(Vatican Radio) The bishop’s task is to pray and to proclaim the Resurrection of Jesus; if a bishop does not pray and does not announce the Gospel but is concerned with other things, God’s people suffer. That’s the message Pope Francis imparted to the faithful gathered Friday for the daily morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta.
The day’s Gospel (Mk 3: 13-19) indicates why Jesus chose the Twelve Apostles “to be with him and to be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.” The Twelve, said Pope Francis, “are the first bishops.” After the death of Judas, Matthias is elected in “the first episcopal ordination of the Church.” And, the Pope pointed out, “the bishops are pillars of the Church,” called to be witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus:
“We bishops have this responsibility to be witnesses: witnesses to the fact that the Lord Jesus is alive, that the Lord Jesus is risen, that the Lord Jesus walks with us, that the Lord Jesus saves us, that the Lord Jesus gave his life for us, that the Lord Jesus is our hope, that the Lord Jesus always welcomes us and forgives us. Giving witness. Our life must be this: a testimony. True witness to the Resurrection of Christ. ”
Bishops have two jobs: to pray and to preach
“The first task of a bishop is to be with Jesus in prayer. The first job of a bishop is not to prepare pastoral plans … no, no! Prayer: this is the first task. The second task is to be a witness, that is, to preach. To preach the salvation that the Lord Jesus has brought. Two tasks that are not easy, but it is precisely these two tasks that are the strong pillars of the Church. If these columns are weakened because the bishop does not pray or prays little, forgets to pray; or because the bishop does not announce the Gospel and instead takes care of other things, the Church also weakens; it suffers. God’s people suffer. Because the columns are weak. ”
“The Church without the bishop doesn’t work,” said the Pope. Therefore, we must all pray for our bishops, he concluded, as an “obligation of love, an obligation of children in reverence to the Father, an obligation of brothers so that the family remains united in its witness to Jesus Christ, living and risen:”
“Pray for us bishops: we too have weaknesses”
The Pope invited the faithful to pray for “us bishops, because we too are sinners; we too have weaknesses. We also have the danger of Judas: because he too had been elected as a column. We also run the risk of not praying, of doing something else instead of proclaiming the Gospel and casting out demons … Pray, so that the bishops are what Jesus desired, so that we all give witness to Jesus’ Resurrection. The people of God pray for the bishops. In every Mass we pray for the bishops. We pray for Peter, the head of the college of bishops, and we pray for our local bishop. But this is not enough: we say the name, and many times we say it out of habit, and then we go on. Pray for the bishop with your heart! Ask the Lord: Lord, take care of my bishop; take care of all the bishops, and send us bishops who are true witnesses – bishops who pray and bishops who help us through their preaching to understand the Gospel, so that we may trust that you, Lord, are alive and that you’re with us “.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis’ message for the 50th World Day of Social Communications was released on Friday, entitled ‘ Communication and Mercy: A Fruitful Encounter’
Quoting from Shakespeare, the Gospels and the Old Testament, the Pope reminds each one of us that our “every word and gesture, ought to express God’s compassion, tenderness and forgiveness for all”.
Communication, the Pope says, has the power to build bridges, to enable encounter and inclusion, to heal wounded memories and thus to enrich society. In both the material and the digital world, he says, our words and actions should help us all “escape the vicious circles of condemnation and vengeance which continue to ensnare individuals and nations, encouraging expressions of hatred”.
The Pope appeals to political and institutional leaders, as well as the media and opinion makers to remain especially attentive to the way they speak of those who think or act differently. He concludes by encouraging everyone “to see society not as a forum where strangers compete and try to come out on top, but above all as a home or a family, where the door is always open and where everyone feels welcome”.
Please see below the full text of the Pope’s message for the 50th World Communications Day
Communication and Mercy: A Fruitful Encounter
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Holy Year of Mercy invites all of us to reflect on the relationship between communication and mercy. The Church, in union with Christ, the living incarnation of the Father of Mercies, is called to practice mercy as the distinctive trait of all that she is and does. What we say and how we say it, our every word and gesture, ought to express God’s compassion, tenderness and forgiveness for all. Love, by its nature, is communication; it leads to openness and sharing. If our hearts and actions are inspired by charity, by divine love, then our communication will be touched by God’s own power
As sons and daughters of God, we are called to communicate with everyone, without exception. In a particular way, the Church’s words and actions are all meant to convey mercy, to touch people’s hearts and to sustain them on their journey to that fullness of life which Jesus Christ was sent by the Father to bring to all. This means that we ourselves must be willing to accept the warmth of Mother Church and to share that warmth with others, so that Jesus may be known and loved. That warmth is what gives substance to the word of faith; by our preaching and witness, it ignites the “spark” which gives them life.
Communication has the power to build bridges, to enable encounter and inclusion, and thus to enrich society. How beautiful it is when people select their words and actions with care, in the effort to avoid misunderstandings, to heal wounded memories and to build peace and harmony. Words can build bridges between individuals and within families, social groups and peoples. This is possible both in the material world and the digital world. Our words and actions should be such as to help us all escape the vicious circles of condemnation and vengeance which continue to ensnare individuals and nations, encouraging expressions of hatred. The words of Christians ought to be a constant encouragement to communion and, even in those cases where they must firmly condemn evil, they should never try to rupture relationships and communication.
For this reason, I would like to invite all people of good will to rediscover the power of mercy to heal wounded relationships and to restore peace and harmony to families and communities. All of us know how many ways ancient wounds and lingering resentments can entrap individuals and stand in the way of communication and reconciliation. The same holds true for relationships between peoples. In every case, mercy is able to create a new kind of speech and dialogue. Shakespeare put it eloquently when he said: “The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed: it blesseth him that gives and him that takes” (The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I).
Our political and diplomatic language would do well to be inspired by mercy, which never loses hope. I ask those with institutional and political responsibility, and those charged with forming public opinion, to remain especially attentive to the way they speak of those who think or act differently or those who may have made mistakes. It is easy to yield to the temptation to exploit such situations to stoke the flames of mistrust, fear and hatred. Instead, courage is needed to guide people towards processes of reconciliation. It is precisely such positive and creative boldness which offers real solutions to ancient conflicts and the opportunity to build lasting peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Mt 5:7-9)
How I wish that our own way of communicating, as well as our service as pastors of the Church, may never suggest a prideful and triumphant superiority over an enemy, or demean those whom the world considers lost and easily discarded. Mercy can help mitigate life’s troubles and offer warmth to those who have known only the coldness of judgment. May our way of communicating help to overcome the mindset that neatly separates sinners from the righteous. We can and we must judge situations of sin – such as violence, corruption and exploitation – but we may not judge individuals, since only God can see into the depths of their hearts. It is our task to admonish those who err and to denounce the evil and injustice of certain ways of acting, for the sake of setting victims free and raising up those who have fallen. The Gospel of John tells us that “the truth will make you free” (Jn 8:32). The truth is ultimately Christ himself, whose gentle mercy is the yardstick for measuring the way we proclaim the truth and condemn injustice. Our primary task is to uphold the truth with love (cf. Eph 4:15). Only words spoken with love and accompanied by meekness and mercy can touch our sinful hearts. Harsh and moralistic words and actions risk further alienating those whom we wish to lead to conversion and freedom, reinforcing their sense of rejection and defensiveness.
Some feel that a vision of society rooted in mercy is hopelessly idealistic or excessively indulgent. But let us try and recall our first experience of relationships, within our families. Our parents loved us and valued us for who we are more than for our abilities and achievements. Parents naturally want the best for their children, but that love is never dependent on their meeting certain conditions. The family home is one place where we are always welcome (cf. Lk 15:11-32). I would like to encourage everyone to see society not as a forum where strangers compete and try to come out on top, but above all as a home or a family, where the door is always open and where everyone feels welcome.
For this to happen, we must first listen. Communicating means sharing, and sharing demands listening and acceptance. Listening is much more than simply hearing. Hearing is about receiving information, while listening is about communication, and calls for closeness. Listening allows us to get things right, and not simply to be passive onlookers, users or consumers. Listening also means being able to share questions and doubts, to journey side by side, to banish all claims to absolute power and to put our abilities and gifts at the service of the common good.
Listening is never easy. Many times it is easier to play deaf. Listening means paying attention, wanting to understand, to value, to respect and to ponder what the other person says. It involves a sort of martyrdom or self-sacrifice, as we try to imitate Moses before the burning bush: we have to remove our sandals when standing on the “holy ground” of our encounter with the one who speaks to me (cf. Ex 3:5). Knowing how to listen is an immense grace, it is a gift which we need to ask for and then make every effort to practice.
Emails, text messages, social networks and chats can also be fully human forms of communication. It is not technology which determines whether or not communication is authentic, but rather the human heart and our capacity to use wisely the means at our disposal. Social networks can facilitate relationships and promote the good of society, but they can also lead to further polarization and division between individuals and groups. The digital world is a public square, a meeting-place where we can either encourage or demean one another, engage in a meaningful discussion or unfair attacks. I pray that this Jubilee Year, lived in mercy, “may open us to even more fervent dialogue so that we might know and understand one another better; and that it may eliminate every form of closed-mindedness and disrespect, and drive out every form of violence and discrimination” (Misericordiae Vultus, 23). The internet can help us to be better citizens. Access to digital networks entails a responsibility for our neighbour whom we do not see but who is nonetheless real and has a dignity which must be respected. The internet can be used wisely to build a society which is healthy and open to sharing.
Communication, wherever and however it takes place, has opened up broader horizons for many people. This is a gift of God which involves a great responsibility. I like to refer to this power of communication as “closeness”. The encounter between communication and mercy will be fruitful to the degree that it generates a closeness which cares, comforts, heals, accompanies and celebrates. In a broken, fragmented and polarized world, to communicate with mercy means to help create a healthy, free and fraternal closeness between the children of God and all our brothers and sisters in the one human family.
From the Vatican, 24 January 2016
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday evening authorized the promulgation of several decrees from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
Three Blesseds have had the way opened to canonization after miracles attributed to their intercession have been approved, while 5 decrees (2 miracles, 3 of martyrdom) have opened to way to beatification for 7 people.
In addition, two decrees of heroic virtue were approved.
Here is a full list of the decrees promulgated
– a miracle, attributed to the intercession of Blessed Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary Papczyński, O.I.C. , Founder of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary; born 18 May 1631 in Podegrodzie, Poland, and died 17 September 1701 in Góra Kalwaria;
– a miracle, attributed to the intercession of Blessed Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero , Diocesan priest; born 16 March 1840 in Córdoba, Argentina, and died 26 January 1914 in Córdoba, Argentina;
– a miracle, attributed to the intercession of Blessed Blessed José Luis Sánchez del Río , layperson, martyr; born 28 March 1913 in Sahuayo, Mexico, and died 10 February 1928 in Sahuayo, Mexico;
– a miracle, attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Francesco Maria Greco , diocesan priest, founder of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Sacred Hearts; born 27 July 1857 in Acri, Italy, and died 13 January 1931 in Acri, Italy;
– a miracle, attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Elisabetta Sanna , laywoman, widow, professed member of the Third Order of St Francis and member of the Union of Catholic Apostolate founded by St Vincent Pallotti; ; born 23 April 1788 in Codrongianos, Sardinia, and died 17 February 1857 in Rome;
– the martyrdom of the Venerable Servant of God Fr. Engelmar Unzeitig CMM (born Hubert), professed preist of the Congregation of the Mariannhill Mission Society, born 1 March 1911 in Greifendorf, Czech Republic (formerly Austria-Hungary), killed in hatred of the Faith on 2 March 1945;
– the martyrdom of the Servant of God Genaro Fueyo Castañón , diocesan priest, and three lay companions , killed in hatred of the Faith in 1936 in Spain;
– the martyrdom of the Servant of God Justo Takayama Ukon , layperson; born between 1552 and 1553 in Japan, and died from the hatred of the Faith on 3 February 1615 in Manila, Philippines;
– The heroic virtues of the Servant of God Arsenio da Trigolo (born Giuseppe Migliavacca), professed priest of the Order of Friar Minors Capuchin, Founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary the Consoler; born 13 June 1849 in Trigolo, Italy, and died 10 December 1909 in Bergamo, Italy;
– The heroic virtues of the Servant of God Maria Luisa del Santissimo Sacramento (al secolo: Maria Velotti), of the Third Order of Saint Francis, foundress of the Institue of the Adoration Sisters of the Holy Cross; born 16 November 1826 in Naples, Italy, and died 3 September 1886 in Casoria, Italy.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Click to download bulletin for 1/31/2016
On Thursday, 21 January, it was
announced that Pope Francis ordered the modification of the rubric of the Roman
Missal regarding the washing of feet during Holy Thursday Mass, establishing
that the selection of participants in the Rite is no longer limited to men. The
Pontiff communicated his decision to Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Prefect of the
Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments by way of a letter.
The following is an article written by the Archbishop-Secretary of the
Congregation on the occasion. With the decree In Missa in cena Domini
the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, at
the request of the Holy Father, has readjusted the rubric of the Missale
Romanum regarding the washing of feet (p. 300 n. 11), variously linked down
the centuries with Holy Thursday and which, from the reform of Holy Week in
1955, could also take place during the evening Mass that begins the Paschal
Triduum. Illuminated by the gospel of John the rite
carries a double significance: an imitation of what Christ did in the Upper
Room washing the feet of the Apostles and an expression of the self-gift
signified by this gesture of service. It is not by accident this is called the
Mandatum from the incipit of the antiphon which accompanied the action:
“Mandatum novum do vobis, ut diligatis invicem, sicut dilexi vos, dicit
Dominus” (Jhn 13:14). In fact the commandment to fraternal love binds all the
disciples of Jesus without any distinction or exception. Already in an old ordo of the Seventh
century we find the following: “ Pontifex suis cubicularibus pedes lavat et
unusquisque clericorum in domo sua ”. Applied differently in the various
dioceses and abbeys it is also found in the Roman Pontifical of the 12th
century after Vespers on Holy Thursday and in the Pontifical of the Roman Curia
of the 13th century (“f acit mandatum duodecim subdiaconos ”). The Mandatum
is described as follows in the Missale Romanum of Pope Saint Pius v
(1570): “Post denudationem altarium, hora competenti, facto signo cum tabula,
conveniunt clerici ad faciendum mandatum. Maior abluit pedes minoribus: tergit
et osculatur”. It takes place during the singing of antiphons, the last of
which is Ubi caritas and is concluded by the Pater noster and a prayer which
links the commandment of service with purification from sins: “ Adesto
Domine, quaesumus, officio servitutis nostrae: et quia tu discipulis tuis pedes
lavare dignatus es, ne despicias opera manuum tuarum, quae nobis retinenda
mandasti: ut sicut hic nobis, et a nobis exterioria abluuntur inquinamenta; sic
a te omnium nostrum interiora laventur peccata. Quod ipse praestare digneris,
qui vivis et regnas, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum ”. Enlightened by
the gospel which has been heard during the morning Mass, the carrying out of
this action is reserved to the clergy (“conveniunt clerici”) and the absence of
an instruction to have “twelve” would seem to indicate that what counts isn’t
just imitating what Jesus did in the Upper Room but rather putting the
exemplary value of what Jesus did into practice, which is expected of all his
disciples. The description of the “De Mandato seu
lotione pedum” in the Caeremoniale Episcoporum of 1600 is more detailed.
It mentions the custom (after Vespers or at lunchtime, in a church, a chapter
room or a suitable place) of the Bishop washing, drying and kissing the feet of
“thirteen” poor people after having dressed them, fed them and given them a
charitable donation. Likewise this could be done to thirteen canons, according
to the local custom and wishes of the Bishop, who might choose poor people even
where it is the practice that they be canons: “videtur enim eo pacto maiorem
humilitatem, et charitatem prae se ferre, quam lavare pedes Canonicis”. This
meaningful gesture of the washing of feet, although not applied to the entirety
of the people of God and reserved to the clergy, did not exclude local customs
which take into account the poor or young people (e.g. the Missale
Parisiense ). The Caeremoniale Episcoporum expressly prescribed the
Mandatum for cathedrals and collegiate churches. With the reform of Pius xii which once more
moved the Missa in cena Domini to the evening, the washing of feet could
take place, for pastoral reasons, during the Mass, after the homily for
“duodecim viros selectos”, placed “in medio presbyterii vel in ipsa aula
ecclesiae”; the celebrant washes and dries their feet (the kiss is no longer
mentioned). This now goes beyond the rather clerical and reserved sense, taking
place in the public assembly with the direction for “twelve men” which makes it
more explicitly an imitative sign, almost a sacred representation, that
facilitates what Jesus did and had in mind on the first Holy Thursday. The Missale Romanum of 1970 retained the
recently reformed rite, simplifying some elements: the number “twelve” is
omitted; it takes place “in loco apto”; it omits one antiphon and simplifies
the others; Ubi caritas is assigned to the presentation of gifts; the
concluding part is omitted (Pater noster, verses and prayer), as this formerly
took place outside of the Mass. The reservation solely to “viri” however
remained for mimetic value. The current change foresees that individuals
may be chosen from amongst all the members of the people of God. The
significance does not now relate so much to the exterior imitation of what
Jesus has done, rather as to the meaning of what he has accomplished which has
a universal importance, namely the giving of himself “to the end” for the
salvation of the human race, his charity which embraces all people and which
makes all people brothers and sisters by following his example. In fact, the
exemplum that he has given to us so that we might do as he has done goes beyond
the physical washing of the feet of others to embrace everything that such a
gesture expresses in service of the tangible love of our neighbour. All the
antiphons proposed in the Missale during the washing of feet recall and illustrate
the meaning of this gesture both for those who carry it out and for those who
receive it as well as for those who look on and interiorise it through the
chant. The washing of feet is not obligatory in
the Missa in cena Domini. It is for pastors to evaluate its desirability,
according to the pastoral considerations and circumstances which exist, in such
a way that it does not become something automatic or artificial, deprived of
meaning and reduced to a staged event. Nor must it become so important as to
grab all the attention during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, celebrated on “the
most sacred day on which our Lord Jesus Christ was handed over for our sake”
(i.e. Communicantes of the Roman Canon for this Mass). In the directions for
the homily we are reminded of the distinctiveness of this Mass which
commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, of the priestly Order and of the
new commandment concerning fraternal charity, the supreme law for all and
towards all in the Church. It is for pastors to choose a small group
of persons who are representative of the entire people of God — lay, ordained
ministers, married, single, religious, healthy, sick, children, young people
and the elderly — and not just one category or condition. Those chosen should
offer themselves willingly. Lastly, it is for those who plan and organise the
liturgical celebrations to prepare and dispose everything so that all may be
helped to fruitfully participate in this moment: the anamnesis of the “new
commandment” heard in the gospel which is the life of every disciple of the
Lord. Arthur Roche…