour: https://www.easternstate.org/research/history-eastern-state

Scary!! At this minute, Fox News is just airing their news extra on the penitentiary!

POPE: STAFF CAN HELP MAKE PRISON A PLACE OF REDEMPTION

Pope Francis meets with the directors and staff of Rome’s Regina Coeli prison, telling them that prison, with the help of its staff, can truly become a place of redemption.
By Lydia O’Kane (Vaticannews)

On Holy Thursday last year Pope Francis paid a visit to Rome’s Regina Coeli prison to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper with inmates and staff. Nearly a year on, the directors and staff of the prison were greeted by the Pope on Thursday in the Paul VI Hall. Addressing the 600 people present, Pope Francis spoke of jail as being a place of punishment and suffering, adding that, “it needs much attention and humanity.

Healing wounds
In prison he said, “everyone, penitentiary police, chaplains, educators and volunteers, are called to the difficult task of healing the wounds of those who, through mistakes made, find themselves deprived of their personal freedom.”

Prisons, the Pope observed, “need to be increasingly humanized, and it is painful to hear that they are often considered to be places of violence and illegality, where human wickedness is rampant.”

Pope Francis also commented that many prisoners who are in jail are poor; they have no references, he said, “no security, no family, no means to defend their rights, they are marginalized and abandoned to their fate. For society they are uncomfortable individuals, a waste, a burden.”

Work stress
Turning his attention to prison staff, the Pontiff noted that their jobs could be stressful and frustrating due to shortages of personnel and chronic overcrowding.

“Work-related stress caused by pressing shifts and often the distance from families are factors that weigh down a job that already involves a certain psychological effort”, the Pope said. “Therefore, professional figures like you need a personal balance and valid motivations constantly renewed.”

Prison a place of redemption
Experience shows, Pope Francis underlined, “that prison, with the help of prison workers, can truly become a place of redemption, resurrection and a change of life, and all this is possible through paths of faith, work and professional training, but especially of spiritual closeness and compassion…”

By following the example of the Good Samaritan, who cared for his wounded brother, he stressed, “this attitude of closeness, rooted in the love of Christ, can foster trust, awareness and the certainty of being loved in many inmates.”

In conclusion, the Pope encouraged those present to do their important work in the spirit of harmony and unity. “You are called to march in one direction”, he said “to help stand up and grow in hope for those who have unfortunately fallen into the trap of evil.”

POPE’S FEBRUARY PRAYER INTENTION: HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Pope Francis on Thursday released a video message accompanying his prayer intention for February, which this month is “Human Trafficking “.

In his prayer intention for the month of February 2019, Pope Francis calls us to pray for a generous welcome of the victims of human trafficking, of enforced prostitution, and of violence.

The full text of his intention:
“Although we try to ignore it, slavery is not something from other times. Faced with this tragic reality, no one can wash their hands of it without being, in some way, an accomplice to this crime against humanity. We cannot ignore the fact that there is as much slavery in the world today as there was before, or perhaps more. Let us pray for a generous welcome of the victims of human trafficking, of enforced prostitution, and of violence”

Click here for video: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-02/pope-francis-prayer-intention-february-2019.html#play

COMBAT TRAFFICKING, “A SHAMEFUL AND INTOLERABLE CRIME”

I was working for the Vatican Information Service in the Holy See Press Office in May 1992, and well remember Sunday May 17, when Josephine Bakhita and Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, were beatified by St. John Paul.  She was canonized October 1 during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. She is the patron saint of Sudan and her feast day is today, February 8.

I was entranced by the story of now Saint Josephine Bakhita and was entrusted to write the story of the beatification, and a biography of Josephine before the big day. I have spent some time just now searching for that VIS story but it appears that all articles done over a 20-year period by VIS in several languages are nowhere to be found on the Vatican website. I went to www.vatican.va, clicked on English but when I hit the search icon, nothing appeared.

I have been under the weather for 4 days now with a bad cold and am just hoping it is my inabibility to feel 100% that has inhibited my search. I’ll contact some former Vatican colleagues to get an updateon VIS files.

For now, you’ll have to settle for what the Pope says about St. Josephine in the story below.

Pope Francis tweeted today: Those who traffic human beings are ultimately accountable to God. Let us pray for the conversion of hearts. @M_RSection

COMBAT TRAFFICKING, “A SHAMEFUL AND INTOLERABLE CRIME”

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis appealed to government leaders to be strong in the fight against the scourge of human trafficking.

Marking Wednesday’s ‘International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking’, the Pope had words of encouragement for all those who in different ways, help minors who have been enslaved and abused to be freed from this terrible oppression. This day takes place annually on February 8, and focused this year on the trafficking of children and adolescents.

“I urge all those in government positions to combat this scourge with firmness, giving voice to our younger brothers and sisters who have been wounded in their dignity. All efforts must be made to eradicate this shameful and intolerable crime” he said.

He explained that the ‘International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking” falls on the feast day Saint Josephine Bakhita, “this enslaved, exploited and humiliated girl in Africa never lost hope,” he said, “but persevered in her faith and ended up as a migrant in Europe where she heard the call of the Lord and became a nun. Let’s pray to Saint Josephine Bakhita for all migrants and refugees who are exploited and suffer so much.”