(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Monday that oil and weapons seem to weigh more on the scale of economic interests than the lives of thousands of Christians in the Middle East, and while proclaiming peace and justice the world tolerates traffickers of death.
The Pope’s words of condemnation were pronounced as he greeted participants of ROACO’s 88th Plenary Assembly in the Vatican.
The Assembly, scheduled to last until June 17, gathers representatives of aid projects of the “Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches” (ROACO).
It includes a special session dedicated to Syria with attention also given to Iraq in view of the recent tragic developments in that region.
In his address the Pope said the continuing conflict in the Middle East “make us feel the cold of a winter and a frost in the human heart that never seem to end”, and he remarked that “the land in these regions, crossed by the footsteps of those who seek refuge, is irrigated by the blood of so many men and women, including many Christians persecuted for their faith.
Pope Francis spoke with gratitude of the daily work and experience of the “sons and daughters of the Eastern Churches and their Pastors”, who share the suffering of the people and carry out the work of listening and service that is inscribed in the statute of the agencies coordinated by the Congregation for Eastern Churches.
He encouraged the delegates to continue in their humanitarian assistance with a Christian approach promoting people and nations with compassion and mercy.
“As I wrote in the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee of Mercy – he said – ‘Let us open our eyes and look at the misery in the world, at the wounds of so many brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us hear their cry for help’”.
“May their cry become ours and together we can break the barrier of indifference that often reigns concealing hypocrisy and selfishness” he said.
Looking back to the drama that has been unfolding in the past months, Pope Francis said it would appear that the world’s conscience has been jolted and it has opened its eyes to the fact that Christians have been present in the Middle East for millennia.
Thus – he said – there have been a series of initiatives to raise awareness and to reach out to those unjustly affected by the violence.
However – he continued – a further effort should be made to erase seemingly tacit agreements according to which “the lives of thousands and thousands of families – women, men, children, and elderly people – seem to weigh less than oil and weapons on the scale of interests”.
“So that while proclaiming peace and justice, it is tolerated that traffickers of death continue to operate those lands” he said.
And with a heartfelt appeal, Pope Francis encouraged those present to “continue the service of Christian charity, to denounce all that tramples on human dignity”.
Pope Francis also noted that during the Assembly particular attention with be devoted to the situation in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Armenia (although the first two of this year became self-governing Churches).
He said ROACO can help these ancient Christian communities to feel part of the evangelizing mission, offering – especially to young people – a horizon of hope and growth.
Without this – the Pope said – it will be impossible to stop “the flow of migration that sees so many sons and daughters of the region set out to reach the Mediterranean coast, at the risk of life”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Christians must learn to free themselves from ‘worldly noise and passions’ so that they can receive the grace of God in their hearts. That was the focus of Pope Francis’ words during his homily at morning Mass on Monday in the Casa Santa Marta, as Philippa Hitchen reports…
Listen:
Reflecting on today’s reading from St Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, Pope Francis noted that the Lord freely gives us his grace and that we must be ready, right now, to receive that gift. We need to prepare our hearts, he said, so that we do not “receive the grace of God in vain”. We must be attentive to God so that we can welcome his Word, rather than causing scandal by our un-Christian behaviour.
How often, the Pope said, do we hear people speak of Christians who go to Mass on Sundays but then behave like pagans, causing scandal to others. But how should we welcome God into our hearts, he asked? By freeing ourselves from all noise and passion that does not come from God and by removing all those things that disturb our peace of mind. In the reading from St Matthew’s Gospel, the Pope said, Jesus explains how we must overturn our “eye for an eye” mentality and offer the other cheek to those who do us wrong.
To be free of worldly passion, Pope Francis said, we must have a humble heart which rejects all conflicts and battles. This is the noise of the pagan world and the noise of the devil, he said, but our hearts must be at peace if we want to bear witness to our faith without scandal or criticism. Returning to the words of St Paul, the Pope stressed we must keep our hearts ready for God through all “endurance, afflictions, hardships, constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, vigils, fasts”.
How can we possibly do this, he asked? As the Apostle Paul explains, through “purity, knowledge, patience, kindness”, and by maintaining a spirit of holiness. Humility, kindness and patience, the Pope concluded, are the marks of those who keep their eyes on God and have their hearts open to the Lord ..
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday met with representatives of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, on the occasion of the six hundredth anniversary of the death of the reformer Jan Hus.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s report
In his prepared remarks to the delegation from the Czech Republic, Pope Francis told them that this meeting marking the 600 anniversary of Jan Hus was an opportunity to renew and deepen relations between their Church communities.
Jan Hus was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century and was burnt at the stake for heresy.
The Holy Father recalled the words of his predecessor Pope St. John Paul II, about this Church reformer when he expressed his “deep regret for the cruel death imposed on him.
Pope Francis continued by saying that it was necessary to continue to study the person and work of Jan Hus, because today he had become an incentive for dialogue to all Christians and to society, even beyond the borders of the Czech nation.
Recalling his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, and the work of the Second Vatican Council, the Pope reiterated the importance of Church renewal and unity especially, he said, in the area of evangelization at a time when many men and women seem indifferent to the joyful news of the Gospel.
In conclusion, Pope Francis said that “in answering the call of Christ to continual conversion, of which we all need, we can move forward together on the path of reconciliation and peace.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
Vatican City, 15 June 2015 (VIS) – Today in the Vatican Apostolic Palace the Holy Father received in audience the president of the Republic of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States. During the cordial discussions the good relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Colombia were evoked, underlining the contribution the Catholic Church has given and continues to guarantee in favour of the human, social and cultural progress of the population. Among the issues considered, special attention was given to the state of the reconciliation process in the country, the complexity of the negotiations that this entails, and the prospects that could open the way to achieving a peace agreement. Finally, there was an exchange of views on the regional political and social situation, with attention to the efforts made towards promoting stability in the countries of the area, their harmonious and equitable development, and a culture of legality….
Vatican City, 15 June 2015 (VIS) – The lands of the Middle East, marred by years of conflict, are also “marked by the footprints of those who seek refuge and soaked with the blood of many men and women, including numerous Christians persecuted for their faith”, said the Holy Father as he received in audience the members of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO), a year after their pilgrimage and Francis’ plea for peace in the region, when all hoped that “the seed of reconciliation would have borne greater fruits”. Recalling the recent trip to Iraq by a delegation of the ROACO, during which they met with displaced persons from the Nineveh Plain and with small groups from Syria, the Pope affirmed, “in those eyes that asked for help and pleaded for peace and to return home there was Jesus Himself Who looked at you, asking for that charity that makes us Christians. Every form of assistance, so as not to fall into the trap of uncompromising efficiency or mere aid that does not promote persons or peoples, must always be reborn from this blessing of the Lord Who reaches us when we have the courage to look at the situations and the brothers before us”. Nevertheless, “the world seems to have become aware of the tragedy of recent months, and has opened its eyes, taking account of the millennial presence of Christians in the Middle East. Initiatives for raising awareness and offering aid to them to to others unjustly affected by violence have flourished. However, further efforts must be made to eliminate what would appear to be tacit agreements by which the lives of thousands and thousands of families – women, men, children, elderly – in the balance of interests appear to weigh less than petroleum and weapons, and while peace and justice is proclaimed, it is accepted that the traffickers of death act in those lands. I therefore encourage you, as you carry out your service of Christian charity, to condemn all that tramples human dignity”. The Holy Father mentioned that in these days ROACO is dedicating special attention to Ethiopia, Eritrea and Armenia. “The first two, from this year, canonically constitute two separate realities, inasmuch as they are metropolitan sui generis Churches, but they remain profoundly linked by their common Alexandrian-Gheez tradition”. He urged the ROACO “to help these ancient Christian communities to feel that they are members in the evangelical mission and to offer, especially to the young, prospects of hope and growth. Without this, it will not be possible to stop the migratory flow in which so many sons and daughters of the region set out to reach the Mediterranean coasts, risking their lives”. Armenia, “cradle of the first nation to receive baptism, also has a great history rich in culture, faith and martyrdom. Support for the Church in that land contributes to the path towards the visible unity of all believers in Christ”. The Pope concluded by dedicating to the Oriental Catholic Churches some words from St. Ephrem’s Hymn of Resurrection: “Accept, our King, our offering, and give us in return our salvation. Pacify devastated lands and rebuild the burned-down churches so that, when there will be great peace, we may weave a great crown from flowers from all places, so that the Lord of peace may be crowned”….