(Vatican Radio) The Vatican announced in a press release on Tuesday that Pope Francis will preside at the Mass in honour of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Peter’s Basilica on December 12, for the second consecutive year.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is both the Patron Saint of Mexico and Patroness of the entire American continent.
The popular devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe can be traced back to the 16th Century, when a Native American peasant named Juan Diego received a vision of the Virgin Mary, on a hill near to Mexico City. The Virgin asked that a church be raised in her honour on the spot where Diego was standing. She also left a miraculous image of herself on the lining of Diego’s cloak. The image on that cloak now hangs above the High Altar at the Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City.
Pope Francis is the second Pope to celebrate the Mass of Our Lady of Guadalupe inside St Peter’s Basilica. Pope Benedict VXI was the first to do so, in the year 2011.
The Mass is not limited to Latin Americans within Rome. Tickets will be available to anyone in Rome who wishes to attend, and may be requested from the Prefecture of the Papal Household.
The full press release is below:
Eucharistic Celebration presided by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
On December 12th, 2015, the Holy Father Francis will preside a Eucharistic Concelebration in St. Peter’s Basilica. This will be the second consecutive year in which the Holy Father celebrates Holy Mass at St. Peter’s Altar of the Cathedra in honor of the Patroness of Mexico, who is also the Patroness of Latin America and Empress of the whole American Continent.
It may be remembered that Pope Benedict XVI presided Holy Mass in St. Peter’s on December 12th, 2011.
This initiative is another sign of the filial devotion that the Holy Father Francis nourishes toward the Morenita, and it acquires special significance in the fact that the Concelebration will take place four days after the solemn inauguration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The Holy Father desires to confide to the Virgin of Guadalupe the fulfillment of this Holy Year in the American continent.
Moreover, this Concelebration could be an important and significant moment in preparation for the apostolic journey of the Holy Father to Mexico.
The Eucharistic Concelebration will take place in the Vatican Basilica at 6.00 pm and will be preceded by the recitation of the Holy Rosary. Being a Saturday, the liturgy will be that of the third Sunday of Advent. Priests who wish to concelebrate should contact as soon as possible the Pontifical Commission for Latin America in order to receive the necessary tickets.
The invitation to participate in the Holy Mass is not reserved only to Latin-Americans working in the Holy See and living in Rome or in Italy, but is extended to all the faithful and to all pilgrims who may wish to take part in this Eucharistic Celebration. Tickets may be requested directly from the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran was on Monday freed from the brick wall which had hidden it since the year 2000.
After the opening prayer of Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the workers carefully tore down the wall, which protects the door in the years between Jubilees.
Inside, they recovered a zinc box which contained the documents certifying the closure of the door at the end of the Year 2000 Jubilee. The box also contained 41 medals with the emblem of Pope John Paul II: A gold one minted in 2000; 23 silver ones representing the years of the pontificate of John Paul II at the time of the last Jubilee; and 17 bronze ones , one for each year since 1983, the year of the previous Jubilee.
In addition to Cardinal Vallini, the ceremony was attended by the Cathedral Chapter of the Lateran; the Master of Liturgical Celebrations of the Pope, Monsignor Guido Marini; and the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, Archbishop Rino Fisichella.
The Basilica of Saint John Latern is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, and the Holy Door will be officially opened by Pope Francis on 13 December, the first Sunday of the Jubilee of Mercy, which begins with the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on 8 December, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
Holy Doors will also be at the other major basilicas of Rome: St. Mary Major, and St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. For the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has also asked for Holy Doors to be established at Rome’s Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love, and the Diocese of Rome’s Caritas Hostel on Via Marsala.
(from Vatican Radio)…
When the Jubilee Year of Mercy begins on December 8th, all eyes will be looking towards Rome. So the Governorate of the Holy See has decided to take advantage of the attention and unveil the St Peters Square Christmas tree on the same day. This year’s tree, donated by the German region of Bavaria, is a two pointed Spruce, which stands 32 meters tall. The tree will arrive on the 18th of November and will be erected overnight by the staff of the Vatican Gardens. The crib scene and figures will be donated by the Archdiocese of Trento, collaborating with the Friends of the Crib of Tesero group. 24 life sized figures will make up the various scenes at the base of the tree. Apart from the figures of Mary, Joseph, the Child and the three Magi, other figures will represent the various Trentino nations, complete with accurate representations of rural buildings and typical Trentino clothing from the mid-twentieth century. Visitors should notice particularly colourful tree decorations this year. The Vatican has joined forces with the Countess Lene Thun Foundation and recreated designs made by children suffering from Cancer. The Countess Lene Thun Foundation offers recreational therapy to children in Oncology wards across Italy. The children were asked to come up with designs that represent their dreams and desires. Some of the children who designed the decorations will meet Pope Francis on the 8th December. They will present him with some of the decorations they made and accompany him to the unveiling of the Tree. The Christmas tree lights will be illuminated on 18th December. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) South Africans of all faiths are celebrating the life and legacy of one Catholic leader who played a vital role in the vision of the Church in South Africa and in the struggle against apartheid and injustice.
Denis Hurley, the former Archbishop of Durban, was born in Cape Town on 9 November, 1915. The Denis Hurley Centre in Durban is leading centenary celebrations with a rich programme that aims to strengthen and enhance the Centre’s religious, ecumenical, social and cultural role and to revitalize Hurley’s legacy.
Raymond Perrier, Director of the Denis Hurley Centre spoke to Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni about Hurley the man, the priest, the activist – and about his prophetic voice in South Africa today.
He also speaks of the joy of the staff at the Denis Hurley Centre when they received a special message from Pope Francis assuring them of his prayers…
Listen to the interview :
Raymond Perrier reveals that centenary celebrations received an incredible boost from Pope Francis himself who entrusted South African Cardinal Wilfrid Napier with a personal message for the Denis Hurley Centre in which Francis assures his prayers for the good work of the Centre and for everyone who works there.
He goes on to explain who Denis Hurley was pointing out that he was the archbishop of Durban for 45 years because he was made bishop when he was only 31-yeard-old: the youngest bishop in the world… “He was around for a long time and that period covered a very critical period in South Africa”.
Perrier says Hurley stepped down from his role as archbishop just after Nelson Mandela was released from prison and just before he was elected President, and then lived another 10 years after that.
“So he really saw the transformation in this country from the fascist, racialized system it was, to the democratic, Rainbow nation people have heard so much about!” he says.
Perrier tells of how Hurley was active in the political struggle and of how he became the first religious leader to stand up and say “apartheid is wrong”. And, he says “where Hurley led, others followed” and his energy and charisma were such that he brought many people together in the fight against apartheid.
“There is a famous picture of Hurley in Durban leading a march against apartheid. Shoulder to shoulder with him are the Anglican bishop, the Methodist bishop, the Presbyterian Minister, the leader of the Mosque, the leader of the Hindu community, the leader of the Jewish community… “
Perrier also speaks of how Hurley – who was only 50 at the time – participated in the Second Vatican Council (a period he described as the most important of his life); of how he – the son of a lighthouse keeper, grew up on Robben Island (the notorious prison in Table Bay where Nelson Mandela spent much of his time in prison); of how he came to be known as “Guardian of the Light”.
Perrier concludes talking about the activities of the Denis Hurley Centre which he leads today and of how it is committed to feeding the poor, tending to the sick, welcoming refugees and developing job skills for people as well as of how he aims to turn the Centre into a cultural hub for the city in which people of all religions and races can come together to celebrate diversity and justice “living life to the full”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Vatican City, 17 November 2015 (VIS) – This morning, in the Holy See Press Office, a press conference was held to present the 30th International Conference organised by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Pastoral on the theme “The culture of Salus and welcome at the service of man and the planet” (Vatican City, 19-21 November).
The speakers at the conference were Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers (for Health Pastoral Care); Msgr. Jean-Marie Mate Musivi Mupendawatu and Fr. Augusto Chendi, M.I., respectively secretary and under-secretary of the same dicastery; Dr. Antonio Maria Pasciuto, president of the Italian Association for Environmental Medicine and Health, Italy; and Dr. Lilian Corra, president of the Argentine Association of Doctors for the Environment, Argentina.
Archbishop Zimowski explained that the Conference is inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato si’”, and seeks to identify methods and indications for a pastoral response to the needs, in many cases urgent, expressed in the document. He also noted the event’s proximity to the climate conference in Paris and the opening of the Jubilee Year, which will offer an opportunity to reflect on love for others and for the Lord’s work. In addition, this year the Pontifical Council celebrates the 30th anniversary of its establishment and the 20th anniversary of John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae.
The profound bond between the world of sickness and healthcare with the Mother of Jesus, as shown in the celebration of World Day of the Sick on 11 February, the liturgical memory of Our Lady of Lourdes, also inspires the theme of this Day in 2016, to be celebrated in Nazareth on the theme “Entrusting oneself to the merciful Jesus like Mary: do whatever he tells you”.
The president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers (Health Pastoral Care) reported that the 30th International Conference will be attended by 500 people from around 60 countries of the five continents: Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Eritrea, France, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Haiti, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Ukraine, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Zimbabwe. The event will also involve contributions from theologians, biblical scholars, doctors, scientists, diplomats and legal experts of international standing.
The conference will begin with Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, presided by Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace”, and on the same morning Pope Francis will receive in audience all the participants.
Msgr. Jean-Marie Mate Musivi Mupendawatu explained that the Conference, taking as its starting point the encyclical “Laudato si’”, will consider climate change and the defence of biodiversity, information and technological pollution, animal experimentation and genetic modification, environmental stress and working medicine, pathologies linked to climate change and international legislation on environmental issues.
He continued, “Special attention will be dedicated to the theme of the challenges to be faced nowadays at world summits: the right of access to clean drinking water, denied to many; sanitation problems in urban areas and especially on the outskirts of cities. Projects for development and business initiatives, particularly in poor countries, have an impact on the environment that is not infrequently neglected or underestimated. It is therefore urgent to ensure that development plans respect life and the environment, and are therefore far from the devastating aims of mere profit”.
“Finally”, he added, “reflection on the anthropological roots of the ecological crisis would be timely in view of a hoped-for ecological conversion, deriving from an increased awareness of the responsibilities of each person, in order to inspire change in the direction of a rediscovered harmony between man and the environment”.
Dr. Corra commented that a recent press release from the World Health Organisation indicates that “few risks affect health as much as air contamination, which poses by far the most serious danger to health. It is responsible for one in every eight deaths, is the cause of more than 80% of mortality in countries with medium to low income, and has particularly worrying effects on fertility and neurological development, which can manifest themselves as behavioural disorders and impaired intellectual performance”….