(Vatican Radio) With the British General Election looming, the question of immigration is one of the main points being debated in the public arena as the various parties vie for votes, writes Phil Andrews. At the beginning of March, Bishop Patrick Lynch, Chair of the Office for Migration Policy for the Bishops of England Wales,…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says there is still much to be done in order to give due recognition to women, both in society and in the Church.
Speaking on Wednesday during the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope said that not only must the voice of women be listened to, but that it must also be given weight and authority.
Continuing in his Catechesis on the family, Pope Francis focused on the great gift that God gave humanity when he created man and woman and on the Sacrament of marriage.
Reflecting on the complementarity between man and woman, Francis said that the Scripture tells us that “God created man in his own image… male and female he created them” and that man and woman bear the image and likeness of God not only as individuals, but also together.
He said that in God’s plan, sexual differentiation is not ordered to subordination, but to communion and procreation and he said that this reciprocity brings harmony and enrichment to the human family.
But, pointing out that it also presents a constant challenge and that modern culture has opened new scenarios, the Pope pointed out that there is much work to be done in order to give women their due recognition.
The very way in which Jesus considered women – the Pope said – shines a powerful light on a long road still to be tread, a road upon which we have only taken a few steps. This road – Francis said – “is to be travelled with creativity and audacity”.
The Pope also touched on issues that have come to the fore thanks to new freedoms and new perspectives opened up by contemporary culture.
Asking himself whether the so-called “gender” theory that aims to annul sexual differences may also be an expression on frustration and resignation due to our incapacity of confronting a problem, the Pope said that: “removing the difference is the problem, not the solution”.
And inviting men and women to speak more to one another, and to respect and love each other, Pope Francis also urged intellectuals “not to abandon this theme as if it had become secondary within their commitment to build a more just and free society”.
Nowadays – the Pope concluded – as we sense the responsibility to do more in favour of women, recognizing the weight and authority of their voices in society and the Church, we must also ask ourselves to what extent society’s loss of faith in God is related to the crisis of the covenant between man and woman.
The challenge faced by the Church, and by all believers and families – he said – is to rediscover the beauty of God’s plan, the imprint of his image in that covenant.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says there is still much to be done in order to give due recognition to women, both in society and in the Church. Speaking on Wednesday during the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope said that not only must the voice of women be listened to, but that it…
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(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Roberto Tucci died Tuesday night in Rome. His 94th birthday would have been 19 April. Having been Director General of Vatican Radio from 1973 to 1985, he was made a cardinal by Pope St. John Paul II on February 21, 2001. He also served as the organizer of all Pope John Paul II’s papal visits.
Cardinal Tucci joined the Jesuits and was ordained a priest in 1950 after having earned his Doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
He taught for several years at the Theological Faculty of San Luigi in Naples, serving also as director of the Jesuit periodical, Civiltà Cattolica, from 1959 to 1973.
During the Second Vatican Council, Cardinal Tucci played a major role in the Council’s preparatory documents and in its various sessions as a Theological Expert.
His contribution was invaluable for the final edition of the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Roberto Tucci died Tuesday night in Rome. His 94th birthday would have been 19 April. Having been Director General of Vatican Radio from 1973 to 1985, he was made a cardinal by Pope St. John Paul II on February 21, 2001. He also served as the organizer of all Pope John Paul II’s papal…
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