POPE FRANCIS SENDS MISSIONARY MANDATE TO PARISH PRIESTS

POPE FRANCIS SENDS MISSIONARY MANDATE TO PARISH PRIESTS

This afternoon the Vatican released the following mandate sent by Pope Francis to the 300 parish priests from around the world who met the first days of May just outside Rome to discuss synodality and to meet with the Holy Father:

“I have something to ask you who have come here to represent the parish priests of the whole world: we need your help to continue listening to the voice of the parish priests in view of the Second Session of the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. This meeting was very important, but it is not enough: we must do more if we want to bring more people into the synodal dynamism great of priests. And this cannot be done only by the General Secretariat of the Synod and the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia that organized this meeting.

“This is why I ask you today to become missionaries of synodality with your brother parish priests, once you return home: animating the reflection on the renewal of the ministry of parish priests in key synodal and missionary issues, promoting moments of conversation in the Spirit between parish priests, in presence or online, taking advantage of the opportunity of some already organized meeting, or organizing one on purpose. And then I ask you to inform the Secretariat of the Synod of the fruits of these meetings, following the instructions that will be given to you. When you return home, talk about this idea with your bishops and with the Episcopal Conferences, and also tell them that it is a task given to you by the Pope.

“For my part, I wrote a letter to all the parish priests of the world to inform them of this initiative and to present you as missionaries of synodality among them.

“Now I’ll sign it and then there will be a copy delivered to each of you, so that you can spread it once you return home.

“Thank you for your collaboration. I will accompany you with my prayer and you too will not forget to pray for me. FRANCESCO “

CISCO SIGNS THE “ROME CALL FOR AI ETHICS”

A fascinating story that involves something that, if it is not already pervasive in our lives, soon will be and that is AI. The Vatican, the Catholic Church, must be involved and, indeed, must be at the forefront of anything and everything involving AI. And the key words must always be ethics, ethical!

Teresa and I discussed this today on “Catholic Connection” and we will surely return to this topic on future Wednesdays. The Holy Father today received Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins.

Cisco develops, manufactures and sells networking software and hardware and other technology services and products.

For more info, you might want to visit http://www.romecall.org

CISCO SIGNS THE “ROME CALL FOR AI ETHICS”

Cisco, the multinational digital communications technology company, signs the Pontifical Academy for Life’s “Rome Call for AI Ethics” committing to an ethical approach to artificial intelligence in the areas of Ethics, Education and Rights.

By Linda Bordoni (Vatican news)

Expressing satisfaction that the Multinational Digital Communications Technology – Cisco – has joined other major companies involved in AI, in pledging to adhere to ethical guidelines, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, underscored the fact that artificial intelligence is “no longer a topic just for experts” and that the ethics of its development is more urgent than ever.

The President of the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV) was speaking at an event on Wednesday morning during which the CEO of Cisco System Inc., put his signature to The Call for AI Ethics, a document promoted by the Pontifical Academy and by its RenAIssance Foundation (that supports the anthropological and ethical reflection of new technologies on human life) and has already been endorsed by the likes of Microsoft, IBM, FAO and the Italian Ministry of Innovation.

The signing ceremony in the Vatican followed the audience of Cisco CEO and President, Chuck Robbins and a delegation, with Pope Francis before the General Audience.

Rome Call to Ethics

The document aims to promote a sense of shared responsibility among international organizations, governments, institutions and the private sector to create a future in which digital innovation and technological progress- and in particular AI – respect the dignity of the human person so that every individual can benefit from the advances of technology.

“We are very pleased that Cisco has joined the Rome Call because it is a company that plays a crucial role as a technological partner for the adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), by offering expertise in infrastructure, security, and protection of AI data and systems,” said Archbishop Paglia, adding that “From now on, we will look at how this can further grow to combine the already present corporate commitment with the ethical principles of the Rome Call.”

The President of PAV recalled how in 2020, understanding that the time was ripe, the Academy brought to the attention of the world “the need and urgency to call for ‘algorethics,’ that is ethics in the design of the algorithms that underlie artificial intelligence”.

 Today we know that AI is no longer a topic just for experts, and reflecting on the ethics of its development is more urgent than ever.

He said this new endorsement of the Rome Call demonstrates this and noted that the document has already been endorsed by international technology players, government and UN institutions, universities worldwide, companies and individuals, as well as by representatives of the three Abrahamic religions.

New opportunities and new challenges

On his part, Chuck Robbins noted how AI is changing our world and “presenting vast opportunities but also new challenges.”

He described his company as having built the networks that connect people and organizations around the world, and said that today it is “building the critical infrastructures and security solutions that will power the AI revolution.”

“The principles of the Rome Call are in line with Cisco’s core belief that technology must be built on a foundation of trust at the highest levels, in order to power an inclusive future for all,” Robbins said.

Transparency, accountability, human values

Also present at the event was Father Paolo Benanti, extraordinary professor of Ethics of Technologies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and scientific director of the RenAIssance Foundation, who pointed to the necessity of acting in multiple directions.

“Developing large, high-quality, unbiased data sets to train AI models; providing access to cyberinfrastructure; building AI competencies; establishing governance frameworks to manage AI development; and providing AI systems that are transparent, accountable, and aligned with human values.“

Cisco’s endorsement of the Rome Call for AI Ethics, he concluded, and its commitment to “proactive governance and risk mitigation, and to a broad perspective on the transformative impact of AI across industries and society, “represents a step forward in this process.

 

 

 

“HAPPY NAME DAY”: WELL-WISHERS GREET POPE ON FEAST OF ST GEORGE

There are many Italians who celebrate their name day – their ‘onomastico’- with greater fervor than their birthday.  Often it might be a family name, male or female, handed down from generation to generation.

So today, we say, “Buon onomastico, Santo Padre,” “Happy Name Day, Pope Francis!”

“HAPPY NAME DAY”: WELL-WISHERS GREET POPE ON FEAST OF ST GEORGE

Friends and supporters from around the world offer prayers and best wishes to Pope Francis on the feast of his heavenly patron, St George.

By Salvatore Cernuzio

Messages of support and gratitude for Pope Francis are pouring in from all over the world on the feast of St George, the Pope’s Name Day.

St. George

Baptised Jorge [George] Mario Bergoglio, the pontiff takes his name from the Christian martyr born in Cappadocia and martyred, according to some sources, in 303 A.D. in Lidda, now Lod, Israel. The saint suffered for refusing to deny the faith during the anti-Christian persecutions unleashed by the Roman Emperor Diocletian.

The reigning Pope’s “Name Day” is customarily a public holiday in the Vatican, with Pope Francis himself instituting the current holiday in April 2016, in Article 50 of the General Regulations of the Roman Curia.

Well-wishers from around the world are sending their greetings to the Santa Marta (residence), while also expressing feelings of affection and gratitude and assuring the Pope of their prayers on social media.

Italian president sends greetings

Sergio Mattarella, the president of Italy, joined those who are offering the Pope their best wishes, sending Pope Francis a message in which he conveys “the most fervent and sincere good wishes of the Italian people and my own personal best wishes, together with affectionate desires for the health and wellbeing for your person.”

President Mattarella’s message continues, “As you recently declared, ‘No one must threaten the existence of others’,” citing the Pope’s words in at a recent Angelus in reference to the war in the Middle East. “Even this fundamental rule, this ‘minimum level’ of human coexistence, is called into question in the dramatic context of an international and, in particular, Middle Eastern juncture marked by violence, conflicts, and impulses of revenge,” the Italian president stressed.

“Your appeals to safeguard the inescapable bonds of fraternity are therefore timely and pressing – appeals that do not cease to challenge the consciences of millions of women and men on every continent and that constitute fertile seeds of justice and peace for believers and non-believers alike,” he continued.

Finally, President Matterella took the occasion of the feast of Saint George, to renew “the expressions of the closeness of the Italian people and my highest consideration for your exalted apostolic mission.”

Previous celebrations

In past years, Pope Francis has celebrated this day with a variety of initiatives, including the Mass in the Pauline Chapel with the cardinals in 2013, the first year of his pontificate; the distribution of ice cream in 2018, through the Apostolic Elemosineria to food centres in Rome and the surrounding area where the most needy eat; and the gift, during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, of medical equipment to hospitals in Spain, Romania and Italy, which were particularly affected by the spread of the virus, again through the Cardinal Almoner, Konrad Krajewski.

The covid pandemic was still raging on the feast of St. George in 2021, when the Pope decided to celebrate his name day by making a surprise visit to greet about 600 poor and homeless people, who were waiting to receive the vaccine in the Paul VI Hall, which had become a small outpatient clinic since January of that year. After greeting those present, the Pope went to the counters where packets of biscuits, snacks and fruit juices, along with portions of an enormous, traditional chocolate egg, were distributed by volunteers, in accordance with the health regulations in place at the time.

 

POPE THANKS PAPAL FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR EDUCATIONAL, CHARITABLE AND APOSTOLIC PROJECTS

POPE THANKS PAPAL FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR EDUCATIONAL, CHARITABLE AND APOSTOLIC PROJECTS

In an audience with members, trustees and stewards of the US-based Papal Foundation, Pope Francis noted that, “Since its inception, the Foundation has been a vessel of this Easter joy by bringing the closeness, compassion and tender love of Jesus to countless brothers and sisters throughout the world.

“Your support of various educational, charitable, and apostolic projects enhances the integral development of so many, including the poor, refugees, migrants, and nowadays the increasingly large numbers of those affected by war and violence.”

The Foundation announced that this year’s grants, scholarships and humanitarian aid for Catholics worldwide totaled $14.7 million.

Since its establishment, the Papal Foundation and its Stewards of Saint Peter have allocated more than $225 million in grants and scholarships worldwide to more than 2,400 projects selected by Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope St. John Paul II. (Vatican media photo)

The Papal Foundation is the only charitable organization in the United States exclusively dedicated to fulfilling the requests of the Holy Father for the needs of the Catholic Church.

Thanking the Foundation for its generosity, Francis highlighted the scholarships provided to laity, consecrated religious, seminarians and priests from developing nations enabling them to pursue studies at Pontifical universities in Rome, at the heart of the Church, and equip their recipients to  bear witness to the Gospel more effectively both in their home countries and beyond.”

The Papal Foundation has assisted about 1,700 people to study at pontifical universities in the Eternal City.

 

POPE FRANCIS HIGHLIGHTS WOMEN’S ROLE IN CHURCH AND SOCIETY

POPE FRANCIS HIGHLIGHTS WOMEN’S ROLE IN CHURCH AND SOCIETY

Pope Francis addresses an international conference on women in the Church, and emphasises the importance of recognising women’s contributions while calling for unity and education to promote women’s rights and dignity.

By Francesca Merlo (Vatican news)

In his address to the participants of the International Conference titled “Women in the Church: Builders of Humanity,” Pope Francis extended a warm greeting to all attendees, expressing gratitude for their presence and the organisation of the event.

“The Church needs to keep this in mind, because the Church is herself a woman: a daughter, a bride, and a mother,” said the Pope.

He highlighted the significance of recognising and valuing women’s contributions within the people of God, and he called for unity, discernment, and collaboration to achieve this goal.

The conference, which gathers individuals from all over the world, focuses on highlighting the exemplary holiness of ten women: Josephine Bakhita, Magdeleine de Jesus, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Mary MacKillop, Laura Montoya, Kateri Tekakwitha, Teresa of Calcutta, Rafqa Pietra Choboq Ar-Rayès, Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi, and Daphrose Mukasanga.

Pope Francis underscored the significance of their charitable, educational, and prayerful initiatives, which exemplify the unique reflection of God’s holiness through the feminine genius.

“The contribution of women is more necessary than ever,” emphasised Pope Francis, acknowledging the challenges of hatred, violence, and ideological conflicts in today’s world.

He spoke about the urgent need for women’s contributions, which he said are characterised by tenderness and compassion, in order to foster unity and restore humanity’s true identity.

On the topic of education, Pope Francis commended the collaboration between the conference and various Catholic academic institutions.

“Every effort to present students with testimonies of holiness, especially of feminine sanctity, can encourage them to aim higher,” he said, stressing the importance of presenting role models to inspire future generations.

Pope Francis concluded his address by highlighting the ongoing struggles faced by women worldwide, including violence, inequality, and injustice.

He called for concerted efforts to address these issues, emphasizing the transformative power of education for girls and young women in promoting overall human development.

Bringing his address to a close, Pope Francis entrusted the outcomes of the conference to the Lord and imparted his blessing upon the participants before urging continued commitment to the advancement of women’s rights and dignity.

POPE FRANCIS TO PRESIDE OVER UPCOMING ’24 HOURS FOR THE LORD’

POPE FRANCIS TO PRESIDE OVER UPCOMING ’24 HOURS FOR THE LORD’

Pope Francis will open the eleventh edition of the ’24 Hours for the Lord’ Lenten initiative this Friday, March 8, at the Roman parish of San Pio V, according to a statement from the Dicastery for Evangelization.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov (Vatican news)

Observed annually in dioceses worldwide on the eve of the fourth Sunday of Lent, the initiative, dedicated to prayer and reconciliation, was inaugurated by Pope Francis at the start of his pontificate. The theme for this year’s event is “Walking in a New Life,” taken from Romans chapter 6.

Friday’s service with the Pope will begin at 4:30 pm at the parish in Rome’s Aurelio district, not far from the Vatican. The faithful who wish to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation will have the opportunity to do so, with Pope Francis himself hearing the confessions of several penitents.

Etraordinary opening of churches

In preparation for Easter, on Friday evening and throughout the day on Saturday, ecclesial communities are encouraged to provide extraordinary openings of churches, in order to offer the faithful the opportunity to confess and to pause in adoration at any time.

The Holy Father, starting last year, decided to preside over the ’24 Hours for the Lord’ in a different church within the Roman capital, in order to encourage parish participation.

How to prepare

The Dicastery for Evangelization invites all dioceses and parishes in Italy and around the world to celebrate the moment of prayer and forgiveness in one’s own community.

In preparation for the event, which this year falls during the Pope’s recently declared Year of Prayer, the Dicastery has made available pastoral aids to assist in personal prayer and community celebrations. They can be downloaded in English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and French from the Dicastery website.

How to participate

A limited number of tickets will be made available for the Holy Father’s liturgy.

Subject to availability, one can collect tickets at the ‘Jubilee 2025 Info Point’ on Via della Conciliazione 7, from Tuesday, March 5, to Thursday, March 7, 2024, from 10 am to 5 pm.

 

POPE FRANCIS: GENDER IDEOLOGY IS THE “UGLIEST DANGER” OF OUR TIME

POPE FRANCIS: GENDER IDEOLOGY IS THE “UGLIEST DANGER” OF OUR TIME

Addressing participants in the international Symposium “Man-Woman: Image of God.” Pope Francis describes so-called gender ideology as the “ugliest danger” of our time, because it cancels out all differences that make humanity.

By Lisa Zengarini (Vatican news)

Pope Francis on Friday again spoke out against gender theory describing it as an “ugly ideology of our time”, because it erases all distinctions between men and women. To cancel this difference “is to erase humanity. Man and woman, instead, exist in a fruitful ‘tension’,” he said.

The Symposium

The remarks came as he opened his address to participants in the international Symposium “Man-Woman: Image of God. Towards an Anthropology of Vocations” held in the Vatican on March 1-2.

The Congress is organized by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for Bishops, together with the Centre for Research and Anthropology of Vocations (CRAV) and is a follow-up to the previous 2022 Symposium dedicated to the theology of the priesthood.

Introducing his address the Pope said he still has a cold and asked his assistant Monsignor Filippo Ciampanelli to read it out for him, “so I don’t get so fatigued.”

In the prepared text the Pope reflected on the theme of the Congress which is aimed first of all at highlighting the anthropological dimension of every vocation.

The human person is a vocation

Indeed, he remarked, “the life of the human being is a vocation” which has a relational character: “I exist and live in relation to who generated me, to the reality that transcends me, to others and to the world around me, in which I am called to embrace a specific and personal mission with joy and responsibility.”

“Each one of us discovers and expresses oneself as called, as a person who realizes oneself in listening and response, sharing our being and gifts with others for the common good.”

This fundamental anthropological truth is sometimes overlooked in today’s cultural context, where human beings tend to be reduced to their mere material and primary needs. Yet, Pope Francis said, they are more than this: created by God in His own image, man and woman “carry within themselves a desire for eternity and happiness that God himself has planted in their hearts and that they are called to fulfil through a specific vocation.”

“Our being in the world is not a mere fruit of chance, but we are part of a design of love and are invited to go out of ourselves and realize it, for ourselves and for others,” the Pope said.

“We are called to happiness, to the fullness of life, to something great to which God has destined us.”

We all have a mission in Church and society

Recalling Cardinal Saint John Henry Newman’s “Meditations and Prayers” Pope Francis further remarked that not only we have all been entrusted with a mission, but ”each and every one of us is a mission.”

The Pope therefore welcomed the symposium and the studies conducted on this topic because, he said, “they spread awareness of the vocation to which every human being is called by God”, and are also useful to reflect on today’s challenges, on the ongoing anthropological crisis, and on the need to promote  human and Christian vocations.

Promoting a more effective “circularity” of vocations

He also emphasized the importance of promoting “a more effective circularity” of the different types of vocations in the Church, including lay vocations, ordained ministry and consecrated life, so they “can contribute to generating hope in a world overwhelmed by death.”

“Generating this hope, placing oneself at the service of the Kingdom of God to build an open and fraternal world is a mission entrusted to every woman and man of our time,” he said.

The courage to seek God’s will

Closing his address, Pope Francis encouraged the participants in the Symposium not to shy away from risks in seeking God’s will in their work, reminding them a living faith is not an artifact in a museum:” The Holy Spirit asks us fidelity, but fidelity moves, and often leads us to take risks”,  he said.

“Move forward with the courage to discern and risk seeking God’s will.”

FYI – POPE HOLDS GENERAL AUDIENCE, VISITS ROME HOSPITAL FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS – POPE FRANCIS VISITS ROME HOSPITAL FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS – WEEKLY CATECHESIS ON VIRTUES AND VICES FOCUSES ON ENVY AND VAINGLORY

11 years ago this evening, Pope Benedict XVI resigned the papacy and the doors of Castelgandolo, where he was staying, were slowly closed at 8 pm. Thank you for your years as the Successor of Peter!

I played a role in the EWTN coverage of that day, one of the most remarkable and emotional moments of my personal and professional life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=NvtBYIXc7YY

FYI

A woman has left 5.3 million euros (around $5.7 million) in her will for the restoration of La Madeleine church in Paris, France, where she used to meet her husband at lunchtimes (French report, Wikipedia). (Starting Seven, Luke Coppen, The Pillar)

The Pontifical Academy for Life moves from the Via della Conciliazione to Rome’s Piazza San Calisto.https://english.katholisch.de/artikel/51419-moving-away-from-the-vatican-pontifical-academy-for-life-relocates?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email   (Starting Seven, Luke Coppen).

POPE HOLDS GENERAL AUDIENCE, VISITS ROME HOSPITAL FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS

Pope Francis, arriving in the Paul VI Hall in his wheelchair for the weekly general audience, told the faithful “I still have a bit of a cold which is why I asked Monsignor Ciampanelli to read today’s catechesis.” Msgr. Ciampanelli is an official of the Secretariat of State.

Before the general audience, the Holy Father met with Armenia’s Catholic bishops at which time Msgr. Ciampanelli also read the papal discourse.

After he left the Paul VI Hall, it was reported that the Pope, in a white Fiat 500 car with tinted windows, filmed by Italy’s RAI television, was taken to the Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina – Gemelli Isola hospital.  Run by the Fratebenefratelli order, the hospital was known as Giovanni Calibita Fatebenefratelli. Its name was changed on September 1, 2022 to Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina – Gemelli Isola.

The Holy See Press Office confirmed media reports in a terse statement only at 12:45: “After the general audience Pope Francis went to the Gemelli Isola Tiberina Hospital for some diagnostic tests. At the end, he returned to the Vatican.”

(JFL: Sunday was the first time in a week that we saw or heard from Pope Francis.  We only know that last week he was on retreat, a week about which we have no details. How did the Pope spend his time? Did someone come in and share thoughts with him or preach to him? Importantly, we do not know if perhaps he was already feeling unwell during the week of spiritual exercises. If indeed he was not 100 perccnt all or part of the time, that would be a telling sign.)

POPE FRANCIS VISITS ROME HOSPITAL FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS

Following the weekly General Audience, Pope Francis, who has been suffering from mild flu symptoms in the past days, visits Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on the Tiber Island for some diagnostic tests.

By Vatican News

A statement released by the Holy See Press Office on Wednesday said Pope Francis visited the Gemelli Hospital on Rome’s Tiber Island straight after the General Audience, where he underwent some diagnostic tests. Following the tests, he was driven back to the Vatican.

Some scheduled papal audiences were cancelled in the past days as a precautionary measure due to flu symptoms the Pope was experiencing.

On Wednesday morning, at the beginning of the Wednesday General Audience, he explained to those present in the Paul VI Hall that he still had a “cold”  and he asked one of his collaborators, Monsignor Filippo Ciampanelli, to read the catechesis for him.

Immediately after the audience, he was driven to the Rome hospital on the Tiber Island, which is very close to the Vatican.

On Sunday, he recited the Angelus as usual, appearing at the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

The Holy See Press Office meanwhile has confirmed the Pope will receive German Chancellor, Olaf Scholtz, in audience on Saturday, 2 March, as planned.

WEEKLY CATECHESIS ON VIRTUES AND VICES FOCUSES ON ENVY AND VAINGLORY

Reading the papal catechesis for Pope Francis, Msgr. Ciampanelli began, “In our catechesis on the virtues and the vices, we now turn to envy and vainglory.

“Let us start with envy. If we read Holy Scripture, it appears to us as one of the oldest vices: Cain’s hatred of Abel is unleashed when he realizes that his brother’s sacrifices are pleasing to God. Cain was the firstborn of Adam and Eve, he had taken the largest share of his father’s inheritance; yet, it is enough for Abel, the younger brother, to succeed in a small feat, for Cain to become enraged. The face of the envious man is always sad: he’s always looking down, he seems to be continually investigating the ground; but in reality, he sees nothing, because his mind is wrapped up in thoughts full of wickedness. Envy, if unchecked, leads to hatred of the other. Abel would be killed at the hands of Cain, who could not bear his brother’s happiness.

Vatican media…

PIX

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At envy’s basis, the Holy Father suggested, is a relationship of hate and love. “One desires the evil for the other, but secretly desires to be like him. “His good fortune seems to us an injustice: surely, we think to ourselves,  we would deserve his successes or good fortune much more!”

At the root of this vice, he noted, is “a false idea of God,” where “we do not accept that God has His own ‘math,’ different from ours.”

“Vainglory, says the Pope, “goes hand in hand with the demon of envy, and together these two vices are characteristic of a person who aspires to be the centre of the world, free to exploit everything and everyone, the object of all praise and love. Vainglory is an inflated and baseless self-esteem. The vainglorious person possesses an unwieldy “I”: he has no empathy and takes no notice of the fact that there are other people in the world besides him. His relationships are always instrumental, marked by the dominating the other. His person, his accomplishments, his achievements must be shown to everyone: he is a perpetual beggar for attention. And if at times his qualities are not recognized, he becomes fiercely angry. Others are unfair, they do not understand, they are not up to it.

“Saint Paul’s example of boasting of his weakness rather than achievements offers an effective way for overcoming vainglory. May we, like him, know that God’s grace is sufficient, since his power is made perfect in weakness, and all the more gladly boast of our weaknesses, that the power of Christ may set us free for a more generous love of others.”

POPE, CURIA LEADERS ON LENTEN RETREAT THIS WEEK

I talk about this today on “At Home with Jim and Joy.” My segment is in the last 6 or so minutes – the show airs at 1:30 pm.  Watch on your tablet, phone or TV.

POPE, CURIA LEADERS ON LENTEN RETREAT THIS WEEK

It should be a fairly quiet week at the Vatican this week as Pope Francis and ranking members of the Roman Curia are on their annual Lenten retreat. However, they are not together as they have been in the past at a retreat center outside of Rome, but on private, individual retreats with days dedicated to prayer and reflection. The Pope announced the retreat Sunday at the Angelus.

Ash Wednesday Mass – Vatican media

On Monday, January 16, the press office noted that, “the Pope had invited all Cardinals residing in Rome, heads of Dicasteries, and Superiors of the Roman Curia to take the week for prayer. The report said, the Holy Father urged top officials of the Roman Curia to “experience in a personal way a period of Spiritual Exercises. … To facilitate this, he requested them to suspend their “work activities and engage in prayer from the afternoon of Sunday, 18 February, to the afternoon of Friday, 23 February.”

Papal activities, including the Wednesday general audience on February 21, are suspended. The pope’s next public event is expected to be the Sunday Angelus. on February 25.

 

POPE REFLECTS ON ACEDIA, LAZINESS, AT GENERAL AUDIENCE – A LIVING MARTYR: POPE FRANCIS PAYS TRIBUTE TO CARDINAL IMPRISONED FOR THREE DECADES

I learned a new word by listening to today’s general audience. As I heard the Pope say “acedia,” and then explain it as laziness, I wondered how for how many other people present at the audience, this was also a new word, instead of the one they would use in their native language for laziness. Just remember acedia when I give you a quiz!

POPE REFLECTS ON ACEDIA, LAZINESS, AT GENERAL AUDIENCE

The Vatican website each week offers the full catechesis of the Holy Father at the general audience, always recited in Italian, as well as a summary in each of the 8 languages used at the audience. Those same summaries are read at the weekly audience by a staff member of a Vatican office. Following is the summary of today’s papal reflections on acedia:

In our reflections on the vices and virtues, we now consider acedia or sloth, which, although associated in English with laziness, is above all a deep spiritual apathy, manifested by discontent and aversion to attentive prayer and growth in our relationship with God. According to the monastic tradition, this “noonday devil” is best overcome by the patience of faith. This includes accepting the poverty or dark night of faith, which then enables us, by God’s grace, to sense the divine presence and to continue to reach out to God. The saints themselves show us that perseverance in time of temptation leads us to set practical goals, however small, for our daily life and moves us to lean on Jesus, who always remains with us.

For the full catechesis in English, click on the following link. The Pope appears in the Paul VI audience hall at 4:22 but you might just want to watch the crowd before that.

At 48:50, the Pope speaks movingly of martyrs, yesterday’s and modern day martyrs, and welcomes 95-year old Cardinal Ernest Simoni from Albania who, under communist rule, spent 28 years in prison. Very moving images!

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/events/event.dir.html/content/vaticanevents/en/2024/2/14/udienza-generale.html

A LIVING MARTYR: POPE FRANCIS PAYS TRIBUTE TO CARDINAL IMPRISONED FOR THREE DECADES

At his weekly general audience, Pope Francis pays tribute to Cardinal Ernest Simoni, who was imprisoned by the Communist regime in Albania for twenty-eight years.

By Joseph Tulloch (Vatican news)

At the end of this week’s general Audience, Pope Francis laid aside his prepared remarks and offered a long, unscripted greeting to one of his visitors.

After discussing the history of Christian martyrdom in ancient Rome, the Pope noted that today, too, there are many martyrs all across the world, and offered a special greeting to Cardinal Ernest Simoni, who he described as a “living martyr”,

Twenty-eight years imprisonment
Born in the village of Troshani, northern Albania, in 1928, Ernest Simoni began his studies for the priesthood within the Franciscan order when he was just ten years old

In 1948, the Franciscan convent where he was staying was looted by agents of the Communist regime. The friars were shot and the novices expelled.

Despite this, Simoni continued his theological studies in secret, and was clandestinely ordained a priest in 1956.

In 1963, after Christmas Mass, Simoni was arrested and imprisoned. He remained behind bars for twenty-eight years, facing both solitary confinement and many years of hard labour.

Pope Francis met Fr Simoni during his visit to Albania in September 2014, and was brought to tears when listening to him discussing his sufferings. After returning to Rome, the Pope decided to make the elderly priest a Cardinal.

The Pope’s words
Pope Francis began his tribute to Cardinal Simoni with a reference to the many Christian martyrs buried all around them in the Vatican.

“All of us have read, have heard, the stories of the early martyrs of the Church,” he said. “Even here, where the Vatican is now, there is a cemetery, and many were executed here.”

“But, even today,” the Pope stressed, “there are many martyrs all over the world: many, perhaps more than at the beginning. There are many persecuted for their faith.”

He then introduced Cardinal Simoni, noting that he “lived 28 years in prison” as a result of the Communist persecution of the Church in Albania which, he said, was “perhaps the cruelest” of its kind.

Cardinal Simoni “continues to bear witness,” the Pope stressed. “He is now 95 years old, and he continues to work for the Church without becoming discouraged.”

After his release from prison in the 1990s, Cardinal Simoni forgave his jailers, and resumed his service as a priest, with a special focus on promoting reconciliation in post-Communist Albania.

“Dear brother,” Pope Francis concluded, “I thank you for your witness.”