Pope Francis’ Apostolic Visit to Colombia was presented to the press on Friday at the Holy See Press Office.
Starting on 6th and ending on 11th September, in the footsteps of Pope Paul VI and Pope Saint John Paul II who travelled to Colombia in 1964 and in 1986 respectively, this will be Francis’ 20th journey abroad
It will not be the first time Jorge Bergoglio visits Colombia as he was there as a priest in the 1970s and twice as a Bishop and member of the Latin American Episcopal Conference – CELAM.
As was noted at the press conference, it is inevitable that the eyes of the world view this visit through a political perspective as the Colombian people commit to push forward a peace process. The government, in fact, signed an agreement with the FARC rebel group in November last year following 52 years of conflict which has left 260,000 people dead, 60,000 unaccounted for, and over 7 million displaced.
Thus, the papal visit comes at a key moment in the peace process which has been strongly supported by the Catholic Church and by the Pope himself.
But Holy See Press Office Director, Greg Burke , stressed that as always, the Pope’s visit is of a purely pastoral nature, and that he is travelling to the overwhelmingly Catholic country to bring the message of the Gospel to his flock and to encourage Colombians on their journey of faith and reconciliation.
Listen :
During the five-day visit Pope Francis will visit four cities making day trips from the capital Bogotà where he will be based, to Villavicencio, Medellin and Cartagena.
As always he will be meeting with political and with Church leaders, but also with groups of victims, with families, with disabled people, with poor people, with former guerrillas, with his brother bishops, with CELAM as well as with priests, nuns, religious and laypeople.
In Villavicencio he will beatify two Catholic priests killed during the conflict and in Cartagena he will pray at the Church of St. Peter Claver.
Francis will preside over Mass in all four cities and his discourses and homilies are expected to touch on issues that are particularly poignant to Colombians such as the care for creation, the power of reconciliation, the defense of life and the upholding of human dignity and rights.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has issued a Joint Message with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I , to mark the Sept. 1 st World Day of Prayer for Creation .
Released on Friday morning, the Message invites all the faithful and every person of good will to reflect prayerfully on how to live in a simply and use the goods of the created order responsibly.
Focus on prayerful solidarity
“On this occasion,” the Joint Message from Francis and Bartholomew reads, “we wish to offer thanks to the loving Creator for the noble gift of creation and to pledge commitment to its care and preservation for the sake of future generations.”
Click below to hear our report
The Message goes on to say, “We urgently appeal to those in positions of social and economic, as well as political and cultural, responsibility to hear the cry of the earth and to attend to the needs of the marginalized, but above all to respond to the plea of millions and support the consensus of the world for the healing of our wounded creation.”
History
The Orthodox Church has commemorated this Day since 1989 , when Patriarch Bartholomew instituted the annual recurrence.
Pope Francis made the World Day of Prayer for Creation a Catholic celebration in 2015 .
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has released a video message accompanying his monthly prayer intention for September.
This month’s intention is for parishes at the service of the mission: “That they not be simple offices, but that animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”
The text of the video message reads:
Parishes must be in contact with homes, with people’s lives, with the life of society.
They have to be houses where the door is always open so as to go forth toward others.
And it is important that this going-forth follows a clear proposal of faith.
The doors must be opened so that Jesus can go out with all of the joy of his message.
Let us pray for our parishes, that they not be simple offices, but that animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network of the Apostleship of Prayer developed the “Pope Video” initiative to assist in the worldwide dissemination of monthly intentions of the Holy Father in relation to the challenges facing humanity.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation is being marked today September 1 and has special importance in this its third year.
It is a Joint Message which was released on Friday morning from Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who for the first time are writing together on Themes of the Day, inviting all the faithful and men of good will to prayer and to reflect on how to live in a simple and solid manner, responsibly using earthly goods.
The Day of Prayer for the Creation of the Creation was instituted by Pope Francis in 2015. The Orthodox Church has commemorated the Day since 1989.
Below find the English Language translation of the Joint Message from Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
JOINT MESSAGE
of Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
on the World Day of Prayer for Creation
The story of creation presents us with a panoramic view of the world. Scripture reveals that, “in the beginning”, God intended humanity to cooperate in the preservation and protection of the natural environment. At first, as we read in Genesis, “no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up – for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground” (2:5). The earth was entrusted to us as a sublime gift and legacy, for which all of us share responsibility until, “in the end”, all things in heaven and on earth will be restored in Christ (cf. Eph 1:10). Our human dignity and welfare are deeply connected to our care for the whole of creation.
However, “in the meantime”, the history of the world presents a very different context. It reveals a morally decaying scenario where our attitude and behaviour towards creation obscures our calling as God’s co-operators. Our propensity to interrupt the world’s delicate and balanced ecosystems, our insatiable desire to manipulate and control the planet’s limited resources, and our greed for limitless profit in markets – all these have alienated us from the original purpose of creation. We no longer respect nature as a shared gift; instead, we regard it as a private possession. We no longer associate with nature in order to sustain it; instead, we lord over it to support our own constructs.
The consequences of this alternative worldview are tragic and lasting. The human environment and the natural environment are deteriorating together, and this deterioration of the planet weighs upon the most vulnerable of its people. The impact of climate change affects, first and foremost, those who live in poverty in every corner of the globe. Our obligation to use the earth’s goods responsibly implies the recognition of and respect for all people and all living creatures. The urgent call and challenge to care for creation are an invitation for all of humanity to work towards sustainable and integral development.
Therefore, united by the same concern for God’s creation and acknowledging the earth as a shared good, we fervently invite all people of goodwill to dedicate a time of prayer for the environment on 1 September. On this occasion, we wish to offer thanks to the loving Creator for the noble gift of creation and to pledge commitment to its care and preservation for the sake of future generations. After all, we know that we labour in vain if the Lord is not by our side (cf. Ps 126-127), if prayer is not at the centre of our reflection and celebration. Indeed, an objective of our prayer is to change the way we perceive the world in order to change the way we relate to the world. The goal of our promise is to be courageous in embracing greater simplicity and solidarity in our lives.
We urgently appeal to those in positions of social and economic, as well as political and cultural, responsibility to hear the cry of the earth and to attend to the needs of the marginalized, but above all to respond to the plea of millions and support the consensus of the world for the healing of our wounded creation. We are convinced that there can be no sincere and enduring resolution to the challenge of the ecological crisis and climate change unless the response is concerted and collective, unless the responsibility is shared and accountable, unless we give priority to solidarity and service.
From the Vatican and from the Phanar, 1 September 2017
Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
(from Vatican Radio)…