(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday received the participants in a meeting -this week – of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. The Oriental Orthodox Churches those Orthodox Eastern Christian churches which recognize only the first three ecumenical councils, and rejected the formulae of the Council of Chalcedon, at which certain central…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis warned that lukewarm Christians who’ve lost the memory and enthusiasm of their first encounter with Christ are in grave danger of letting the devil into their homes. Christians, he explained, must always retain that memory of their first meeting with Christ and their hope in Him to help them go forward with the courage of their faith. The Pope’s words came at his morning Mass on Friday (January 30th) celebrated at the Santa Marta residence.
Taking the inspiration for his reflections from the Letter to the Hebrews, Pope Francis said somebody who no longer remembers his or her first meeting with Jesus is an empty and spiritually inert person, as only lukewarm people can be. The day of that first encounter with Christ, he stressed, must never be forgotten.
Lukewarm Christians in grave danger
“Our memory is so important for recalling the grace received because if we chase away that enthusiasm which comes from the memory of that first love, this enthusiasm coming from that first love, then a huge danger arrives for Christians: a lukewarm (faith). Lukewarm Christians. They’re there, immobile and yes, they’re Christians, but they’ve lost the memory of that first love. And they’ve also lost their enthusiasm. In addition, they’ve lost their patience, to tolerate life’s problems with the spirit of Jesus’ love, to tolerate, and to bear on their shoulders the difficulties…. Lukewarm Christians, poor things, they’re in grave danger.”
Pope Francis said when he thinks about lukewarm Christians he is struck by two distasteful images, the one described by Peter who talks of the dog that returns to its own vomit and the other described by Jesus of people who chase away the devil and decide to follow the gospel but when the devil later returns with reinforcements they open their doors of their house to him. The Pope said this is like returning to the vomit of that evil that was earlier rejected and vice-versa.
“A Christian has these two parameters, memory and hope. We must evoke our memory so as not to lose the beautiful experience of that first love which feeds our hope. Many times that hope is in darkness but (a Christian) still goes ahead. He or she believes and goes forward because they know that hope never disappoints us, in finding Jesus. These two parameters are the very frames within which we can safeguard the salvation of the good people which comes from the Lord.”
Memory and hope equal faith
The Pope said this salvation must be protected in order that the tiny mustard seed will grow and bear fruit.
“It’s painful and heart-breaking to see so many Christians – so many Christians! – half-way along the road, so many Christians who’ve failed along this road towards a meeting with Jesus, going away from this encounter with Jesus. This road where they’ve lost the memory of that first love and no longer have any hope.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis expressed his profound sadness for the victims of an explosion at a maternity hospital in Mexico City which killed two newborn babies and a nurse. More than 70 other people were injured, most of them newborn infants. The Pope’s condolences were sent on his behalf by the Secretary of State Pietro Parolin in a telegram to Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, Archbishop of Mexico City. Earlier, the Pope sent a tweet on his Spanish twitter account urging prayers for the victims and their families and for the Lord to grant them strength and peace.
An investigation is underway into the cause of Thursday’s explosion, which killed at least three people and injured scores of others, many of whom are infants.
James Blears reports a leak in a pipe of a truck supplying gas to the hospital’s kitchen, transformed the vehicle into a gigantic bomb, with a resulting explosion, felt for many miles around.
Listen to the report by James Blears:
The nursery, administration area and emergency ward of Cujimalpa hospital were flattened by a blast of enormous proportions. Investigating experts say a supply pipe of a truck pumping gallon after gallon of gas into the hospital kitchen, either leaked or fractured, causing the explosion. More than 40 of the 70 hurt are babies or young children. Twenty-two remain in serious condition. The heart-rending cases range from blast wounds, burns ….. and horrific wounds from glass shards fanning out in cutting showers, from shattered window panes. Windows for miles around were blown to kingdom come from the shock waves.
Mexico City’s Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera who’s visited the scene of twisted metal, collapsed concrete and devastation, is blaming the gas company, which he says has been supplying hospitals throughout Mexico City since 2007.
In one form or other, gas explosions are not uncommon in Mexico. In February 2013, 37 people died after a build-up of gas in the basement of the Mexico City Headquarters of State Petroleum Company PEMEX.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has called for prayers in the wake of a deadly gas explosion at a maternity hospital in the Cuajimalpa section of Mexico City. Appearing on the Holy Father’s Spanish-language twitter account shortly after news of the incident broke, the message says: “Let us pray for the victims of the explosion at…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has made changes to the public ceremony of investiture of the Pallium on Metropolitan Archbishops emphasizing that the investiture is an ecclesial event of the whole diocese, and not merely a juridical or ceremonial event. Speaking to Vatican Radio, Monsignor Guido Marini, Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, says that from now…
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