(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received a group of lawmakers on Sunday, who are in Rome for a meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network .
ICLN origins
Founded in 2010 by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna and British parliamentarian Lord David Alton , the ICLN brings together Catholic legislators to discuss issues of common concern and share ideas about how best to bring their common faith to bear on their work in favor of the common good.
Pope Francis to ICLN: be guided by Church’s moral and social doctrine
In his remarks to the legislators, Pope Francis noted the broad spectrum of political opinion represented by the legislators taking part, as well as their increased number with respect to previous years.
“As long as the contribution of the Church to the great questions of society in our time can be put into discussion,” said Pope Francis , “it is vital that your commitment be constantly pervaded by her moral and social teachings , in order to build a more humane and just society .”
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The Holy Father went on to say, “The laws that you promulgate and apply ought to build bridges between different political perspectives: even when they respond to precise ends ordered to the promotion of greater care for the defenseless and the marginalized, especially the many who are constrained to leave their countries; and when they are in order to favor a correct human and natural ecology.”
Participants encouraged by experience
“We have an opportunity to meet here with other Catholic legislators and elected officials from other parts of the world, and to discuss common concerns – problems, opportunities – for our faith, and how to work together and support each other,” Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) of the United States Congress , who is one of the participants in this year’s meeting of the ICLN , told Vatican Media in an exclusive interview ahead of the meeting with Pope Francis.
Mooney went on to say that the ICLN gathering has been for him a heartening experience.
“It’s very inspiration to see how people are fighting for family values,” he said, “it’s just more encouraging to see faithful Catholics from every country promoting the values of the Church.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed the Angelus with pilgrims and tourists gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday.
Gospel episode
Ahead of the traditional prayer of Marian devotion, the Holy Father reflected on the day’s reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, in which the Lord asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” and Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
Jesus said to Peter in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Pope: Christ build Church on firm foundations
Pope Francis said the Lord continues to build His Church in our present day. “Even with us today,” he said, “Christ desires to build His Church, this house solid foundations, which nevertheless does not want for cracks, and which always needs to be reformed, repaired, as in the time of St. Francis of Assisi.”
No “stone” is useless
In this ongoing task of building and maintenance, Pope Francis stressed that no person – which he likened to the little stones that often cause us the most trouble when we feel them underfoot, or that appear ill-suited to use in the edification of grand structures – is without some part to play, some role to fill as building material.
“No stone is useless,” he said.
“Rather,” the Pope went on to say, “in the hands of Jesus [the littlest stone] becomes precious, because he picks it up, looks at it with tenderness, works it with his Spirit and puts it in the right place, where He had ever a mind to put it, and where it can be most useful to the whole building.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of massive flooding in Bangladesh, Nepal, and northern India over the past several days. “I express my closeness to all the [affected] populations, and pray for the victims and for all who suffer because of this calamity,” Pope Francis said.
The Holy Father was speaking to pilgrims and tourists gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer.
Annual monsoon rains have caused the flooding, which has claimed the lives of more than 1200 people, and disrupted the lives of some 24 million others. Rescue and relief efforts are ongoing, with international aid agencies thousands of villages cut off. People in remote and isolated areas have been without food and clean water for many days.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for an end to the violent persecution of the minority Rohingya population in Burma .
Speaking to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter’s Square following the Angelus prayer, the Holy Father said, “Sad news has reached us of the persecution of our Rohingya brothers and sisters, a religious minority. I would like to express my full closeness to them – and let all of us ask the Lord to save them, and to raise up men and women of good will to help them, who shall give them their full rights.”
Pope Francis went on to say, “Let us pray for our Rohingya brethren.”
Who are the Rohingya?
The Rohingya are an ethnic minority who live mostly in Rakhine State – sometimes styled Arakan – on the western coast of Burma, and practice Islam . The government of Burma – also known as Myanmar – does not recognize the citizenship or the ethnic minority status of the Rohingya.
After several years of fighting with the majority Buddhist population in the state, Rohingya began fleeing their native land en masse , precipitating a refugee crisis.
Organized violence against the Rohingya, with the participation of government forces, has been underway since at least 2015 , with spikes of intensity in 2016 and 2017 .
Rohingya flee to Bangladesh
Nearly 100 thousand Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in the past year, though the Bangladeshi government has yet to recognize the refugee status of the displaced minority.
Most recent violence
Pope Francis’ appeal Sunday follows fighting between the Rohingya and the regular Burmese army on Friday in the city of Maungdaw , which are reported to be the worst since October of last year , and have prompted evacuations from the area of government personnel and of non-Muslims. Nearly 100 people are officially reported dead in the ongoing clashes, including 80 Rohingya insurgents and 12 members of the Burmese security forces deployed in the theatre.
(from Vatican Radio)…