(Vatican Radio) This year’s Christmas tree and Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square will be inaugurated and lit up on December 9th and will highlight several issues such as care for the environment, the sick and migrants. A communique from the governing office of Vatican City said the 25 metre-high spruce tree for 2016 will come from the region of Trentino in northern Italy and when it’s cut down local school students will plant nearly 40 new spruce and larch seedlings in a nearby area to replace trees suffering from a parasite that had to be culled.
It said the tree will be adorned with handmade ornaments featuring drawings made by children undergoing treatment for cancer and other illnesses at several Italian hospitals.
Measuring 19 metres in width, this year’s giant Nativity scene will feature 17 statues dressed in traditional Maltese costumes as well as a replica of a traditional “Luzzu” Maltese boat.
In its communique, the Vatican City’s governing office said this boat not only represents tradition: fish and life but also, unfortunately the realities of migrants who in these same waters cross the sea on makeshift boats to Italy.
Pope Francis will receive in audience on December 9th shortly before the tree-lighting ceremony the designer of the Nativity scene, artist Manwel Grech, representatives from Trent and Malta as well as several children who designed the Christmas tree ornaments.
The lit-up tree will remain in St. Peter’s Square until the feast of the Lord’s Baptism on January 8th.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) How is Pope Francis changing the Catholic Church’s relations with other Christians? How has the goal of the ecumenical movement altered over recent years? And what is the model of full communion as understood by the Catholic Church today? Those are just some of the questions being discussed at a plenary meeting of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity taking place in Rome this week.
On Thursday participants met with Pope Francis who stressed that striving for Christian unity is an essential requirement of faith for all believers and a personal priority of his own. During the meeting members are also exploring the concept of unity as understood in the Orthodox and Protestant Churches, as well as in the newer ‘free Church’ communities.
Among those taking part in the discussions is Dominican Father Robert Christian, a former professor at Rome’s Angelicum university and currently responsible for the formation of Dominicans in the Western United States. He’s also a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission and a consultor with the Pontifical Council.
He told Philippa Hitchen more about the focus of the November 8th to 11th encounter…
Listen:
Fr Robert talks about the nature of Christian unity as summarized in five words beginning with the letter ‘c’: creed, code, cult, communion and charity, but he points out that not all those in dialogue with the Catholic Church share that same idea of unity….
At the heart of ecumenical discussions, he says, is the understanding of the Petrine ministry and he notes that many other Christians “feel a frustration at not being able to speak with one voice” about the Word of God.
Since Pope John Paul II published his encyclical on Christian unity, ‘ Ut Unum Sint ’, he notes how many partners in dialogue have been trying to re-evaluate how the Petrine ministry can serve the whole Church, while not renouncing the uniqueness of that role.
Speaking of the way the decisions of Pope Francis and his predecessors have affected the ecumenical dialogues, Fr Robert points to the changes taking place within the Synod of Bishops, established during the Second Vatican Council. Pope Francis, he says, is moving towards giving “deliberative power” to the Synod, and discussions at the plenary are examining “models of synodality which would include the participation of those who are not bishops”.
Discussions about ethical and moral issues, he says, are secondary to the question of how such decisions are made, as the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission is currently exploring.
Regarding the goal of the ecumenical movement, he warns against “thinking we have gone as far as we can go”. Rather than just tolerating diversity, he says “we want diversity to be an expression of richness in unity, so we’ll keep working for that.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva spoke on Wednesday at the World Trade Organization (WTO) during a discussion on intellectual property rights.
The Vatican diplomat said access to health care must always be assured when discussing intellectual property.
“As we are all aware, health is a fundamental human right, essential for the exercise of many other rights, and it is necessary for living a life in dignity,” – Archbishop Jurkovič said – “The realization of the right to health should be a fundamental goal of national policies and programmes, regardless of respective economic, social, cultural, religious or political contexts. However, for millions of people around the world, the full enjoyment of the right to health remains an elusive goal, due, inter alia, to obstacles in access to high quality, affordable, and acceptable medicines.
The full text of the statement is below
Statement by H.E. Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva
at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Council, Geneva, 9 November 2016
Mr. President,
Since this is the first time my Delegation is taking the floor during the current session of the TRIPs Council, allow me to begin by congratulating you on your assumption of the Chair and by assuring you of the full support of the Holy See Delegation. The initiative of the UN Secretary General echoes the concern expressed by the Holy See regarding agreements on intellectual property and access to medicines and essential health care. The achievement of a stronger balance between the protection of the right of inventors, international human rights law and public health objectives is clearly foreseen in Sustainable Development Goal 3: to Achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This is a unique moment in history. Ensuring the success of the SDGs, including an end to the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combating hepatitis, water-borne and other communicable diseases will require global solidarity and partnership, especially in times of diverse and demanding global challenges.
As the UN Secretary-General has stated, in spite of all the efforts and the promising results from the Millennium Development Goals, millions have been left behind; consequently, Member States have agreed on the Sustainable Development Goals targeting the year 2030. In the Encyclical Letter Laudato sii Pope Francis recalls the troubling extent of exclusion in our world “(…) there is little in the way of clear awareness of problems which especially affect the excluded. Yet, they are the majority of the planet’s population, billions of people (…)”. [49, 51]
2. Our focus must thus remain strong and we must remain unwavering in our commitment to leave no one behind and to build a more sustainable world by 2030. Access to affordable medicines no longer represents a challenge just for the Least Developed and other developing countries; it has also become an increasingly urgent issue for developed countries. In particular, States find themselves unable to combat antimicrobial resistance. Moreover, developing countries are confronted with a serious lack of new medicines, even as public health budgets are constrained worldwide.
As we are all aware, health is a fundamental human right, essential for the exercise of many other rights, and it is necessary for living a life in dignity. The realization of the right to health should be a fundamental goal of national policies and programmes, regardless of respective economic, social, cultural, religious or political contexts. However, for millions of people around the world, the full enjoyment of the right to health remains an elusive goal, due, inter alia, to obstacles in access to high quality, affordable, and acceptable medicines. This constitutes a challenge to the flourishing of human dignity, which represents the basis of all human rights, including the right to life, health and integral development of the human person.
Access to essential medicines, which satisfy the priority health care needs of the population, is a key component of the right to health (WHO definition available at: http://www.who.int/medicines/services/essmedicines_def/en/). Since essential medicines must be selected with due regard to disease prevalence and public health relevance, evidence of clinical efficacy and safety, and comparative costs and cost effectiveness, they should be available at prices that are affordable both to individuals and local communities. Thus, if we are to put in place policies that reflect human dignity and a human rights approach we must confront and remove barriers, address questions of affordability, and particularly, temper a disproportionate and exaggerated demand for profits. Through dialogue, which represents the best way to confront the problems of our world and to seek solutions that are truly effective, we can contribute towards the building of a better world and a better future for coming generations. Three helpful principles for such dialogue are: solidarity, subsidiarity, and concern for the common good. Solidarity means we care about the concerns of others as much as our own. Subsidiarity means we accept others as equals, allows them to speak for themselves, we listen, and we help them to participate if they need such help.
3. The Report of the High-Level Panel represents a point of departure from which we could start to discuss remedies and correct the misalignments and policy incoherencies between the individual and corporate rights of inventors, innovators or manufacturers and broader human rights. This will facilitate a discussion of trade and health in the context of the common good and emphasize access to technologies as a right linked to health and life. Indeed, “underlying the principle of the common good is respect for the human person as such, endowed with basic and inalienable rights ordered to his or her integral development” (Pope Francis, Encyclical Letter, Laudato si par. 157).
As stated by Pope Francis: “Interdependence and the integration of economies should not bear the least detriment to existing systems of health care and social security; instead, they should promote their creation and good functioning. Certain health issues…require urgent political attention, above and beyond all other commercial or political interests.”( Address of Pope Francis at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, 26 November 2015.)
Thank you, Mr. President.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) A new book that explores the themes and the content of Pope Francis’ homilies and discourses from when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires was presented on Thursday in the Vatican.
Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Cardinal-elect Blase Cupich and the newly elected Superior General of the Jesuits, Fr Arturo Sosa, were present for the presentation together with man behind the book.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni :
Jesuit father Antonio Spadaro , no newcomer to other editorial adventures that feature Pope Francis, is the man who collected the material that makes up the book and edited it giving life to the very first unabridged collection of the writings of Jorge Mario Bergoglio during the 14 years he was archbishop of Buenos Aires.
He explained that its very title which translates loosely into: “In your eyes are my words” speaks of Pope Francis’ need to look people in the eyes when he is talking to them.
Francis – he says – never sees a generic mass or crowd in front of him, nor is he capable of fixing his gaze on a piece of paper he may be reading from without relating personally to the people he is speaking to.
The volume, presented on Thursday at the Jesuit Curia in Rome, is a kind of an ‘opera omnia’ of Bergoglio’s episcopal ministry. Most appropriately, it also features an eye-to-eye conversation between the Pope and Fr. Spadaro about the main themes of Francis’ papacy and about how his personal gestures and choices – right from the very first days of his pontificate – have been molded and charged by his experience as a leader of the flock in Buenos Aires.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday warned Christians against the temptation of a show or entertainment religion that constantly seeks novelty and revelations, comparing it to fireworks that provide us with a fleeting brightness before dying. His comments came during his Mass celebrated on Thursday morning at the Santa Marta residence.
The Pope’s reflections during his homily were inspired by the day’s reading about Jesus’ reply to the Pharisees’ question on when the Kingdom of God would come and he stressed how Christians must guard hope every day whilst waiting for the fullness of the Kingdom. Noting that Jesus told the Pharisees “the Kingdom of God is among you,” Pope Francis compared it to a small seed that is planted and grows on its own over time. He explained that God helps this seed to grow but without drawing attention to it.
“The Kingdom of God is not a ‘show’ religion: one that is always seeking new things, revelations, messages … God spoke through Jesus Christ: this is the last Word of God. The other one is like fireworks that lit you up for a moment and then what is left behind? Nothing. There is no growth, there is no light, there’s nothing: just an instant. And we have been tempted many times by this entertainment religion of seeking things that are extraneous to the revelation, to the meekness of the Kingdom of God that is among us and which grows. For this is not about hope, this is about the desire to have something in our hands. Our salvation comes from hope, the hope of a man who sows the seed or the woman who makes the bread, mixing yeast and flour: a hope that grows. Instead, this artificial brightness only lasts an instant and then it dies away, like fireworks: they are not needed for giving light to a house. It’s just a show.”
Asking what we should do whilst awaiting the fullness of the Kingdom of God, Pope Francis explained that we must guard and take care of our hope.
“Guard it with patience. Patience in our work, in our sufferings… Guarding it like the man who has planted a seed and who takes care of the plant, ensuring there are no weeds close to it, so it will grow. Guard our hope. And here is the question that I put to you: if the Kingdom of God is among us today, if all of us have this seed inside us, if we have the Holy Spirit there, how do I guard it? How do I discern this, how can I discern the good plant from the seed of the darnel? The Kingdom of God grows and what must we do? Guard it. Grow through hope and guard that hope. Because we have been saved through hope. And this is the thread: hope is the thread in the history of salvation. Our hope of meeting the Lord for sure.”
In conclusion, the Pope went on to describe how the Kingdom of God becomes strong through hope.
“Let us ask ourselves: Do I have hope? Or do I go ahead as best I can without knowing how to tell the good from the bad, the darnel seed, the light, the meek light of the Holy Spirit from the brightness of this artificial thing? Let us ask ourselves about our hope in this seed that is growing inside us and on how to guard our hope. The Kingdom of God is among us but we must, through rest, work, discernment, guard the hope of this Kingdom of God that grows until the time when the Lord will come and everything will be transformed. In a brief moment: everything! The world, us, everything. And as Paul said to the Christians of Thessalonica, ‘we shall be with the Lord for ever.’”
(from Vatican Radio)…