(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has told the bishops of Togo to preserve the “positive aspects” of family life in Africa and that these should be shared at the Synod on the family in October. It is important that these experiences be shared and heard, the Pope said in a discourse written in French and distributed Monday to the bishops who are in the Vatican on their ad limina visit.
The African family’s openness to life and the respect with which people care for the aged in particular, deserve to be maintained and should serve as encouragement to others to do the same, the Pope said.
Marriage, too, the Pope affirmed, is a positive “pastoral reality” despite cultural and legal obstacles. The Holy Father encouraged the bishops to continue supporting families in difficulty, especially in the areas of education and social work, and to prepare couples well for the sacrament of Christian marriage.
Religious life irreplaceable
Religious, the Pope said, have an “irreplaceable” role in the announcement and transmission of the faith in the West African nation and their institutions and apostolate are widely appreciated.
Vocations are numerous in Togo and seminarians receive good training, he added, but care must be exercised so that future priests will remain true and faithful servants of Christ. They must fight against “ambition, careerism, jealousy, worldliness, the seduction of money and worldly things” and seek a life of “sincere celibacy,” the Pope said.
The Church working in cooperation for the common good
Pope Francis applauded the “notable” political and social progress made by Togo in recent years, to which the Catholic Church, he observed, has contributed in the areas of evangelization, human advancement, and in its engagement in justice and reconciliation. In particular, he encouraged the Togolese Church to contribute to the building of society in collaboration with government authorities and public and private institutions working for the common good.
Interfaith Dialogue
Speaking of interfaith dialogue, Pope Francis observed the peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims in Togo but said the culture of dialogue and encounter can be further developed given the current tensions in western Africa.
“Interreligious dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in the world, and consequently, a duty for Christians as for other religious communities,” the Pope added, saying young priests must also be given solid training in interfaith dialogue.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says that although Christians are still persecuted and killed in the name of God, the Holy Spirit gives them the strength to face martyrdom as they bear witness to their faith.
The Pope was speaking during his homily on Monday at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta.
Pope Francis finds inspiration in the Gospel reading of the day in which Jesus says to his disciples: “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you will also testify”.
He explains that the Lord speaks of the future, of the Cross that awaits us, and he speaks of the Holy Spirit who helps us give witness as Christians.
He also speaks of “the scandal of persecutions”, the “scandal of the Cross”.
The Pope points out that the life of the Church is a journey that is guided by the Holy Spirit who reminds us of Jesus’ words and “teaches us things that Jesus wasn’t able to tell us”.
The Holy Spirit – he says – is our companion in this journey and defends us from “the scandal of the Cross”.
And the Pope points out that the Cross is a scandal for the Jews who “ask for signs” and it is foolishness for the Greeks – the pagans – who “ask for knowledge and new ideas”.
Christians on the other hand – says Pope Francis – preach the crucified Christ. So Jesus prepares his disciples: “They will expel you from the synagogues: in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God”:
“Today we are seeing those who kill Christians in the name of God because they think they are not believers. This is Christ’s Cross: ‘They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me’. This happened to me – Jesus says – it will happen to you too – the persecutions, the tribulations – but do not be scandalized: the Holy Spirit will guide us and help us understand”.
Pope Francis then recalled Sunday’s telephone conversation with the Coptic Pope Tawadros II on the occasion of the “Day of friendship between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church”.
“I was remembering the faithful of his Church who were slain on the beach because they were Christians. Thanks to the strength given them by the Holy Spirit they were not scandalized. They died with the name of Jesus on their lips. This is the strength of the Spirit. The testimony. Martyrdom is the supreme testimony”.
But – Pope Francis continues – there is also the testimony we give every day, the testimony of rendering present the life-giving message of Easter which guides us towards the truth and reminds us of Jesus’ words:
“A Christian who does not take the dimension of martyrdom seriously in life does not understand the road that Jesus has indicated: a road that invites us to bear witness every day, defending the rights of others; defending our children; mothers and fathers who defend their family; so many sick people who bear witness and suffer for the love of Jesus. All of us have the possibility of bringing forward this life-giving Easter message, bearing witness, without being scandalized”.
Pope Francis concludes with this prayer: “Let us ask the Lord for the grace to receive the Holy Spirit who will remind us of Jesus’ words, who will guide us in truth throughout our lives and prepare us to bear witness in our lives, with small every day martyrdoms, or with a great martyrdom, according to God’s will”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has told the bishops of Togo to preserve the “positive aspects” of family life in Africa and that these should be shared at the Synod on the family in October. It is important that these experiences be shared and heard, the Pope said in a discourse written in French and distributed…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says that although Christians are still persecuted and killed in the name of God, the Holy Spirit gives them the strength to face martyrdom as they bear witness to their faith. The Pope was speaking during his homily on Monday at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta. Pope Francis finds inspiration…
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(Vatican Radio) At a pro-family conference on the eve of Italy’s March for Life, speakers from around the world gathered in Rome to discuss strategies for promoting the Church’s teaching on life, marriage, and the family.
The Conference was organized by a coalition of pro-life and pro-family groups called Voice of the Family, which is committed to supporting the Bishops during last year’s Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family, and at the General Assembly of the Bishops which will take place in October 2015.
Saturday’s Conference featured a keynote address by Cardinal George Pell, the Prefect of the Vatican’s Secretariat of the Economy. Following his speech, Cardinal Pell spoke with Christopher Wells about the challenges facing the family today. The family, he said “is very resilient… but by the same token, I think just about everywhere in the western world its under pressure.” Cardinal Pell spoke of the challenges of fewer people getting married, and fewer people marrying in the Church, and mentioned the issues of abortion and divorce. While there are still many good families, according to many measures, things are much worse than they have been in the past.
Secularization, he said, presents challenges to the Church’s teachings on the family, and makes it “much, much harder” for the Church to present her message. “We are all affected by the world in which we live.” Cardinal Pell emphasized that the challenge for the Church is not simply a question for the clergy. “There are many, many different types of Catholics – there’s the Pope and Bishops and priests. But I think especially in family life, it’s an area for the witness of married, the witness of spouses, of parents, and of their children.”
Asked about how the Church can respond to the challenges to the family, Cardinal Pell said we have to practice what we preach. “We [must] explain the importance of faith. Often we can be very, very understated about the importance of faith, prayer, conversion.” Cardinal Pell said, “The secrets for religious prosperity, lie in the Gospels and in the Catholic tradition. We’ve just got to go to them… And adapting more and more to the society – they’ll all say that’s good, but they won’t join, and it will put us out of business if we do it long enough.”
Listen to Christopher Wells’ interview with Cardinal George Pell:
(from Vatican Radio)…