(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says it is not the Church that carries out a mission, but the mission itself that makes the Church pointing out that: “the mission is not the tool but the starting point and the end”.
The Pope was addressing participants of the XIX Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in the Vatican on Thursday morning.
The theme of the Plenary is “Missionary awareness and young Churches 50 years after the Ad Gentes Decree” and it marks the 50th anniversary of the “Ad Gentes” conciliar Decree on the Missionary activity of the Church.
Receiving participants of the Plenary on the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, Patron of the Missions, Pope Francis, recalled his just concluded apostolic trip to Africa where – he said – he had first hand witness of the “spiritual and pastoral dynamism of many young Churches of the Continent, as well as the serious difficulties in which most of the population lives”.
“I have seen that where there are needs, there is almost always a presence of the Church ready to heal the wounds of the most needy, in whom they recognize the wounded and crucified body of the Lord Jesus. How many works of charity, of promoting human dignity! How many anonymous good Samaritans work every day in the missions!” he said.
The Pope then spoke of the “evangelizing nature of the Church which always begins by evangelizing herself” by listening to the Word of the Lord which never disappoints because it is founded on the grace of the Holy Spirit.
And quoting from the “Ad Gentes” Conciliar Decree the Pope said: “it is the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that the Church, according to the plan of God the Father, derives its origin”.
And he explained that the Church is servant of the mission, and that “the mission is not the tool, but the starting point and the end”.
Pope Francis also mentioned the fact that the Council has recently carried out a survey on the vitality of the young Churches in order to make its work more effective.
He spoke of the ambiguity faced by some today in the experience of the faith pointing out that the secular world, even when it is warm to the gospel values of love, justice, peace and sobriety, does not show the same openness to the person of Jesus, does not consider Him the Messiah or the Son of God, but an enlightened man, separating therefore “the message from the messenger, the gift from the Giver”.
In this situation of detachment – he said – , “missio ad gentes” serves as engine and horizon of faith.
And he encouraged the Church “to come out to proclaim the Gospel to all, in all places, in all occasions, without delay, without repulsion and without fear”.
The Pope said mission is a force capable of transforming the Church within itself even before the life of peoples and cultures.
He urged each parish to embrace the style of “missio ad gentes” so that the Holy Spirit may transform habitual believers into disciples, disaffected disciples into missionaries” drawing them away from their fears and closures, projecting them in all directions, to the ends of the world”.
The Pope recalled that four centuries ago, Pope Gregory XV instituted “Propaganda Fide” which took the name of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in 1967 and said that just as the Church renews itself so must the congregation.
He encouraged all present to continue to be committed to the spirit of mission and always “listen to the cry of the poor and distant, meet everyone and proclaim the joy of the gospel”.
Pope Francis concluded his address thanking those present for their work of missionary animation and cooperation, with which they remind all churches of the danger of atrophy if they close their horizons.
He encouraged communities to continue to be generous even in moments of vocational crisis and to allow their priests in sister churches to serve churches in need in other parts of the world.
“Let us be inspired by the power of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit; to emerge from our enclosures, emigrate from territories where sometimes we are tempted to close ourselves, so we will be able to walk and sow further and further” he said.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has written a preface to a new volume of the Bible for young people, the inspiration for which came from Thomas Söding, professor of New Testament studies at Bochum university. As a father of three, Mr Söding felt it was necessary to provide a more appealing approach to the Bible for young readers.
The Holy Father begins his preface saying that his old, tatty, well-thumbed Bible is his “priceless treasure”. “I would not give it away for the world”. He said he did he did not wish for a new €1000 version: “I love my old Bible… which has shared my joy and has been soaked with my tears”.
He speaks about how more Christians are being persecuted nowadays than ever before because they wear a crucifix or they have a Bible. He goes on to mention Mahatma Gandhi who once said “A text has been given to you Christians, a text that has the dynamic power to make human civilization explode into a million pieces, to turn the world upside down and to bring peace to a planet torn apart by war. However, you merely regard it as a work of literature, nothing more”.
The Pope says “you hold in your hands something truly divine: a book of fire, a book in which God speaks”. He reiterates Gandhi saying, “the Bible was not written to be put on a bookshelf; it was written to be read every day”.
He warns his young readers “Read carefully. Do not skim-read the Bible, as you would a comic strip! The word of God cannot be skim-read! Ask yourselves ‘What is the Bible telling my heart? What is God telling me through these words?’”
Pope Francis concludes explaining how he reads his Bible, like a son sitting near his father. He adds that he prays sitting because it hurts him to kneel down…
He finishes saying “Do you want to make me happy? Read the Bible” .
The new edition includes reproductions of pieces of holy art, along with introductions to each book and quotations of saints, Popes and important religious figures.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The opening Mass for the Jubilee of Mercy and the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on 8 December will be seen around the world in greater clarity than any other Papal event in history.
The Centro Televisivo Vaticano (CTV — Vatican Television Centre) has announced a major overhaul of the equipment used for its live footage capture, and the opening event of the Jubilee will be broadcast for the first time in ULTRA HD and 4K.
CTV’s OB-8 OB truck has been fully kitted out with 4K technology and will feature eight Sony HDC-4300 cameras, a 4K PWS-4400 server and a 4K MVS-7000X switcher.
This will create an “immersive experience”, which tries to capture, deliver and display images in a way that is as close to the performance of the human eye as possible.
The technology was discussed at a press conference on Tuesday attended by Monsignor Dario E. Viganò, Prefect of the Secretariat for Communications for the Holy See, and long-time head of CTV.
“CTV’s mission is to document all of the activities of the Pope and the Holy See and then offer a service that draws television broadcasters from all over the world,” Msgr. Viganò said.
“This requires the highest attention to quality and the need to keep up to date with the latest and most advanced technologies” – he continued – “HDR’s ability to capture reality just as our eyes see it has certainly provided followers and viewers from around the world with a great opportunity to be part of the events of the Holy Father in an even more immersive and engaging way.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis spoke about his recently concluded trip to Africa during his weekly general audience in Wednesday.
The full text of the English-language summary is below:
Dear Brothers and Sisters: My recent Apostolic Journey to Africa brought me to Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic with a message of hope in the Risen Jesus. In Kenya, a country blessed with great human and natural resources, I spoke of the worldwide challenge of protecting the environment and creating equitable, inclusive and sustainable models of development, and the need to form our young in the ways of peace and fraternity. In Uganda, the land of the Martyrs, I encouraged the Christian community to persevere in its witness of faith and charity, and thus to be a leaven of hope for society as a whole. In the Central African Republic, a country experiencing internal conflicts and great suffering, I opened the first Holy Door of the Jubilee of Mercy as a sign of hope and strength for its people and for all our brothers and sisters in Africa. I ask you to join me in commending them and all their aspirations to Jesus, our peace, who is himself the door which opens wide to the merciful love of our heavenly Father.
After the summary was read out, Pope Francis made a special greeting to English-speaking pilgrims attending the Audience.
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from England, Australia, Korea and the United States of America. My special greeting goes to the group “Up with People” for sharing with us their music. Upon you and your families I invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy and peace. God bless you all!
(from Vatican Radio)…
Vatican City, 1 December 2015 (VIS) – During his return flight following his apostolic trip to Africa, the Pope answered questions from the journalists accompanying him on the aircraft. The following are extensive extracts from questions posed and the Holy Father’s answers regarding his impressions of Africa, the Vatileaks case, his upcoming trips and COP 21.
The first question was from a Kenyan journalist who wanted to know the Pope’s views on the stories told by poor families in the Kangemi slum regarding exclusion from fundamental human rights due to avarice and corruption.
Pope Francis: “I understand that 80 per cent of the world’s wealth is in the hands of 17 per cent of the population; I do not know if this is true, but it is likely, as this is how things are. … It is an economic system in which money, the god of money, is at the centre. … And if things continue in this way, the world will not change. … In Kangemi, where I spoke clearly about rights, I felt great suffering. … Yesterday, for example, I visited a paediatric hospital, the only one in Bangui and in the country! And in intensive care they do not have the instruments to provide oxygen. There were many malnourished children, many. And the doctor told me, ‘Here the majority will die, as they have malaria and they are malnourished. … And those people who hold 80 per cent of the world’s wealth – what do they think of this?”
The second question regarded the most memorable moment of the Pope’s trip to Africa.
Pope Francis: “For me Africa was a surprise. I thought: God surprises us, but also Africa surprises! … They have a great sense of welcome. … Then, each country has its own identity. Kenya is a little more modern, more developed. Uganda has the identity of martyrs: the Ugandan people, both Catholic and Anglican, venerate the martyrs. … The courage of giving life for an ideal. And the Central African Republic: there is the desire for peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness”.
The third question touched on the issued of Vatileaks and the importance of the press in denouncing corruption wherever it encounters it.
Pope Francis: “A free press, both secular and confessional, but professional … is important to me, because the denouncement of injustice and corruption is good work. … And then those who are responsible must do something: form a judgement, constitute a tribunal. But the professional press must say everything, without falling prey to the three most common sins: disinformation, or telling half a story but omitting the other half; slander, or when the press is unprofessional and seeks to soil others with or without truth; and defamation, or rather, to damage a person’s reputation … and these are the three defects that undermine the professionalism of the press. We need professionalism”.
A French journalist asked whether, faced with the danger of fundamentalism, religious leaders should intervene in the political arena.
Pope Francis: “If this means participating in politics, no. Being a priest, a pastor, an imam, a rabbi – this is the vocation of a religious leader. But political influence is exercised indirectly by preaching values, true values, and one of the greatest values is fraternity between us. … Fundamentalism is a sickness that we find in all religions. Among Catholics there are many, not a few, many, who believe to hold the absolute truth and they go ahead by harming others with slander and defamation, and they do great harm. … And it must be combated. Religious fundamentalism is not truly religious. Why? Because God is missing. It is a form of idolatry, in the same way as worshipping money is idolatry. Being political in the sense of convincing these people who have this tendency is a policy that we religious leaders must adopt”.
An Italian journalist asked why two of the defendants in the Vatileaks case, Msgr. Vallejo Balda and Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui, had been appointed.
Pope Francis: “I think it was a mistake. Msgr. Vallejo Balda entered via the role he had has had until now. He was secretary of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs. I am not sure how he entered but if I am not mistaken, it was he who presented [Chaouqui] as a woman who knew the world of commercial relations. … They worked and once they had finished their task, the members of the Commission, COSEA, remained in various places in the Vatican. The same applied to Vallejo Balda. Ms. Chaouqui did not remain in the Vatican because she entered for the purposes of the Commission and then left. Some say that she was angry about this, but the judges will tell us the truth of the situation. … For me [what came out] was not a surprise, it did not cause me to lose any sleep, because they have shown the work that began with the Commission of Cardinals – the ‘C9’ – to seek out corruption and things that are not going well. And here I want to say something … on the word ‘corruption’. Thirteen days before the death of St. John Paul II … in the Via Crucis, the then-cardinal Ratzinger spoke about corruption in the Church. He was the first to denounce it. And when St. John Paul II died, in the ‘pro eligendo Pontefice’ Mass – he was the dean – he spoke about the same thing, and we elected him for this, his liberty to say these things. Since then there has been an air of corruption in the Vatican. … With respect to the judgement, I have given the concrete accusations to the judges, because that is what is important for the defence, the formulation of the accusations. I have not read them, the concrete, technical accusations. I would have liked this to finish before 8 December, for the Year of Mercy, but I do not think this will be possible, as I would like the lawyers who defend them to have to time to defend; they must have the freedom to prepare a full defence”.
A South African correspondent commented on the devastation caused by AIDS in Africa, where the epidemic continues, and where prevention is still the key. He asked the Pope whether or not it was time to change the Church’s position on the use of condoms.
Pope Francis: “The question seems to me to be too narrow, or rather a partial question. Yes, it is one of the methods; the morality of the Church finds itself before a perplexity: it is the fifth or the sixth commandment, defending life, or that the sexual relationship must be open to life? … This questions makes me think about what they did to Jesus once. ‘Tell me Master, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’. It is obligatory to heal! … But malnutrition, the exploitation of people, slave labour, the lack of drinking water: these are the problems. Let us not ask if we can use this sticking plaster or another for a small wound. The great wound is social injustice, the injustice of the environment, the injustice that I have mentioned such as exploitation and malnutrition. … I do not like to make reference to such specific cases when people die for lack of water or hunger, because of their habitat. … When everyone has been healed, when there are no longer these tragic diseases caused by mankind, either by social injustice or to earn more money. … Then we can ask the question, ‘is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’. Why do they continue the production and trafficking of weapons? Wars are the greatest cause of mortality. … I would say, do not think about whether or not it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. I would like to say to humanity: ensure justice, and when everyone is healed, when there is no more injustice in this world, we can talk about the Sabbath”.
An Italian journalist wanted to know if the Pope had considered going to Armenia to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the tragedy that afflicted the population, as he did last year in Turkey.
“Last year I promised the three Patriarchs that I would go: the promise is there. I do not know if it will be possible to do so, but the promise stands. … As for wars, wars are due to ambition. I am talking about wars that are not a legitimate defence against an unjust aggressor, but rather wars, wars are an ‘industry’! … War is a business, a weapons business. Terrorists, do they make their weapons? Perhaps the odd small one. Who gives them the weapons for warfare? There is a network of interests involved, and behind this there is money, or power: imperial power, or economic power. … But we have been at war for many years, some times more than others: the pieces of the war are smaller, then they become bigger. … I don’t know what the ‘Vatican position’ is, but what I think is that wars are a sin against humanity. They destroy humanity, they are the cause of exploitation, of human trafficking, of so many things. … Wars are not of God. God is the God of peace”.
Another issue was whether the Conference on Climate Change in Paris will be the beginning to a solution to the environmental problem.
Pope Francis: “I am not sure, but I can say that it is now or never. Every year the problems grow more serious. … We are at the brink of suicide, to put it bluntly. And I am sure that almost all those who are in Paris, at the COP 21, are aware of this and want to do something. … I am trustful. I trust these people, that they will do something; because, I would say, I am sure that they have the goodwill to do so, and I hope it is so. And I pray for this”.
An American journalist asked what he thought Islam the teachings of the Prophet Muhammed had to say to today’s world.
“It is possible to enter into dialogue; they have values. Many values. And these values are constructive. … Prayer, for example, and fasting. Religious values, and also other values. One cannot cancel out a religion because there are some groups, or many groups, at a certain historic moment, of fundamentalists. It is true that there have always been wars between religions throughout history, always. We too must ask forgiveness. … And the Thirty Years War, the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre. … We too must ask forgiveness, for fundamentalist extremism and for religious wars”.
The Pope’s visit to Mexico and other Latin American countries was the theme of the next question.
Pope Francis: “I will go to Mexico. First of all, I would like to visit Our Lady, the Mother of America, and so I will go to Mexico City. If it were not for the Virgin of Guadalupe, I would not go to Mexico City, as I would prefer to visit three or four cities that had not been visited by Popes. But I will go to visit Our Lady. Then I will go to Chiapas, in the South, on the border with Guatemala; then I will go to Morelia, and almost certainly, on the way back towards Rome, I will spend a day or less in Ciudad Juarez. With regard to visiting other Latin American countries, I have been invited to go to Aparecida in 2019, the other Patroness of America, for Portuguese speakers. … and from there perhaps I will be able to visit another country – but I do not know, there are no plans”.
The final question was from a Kenyan journalist, who asked: “What do you say to the world, which thinks that Africa is simply ravaged by wars and full of destruction?”
Pope Francis: “Africa is a victim. Africa has always been exploited by other powers. From Africa, slaves were taken to America, and sold. There are powers that seek only to take the great wealth of Africa. I don’t know, it is possibly the richest continent. … But they do not think of how to help countries grow, to promote work, so that everyone has work. … Exploitation! Africa is a martyr. She is a martyr to exploitation in history. Those who say that from Africa is the home of all calamities and all wars do not understand well, perhaps, the damage that humanity has done to certain forms of development. And it is for this reason that I love Africa, because Africa has been a victim of other powers”….