Bulletin for 10/01/2017
(Vatican Radio) Celebrating the feast day of the three archangel s, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Pope Francis said we share their vocation “cooperating together in God’s salvific design”.
Speaking during the homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta, he reflected on the Collect for the Day in which we sing the Lord’s praises in the sight of angels.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni :
Angels, Pope Francis said, are masters of contemplation: they serve and contemplate the Lord who has sent them to accompany us on the path of life.
Michael protects us against evil
Michael, Gabriel and Raphael in particular, he continued, have an important role in our journey towards salvation.
“Michael, he said, is the one who fights against the devil” and protects humanity from the snares of evil. He protects us against the serpent that seduces us, makes us fall and then accuses us before God claiming us as his own.
“Michael, the Pope explained, was asked by the Lord to fight the devil” and he helps us resist temptation on our earthly journey towards heaven.
Gabriel brings the good news
Gabriel – another archangel we celebrate today – is the one who “brings the good news”; he’s the one who announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist and to Mary and Joseph, the birth of Jesus.
“Gabriel too accompanies us and helps us on our journey when we “forget” the Gospel.” He reminds us that “Jesus came to save us”.
Raphael accompanies us
The third archangel we celebrate today, the Pope said, is Raphael: “he walks with us taking care of us on our journey and helping us not take the wrong step”.
These are our companions, Francis concluded, at our and at God’s service. And he prayed: “Michael: help us in our battle – each of us has a battle to fight in our lives; Gabriel: bring us news, bring us the good news of salvation; Raphael: take us by the hand and lead us forward without taking the wrong turning. Always walking forward, but with your help!”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will focus on the harmful effects of fake news against journalism for peace, in his message for peace for World Communications Day next year. ““ The truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32). Fake news and journalism for peace, ” the Pope announced with a post on Twitter (@Pontifex) on Friday.
World Communications Day, the only worldwide celebration called for by the Second Vatican Council ( “Inter Mirific a”, 1963), is marked in most countries, on the recommendation of the bishops of the world, on the Sunday before Pentecost, which in 2018 will fall on May 13. In some countries, the day is marked as the solemnity of Ascension.
The announcement of the theme is traditionally made on Sept. 29 , the feast of the Archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel, with Gabriel being designated the patron saint of telecommunications .
The Holy Father’s message for World Communications Day is traditionally published in conjunction with January 24 , feast of St. Francis de Sales , patron of journalists, to allow bishops’ conferences, diocesan offices and communications organizations sufficient time to prepare audiovisual and other materials for national and local celebrations.
The first World Communications Day was observed on May 7, 1967, under the pontificate of Blessed Pope Paul VI, who wanted to draw attention to the communications media and the enormous power they have for cultural transformation. Next year’s observance will the 52nd edition.
Church’s contribution
Commenting on the theme of next year’s World Communications Day, the Vatican’s Secretariat for Communication said that false information contributes to creating and fueling strong polarization of opinions. This often consists in distortion of facts , with possible “repercussions on individual and collective behaviours.” In a situation in which social media groups, institutions and the political world are reacting to this phenomenon, the Secretariat said, “the Church would like make its contribution by proposing a reflection on the causes, logic and consequences of misinformation in the media and helping to promote professional journalism, always seeking the truth , and thus a journalism of peace that promotes understanding among people .”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Prefect of the Secretariat for Communications , Mons Dario Edoardo Viganò on Thursday addressed a workshop in Milan entitled “Journalism in the age of Fake News. The frontier of radio “.
Facts versus fiction
In remarks prepared for the occasion, Mons Viganò began by stressing the importance of fact and source checking in this era of fake news , saying that it was “worth remembering that the verification of sources is the primary rule of journalism, adding that, in the age of contemporary information truth runs the risk of becoming a secondary aspect.”
The Prefect went on to say that, “because of a continuous technological evolution, it is difficult to use the conceptual categories of the past,” and he noted the role of the internet and Social Media which have played their part in changing the media boundaries that people have become accustomed to.
Mons Viganò said that what was required in this era of fake news was “to reiterate the need to recover the foundations of ethics and the ethics of the journalistic profession that are based precisely on the verification of sources as well as on other principles.” He also commented that there was a need for critical thinking on the part of social media users who often share information on their own profiles without paying too much attention to the text.
Radio and Fake news
Turning his attention to Radio, the Prefect, said that in this age of fake news “…Radio is a strategic key to ‘anti fake news’,” which can not only counteract this phenomenon but can facilitate an opposing logic.
By exploiting the new media, he said, “Radio has strengthened its identity at all times and has kept its appeal intact both in terms of audience, advertising and economic investments.”
Mons Viganò underlined, that Radio enjoys consistent credibility among young people who put it in pole position among the traditional media, such as TV and newspapers.
In short, the Prefect said, Radio involves an extraordinary narrative immediacy that has a fundamental value.
Mons Viganò was participating at the workshop ahead of the 69th edition of Gran Prix Italia, the Rai International Competition dedicated to innovative radio and TV programs and high-quality cultural and artistic programs.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Be not afraid of “speaking the truth about our life”, by recognizing our sins and confessing them to the Lord. That was Pope Francis message at Mass on Thursday morning in the Casa Santa Marta.
Listen to Devin Watkins’ report:
Reflecting in his homily on the day’s Gospel about Herod’s response to Jesus’ preaching, Pope Francis noted that some people associated Jesus with John the Baptist, Elijah, or a prophet.
Herod, he said, did not know what to think about Jesus, but “he felt” something within. This was not a mere curiosity, the Pope said, but “remorse in his soul and heart”. Herod sought to see Jesus “to calm himself”.
The Holy Father said Herod wanted to see the Christ perform a miracle, but Jesus refused to hold “a circus before him”, so Herod handed him over to Pontius Pilate. And Jesus paid for his refusal with his life.
In so doing, the Pope said, Herod covered “one crime with another” and “one remorse of conscience with another crime”, like one “who kills out of fear”.
Remorse, he said, is therefore not “simply remembering something” but “an open wound”.
“It is an open wound, which, when we have done something wrong in our life, pains us. But it is a hidden wound, unseen even by me, because I get used to carrying it around and anesthetizing it. It is there and some touch it, but it remains within. When it hurts, we feel remorse. I am not only aware of having done evil, but I also feel it in my body, in my soul, and in my life. And so I feel the temptation to cover it and not feel it anymore.”
Pope Francis went on to say it is “a grace to feel our conscience accuse us”. However, he said none of us is a saint, so we are all tempted to notice the sins of the others, instead of our own.
“We must, if I may say so, ‘baptize’ this open wound, that is, give it a name… And if you ask, ‘Father, how can I remove it?’ First of all, pray: ‘Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ And then examine your life… And ask someone to help you to identify the wound and to give it a name, saying ‘I feel remorse because I did this concrete act.’ This is true humility before God.”
The Pope said this act of being concrete with remorse is necessary for healing.
“We must learn the science and wisdom of accusing ourselves… I accuse myself, feel the pain caused by the wound, learn where it has come from, and then indict myself regarding it. Do not be afraid of remorse, for it is a sign of salvation.”
Finally, Pope Francis invited all to pray for the grace “to have courage to accuse ourselves”, in order to journey along the path towards salvation.
(from Vatican Radio)…