(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday met privately with Volker Bouffier, the Minister-President of the German state of Hesse.
A government spokesman from Hesse said the meeting lasted about 30 minutes, and the two spoke about the refugee policy in Germany.
The spokesman also said it was acknowledged the crisis must be tackled at its root, “where war, misery, hunger and poverty prevail.”
The Minister-President later met with the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI will attend the ceremony for the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica, which will inaugurate the Jubilee Holy Year of Mercy.
Pope Francis invited his predecessor to be at the ceremony, which will take place in the Atrium of the Basilica on 8 December, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
The Holy Year of Mercy will end on 20 November, 2016: The Solemnity of Christ the King.
The Pope-emeritus has accepted the invitation of Pope Francis to attend several events in St. Peter’s since his election, most recently on 14 February during the last Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican’s Council for the Economy has appointed a new External Auditor for consolidated financial statements, PricewaterhouseCoopers. A statement from the Council for the Economy said the “important step” was taken to continue “the implementation of new financial management policies and practices in line with international standards.” The Council appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers (“PwC”), one of the “Big Four” major international auditing firms, after accepting the recommendation from its Audit Committee. PwC will work closely with the staff of the Secretariat of the Economy, and the 2015 audit will commence immediately. (from Vatican Radio)…
Pope Francis met Saturday with the Association of Catholic School Parents on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of its foundation.
He encouraged participants to promote education focused on the fullness of humanity, on what it means to be human and an authentic humanism.
Listen to Alexander MacDonald’s report:
In his prepared remarks Pope Francis reiterated a call he made recently to the World Congress of Educators. Catholic education must make room for everyone, he said, and must not select recipients in an elitist manner.
“There is no challenge more noble!” said the Holy Father, than when bridges are built between school and country, school and family and school and civil institutions. He encouraged parents to build union where division advances and to generate harmony in preference to exclusion.
Pope Francis also emphasized the role of parents as primary educators. “As parents,” he said, “you are custodians with the duty and primary and indispensable right to educate children.” Parents thus help in a positive and constant manner the work of the school. It is the duty of parents to ensure that schools live up to this task, especially when education is intended to be Catholic. “I pray to the Lord,” he said, “that a Catholic school does not take for granted the meaning of this adjective!”
Pope Francis also asked that parents and educators never sell off the human and Christian values which testify as to the value of the family, the school and society.
He concluded with a reference to the gospel of Luke, chapter 2 verse 52: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.”
(from Vatican Radio)…