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Month: July 2017

Italy drought: Vatican turns of fountains to save water

(Vatican Radio) The drought that is affecting the city of Rome and the surrounding areas of the capital has led the Holy See to take measures to save water.
The Governorate of Vatican City State has decided to turn off all the fountains, both the external ones located in St. Peter’s Square, and the interior fountains including those in the Vatican Gardens.
The move is in line with the teachings of Pope Francis in his Encyclical on creation Laudate Si.
(from Vatican Radio)…

Vatican on migration: an opportunity for development and fraternity

(Vatican Radio) The integration of migrants and refugees in host nations can and must become an opportunity for new understanding, broader horizons and greater development for everyone.
This message was at the heart of a statement released on Monday by Father Michael Czerny at the UN in New York during an Informal Thematic Session in New York  to gather substantive input and recommendations to inform the Global Compact on Migration . 
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni :

Father. Michael Czerny, who is the Undersecretary of the Section for Migrants and Refugees in the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development – which answers directly to  Pope Francis himself – focused his intervention on the need to promote a culture in which the consequences and impacts of migration become an opportunity for “human growth, encounter and dialogue in view of the promotion of peace and fraternity among peoples.”   
Pointing out that no one should ever be forced to leave his or her home due to lack of development or peace and that tragically the reasons that compel millions to go on the move today are to be found in endemic poverty, hunger, violence, inadequate work, environmental degradation, weak and corrupt institutions, Fr Czerny said that whether the effects of migration become a gain – for them, their families, their countries of destination and hopefully one day perhaps their countries of origin – depends on the extent to which  they are welcomed, protected, promoted and integrated.
That gain – he continued – hinges “on whether migrants and refugees are helped to transition from objects of emergency care to dignified subjects of their own development” and are permitted to use the education, skills, ambitions, experiences and cultural wisdom they already have, as well as those that could be enhanced through further schooling and training for the development of society.
For this desired win-win to occur, he concluded, migrants must first be received and treated as human beings, with dignity and respect for their rights, and they must be protected against all forms of exploitation and from being permanently cast-away, whether socially, economically or legally.
 
(from Vatican Radio)…

Angelus: Pope appeals for dialogue after Jerusalem violence

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has appealed for moderation and dialogue after a surge of violence and killings over Jerusalem’s Temple Mount .
Addressing the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday  Angelus , the Pope said he is following “with trepidation the grave tensions and violence of the last days in Jerusalem.”
Last week Arab gunmen, shooting from the site – which is Holy to Jews and to Muslims –  killed two Israeli policemen sparking a wave of violence in which three Palestinians were killed in street clashes and a Palestinian fatally stabbed three members of an Israeli family.
“I feel the need to express a heartfelt appeal for moderation and dialogue” Francis said and he invited all faithful to join him in prayer so that the Lord may inspire all sides to come together with proposals for reconciliation and peace. 
Tensions over the site, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, have surged in the past couple of days following the installation by Israel of metal detectors after two Israeli policemen were killed near there earlier this month.
The measures angered the Palestinians, who accuse Israel of trying to take control over a sacred place.
Israel now says it is willing to consider alternatives to the controversial metal detectors it installed and has called on the Muslim world to put forward other suggestions.
 
(from Vatican Radio)…

Bulletin for 7/23/2017

Bulletin for 07/23/2017

Pope Francis donates €25 thousand to ease East Africa famine

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has donated €25 thousand to the efforts of the United Nations ’ Food and Agriculture Organisation , FAO , in support of people facing famine and food insecurity in East Africa .
The Holy Father had pledged personal assistance in a message to FAO ‘s Conference on 3 July 2017, in which he said he was “inspired also by the desire to encourage Governments”.
Click below to hear our report

In February of this year, famine was declared in parts of South Sudan (where civil strife has largely interrupted daily life). While the situation has eased after a significant scaling up in the humanitarian response, some 6 million people in the country are still struggling to find enough food every day.
Meanwhile, there are an estimated 16 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in five other East African countries: Somalia , Ethiopia , Kenya , Tanzania and Uganda . That figure represents an increase of about 30 percent since late 2016.
Below, please find the official statement regarding the donation
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Pope Francis donates to FAO to assist drought and conflict-stricken populations in East Africa
Gesture aims to encourage governments to support FAO’s emergency response
21 July 2017, Rome – In an unprecedented move, Pope Francis has symbolically donated €25,000 to FAO’s efforts supporting people facing food insecurity and famine in East Africa.
Pope Francis said the funds are “a symbolic contribution to an FAO programme that provides seeds to rural families in areas affected by the combined effects of conflicts and drought.”
The pontiff’s remarks were contained in a letter written to FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva by Monsignor Fernando Chica Arellano, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN food agencies in Rome.
Pope Francis’ gesture stemmed from a pledge he made in a message to FAO’s Conference on 3 July 2017 and was “inspired also by the desire to encourage Governments,” Monsignor Chica wrote in the letter.
Famine was declared in parts of South Sudan in February and while the situation has eased after a significant scaling up in the humanitarian response, some 6 million people in the country are still struggling to find enough food every day.
Meanwhile the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in five other East African countries – Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda – is currently estimated at about 16 million, which marks an increase of about 30 percent since late 2016.
Pope Francis, who has made solidarity a major theme of his pontificate, is set to visit FAO’s headquarters on 16 October to mark World Food Day. This year the event is being held under the slogan: “Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development”.
(from Vatican Radio)…