“Many times have I
wanted to give voice to the the unspeakable, inhuman and inexplicable
persecution of those who in many parts of the world — especially among Christians
— are victims of fanaticism an intolerance, often under the eyes and in the
silence of everyone”. Pope Francis wrote these words in a letter sent on 31
July to Archbishop Maroun Elias Lahham, Auxiliary of Jerusalem for Latins and
Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan. The occasion is the first anniversary of the
arrival in the Middle Eastern country of Iraqi refugees fleeing from the
Niniveh Plain, which occurred on 8 August 2014. The bearer of the pontifical
message is Bishop Nunzio Galantino, General Secretary of the Italian Episcopal
Conference, who from 6 to 9 August will be in Amman by the invitation of His
Beatitude Fouad Twal, Patriarch of Jerusalem. “May may global public opinion”,
the Pontiff wishes, “be ever more attentive, sensitive and engaged regarding
the persecution directed against Christians and, more generally, against
religious minorities. I renew the hope that the international community not
remain silent and inert in front of these intolerable crimes, which constitute
an alarming decline of the most essential human rights and impede the richness
of cohabitation among peoples, cultures and faiths….
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent his good wishes to the Knights of Columbus who are currently holding their the 133rd Supreme Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In a message signed by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin and addressed to the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl Anderson, Pope Francis assured his closeness in prayer to all the participants who are looking at the theme “Endowed by their Creator with Life and Liberty”.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s report.
Below find the message addressed to the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl Anderson and signed by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Dear Mr Anderson,
His Holiness Pope Francis has been informed that from 4 to 6 August 2015, the 133rd Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has asked me to convey his warm good wishes to all present, together with the assurance of his closeness in prayer.
As he prepares to visit Philadelphia next month for the Eighth World Meeting of Families, the Holy Father expresses deep appreciation for the steadfast public witness which your Order has borne to our Christian understanding of marriage and the family. Elevated by the Savior to the dignity of a sacrament, marriage is, in the Creator’s plan, a natural institution, a life-long covenant of love and fidelity between a man and a woman, directed to their perfection and sanctification, and to the future of our human family. Today, when the institution of marriage is under attack from powerful cultural forces, the faithful are called to bear witness to this basic truth of biblical faith and natural law, which is essential to the wise and just ordering of society. In meeting the moral, social and political challenges of the present hour, great wisdom and perseverance will be required of them – “the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to their faith in Jesus” (Rev 14:12).
For this reason, His Holiness trusts that the theme of this year’s Supreme Convention – Endowed by their Creator with Life and Liberty – will draw attention to the duty of American Catholics, precisely as responsible citizens, to contribute to the reasoned defense of those freedoms on which their nation was founded. The cornerstone of these is religious freedom, understood not simply as the liberty to worship as one chooses, but also, for individuals and institutions, to speak and act in accordance with the dictates of their conscience. To the extent that this right is menaced, whether by invasive public policies, or by the growing influence of a culture which sets alleged personal rights above the common good, there is need for a mobilization of consciences on the part of all those citizens who, regardless of party or creed, are concerned for the overall welfare of society. It is the Holy Father’s hope that the program of catechesis and prayer which the Knights have inaugurated in view of the forthcoming Synod on the Family and the World Meeting of Families will contribute significantly to this prophetic witness.
The protection of religious freedom must also engage the consciences of believers on the global level, in response to the attacks unleashed on minority communities, most often Christian, in various parts of our world. His Holiness is profoundly grateful for the efforts of the Knights to raise public attention to this grave humanitarian tragedy. He is likewise grateful for the practical solidarity shown to suffering individuals and families through the recently established Christian Refugee Relief Fund. He appeals once more to your Order for constant prayer, in families, parishes and the local Councils, for these, our beleaguered brothers and sisters, who strive only to be faithful to Christ. It is urgent that, from Catholics throughout the world, an unceasing sacrifice of prayer be offered for the conversion of hearts, an end to fanatical violence and intolerance, and a general recognition of those fundamental human rights which are not granted by the state, but from the hand of the Creator, whom all believers invoke as a God of peace.
Finally, the Holy Father has asked me to express his appreciation for the outstanding charitable, educational and spiritual activities with which the Knights of Columbus contribute to the Church’s mission, and to his own ministry as the Successor of Peter, charged with solicitude for all the Churches.
Commending the deliberations of the Supreme Convention to the intercession of Mary, Seat of Wisdom, the Holy Father assures all the Knights and their families of a special remembrance in his prayers. With great affection he imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord.
Yours sincerely,
Pietro Cardinal Parolin
Secretary of State
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis resumed his General Audiences on Wednesday, following the summer holiday. In his catechesis, the Holy Father continued his teaching on the family, reflecting on the situation of those who have divorced and entered into a second union. “The Church knows well,” he said, “that such a situation contradicts the Christians Sacrament.” However, he continued, the Church, as a Mother, always seeks the good and salvation of all her children. Precisely because these situations especially affect children, the Pope said it is important for the Church to foster a true welcome for these families in our communities. The Church must always show her pastoral care for those in such situations, especially the children. Pope Francis noted that the Church in recent decades has developed a greater awareness of the need to be welcoming the divorced and re-married. He emphasized that they are still part of the Church – they are not excommunicated, and should not be treated as such, but rather must be encouraged, with their families, to participate in the Church’s life, through prayer, listening to the Word of God, the Christian education of their children, and service to the poor. He pointed to the words of Pope Benedict XVI, who called for careful discernment and wise pastoral accompaniment, while recognizing that there are no “simple solutions” to the difficulties wounded families face. The Church, Pope Francis said, should imitate the Good Shepherd, welcoming all her children as a mother who is willing to give her life for them. “Each one of us can do our part by having the attitude of the Good Shepherd, Who knows every one of His sheep, and excludes no one from His infinite love. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met Tuesday with thousands of altar servers from around Europe. The encounter in Saint Peter’s Square was part of the ninth International Pilgrimage of Acolytes and Altar Servers.
In his prepared remarks, Pope Francis reflected on the theme of this year’s pilgrimage, “Here I am: Send me!” The Holy Father told the young people, “It is important to realize that being close to Jesus and knowing him in the Eucharist through your service at the altar, enables you to open yourselves to others, to journey together, to set demanding goals and to find the strength to achieve them.”
The International Pilgrimage of Altar Servers, which takes place every five years, is organized by the group Coetus Internationalis Ministrantium, a group that includes representatives from countries throughout Europe, including Germany, Italy, and France, as well as smaller countries such as Croatia, Luxembourg, Serbia, and Slovakia. The international pilgrimage allows altar servers to take part in a unique experience for their service, and helps them to discover the diversity of the universal Church.
Address of Pope Francis
to the International Pilgrimage of Altar Servers
Saint Peter’s Square, 4 August 2015
Dear Altar Servers,
I thank you all for coming in such great numbers; you have withstood the heat of the sun in Rome in August. I thank Bishop Német, your President, for his words of introduction and greeting. You have come from a variety of countries on pilgrimage to Rome, the city where the Apostles Peter and Paul were martyred.
It is important to realize that being close to Jesus and knowing him in the Eucharist through your service at the altar, enables you to open yourselves to others, to journey together, to set demanding goals and to find the strength to achieve them. It is a source of real joy to recognize that we are small and weak, all the while knowing that, with Jesus’ help, we can be strengthened and take up the challenge of life’s great journey in his company.
The prophet Isaiah also discovered this truth, which is to say that God purified his intentions, forgave his sins, healed his heart and made him ready to take up the important task of bringing God’s word to his people. In so doing, he became an instrument of the presence of divine mercy. Isaiah realized that, by entrusting himself into the hands of the Lord, his whole existence would be transformed.
The biblical verse that we have just heard speaks to us precisely of this. Isaiah had a vision of the glory of the Lord. At the same time, the vision showed to him that, although the Lord revealed himself, he still remained far off.
Isaiah was astonished to discover that it was God who made the first move; do not forget this! It is always God who makes the first move in our life. God is the one drawing close. He noticed that God’s actions were not impeded by his imperfections; it was God’s goodness alone that enabled him to take up the mission, transforming him into a totally new person and therefore one able to respond to the call of the Lord, saying, “Here I am! Send me” (Is 6:8).
You are more fortunate today than the prophet Isaiah. In the Eucharist and in the other sacraments, you experience the intimate closeness of Jesus, the sweetness and power of his presence. You do not encounter Jesus placed on an inaccessibly high throne, but in the bread and wine of the Eucharist. His word does not shake the doorposts, but rather caresses the strings of the heart. Like Isaiah, each of you sees that God, although making himself close to us in Jesus and bending down towards you with love, remains always immeasurably greater, beyond our ability to understand him in his deepest being. Like Isaiah, you too have experienced that it is always God who takes the lead, because it is he who created you and willed you into being. It is he who, in your baptism, has made you into a new creation; he is always patiently waiting for your response to his initiative, offering forgiveness to whoever asks him in humility.
If we do not resist him, Jesus will touch our lips with the flame of his merciful love, as he did to the prophet Isaiah. This will make us worthy to receive him and to bring him to our brothers and sisters. Like Isaiah, we too are invited to not remain closed in on ourselves, protecting our faith in an underground bunker to which we flee in difficult moments. Rather, we are called to share the joy of knowing we are chosen and saved by God’s mercy, the joy of being witnesses to the fact that faith gives new direction to our steps, that it makes us free and strong so as to be ready and able for mission.
How beautiful it is to realize that faith brings us out of ourselves, out of our isolation. Precisely because we are filled with the joy of being friends with Jesus Christ, faith draws us towards others, making us natural missionaries!
Dear altar boys and altar girls, the closer you are to the altar, the more you will remember to speak with Jesus in daily prayer; the more you will be nourished by the Word and the Body of the Lord, the better able you will be to go out to others, bringing them the gift that you have received, giving in turn with enthusiasm the joy you have received.
Thank you for serving at the Lord’s altar and for making of this service a real school of learning the faith, and charity toward your neighbour. Thank you also for having begun to respond to the Lord, like the prophet Isaiah, “Here I am. Send me” (Is 6:8).
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, on Saturday elevated the Church of Saint Anne in Los Angeles to the level of Co-cathedral of the Catholic Eparchy of Newton of the Greek Melkites.
Bishop Nicholas Samra, the Eparch of Newton, was present at the celebration, as well as the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez.
In his message during the Liturgy, Cardinal Sandri recalled the suffering and persecution of Christians in the Middle East, likening it to California’s Northridge Earthquake of 1994, which damaged the Church of St. Anne in Los Angeles.
He said “It seems that for too many years your motherland, the Middle East, has been shaken to its foundations by an earthquake which seems, not only never to end, but actually to increase its intensity from day to day. It carries with it sorrow and suffering, especially for the littlest and poorest, among whom are many of our brothers and sisters in the faith.”
Please find below Cardinal Sandri’s full message:
Message of Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, during the Divine Liturgy on the occasion of the erecting of the Co-cathedral of the Eparchy of Newton of the Greek Melkites, Church of Saint Anne, Los Angeles,
Saturday, 1 August, 2015
Your Excellency Msgr. Samra,
Your Excellencies,Msgr. Gomez, Msgr. Zaidan,
Your Grace the Syriac Orthodox Metropolite,
Reverend Father Fouad, Rector of the Church,
Reverend priests, sisters and brothers in the Lord!
We have heard the homily of Bishop Nicolas which helps us to live fully this Divine Liturgy, by which is rendered effective the decision of the Holy Father Francis to elevate this Church to co-cathedral of the Eparchy of Newton of the Greek Melkites.
1. Our thoughts and prayers go first of all to Pope Francis, who from the very beginning of his pontificate has wished to show his closeness to the Eastern Catholic Churches and to their pastors and faithful, as they face great sufferings in the motherland and throughout the Middle East. We recall also the Patriarch Gregory III, who has guided the Melkite Church for so many years.
2. To the eyes of a disinterested spectator this solemn act that we are performing and the decision itself of the Holy Father to comply with the request made by your Bishop, could seem to indicate that you are a dispersed Church: parishes spread throughout the country, two cathedrals three thousand miles apart from each other. This external fact must, rather, constitute a genuine vocation for each one of you, for your priests, and most of all for your dear Bishop Nicolas, who stands among you as the image of the Good Shepherd. This call is to witness to the entire world and especially to this society of the United States, which has welcomed you and of which you are now an integral part, that Christ, by giving his life for us, has torn down every wall of separation, has overcome every distance, as the Apostle Paul affirms. Christ does not allow his people to wander aimlessly through history, but he gathers them continually into the unity of the one Spirit, through the binding force of peace. And we wish to assume a specific responsibility today: let each one of us, in his own heart, before God, in his family, workplace and other areas of daily life, make some gesture of unity and reconciliation. Let each one of us strive to bring back what is dispersed, beginning with the poor and the suffering, the sick and the hopeless, or with the young, who too often feel “robbed of hope” in the difficult context of the contemporary world.
3. I am very pleased that today’s celebration occurs only a few days after the fiftieth anniversary of the consecration of this Church, on the 25th of July 1965. This happy coincidence invites us to recall, with thanksgiving and praise of the Lord, the history of this community and this eparchy. As the walls of the Church were anointed with oil fifty years ago, so each of us has received the anointing of holy Baptism. We have been marked with the seal of the Spirit, and we have become the holy temple of God. May the Lord grant us to live each day in the awareness of this gift which we have received.
4. The very walls of this temple also tell the story of the damage caused by the Northridge Earthquake of 1994, which necessitated a long and meticulous work of restoration. This work succeeded in making the beauty of this Church shine forth again, thanks to the efforts and generosity of many. If we carry this reflection to our own days, it seems that for too many years your motherland, the Middle East, has been shaken to its foundations by an earthquake which seems, not only never to end, but actually to increase its intensity from day to day. It carries with it sorrow and suffering, especially for the littlest and poorest, among whom are many of our brothers and sisters in the faith. Before history and before the judgment seat of God many will have to answer: all those who have not done enough to prevent these inhuman sufferings, regardless of their particular religious affiliation, be they combatants or political leaders. As believers, however, we are certain that history is in the hands of God, who does not forget any of his children. In consequence, the forces which cause the suffering in the Middle East are not eternal and must come be overcome. If we will have conserved the precious treasure of our Christian faith, if we will have refused to permit the crushing or erasing of our dignity as human creatures, then, we are certain that even from the greatest ruins we can rebuild a homeland and a garden of hope, justice and liberty.
5. Let the shield of your Eparchy be for us a guide: in its interior, in a symbolic manner, it contains the affirmation of the foundation on which we fix our life, which can neither waver or be destroyed: Christ, the Sun of justice, who rises from the East and fills us with his joyful light. About him, one sings in the beautiful prayer of the Byzantine Vespers fos ilaron, and about her who carried him in her womb and gave him to the world, the Mother of God, Mary Most Holy.
As citizens of the United States, who have not forgotten your own origin and provenance, nor also your belonging to the Melkite Church, you can, I am sure, offer a great contribution. Here, as in your homeland, whatever is ruined can be rebuilt, thus beginning to heal and console the deep wounds of the heart in so many of our brothers and sisters, victims of the bloody conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Amen.
(from Vatican Radio)…