(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged all Christians to open their hearts to forgiveness.
Speaking to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus , the Pope said that to be able to build peace one must be able to forgive.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni :
“Forgiveness does not deny the injustice one has been subjected to, but it acknowledges the fact that the human being, created in the image of God, is always superior to the wrong that is committed” he said.
The Pope was reflecting on the Gospel reading of the day which narrates the “Parable of the unforgiving servant.”
Commenting on Jesus’ invitation to forgive “not seven times, but seventy-seven times,” Francis said this means that Christians are called always to show forgiveness.
God wants to forgive us
“From the day of our Baptism, he said, God has forgiven us, remitting a terrible debt: the original sin. And then, with infinite mercy, he forgives all of our sins as soon as we show the smallest sign of repentance.”
Anyone – the Pope continued – who has experienced the joy of peace and interior freedom that comes from having been forgiven, can open himself to the possibility of forgiving.
And he pointed out that this teaching is also contained in “The Lord’s Prayer” which says: ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.’
God’s infinite love for us
God’s forgiveness, Francis said, is a sign of “His overflowing love for each of us”: that love that gives us the freedom to stray – like the prodigal son – but that every day awaits our return with open arms; it is the love of the shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep; it is the tenderness with which each sinner is welcomed when he knocks at His door.
“The Lord is full of love and He wants to offer it to us, but he cannot do so if we close our hearts to loving others” he said.
A special greeting for participants in a ‘Run for Peace’
Following the Angelus prayer Pope Francis had special greetings for participants of a just-ended “Run for Peace” with an itinerary that touched symbolic venues for the different religious confessions present in Rome.
“My hope is that this initiative of culture and sport may favour dialogue, cohabitation and peace” he concluded.
(from Vatican Radio)…
“Show by your lives and by your works the passionate and tender love of God for the little ones, the underprivileged, the vulnerable and those whom our world has discarded.” This was Pope Francis’ exhortation to the General Chapter delegates of the Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart on Saturday here in the Vatican.
In his remarks to the participants of the three week General Chapter who are exploring the theme, “you have kept the good wine until now,” Pope Francis encouraged to return to their first and only love. The Holy Father went on to say, “Keep your gaze fixed on Jesus Christ and learn from him how to love with a truly human heart, to care for the lost and hurting members of his flock, to work for justice and show solidarity with the weak and the poor.”
The Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) is an international community of religious priests and brothers who work to share the message of God’s love in the ever-changing social climate of our world. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart minister in more than 50 countries worldwide, with over 1,700 MSCs carrying on the legacy of their founder, Fr Jules Chevalier.
The full text of Pope Francis’ address to the General Chapter members is here below:
Dear Brothers,
I offer you a warm welcome on the occasion of your General Chapter, and I thank the Superior General for his kind words. You have met to reflect on the life of your Congregation, and to pray and to discern together the paths that the Lord is pointing out to you. In this way you will be able to give renewed fruitfulness and effective expression to the charism that the Holy Spirit bestowed on the Church through your founder, Father Jean Jules Chevalier.
The motto you chose to guide the entire Institute in preparing for this Chapter is particularly significant: “You have kept the good wine until now” ( Jn 2:10). You have looked back with gratitude on the cherished legacy of projects and apostolic works that your charism has brought forth in the Institute’s life in these past one hundred and fifty years, thanks to the fidelity of your confreres who preceded you. At the same time, you are fully aware of its continuing potential to benefit the Church and the world. By listening to what the Spirit says to the Church today, and by your openness to the questions and concerns of our fellow men and women, you will be able to discover in your authentic charism the wellspring of renewed strength, courageous decisions and creative expressions of the mission you have received. The changed situation of our world with respect to the past, and the new challenges it presents to the Church’s mission of evangelization, demand and give rise to new ways of offering the “good wine” of the Gospel to many people as a source of joy and hope.
The original inspiration of your founder was that of spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Today you strive to foster this devotion and to make it bear fruit through a variety of works and activities that witness to the tender and merciful love of Jesus for all , especially those in greatest need. For this reason, I encourage you, as I do so often with consecrated persons – “to return to your first and only love”. Keep your gaze fixed on Jesus Christ and learn from him how to love with a truly human heart, to care for the lost and hurting members of his flock, to work for justice and show solidarity with the weak and the poor. Learn from him to give hope and dignity to the destitute, and to go forth to all those places where people are in need of acceptance and assistance. This is the first Gospel that the Church entrusts to you by sending you out as missionaries to the world: to show by your lives and by your works the passionate and tender love of God for the little ones, the underprivileged, the vulnerable and those whom our world has discarded.
Although your Institute, like many others, has seen a decrease in numbers in these past decades, the growth of vocations in South America, Oceania and Asia has proved comforting and offers hope for the present and the future. So too the Christian formation of young people, yet another expression of your charism, will be ensured and increased by the works of the Institute. How urgent it is today to educate and assist new generations to appropriate authentic human values and to cultivate an evangelical vision of life and history! Many people consider this a true “educational emergency”; surely, it is one of the frontiers of the Church’s mission of evangelization, towards which the entire Christian community is invited to set out. In continuity with the achievements and undertakings of those who have gone before you, I encourage you to undertake new initiatives also in this specific area of your apostolate.
The Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart continues to count among its many members a good number of religious brothers. In a Congregation religious brothers are a grace from the Lord. I ask you not to yield to the temptation of clericalism that, as I have often remarked, alienates people, especially the young, from the Church. May your common life be marked by true fraternity, which welcomes diversity and values the gifts of all. Do not hesitate to continue and expand your communion with the laypersons who participate in your apostolate. Let them share in your ideals and projects, and in the rich spirituality arising from your Institute’s charism. With them, and with the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, you will form an ever greater and stronger “charismatic family”, one that will better demonstrate the vitality and relevance of your founder’s charism.
May the Virgin Mary, whom you invoke under the title of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, keep you ever close to her Son, ready to do whatever he tells you, and may she protect you with her maternal intercession. I accompany you, and all your communities with my blessing, and I ask you, please, not to forget to pray for me. Thank you.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday asked the faithful to join him in prayer for all families “who are feeling the effects of unemployment and for those who are persecuted because of their faith as well as for every family that is suffering”.
The Pope’s words came in a message signed by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on his behalf. It was addressed to participants in the X National Pilgrimage of Families for the Family organized by the “Renewal in the Spirit” movement.
Hosted, this year by the town of Scafati and Pompei in Italy’s southern Campania region, there are over 10,000 participants from all over Italy.
In his message the Pope sends greetings to all participants assuring them of his spiritual closeness. He also expressed his pleasure that organizers have placed the event within a programme of preparations for the 2018 World Meeting of Families in Dublin.
The General Secretary of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Nunzio Galantino, joined the Pope’s greetings with a message of his own in which he highlighted the valuable witness of the “Renewal in the Spirit” movement, and recalled the fundamental role of the family in the current social, anthropological and institutional context.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Bulletin for 09/17/2017
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican is following closely the plight of the Rohingya people , as Pope Francis prepares to visit Myanmar and Bangladesh at the end of November.
Archbishop Paul Gallagher , the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, confirmed on Friday that the pope raised his concerns with Myanmar’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, during her private visit to the Vatican in May. He said the country’s bishops will continue to put pressure on the government to stop the attacks on Rohingya villages and to respect the rights of these suffering people.
The Vatican foreign minister discussed the plight of the Rohingyas recently with top Iranian leaders in Teheran. During that September 5th to 9th visit, he also had “very frank” discussions about the difficulties facing Christians in Iran , as well as in war torn Syria and Iraq.
In an interview with Vatican Radio, Archbishop Gallagher also spoke of the latest escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula , insisting that the crisis must be seen in a broader context of “unprecedented dangers” due to the worst global insecurity since the Second World War.
Listen to Philippa Hitchen’s interview with Archbishop Paul Gallagher:
Archbishop Gallagher said the Holy See is “extremely concerned” about increasing tensions on the Korean peninsula . Noting that there was no formal resolution of the Korean war, he said the Holy See “remains committed to promoting a nuclear free world ”, based “on an ethic of fraternity, rather than the ethics of aggression”.
Pressure on North Korea
He urged the international community to “continue to make pressure on North Korea”, adding that the Vatican offers “whatever encouragement we can”. Recalling his trips to Pyongyang 20 years ago, he said today “our channels [of communication] with North Korea are very weak indeed”.
Danger of global insecurity
Speaking of his forthcoming visit to the UN, the Vatican foreign minister stressed the need for a united approach to North Korea and other areas of conflict. He said it’s “very important for the international community to see the crisis on the Korean peninsula as also part of a general situation of great insecurity”, adding that “we should be really waking up to the great dangers which are now facing the world, unprecedented dangers since the Second World War”.
Iran’s role in Syria and Iraq
Sharing details of his encounter with Iranian government leaders in Teheran, Archbishop Gallagher spoke of efforts underway in Geneva to end the Syria conflict. Asked about the future of the Christian communities in Syria and Iraq, Archbishop Gallagher replied that many of those who’ve fled the fighting will not return. Those in refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan, he said, will come back if there are assurances of peace and incentives, such as an initiative regarding the renewal of villages on the Nineveh plain.
Christian presence in Middle East
The Vatican foreign minister stressed that Christians play “an essential role in the Middle East, they’re a bit like the cement that holds society” together. In the midst of ethnic or religious conflicts, he said, “Christians, who’ve been there forever, need to continue to be part of that society, to be citizens like everybody else, and to make their contribution for the rebuilding of these nations”.
Difficulties for Catholics in Iran
Discussing the difficulties facing Catholics in Iran, Archbishop Gallagher said he raised these concerns openly in talks with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. He spoke of the different understandings of religious freedom, saying that the Iranian authorities were “very complimentary about the role and contribution that Christians make” but at the same time “it’s also quite clear that rules of the game are very demanding on our Christian communities”. He said he hoped his visit would draw attention to their plight and lead to future cooperation “to face some of the practical problems of these communities”.
Possible papal visit to Teheran?
Asked about the possibility of a papal visit to Iran, Archbishop Gallagher said: “I think we’re a long way from that,”. He noted the positive relations with the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue but said he stressed “that good relations with the Holy See are also supposed to be reflected in good relations with local Christian communities”.
Myanmar’s Rohingya crisis
The Vatican Secretary for Relations with States said he discussed the Rohingya crisis with Iran’s political and religious leaders. He said both Pope Francis and Cardinal Parolin raised their concerns with Aung San Suu Kyi during her visit to the Vatican, noting that “her reply was in line with other things that have been said in recent days”. Cardinal Bo and local bishops, he added, will continue to put pressure on the authorities “in a very complex and difficult situation”, while the Holy See will follow developments closely in preparation for the pope’s visit there.
Pope concern for plight of refugees
Archbishop Gallagher stressed how Pope Francis has shown “great courage” in speaking out at times which could have jeopardized progress in bilateral relations. But he added, “the pope is clear that the plight and suffering of ordinary people is as important to him as the interests of the great and powerful”. Asked if the crisis could jeopardise the papal visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh, he replied: “As we all know, it takes quite a lot to discourage the pope”.
(from Vatican Radio)…