(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis encouraged believers on Wednesday to open their eyes and hearts to God’s love for the poor and to the gift of healing that he offers to all who turn to him in faith.
His words came during the weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s square as he continued his catechesis for this Holy Year of Mercy.
The Pope reflected on Jesus’ miracle of restoring sight to a blind man on the way to Jericho as recounted in the Gospel of Luke.
He said that the blind man was sitting on the roadside begging and pointed out that, until not long ago, a person with disability had no choice but to live on charity.
“That blind man, Francis said, represents the many people who, even today, are marginalized because of a disadvantage,” be it physical or of other kind.
The Pope said the man is separated from the crowd that goes about its business as usual. “The street, which can be a place of encounter, for him is a place of solitude” he said.
He said the image of the marginalized person is especially sad against the backdrop provided by the splendid city of Jericho, and he pointed out that Jericho, the place where the people of Israel arrived in after the Exodus from Egypt represents the Promised Land.
The Pope recalled the words uttered by Moses on that occasion: “If one of your kindred is in need in any community in the land which the Lord is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor close your hand against your kin who is in need. For the land will never lack for needy persons; that is why I command you: “Open your hand freely to your poor and to your needy kin in your land”.
“How often do we feel annoyed when we see people in the streets who are sick or hungry? How often are we annoyed by the sight of refugees and migrants?” he said.
That’s why – Francis continued: “God’s Word teaches us that indifference and hostility make us blind and deaf, stopping us from seeing our brothers, preventing us from recognizing the Lord in them”.
Unlike the crowd, the Pope said, Jesus does not ignore the blind man or try to silence his cries. And he points out that when Jesus comes by “there is always liberation, there is always salvation”.
In the Gospel reading the blind man is the only one who recognizes Jesus who turns the eyes of all to the blind man, and, acknowledging his faith, restores his sight.
In this way, the Pope pointed out, Jesus takes the blind man away from the edge of the street and places him at the center of the attention of the crowd and of his disciples.
Thus, not only does the man, now healed, became a disciple of Jesus, but the crowd too now sees; their eyes are opened to the meaning of this encounter of mercy, and they give praise to God.
“Let us remember the times in which we have found ourselves in bad situations, even situations in which we sinned. It was Jesus who took us by the hand and removed us from the margins putting us on the road of salvation” the Pope said.
And he highlighted the fact that the Lord’s passage is an encounter of mercy that brings us together and permits us to recognize our brothers who are in need of help and consolation.
During this Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis concluded: “may we too open our eyes and hearts to God’s love for the poor and to the gift of healing that he offers to all who turn to him in faith”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) During his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis spoke on the importance of opening our eyes and hearts to the poor, and the healing offered to all who have faith.
Wednesday’s catechesis centered on the story of Jesus healing the blind man on his way to Jericho.
Below, please find the official English-language summary of Pope Francis’ catechesis, which was delivered in Italian.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis for this Holy Year of Mercy, we now consider Jesus’ miracle of restoring sight to a blind man on the way to Jericho ( Lk 18:35-43). The blind man, forced to beg for a living, can represent all those disadvantaged persons who, even today, find themselves on the periphery of our societies. The prosperous city of Jericho, for its part, evokes the conquest of the Promised Land and Moses’ stern warning that, once settled, God’s People were not to harden their hearts or be blind to the presence of those in need (cf. Dt 15). Unlike the crowd, Jesus does not ignore the blind man or try to silence his cries. He stops, turns the eyes of all to the blind man, and, acknowledging his faith, restores his sight. Saint Luke tells us that the man, now healed, became a disciple of Jesus. Not only, but the crowd too now sees; their eyes are opened to the meaning of this encounter of mercy, and they give praise to God (v. 43). During this Jubilee of Mercy may we too open our eyes and hearts to God’s love for the poor and to the gift of healing that he offers to all who turn to him in faith.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has commended the Pontifical Gregorian University’s recently created Centre for Child Protection (CCP) and expressed his hope that new graduates will be “brave and committed” to the prevention of sexual abuse of minors. On Tuesday, 14 June, the first 19 students of the Centre’s new Diploma of Advanced Studies, “Safeguarding Minors” received their degree in a graduation ceremony in Rome.
In a personal letter to the president of the Centre for Child Protection, Fr. Hans Zollner sj, Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to the professors and graduates of the course: “First of all I want to thank you and your entire faculty for this commitment to the prevention of sexual abuse of minors. You have undertaken great efforts for the prevention and healing of minors who have been sexually abused. I extend my greetings to those who complete the programme. I wish you courage and patience; be brave and committed. I assure you that you will receive many signs of gratitude. I pray for you and I ask you to do the same for me.”
A University statement explains that the one term qualification programme educates international students as prevention experts to counteract sexual abuse of minors. This unique worldwide initiative was started as a part of the proactive prevention strategy of the Catholic Church in February 2016.
The CCP of the Pontifical Gregorian University awards the diploma. Instituted in 2012, the CCP is an institution of the Catholic Church advocating safeguarding measures and protection for minors and people in need around the world.
Cardinal Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, also commends the initiative of the CCP: “The prevention of sexual abuse of minors is a priority for the entire Church. In a special way we want to put our efforts into the young Churches, in order that everything possible is being done to counter this sad phenomenon in schools, kindergartens, universities and parishes. For this reason the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples is very pleased to support the educational and scientific efforts of the Centre for Child Protection.”
With regard to the Centre’s international approach, the academic vice-rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University and president of the CCP, Father Hans Zollner SJ, noted: “Our graduates originate from 15 countries and four continents. Among many of these countries child protection is underestimated. Especially in these countries we need well-educated prevention experts within Church and society to improve the protection of minors.”
The diploma course for safeguarding minors includes six modules, which are delivered using an interdisciplinary and interactive method. Professors of the CCP and the Pontifical Gregorian University as well as renowned visiting scholars teach a variety of topics. In these modules, students coming from both ecclesial and secular realities learn to recognize evidence of sexual abuse, to set up prevention measures, and to care for victims of abuse. The programme was coordinated and taught by Prof. Dr. Karlijn Demasure, executive director of the CCP, and Dr. Katharina A. Fuchs.
“Since 2010 the Catholic Church in Germany has been speaking out against sexual abuse of minors and has already started an impressive variety of advanced education strategies. I am delighted that the Catholic Church is now proactive in an international context to better protect minors”, asserted Johannes-Wilhelm Rörig, the German Representative of Abuse Victims, commenting on the efforts of the Church.
The diploma course in advanced studies started in February 2016 and will be offered once a year. Every graduation class will consist of 18-20 students. Applications for the diploma course 2017 can be submitted until June 30th, 2016.
In addition to training programmes for the prevention of sexual abuse, the CCP conducts interdisciplinary research and doctoral programmes and organizes international conferences on safeguarding of minors.
For more information: www.childprotection.unigre.it
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says it is a “strange paradox” that food often cannot get through to those suffering due to war but weapons can.
He was speaking on Monday during his first visit to the World Food Program , the Rome-based United Nations agency that fights hunger.
WFP is currently engaged in and committed to the “One Future Zero Hunger” Global Goal set by world leaders for 2030.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni :
Reflecting bitterly on the fact that that while the distribution of food supplies are often obstructed in war zones, weapons – Pope Francis said – are trafficked freely.
“As a result, wars are fed, not persons” and he continued: “In some cases hunger itself is used as a weapon of war” as the number of people dying of hunger and thirst is added to that of battlefield casualties and the civilian victims of conflicts and attacks.
“We are fully aware of this – he said – yet we allow our conscience to be anesthetized”.
The Pope also lamented that the speed and volume of information in today’s world has led to what he called the “naturalization” of extreme poverty.
In other words – he said – little by little we are growing immune to other people’s tragedies, seeing them as something “natural”: “we are bombarded by so many images that we see pain, but do not touch it; we hear weeping, but do not comfort it; we see thirst but do not satisfy it”.
Urging us to stop to seeing extreme poverty as a statistic rather than a reality he said “poverty has a face! It has the face of a child; the face of a family, the face of people young and old. It has the face of widespread unemployment and lack of opportunity. It has the face of forced migrants and of empty or destroyed home”.
As long as poverty has no face the Pope pointed out: “we run the risk of bureaucratizing the suffering of others.”
Noting yet another paradox of our culture, Francis said that hunger persists despite a surplus of food, and global waste.
The cause of food shortage – the Pope said – is to be found in a selfish and wrong distribution of resources and in the “merchandising” of food. “we – he said – have made the fruits of the earth – a gift to humanity – ‘commodities’ for a few. We need to be reminded that food discarded is food stolen from the table of the poor and the starving.
Pope Francis concluded his address to a packed auditorium of WFP officials referring to one of the axioms of Christianity: “I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink”. It is a principle – he said – which is independent of creeds and convictions and it can serve as a golden rule and as a measure of our humanity as we continue to seek creative solutions of change and transformation.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The World Food Programme ’s leadership and executive board took June 12 and 13 to reflect on the organization’s past, present, and hoped-for partnerships on hunger with religious and spiritual leaders and communities of different traditions from all around the world (including Pope Francis , who addressed the WFP leadership on Monday morning at the organization’s headquarters in Rome).
The core theme is a shared common purpose towards a bold but achievable end: Zero Hunger by 2030 . In preparing for the exchanges in Rome, WFP Executive Director, Ertharin Cousin , requested from a small group of religious leaders and actors short reflections on how they see the challenge and their visions, commitments, and exhortations aimed at providing ideas, cautions, and inspiration for dialogue and joint effort.
Among the leaders asked to contribute was the President of the Pontifical COuncil for Justice and Peace, Cardinal Peter Turkson, the full text of whose reflection may be found below.
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“FIGHT HUNGER, NOT THE HUNGRY”
Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson
President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
Hunger is too real in this world. We either experience it or we know about it. We know that there are millions of human beings without enough nourishment for body, mind and spirit.
As long as hunger is not overcome, humanity will not live in peace. We will not have peace so long as some banquet daily while others are starving at their doorstep or on the other side of the planet. For ours is one common home, and we eat at one common table.
Let us work together for sustainable food, nutrition and food-security. Let us overcome food insecurity, not eliminate the hungry!
Many different approaches are needed. The key is to turn global hunger into a human issue : hunger comes from a lack of solidarity, hunger comes from failing to feel, relate and behave as brothers and sisters. And like every great human issue, it is also a moral issue . It involves the exercise of human freedom. We are free to show disinterest and indifference. We are free to exercise good will. The choice is no one else’s – it is our own free moral choice.
Pope Francis gives this example in Laudato si’ : “When cooperatives of small producers adopt less polluting means of production, and opt for a non-consumerist model of life, recreation and community,” then “another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral” really does seem possible. “Will the promise last, in spite of everything, with all that is authentic rising up in stubborn resistance?”(§ 112).
The better alternatives may appear very small compared to the magnitude of the challenges we face. But it was also a little thing, those five loaves and two fish that, one day, an anonymous boy made available to Jesus facing thousands of hungry people. Not only was there enough to feed a crowd of five thousand: the left-overs filled twelve baskets. When food becomes Eucharist, when bread, recognized as a gift of God, is blessed, broken, given and shared, paradoxes are overcome and fraternity becomes reality. Joy fills our common home.
3 June 2016
(from Vatican Radio)…