(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegram expressing his condolences for the death of Cardinal Giovanni Coppa, a long-serving diplomat and official of the Roman Curia. Cardinal Coppa was one of the chief Latinists of the II Vatican Council. He wrote several volumes on St. Ambrose of Milan, the Gospels, and the Fathers of the Church.
As Nuncio, he served in Czechloslovakia (later the Czech Republic).
In his telegram, addressed to the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Pope Francis remembers Cardinal Coppa as a dedicated and pastorally sensitive servant of the Church and the Papacy. “As Assessor of the Secretariat of State and as Delegate for the Pontifical Diplomatic Representations,” writes Pope Francis, “he showed pastoral wisdom and careful attention to the needs of others.” The Holy Father goes on to say, “When he was sent as Pontifical Representative to the Nunciature in Prague, he gave witness to a particularly intense and fruitful commitment to the spiritual good of that nation.”
The Holy Father concludes with promises of “fervent prayers of suffrage, so that, by the intercession of the Virgin Mary and of St. Ambrose, of whose works he was among the foremost students, the Lord might welcome the Cardinal – sorely missed – in joy and peace eternal,” and imparts his Apostolic Blessing on all those who share in suffering at the loss of so zealous a Pastor.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Saying Jesus’ path is serving others, Pope Francis urged Christians on Tuesday to overcome the lure of worldliness and human ambition and warned against social climbers who are tempted to destroy the other in order to reach the top. His remarks came during his homily at the morning Mass celebrated in the Santa Marta residence.
The gospel reading where Jesus’ disciples were arguing among themselves over who was the greatest was used by the Pope for his reflections about the dangers of power, money, ambition and vanity. He noted that whereas Jesus was warning his disciples about his coming humiliation and death, they were concerned with worldly matters such as who would become the most powerful among them.
Christians must overcome the temptation to be social climbers, seeking power
In response to the apostles’ arguments, Pope Francis reminded of Jesus’ warning to his disciples that “if anyone wishes to be first he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
“Along the path where Jesus shows us to journey, the guiding principle is service. The greatest is the person who serves most, who serves others most, not the person who boasts, who seeks power, money… vanity, pride. No, these people are not the greatest. And this is what happened here with the apostles, even with the mother of John and James, it’s an event that happens every day in the Church, in every community. ‘But which of us is the greatest? Who’s in charge?’ Ambitions: there is always this desire to be a social climber, to have power, in every community, parish or institution.”
No to bad mouthing others in order to rule
Pope Francis went on to stress how service is still the Church’s message to us nowadays. Whilst the world speaks about who has more power to be in charge, Jesus reminds us that He came amongst us “to serve” and not “to be served.”
“Vanity and power … and how and when I have this worldly desire to seek power, not to serve but to be served and spare no efforts to get there: gossiping, speaking ill of others… Envy and jealousy create this path and they both destroy. And we all know this. This occurs in every institution of the Church: parishes, colleges, other institutions, even in the dioceses … everywhere. There’s this desire for worldliness and this is all about wealth, vanity and pride.”
Worldliness is the enemy of God and divides the Church
Reiterating that Jesus came to serve, the Pope said Christ has showed us the true path of Christian life: service, humility. He explained that when the great saints spoke of being very sinful,the reason for this was was because they had this worldliness inside them and they had many worldly temptations. None of us, he stressed, can say ‘I am a holy and pure person.’
“All of us are tempted by these things, we are tempted to destroy the other person in order to climb higher. This is a worldly temptation but one that divides and destroys the Church. It is not the spirit of Jesus. It’s wonderful, we can imagine the scene: Jesus who says these words and his disciples who say ‘no, better to not question (Him) too much, let’s go ahead,’ his disciples who prefer to argue among themselves over who will be the greatest. We’d do well to think about the many times that we have seen this in the Church and about the many times that we ourselves have done this and ask our Lord to show us the way, to understand that love of this world, namely worldliness, is an enemy of God.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
Migration, , Islam, the laity, France,
missionaries, the abuse crisis, the possibility of reintegration of the
Lefebvrists into the Church, and the family: these were the main themes which
Pope Francis addressed on 9 May in an interview he gave to the French daily “la
Croix”. In your speeches in Europe, you refer to
the “roots” of the continent without ever describing them as Christian. Rather,
you define “European identity” as “dynamic and multicultural.” In your view, is
the expression “Christian roots” inappropriate for Europe?
We need to speak of roots in the plural because there are so many. In this
sense, when I hear talk of the Christian roots of Europe, I sometimes dread the
tone, which can seem triumphalist or even vengeful. It then takes on
colonialist overtones. John Paul II, however, spoke about it in a tranquil
manner. Yes, Europe has Christian roots
and it is Christianity’s responsibility to water those roots. But this must be
done in a spirit of service as in the washing of the feet. Christianity’s duty
to Europe is one of service. As Erich Przywara, the great master of Romano
Guardini and Hans Urs von Balthasar, teaches us, Christianity’s contribution to
a culture is that of Christ in the washing of the feet. In other words, service
and the gift of life. It must not become a colonial enterprise. On April 16, you made a powerful gesture by
bringing back the refugees from Lesbos to Rome. However, does Europe have the
capacity to accept so many migrants? That is a fair and responsible question
because one cannot open the gates wide unreasonably. However, the deeper
question is why there are so many migrants now. When I went to Lampedusa three
years ago, this phenomenon had already started. The initial
problems are the wars in the Middle East and in Africa as well as the
underdevelopment of the African continent, which causes hunger. If there are
wars, it is because there exist arms manufacturers – which can be justified for
defensive purposes – and above all arms traffickers. If there is so much
unemployment, it is because of a lack of investment capable of providing
employment, of which Africa has such a great need. More generally,
this raises the question of a world economic system that has descended into the
idolatry of money. The great majority of humanity’s wealth has fallen into the
hands of a minority of the population. A completely
free market does not work. Markets in themselves are good but they also require
a fulcrum, a third party, or a state to monitor and balance them. In other
words, [what is needed is] a social market economy. Coming back to
the migrant issue, the worst form of welcome is to ‘ghettoize’them. On the
contrary, it’s necessary to integrate them. In Brussels, the terrorists were
Belgians, children of migrants, but they grew up in a ghetto. In London, the
new mayor (Editor: Sadiq Khan, the son of Muslim Pakistanis) took his oath of
office in a cathedral and will undoubtedly meet the queen. This illustrates the
need for Europe to rediscover its capacity to integrate. I am thinking
here of Pope Gregory the Great (Editor: Pope from 590 – 604), who negotiated
with the people known as barbarians, who were subsequently integrated. This
integration is all the more necessary today since, as a result of a selfish
search for well-being, Europe is experiencing the grave problem of a declining
birth rate. A demographic emptiness is developing. In France, at least, this
trend is less marked because of family-oriented policies. The fear of accepting migrants is partly
based on a fear of Islam. In your view, is the fear that this religion sparks
in Europe justified?
Today, I don’t think that there is a fear of Islam as such but of ISIS and its
war of conquest, which is partly drawn from Islam. It is true that the idea of
conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam. However, it is also possible to
interpret the objective in Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus sends his disciples to
all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest. In the face of
Islamic terrorism, it would therefore be better to question ourselves about the
way in an overly Western model of democracy has been exported to countries such
as Iraq, where a strong government previously existed. Or in Libya, where a
tribal structure exists. We cannot advance without taking these cultures into
account. As a Libyan said recently, “We used to have one Gaddafi, now we have
fifty.” Ultimately,
co-existence between Christians and Muslims is still possible. I come from a
country where they co-habit on good terms. Muslims come to venerate the Virgin
Mary and St George. Similarly, they tell me that for the Jubilee Year Muslims
in one African country formed a long queue at the cathedral to enter through
the holy door and pray to the Virgin Mary. In Central Africa, before the war,
Christians and Muslims used to live together and must learn to do so again.
Lebanon also shows that this is possible. The significance of Islam in France today,
like the nation’s Christian historical foundation, raises recurring questions
concerning the place of religion in the public arena. How would you
characterize a positive form of Laïcité (‘Laïcité’ refers to the French system
of separation of Church and state)?
States must be secular. Confessional states end badly. That goes against the
grain of History. I believe that a version of laicity accompanied by a solid
law guaranteeing religious freedom offers a framework for going forward. We are
all equal as sons (and daughters) of God and with our personal dignity.
However, everyone must have the freedom to externalize his or her own faith. If
a Muslim woman wishes to wear a veil, she must be able to do so. Similarly, if
a Catholic wishes to wear a cross. People must be free to profess their faith
at the heart of their own culture not merely at its margins. The modest
critique that I would address to France in this regard is that it exaggerates
laicity. This arises from a way of considering religions as sub-cultures rather
than as fully-fledged cultures in their own right. I fear that this approach,
which is understandable as part of the heritage of the Enlightenment, continues
to exist. France needs to take a step forward on this issue in order to accept
that openness to transcendence is a right for everyone. In a secular setting, how should Catholics
defend their concerns on societal issues such as euthanasia or same-sex
marriage?
It is up to Parliament to discuss, argue, explain, reason [these issues]. That
is how a society grows. However, once a
law has been adopted, the state must also respect [people’s] consciences. The
right to conscientious objection must be recognized within each legal structure
because it is a human right. Including for a government official, who is a
human person. The state must also take criticism into account. That would be a
genuine form of laicity. You cannot sweep
aside the arguments of Catholics by simply telling them that they “speak like a
priest.” No, they base themselves on the kind of Christian thinking that France
has so remarkably developed. What does France mean to you?
It is the eldest daughter of the Church,
but not the most faithful! (Laughs) However, during the 1950s, they also spoke
of “France, the mission country.” In that sense, it remains a periphery to be
evangelized. However, to be fair to France, the Church there does have a real
creative capacity. France is also a
land of great saints, great thinkers such as [Jean] Guitton, [Maurice] Blondel,
[Emmanuel] Levinas, who was not Catholic, and [Jacques] Maritain. I am also
thinking of the depth of its literature. I also
appreciate how French culture is impregnated with Jesuit spirituality compared
to the more ascetic Spanish current. The French current, which began with
Pierre Favre, gave it another flavor, while continuing to emphasize discernment
of spirits. There have also
been great French spiritual figures such as (Louis) Lallemant, or (Jean-Pierre)
de Caussade. And the great French theologians who helped the Society of Jesus
so much, namely Henri de Lubac and Michel de Certeau. I really like the last
two. Two Jesuits who are creative. Overall, that’s
what fascinates me about France. On one hand, that exaggerated laicity, the
heritage of the French Revolution, and on the other hand, so many great saints.
Who is your favorite?
St Therese of Lisieux. For the full text visit their website:
http://www.la-croix.com/Religion/Pape/INTERVIEW-P… by Guillaume Goubert and Sébastien Maillard…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has given an exclusive interview to the French Catholic La Croix newspaper. In the broad-ranging conversation with journalists Guillaume Goubert and Sébastien Maillard for La Croix , Pope Francis discussed matters ranging from healthy secularism and the right way to understand and live according to the Church’s universal missionary mandate, to the idea of Europe in relation to the migration crisis and the possibility of peaceful coexistence among Muslims and Christians.
He also addressed the clergy sex abuse crisis, offering considerations about an ongoing investigation – widely covered in France – involving the Archbishop of Lyon, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, whose handling of the case of one pedophile priest in particular has been subject to scrutiny and criticism.
“It is true that it is not easy to judge the facts after decades, in another context,” said Pope Francis.
Nevertheless, “For the Church in this area, there can be no statute of limitations: for these abuses, a priest who is called to lead people to God destroys a child. He spreads evil, resentment, pain. As Benedict XVI said, tolerance must be zero.”
Speaking to the specific case of Cardinal Barbarin, Pope Francis said, “Based on the information I have, I think that, at Lyon, Cardinal Barbarin has taken the necessary measures, he has taken things in hand.” The Holy Father went on to describe Cardinal Barbarin, saying, “He is a courageous man, a creative man, a missionary.” The Pope added, “We must now wait for the result of the process.”
Asked specifically and explicitly about whether he thinks Cardinal Barbarin ought to resign, Pope Francis answered, “No, that would be a contradiction, an imprudence. We shall see after the conclusion of the trial. But now it would be tantamount to his calling himself culpable.”
The Holy Father spoke of the challenges and opportunities facing the Church in France, which he described as, “The eldest daughter of the Church, but not the most faithful.” After a brief moment of laughter, the Holy Father added, “In the 1950s, France was called a ‘mission country’. In this sense, it is a periphery to evangelize. To be fair with France: the Church there has a creative capacity all its own. France is also a land of great saints, great thinkers: Jean Guitton, Maurice Blondel, Emmanuel Levinas – who was not Catholic – Jacques Maritain. I also think the depth of literature.
I also like how French culture has permeated Jesuit spirituality in relation to the more ascetic Spanish current. The French current, which began with [St.] Peter Faber , while still insisting on the discernment of the mind, gives another flavor, with the great French spiritual figure, Louis Lallemant, Jean Pierre de Caussade – and with the great French Jesuit theologians, who helped the Society of Jesus so much: Henri de Lubac and Michel de Certeau. These last two I like a lot: two Jesuits who are creative. In short, this is what fascinates me with France. On the one hand, the exaggerated secularism, the legacy of the French Revolution and on the other, so many great saints.”
Asked which French saint is his favorite, Pope Francis offered, “St. Therese of Lisieux.”
His interviewers inquired after any concrete plans to visit France. “I received President François Hollande’s letter of invitation a short while ago. The Bishops’ Conference also invited me. I do not know when this trip will be, because next of year’s election in France and, in general, the Holy See’s practice is not to make such a trip in such a period. Last year, some hypotheses began to be formulated for such a trip, including a visit to Paris and its suburbs, to Lourdes, to a city where no pope visited – Marseille for example – which represents an open door to the world.”
The Holy Father also responded to a query regarding the shortage of priests.
“Korea offers an historical example,” he said. “That country was evangelized by missionaries from China, from whose work the faith spread there. Then, for two centuries, Korea was evangelized by laymen. It is a land of saints and martyrs today with a strong Church. To evangelize, there need not necessarily be priests. Baptism gives strength to evangelize – and the Holy Spirit received in Baptism grows outward, to carry the Christian message with courage and patience. The Holy Spirit is the protagonist of the Church, the Church’s engine. Too many Christians do not know this. In contrast, a danger to the Church is clericalism: it is a sin that takes two to commit, like the tango. The priests want to ‘clericalize’ the laity and the laity demand to be clericalized, for the sake of ease. In Buenos Aires, I knew many good priests who, seeing a capable layman, immediately exclaimed, ‘Let’s make a deacon!’ No, let him remain a layman. Clericalism is important particularly in Latin America. If popular piety there is strong, it is precisely because it is the initiative of the laity on their own, and not a clerical thing. It remains misunderstood by the clergy.”
Another major focus of the conversation was the migration crisis.
Asked whether he thinks Europe really can accommodate the numbers of migrants seeking refuge within her borders, the Holy Father said, “That is a fair and responsible question because we cannot open the doors irrationally – but the basic question to ask is why there are so many migrants today.”
The Pope went on to say, “The problem started with the wars in the Middle East and Africa and with the underdevelopment of the African continent, causing hunger: if there is war, it is because there are arms manufacturers – which can be justified for defense – [but the problem is] especially [with] arms traffickers. If there is so much unemployment, it is because of the lack of investment that can provide work, such as Africa so desperately needs.
“This raises the broader issue of a global economic system fallen into an idolatry of money. Over 80% of the wealth of humanity is in the hands of about 16% of the population. A completely free market does not work. The market itself is a good thing but it takes a fulcrum, a third party, the state, to control and balance it: what we call the social market economy.
“Returning to migrants: the worst [kind of] reception is ghettoization. Migrants must rather be integrated. In Brussels, the terrorists were Belgians, the children of migrants, but they came from a ghetto. In London, the new mayor [a Muslim of Pakistani origin, Sadiq Khan] was sworn in in a cathedral and will probably be received by the Queen. This shows the importance for Europe to regain its ability to integrate. I think of Gregory the Great, who negotiated with the so-called barbarians, who are then integrated.
“This integration is even more necessary today, as Europe is experiencing a serious problem of low birth rate, due to a selfish search for well-being. A demographic vacuum develops. In France, however, thanks to family policy, this trend is mitigated.
The Pope’s interviewers then asked whether the fear of welcoming migrants is perhaps fed in part by a fear of Islam, and whether the Holy Father considers such fear justified.
In answer, Pope Francis said, “I do not think there is now a fear of Islam, as such, but of Daesh [the so-called ‘Islamic State’] and its war of conquest, driven in part by Islam. The idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam, it is true. But it could be interpreted with the same idea of conquest, [found at] the end of the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus sends his disciples in all nations.
“Faced with the current Islamic terrorism, we should question the way in which too Western a model of democracy was exported to countries where there was a strong power, such as in Iraq. Or in Libya, [with its] tribal structure. We cannot move forward without considering that culture. As one Libyan said some time ago: ‘We used to have Gaddafi, now we have 50 [of him]!’
“Deep down, coexistence between Christians and Muslims is possible. I come from a country in which they live together in good familiarity. Muslims venerate the Virgin Mary and St. George. In an African country, it was reported to me that for the Jubilee of mercy, Muslims stand in long queues at the Cathedral to go through the Holy Door and pray to the Virgin Mary. In the Central African Republic, before the war, Christians and Muslims lived together and must learn to do so again today. Lebanon also shows that it is possible.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis presided over the opening of the 69th General Assembly of the Italian Bishops’ Conference – the “CEI” – on Monday afternoon, in the Synod Hall in the Vatican.
The main item on the agenda of the 69 th CEI General Assembly is the renewal of the clergy through ongoing formation.
In remarks to the participants prepared for the occasion, the Holy Father encouraged the bishops of Italy to listen to their priests and to learn from their example. “This evening,” said Pope Francis, “I do not wish to offer you a systematic reflection on the figure of the priest: let us rather try to turn the perspective on its head, and make ready to listen. Let us approach – almost in tiptoe – one of the many parish priests who spend themselves in our communities, let us leave his visage to pass before the eyes of our heart, and let us ask with simplicity: what gives life its flavor? For whom and for what does he do such dedicated service? What is the ultimare reason for his self-giving? ”
The answers Pope Francis articulated included the cultivation of authentic friendship with God, a recovery of the courageous leadership role that priests – especially diocesan clergy – are called to play in the fundamental missionary activity of the whole Church, which must be at the center of every Christian life, and finally the Kingdom of God as the horizon and goal of the whole work of the Church and of each man called to serve as a priest.
Other topics on the Bishops’ agenda include the recent revision of the rules on ecclesiastical tribunals (with the reform Pope Francis introduced between the Synod Assemblies), questions of economic resource management, and some other legal and administrative business.
A press conference is scheduled for 1:30 PM on Thursday to present the work of the General Assembly.
(from Vatican Radio)…