(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, visited Rome’s Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital on Saturday, thanking the staff for their gift of love for the patients, most of whom are children.
The purpose of the Cardinal Secretary of State’s visit was to offer his and Pope Francis’ traditional Christmas wishes.
He also took the opportunity to remind the staff that their true mission is to give sick children their gift of a love full of tenderness.
“I come here with the desire to perform an act of mercy,” he said. “Works of mercy are above all for the benefit of the one who performs them. The Lord promised that every act of charity which we perform for the least of our brothers – and these are especially sick children, who have a greater need – would receive the recompense of His love and of Himself.”
Cardinal Parolin thanked them for their dedication to the works of mercy, saying “A very big thank you. Thank you for what you do; thank you for the passion which sets you apart.”
He also reminded them of Pope Francis’ care and gratitude for them and their work. “Know that you are watched, followed, and supported by the interest and gratitude of the Vicar of Christ. Here there are many, wonderful people who take care of this hospital. The Pope has faith in them because their work is done with intelligence, wisdom, and research for the best cures to give an equitable and satisfactory solution to a multitude of problems.”
After speaking to the children, their families, and the staff, Cardinal Parolin made his rounds of the hospital.
He made a special stop at the chapel as the nuns and chaplains of the hospital showed him the ‘Holy Door of Hope’, realized in occasion of the Jubilee Year and based on drawings by some of the hospital’s patients.
Another Holy Door was opened in the Bambino Gesù Polidoro campus on Thursday.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received managers, technical staff and personnel of the Italian State Railway on Saturday, in a special audience. Some 7 thousand employees of the Ferrovie dello stato packed the Paul VI audience Hall for the noon appointment.
In remarks prepared for the occasion, Pope Francis praised the organization and its employees for their historical commitment to works of solidarity and compassion, including their support for the recently concluded renovations of the Caritas center near Rome’s central station, which the Holy Father visited earlier this week in connection with the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
Click below to hear our report
“May the Year of Mercy, which opened only a few days ago,” said Pope Francis, “impress upon our mind and our heart that mercy is the first and most real medicine for man, of which everyone has urgent need.”
In his remarks, the Holy Father also praised the commitment of the Railway workers for the difficult and often dangerous work they do in building and maintaining the network. “Not a few workers have also lost their lives in this labor,” he recalled. “We remember them all – and let us make it so that – so far as it is in our power – such things do not happen anymore.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has named Monsignor Paul Tighe as Adjunct Secretary for the Pontifical Council for Culture, at the same time elevating him to the titular episcopal See of Drivasto.
Msgr Tighe has been serving as the Secretary for the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday visited a new homeless shelter in Rome’s Termini – John Paul II train station, where he opened a Holy Door for the Jubilee of Mercy.
It was the fourth Holy Door opened in Rome, following the solemn opening of the Doors at St Peter’s Basilica and the Archbasilica of St John Lateran by Pope Francis. The Holy Door at St Paul’s Outside-the-Walls was opened by Cardinal James Harvey, the Archpriest of the Basilica. The fourth Papal Basilica, St Mary Major, will see its Holy Door opened by the Pope on the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God on January first.
The decision to open a special Holy Door of Charity at a homeless shelter is a unique feature of the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, designed to emphasize the centrality of concrete works of charity in the life of the Church.
Following the opening of the Holy Door, Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the Centre.
Listen to Christopher Wells’ report:
During his homily the Pope spoke off the cuff stressing that Jesus was not born to a princess in a palace, but rather he came in humility to a simple young girl, living on the outskirts of the Roman Empire. Joseph too acted in humility, the Pope said, taking Mary as his wife, despite the gossip and slander surrounding her pregnancy.
In the same way today, the Pope continued, we won’t find God among the wealthy and powerful but rather we find him almost hidden away among the most needy, the sick, the hungry and those in prison.
You can’t pay your way to heaven, the Pope warned, adding that he opened the door of this homeless shelter in order to open the hearts of all the people of Rome. The way of salvation, he insisted, is not to be found through luxury, vanity, riches or power, but rather through the loving embrace and forgiveness of God.
While so many people, rejected by society, are helped by coming through this door, he said, may God give all of us the grace to feel rejected and understand that we too are in need of God’s mercy.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Friday that the Christmas crib scene reminds us that Jesus made himself small like a child to touch our hearts with his humble goodness. Saying that God doesn’t like the revolutions of the powerful, he explained that through his poverty Jesus gives a jolt to those who are scurrying to accumulate the false treasures of this world. The Pope’s words came in an address where he thanked the local authorities from the German of Bavaria and representatives of the Italian archdiocese of Trento who this year respectively donated the Christmas tree and the crib scene and figures for St. Peter’s Square.
The Pope said the nativity scene reminds us that Jesus never imposes himself by force but came into this world in simplicity, humility and meekness. The crib scene, he said, speaks to us of God’s tenderness and His divine mercy and how He wants to move our hearts.
This year’s Christmas tree in St Peter’s Square is a two-pointed Spruce which stands 32 metres high and it was unveiled on December 8th which was earlier than normal in order to coincide with the inauguration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
Twenty-four life sized figures carved from wood and then painted make up the nativity scene that stands at the base of the Christmas tree. The scene shows one of the male figures bending to help an old man to symbolize the theme of mercy.
The tree is adorned with particularly colourful decorations this year. The Vatican joined forces with the Lene Then Foundation, creating designs made by children suffering from cancer. The youngsters were asked to come up with designs that represent their dreams and wishes.
(from Vatican Radio)…