(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday sent greetings to the 20th Lednica 2000 Youth Meeting which will take place on Saturday in Poland.
The Lednica meeting was started by Father Jan Góra, OP, in 1997, and has become the largest annual gathering of Catholic young people in the world.
This year’s 20th meeting – which take place near Lake Lednica, the traditional site of the baptism of the first Polish king, Mieszko I in AD 966 – is of special significance because of the convergence of several events: The Jubilee Year of Mercy, the 1050th anniversary of the ‘Baptism of Poland’, the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the Dominican Order, and the upcoming World Youth Day in Krakow. It will also be the first Lednica Youth Meeting without Father Jan, who died on 21 December 2015 at the age of 67.
The theme of the meeting is simply “Amen.”
Pope Francis sent his greetings during his address to Polish-speaking pilgrims at the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square.
“Dear friends, together you want to raise your voices and say, sing, and dance your ‘Amen’. This is your confirmation of personal faith in Christ whom your ancestors received together in baptism 1050 years ago,” Pope Francis said.
“Following the example of Mary, whose life was completely permeated by the glory of God, in the Holy Spirit repeat every day your ‘Amen – so be it!’” – the Pope continued – “May the memory of Father Jan, the founder of your meetings who is now with the Lord, inspire you on the path of faith and bless the hearts of you and your pastors. Praised be Jesus Christ!”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis, during his General Audience on Wednesday, met with Veronica Cantero Burroni , a young Argentinian author, who turns 14-years-old on Friday.
She was just awarded the Elsa Morante Prize in children’s literature for her book Il ladro di ombre (‘The Shadow Thief’).
Veronica was a triplet, and the birth caused neurological damage which has affects her motor skills, but that has not kept her from writing and publishing books since she was eight-years-old.
The children’s literature selection for the Elsa Morante Prize is chosen through a two-part process. A jury of experts chooses three books as finalists, with the winner being chosen by a group of young people who have read the books.
There were two books written by Argentinians among the three finalists for the award: The Name of God Is Mercy – written by Pope Francis with journalist Andrea Tornielli – was the other.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity on Wednesday released details of the ecumenical events that Pope Francis will attend in southern Sweden on October 31st 2016. The joint Lutheran-Catholic commemoration will mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and will feature a liturgy in Lund cathedral, followed by a public event at an arena in the nearby city of Malmö.
The commemoration, structured around the themes of thanksgiving, repentance and commitment to common witness, will also celebrate the fruits of 50 years of Catholic-Lutheran dialogue.
The prayer service in Lund cathedral will be led by Pope Francis, LWF President Bishop Munib Younan and LWF General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge, based on a shared liturgical guide and the joint report entitled ‘From Conflict to Communion’. The event in the Malmö arena will showcase the common witness of the LWF’s World Service and Caritas Internationalis, including their work to care for refugees, peacebuilding, and advocacy for climate justice.
The full programme of Pope Francis’ visit to Sweden, including a Mass with the country’s Catholic community on the morning of November 1st, will be published at a later date.
Please find below the full text of the joint press release from the Lutheran World Federation (LFW) and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU)
Joint Ecumenical Commemoration to be held in Lund Cathedral and Malmö Arena
GENEVA, VATICAN CITY, 1 June 2016 – The joint Lutheran-Catholic ecumenical commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on 31 October in Lund, Sweden will consist of two parts. It will begin with a liturgy in Lund Cathedral and continue with a public event at Malmö Arena that will be open to wider participation.
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Roman Catholic Church joint event will highlight the 50 years of continuous ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Lutherans and the joint gifts of this collaboration. The Catholic-Lutheran commemoration of 500 years of the Reformation is structured around the themes of thanksgiving, repentance and commitment to common witness. The aim is to express the gifts of the Reformation and ask forgiveness for division perpetuated by Christians from the two traditions.
Lund Cathedral will be the venue for the common prayer service based on the recently published Catholic-Lutheran “Common Prayer” liturgical guide that is based on the report From Conflict to Communion. Malmö Arena will be the stage for activities focusing on the commitment to common witness and service of Catholics and Lutherans in the world. Highlights of the joint work of LWF World Service and Caritas Internationalis will be featured,including care for refugees, peacebuilding, and advocacy for climate justice. The arena can host up to 10,000 people.
Pope Francis, LWF President Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan and LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Martin Junge will lead the common prayer service in Lund and the event in Malmö in cooperation with leaders from Church of Sweden and the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm.
“There is power when communities find their way out of conflict. In Christ we are encouraged to serve together in this world. The joint commemoration is a witness to the love and hope we all have because of the grace of God,” LWF President Younan and General Secretary Junge say.
Kurt Cardinal Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity explains further: “By concentrating together on the centrality of the question of God and on a Christocentric approach, Lutherans and Catholics will have the possibility of an ecumenical commemoration of the Reformation, not simply in a pragmatic way, but in the deep sense of faith in the crucified and resurrected Christ.”
“We look forward to this event which can gather up to 10,000 people. The idea behind the arena event is to further describe the development from conflict to communion with a focus on hope for the future and common service in the world,” says Church of Sweden Archbishop Antje Jackélen.
Bishop Anders Arborelius of the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm adds, “History will be written when Pope Francis and the LWF leaders visit Lund and Malmö to encourage all of us to go further on the road towards Christian unity.”
Information on the Joint Ecumenical Commemoration will be updated on the event website www.lund2016.net
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday thanked the Jain community for its commitment to protect “our sister Earth.”
The Pope’s words came as he received members of the Institute of Jainology in private audience in the Vatican before leading the weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s Square.
Expressing his joy for the encounter, Pope Francis welcomed the Jains saying that “this encounter nurtures our responsibility to care for creation”, and calling creation a “gift that we have all received” he said “creation is God’s mirror, the mirror of the Creator, the mirror of nature, and it is our mirror too.”
“We all love mother Earth, because she is the one who has given us life and safeguards us; I would also call her sister Earth, who accompanies us during the journey of our existence. Our duty is to take care of her just as we would take care of a mother or of a sister, with responsibility, with tenderness and with peace” he said.
And he thanked the Jains for what they do to protect and care for the earth and said “we remain united within this ideal (…) in the awareness that healing and caring for the Earth is healing and caring for the whole of humanity”.
The Institute of Jainology was established in 1983 and it was subsequently registered as a Charitable Trust.
Compassion and non-violence towards all living beings are the fundamental principles of Jain philosophy. Its mission is to propagate Jainism and its values through art, culture and education.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent a Message to the participants of a European meeting of prison chaplains taking place in Strasbourg discussing radicalization in prisons.
The message, sent by the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said Pope Francis “wishes to assure all who are serving prison communities of his prayerful solidarity and deep gratitude for their efforts in upholding the human dignity of all those incarcerated.”
The full message is below
Pope’s Message to the participants of the European meeting of prison Chaplains
His Holiness Pope Francis was pleased to learn of the European meeting of prison chaplains, entitled “Radicalisation in prisons: a pastoral view”, to be held at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg from 30 May to 1 June 2016. With appreciation to the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, the International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care and the Permanent Mission of the Holy See for organizing this important event, the Holy Father sends cordial greetings to all those participating. He especially wishes to assure all who are serving prison communities of his prayerful solidarity and deep gratitude for their efforts in upholding the human dignity of all those incarcerated. So too Pope Francis thanks prison chaplains for assisting prisoners to celebrate the Jubilee Year of Mercy fruitfully: ”May the gesture of directing their thought and prayer to the Father each time they cross the threshold of their cell signify for them their passage through the Holy Door, because the mercy of God is able to transform hearts, and is also able to transform bars into an experience of freedom. (Letter according to which an Indulgence is granted on the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, 1 September 2015). With these sentiments, Pope Francis willingly invokes upon you and all gathered the divine blessings of peace and joy.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State
(from Vatican Radio)…