POPE VIEWS FILM “FREEDOM ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM” – POPE FRANCIS: PRAY FOR IMMENSE SUFFERING OF PEOPLE IN THE HOLY LAND

Greetings!  I have a few days off for the Thanksgiving period so this page will be “Joan’s Rome” lite during that time, although I may well post my own personal prayer about Thanksgiving, giving thanks and gratitude.  It is a special day for all Americans, wherever we live, and Rome is no exception. I’ll give you an insight into how we mark Thanksgiving here on my weekend radio show, “Vatican Insider.”

Obviously for important breaking news, I’ll be here. In addition, I might find some things to post or re-post on X/Twitter and Facebook.

In the meantime, I hope the Lord blesses all of you and your families in the most abundant manner during these days when “family” is indeed a focus of the holiday. And buon appetito!

POPE VIEWS FILM “FREEDOM ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM”

Posted on the Holy See Press Office’s Telegram account last evening:

This evening, Pope Francis arrived at the New Synod Hall at 6:30 during the screening of Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary film, “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s fight for freedom.”  This took place in the presence of several members of the diplomatic corps, among whom the ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See, and Italian, and international guests.

The pope stayed until the end of the screening and, after a minute of silence and prayer for the victims of the conflict and some brief words from the film director, he briefly greeted participants and and gave thanks for the witness to so much pain. “Wars are always a defeat,” he recalled, “and we who have seen this cruelty, this people defending their own identity, we must be close to so much suffering and pray for this people, pray that piece comes.”

Before leaving, the pope greeted individually each guest, and then returned to the Santa Marta residence. (Vatican photo)

POPE FRANCIS: PRAY FOR IMMENSE SUFFERING OF PEOPLE IN THE HOLY LAND

“This is not war; this is terrorism.” With those words, Pope Francis described the Israel-Hamas war that is ravaging the Holy Land.

Addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his Wednesday general audience, the Pope turned his thoughts to those suffering in Palestine and Israel.

In his appeal, he prayed for everyone suffering due to various wars, especially in Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine.

The Holy Father recalled his meeting earlier this morning, with two delegations: one of Israelis who have relatives held hostage in Gaza, and another of families of Palestinians who are suffering in Gaza.

The Pope met first with the 12 members of the Israeli delegation at his residence in the Casa Santa Marta at 7:30 AM. He then met with the Palestinian delegation at around 8:00 AM in a room in the Paul VI Hall. The Palestinian delegation was composed of 10 people with relatives in Gaza, and included Christians and Muslims. They were accompanied by Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, and a Greek Orthodox priest.

In both encounters, Pope Francis expressed his anguish and his closeness to their pain.

“They suffer so much. I heard how they both suffer,” said the Pope afterwards at the general audience, adding that, “wars do that.”

“But here we have gone beyond wars”, the Pope stressed. “This is not war; this is terrorism.”

Dialogue instead of passions
The Pope invited everyone to “pray for peace; pray always for peace.”

The Holy Father then prayed that the Lord may “help us to solve the problems and not be driven by the passions that end up killing everyone.”

“Let us pray for the Palestinian people; let us pray for the Israeli people, so that peace may come,” the Pope concluded.

The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, had announced on Friday that Pope Francis would be meeting with the delegations, stressing that the meetings would be “of an exclusively humanitarian nature” aiming to demonstrate Pope Francis’ “spiritual closeness to the suffering of each individual.”

VIDEO OF PAPAL PEACE APPEAL:  Pope Francis released a video message to appeal for peace in the Holy Land and Ukraine, praying that wars might be resolved through dialogue rather than a mountain of casualties.

He stated that  the Palestinian people and the people of Israel “have the right to peace. …These two fraternal peoples have the right to live in peace.”  Francis invited everyone to pray for peace in the Holy Land and for dialogue to prevail. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-11/pope-francis-video-message-war-holy-land-ukraine.html

PAPAL VIDEO CALL TO GRANDMOTHER OF VATICAN OFFICIAL – IN BRIEF

PAPAL VIDEO CALL TO GRANDMOTHER OF VATICAN OFFICIAL

Pope Francis calls 95-year-old Sosamma Antony, the grandmother of Monsignor George Koovakad, the Vatican official who organizes his apostolic journeys.

By Francesca Merlo (Vatican news)

Pope Francis had been concerned about Mrs Sosamma Antony’s well-being, especially after her battle with Covid-19 the previous year. She is the 95-year-old grandmother of Monsignor George Jacob Koovakad, who has been involved in organising papal journeys since 2021. On 2 September, the Pope decided to reach out to her personally via a video call. The call was conducted in both English and Malayalam, the predominant language in Kerala, India. During their brief conversation, the Pope and Mrs Sosamma exchanged jokes, greetings, and blessings.

A recording of this heartfelt exchange recently surfaced on various local websites, including the Times of India. In the video, Father Thomas Kallukalam, the prior of a Syro-Malabar Church community, answered the call on behalf of Mrs. Sosamma. The Pope affectionately referred to her as “Mama” and requested to speak with her. Monsignor Koovakad served as the translator between the Pope and his grandmother during this virtual encounter. He had initially shared Mrs Sosamma’s health concerns with the Pope during their July 2022 trip to Canada, explaining that he planned to visit her in India after the journey. Given her age and recent battle with Covid-19, her health was a matter of grave concern.

Pope Francis, known for his deep empathy for the elderly and respect for grandparents, continued to inquire about Mrs Sosamma’s well-being through Monsignor Koovakad. Finally, during his trip to Mongolia, he expressed his desire to speak with her directly. On 2 September, while the Pope was in Ulaanbaatar, a video call was made to Father Kallukalam’s computer in the Changanassery Kottayam district of Kerala. Mrs Sosamma’s family had gathered at her home, and when they answered the call, they were greeted by the Pope’s face. He waved and said, “Greetings… Thank you!” He inquired about her health and praised her grandson’s upbringing.

With a gentle smile and a whispered assurance of prayers through her son, Mrs Sosamma reciprocated the warm sentiments. The Pope emphasized the importance of her prayers, acknowledging the profound value of her faith.

IN BRIEF

PAPAL TELEGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF BENIN FIRE -Pope Francis says he is deeply saddened to learn of a tragic fire in southeastern Benin which killed at least 35 people, including one child.  In the message addressed to Bishop Aristide Gonsallo of Porto-Novo whose diocese includes  the city of Sèmè Krakè where the tragedy happened on 23 September, the Pope says he  “prays for the repose of the deceased, entrusting them to God’s mercy, and for the recovery of the injured.” The Holy Father also expresses his support for those accompanying the victims of the fire. He prays to Our Lady “to bring strength and consolation to all those affected by the tragedy,” and invokes divine blessings on each person and on the entire nation as a sign of comfort. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-09/pope-telegram-benin-fire.html

EXHORTATION ON CLIMATE TO BE CALLED “LAUDATE DEUM” – The title of Pope Francis’ next Apostolic Exhortation will be “Laudate Deum,” the Pope himself revealed, while addressing participants in a meeting of Latin American university rectors in the Vatican, when he vehemently warned against a throwaway culture. During the occasion, the Pope reflected on various issues raised by the educators, including climate change, migration, and the culture of waste. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-09/laudate-deum-to-be-title-of-pope-s-exhortation-on-climate.html

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 TO WYD PARTICIPANTS: LISBON 2023 A CHANCE TO GROW IN HOPE

Previously, in January of this year, Pope Francis sent a video message to youth for WYD Lisbon 2023: Pope on WYD 2023: ‘Young people thirst for horizons’ – Vatican News

POPE TO WYD PARTICIPANTS: LISBON 2023 A CHANCE TO GROW IN HOPE

Pope Francis sends a video message to young people registered for World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, and urges them to prepare themselves to encounter others and grow in hope.

By Devin Watkins

With less than three months to go to World Youth Day (WYD), Pope Francis has sent his encouragement to participants registered for the event in Lisbon, Portugal, on 1-6 August.

In his video message released on Thursday, the Pope praised the excitement the young Catholics must feel as they prepare to travel.

“I can imagine the things you must have on your mind, how you’re going to: make it happen, request your work or study permit, get what you need for your trip, so many concerns!”

At the same time, the Pope urged the young people to “look toward the horizon” by using their excitement and hope as a stepping stone.

Pope Francis acknowledged that taking part in WYD is “a beautiful thing” built on the hope of events that will unfold.

“Prepare yourselves with that enthusiasm,” he told the young people. “Have hope, because one grows a lot at an event like WYD.”

They may not realize it yet, he said, but the young people can expect to discover wonderful new things as they meet people from other parts of the world and build relationships founded on common values.

Talk to grandparents before WYD

The Pope said the Church is blessed to enjoy the “strength of youth,” and so he encouraged participants in WYD to prepare well for what lies ahead.

He also shared with them a “secret” for a proper preparation.

“In order to prepare well,” he said, “it helps to look to your roots by meeting with your elders,” such as grandparents.

Participants in the upcoming WYD in Lisbon should ask their grandparents: “What do you think I must do?”

Our elders, concluded Pope Francis, “will give you wisdom.”

And he wrapped up his video message by encouraging the young people to “strive ahead”, saying he is looking forward to encountering them in Lisbon.

 

IN BRIEF

To watch solemn vespers at the end of the January 18 to 25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls with Pope Francis, click here at 5:30 pm Rome time: Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul – Celebration of Second Vespers – Activities of the Holy Father Pope Francis | Vatican.va

IN BRIEF

AT GENERAL AUDIENCE, POPE FRANCIS CONTINUES CATECHESES ON APOSTOLIC ZEAL. Pope Francis told the faithful that “each day is a time of grace” and “new opportunity” for those who follow Christ. He explored how Jesus himself chose to present His message, noting that, in the synagogue of Nazareth, at the very beginning of his public ministry, the Lord revealed that, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy, He came to proclaim Good News to the poor and a year of favor from the Lord. The Pope said Jesus communicated with certain essential elements, especially joy, freedom, light, healing and awe.  “One cannot speak of Jesus without joy, because faith is a wonderful love story to be shared…” “The Gospel of Jesus Christ is, as the prophet foretold, a saving message that brings contagious joy, authentic freedom, the promise of spiritual rebirth as God’s beloved sons and daughters, and definitive healing from the oppression of sin and death.” Pope at Audience: Every day is a time of grace – Vatican News

POPE THANKS FAMILIES HOSTING YOUTHS PARTICIPATING IN WYD 2023: Pope Francis sent a video message to Portuguese families who will welcome in their homes the thousands of youths expected at WYD Lisbon 2023, saying their generous hospitality also shows openness to other horizons. Following his video message addressed last week to young people preparing to participate in World Youth Day in Lisbon, Pope Francis has also thanked Portuguese families who will welcome them in their homes during the event. Over 400,000 young people from across the world have already registered to take part in the WYD on 1-6 August 2023. In a video message released Wednesday, the Pope remarked that by welcoming young people in their homes, families not only show generosity, but, most importantly, openness to people of other cultures and to new horizons. Pope thanks families hosting youths participating in WYD 2023 – Vatican News

POPE TO DELEGATION OF THE UKRAINIAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. Pope Francis thanked members of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) for their work by describing their witness as a “concrete testimony of peace in a country suffering from war.” Addressing a UCCRO delegation before the general audience on Wednesday, the Pope upheld the collaboration of the member groups, whom he said, together support those in need, defend the rights of the faithful of all denominations and advocate for the respect of human rights. “I give thanks to God because this meeting enables me, in some way, to have close contact with the Ukrainian people, who have always been present in my prayers during these months.” Pope upholds Ukrainian interfaith efforts as concrete testimony of peace – Vatican News

POPE: HUMAN TRAFFICKING AN ‘OPEN WOUND’ IN THE BODY OF CHRIST AND HUMANITY

POPE: HUMAN TRAFFICKING AN ‘OPEN WOUND’ IN THE BODY OF CHRIST AND HUMANITY

Pope Francis has released a video message on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking, marked in the Catholic Church on the feast of St Josephine Bakhita,  February 8.

By Vatican News staff reporter

Pope Francis is urging all to join the fight against the scourge of trafficking in women and girls, saying in a video message for the 8th World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking, that it is violence, “a deep and open wound in the body of Christ and in the body of all humanity, which affects each one of us.”

The Catholic Church’s annual observance was first introduced by Pope Francis in 2015, when he invited the women religious of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and the men religious of the Union of Superiors General (USG) to mark the day on 8 February, the liturgical memorial of St Josephine Bakhita.

The Sudanese-born Italian Canossian nun (1869 – 1947) was sold several times as a slave since she was 7 or 8, until she landed in Italy where she later became a Canossian religious sister.  Declared a saint in 2000, she is the patron saint of Sudan and of human trafficking survivors.

The theme of the 8th International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking is: “The power of care.”

In his message, the Pope says the theme “invites us to consider the condition of women and girls, subjected to multiple forms of exploitation, including forced marriages, domestic and labour slavery”. He stresses that the thousands of women and girls who are trafficked every year point to the dramatic consequences of relational models based on discrimination and submission.

Inequality in dignity and rights

Talitha Kum, the international Catholic network against human trafficking, cites some grim facts from United Nations data pointing to the inequality and injustice experienced by women.  They are conditions that make them more vulnerable to violence, trafficking and exploitation.

In his message, the Holy Father laments that the organization of societies around the world still continue to deny women the same dignity and rights of that of men.  Women are “doubly poor”, suffering “situations of exclusion, mistreatment and violence”, because they have fewer opportunities to defend their rights.

Domestic and sexual exploitation

The Holy Father points out that “trafficking in persons, through domestic and sexual exploitation, violently returns women and girls to their supposed role as subordinates to the provision of domestic and sexual services, to their role as providers of care and dispensers of pleasure, which re-proposes a pattern of relationships marked by the power of men over women”. This exists even today at a high level.

 “Human trafficking is violence! The violence suffered by every woman and every girl is an open wound in the body of Christ, in the body of all humanity, it is a deep wound that also affects each one of us.”

The transforming power of God’s care

Noting that there are many women who have the courage to rebel against violence, Pope Francis invites men to join the battle. “We men are also called to do so, to say no to all violence, including that against women and girls. And together we can and must fight to ensure that human rights are interpreted in a specific way, respecting diversity and recognizing the dignity of each person, with a special concern for those whose fundamental rights are violated.”

The way to this transformation, the Pope says, is shown by Saint Bakhita, whose life proves that  “change is possible when we allow ourselves to be transformed by the care that God has for each of us”.  “It is the care of mercy, it is the care of love that changes us in our depths and makes us capable of welcoming others as brothers and sisters.”

Human dignity

The Pope points out that recognizing the dignity of each person is the first act of care, which benefits everyone – those who give and those who receive. It generates reciprocity and is not a unidirectional action.

In this regard, he cites the case of Bakhita.  God took care of her, accompanying her in the process of healing the wounds caused by slavery until he made her heart, mind and inner-self capable of reconciliation, freedom and tenderness.

Commitment to transformation and care

The Pope thus encourages every woman and every girl who is committed to transformation and care, in school, in the family, in society. He also urges every man and every young person to join this process of transformation, holding out the example of the Good Samaritan who is “not ashamed to bend down over his brother and take care of him”.

This year’s observance of World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Trafficking, the Pope says, is to the call to men and women to care.  “Together we can grow an economy of care and oppose with all our strength every form of exploitation of trafficking in persons.”

Fighting money, power

Pope Francis concludes his video message thanking participants in the various initiatives of the annual observance worldwide and encouraging them in the fight against human trafficking and all forms of slavery and exploitation. He invites them to keep alive their indignation against human trafficking with determination in the face of violence, without giving to the corruption of money and power.

(To download the papal video message: https://we.tl/t-tNjZCrPxeY)

POPE FRANCIS URGES PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19

POPE FRANCIS URGES PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19

Pope Francis launches a powerful appeal for people to get vaccinated with approved Covid-19 vaccines, calling it “an act of love.”

By Devin Watkins

The Pope has joined his voice to those of Bishops across North and South America to urge people to get jabbed against Covid-19.

In a video message produced in conjunction with the Ad Council, Pope Francis praised the work of researchers and scientists in producing safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines.

Click here to see video: Pope Francis urges people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 – Vatican News

“Thanks to God’s grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from Covid-19,” he said in the video released on Wednesday.

He added that vaccines “bring hope to end the pandemic, but only if they are available to all and if we collaborate with one another.”

Vaccination is an act of love

Pope Francis went on to say that getting a Covid jab that is “authorized by the respective authorities” is an “act of love.”

Helping other do the same, he said, is also an act of love. “Love for oneself, love for our families and friends, and love for all peoples. Love is also social and political.”

The Pope noted that social and political love is built up through “small, individual gestures capable of transforming and improving societies.”

“Getting vaccinated is a simple yet profound way to care for one another, especially the most vulnerable,” he said.

Pope Francis then prayed to God that, “each one of us can make his or her own small gesture of love.”

“No matter how small, love is always grand. Small gestures for a better future.”

‘Strength of faith’

The Pope was joined in the video by several cardinals and archbishops from across the Americas.

Archbishop Jose Gomez, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the archbishop of Los Angeles, lamented the suffering and death the pandemic has wrought across the globe.

He prayed that God might “grant us the grace to face it with the strength of faith, ensuring that vaccines are available for all, so that we can all get immunized.”

Mexican Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes linked Covid-19 jabs to a better future for all.

“From North to South America, we support vaccinations for all,” said the cardinal.

Safe, effective vaccines

Honduran Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga said the world has much to learn from the coronavirus. “But one thing is certain: the authorized vaccines are effective, and are here to save lives. They are the key to a path of personal and universal healing.”

Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes praised the “heroic efforts” of health professionals in developing “safe and effective” jabs. He also repeated the Pope’s affirmation that “getting vaccinated is an act of love”.

Salvadorian Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez said vaccination helps protect the most vulnerable. “Our choice to get vaccinated affects others,” he said, adding that it is a moral responsibility.

Unity across the Americas

Peruvian Archbishop Miguel Cabrejos rounded out the testimonies contained in the video with an appeal to unity. “We are united—North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean—to promote and support vaccination for all,” he said, encouraging everyone to “act responsibly, as members of the great human family, seeking and protecting our integral health and universal vaccination.”

 

JOIN POPE FRANCIS TONIGHT AS THE WORLD PRAYS FOR AN END TO THE CORONAVIRUS

JOIN POPE FRANCIS TONIGHT AS THE WORLD PRAYS FOR AN END TO THE CORONAVIRUS

From the Holy See Press Office: As announced yesterday during the general audience, this evening at 9.00 pm the Holy Father, from the Santa Marta residence, will join the Rosary promoted by the Italian Bishops and introduce the prayer with a message in which he invites every family, every faithful, every religious community to ask the Lord to take care of every family in a special way, especially the sick and the people who are taking care of them: “This evening we pray together, entrusting ourselves to the intercession of St. Joseph, Custos, guardian, of the Holy Family, caretakers of all our families. The carpenter of Nazareth also experienced precariousness and bitterness, concern for tomorrow; but he was able to walk in the darkness of certain moments, always letting himself be guided unreservedly by the will of God. ”

(JFL: Because we are under embargo now, I will place Pope Francis’ full remarks on this site at 9 pm this evening, Rome time.

Place a candle or some form of light in one or more windows of your home as you recite the rosary. A suggestion could be the battery-run candles that flicker as if burning but there is no real flame. Ora pro nobis!)

POPE FRANCIS GREETS PEOPLE OF MOROCCO AHEAD OF VISIT

POPE FRANCIS GREETS PEOPLE OF MOROCCO AHEAD OF VISIT

On the eve of his visit to Morocco, Pope Francis, in a video message, says he is coming to the country as a pilgrim of peace and fraternity.

Pope Francis will travel to Morocco from March 30 to 31 where he will celebrate Mass, travel to a migrant centre, run by the charity Caritas, and visit the Mohammed VI institute, which oversees the training and formation of Imams.

Peace and fraternity
In his video message, the Pope said he was coming to Morocco as “a pilgrim of peace and fraternity, in a world that greatly needs it.”

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-03/pope-francis-video-message-morocco-papmar.html#play

Pope Francis remarked that both Christians and Muslims believe in God the merciful Creator “who created men and women, and placed them in the world so that they might live as brothers and sisters, respecting each other’s diversity and helping each other in their needs.”

God entrusted to them the earth, our common home, he added, “to guard it responsibly and preserve it for future generations.”

“It will be a joy for me to share these convictions directly with you at the meeting we will have in Rabat”, he said.

Gracious invitation
The Pope expressed his thanks to His Majesty King Mohammed VI for his gracious invitation and to the Moroccan authorities for their considerate participation.

He also thanked the people of Morocco, from the bottom of his heart, for their prayers.

Christian community
Pope Francis underlined that this trip offered him “the precious opportunity to visit the Christian community in Morocco and to encourage its journey.”

The Pope also mentioned that he would be meeting with migrants, who, he said, “together embody an appeal to build a world of greater justice and solidarity.”  (vaticannews)

POPE FRANCIS’ VIDEO MESSAGE FOR XXXII WORLD YOUTH DAY – MONKS OF NORCIA MARK TRANSITUS OF ST. BENEDICT

POPE FRANCIS’ VIDEO MESSAGE FOR XXXII WORLD YOUTH DAY

The Vatican today released a video message from Pope Francis for the XXXII World Youth Day to be held in the dioceses of the world on Palm Sunday, April 9, 2017. The Pope’s written message was also released (see below). Following is the text in English of the video message:

Dear young people,

With the memory vividly in our minds of our meeting together at World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, we have set out towards the next goal that will be, God willing, Panama in 2019. These moments of encounter and conversation with you are very important to me. I want this journey to proceed in line with preparations for the next Synod of Bishops because it is dedicated to you young people.

We are accompanied on this journey by Our Mother the Virgin Mary. She encourages us with her faith, the same faith that she expressed in her song of praise. Mary said, “The Mighty One has done great things for me” (Lk 1:49). She knew how to give thanks to God who looked upon her littleness, and she recognised the great things that God was accomplishing in her life. So she set off to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was old and needed her to be close by. Mary did not stay at home because she was not a young couch potato who looks for comfort and safety where nobody can bother them. She was moved by faith because faith is at the heart of Our Mother’s entire life story.

Dear young people, God is also watching over you and calling you, and when God does so, he is looking at all the love you are able to offer. Like the young woman of Nazareth, you can improve the world and leave an imprint that makes a mark on history ‒ your history and that of many others. The Church and society need you. With your plans and with your courage, with your dreams and ideals, walls of stagnation fall and roads open up that lead us to a better, fairer, less cruel and more humane world.

As you follow this path, I encourage you to cultivate a relationship of familiarity and friendship with Our Lady. She is our Mother. Speak to her as you would to a Mother. Together with her, give thanks for the precious gift of faith that you have received from your elders, and entrust your whole life to her. She is a good Mother who listens to you and embraces you, who loves you and walks together with you. I assure you that if you do that, you will not regret it.

Have a good pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2019. May God bless you all.

For the video: Go to: http://www.news.va/en and scroll down until you see VIDEO CHANNEL – click here to see Pope Francis who speaks in Spanish

Here is the link to Pope Francis’ written message for the 2017 diocesan level celebration of the XXXII World Youth Day, which takes place on Palm Sunday on the Marian theme: “The Mighty One has done great things for me,” taken from the Magnifcat. The Holy Father tells young people that the world “needs your courage, dreams and ideals.” http://www.news.va/en/news/our-lady-at-the-heart-of-2017-wyd-message

MONKS OF NORCIA MARK TRANSITUS OF ST. BENEDICT

Following is a letter and some photos sent by Father Benedict Nivakoff, OSB, Prior with an update as they mark the transitus of St. Benedict:

Dear Friends, On this Feast, for several centuries, monks, clergy and citizens of Norcia have celebrated St. Benedict’s Transitus – his earthly death and birth into Heaven — in a packed basilica with local townspeople in medieval costume. In the crypt of that basilica, the saint (and his saintly sister) was born to life, while in the upper church his birth into heaven was remembered. Eight months after the great earthquake of 2016, the celebrations have a different character.

The Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia offered the Mass at a portable altar in front of the statue of our great patron in the piazza with the ruins of the basilica and its still-standing facade covered in scaffolding in the background. Beloved traditions do not die easily and today’s solemnity is a timely reminder that “deep roots are not touched by the frost.”

The Feast comes in Lent and along with St. Joseph and the Annunciation, this week brings a sort of intermission to the monk’s Lenten routine. Many ask me about it. Here is a brief sketch. Our day still begins at the same time, 03:15 AM. Private Lectio, devotions, low Masses and classes punctuate the morning between vigils, lauds, prime and terce. The sung Conventual Mass is at 10:00 as usual then we go outside to work. The main difference to our schedule is that the one meal of the day is moved to 17:30. St. Benedict was keen that the monks not eat until after vespers, or near sunset. Afterward, there is a short meeting called collation, then compline and bed time. Each monk suggests to the Prior a little extra fasting, a little extra prayer and some almsgiving (within the house) and these are added to his daily schedule.

For one of our monks, Fr. Basil, this Lent has an added gift of service. He is spending the month of March with the Sisters of Charity in Calcutta, India. Last year, Br. Anthony was able to help the sisters there for a month and it proved an invaluable source of inspiration for his monastic vocation and for our community at home. While it is true that there are many ways we try to help people near us in the earthquake zone, the stark poverty that affects that region of India brings an added urgency and we are glad our monks can lend a hand.

One way we help locally is through our beer, and we are grateful to God to be able to announce that after moving some equipment and making minor repairs we will finally be reopening a part of the brewery next week for production. Most of the brewery is still badly damaged but a small part remains intact. Re-opening that part (with some modifications) will allow us to get Birra Nursia out — albeit in limited quantities — to more local shops trying to open again. I’ll have more information about that next week. May Nursia help to gladden hearts in Norcia and abroad and may God bless each of you for your continued support of lour many needs!