POPE FRANCIS TO TAKE SUMMER BREAK AS OF JULY 1 – POPE FRANCIS IS SENDING CARDINAL MATTEO ZUPPI AS HIS ENVOY TO MOSCOW – CARDINAL KRAJEWSKI VISITS UKRAINE ON “EVANGELICAL EXPEDITION” – POPE ACCEPTS RESIGNATION OF BISHOP STIKA OF KNOXVILLE

POPE FRANCIS TO TAKE SUMMER BREAK AS OF JULY 1

In keeping with custom during the summer season, all of Pope Francis’ audiences – including the general audiences and those with particular groups – will be temporarily suspended throughout the month of July. This was announced today by the Prefecture of the Papal Household through a statement from the Holy See Press Office. Papal audiences will resume in August, with the first general audience scheduled for Wednesday, 9 August. Pope’s audiences temporarily suspended in July for summer break – Vatican News

POPE FRANCIS IS SENDING CARDINAL MATTEO ZUPPI AS HIS ENVOY TO MOSCOW

Cardinal Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, will embark on a visit June 28-29, 2023, that aims to strengthen “gestures of humanity that can contribute to promoting a solution to the current tragic situation and find paths toward a just peace.”

Accompanied by an official from the Secretariat of State, he will likely uphold Pope Francis desire for a resolution to the war on the European continent. The Pope has been a vocal advocate for peace, consistently calling on world leaders and individuals alike to work towards resolving conflict through peaceful means. He has made countless appeals for prayers for people suffering due to the war in Ukraine. Cardinal Zuppi visited Kyiv June 5-6 June, during which he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other high-level government officials. Cardinal Zuppi to visit Moscow as Pope Francis’ peace envoy – Vatican News

CARDINAL KRAJEWSKI VISITS UKRAINE ON “EVANGELICAL EXPEDITION”

Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the Papal Almoner, is currently visiting the Ukrainian city of Kherson for his sixth mission to provide aid and solace to the war-torn country and its affected population. In recent weeks, the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson experienced the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, resulting in the flooding of more than 80 villages and towns, the devastation of 20,000 hectares of farmland, and the spilling of over 150 tons of oil. Cardinal Krajewski arrived in Kherson, driving a truck laden with food supplies (mainly sourced from South Korea, including over 100,000 freeze-dried soups). He also brought with him vital medicines from the Vatican, Gemelli Hospital, and a solidarity fund based in Naples. (Vatican media)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Departing from Rome on June 22, the Cardinal embarked on a journey of over 3,125 kilometers. “So many roads, so many kilometers,” he recounted. After spending Sunday night in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, Cardinal Krajewski visited Drohobyč on Monday, the area’s second-largest economic center located nearly 100 kilometers from Lviv. He toured a Greek Catholic humanitarian center that extends aid and refuge to those in need. The Cardinal then visited a local hospital, a center for alcoholics, and a children’s center, which now serves as a sanctuary for refugees during vacations. On Tuesday, Cardinal Krajewski traveled to Mikołajów, where he visited an active parish that remarkably remains open despite extensive Russian bombardment.  https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-06/cardinal-konrad-krajewski-ukraine-kherson-interview.html

POPE ACCEPTS RESIGNATION OF BISHOP STIKA OF KNOXVILLE

The Vatican announced today that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika of the diocese of Knoxville. Bishop Stika also announced on his Facebook page that the Pope had accepted his resignation letter,  sent a month ago to the Holy Father. Stika turns 66 on July 4. Bishops rarely retire before the mandatory age of 75 unless a health issue intervenes. On a bishop’s 75^th birthday he is required by law to submit his resignation to the Pope. The diocese announced that Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville, will be the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Knoxville and serve until the appointment and installation of a new bishop.

Stika wrote on Facebook, “I recognize that questions about my leadership have played out publicly in recent months. I would be less than honest if I didn’t admit that some of this has weighed on me physically and emotionally. For these reasons, I asked the Holy Father for relief from my responsibilities as a diocesan bishop.

In recent years, in fact, Stika has led the diocese amid accusations of pastoral and governing mismanagement and, in particular, questions about protecting a former seminarian who had been accused of raping a diocesan employee. Lawsuits are pending in several cases.  The Vatican has been investigating the accusations against Stika and his management of the diocese.

He also spoke of many illnesses that had plagued him in recent years. He has been in Knoxville since 2009 but said on Facebook today that both he and Cardinal Justin Rigali, who has lived with him in Knoxville for 12 years, will be moving to St. Louis, the home diocese of both.

 

VATICAN INSIDER: THE STORY OF THE CHILDREN’S ROSARY, PART II

The Vatican announced today that throughout July, as has become tradition since the election of Francis, there will be no weekly general audiences with Pope Francis. They will resume on August 3. He will suspend most activities and audiences but will continue to give his Sunday Angelus. The main exception to his July Vatican staycation will be the scheduled trip to Canada July 24 to 29, arriving back in Rome on the 30th. Hopefully everyone will be working on healing his painful knee issue in this down time.

VATICAN INSIDER: THE STORY OF THE CHILDREN’S ROSARY, PART II

Back for Part II, my guest this week in the interview segment of “Vatican Insider” is Blythe Kaufman. Many of you know Blythe as the founder in 2011 of Children’s Rosary®, an International Prayer group movement for children. She is also a wife, mother of three, endodontist, and Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine!

Blythe was recently in Rome with her son Asher to speak to Vatican officials about the Children’s Rosary International Prayer Group and, along with the rest of the family, they participated in the 10^th World Meeting of Families in Rome from June 22 through the 26^th.   This week Asher explains how a parish can set up a Children’s Rosary group.

Blythe and Asher appeared last week on EWTN News Nightly: here’s a link (go to 40 seconds mark):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2YiC6DXuCY

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

 

 

A RESTFUL VACATION FOR POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI…. – ….AND A TRAVEL AND WORK VACATION IN JULY FOR FRANCIS

How do I say thank you? Let me count the ways…..

I am speechless at the hundreds of emails and Facebok postings I have received in just a few hours wishing me a Happy Birthday! The messages have been long and short, wise and witty, marked by love, affection and friendship and glowing tributes to my work. I have heard from every corner of the earth, it seems, from longtime friends and from Facebook people I only know through correspondence – or perhaps not at all!  I have “received” cakes and cupcakes, virtual flowers and cards, musical tributes and several videos.

And I have received real flowers!

I am moved and humbled by all of this!  When people say “God bless!” to me, I usually respond, “He really has!”  And He has blessed me – abundantly, in every way, with faith, family and friends.

Please know that I’d love to respond to each and each person who has written so far (30 more best wishes have arrived since I start writing minutes ago!) but you are all in my hearts and prayers. May the Lord bless each of you as well!

I will raise a glass of prosecco tonight at my birthday dinner hosted by Linda and Jack Del Rio and will salute each and every one of you!

POPE FRANCIS’ JUNE 30 TWEET: How wonderful it is to proclaim to everyone the love of God which saves us and gives meaning to our lives!

A RESTFUL VACATION FOR POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI….

This morning, around 10 am, Pope Francis went to the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican gardens where Pope emeritus Benedict XVI resides in retirement to greet the former pontiff and wish him a pleasant stay at Castlegandofo. The two met for about a half hour. Benedict XVI left shortly afterward for the papal residence in the Alban Hills and will stay there for two weeks, returning to Vatican City on July 14. Since becoming Pope in March 2013, Francis has invited Benedict several times to stay at Castelgandolfo, knowing how very much he enjoys this residence and feels at home there.

(See previous post with ZENIT pho

….AND A TRAVEL AND WORK VACATION IN JULY FOR  FRANCIS

Pope Francis will spend most of July in Rome, although he will travel to three Latin American nations from July 5 to 12. When he is back in Rome he will be working on speeches and homilies for his September pilgrimage to Cuba and the U.S. where he will address the United Nations, the U.S. Congress and preside at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

In July, the Wednesday general audiences will be suspended but will resume in August in the Paul VI Hall. One exception is the previously planned audience the afternoon of July 3 with the Movement of Renewal in the Spirit in St. Peter’s Square.

The Holy Father will continue to recite the Angelus on Sundays.

The morning Mass at Santa Marta is also suspended during July and August. It will resume in early September.