(Vatican Radio) The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, on Sunday said the sacrifice of four Missionaries of Charity and 12 others – who were murdered in Yemen at a home for the elderly on 4 March – was “a very strong witness for all Christians around the world that love has no boundaries, love is a very important obligation for all Christians, but it sometimes comes at a great cost.”
The Archbishop was speaking on TV2000, the television network belonging to the Italian Bishops’ Conference.
He said he was “full of admiration” for those who would not abandon the elderly under their case, “remaining there despite all of the risks.”
Speaking about the migration crisis in Europe, Archbishop Gallagher said it “requires a response of generosity and magnanimity.”
“We hope that the EU countries can work together to find a common solution to this dramatic situation,” he said, adding the “problem is not going away.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday evening announced through a video-message the winner of the Global Teacher Prize , a $1 million award presented by the Varkey Foundation.
The Pope’s announcement had been previously recorded in the Vatican, and was played at the awards ceremony in Dubai.
Listen to our report:
“I would like to congratulate the teacher Hanan Al Hroub for winning this prestigious prize due to the importance she gives to the role of play in a child’s education,” Pope Francis said.
The winner of the prize is a primary school teacher in the West Bank city of al-Bireh just outside Ramallah. She grew up in a refugee camp, and now teaches refugees.
“A child has the right to play,” – Pope Francis said – “Part of education is to teach children how to play, because you learn how to be social though games, and you learn the joy of life.”
Al-Hroub later told the Associated Press it was “amazing” to hear the Pope say her name, and said she would use the million-dollar prize money to create scholarships for students who excel in order to encourage them to choose careers in teaching.
During her acceptance speech, Al-Hroub reiterated her commitment to non-violence and dialogue, a theme also touched on in Pope Francis’ video-message.
“A population that is not well educated because of wars, or by other reasons that exist in order not to get any education, is a population that decays,” said Pope Francis. “That is why I would like to highlight the noble profession of a teacher.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis had a special gift for the pilgrims and tourists present in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer on the 5 th Sunday of Lent: a pocket-sized copy of the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke. Inspired by the words of our Lord as recorded in Chapter 6, verse 36 of Luke’s Gospel, “Be ye merciful as your Father [in Heaven is merciful],” the little volume is titled, St. Luke’s Gospel of Mercy , reporting the theme of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy underway in the Church throughout the world.
Volunteers from the Saint Martha Pediatric Dispensary distributed the copies of the special edition (not available for sale) to those present, with the aid of a number of grandparents of the diocese of Rome. “How worthy are grandfathers and grandmothers who transmit the faith to their grandchildren,” said Pope Francis.
The Holy Father also called the attention of the faithful to page 123 of the volume, on which the full list of the Seven Corporal and Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy appear. “It would be nice that you should learn them by heart,” he said, “so as to make it easier for you all to do them!”
“I invite you to take this gospel and to read it, a little passage every day, so that the mercy of the Father might dwell in your heart and so that you will bring that mercy to everyone you meet.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) During his Angelus address on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis drew inspiration from the Gospel reading of the day which the Pope himself described as so beautiful that he reads it and rereads it.
It tells the story of the adulterous woman, which the Pope said, highlights the theme of the mercy of God, who never wants the death of the sinner but wants them to convert and live.
Pope Francis asked the faithful present in St Peter’s Square to imagine they were witnessing the scene of Jesus, the woman and the crowd who want her stoned to death for her sins.
The Holy Father said that the crowd have not come to the Master to ask for his opinion but to make him fall into a trap.
When Jesus responds saying “Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone at her” continued the Pope this “displaces the accusers”, and disarms them. They leave aware of their sins. Just like the Gospel reading said Pope Francis, we need to be aware of our sins and have the courage to drop the stones that we aim at others and think about the wrong we do.
The Holy Father noted that when everyone has gone it is just “the woman and Jesus: misery and mercy, facing each other.”
Putting this scene into the context of today, Pope Francis explained that it is like when we are in the confessional filled with shame. We see our own misery and we ask for forgiveness.
This woman underlined, the Pope “represents all of us, sinners, that is, adulterers before God, traitors of his loyalty. And her experience is God’s will for each of us: not our condemnation, but our salvation through Jesus.”
Following the recitation of the Marian prayer, all those gathered in St. Peter’s Square, were given a copy of the Gospel of St. Luke, donated by Pope Francis, with an invitation to “read it every day.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) A draft of the program of the trip that Pope Francis will make to Poland from July 27 to 31 in the context of the 31 st World Youth Day was presented in Krakow on Saturday.
According to the provisional schedule, the Pope is to arrive Wednesday, July 27, at Krakow-Balice airport. The first meetings are to be those with the President of the Republic and the Polish bishops. In the evening, the draft program sees the Pope with the archbishop of Krakow, and greeting people from the same window from which St. John Paul II used to speak to young people.
Thursday, July 28, Pope Francis is expected to stop in Czestochowa with a private prayer before the icon of the Black Madonna, and offer Mass on the occasion of 1,050 th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland.
Friday, July 29, the draft program contains a visit to the extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and in the afternoon the Via Crucis on the Esplanade of Krakow.
Saturday, July 30, there is to be a visit to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Lagiewniki, with the Holy Father passing through the Holy Door and going on to visit the chapel where St. Faustina Kowalska is buried (the chapel is not in the Sanctuary, but next door). A Mass with priests, religious and seminarians is to follow. In the Sanctuary, it is expected that the Pope should confess some young people; then take lunch with some of them. In the evening, there is scheduled a prayer vigil for World Youth Day.
Sunday, July 31, Pope Francis is to celebrate Mass in the morning with the sending out of young people. In the afternoon, he is to meet with the volunteers, organizing committee, and benefactors of World Youth Day.
Finally, there is to be the farewell ceremony and departure for Rome.
(from Vatican Radio)…