(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegram expressing his condolences to the families of victims of widespread wildfires in northern California , and promising prayers for all those affected.
Signed by the Secretary of State of the Holy See , Cardinal Pietro Parolin , and jointly addressed to the Archbishop of San Francisco , Salvatore Cordileone , and Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles , the telegram promises Pope Francis ’ prayerful solidarity with everyone affected by the fires.
It goes on to say Pope Francis is especially mindful of those who mourn the loss of their loved ones and who fear for the lives of those still missing, and offers Pope Francis ’ encouragement to civil authorities and emergency workers.
The wildfires sweeping through California have killed at least 31 people and damaged thousands of homes, businesses and other buildings.
More than 20 thousand people have been displaced by 21 fires, and as many as 400 people remain missing amid the chaos of displacement and the ongoing battle to bring the blazes under control.
Below, please find the full text of the Telegram
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The Most Reverend Salvatore Joseph Cordileone
Archbishop of San Francisco
The Most Reverend José Horacio Gómez
Archbishop of Los Angeles
Informed of the tragic loss of life and the destruction of property caused by the wildfire in California, the Holy Father assures you of his heartfelt solidarity and his prayers for all those affected by this disaster. He is especially mindful of those who mourn the loss of their loved ones and who fear for the lives of those still missing. His Holiness offers encouragement to the civil authorities and emergency personnel as they assist the victims of this tragedy. To all he sends his blessing.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Rafic Hariri on Friday morning, in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican. A Communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See reports that the Pope and the Prime Minister held cordial conversation over a range of subjects, including various aspects of the situation in Lebanon. They expressed for the strengthening of stability in the country, and offered the opportunity for expressions of appreciation for the welcome Lebanon has given to many refugees. Pope Francis and Prime Minister Hariri also discussed the broader situation in the Middle East, focusing on the need to find a just and comprehensive solution to the conflicts that plague the region.
The importance of intercultural and interreligious dialogue was also a subject of discussion, as was the value of cooperation between Christians and Muslims to promote peace and justice, along with the historic and institutional role of the Church in Lebanese life and the importance of the Christian presence in the whole region.
Below, please find the full text of the Communique from the Press Office of the Holy See, in its official English translation
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This morning the Holy Father Francis received in audience H.E. Mr. Saad Rafic Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by H.E. Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States. The discussions, which took place in an atmosphere of great cordiality, enabled the examination of various aspects of the situation in Lebanon and the latest developments in the Middle East. Satisfaction was then expressed for the strengthening of stability in the country, in the hope of increasingly fruitful collaboration between the various political powers to promote the common good of the entire Nation. Appreciation for the welcome Lebanon has given to many refugees was reaffirmed, and the parties focused on the need to find a just and comprehensive solution to the conflicts that plague the region. Furthermore, the importance of intercultural and interreligious dialogue was highlighted, as well as the value of collaboration between Christians and Muslims to promote peace and justice, taking into consideration the historic and institutional role of the Church in the life of the country and the importance of the Christian presence in the Middle East.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Only Christ crucified will save us from the demons that make us ” slide slowly into worldliness “, saving us also from the “stupidity” that St. Paul talks about to the Galatians, and from seduction . This was central message of the homily of Pope Francis at his Mass, Friday morning, at the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican. He was reflecting on the episode in Luke’s Gospel where Jesus casts out a demon , which some people interpret as through power of the devil.
Watchfulness against Devil’s stealth
The Pope said the Lord asks us be watchful in order not to enter into temptation. This is why a Christians have to be awake, watchful and careful like a sentinel. Jesus was not narrating a parable but was stating a truth, i.e when the unclean spirit comes out of a man, he roams about in abandoned places looking for refuge and not finding any, decides to return to where he came from, where the freed man lives. Hence the demon decides to bring in “seven other spirits worse than him.” Pope Francis emphasized the word “worse”, saying it has much force in the passage because the demons enter quietly .
Worldliness
The demons thus start being part of the man’s life. With their ideas and inspirations, they help the man to live better and entering his life and heart and start changing him from within, but quietly without making any noise. This method is different from the earlier diabolic possession which was strong, the Pope explained, adding this time it a diabolic possession, something like in a “living room”. The devil slowly changes our criteria to lead us to worldliness. It camouflages our way of acting, which we hardly notice. And so, the man, freed from the demon, becomes a bad man, a man burdened by worldliness. And that’s exactly what the devil wants – worldliness , the Pope stressed.
Worldliness, Pope Francis explained, is a spell, a seduction , because the devil is the “father of seduction”. When the devil enters “so sweetly, politely and takes possession of our attitudes,” the Pope said, our values pass from the service of God to worldliness. Thus we become ” lukewarm Christians, worldly Christians”, a mixture, something that the Pope described as a “ fruit salad ” of the spirit of the world and the spirit of God. All this distances us from the Lord, the Pope said and stressed that the way to avoid it by being vigilant and calm without alarm.
Christ crucified who saves
Watchful means understanding what goes on in my heart, the Pope said, adding, “ It means stopping for a while to examine my life , whether I a Christian, whether I educate my children, whether my life is Christian or worldly?” And one understands this, as Paul points out, by looking at Christ crucified . One understands where worldliness lies and is destroyed before the Lord’s cross. The Crucifix saves us from the charms and seductions that lead us to worldliness.
The Holy Father exhorted Christians to examine themselves whether they look up to Christ crucified, whether they pray the Way of the Cross in order to understand the price of salvation, not just from sins but also from worldliness. The examination of conscience, the Pope said, is done always before Christ crucified, with prayer , after which one has to break loose from one’s comfortable attitudes, through works of charity, visiting the sick, helping someone in need and so on. This breaks the harmony and the spiritual worldliness that the demon together with seven others tries to create in us, the Pope added.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday greeted Special Olympics athletes who are taking part in a Unified Football tournament this week at the Pio XI sports centre here in Rome.
Listen to our report:
Speaking to the althletes gathered, the Pope said, “you are the symbol of a sport that opens one’s eyes and heart to the value and dignity of individuals and people who would otherwise be subject to prejudice and exclusion.”
The Holy Father told them that, in these days they would have the opportunity to reaffirm the importance of “unified” sport, “through which athletes with and without intellectual disabilities play together.”
“This beautiful reality,” he continued, “which you carry out with commitment and conviction, nourishes the hope of a positive and fruitful future of sport, because it makes it a real opportunity for inclusion and involvement.”
Pope Francis urged the athletes present to never tire of, “showing the world of sport your shared commitment to building more fraternal societies in which people can grow and develop and fully realize their abilities.”
Universal Language of Sport
Sport, underlined Pope Francis is a universal language and demonstrates the stories of so many individuals, who thanks to it, overcame exclusion, poverty and injury to be an inspiration to others.
The Unified Football Tournament takes place from the 13th -15th October in Rome and each side has 5 Special Olympians and four partner players, all between the ages of 18 and 30.
The event takes place at the Pio XI sports centre with the support of the Knights of Columbus. 9 countries are taking part; they are Lituania, France, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Romania and Italy.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Friday with members of an organizing committee for the journey that he made to Sri Lanka back in January 2015.
Welcoming the group, the pope said his own visit to Sri Lanka was a moment of “special grace” at a time when the nation was “ striving for reconciliation and healing” after years of suffering and strife.
Religions and cultures united
Pope Francis said he was deeply moved by the numbers of Sri Lankans, united across religions and cultures, who came out to greet him during the visit, as well as the vast crowds that gathered prayerfully around the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu, a symbol of reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
Finally he said he was struck also by the celebration of the canonization of Saint Joseph Vaz, the great missionary to the Pearl of the Indian Ocean.
Please find below the full text of Pope Francis’ words:
Dear friends, I am pleased to welcome members of the Organizing Committee for my Pastoral Visit to Sri Lanka back in January 2015. I greet each of you, together with your spouses who have come on this pilgrimage. As you welcomed me to your land, and planned my visit so carefully, also in cooperation with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka, so now I gladly welcome you here; and even though I would like our visitors to feel at home, I cannot quite equal the forty elephants that greeted me on the road from the airport to Colombo…!
The possibility of visiting your country was a special grace for me, at a moment when, after years of strife and suffering, the nation was striving for reconciliation and healing. I was deeply moved by the great number of Sri Lankans, united across religions and cultures, who came out to greet me at the airport and along the road to Colombo. I was struck also by the moving and beautiful celebration of the canonization of Saint Joseph Vaz, the great missionary to the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, surely the high point of our time together, as well as by the vast crowds that gathered prayerfully around the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu, symbol of refuge and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
Looking back with gratitude on my Visit, I thank you in a special way for all your hard work, often unseen and at a great cost in time and energy, that made my Visit so fruitful. I thank your families too, who made many sacrifices and encouraged you in your work. Your presence here today has brought something of Sri Lanka’s fragrant air to our house, and so reminds us of the many divine graces we experienced together in your country.
Entrusting Sri Lanka’s people and her leaders to the intercession of Our Lady of Madhu, I willingly invoke God’s blessing upon you, your families and all who cooperated with you in the planning of this Visit, as a pledge of peace and strength in the Lord.
(from Vatican Radio)…