(Vatican Radio) May the witness of the martyrs help us to avoid the temptation of transforming our faith into power. Those were Pope Francis’ words during his homily at the morning Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Monday, as he reflected on the Gospel story of the crowds who come searching for Jesus following the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s report:
Noting that the crowds came looking for Jesus, not out of a sense of religious awe and adoration, but rather for their own material interests, Pope Francis said when we take advantage of faith and are tempted towards power, we run the risk of failing to understand the true mission of Our Lord.
We see this attitude repeatedly in the Gospels, he said, where so many people follow Jesus out of their own interests. Even his own apostles, the Pope said, like the sons of Zebedee who wanted the jobs of “prime minster and finance minister”, they wanted to have power. Instead of bringing to the poor the Good News that Jesus came to free prisoners, to give sight to the blind and freedom to the oppressed, we are tempted to transform this message of healing into a tool of power and to take advantage of our encounter with Jesus.
Pope Francis noted that this was also the way that Jesus himself was tempted by the devil. Firstly by offering him bread to eat, secondly by offering to create a great show so that people would believe in him and thirdly by urging him to worship other idols. This is our daily temptation as Christians, the Pope said, not to believe in the power of the Spirit, but instead to be tempted by worldly power.
In this way we are drawn increasingly by the ways of the world towards that attitude which Jesus calls hypocrisy. We become Christians in name but in our hearts we act out of our own interests, weakening our faith, our mission and the Church itself. Just as Jesus told the crowds, “you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled”.
May the saints and martyrs, the Pope said, awaken us with their witness of following the path of Jesus and announcing the year of grace. When the crowds at Capernaum understand Jesus’ rebuke, they ask him “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answers, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” Pope Francis concluded by praying that God may give us the grace not to fall for the spirit of this world which leads us to live like pagans beneath a veneer of Christianity, but to believe and trust in God and in the one he sent to us.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Jewish Catholic relations were under the spotlight in the Vatican on Monday as Pope Francis met with a delegation from the Conference of European Rabbis. The conference represents more than 700 Rabbis from synagogues across the continent and is focused on defending the religious rights of Jews in Europe today.
Listen to Philippa Hitchen’s report:
In his words to the Rabbis, Pope Francis recalled the legacy of Rome’s former Chief Rabbi Elio Toaff who died on Sunday just days before marking his 100th birthday. Recalling his historic first encounter with Pope John Paul II in 1986, Pope Francis said we gratefully remember him as a man of peace and dialogue.
The Pope also looked ahead to this October’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the document Nostra Aetate which marked a turning point in relations between Catholics and Jews. While this landmark text remains the reference point for all joint efforts, the Pope said it’s more important than ever today to emphasis the spiritual and religious dimension of life in Europe, which is increasingly marked by secularism and threatened by atheism. Jews and Christians together, he said, have the responsibility of preserving a sense of the sacred and reminding people that our lives are a gift from God.
Finally the Pope noted the troubling anti-Semitic trends in Europe today and said the memory of the great tragedy of the Shoah, in the heart of Europe, remains as a warning for present and future generations.
Responding to the Pope, the president of the Conference of European Rabbis, Pinchas Goldschmidt said Jews in Europe today feel trapped between the attacks of radicalized Muslim immigrants and the secular backlash of many European political leaders.
Goldschmidt, who is the Chief Rabbi of Moscow, thanked the Holy See and Catholic communities across the continent for supporting the quest for religious freedom. He also warned of the conflict in Russia and what he called a “new mounting wall between East and West”, urging Pope Francis to help build new bridges and bring the West back from the brink of war.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) May the witness of the martyrs help us to avoid the temptation of transforming our faith into power. Those were Pope Francis’ words during his homily at the morning Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Monday, as he reflected on the Gospel story of the crowds who come searching for Jesus following…
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(Vatican Radio) Jewish Catholic relations were under the spotlight in the Vatican on Monday as Pope Francis met with a delegation from the Conference of European Rabbis. The conference represents more than 700 Rabbis from synagogues across the continent and is focused on defending the religious rights of Jews in Europe today. Listen to Philippa…
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(Vatican Radio) The Press Office of the Holy See was the scene Monday morning for the presentation of a Day of Reflection on the life and legacy of Blessed Junípero Serra – soon to be St. Junípero Serra, after his canonization in Washington, DC, scheduled for September of this year. Capping the Day, which is to focus on the theme: Fra Junípero Serra: Apostle of California, and Witness to Sanctity , is to be the visit of Pope Francis to the Pontifical North American College, host of the event, for Mass in the College chapel.
“The highlight of the day, of course, for us, will be the end of the day, when [Pope Francis] comes to celebrate Mass with our community at 12 o’clock,” said the Rector of the North American College, Msgr. James Checchio, in an exclusive interview with Vatican Radio ahead of the press conference on Monday. “It’s been quite a few years – thirty-five – since the Successor of Peter has been to the College, so it’s a great moment for us.” he added.
Click below to hear Msgr. Checchio’s extended conversation with Chris Altieri
Msgr. Checchio also told Vatican Radio about the enduring importance of Bl. Junípero Serra’s spirit of service and sacrifice for the Gospel. “He obviously showed great heroic [valor] and sacrificed himself in the name of evangelization and Jesus Christ,” he explained. “Certainly that’s something of which we need to do more: we need to give all we have,” Msgr. Checchio said.
The Day of Reflection is organized by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Ca., and the Pontifical North American College. Featured speakers are to include: Card. Marc Ouellet, President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin
America; Most Rev. José H. Gómez, Archbishop of Los Angeles; Vincenzo Criscuolo, OFM Cap., General Relator of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
Below, please find the full text, in English, of Msgr. Checchio’s prepared remarks, followed by the full Programme for the Day of Reflection:
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During this Easter Season, we have been reading from the Acts of the Apostles at Mass and we have been blessed to meditate upon the effects of the resurrection on the Early Church. As Americans, we cannot help but to ponder in our thoughts and to contemplate within our hearts the upcoming visits of the successor of St. Peter to the Pontifical North American College in May and to the United States in September; and we’re praying that these visits, like the Apostles’ early visits throughout Galilee, will also bring much new evangelical excitement to our local Churches. His Holiness, Pope Francis, will no doubt see an active, vibrant Catholic Church in the United States; and we are all hoping that his apostolic and evangelical presence will ignite an even greater adherence to the Gospel amongst us. Our faithful people are so excited for the Holy Father’s visit; his message of mercy has struck a chord deep within the hearts of many people in our country, regardless of their religious affiliation.
In Philadelphia, the Holy Father will take part in the World Meeting of Families – a time to focus on issues facing families, not only in our country, but all over the world. In addition, Pope Francis’ emphasis on caring for the needy, the least among us, has certainly resonated with our seminarians, student priests, and faculty members at the North American College. Our students have long shared this same concern, and they are regularly seen speaking with and helping the poor in the streets of Rome. In fact, a few years ago, on their own initiative, our seminarians opened a St. Lawrence Pantry to help in providing for some of the basic needs of the poor in Rome. In their weekly apostolic assignments throughout the year and during summer, Christmas, and Easter breaks, they can often be found going to assist the poorest amongst us in places in Africa and Asia. I am personally inspired by the pastoral charity of our seminarians and young priests in this regard. Similarly, our faithful in the United States are known for their generosity to the poor and those in need throughout the world; so there is no doubt that they will joyfully receive this message of compassion and service to the poor from our Holy Father.
During his visit to the Pontifical North American College, the Holy Father will see firsthand the vibrancy of the faith in our country represented in our 250 seminarians. They come from 101 dioceses within our country. The North American College has been at capacity enrollment for four years now, the first time since the 1960’s, and we already have a waiting list for the next academic year. We also have 62 priests engaged in advanced theological studies at our graduate house, the Casa Santa Maria. Our houses are lively, faith-filled, joyful, and apostolically oriented; the fruit of much prayer and evangelization occurring amongst our bishops, clerics, religious and lay faithful in the United States. Pope Francis is calling all of us to further reform our lives and also to do even more in caring for the poor – going to the periphery of our societies. It is certainly a great gift for all of us.
Since Blessed Pius IX founded our College in 1859, we have enjoyed the special care of our Holy Father and we proudly bear the title “Pontifical.” Therefore, it is a particular joy to welcome Pope Francis to our home, as we have welcomed so many other of his predecessors including St. John Paul II, Blessed Paul VI, Saint John XXIII and Pius XII. We offer no apologies for having as our mission the formation of priests who are particularly committed to the Bishop of Rome and we are grateful for the bold and compassionate leadership of Pope Francis.
We certainly ask our faithful people – those in America and beyond – to keep the Pontifical North American College in their prayers as we rededicate ourselves to our mission of raising up worthy ministers for the Church’s Altars and ardent but gentle servants of the Gospel. Following the example of our Blessed Mother and our patroness under the title of the Immaculate Conception, we rely on the grace of God to sustain us in all our efforts and to bring fulfillment to the good work He has begun in our College. Without these constant prayers and generous support of God’s faithful people, our daily work of forming holy, loving and courageous priests for the new evangelization would be impossible. The visit of Pope Francis to our College and to our homeland will certainly be moments of renewal for all of us. We are filled with great hope and excitement as our Holy Father advances the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our time.
Pontifical North American College
(Rome – Via del Gianicolo, 14)
May 2, 2015
08.30 a.m. Chair: Card. Marc Ouellet, President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin
America.
Welcome and introduction, in anticipation of the Holy Father’s upcoming apostolic
visit to the United States (Msgr. James Checchio, Rector of the Pontifical North
American College).
08.45 Bibliographical notes on Junípero Serra: the path to holiness (R.P. Vincenzo
Criscuolo, OFM Cap., General Relator of the Congregation for the Causes of
Saints).
09.30 The religious origins of America (Most Rev. José H. Gómez, Archbishop of Los
Angeles).
10.30 Break
10.45 The canonization of Fra Junípero Serra in ligth of “Ecclesia in America” (Prof.
Guzmán Carriquiry, Secretary in charge of the Vice-Presidency of the Pontifical
Commission for Latin America).
11.15 Our Lady of Guadalupe, mother and guide of Fra Junípero Serra, Patron of
American (Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of Knights of Columbus).
12.15 HOLY MASS, OFFICIATED BY THE HOLY FATHER, POPE FRANCIS.
13.15 Lunch at the Pontifical North American College.
(from Vatican Radio)…