(Vatican Radio) Milan’s International Exhibition Expo 2015 dedicated Tuesday May 19 th to the Catholic Church’s humanitarian and relief organization Caritas – invited for the first time ever – to be present on a par with states and governments, all of them celebrating Food for Life. Energy for the Planet . Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni is in Milan at Expo and sent us this report: When the powerful earthquake that devastated Nepal on April 25 rocked the land across the border in India where it wreaked damage and caused over 125 deaths, the farmers in the region did not complain: they are farmers. When extreme weather conditions rob them of their livelihood, they do not complain: they are farmers. When push comes to shove, they do what they have to: they are small-holder farmers. They feed their families and their communities; they protect indigenous seeds and they safeguard the environment. This was what the representative of Caritas India told Caritas members from across the globe gathered at the Milan Expo 2015 to celebrate Caritas Day – a joyous conclusion to the organization’s 6-day General Assembly. During an intense programme of power/point presentations, testimonies ,speeches and videos, outgoing Caritas President, Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga passed on the baton to newly elected President Cardinal Luis Tagle followed by appeals from Caritas leaders who in turn took to the stage calling for action at all levels to promote dignity and reject the misunderstanding that hunger is inevitable. Yes, because as it was pointed out again and again, over 800 million people still suffer from hunger in the world today, and as Pope Francis never tires of saying: hunger is a scandal. A scandal that Caritas does not turn away from as illustrated by Caritas representatives from countries as far apart as Malawi and Myanmar, Nicaragua and Italy, Canada and Australia, Peru and Philippines, all of whom passionately see their mission as much more than a job. And although much of the discussion focused on the need to promote sustainable agriculture, on the importance of implementing just land tenure and environmental policies, and on the importance of engaging governments and policy makers who must not be permitted to look away, the lessons that a Catholic dimension can contribute and the whole faith dimension of Caritas was never forgotten. Because, just as Pope Francis was extensively quoted providing inspiration for almost all the speeches of the day, his invitation to all Caritas members to go out into the world to serve others in the name of Christ was embraced and upheld by all those present, at least judging by the swells of applause that erupted each time the word love – CARITAS in Latin – was pronounced. Linda Bordoni (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Milan’s International Exhibition Expo 2015 dedicated Tuesday May 19th to the Catholic Church’s humanitarian and relief organization Caritas – invited for the first time ever – to be present on a par with states and governments, all of them celebrating Food for Life. Energy for the Planet .Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni is in Milan…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) Milan’s International Exhibition Expo 2015 dedicated Tuesday May 19th to the Catholic Church’s humanitarian and relief organization Caritas – invited for the first time ever – to be present on a par with states and governments, all of them celebrating Food for Life. Energy for the Planet .Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni is in Milan…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Tuesday (May 19th) many people like the Rohingya of Myanmar or the Christians and Yazidis in Iraq have been forced to say farewell to their homes and the lives of all of us are marked by farewells of varying importance. He said each of us should reflect on our own final farewell from this life and what it means for Christians to entrust themselves to God. The Pope’s words came during his morning Mass at the Santa Marta residence.
Pope Francis’ homily was a reflection on how our lives are marked by saying goodbye or farewell, how we do it and the reasons why we do it. He took as his inspiration the day’s two gospel readings where Jesus bids farewell to the disciples before his Passion and death and where St Paul bids farewell before going to Jerusalem and weeps on the beach with those who have come to say goodbye to him.
He said our lives are made up of many farewells, small and big ones and with some of them there is a great deal of tears and suffering.
“Let’s think nowadays of those poor Rohingya from Myanmar. When they left their lands to flee from persecution, they didn’t know what would happen to them. And they’ve been in boats for months over there. They arrive in a town where people give them water and food and tell them to go away. That’s a farewell. In addition, this great existential farewell is taking place in our times. Think about the farewell for the Christians and Yazidis (in Iraq) who believe they can no longer return to their lands because they were chased out of their homes. This is happening now.”
The Pope said there are small farewells such as when a mother hugs her son who’s going off to fighting in a war and then there’s the final farewell for a person who is leaving this world and this theme of farewell is explored in art and in songs.
“I’m thinking of one, of the Italian “Alpini” regiment, when the captain bids farewell to his soldiers: the captain’s Will. I’m thinking of the great farewell, my great farewell, not when I must say ‘see you then,’ ‘see you later,’ ‘bye for now,’ but ‘farewell.’ These two readings use the word ‘addio’ (farewell in a final sense.) Paul entrusts everything of his to God and Jesus entrusts to God his disciples who remain on this earth. ‘They are not of this world but look after them.’ We only say ‘addio’ at a time of final farewells, be they of this life or be they our final farewell.”
Pope Francis went to say that each of us would do well to think of our final farewell or passing and examine our conscience, just like Jesus and St Paul did.
“What will I leave behind? Both St Paul and Jesus in these two readings carry out a kind of examination of conscience: ‘I’ve done this, this and this … And what have I done? It’s good for me to imagine myself at that moment. We don’t know when it will happen, but it will be that moment when expressions like ‘see you later,’ ‘see you soon,’ ‘see you tomorrow,’ ‘goodbye for now,’ will become ‘farewell.’ Am I prepared to entrust to God all that I have? To entrust myself to God? To say that word which is the word of the son entrusting himself to his Father.”
The Pope concluded his homily by praying that the Holy Spirit teaches us how to say farewell and truly entrust ourselves to God at the end of our life.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Tuesday (May 19th) many people like the Rohingya of Myanmar or the Christians and Yazidis in Iraq have been forced to say farewell to their homes and the lives of all of us are marked by farewells of varying importance. He said each of us should reflect on our…
Read more