(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is a famous sports fan, and he often meets athletes during his weekly General Audience. On 5 October, he met a different kind of athlete: Those with four legs.
The Holy Father met with members of the “Federazione Italiana Sport Cinofili,” which is the Italian Federation dealing with “dog sports,” which test a canine’s agility and obedience.
Pope Francis gave his blessing to the animals, then he petted many of the dogs – and shook the hands of their “coaches” – and gave them a special mention during his remarks in St. Peter’s Square.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday greeted former prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp during his remarks to Polish-speaking pilgrims during the General Audience.
“Today we celebrate the memory of St. Faustina Kowalska,” – Pope Francis said – “She reminded the world that God is rich in mercy and that His love is more powerful than death, sin and every evil. May this message of the Merciful Jesus, entrusted to her, bear fruit in your life with a deeper union with God and the works of mercy.”
He concluded his remarks by saying: “Entrusting to the Lord ourselves, and the difficult problems of the world, we frequently repeat: ‘Jesus, I trust in you!’. Praised be Jesus Christ.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) At his General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis reflected on his recent Apostolic Voyage to Georgia and Azerbaijan.
The Holy Father said “This visit complemented my visit to Armenia in June, and fulfilled my desire to visit all three nations of the Caucasus to confirm the Catholic community and to encourage all the people in their journey toward peace and fraternity.” He concluded his address with the prayer, “May God bless Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and guide his holy people in those countries.”
Below, please find the English-language summary of Pope Francis’ address for the weekly General Audience on 5 October 2016:
Dear Brothers and Sisters: I thank the Lord for the grace of my recent visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan, and I renew my gratitude to the civil and religious authorities of both countries, in particular to the Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, and to the Sheikh of the Muslims of the Caucasus. This visit complemented my visit to Armenia in June, and fulfilled my desire to visit all three nations of the Caucasus to confirm the Catholic community and to encourage all the people in their journey toward peace and fraternity. Though Georgia and Azerbaijan enjoy ancient historical, cultural and religious roots, they have only just celebrated twenty-five years of independence, and are experiencing great challenges. The Catholic Church is called to be close to them, especially through works of charity and promoting the good of the human person, in communion with the other Churches and Christian communities, and in dialogue with other religious communities. In Georgia, our cooperation is naturally with our Orthodox brothers and sisters, and so Patriarch Ilia’s presence at the airport upon my arrival was a very important sign, as well as our visit to the Patriarchal Cathedral and our meeting which was very moving. Our unity is seen in the blood of so many Christian martyrs of different Christian confessions, especially the Assyrian-Chaldean, with whom we prayed for peace in Syria, Iraq and the whole Middle East. In Azerbaijan, a primarily Muslim country, I was able to participate in an interreligious meeting and to celebrate Mass with the small Catholic community. Our communion of faith inspires us to deepen our encounter and dialogue with all who believe in God, so that together we can build a more just and fraternal world. May God bless Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and guide his holy people in those countries.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with the directors of the ‘Vodafone Foundation’ in a private audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Wednesday, telling them to ‘be constructive’ and make religious text available to more people.
The foundation is promoting an initiative called ‘Instant Schools for Africa’, which aims to provide online educative resources to young people on the African continent.
Pope Francis expressed his appreciation of the initiative and said it promotes “a more inclusive and familial world capable of offering development opportunities to people in social groups at risk of exclusion”.
He suggested such initiatives should take care “to supply young people also with some notions of method, so that they learn not only to use instruments but to use them as instruments , becoming capable of using them more freely and critically”.
The Pope also expressed his desire that “among the resources offered to young people, there be access to the sacred texts of various religions in different languages. This would be a beautiful sign of attention to the religious dimension, so rooted in the African peoples, and of encouragement for interreligious dialogue.”
In conclusive off-the-cuff remarks, he added, “I really like what I’ve heard [about this project] – it’s constructive – and nowadays there is a need to be constructive, to do things which promote human advancement and not only to see bombs fall on innocent people, children, sick people, and entire cities. Build, and not destroy!”
(from Vatican Radio)…