(Vatican Radio) Two canonization ceremonies, including that of Mother Teresa of Kolkata and two foreing visits are among the highlights of the schedule of Pope Francis in the coming months. The Office for the Liturgical Celebration of the Surpreme Pointiff on Friday released the Pope’s June- 4 September schedule.
On June 5, the Pope will declare as saints, Polish priest Fr. Stanislaus of Jesus-Mary and Swedish nun Sr. Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad, and on Sept. 4 he will canonize Mother Teresa. Both ceremonies will be held in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square.
The Pope has two foreign trips. He will visit Armenia, June 24-26, and Poland, July 27-31, for the 31 World Youth Day in Krakow. In June he has two Year of Mercy Jubilee celebrations – that of priests on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, June 3, and that of the sick and persons with disabilities on June 12. On June 29, the feast of Sts Peter and Paul, he will confer the pallium on new metropolitan archbishops. On Mother Teresa’s canonization day, Sept. 4, the Pope will mark the Jubilee of workers and volunteers of mercy.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Director of the Holy See’s Press office, Father Federico Lombardi, said Pope Francis did not say in his remarks to the Heads of female religious orders and congregations that he intends to introduce the ordination of women and even less the ordination of women as priests. Father Lombardi’s statement followed the Pope’s widely-reported remarks that he wants to set up a Commission to study the question of female deacons. Pope Francis’ remarks on deaconesses came during a question and answer session on Thursday with some 900 heads of female religious orders and congregations who form part of the International Union of Superiors General.
During the hour and a half long conversation about the mission and ministry of women in religious life, the Pope responded to several delicate questions, including one where he was asked what prevents the Church from including women among the permanent deacons, just like during the early Church. In his reply, the Pope said understanding about the role of female deacons in the early Church remained unclear and agreed with the sisters that it would be useful to set up a Commission to study the question.
Father Lombardi described the encounter between the Pope and the female religious as a “beautiful conversation” that was very “encouraging” about women and in particular about consecrated women in the life of the Church, including their role in important positions within the dicasteries where ordination is not implied.
Referring to the Pope’s much reported remark about setting up a Commission to study the question of female deacons, Father Lombardi said this was an issue that has been talked about within the Church in the past and arises from the fact that in the early Church there were women described as deaconesses who carried out certain tasks within the Christian community.
Father Lombardi said “we need to be honest” when looking at the Pope’s remarks about being willing to set up a Commission to look again at this issue with greater clarity.
“The Pope did not say he intends to introduce the ordination of female deacons and even less did he talk about the ordination of women as priests.” In actual fact, the Pope made clear in his preaching during the course of the Eucharistic celebration that he was not considering this (question) at all.”
Father Lombardi also said it was wrong to reduce all the many important things said by the Pope during his meeting with the religious sisters to this one question.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Today Pope Francis received in audience the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, Beata Szydło, who subsequently met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States.
In a statement, the Vatican Press Office described the talks as “cordial” and said the two “noted the positive contribution of the Catholic Church in Polish society.”
Particular reference was made, it said, to the visit that the Holy Father will make to Poland in the month of July for World Youth Day. Also mentioned were recent celebrations in Gniezno and Poznań for the 1050 anniversary of the Baptism of Poland, that were attended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, acting as Papal Legate.
Later, the Pope and Prime Minister focused on themes of mutual interest, such as the promotion of the family in the current socio-cultural context and the reception of refugees. Finally, issues of concern to the international community, such as peace and security, the conflict in Syria and the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and the Middle East were also discussed.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The official programme for Pope Francis’ 3-day visit to Armenia from 24th to 26th June was released on Friday.
Please see details below: (all times local)
Friday 24th June
09.00 Departure from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport for Yerevan
15.00 Arrival at Yereven’s Zvaretnots Airport with welcome ceremony there.
15.35 Visit to pray at Apostolic Cathedral at Etchmiadzin (Greetings given by Catholicos of All Armenia, Karekin II and by Pope Francis)
18.00 Courtesy visit to Armenia’s President in the Presidential Palace.
18.30 Meeting with civil authorities and the Diplomatic Corps in the Presidential Palace (speech by the Pope)
19.30 Private meeting with Catholicos in the Apostolic Palace
Saturday 25th June
08.45 Visit to Tzitzernakaberd Memorial Complex
10.00 Journey by plane to Gyumri
11.00 Holy Mass in Gyumri’s Vartanants Square (Homily By the Pope and greeting by Catholicos)
16.45 Visit to the Holy Martyrs Armenian Catholic Cathedral in Gyumri
18.00 Journey by plane back to Yerevan
19.00 Ecumenical Encounter and Prayer for Peace in Yerevan’s Republic Square
Sunday 26th June
09.15 Meeting with Catholic Bishops of Armenia in the Apostolic Palace at Etchmiadzin
10.00 Participation in Divine Liturgy in the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral (Homily by Catholicos and greeting by the Pope)
Ecumenical Lunch with the Catholicos, Archbishops and Bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholic Bishops of Armenia and Cardinals and Bishops from the Papal entourage in the Apostolic Palace.
15.00 Meeting with delegates and benefactors of the Apostolic Armenian Church in the Apostolic Palace
16.05 Signing of Joint Declaration in the Apostolic Palace
17.00 Prayer at Khor Virap Monastery
18.15 Farewell Ceremony at airport
18.30 Departure by plane for Rome
20.40 Arrival at Rome’s Ciampino Airport
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Bishop Ángel Ayuso Guixot addressed the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations this week in Tokyo about the need to protect minorities in Muslim majority states. The prelate quoted Pope Francis in his desire that the world be “be ever more attentive, sensitive and participant in face of persecutions carried out in dealings with Christians and, more in general, of religious minorities.”
“The purpose of this High-Level Consultation” the Bishop stated, “should lead us all to invite to respect for all regardless of religious identity; commitment towards supporting citizenships rights of Christians in the Middle East; and engagement through dialogue.”
The Bishop continued by raising various issues required in order to promote religious freedom, including promoting social justice, cooperating in the financial world situation and poverty, promoting interreligious dialogue, and upholding “fundamental principles of ethical living.”
The prelate concluded his remarks by calling to mind the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on religious liberty.
The full text of the speech can be found below:
Religions for Peace (RfP)
United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)
High-Level International Consultation
May 12-13, 2016
The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, Japan
Partnering with Religious Leaders of the Middle East in Advancing the Protection of Minorities in Muslim Majority Statesby His Excellency Bishop Miguel Ángel AYUSO GUIXOT Secretary Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
Mr Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honor for me to be here with you to share in this High Level International Consultation to share on such an important issue that for me, as a Catholic, is the cornerstone on which to build our future in the Middle East, as in the entire world. I mean “citizenship”!
As part of this selected group of scholars and personalities, I hope that our reflections will contribute to advance in overcoming, in a global society, the limited concepts of majority/minority, protection, tolerance, etc.
Pope Francis, referring to the situation of displaced persons in the Middle East, asked that “world public opinion be ever more attentive, sensitive and participant in face of the persecutions carried out in dealings with Christians and, more in general, of religious minorities”… hoping that “the International Community will not remain silent and inert in face of such unacceptable crimes, which constitute a worrying disregard of the most essential human rights and impedes the richness of coexistence among peoples, cultures and faiths.” (Pope Francis, Letter addressed to His Excellency Bishop Lahham, Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem for the Latins, Vicar Patriarchate for Jordan, 6 August 2015.)
Therefore, this High-Level Consultation should support citizenship rights and peaceful coexistence, as something very appropriate. In the Final Message of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, the Synod Fathers stated that “we are united by faith in one God and by the commandment that teaches us to do good and avoid evil”, that “we will build our civil societies on citizenship, religious liberty, and liberty of conscience”, and that “it is therefore our duty to educate believers in interreligious dialogue, the acceptance of pluralism, and mutual respect and esteem.” “Our mission and vocation,” they declared, is to “live together, as Christians and Muslims” (October 23, 2010).
“Christians are particularly concerned for the fundamental rights of the human person. It is wrong to claim that these rights are only ‘Christian’ human rights. They are nothing less than the rights demanded by the dignity of each human person and each citizen, whatever his or her origins, religious convictions and political preferences…” (Ecclesia in the Middle East, n. 25).
We all know that many times Pope Francis has wished to give voice to the atrocious, inhuman and unexplainable persecution of those in so many parts of the world – and above all among Christians – who are victims of fanaticism and intolerance, often under the eyes and in the silence of the entire world.
The purpose of this High-Level Consultation should lead us all to invite to respect for all regardless of religious identity; commitment towards supporting citizenships rights of Christians in the Middle East; and engagement through dialogue. My participation to this Consultation is because I am convinced that it is a excellent initiative to invite all parts involved once more to act and to contribute in promoting citizenship and true coexistence for all!!!
The attention of the whole world is fixed on the Middle East as it tries to seek its path. “May this region demonstrate that coexistence is not a utopia, and that distrust and prejudice are not a foregone conclusions. Religions can join one another in service to the common good and contribute to the development of each person and the building of society” (Ecclesia in the Middle East, n. 28) . “The peaceful coexistence of different religious communities is an inestimable benefit to peace and to harmonious human advancement. This is something of value which needs to be protected and nourished each day, by providing an education which respects differences and particular identities, so that dialogue and cooperation for the good of all may be promoted and strengthened by mutual understanding and esteem. It is a gift which we need to implore from God in prayer” (Pope Francis, Address to Civil Authorities, Presidential Palace, Tirana, 21 September 2014).
OTHER POINTS FOR REFLECTION
In building a more fraternal world, we are called to promote social justice. The thirst and search for justice is common to all human beings trying to build up a more humane society. However, for us as believers, there is a higher common ground on which to build. Unfortunately, the role of religion in modern society is often misunderstood, unappreciated and even criticised as a source of problems and conflicts that make ill modern society. In his address to representatives of British Society, diplomats, politicians, academics and business leaders in Westminster Hall, during his visit to Great Britain in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI noted that “distorted forms of religion, such as sectarianism and fundamentalism” can create social problems. Religion, properly understood and properly appreciated, according to Pope Benedict, has an important role to play in political debate which is “to help purify and shed light upon the application of reason to the discovery of objective moral principles”. Therefore, Pope Benedict concluded, “Religion… is not a problem… but a vital contributor to national conversation.” Religious freedom is at the heart of the social project and is necessary for social justice. Religious freedom, therefore, is the fundamental basis for all other freedoms. As Pope Benedict XVI stated in his Message for the celebration of the World Day of Peace on January 1 2011: “to deny or arbitrarily restrict this freedom is to foster a reductive vision of the human person; to eclipse the public role of religion is to create a society which is unjust, inasmuch as it fails to take account of the true nature of the human person; it is to stifle the growth of the authentic and lasting peace of the whole human family”. Addressing the Political and Religious leaders and representatives of the world of Culture on 15 September 2012 in Beirut, Pope Benedict XVI once underlined the importance of religious freedom that “has a social and political dimension which is indispensable for peace!” In fact, Christians and Muslims are called to promote a culture of peace. “As religious believers, it’s up to us all to be educators of peace, of human rights, of a freedom which respects each person, but also to ensure increasingly strong social bonds, because man must take care of his human brothers and sisters without discrimination. […]Together, as members of different religious traditions, we are called to spread a teaching which honours all human creatures, a message of love between individuals and peoples. We are particularly responsible for ensuring that our young people, who will be in charge of tomorrow’s world, are formed in this spirit (Message PCID Ramadan 2007, n. 3).
Addressing social concerns should lead us to cooperate in certain particular areas, like, for example, in the financial world situation and the poverty that is spreading worldwide. In fact, rich nations have a grave moral responsibility toward those who are unable to ensure the means of their development by themselves or have been prevented from doing so by tragic historical events. It is a duty in solidarity and charity; it is also an obligation in justice because the prosperity of the rich nations has come from resources that have not been paid for fairly (Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2439).
Today, our global society multiplies the occasions for an exchange through interreligious dialogue that the world needs. In fact, we have an urgent need that we, as believers, give a witness of the “transcendent” in a world always more and more secularized. In particular, “As men and women of religion, we are challenged by the widespread longing for justice, development, solidarity, freedom, security, peace, defence of life, protection of the environment and of the resources of the earth. This is because we too, while respecting the legitimate autonomy of temporal affairs, have a specific contribution to offer in the search for proper solutions to these pressing questions. Above all, we can offer a credible response to the question which emerges clearly from today’s society, even if it is often brushed aside, the question about the meaning and purpose of life, for each individual and for humanity as a whole. (Address of Pope Benedict XVI to the President of the Religious Affairs Directorate of Turkey at the “Diyanet” of Ankara, November 28, 2006).
It is the duty of believers to uphold the fundamental principles of ethical living. Religion has a decided hold over the lives of the people and therefore religions should be alert to the changing trends in society. Humanity without discipline is like an unbridled horse. Human beings are in need of direction and it has to be based on divine precepts and natural law. Religious beliefs must help people to discern the voice and appeals of conscience as well as to seek what is true and good. In practical life, religion must help one to “do good and avoid evil”. Human dignity is above all the highest principle. Personhood must be acknowledged. Anything that destroys or negatively affects the dignity and freedom of human beings must be considered immoral. Fidelity and service to “truth and good” must be the general norm in every form of human expression. Religion has a duty to protect the rights of all and help all to fulfil their ethical obligations. At the beginning of the Pontificate, the newly elected Pope Francis stressed the importance of protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world in the spirit of the Book of Genesis and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. He said that to be ‘protectors’ of Creation “means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. (Homily §Beginning Pontificate Pope Francis, 19 March 2013).
The subject of social and environmental protection arises as a genuine point of convergence among Jews, Christians and Muslim, a joint mission to see to the protection of our earthly city in a spirit of unity, within our diverse respective religious traditions, as a shared responsibility for all.
In its teaching on Religious Freedom, the Second Vatican Council taught that “the human person has a right to religious freedom,” that this right means that everyone should be “immune from coercion on the part of individuals, social groups, and every human power” in acting on religious convictions, and that this right is exercised “in private or in public, alone or in association with others,” (Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis Humanae, n.2). The Council, in delimitating the coercive power of the State, outlined some of the basic requirements of a just society. As we have already stated earlier, how a society recognises and upholds the basic tenets of Religious Freedom, is for it to decide, but it seems that the most basic requirement is to anchor these rights in basic constitutional rights and guarantees in the Rule of Law. Since religion is not a mere private matter of the individual, the freedom from coercion in matters of belief for the individual, also apply ‘in public … or in association with others’ so that the State has no right to coerce or attempt to control the internal life of a religious community, to determine its creed, or to use it as a means of social control.
In 1979, Pope John Paul II, in addressing the General Assembly of the United Nations, described religious freedom as the first of human rights, and in his speech to the same body sixteen years later, in 1995, when he cited the role of religious freedom in helping bring about the collapse of European Communism, he made a profound statement about the power of the moral voice of religion to hold tyranny to account.
In continuity with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and the teaching of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI continues to champion religious freedom as the basis of all other freedoms, such as in Lebanon just last month. For the celebration of World Day of Peace on 1 January 2011, Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his annual message to the theme of religious freedom. It is worth recalling what he said there:
“Religious freedom expresses what is unique about the human person, for it allows us to direct our personal and social life to God, in whose light the identity, meaning and purpose of the person are fully understood. To deny or arbitrarily restrict this freedom is to foster a reductive vision of the human person; to eclipse the public role of religion is to create a society which is unjust, inasmuch as it fails to take account of the true nature of the human person; it is to stifle the growth of the authentic and lasting peace of the whole human family.
“For this reason, I implore all men and women of good will to renew their commitment to building a world where all are free to profess their religion or faith, and to express their love of God with all their heart, with all their soul and with all their mind (cf Mt 22:37). ”
During his address to Political and Religious Leaders and Representatives of the World of Culture on 15 September last in Beirut, Pope Benedict XVI underlined the importance of religious freedom:
“It cannot be forgotten that religious freedom is the basic right on which many other rights depend. The freedom to profess and practise one’s religion without danger to life and liberty must be possible to everyone. The loss or attenuation of this freedom deprives the person of his or her sacred right to a spiritually integrated life. What nowadays passes for tolerance does not eliminate cases of discrimination, and at times it even reinforces them. Without openness to transcendence, which makes it possible to find answers to their deepest questions about the meaning of life and morally upright conduct, men and women become incapable of acting justly and working for peace. Religious freedom has a social and political dimension which is indispensable for peace! It promotes a harmonious life for individuals and communities by a shared commitment to noble causes and by the pursuit of truth, which does not impose itself by violence but rather ‘by the force of its own truth’”.
Therefore, all of us are called to renew our commitment, with a sense of shared responsibility, for the promotion of greater social justice, through religious freedom, for a lasting and secure peace in the world. Echoing what Pope Benedict XVI said during his visit to Lebanon, may I conclude saying:
“Thoughts of peace, words of peace and acts of peace create an atmosphere of respect, honesty and cordiality, where faults and offences can be truthfully acknowledged as a means of advancing together on the path of reconciliation. May political and religious leaders reflect on this!” (Meeting with Members of the Government, Institutions of the Republic, the Diplomatic Corps, Religious Leaders and Representatives of the World of Culture, 15 September 2012, Lebanon).
(from Vatican Radio)…