POPE’S MAY PRAYER INTENTION: FOR THE FORMATION OF MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS – ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOP SIGNS ROME CALL FOR ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT OF AI

POPE’S MAY PRAYER INTENTION: FOR THE FORMATION OF MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS

Pope Francis releases his prayer intention for the month of May: For the formation of men and women religious and for seminarians. In his video message, the Pope emphasises the ongoing development of their vocations through grace, prayer, community, and witness to the Gospel.

In his video announcing his Prayer intention for the month of May, Pope Francis recalls that every vocation is a “diamond in the rough” that needs to be polished, worked, and shaped on every side.

The Holy Father notes that “a good priest, sister, or nun, must above all else be a man, a woman who is formed, shaped by the Lord’s grace”. These are people who are aware of their own limitations and who are willing to “lead a life of prayer, of dedicated witness to the Gospel”.

In his message entrusted to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the Pope reminds us that beginning in the seminary or novitiate, their preparation must develop integrally in direct contact with the lives of other people. This, he added, “is essential”.

It is important to note that formation does not end at a specific moment, such as ordination, but rather continues throughout life, integrating the person intellectually, humanly, affectively, and spiritually.

Preparation continues into that of living in a community. “Life in community is so enriching, even though it can be difficult at times”.

“Living together is not the same as living in community,” adds the Pope.

Finally, Pope Francis asks that we pray that “men and women religious, and seminarians, grow in their own vocational journey through human, pastoral, spiritual, and community formation, that leads them to be credible witnesses of the Gospel”.

To see video: Pope’s May Prayer Intention: For the formation of men and women religious – Vatican News

ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOP SIGNS ROME CALL FOR ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT OF AI

Today, in a ceremony at the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, signed the Rome Call for AI Ethics.

A press release from the academy noted that the Rome Call for AI Ethics ((www.romecall.org), finalized in February 2020, “commits signatories to follow what its principles call for in terms of transparency, inclusion, accountability, impartiality, reliability, security and privacy. Since the launch, noted the relrase, many stakeholders have signed it including representatives from the Abrahamic religions and the Italian government, and players such as Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco.”

The document calls for the ethical development of Artificial Intelligence that serves humanity rather than profit and resists the gradual replacement of people in the workplace, as well as a respect for our common home.

The interfaith signing of the Rome Call for AI Ethics by Archbishop Justin Welby, said the academy release, is part of the major events promoted and implemented by the RenAIssance Foundation, established on April 12, 2021 by Pope Francis with public canonical legal personality.

An Instrumental body of the Pontifical Academy for Life, the Foundation is based in Vatican City State. The non-profit RenAIssance Foundation aims to support the anthropological and ethical reflection of new technologies on human life, promoted by the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Archbishop Welby, one of the senior leaders of the Anglican Communion, along with other archbishops, bishops and church moderators are currently meeting in Rome for the 2024 Primates Meeting. That runs April 29 to May 3.

MARCH PRAYER INTENTION: FOR THE MARTYRS OF OUR DAY, WITNESSES TO CHRIST

MARCH PRAYER INTENTION: FOR THE MARTYRS OF OUR DAY, WITNESSES TO CHRIST

Pope Francis’ prayer intention or March:  We pray that those who risk their lives for the Gospel in various parts of the world inflame the Church with their courage and missionary enthusiasm.

This month, I want to tell you a story that is a reflection of the Church today. It is
the story of a little-known witness of faith.

Visiting a refugee camp in Lesbos, a man told me, “Father, I am Muslim. My wife
was Christian. Terrorists came to our place, looked at us and asked what our
religion was. They approached my wife with a crucifix and told her to throw it on
the ground. She didn’t do it, and they slit her throat in front of me.” That’s what
happened.

I know he held no grudges. He was focused on his wife’s example of love, a love
for Christ that led her to accept, and to be faithful to the point of death.
Brothers, sisters, there will always be martyrs among us. This is a sign that we’re
on the right path.

A person who knows told me there are more martyrs today than at the beginning
of Christianity.

The courage of the martyrs, the witness of the martyrs, is a blessing for everyone.
Let us pray that those who risk their lives for the Gospel in various parts of the
world might imbue the Church with their courage and missionary drive. And to
be open to the grace of martyrdom.

Francis

Click for papal video with English subtitles: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-02/pope-francis-prayer-intention-month-of-march-martyrs-witnesses.html

 

POPE FRANCIS’ DECEMBER PRAYER INTENTION: FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

The last bulletin on Pope Francis’ bout with an inflammation of his lungs was posted yesterday morning at 10:3o on Vatican news and I brought that news to you on Joan’s Rome. Nothing new today. The Pope had no fever yesterday and we hope that continues to be the case.

This morning Francis received the bishops of Spain and tomorrow he is scheduled to preside at the weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall. The Spanish bishops are holding a press conference as I write but nothing has been reported on Vatican news.

Here is a fascinating piece on that meeting from The Starting Seven with Luke Coppen: https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/starting-seven-november-28-2023

Scroll down to 🧐 LOOK CLOSER

POPE FRANCIS’ DECEMBER PRAYER INTENTION: FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

People with disabilities are among the most fragile among us.
Some of them suffer rejection, rooted in either ignorance or prejudice, which then marginalizes them.

Civil institutions need to support their projects through access to education, employment, and places where they can express their creativity.

Programs and initiatives are needed that promote their inclusion. Above all else, big hearts are needed who want to accompany. It means changing our mentality a little and opening ourselves to the abilities and talents of these people who are differently abled, both in society as well as in the life of the Church.

And so, creating a completely accessible parish does not only mean eliminating physical barriers. It also assumes that we stop talking about “them” and start talking about “us.”

Let us pray that people with disabilities may be at the center of attention in society, and that institutions offer inclusion programs that enhance their active participation.

The video of Pope Francis speaking, with English subtitles, is not yet on vaticannews.va as I am about to post this column.  You can find it in Italian at ilvideodelpapa.org
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SEPTEMBER PRAYER INTENTION: FOR PEOPLE LIVING ON THE MARGINS – HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE: POPE DID NOT EXALT IMPERIALIST LOGIC IN REMARKS ABOUT RUSSIA

The Holy See Press Office today released the official calendar of Pope Francis’ Liturgical Celebrations for September and October 2023, which includes Masses during the Apostolic Journey to Marseille, France; the Consistory; and for the opening and closing of the Synod in October. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-08/vatican-publishes-pope-liturgical-schedule-for-september.html

SEPTEMBER PRAYER INTENTION: FOR PEOPLE LIVING ON THE MARGINS

Following is Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September 2023:

A homeless person who dies on the street will never appear among the top stories of search engines or newscasts.

How could we have reached this level of indifference?

How is it that we allow the “throwaway culture” – in which millions of men and women are worth nothing compared to economic goods – how is it that we allow this culture to dominate our lives, our cities, our way of life?

Our necks are going to get stiff from looking the other way so we don’t have to see this situation.

Please, let’s stop making invisible those who are on the margins of society, whether it’s due to poverty, addictions, mental illness or disability.

Let’s focus on accepting them, on welcoming all the people who need it.

The “culture of welcoming,” of hospitality, of providing shelter, of giving a home, of offering love, of giving human warmth.

Let us pray for those people on the margins of society in subhuman living conditions, that they may not be neglected by institutions and never be cast out.

For Vatican news video: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-08/pope-francis-september-prayer-intention-marginalization.html

HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE: POPE DID NOT EXALT IMPERIALIST LOGIC IN REMARKS ABOUT RUSSIA

The director of the Holy See Press Office today clarified Pope Francis’ remarks on Russia made on 25 August during a video link-up with participants at the Russian Youth Day in St Petersburg, saying the Pope “intended to encourage young people to preserve and promote what is positive in Russia’s great cultural and spiritual heritage.”

By Salvatore Cernuzio

“In the words of greeting addressed to several young Russian Catholics a few days ago, as is clear from the context in which he pronounced them, the Pope intended to encourage young people to preserve and promote what is positive in Russia’s great cultural and spiritual heritage, and certainly not to exalt imperialistic logics and governmental personalities, cited to indicate certain historical periods of reference.”

Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, made that clarification on Tuesday regarding the words spoken by Pope Francis at the end of a virtual meeting on 25 August with participants in the Russian Youth Day that had opened three days earlier in St Petersburg.

To the young people gathered in the Russian city’s St. Catherine’s Basilica, the Pope, after reiterating the invitation to be “sowers of seeds of reconciliation”, asked them to never forget their “heritage”.

He then referred to ‘great Russia’ and its cultural history, and cited Peter the Great and Catherine II.

The Pope’s words – published on the website of the Church of the Mother of God in Moscow – provoked several protests from Ukraine, which criticised the Pope’s greeting as an encouragement of imperialist ideas.

A reaction from Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, followed a few hours later.

The nunciature in Kyiv, however, rejected all interpretations, stating that Pope Francis “is a convinced opponent and critic of any form of imperialism or colonialism, in all peoples and situations. The words of the Roman Pontiff, pronounced on 25 August, should also be interpreted in this same key.”

POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTION FOR AUGUST: FOR WORLD YOUTH DAY – POPE FRANCIS RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF VIETNAM

This is another one of those days that a story brings wonderful memories back to me. In the case of the second story today about Pope Francis’ meeting with the president of Vietnam, I smiled at the memories of my 10-day trip to Vietnam 10 years ago (already!). This is a country with a small but thriving Catholic community (the largest Catholic community in Asia after the Philippines!) and I had ample evidence every day of my visit!  I posted many blogs and many more photos.

I’d love to think that today’s news is a positive development on the path (one hopes, someday) to diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

Here is a link to one of my posts about Vietnam: https://joansrome.wordpress.com/2017/08/30/ewtn-documentary-honors-fr-vincent-capodanno-50-years-after-death-good-morning-vietnam-finding-faith-in-a-faraway-land/  Scroll down to “GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM! FINDING FAITH IN A FARAWAY LAND.” WordPress only keeps photos on blogs for a short period so the great pix I posted are no longer visible.

POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTION FOR AUGUST: FOR WORLD YOUTH DAY

YOUTH: When I go to the church in my neighborhood, I see only old people. Is the Church only for old people?

POPE FRANCIS: The Church is not an old people’s club any more than it is a youth club. If it becomes something for old people, it will die. Saint John Paul II used to say that if you live with young people you become young yourself. The Church needs young people so it doesn’t grow old.

YOUTH: Dear Pope Francis, why did you choose the theme “Mary arose and went with haste” for this WYD?

POPE FRANCIS: Because as soon as Mary knew she was going to be the mother of God, she didn’t stay there taking a selfie or showing off. The first thing she did was to set out on a journey, in haste, to serve, to help. You too have to learn from her to set out on a journey to help others.

YOUTH: What is your hope for WYD in Lisbon?

POPE FRANCIS: In Lisbon, I would like to see a seed for the world’s future. A world where love is at the center, where we can sense that we are sisters and brothers. We are at war; we need something else. A world that is not afraid of witnessing to the Gospel. A joyful world – because if we Christians have no joy, we are not credible, no one will believe us.

Let us pray that the World Youth Day in Lisbon will help us young people to set out on the journey, witnessing to the Gospel with our own lives.

CLICK HERE For Vatican story with papal video: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-07/pope-francis-august-prayer-intention-world-youth-day-2023-lisbon.html

POPE FRANCIS RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF VIETNAM

JOINT COMMUNIQUE ON CONCLUSION OF AGREEMENT ON THE STATUS OF THE RESIDENT PAPAL REPRESENTATIVE AND THE OFFICE OF THE RESIDENT PAPAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HOLY SEE IN VIET NAM

(Holy See Press Office) On the occasion of the visit by the President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, H.E. Vo Van Thuong to the Vatican on 27 July 2023, on the basis of the 10th Session of the Joint Working Group between Viet Nam and the Holy See on 31 March 2023 in the Vatican, and with the desire to continue advancing bilateral relations, the two sides officially announce that the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Holy See concluded the “Agreement on the Status of the Resident Papal Representative and the Office of the Resident Papal Representative in Viet Nam”.

At the talks between President Vo Van Thuong and Pope Francis, and Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin respectively, the two sides expressed high appreciation for the noteworthy progress in the relations between Viet Nam and the Holy See, and the positive contributions by the Catholic community of Viet Nam thus far.

Both sides expressed their confidence that the Resident Papal Representative will fulfill the role and mandate given in the Agreement, provide support to the Vietnamese Catholic community in their undertakings in the spirit of the law and, always inspired by the Magisterium of the Church, to
fulfill the vocation of “accompanying the nation” and to be “good Catholics and good citizens”, and contribute to the development of the country, while the Representative will be a bridge to advance relations between Viet Nam and the Holy See.

PAPAL PRAYER INTENTION FOR MAY; FOR ECCLESIAL MOVEMENTS AND GROUPS – VATICAN NEWS: IN-FLIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE ON RETURN TO ROME FROM HUNGARY – MEDIA ON PAPAL HEALTH REMARKS AND SECRET PEACE MISSION

PAPAL PRAYER INTENTION FOR MAY; FOR ECCLESIAL MOVEMENTS AND GROUPS

In his May 2023 prayer intention:, Pope Francis prays that ecclesial movements and groups might daily rediscover their evangelizing mission. He calls them a “gift” and a “treasure” in the Church. CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO: Pope’s May prayer intention: For ecclesial movements and groups – Vatican News

VATICAN NEWS: IN-FLIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE ON RETURN TO ROME FROM HUNGARY

I find these in-flight pressers, as well as interviews of Pope Francis by individual journalists, quite revealing for many reasons. Often they offer far more information on a particular issue than the Vatican news does on the same story. One example: we usually learn more about papal health issues, treatment and medications from the Holy Father himself than from official sources, as you can see from Francis’ answer to Aura Miguel about his March health scare.

PAPAL HEALTH:  Aura Maria Vistas Miguel, of Portugal’s Rádio Renascença asked the Holy Father: Your next stop is Lisbon. How do you feel about your health? We were taken by surprise when you went to hospital; you said you fainted. So do you feel you have the energy to go to World Youth Day? And would you like an event with a Ukrainian and a Russian youth as a sign for the new generations?

Pope Francis: First of all, [my] health. What I had was a sudden, strong illness at the end of the (March 29) Wednesday Audience. I didn’t feel like having lunch; I laid down for a bit. I didn’t lose consciousness, but yes, I had a very high fever and at three in the afternoon the doctor immediately took me to hospital. I had severe acute pneumonia in the lower part of the lung—thank God, I can tell you about it—to such an extent that the organism, the body, responded well. Thank God. This is what I had.

About Lisbon: The day before I left I spoke with Bishop Americo [Aguiar, auxiliary bishop of Lisbon], who came to see how things are there. I will go. I will go. I hope to make it. You can see that it is not the same as two years ago, with the cane. Now it is better. For the moment the trip is not cancelled.

A SECRET PEACE MISSION FOR UKRAINE? Eliana Ruggiero, an Italian journalist, asked Francis: If somehow (Metropolitan Hilarion and also (Hungarian Prime Minister) Viktor Orbán could accelerate the peace process in Ukraine and also make a meeting between you and Putin possible, if they could act “as intermediaries”?

Pope Francis: You can imagine that in this meeting we not only talked about Little Red Riding Hood, right? We talked about all these things (migrants, open borders). We talked about this because everyone is interested in the road to peace. I am willing. I am willing to do whatever needs to be done. Also, there is a mission going on now, but it is not public yet. Let’s see how … When it is public I will talk about it.

He also said: “Metropolitan Hilarion is someone I respect very much, and we have always had a good relationship. And he was kind enough to come and see me, then he came to the Mass, and I saw him here at the airport as well. Hilarion is an intelligent person with whom one can talk, and these relationships need to be maintained, because if we talk about ecumenism – I like this, I don’t like this – we must have an outstretched hand with everyone, even receive their hand.

“With Patriarch Kirill I have spoken only once since the war began, 40 minutes via zoom, then through Anthony, who is in Hilarion’s place now, who comes to see me. He is a bishop who was a parish priest in Rome and knows the environment well, and always through him I am in connection with Kirill.

“There was a meeting that we were to have in Jerusalem in July or June last year, but it was suspended because of the war: that will have to take place. And then, with the Russians I have a good relationship with the ambassador who is now leaving; he has been the ambassador in the Vatican for seven years, he is a great man, a man comme il faut, a serious, cultured and balanced person. My relationship with the Russians is mainly with this ambassador.”

MEDIA ON PAPAL HEALTH REMARKS AND SECRET PEACE MISSION

PAPAL HEALTH: On May 1, 2023, Catholic Culture had this report, with additional background information so that the papal remarks can be put in perspective:

Pope Francis discussed the illness that led to his brief hospitalization late in March, during an exchange with reporters on his return flight from Hungary.

“I had severe acute pneumonia,” the Pope revealed.

That explanation contradicts statements issued by Vatican officials during the Pope’s stay in the Gemelli Hospital. The Vatican had originally attributed the Pope’s hospitalization to a “respiratory infection,” and later to “bronchitis”—specifically denying that he suffered from pneumonia.

Last week a friend reported that the Pope had been unconscious when he arrived at the hospital. Pope Francis contradicted that report as well. “I didn’t lose consciousness,” he said, but he said, “I had a very high fever.”

Pope Francis responded quickly to treatment in the hospital. He was discharged after three days, and quickly resumed his normal schedule, showing no lingering signs of his bout with the disease.

Just two days after he was rushed to the hospital, after suffering breathing difficulties following a public audience on March 29, the Pope was feeling well enough to visit a ward for pediatric cancer patients—a visit that would not likely have been approved if the Pontiff had a contagious disease. Pneumonia is not regarded as contagious if it is the result of chronic bronchitis. Vatican reporters have speculated that the Pope’s dramatic gain in weight in recent months is the result of steroid treatment to combat chronic bronchitis. The Vatican has not directly addressed that speculation.

A SECRET PEACE MISSION?

Also Catholic Culture: Pope Francis said that the Vatican is involved in a secret mission to bring peace to Ukraine, in an exchange with reporters during his flight home from a visit to Hungary.

“There is a mission underway now, but it is not yet public,” the Pope said. He declined to say more about the effort. “When it is public, will reveal it,” he said.

The Pope stressed that he is “available to do anything” for the cause of peace. He sidestepped questions about whether he had pursued his secret mission during his three-day visit to Hungary.

During the trip the Pope met with Metropolitan Hilarion, who was once the chief foreign-affairs official of the Russian Orthodox Church. However Hilarion was removed from that post after criticizing the Russian offensive in Ukraine, which the Moscow Patriarchate has supported.

During his in-flight interview he Pope appeared to indicate that he was not in close touch with the current leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church, saying that he had “spoken only once since the war began” with the Russian Patriarch Kirill. Speaking highly of Aleksandr Avdeyev, the Russian ambassador to the Holy See, the Pope said: “My relationship with the Russians is mainly with this ambassador.”

CNN, on the other hand, reports that Ukraine is not aware of Pope Francis’ peace initiative to end the war that he announced on his way back to Rome from Hungary. CNN cites an anonymous Ukrainian official close to the Office of the President of Ukraine who reportedly said, “”President Zelenskyy has not consented to any such discussions on Ukraine’s behalf. If talks are happening, they are happening without our knowledge or our blessing.”

POPE MOURNS AND PRAYS FOR LATE L.A. BISHOP DAVID O’CONNELL – MARCH PAPAL PRAYER INTENTION: FOR VICTIMS OF ABUSE

POPE MOURNS AND PRAYS FOR LATE L.A. BISHOP DAVID O’CONNELL

Pope Francis sends condolences for the death of the late Bishop David O’Connell of Los Angeles, sending prayers and praising his witness as a priest close to the people.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov                                              Pope Francis has expressed his sorrow for the death of Los Angeles Bishop David O’Connell.

In a telegram sent on the Pope’s behalf by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to Archbishop José H. Gómez of Los Angeles, the Holy Father mourned the much-loved bishop known for being close to the people, and praised his witness as a priest.

“Deeply saddened to learn of the untimely and tragic death of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, His Holiness Pope Francis sends heartfelt condolences and the assurance of his spiritual closeness to you, the clergy, religious, and lay faithful of the Archdiocese.”

Gratitude for Bishop O’Connell’s ministry

The Pope said he joined in giving thanks for the Bishop’s years of devoted priestly and episcopal ministry to the Church in Los Angeles, “marked especially by his profound concern for the poor, immigrants and those in need, his efforts to uphold the sanctity and dignity of God’s gift of life and his zeal for fostering solidarity, cooperation and peace within the local community.”

“In commending the late Bishop’s soul to the love and mercy of Christ the Good Shepherd, His Holiness prays that all who honor his memory will be confirmed in the resolve to reject the ways of violence and overcome evil with good.”

The Holy Father concluded by imparting his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and consolation in the Lord.

The Bishop’s funeral Mass will take place tomorrow, 3 March.

Murder of a loved Bishop

Carlos Medina, the husband of Bishop David O’Connell’s housekeeper, was charged with the murder of the late Irish-born Auxiliary Bishop.

Bishop O’Connell, 69, was found dead on Saturday, 18 Feb., with a gunshot wound to the chest in the bedroom of his home in Hacienda Heights, about 30 kilometers east of downtown Los Angeles.

The late Bishop O’Connell was a native of County Cork, Ireland, and ordained to serve in the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 1979, where for many years he focused on gang intervention, according to Angelus News, a local diocesan news platform.

He later sought to broker peace between residents and law enforcement following the violent 1992 uprising after a jury acquitted four white LA police officers in the brutal beating of Rodney King.

In recent years, he also spearheaded Catholic efforts in the region to work with immigrant children and families from Central America.

Always close to the people

Pope Francis appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles on 21 June 2015.

His violent death has caused shock and sadness in the Catholic community of Los Angeles, but also in his native Cork.

Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez on Monday described him as “a good priest and a good bishop and a man of peace” who showed “compassion to the poor, to the homeless, immigrants, and to all those living on society’s margins.”

“We’re very sad to lose him,” he added, expressing his gratitude to the investigative team “for their hard work in bringing the suspect into custody.”

Bishop Fintan Gavin, of Cork and Ross in Ireland, said in a statement that the late bishop “had always maintained his connection with family and friends in Cork” through frequent visits back to Ireland.

MARCH PAPAL PRAYER INTENTION: FOR VICTIMS OF ABUSE

In his monthly video with a prayer intention, we hear the Pope intercede this month for Victims of Abuse.

He says: “Ask for forgiveness. Asking for forgiveness is necessary, but it is not enough. Asking for forgiveness is good for the victims, but they are the ones who have to be ‘at the center’ of everything. Their pain and their psychological wounds can begin to heal if they find answers —if there are concrete actions to repair the horrors they have suffered and to prevent them from happening again.

“The Church cannot try to hide the tragedy of abuse of any kind,” says the Holy Father. “Nor when the abuse takes place in families, in clubs, or in other types of institutions. The Church must serve as a model to help solve the issue and bring it to light in society and in families. The Church must offer safe spaces for victims to be heard, supported psychologically, and protected. Let us pray for those who have suffered because of the wrongs done to them from members of the Church; may they find within the Church herself a concrete response to their pain and suffering.”

To see video: Pope’s March prayer intention: For victims of abuse – Vatican News

POPE’S DECEMBER PRAYER INTENTION: FOR VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS

POPE’S DECEMBER PRAYER INTENTION: FOR VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS

Pope Francis released his prayer intention for December, asking the faithful to pray that volunteer organizations, and those who work in them, may work as “artisans of mercy.” In the last Pope Video of the year, The Holy Father encourages volunteer organizations and volunteers to continue in their labor promoting human dignity and the common good, working “not just for the people, but with the people, being close to them, and listening to their needs.”

To see his video with English subtitles, click here: Pope’s December prayer intention: For volunteer organizations – Vatican News

PAPAL NOVEMBER PRAYER INTENTION: FOR CHILDREN WHO SUFFER

A little heads up on Pope Francis’ schedule for coming days…

Tomorrow, November 1, All Saints Day and a holy day of obligation in the Church, Francis will recite the Angelus at noon and, at 5:30 pm at St. John Lateran basilica, he will ordain permanent deacons. November 1 is a big holiday in Italy and the Vatican and many Italians took today off of work, creating a “ponte” or bridge between the weekend and the Tuesday holiday. Rome has seen huge crowds for weeks now and they are even bigger with the “ponte,” but the continuing beautiful weather has surely helped the travel scenario!

November 2, All Souls Day, the Holy Father will say Mass at 11 in St. Peter’s for the cardinals and bishops who died in the last year. At 12:30 he is scheduled to visit the Teutonic cemetery in the Vatican. It’s been a tradition of his to visit a cemetery on All Souls Day.

November 3 to 6 the Pope will visit Bahrain.

PAPAL NOVEMBER PRAYER INTENTION: FOR CHILDREN WHO SUFFER

Pope Francis released his prayer intention for November, inviting everyone to pray for the millions of children who are suffering around the world, especially for those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war.

By Vatican News staff writer

“An abandoned child is our fault,” says Pope Francis in the video prepared by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network announcing his prayer intention for November.

In the video, Pope Francis calls on Catholics to pray for children who are suffering due to rejection, destitution, poverty, and conflict around the world.

“There are still millions of boys and girls who suffer and live in conditions very similar to slavery,” the Pope said, emphasizing that these children are not “numbers” but “human beings with names and an identity that God has given them.”

Every marginalized child living without schooling, without a family, without health care, the Pope continued, is “a cry,” a cry “that rises up to God and shames the system that we adults have built.”

Every child has the right to access basic needs

The Pope continued by saying every child should have the right to access basic services and be able to feel the warmth and love of a family: “We can no longer allow them to feel alone and abandoned — they are entitled to an education and to feel the love of a family so they know that God does not forget them.”

One billion children living in poverty

According to UNICEF, one billion children currently live in “multidimensional poverty” — that is without basic access to education, health care, shelter, food, sanitation, or water; the agency also estimates that 153 million children are orphans.

Fr. Frédéric Fornos, S.J., International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, provided his thoughts on the November prayer intention, saying that this month, Pope Francis “opens our eyes, ears, and hearts to millions of forgotten children who suffer in silence on the streets and in hidden labour, victims of violence and war, migrants and refugees. In the face of indifference and impotence, we must pray.”

It is our responsibility, the Pope concluded in the video, that no child feels left alone or abandoned — “they are entitled to an education and to feel the love of a family so they know that God does not forget them.”

FOR VIDEO: Pope’s November prayer intention: ‘For children who suffer’ – Vatican News

 

PAPAL PRAYER INTENTION FOR AUGUST: FOR SMALL BUSINESSES – AGENDA FOR PAPAL TRIP TO KAZAKHSTAN IN SEPTEMBER

PAPAL PRAYER INTENTION FOR AUGUST: FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Pope Francis releases his prayer intention for the month of August, urging special prayers for small businesses.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov (vaticannews)

As August kicks off, Pope Francis is calling on Catholics to pray for small and medium-sized businesses, so that “in the midst of economic and social crisis, they find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities.”

The Pope released his monthly prayer intention on Tuesday in a video prepared by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. (NB: video ahs English subtitles)

In the message, he recognizes the “courage, effort and sacrifice” of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, and acknowledges that they are among the most affected by “the grave socio-economic crisis,” brought to new heights by wars and the devastating Covid-19 pandemic.

According to statistics for 2021 from the World Bank, one in four companies lost half of their volume of sales because of the global pandemic. Further exacerbating their reality is that they do not receive adequate public assistance.

Constant sacrifices and hard work to help others

In his video message, the Pope praised those who through their workshops or shops “invest in life,” by “generating well-being, opportunities and work.”

The Holy Father acknowledged their hard work and constant sacrifices made, in order to invest in the common good.

“Stores, workshops, cleaning businesses, transportation businesses, and so many others. The ones that don’t appear on the world’s richest and most powerful lists, and despite the difficulties, they create jobs, fulfilling their social responsibility.”

The Holy Father concluded his video message remembering the value of small businesses.

“Let us pray for small and medium-sized businesses, hard hit by the economic and social crisis, so they may find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities.”

The ‘great importance’ of small businesses

Father Federic Fornos, S.J., the International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Network, reflected on the intention.

“The crises that we are going through, are—as the Pope says—a ‘Noah moment,’” he said, are “an opportunity to build something different. In this sense, small and medium-sized businesses are of great importance, with their creative force and their capacity to contribute solutions from the bottom up.”

“Without them, it would not have been possible to make it through the COVID crisis, and they continue to be necessary now. This is why it is important to pray for them.”

Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and Pope Video

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is a Vatican foundation, with the mission of mobilizing Catholics through prayer and action in response to the challenges facing humanity and the mission of the Church. Founded in 1844 as the Apostleship of Prayer, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network currently is present in 89 countries and is made up of more than 22 million Catholics. The Pope Video is an official global initiative with the purpose of disseminating the Holy Father’s monthly prayer intentions.

AGENDA FOR PAPAL TRIP TO KAZAKHSTAN IN SEPTEMBER

Kazakhstan’s capital of Nur-Sultan is a 6 ½ hour flight from Rome. The return flight is 7 ½ hours. The country is 4 hours ahead of Italy.

FYI: The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation will be the focal point of the Pope’s attendance at the conference. It has been a top tourist and visitors’ site since 2006, offers unique cultural and religious exhibits and spaces for meetings and cultural encounters. One of the more unusual facts is its diagonal moving elevator inside, one of only several in the world. It is also called the Pyramid of Peace and Reconciliation.

TUESDAY, 13 September 2022 Rome – Nur-Sultan

07:15 Departure by airplane from Rome/Fiumicino international airport to Nur-Sultan

17:45 Arrival at Nur-Sultan international airport

17:45 – 18:30   Official welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Nur Sultan

18:45 Courtesy visit to the president of the republic

19:30 Meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps at the Qazaq concert hall. Address of the Holy Father

WEDNESDAY, 14 September 2022 Nur-Sultan

10:00   Silent prayer of religious leaders. Opening and plenary session of the “VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions” at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. Address of the Holy Father

12:00   Private meetings with various religious leaders at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation

16:45 Holy Mass in the Expo Grounds. Homily of the Holy Father

THURSDAY, 15 September 2022   Nur-Sultan – Rome

09:00 Private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus at the Apostolic Nunciature

10:30 Meeting with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and pastoral workers in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral. Address of the Holy Father

15:00 Reading of the Final Declaration and Conclusion of the Congress at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. Address of the Holy Father.

16:15 Farewell ceremony at Nur-Sultan international airport

16:45 Departure by airplane from Nur-Sultan international airport to Rome

20:15 Arrival at Rome/Fiumicino international airport