VATICAN INSIDER: YEAR ROUND NATIVITY SCENES IN ITALY
Tune in this weekend to Vatican Insider not only for a Vatican news roundup but to listen to a Special I have prepared in lieu of an interview!
For many in Italy – institutions, churches, businesses and families – the Christmas season lasts up to and including the February 2 feast of the Presentation. For decades under Popes John Paul and Benedict XVI, the Christmas tree and nativity scene stayed up in St. Peter’s Square until that date, as did many of the presepe in various Vatican offices, in the Paul VI Hall and places like the Vatican post office, bringing the Christmas spirit of joy to countless people.
So, in that prolonged Christmas season and spirit of joy, this week I bring you a special on some extraordinary nativity scenes that you can actually see all year round in Italy. Gather the children around, the young and young at heart, as you listen to this special.
Here’s a clue to one spot! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG83Ra-oH3I
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POPE HANDS SPEECH TO UNIVERSITY GROUP, SAYS HE IS “A LITTLE SHORT OF BREATH”
In today’s issue of Starting Seven, The Pillar’s daily newsletter, Luke Coppen quotes a story reported by Agensir about a papal audience today with a university group in which Pope Francis talks about “shortness of breath.” Agensir (Religious Information Service) was founded in 1988 on the initiative of the Italian Federation of Catholic Weeklies and with the support of the CEI (Italian Episcopal Conference).
Vatican news photo
In Starting Seven, Coppen wrote: During a Jan. 19 audience with Catholic university representatives, Pope Francis said that he was “a bit short of breath” and unable to “deliver a lengthy address” (agensir.it).
Following are the Pope’s words via a Google-aided translation from the Italian:
“I have a long speech to read, but I’m breathing a little hard; you see, still this cold that won’t go away! I take the liberty of delivering the text to you for your reading. And thank you, thank you very much.” The Pope said this off the cuff at the beginning of the audience granted to a delegation of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (FIUC), on the occasion of the celebration of the centenary of its foundation.
Agensir’s report on the papal remarks continues: “I would like to thank you for this meeting, for the good that the universities, our Catholic universities, do,” Francis continued off the cuff, before delivering the speech prepared for the occasion: “sowing science, the Word of God and ‘true humanism. Thank you so much. And don’t get tired of moving forward: always forward, with the beautiful mission of Catholic universities. It is not confessionality that gives them identity: it is one aspect, but not the only one; it is perhaps that clear humanism, that humanism that makes us understand that man has values and that they must be respected: this is perhaps the most beautiful and greatest thing about your universities. Thank you very much.”
Joan's Rome 