Drug dependency is a ‘new form of slavery’ and a ‘wound in our society’ which should be combatted with education and rehabilitation.
That was Pope Francis’ message to a Vatican conference called ‘Narcotics: Problems and Solutions of this Global Issue’, which was hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on 23-24 November.
Listen to Devin Watkins’ report:
Pope Francis told the two-day conference on Narcotics that those who fall into the snares of drugs are victims who have “lost their freedom” in return for “a new form of slavery”.
Reflecting on the causes of drug dependency, the Holy Father said it results from a variety of factors: “the absence of a family, social pressure, propaganda from traffickers, the desire to live new experiences”.
However, he said, “every dependent person brings with them a distinct personal history, which should be listened to, understood, loved, and, where possible, cured and purified. We cannot fall into the injustice of classifying them as if they were objects or broken junk; rather, every person should be valued and appreciated in their dignity in order to be cured. They continue to have, more than ever, dignity as persons and children of God.”
He said it is no surprise that so many people fall into drug dependency since “mundanity offers us a wide spectrum of possibilities to find a fleeting happiness”.
The Pope went on to approach the problem of narcotics from both the supply and demands sides of the equation.
The supply of drugs, he said, is an “important part of organized crime”, and its supply chain must be rooted out and destroyed.
Demand for narcotics, he said, needs to be halted through education, social programmes, and family support.
He said, “Integral human formation is the priority. It gives people the possibility to possess the instruments of discernment, with which they are able to discern various options and help others. This formation is principally oriented to the most vulnerable of a society, such as children and young people, but which is also usefully extended to families and those who suffer any type of marginalization.” Prevention and rehabilitation, he repeated, are both important aspects of the problem of drug dependency.
In conclusion, Pope Francis said, “The most needy of our brothers and sisters, who seemingly have nothing to give, offer us a treasure – the face of God, which speaks to us and challenges us.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Thursday that corruption is a form of blasphemy which leads to the worship of money and the exploitation of others. His words came during the homily at his regular Santa Marta Mass for this last week of the Church’s liturgical year.
Listen to Philippa Hitchen’s reports:
Reflecting on the readings for the day which speak of the end of the world, of judgement and redemption for God’s faithful people, Pope Francis talked about corruption which led to the downfall of the great city of Babylon.
Corruption is a blasphemous way of living, the Pope warned, it’s the language of Babylon and worldly living. Corruption is a form of blasphemy where there is no God, he went on, but only the gods of money and wellbeing through the exploitation of others.
Yet this worldliness which seduces the powerful will be torn down, the Pope said, just as we hear the victory cry of the angel, in the reading from Revelation, announcing the fall of Babylon with its empire of vanity, pride and evil.
In contrast to the victory cry of the angel proclaiming the fall of this corrupt civilisation, Pope Francis said, there is another powerful voice of the great multitude praising God and saying: “Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God”. This is the voice of the people of God who will be saved because they are sinners but not corrupt, he stressed.
A sinner who knows how to ask for forgiveness and seeks salvation in Jesus Christ learns how to adore God, though this is not an easy task for Christians. We are good at praying when we’re asking for something, he said, but we must also learn how to praise God. Better to learn now, he added, than have to learn in a hurry when the end times come. The Pope insisted on the beauty of praying in front of the tabernacle, saying simply: “You are God, I am a poor child loved by You”.
Finally the Pope noted that in the reading there is a third voice, the whispering voice of the angel who tells the author to write: “Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” The Lord’s invitation is not a cry, but rather a gentle voice that speaks to the heart, the Pope said, just like the voice of God speaking to Elijah. When God speaks to our hearts in this way, he said, it is like a breath of silent sound.
This invitation to the wedding feast, according to the parable of Jesus, will be our salvation. Those invited include the bad and the good, the blind, the deaf and the lame, all of us sinners who have enough humility in our hearts to say: “I am a sinner and God will save me”.
The Gospel passage concludes by reminding us that “when these signs begin to happen” – that is the destruction of pride and vanity – “stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand”. May the Lord give us grace, the Pope said, to prepare ourselves and to listen to that voice saying “Come, come, come faithful servant – sinner but faithful – come to the wedding feast of your Lord”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will say Mass to mark the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12th in St. Peter’s Basilica. A press release from the Pontifical Commission for Latin America explains that the Mass will begin at 6PM Rome Time. A Rosary will precede the Mass, beginning at 5:15 PM.
Please find the full text of the press release, below
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Holy Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrated by Pope Francis
Saint Peter’s Basilica, December 12, 2016
PRESS RELEASE
For the third consecutive year, the Holy Father will celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on December 12 in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pope Francis, through the President of the Pontifical Commission on Latin America, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, communicated his desire to once again preside at this celebration on the day when millions of Catholics around the world give honor to the Patroness of America and of the Philippines. The Eucharist will be celebrated at 6:00 PM, preceded by the recitation of the Rosary at 5:15 PM and the traditional march of the flags representing the different countries devoted to the Virgin Mary. A large participation of the faithful is expected, especially from the Latin American and Filipino communities in Rome, as well as numerous Cardinals, Bishops, priests, religious, members of the Roman Curia and of the Diplomatic Corps.
We recall that on December 12, 2011, in the context of the commemoration of the Independence of Latin America, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated this Feast in St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time. On that occasion, the Holy Mass was accompanied by the singing of the “Misa Criolla” by the Argentinean composer Ariel Ramirez and sung by the young people of “Coro Musica Nova”. Three years later, in 2014, the present Pope expressed a desire to once again celebrate the Eucharist in honor of the “Morenita”. Through the kindness of the Argentinian Presidency, the Misa Criolla was presented by a group of musicians from Argentina, along with the youth choir “Musica Nova”, directed by the son of the composer Ariel Ramirez, who came expressly for the occasion, 50 years from the first “Criolla Mass” offered at the Vatican, in the presence of Pope Paul VI.
The Holy Father Francis, who professes a deep devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe, in 2015 announced that he would once again presided over the celebration, and had asked the Pontifical Commission for Latin America to collaborate with the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff to organize it. On that occasion, during the homily, the Pope announced his Apostolic Journey to Mexico, from February 12 to 18, 2016, a visit during which he made a historic pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which was followed by millions of Catholics worldwide.
This year, while the image of Pope Francis in prayer before the “tilma” of the “Guadalupana” in his pilgrimage to the Shrine is still fresh in our memories, the announcement that once again this Feast will be celebrated in the Vatican Basilica this December 12, kindles a great joy; joy that is in addition to that from the recent canonization of two new Latin American Saints: Argentine priest José Gabriel del Rosario, the “Cura Brochero,” and the young Mexican martyr José Sánchez del Río.
Holy Mass will be accompanied by some ancient liturgical hymns, composed in indigenous languages. Among them will be a beautiful hymn dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe composed in the “Nahuatl” language, the language of the “Nican Mopohua”, the story of the apparitions of Our Lady to the Indian Saint Juan Diego and other ancient songs in the Quechua, Mapuche and Guarani languages. The official Sistine Chapel Choir, which is always present during Papal celebrations at the Basilica, will join the Latin American Choir under the direction of Conductor Eduardo Notrica.
As in previous years, before the Holy Mass, the Holy Rosary will be recited in Spanish and offered for the intentions of the Catholic Church throughout the world, in particular for the Church of the American nations and of the Philippines.
The invitation to participate in the Holy Mass is extended to all the faithful and to all pilgrims who may wish to take part in this Eucharistic Celebration. Tickets may be requested directly from the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household. Priests who wish to concelebrate should contact the Pontifical Commission for Latin America in order to receive the necessary tickets.
Vatican City, November 21, 2016
Pontifical Commission for Latin America
Phone: (39) 06 69 88 31 31 Fax: (39) 06 69 88 42 60
e-mail : pcal@americalatina.va
www.americalatina.va
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has given Patriarch Kirill of Moscow a relic of St. Francis of Assisi, to mark the Russian Orthodox leader’s 70 th birthday.
The President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity , Cardinal Kurt Koch, conveyed the present to Patriarch Kirill at an audience granted him at the Patriarchal residence on Tuesday.
A statement from the Moscow Patriarchate on the meeting is below
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On 22 November 2016, at the Patriarchal residence in St Daniel’s Monastery, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Kurt Cardinal Koch.
The Russian Orthodox Church was also represented by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Archbishop Amvrosy of Peterhof, rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), DECR vice-chairman; and Rev. Alexy Dikarev, a staff member of the DECR Secretariat for Inter-Christian Relations.
Cardinal Koch was accompanied by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio to the Russian Federation, and Rev. Hyacinthe Destivelle, a staff member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill greeted the high guests and thanked them for attending the celebrations marking his 70 th birthday. “I regard it as a good gesture of the Roman Catholic Church and as yet another opportunity to exchange opinions on our current agenda,” the Primate of the Russian Church said.
Patriarch Kirill mentioned his meeting with Pope Francis in Havana, saying in particular, “I think, that meeting, held in the atmosphere of sincerity and fraternity, was very meaningful. It is highly important that our common concern over the sufferings of Christians in today’s world, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, was at the core of our meeting.”
As His Holiness noted, the common concern and support to the suffering Christians expressed during that meeting had found a positive response in the world community. “It was after our meeting that the problem of the genocide of Christians in the Middle East was raised at high levels in various countries, and this issue became a major item on the political agenda,” Patriarch Kirill said, “Soon after our meeting, an agreement was reached in Munich, stipulating a ceasefire between the government forces and the opposition in Syria. It also evoked a positive response among those who have a sincere compassion for the suffering and dying people in the Middle East.”
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church noted with regret the aggravation of the situation in Syria and Iraq, caused “not only by the hostilities in Aleppo and Mosul, but also by the ongoing sufferings of people.” As His Holiness said, “The actions of the existing coalitions still lack proper coordination, necessary for combating terrorism successfully. I am convinced that only joint coordinated actions aimed at achieving specific goals can really help defeat terrorism.”
“After that meeting in Havana, our joint Orthodox-Catholic groups made the right steps both in Syria and Lebanon,” His Holiness continued, “It was an important visit that helped representatives of our two Churches form a clear view of the situation in Syria and Lebanon and lay the foundation for our future collaborative work aimed, among other things, at providing aid to people.” Patriarch Kirill noted that, as a result of the joint visit of the Orthodox-Catholic delegation from Russia on 7 April 2016, its members had begun to draw up a list of churches and other religious buildings destroyed during the hostilities. “We hope that the war will end and that people will live in peace again,” His Holiness added, “An issue will be raised of restoring Syria. For us, Christians, it will also be important that churches should be restored and people could return to their normal religious life. We are willing to continue our joint work with the Roman Catholic Church, with its representatives, and to do all within our power to cease sufferings and help people live in peace again.”
The Declaration singed in Havana also revealed the common approach to the Ukrainian issue, the Primate of the Russian Church emphasized. “Not long ago, on the occasion of the 25 th anniversary of independence of the Ukrainian state, the Pope of Rome and I sent our respective messages,” His Holiness said and noted the closeness of the two Churches’ positions on this issue. “Both the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church are committed to the peacebuilding mission. The Churches must be peacemakers, not the players in a most serious civil conflict,” Patriarch Kirill emphasized.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill also noted the progress in cultural cooperation between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches, saying in particular, “The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity that you head held the 2 nd meeting of the joint working group for cultural cooperation between our Churches, and the both sides have continued to carry out various cultural projects. We hope that on December 11, a joint concert of the Sretensky Monastery Choir, the Synodal Choir of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Choir of the Sistine Chapel will take place at the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs. On November 25, a remarkable exhibition of the Vatican’s masterpieces will open at the Tretyakov Gallery with the participation of Mr. Giuseppe Bertello, Governor of Vatican City. It is a significant cultural event and, at the same time, an important factor for the development of our bilateral relations.”
Speaking on the inter-Christian contacts in the sphere of theological education, the Primate of the Russian Church rated highly the work of the Summer Institute for Representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, organized by Ss Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute of Postgraduate Studies. “It is my conviction that the development of our good relations in various spheres will also help promote the relationships between our peoples and overcome conflicts, as well as coordinate our activities aimed at defending people, their right to life and dignity,” His Holiness said in conclusion.
Cardinal Kurt Koch thanked the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church for the warm welcome and read out a message of greetings from Pope Francis on Patriarch Kirill’s 70 th birthday. The letter reads, in particular, “I wish to convey to Your Holiness, my beloved brother in Christ, the assurance of my personal best wishes and fervent prayers on the occasion of your seventieth birthday. I thank the Lord for the abundant blessings that he has bestowed upon you in your life and in your ministry as Pastor of the Russian Orthodox Church. I am especially grateful for your personal contribution to the rapprochement between our Churches and I recall with great emotion our historic meeting in Havana.”
DECR Communication Service
Photo by the Patriarchal Press Service
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops held a two-day meeting in Rome on Monday and Tuesday of this week, to continue preparations for the next Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is scheduled to take place in October, 2018.
Participants will gather at the Vatican for three weeks to debate Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment , in order to “accompany young people on their way of life towards maturity so that, through a process of discernment, they can discover their life project and realize it with joy, opening the encounter with God and with men, and actively participating in the building up of the Church and society.”
A communiqué from the Synod Council explains that the two major areas of focus during the two-day meeting were a report on the progress of the preparatory document – including the questionnaire that will be distributed to bishops’ conferences, Eastern synods, and other competent leadership bodies – and further examination of the Synod’s organisational and procedural by-laws, called the Ordo Synodi Episcoporum .
(from Vatican Radio)…