(Vatican Radio) Following his returned to the Vatican on Wednesday evening, Pope Francis telephoned the Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia, Renato Boccardo, to express his closeness to the people of the Valnerina valley, which is formed by the Nera River, and flows from the Marche region of Italy through the region of Umbria. The valley was the area most affected by the recent earthquakes of 26 and 30 October.
The Archbishop was in Norcia for the visit of the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella. He was touring the areas most damaged by the earthquakes.
Archbishop Boccardo said he explained to the Holy Father “the difficulties and the fear of people who are homeless or insecure, in these two months of earthquakes and great loss of the heritage of faith and art located in our valley.”
He added that Pope Francis assured him of his prayers and blessings for the people affected.
“The Pope also said he was saddened by the collapse of so many sacred buildings, symbols of faith and identity of the people,” Archbishop Boccardo said.
The Archbishop said the entire diocesan Church of Spoleto-Norcia is grateful to the Pope for this additional show of support for the people of the Valnerina valley, after the visit the Holy Father made to San Pellegrino on 4 October, following the earthquake of 24 August, which killed 298 people.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis travelled to the Roman cemetery of Prima Porta, where he offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the liturgical commemoration of All Souls’ Day.
Listen to Christopher Wells’ report:
Thousands of people joined the Holy Father as he prayed for the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed. Arriving at the cemetery, Pope Francis visited a mausoleum and laid flowers at several tombs, while praying silently.
In his homily for the Mass, which he delivered off the cuff, the Holy Father reflected on the words of Job: “I know that my Redeemer lives.” The commemoration of the dead, he explained, fills us both with sorrow, a sense of sadness, and with hope. “A cemetery is sad because it reminds us of our loved ones who have died, it reminds us of our future, death.” But, he continued, “in this sadness, we bring flowers as a sign of hope; even, I could say, of a festival – but later, not now.”
This hope, Pope Francis said, can help us, because we too must make the same journey, from this life to the next. The hope in the Resurrection does not disappoint.
In fact it is Jesus Himself who first took this journey; we walk along the path He has trod. “With His Cross,” Pope Francis said, Jesus “has opened the gate of salvation, where we will contemplate God.”
The Flaminio Cemetery in Prima Porta, where Pope Francis said the All Souls’ Day Mass is the largest cemetery in Rome.
Following the ceremony, on his return to the Vatican, Pope Francis was scheduled to visit St Peter’s Basilica for a private prayer for his deceased predecessors in the Petrine office.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) On his return from his Apostolic Voyage to Sweden, Pope Francis visited Saint Mary Major, where he gave thanks to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Salus populi Romani, for the successful outcome of his journey.
The Papal Basilica of St Mary Major is the largest church in the world dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Francis has made it his custom to visit the Basilica before and after his travels to various parts of the world.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) During his in-flight press conference following his visit to Sweden, Pope Francis spoke on Tuesday about a range of topics including welcoming refugees, female priests, relations with the charismatic movements, his talks with Venezuela’s President, secularisation, his upcoming journeys abroad and human trafficking.
Listen to this report by Susy Hodges:
In his traditional press conference with journalists travelling with him on the plane back to Rome, Pope Francis was asked first what is his message to those European countries who fear the arrival of refugees and for Sweden, traditionally a country that has been more welcoming to refugees and migrants than many others, but which of late, has started to close its borders. Stressing that we cannot close our hearts to refugees, in his reply the Pope praised Sweden’s example of hospitality towards refugees. At the same time he said it was very important for any country accepting refugees or migrants to make sure that they also take steps to ensure they are properly integrated into their host nations, saying this is a process that takes time. He went on to warn that a country can pay a political price if they take in more refugees than they can integrate properly. In this context, he warned against the formation of ghettos for refugee or migrant communities, saying this was a “dangerous” development that should be avoided.
Asked next how realistic it would be to foresee women priests in the Catholic Church in the coming decades, and if not, why not, Pope Francis said “the last word on this issue was clear” and had been given by Saint John Paul II and “this stands.” At the same time, he stressed that the Church itself is feminine and Mary is more important than the Apostles in terms of the theology and mysticism of the Church on the day of the Pentecost. The Church, he explained, has its Petrine dimension and its Marian dimension and said it could not exist with this female dimension.
Turning next to the Church’s relations with the Charismatic Renewal movement and Evangelical Christians, the Pope was asked for his thoughts ahead of a major event in Rome in 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the former. In his reply he spoke about initiatives taken by him to strengthen and improve relations with the Charismatic Church and the Waldensian Church, both as Pope and when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires. The Pope also revealed that whereas at first he forbade the Jesuits in Argentina to have anything to do with the Charismatic gatherings, he now believed “the opposite” as long as they were “done well.”
The request for the Vatican to mediate in the crisis in Venezuela between President Nicholas Maduro and the opposition was another question put to the Pope who confirmed in his reply that the Holy See had been asked to mediate in the ongoing dispute in that country and stressed that dialogue is the only way out of this crisis.
Asked next about the phenomenon of secularisation, especially in France and whether it is inevitable, Pope Francis said he believed that this arises when the faith becomes lukewarm and noted that secularisation is very strong in many cultures. He also warned about the effects of spiritual worldliness, saying when it enters into the Church this is “the worst thing” that can happen to it.
The final question put to the Pope was about the scourge of human trafficking which was the subject of a recent conference held by the Santa Marta Group in the Vatican. In his reply, Pope Francis spoke about how moved he was when he saw at first hand the suffering of those who were the victims of human trafficking whilst he was living in Buenos Aires but also praised the work done by many volunteer groups in Italy to combat this scourge. Speaking about his plans for overseas journeys next year, the Pope said that it was “almost certain” he would be going to India and Bangladesh but there were no firm plans yet.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis arrived back in Rome on Tuesday afternoon at the conclusion of his 17th Apsotolic journey abroad which took him to the southern Swedish cities of Lund and Malmo. Earlier in the day he celebrated Mass for the local Catholic community, urging them to follow in the footsteps of the saints of the past.
But the two key events of trip took place the previous day, as the Pope joined Lutheran leaders for a common commemoration of the Protestant Reformation that divided Europe five centuries ago.
Philippa Hitchen reports on the lasting impact this visit may have on the future of Lutheran-Catholic relations…
Listen:
While we can’t change the past, we can profoundly transform the way we remember it. That’s the message of the joint statement signed in Lund cathedral on Monday by Pope Francis and by Bishop Younan, president of the World Lutheran Federation.
It’s also a theme at the heart of a 2013 Catholic-Lutheran publication called ‘ From Conflict to Communion ’ which laid the foundation for Monday’s historic events. In six short chapters, the book summarises ways in which historians have looked anew at the Reformation and seen how Luther didn’t want to divide the Church, but rather to reform and clean up what he saw as corrupt, clerical practises. A call that seems strikingly similar to Pope Francis’ denunciation of corruption and clericalism in the Church today. (Perhaps that’s why his critics like to call him ‘the Protestant Pope’).
The roots of this joyful yet poignant common commemoration stretch back over decades of patient, theological dialogue between what one Lutheran leader called ‘the bold prophets’ of the past. Those who worked tirelessly to overcome conflict and division, sometimes at the cost of their own lives.
The divisions of five centuries ago, of course, don’t mean much to the thousands of young people who cheered and sang as their Church leaders entered the packed arena. They’re struggling with the modern conflicts that are still tearing apart communities and taking lives in the Middle East, in Africa, in Asia or in Latin America. Five Catholics and Lutherans, men and women from those different continents spoke publically about the way their faith has given them courage to continue the struggle in the most difficult and dangerous circumstances. The Pope and the Lutheran president thanked them for their examples of commitment and service to those most in need.
Both the prayer service in the cathedral and the public event in the arena were moving and uplifting occasions – described by Bishop Younan as “a modern miracle of the Holy Spirit” who touched the hearts of the first disciples two thousand years ago in his native Jerusalem.
So do these events mean that Christian unity is just around the corner? That differences around our visions of Church, Eucharist and Ministry are suddenly overcome? That new arguments over women’s ordination or same-sex relationships are no longer important? No, these old and new issues will require the patient, unglamorous work of theologians for many years to come. But I do believe that Monday’s events model a new way of working together, a new style of engaging with differences and a new sense of shared Christian service, so desperately needed in today’s divided and suffering world.
(from Vatican Radio)…