(Vatican Radio) The world needs to go “beyond the divisions of religions,” and feel the “shame” of war, without turning a “deaf ear” to the cries of those who are suffering: that’s what Pope Francis said in his Homily at Mass at Santa Marta Tuesday morning. The Holy Father was speaking just hours before he was to leave for the Umbrian hill town of Assisi where he was to take part September 20, 2016 in the closing ceremony of an international summit of interfaith leaders to pray for world peace. The first such gathering in Assisi was convened by Pope St. John Paul II in 1986.
“There is no god of war”. War, the inhumanity of a bomb that explodes, killing and injuring people, and cutting off humanitarian aid so that it cannot get to children, the elderly, the sick, is uniquely the work of “the evil one” who “wants to kill everyone,” said the Pope. For this, it is necessary for all faiths to pray, even cry for peace – united in the conviction that “God is a God of peace.”
Do not turn a deaf ear: the world is suffering!
At the start of his Homily, Pope Francis observed, “today, men and women of all religions, we will go to Assisi – not to make a show: simply to pray and to pray for peace.” He recalled his letter to all the bishops of the world calling on them to organize prayer meetings on this day, inviting “Catholics, Christians, believers and all men and women of good will , of any religion, to pray for peace,” because, he exclaimed, ” the world is at war! The world is suffering! ”
“Today’s First Reading,” the Pope continued, “ends like this: ‘He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard.’ If we now shut our ears to the cry of these people who are suffering under the bombs, who suffer the exploitation of arms dealers, it may be that when it happens to us, we will not be heard. We cannot turn a deaf ear to the cry of pain of our brothers and sisters who are suffering from war. ”
War begins in the heart
“We do not see” the war, Francis maintained. “We are scared” by “some act of terrorism” but “this has nothing to do with what is happening in those countries, in those lands where the bombs, day and night, fall and fall” and “kill children, the elderly, men, women…” “The war is far away?” asked the Pope. “No! It’s very close” because “the war touches everyone…war begins in the heart .”
“May the Lord grant us peace in our hearts,” Pope Francis prayed. May He “take away all desire for greed, covetousness, for fighting. No! Peace, peace!” the Pope exclaimed again. So that “our heart is the heart of a man or woman of peace. And beyond the divisions of religions: everyone, everyone, everyone! Because we are all children of God. And God is the God of peace. There is no god of war. He who makes war is evil; it is the devil who wants to kill everyone. ”
We should feel the shame
Faced with this, there can be no divisions between faiths, Francis insisted. It is not enough to simply thank God because maybe the war “does not affect us.” Let us be grateful for this, yes, added the Pope, “but we must also think about the others” who are being affected by it.
We think today not only about the bombs, the dead, the wounded; but also about the people – children and the elderly – for whom humanitarian aid has yet to arrive so they can eat. Medicines cannot arrive. They are hungry, sick! Because the bombs are preventing the aid from getting to them. And, while we pray today, it would be nice if all of us were to feel ashamed. Ashamed of this: that humans, our brothers, are capable of doing this. Today, a day of prayer, penance, crying for peace; a day to hear the cry of the poor. This cry that opens the heart to compassion, to love and saves us from selfishness.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has landed in Assisi, the hilltop town in central Italy where Saint Francis was born.
His one day visit to Assisi sees him taking part in the closing of the interreligious World Day of Prayer for Peace, organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio. The theme of the 3-day international meeting this year is “Thirst for Peace. Religions and Cultures in Dialogue”.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the First World Day of Prayer for Peace that St. John Paul convened back in 1986, an historic event which saw world leaders of different religions come together for the very first time to pray for peace.
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The Pope has travelled to Assisi by helicopter and after his landing near the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels where Bishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi and the local authorities greeted him, the Pope travels by car to the Holy Convent of Assisi. Here he is welcomed by Father Mauro Gambetti, Custodian of the Holy Convent, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, a Muslim reprepresentative, Dr Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, the Syro-Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, Efrem II, a Jewish representative and the Supreme Head of Tendai Buddhism (Japan). They then move to the Cloister of Sixtus IV where the representatives of Christian denominations and World Religions are waiting.
Pope Francis will greet all participants at the World Day of Prayer for Peace before having lunch in the refectory of the Holy Convent that also will be attended by several war victims and refugees.
During the afternoon Pope Francis meets individually with the following: Bartholomew I, a Muslim representative, Archbishop Justin Welby, Patriarch Efrem II and a Jewish representative.
At 4pm local time Prayers for Peace take place in different venues. The Ecumenical Prayer of Christians takes place in the Lower Basilica of St. Francis, after which all the participants exit from the Lower Basilica and meet with the Representatives of other religions who have prayed in different places and they move to the podium in the Square.
A closing ceremony is schedule to take place at 5.15pm in St. Francis Square with messages read by Pope Francis, by a victim of war, Patriarch Bartholomew I, a Muslim representative, a Jewish representative, Japanese Buddhist Patriarch and by Professor Andrea Riccardi, Founder of the Sant’Egidio Community.
A Letter appealing for peace will be handed to children from various countries followed by a moment of silence for the victims of war, the signing of an Appeal for Peace and the lighting of two candles, and the exchange of a sign of peace
Pope Francis is scheduled to depart from Assisi at 6.30pm and arrive back at the Vatican City Heliport 1 hour later.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Among the world’s religious leaders gathered in Assisi on Tuesday for the World Day of Prayer for Peace is the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, Justin Welby.
The Anglican leader was moderating one of the many panel discussions organised by the St Edigio community as part of a three day international meeting focused on the theme ‘Thirst for peace – religions and cultures in dialogue’. Since the first Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, called for by Pope John Paul II exactly 30 years ago, St Egidio has organised an annual interfaith encounter to highlight the vital role of dialogue among all people of faith in promoting peace in the world.
Listen:
Archbishop Welby was joined by the founder of the St Egidio community, Andrea Riccardi, by the former head of the Vatican’s Council for Christian Unity, Cardinal Walter Kasper, by Jewish interfaith expert, Rabbi David Rosen and by Italy’s deputy foreign minister Mario Giro to discuss the leadership role of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew over the past quarter of a century. The spiritual leader of the Orthodox world has played a key part in promoting better relations with other Christian churches and other faith communities, as well as serving as a prophetic voice for the role of religions in protection of the environment.
Just after the panel discussion, Vatican Radio’s Massimiliano Menichetti spoke briefly with Archbishop Welby who described Patriarch Bartholomew “a man of such deep spiritual life and reconciliation in so many areas”.
Asked about the meaning of dialogue, the Anglican leader said for him it is the art of “very careful listening, more than lots of speaking”.
Quoting the Orthodox leader, Archbishop Welby said “my wish for the future is that we have a breakthrough in ecumenism within the church, a breakthrough towards recognizing our common discipleship in Jesus Christ”.
That future goal will be at the top of the agenda here in the Vatican when Archbishop Welby comes for a two day encounter with Pope Francis in just a couple of weeks time
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, addressed world leaders on Monday at a summit aimed at tackling global issues surrounding refugees and migrants at the United Nations.
The event was sponsored by the Vatican’s Permanent Observer mission to the UN, together with Caritas Internationalis and the Geneva based International Catholic Migration Commission.
Listen to Cardinal Parolin’s full address:
The one day meeting at the UN headquarters in New York marks the first time the General Assembly has called for a summit on this issue. Organisers hope it will point the way towards a more responsible and predictable system for responding to large movements of refugees and migrants.
Cardinal Parolin’s full statement to the summit is below:
Statement on Roundtable #1: Addressing the Root Causes of Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants
By His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin Secretary of State of His Holiness Pope Francis
Mr. Chair,
During the preparatory phases of this Summit, much attention and effort have been dedicated to the search for durable solutions and more effective ways of sharing responsibility in the face of large movements of refugees and migrants.
The greatest challenge before us, however, is to identify and act on the root causes that force millions of people to leave their homes, their livelihoods, their families and their countries, risking their very lives and those of their loved ones in the search for safety, peace and better lives in foreign lands.
[In his report In safety and dignity: addressing large movements of refugees and migrants, the UN Secretary General maintained that causes of refugee movements include “conflict, violence, persecution, political repression and other serious human rights violations.”]
The primary cause of today’s refugee and migrant crisis is man-made: namely, wars and conflicts. Since human choices provoke conflicts and wars, it is well within our power and responsibility to address this root cause that drives millions to become refugees, forced migrants and internally displaced persons. The Holy See thus pleads for a common commitment on the part of individual governments and the international community to bring to an end all fighting, hatred and violence, and to pursue peace and reconciliation. The Holy See remains firmly convinced that, as Pope Francis has often stated, the way to resolve open questions must be that of diplomacy and dialogue.
Moreover, in the last few years religious persecution has become more and more a cause of displacement. Although other groups are heavily targeted, many reports confirm that Christians are by far the most persecuted faith group, speaking of “religious-ethnic cleansing”, which Pope Francis calls “a form of genocide”. Some of those persecuted, even in asylum countries, are facing harassment in refugee settings. We must not abandon them.
The preparatory document for this Roundtable rightly highlights that the availability and use of low technology weaponry has resulted in the spread of conflict, especially in countries and societies where the rule of law is fragile and poverty is widespread.
Mr. Chair,
The Holy See has repeatedly called to limit strictly and to control the manufacture and sale of weapons, where the likelihood of their illegal use and their falling into the hands of non-state actors is real and present. The proliferation of any type of weapons aggravates situations of conflict and results in huge human and material costs, provoking large movements of refugees and migrants and profoundly undermining development and the search for lasting peace.
Addressing the root causes of displacement of peoples requires strength and political will. As Pope Francis has said, this “would mean rethinking entrenched habits and practices, beginning with issues involving the arms trade, the provision of raw materials and energy, investment, policies of financing and sustainable development, and even the grave scourge of corruption”.
Finally, the Holy See feels itself compelled to draw urgent attention to the plight of those migrants fleeing from situations of extreme poverty and environmental degradation. While these are not recognized by international conventions as refugees and thus do not enjoy any particular legal protection, nonetheless they suffer greatly and are most vulnerable to human trafficking and various forms of human slavery.
For this reason, in our efforts to address effectively the root causes of large movements of refugees and other forced migrants, we should also strive to eliminate the structural causes of poverty and hunger, attain more substantial results in protecting the environment, ensure dignified and productive labor for all, provide access to quality education, and give appropriate protection to the family, which is an essential element in human and social development.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
1. Pope Francis, Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See for the Traditional Exchange of New Year Greetings, Vatican City, 13 January 2014.
2. Pope Francis, Address to the UN Systems Chief Executives Board for Coordination, Vatican City, 9 May 2014.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Don’t envy the rich and powerful or conspire against your neighbour, but instead nurture the light of faith in your lives. That was Pope Francis’s message in his homily at the Santa Marta Mass on Monday morning, as Philippa Hitchen reports:
Listen
Reflecting on the reading from St Luke’s Gospel the Pope talked about the many ways in which we hide the light of faith, through jealousy and arguments, by plotting evil against our neighbours or simply by putting off until tomorrow the good that we should do today.
The light of faith, he said, is a gift that each one of us receives from God on the day of our Baptism. He recalled that Baptism was called ‘Illumination’ in the first centuries of Christianity, a term that is still used in some of the Eastern Churches today.
But just as Jesus warned the crowds not to conceal the light, so the Pope said if we hide that light we become lukewarm Christians. He talked about the many ways in which we risk putting out that light, starting with delaying the help that we’re called to give to our neighbours in need. Never put off doing good until tomorrow, the Pope said, because it’s a form of injustice and you can’t put ‘good’ in the fridge.
Pope Francis went on to warn about those who plot evil against their neighbours instead of responding to the trust placed in them. Anyone who conspires againsta neighbour and takes advantage of that trust is a “Mafioso”, he insisted and the darkness of every mafia puts out the light of faith.
The Pope also spoke about the temptation to argue, even with those who haven’t done us any wrong. Arguments wear us out, he said, so it’s better to pardon and to let these things go.
Finally, Pope Francis said we should not envy those who are powerful, successful or violent because God spurns them and calls the righteous to be His friends. To be jealous of power and wealth is another way of hiding the light, he said, yet the same worms who devour our corpses will eat the bodies of the rich and powerful too.
The Pope reiterated Jesus’ words, urging his listeners to be ‘children of light’ and to take care of the light, rather than hiding it under a bed. May the Holy Spirit which we received at Baptism, he concluded, help us to avoid these bad habits which hide the light and let us instead nurture the light of friendship and humility, the light of faith and hope, the light of patience and goodness.
(from Vatican Radio)…