(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will travel to Assisi on Tuesday, to participate in the concluding day of the World Day of Prayer for Peace event, organised by the Sant’Egidio Community. The theme for this year is “Thirst for Peace. Religions and Cultures in Dialogue.”
The President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran spoke to Vatican Radio’s Oliver Bonnel about the Pope’s visit and the impact of the spirit of Assisi.
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The Cardinal says that a message of “fraternity and peace will be at the heart of the visit”, and goes on to say that dialogue is the unique means in which to promote justice and peace.
Asked about how the the spirit of Assisi can have an impact on political leaders today, Cardinal Tauran answers by saying, “I think what is important is to improve that religions are not a danger but that it’s a richness for society because unfortunately now when you speak about religions you think of war of persecution.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis and Papal Representatives from across the globe have issued a pressing appeal to world leaders to work harder for peace.
The appeal addressed to the International Community and to government leaders came in a statement following a meeting between Pope Francis and his diplomatic representatives on the heels of a three day gathering in the Vatican convened for the Holy Year of Mercy.
The Pope, his Apostolic Nuncios and the Vatican’s Permanent Observers to International Bodies urge world powers to “work harder and more effectively to stop the violence and find peaceful solutions to conflicts in various parts of the world”.
The signatories of the appeal also expressed solidarity for all innocent victims and for those who suffer discrimination and persecution because of their religious faith, and they pray God the Father for mercy.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday thanked the Vatican security force for their tireless service and warned against crimes that are connected to exploitation and corruption.
The Pope’s words came as he celebrated Holy Mass for the Gendarmerie on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Corps of the Vatican Gendarmes.
In his homily the Pope reflected on the reading of the day from the prophet Amos regarding three different types of people: the exploiter, the crook and the faithful man.
“Crooks love the scam and hate honesty. Crooks love bribes, agreements done in the dark. This is worse than anything, because he believes he’s being honest” he said.
And he pointed out that crooks “trample on the poor” with no concern or thought for the consequences of their actions.
The Pope also spoke of the many people in the world today who have “large, large industries of slave labor” and said that “in the world today slave labor is a style of management.”
Pope Francis also reflected on the figure of the faithful man saying he is the one who follows Jesus and is “a man of prayer, in the double sense that he prays for others and trusts in the prayer of others for him.”
He told those present that their responsibility is to serve by fighting against “scams, against crooks, against exploiters”.
And observing that the responsibility of the gendarmes is to defend honesty,” he said: “I thank you for these two centuries of service, and I wish for all of you that the society of Vatican City, that the Holy See, from the lowest to the highest, recognize your service.”
The Vatican Gendarmerie is the Corps that offers constant watch over Vatican City and the extraterritorial areas belonging to the Holy See. The Corps ensures the security of these places, maintains public order, and works to prevent and stop crime, in addition to carrying out duties as judicial and border police. Pope Pius VII established the force in 1816 after the Congress of Vienna led to the restoration of the Papal States.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The United Nations is hosting a summit of world leaders on Monday to tackle global issues around refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing countries together behind a more humane and coordinated approach.
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.
Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, is heading the Holy See delegation at the summit and he’s also speaking at a high-level side event on the role of faith based organisations in supporting all people on the move. The event is sponsored by the Vatican’s Permanent Observer mission to the UN, together with Caritas Internationalis and the Geneva based International Catholic Migration Commission.
Philippa Hitchen spoke to Mgr Robert Vitillo, secretary general of the ICMC to find out more ….
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Mgr Vitillo says some 120 heads of state and other experts will be attending the summit so the Holy See is taking this opportunity to organize an event that will be focused on ‘Responsibility and Solution Sharing’. The Church and other faith groups, he notes, are often in the forefront of responding to the needs of migrants and refugees, both in the emergency phases, as well as in the search for long term solutions for those who cannot return to their homes.
Mgr Vitillo, who is part of the Holy See delegation, points out that Pope Francis has taken a vital global leadership role on this issue, in words but also in deeds, by sponsoring refugee families in Vatican City and challenging every Catholic parish and religious order to do the same.
The message of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, he adds, is that all major global problems today cannot be solved by governments alone, but require a “solidarity approach” with governments working together alongside civil society and faith based structures.
Mgr Vitillo underlines the summit’s recognition that this is global issue. While media attention has largely been focused on Europe, he says, this meeting will show that it’s only a small part of problem, with developing countries continuing to shoulder the greatest burden of taking in refugees. He also hopes the summit will look at migrants and refugees, not just as a problem, but as a necessity for many high income countries and a source of cultural enrichment for all.
UN documents, Mgr Vitillo comments, are often seen as the lowest common denominator in order to achieve consensus and many civil society organisations are already disappointed with the document that’s due to be approved by heads of state on Monday. Rather than being seen as an end it itself, he says it should be seen as the beginning of a process to get states to implement what they’ve signed up to, working with civil society to monitor and evaluate solutions.
Another positive development he points to is the fact that refugees fleeing from persecution were previously considered separately from migrants, but this document talks about both, recognizing that other factors like climate change, abject poverty, or long term displacement force people to leave their homes. By looking at this as a holistic problem, he concludes, “I hope some holistic solutions can flow from it”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has asked for prayers for peace in a world in which war is everywhere.
Speaking on Sunday morning after the Angelus prayer, the Pope said that on Tuesday he will travel to the Umbrian town of Assisi to participate in the Day of Prayer for Peace.
“Today, more than ever, we need peace in this war which is everywhere in the world. Let us Pray for peace!” he said.
Explaining that he is going to Assisi in the footsteps of Saint John Paul II who called for the World Day of Prayer for Peace thirty years ago, he invited all parishes, all ecclesial associations and individual believers across the world to participate in the event with their prayers.
“Following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, a man of brotherhood and meekness, we are all called to offer a strong testimony to the world of our common commitment twoards peace and reconciliation between peoples” he said.
And he appealed to everyone to join in prayer on Tuesday: “may each of us take some time to pray for peace. The whole world united”.
(from Vatican Radio)…