(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis presided over First Vespers of Divine Mercy Sunday on Saturday evening, during which he also delivered the homily. Below, please find the official English translation of the Holy Father’s prepared remarks.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The greeting of the Risen Christ to his disciples on the evening of Easter, “Peace be with you!” ( Jn 20:19), continues to resound in us all. Peace, especially during this Easter season, remains the desire of so many people who suffer unprecedented violence of discrimination and death simply because they bear the name “Christian”. Our prayer is all the more intense and becomes a cry for help to the Father, who is rich in mercy, that he may sustain the faith of our many brothers and sisters who are in pain. At the same time, we ask for the grace of the conversion of our own hearts so as to move from indifference to compassion.
Saint Paul reminds us that we have been saved through the mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He is the Reconciler, who is alive in our midst offering the way to reconciliation with God and with each other. The Apostle recalls that, notwithstanding the difficulties and the sufferings of life, the hope of salvation which Christ has sown in our hearts nonetheless continues to grow. The mercy of God is poured out upon us, making us just and giving us peace.
Many question in their hearts: why a Jubilee of Mercy today? Simply because the Church, in this time of great historical change, is called to offer more evident signs of God’s presence and closeness. This is not the time to be distracted; on the contrary, we need to be vigilant and to reawaken in ourselves the capacity to see what is essential. This is a time for the Church to rediscover the meaning of the mission entrusted to her by the Lord on the day of Easter: to be a sign and an instrument of the Father’s mercy (cf. Jn 20:21-23). For this reason, the Holy Year must keep alive the desire to know how to welcome the numerous signs of the tenderness which God offers to the whole world and, above all, to those who suffer, who are alone and abandoned, without hope of being pardoned or feeling the Father’s love. A Holy Year to experience strongly within ourselves the joy of having been found by Jesus, the Good Shepherd who has come in search of us because we were lost. A Jubilee to receive the warmth of his love when he bears us upon his shoulders and brings us back to the Father’s house. A year in which to be touched by the Lord Jesus and to be transformed by his mercy, so that we may become witnesses to mercy. Here, then, is the reason for the Jubilee: because this is the time for mercy. It is the favourable time to heal wounds, a time not to be weary of meeting all those who are waiting to see and to touch with their hands the signs of the closeness of God, a time to offer everyone the way of forgiveness and reconciliation.
May the Mother of God open our eyes, so that we may comprehend the task to which we have been called; and may she obtain for us the grace to experience this Jubilee of Mercy as faithful and fruitful witnesses of Christ.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis presided over First Vespers of Divine Mercy Sunday on Saturday evening, during which he also delivered the homily. Below, please find the official English translation of the Holy Father’s prepared remarks. ********************** Dear Brothers and Sisters, The greeting of the Risen Christ to his disciples on the evening of Easter, “Peace…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday afternoon proceeded with the presentation of the official Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, set to begin December 8. The bull is the fundamental document for the Holy Year that outlines the overall spirit and intentions for the Jubilee, as well as the spiritual fruits that are hoped for. It was read by Fr Leonardo Sapienza, Regent of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, in a ceremony by the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica. Pope Francis then moved into the basilica to preside Vespers for Divine Mercy Sunday. The 28-page bull, titled “ Misericordiae Vultus ” or “The Face of Mercy” opens with the declaration, “Jesus is the face of the Father’s mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith.” Listen to the report by Laura Ieraci:
In the document, Pope Francis says the Holy Year is “dedicated to living out in our daily lives the mercy” which God “constantly extends to all of us.” He explains the year will begin on December 8 to commemorate both the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council, which called the Church to proclaim the Gospel to the world in new ways, bringing God’s mercy to everyone. After the Holy Door of St Peter’s is open on December 8, the Holy Doors of the other papal basilicas will be opened in subsequent days. As well, as a sign of communion of the whole Church, the pope has requested that every diocese in the world open a similar “Door of Mercy” for the local celebrations of the Jubilee. The document develops three main themes. First , Pope Francis elaborates the theological understanding of God’s mercy, explaining the role of mercy in the life of people and of the Church, who are both the beneficiaries and the witnesses to God’s mercy in the world. “The mercy of God is not an abstract idea, but a concrete reality through which he reveals his love as that of a father or a mother, moved to the very depths out of love for their child,” the Pope writes. “Mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life,” he continues. “The Church’s very credibility is seen in how she shows merciful and compassionate love.” He recalls that the motto of the Holy Year is “Merciful like the Father.” “Wherever the Church is present, the mercy of the Father must be evident,” he writes. “Wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy.” As a second theme , the Pope offers practical ways to live well the Holy Year: go on pilgrimage as an “impetus to conversion”; do not judge or condemn but forgive and give, avoiding gossip, envy and jealousy; have a heart open to the fringes of society and bring consolation, mercy and solidarity to people who live in precarious situations; take up the corporal and spiritual acts of mercy with joy; and observe the “24 Hours for the Lord” initiative, which encourages prayer and the sacrament of reconciliation, in every diocese during Lent. He also addresses confessors, encouraging them to be “authentic signs of the Father’s mercy.” And, during Lent of the Holy Year, the Pope says he will send out “Missionaries of Mercy”–priests to whom he will grant “the authority to pardon even those sins reserved to the Holy See.” They will be “living signs of the Father’s readiness to welcome those in search of his pardon,” he writes. As a third theme , the Pope issues particular calls for justice and conversion. He asks members of criminal organizations and those involved in corruption to change their lives and to embrace God’s mercy. He also notes that both Judaism and Islam “consider mercy to be one of God’s most important attributes.” And he expresses “trust that this Jubilee… will foster an encounter” with these and other religions that will “open us to even more fervent dialogue” toward greater knowledge and understanding, “eliminate every form of closed-mindedness and disrespect and drive out every form of violence and discrimination.” He also recalls the relationship between justice and mercy as “two dimensions of a single reality that…culminates in the fullness of love.” “God does not deny justice,” he continues. “He rather envelopes it and surpasses it with an even greater event (mercy) in which we experience love as the foundation of true justice.” The pope concludes the bull with an invocation to Mary, witness to God’s mercy and recalls saint who dedicated their lives to making God’s mercy known, namely the Polish St Faustina Kowalska. After excerpts from the document were read on Saturday evening, Pope Francis gave a copy of the bull to the cardinal archpriests of each of the four papal basilicas in Rome, as well as to cardinals from the different continents, representing the Church throughout the world. As with all Jubilees, a plenary indulgence is granted during the Holy Year of Mercy for those who fulfill all of the usual requirements. The Holy Year will conclude on November 20, 2016, on the feast of Christ the King. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Social justice, immigration and the disparity between the rich and the poor, were the main themes addressed by Pope Francis in his message to the president of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez, on the occasion of the seventh Summit of the Americas. Panama hosted the two-day summit, which gathered the heads of 35 states in North, Central and Southern America under the summit’s theme of “Prosperity with Equity: the Challenge of Cooperation in the Americas.” The Pope’s message was delivered by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Friday. Click below to hear our report:
The Pope noted the “inequity, unjust distribution of wealth and resources” in the region, which “are a source of conflict and violence among people.” He criticized the assumption that it is necessary to sacrifice others and their dignity for the sake of progress. Thus achieving a well-being that is unjust in its very roots and is contrary to the dignity of persons. The Pope said no human being should be denied access to “basic goods,” such as land, work and a home, as well as “public services” such as health care, education and security. However, the well-being of all is still far from the reality, the Pope said. Inequalities continue to offend the dignity of persons. He urged the leaders to rise to the great challenge of a globalisation of solidarity and fraternity, rather than the current globalisation of discrimination and indifference. As long as an equitable distribution of wealth is not achieved, the evils of our society will not be resolved. The Pope noted the widening gap between the rich and the poor in emerging economies, despite overall economic progress. He said “trickle-down” economic theories have revealed themselves to be false. The poor, he said, cannot be expected to gather the crumbs that fall from the tables of the rich. He said the direct action of governments in favour of the disadvantaged, particularly of families, is necessary. The Pope also wanted to call the leaders’ attention “to the problem of immigration.” The immense disparity in economic opportunities in the various countries lead many people to feel obliged to leave their homeland. These people can then become easy prey to trafficking and slave labour, denying them rights and access to justice, he said. Where there is a lack of cooperation between Nation States, many people are left outside of the law and are then unable to assert their rights, falling either to abuse or joining in abusive behaviour. Situations also exist, where the law is not a sufficient safeguard to protect people’s basic rights and that the standard used is without mercy and compassion and does not respond to justice. He also referred to “scandalous and offensive differences, especially between indigenous populations located in rural areas or suburbs of large cities,” who have no defence against racism, xenophobia and intolerance. The Pope encouraged the leaders to work together towards the common good. “Efforts to build bridges, channels of communication and the building of relations, are never sought in vain,” he said. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday afternoon proceeded with the presentation of the official Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, set to begin December 8. The bull is the fundamental document for the Holy Year that outlines the overall spirit and intentions for the Jubilee, as well as the spiritual fruits that…
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