Click to download bulletin for Feb. 14, 2016
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin , concluded a visit to Slovenia on Thursday by visiting a reception centre for refugees in Dobova, on the Croatian border, where tens of thousands of immigrants arrived at the height of last autumn’s migration crisis.
During his three day visit, the cardinal on Wednesday inaugurated new premises for the Apostolic Nunciature to Slovenia, in the capital Ljubljana and celebrated Mass to mark the close of the Year of Consecrated Life in Ljublijana Cathedral.
Speaking at a joint press conference on Tuesday at the start of his visit, Cardinal Parolin and Slovenia’s prime minister Miro Cerar called for a “humane and solidarity-based” resolution to the refugee crisis.
During his visit to the reception centre in Dobova, the Vatican Secretary of State met with volunteers and said he was impressed by the “great sense of solidarity” with migrants which must be the starting point for any lasting solutions to the crisis….
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Cardinal Parolin said he was very struck by the sense of solidarity he experienced at the centre in Dobova. Although there are many complex issues to be taken into consideration, he said the focus on sharing difficulties and giving help to those in need is an important starting point.
Migrant crisis must be tackled through common effort
He said he was visiting the centre on behalf of Pope Francis to give “strength and courage” to those working on behalf of the refugees. He said it’s important to recognize the work of organisations like Caritas and many others, adding that it’s “a good sign” that such organisations are working together in the face of the crisis. While insisting that the Vatican does not give “technical solutions” but simply recalls the principles that must lie at the basis of any such solutions, the cardinal said the emergency can only be tackled and resolved through a common effort.
Asked about a possible papal visit to Slovenia, the cardinal said the Prime Minister invited the Pope during a trip to the Vatican last year and he repeated that invitation this week, but there are “no more details” of any papal visit at present.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday paid a surprise visit to the offices of three dicasteries of the Roman Curia: the Congregation for Oriental Churches and the Pontifical Councils: Cor Unam and for the New Evangelisation. During his visit, the Pope agreed to answer a number of questions put to him by the staff of the three organisations.
In an interview afterwards, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Council for promoting the New Evangelisation said they were deeply grateful for this visit by Pope Francis. Archbishop Fisichella said the Pope had given them valuable advice on how best to promote the new evangelization, especially when it comes to the question of pastoral conversion and the catechesis. He also spoke about the important role model of the two saints, Pio of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio, and Leopold Mandic, both of whose relics will be taken in a procession to St. Peter’s Basilica on Friday.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher , has appealed for increased funding to support refugees from the Syrian crisis, saying the Holy See will “continue its humanitarian assistance” to the region over the coming year.
The Vatican ‘foreign minister’ was speaking at a conference in London on Thursday entitled ‘Supporting Syria and the Region’. The one day meeting, organised by the British government in partnership with Germany, Kuwait, Norway and the United Nations, focused not only on the emergency humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees but also on providing longer term support through jobs, education and economic development of host countries in the region.
In his statement Archbishop Gallagher highlighted the deaths and “ever-increasing human suffering” in Syria as the conflict enters its sixth year. In particular he mentioned the malnourishment of children and other civilians trapped in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.
Holy See responded to Syria crisis from start of conflic t
The Holy See, he said, through the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”, and the Catholic Church, through its network of charitable agencies, have been responding to the humanitarian crisis in the region from the start of the conflict. Given the overwhelming humanitarian needs, he said the Holy See “joins its voice to the appeals for increased funding to help refugees and impacted host communities” such as Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt.
Existence of Christians in Middle East “gravely threatened”
In distributing aid, the Vatican diplomat noted, Catholic agencies make no distinction regarding the religious or ethnic identity of those in need and seek always to give priority to the most vulnerable victims. He said that Christians and other religious minorities suffer disproportionately the effects of war and social upheaval in the region, stressing that their very existence in the Middle East remains “gravely threatened”.
Here is the full statement by Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States
The Holy See is pleased to participate in the “Supporting Syria and the Region” Conference aimed at responding to the humanitarian crisis in Syria that is now, regrettably and painfully, entering into its sixth year. A crisis that is characterised by ever-increasing human suffering, including extreme cases of malnourishment of innocent children and other civilians, especially among the high number of people who are trapped in hard-to-reach and besieged areas and are deprived of essential humanitarian aid. Notwithstanding renewed hopes for the political resolution of the crisis, our humanitarian efforts are increasingly focused on not only emergency aid but also the medium and long-term needs of refugees and host countries. Therefore, the Holy See warmly welcomes the emphasis on providing education, jobs and economic development at this pledging conference.
As we address the humanitarian needs of this crisis, it behoves us to remember that the real cost of this humanitarian crisis is measured by the deaths and suffering of millions of our fellow human beings. In his recent address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, on 11 January last, His Holiness Pope Francis recalled “the plea of thousands of people who weep as they flee horrific wars, persecutions and human rights violations, or political or social instability…forced to flee in order to escape unspeakable acts of cruelty towards vulnerable persons, such as children and the disabled, or martyrdom solely on account of their religion.” In looking ahead to the First World Humanitarian Summit, which will take place next May, His Holiness expressed his desire that this Summit “will succeed in its goal of placing the person and human dignity at the heart of every humanitarian response”.
The Holy See, through the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”, and the Catholic Church, through its network of charitable agencies, have been responding to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region from the very beginning. The funding needs of many Catholic agencies and NGOs are already included in the United Nations Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan [3RP] 2016-2017 in response to the Syria Crisis. The 3RP funding requirement for 2016 alone is significantly greater than the amount appealed for in 2015, which regrettably was only 50% funded. Given such overwhelming humanitarian needs, the Holy See joins its voice to the appeals for increased funding to help refugees and impacted host communities in the 3RP countries: Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt.
In 2015, entities of the Catholic Church (dioceses, Catholic Church aid agencies and Catholic NGOs) with funds received from appeals promoted by national episcopal conferences, private donations of Catholic faithful throughout the world, and in partnership with Governments and International organisations, contributed to providing USD 150 million of humanitarian assistance of direct benefit to more than 4 million people. The following were the principal areas of priority for Catholic agencies in 2015:
Education: USD 37 million for education programmes in Lebanon and Jordan, for both refugees and impacted host communities; Food aid: USD 30 million, of which USD 25 million was distributed in Syria; Non-Food aid: approximately US 30 million in Syria and Iraq; Health: approximately US 16 million was provided to the health sector, particularly in Syria, Jordan and Iraq; and finally, accommodation: US 10 million for accommodation and lodging for refugees and IDPs. A further US 12 million of funds were used in the provision of direct cash assistance, water and sanitation, livelihood and socio-psychological assistance.
On this occasion, I wish to give assurances of the commitment of the Catholic Church to continue its humanitarian assistance in the coming year.
In distributing aid, Catholic agencies and entities make no distinction regarding the religious or ethnic identity of those requiring assistance, and seek always to give priority to the most vulnerable and to those most in need. Particularly vulnerable are religious minorities, including Christians, who suffer disproportionately the effects of war and social upheaval in the region. In fact, their very presence and existence are gravely threatened. For this reason, His Holiness Pope Francis has repeatedly called attention to the particular needs of Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The most beautiful inheritance we can leave to others is the Faith: that was Pope Francis’ message during Holy Mass on Thursday morning at the Casa Santa Marta. In his homily, he invited us to not fear death, because the course of life continues.
Thinking about death illuminates life
The day’s first reading tells the story of the death of King David. “In every life there is an ending,” the Pope said. This is a thought “that is not pleasing to us,” that we always pass over, but “it is an everyday reality.” Thinking about death is “a light that illuminates life” and “a reality that we should always have before us”:
“In one of the Wednesday audiences there was among those who were sick a very old sister, but with face of peace, a luminous countenance: ‘But how old are you, sister?’ With a smile she said, ‘Eighty-three, but I am finishing my course in this life, to begin another with the Lord, because I have pancreatic cancer.’ And so, in peace, that woman had lived her consecrated life with great intensity. She did not fear death: ‘I am finishing my course of life, to begin another.’ It is a passage. These things do us good.”
Faith, the most beautiful inheritance
David ruled over Israel for 40 years, the Pope noted. Before dying, David exhorted his son Solomon to observe the Law of the Lord. David had sinned often in life, but had learned to ask for forgiveness – and the Church calls him holy, “a sinner, but a Saint!” Now, at the point of death, David left to his son “the most beautiful and greatest inheritance a man or a woman can leave to their children: He left them the faith”:
“When a will is made, people say, ‘I leave this to one person, this to another, to another person I leave this.’ Yes, that’s fine, but the most beautiful inheritance, the greatest inheritance a man, a woman, can leave to their children is the faith. And David remembered the promises of God, he remembers his own faith in them, and he reminds his son of them, leaving the faith as an inheritance. When in the ceremony of Baptism we give the parents the lighted candle, the light of the faith, we are saying to them, ‘Preserve it, make it grow in your son and in your daughter, and leave it to them as an inheritance.’ Leaving the faith as an inheritance – this is what David teaches us. And he died, simply, like any man. But he knew well what to leave to his son, and what was the best inheritance he could leave: not the kingdom, but the faith!”
God is faithful; He is a Father who never disappoints
We would do well to ask ourselves a question, the Pope concluded: “What is the inheritance I will leave with my life?”
“Will I leave the inheritance of a man, a woman of faith? Will I leave this inheritance to my children? Let us ask two things of the Lord: to not be afraid of this final step, like the sister at the Wednesday audience (‘I am ending my course, but beginning another”), not being afraid. And the second thing, that with our life, we might all be able to leave, as the better inheritance, the faith, faith in this faithful God, this God who is always close to us, this God who is a Father, and who never disappoints.”
(from Vatican Radio)…