(Vatican Radio) On Saturday Pope Francis met with National Directors of the Pontifical Missionary Societies and those who work with the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
The encounter took place in the context of the one hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the Pontifical Missionary Union (PMU), which was inspired by Blessed Paolo Manna, a missionary priest of the Pontifical Institute for the Foreign Missions. In his address to the group, Pope Francis said that, “through the intuition of Blessed Paolo Manna and the mediation of the Apostolic See, the Holy Spirit has led the Church to have an every understanding of her own missionary nature, later brought to maturation by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.”
Blessed Paolo Manna emphasized the importance of forming Bishops and Priests, and through them, the laity, for the missions. But, the Pope insisted, the emphasis on the formation of clergy does not mean “reducing the PMU to a simply clerical reality.” Rather, it has the mission of “supporting the hierarchy in its service to the missionary nature of the Church,” which is proper to everyone, in their own way, in the Church. In this way, he said, the “Pastors of the Church help to keep the Church, always and everywhere, in a state of mission.”
“Mission makes the Church,” the Pope said, “and keeps her faithful to the salvific will of God.” He asked the directors and collaborators to focus on the commitment to “permanent formation in mission,” with “the intention of serving and nourishing the missionary identity of the whole Church.” He noted especially the importance of newer Churches, which can transmit to “the Churches of ancient foundation” some of “the ardour of young faith, the witness of Christian hope, sustained by the admirable courage of martyrdom.” He encouraged them to serve these new Churches with great love, helping them bring people to the Gospel “through attraction, and not through proselytism.”
Concluding his address, Pope Francis called for the directors and collaborators to engage in a “re-thinking” of their mission, with the goal of an “adequate reformation of methods,” and “an authentic renewal.” He expressed his gratitude for the work of the PMU, entrusting its service to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Missions; to Saints Peter and Paul, to Saint Guido Maria Conforti, and to Blessed Paolo Manna.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday welcomed deacons from the International Diaconate Center in a private audience, reminding them of Jesus’ commandment of love and their vocation to service as an expression of that love.
Listen to Devin Watkins’ report:
In remarks to the delegates from the International Diaconate Center, Pope Francis focused on the early Church’s foundation of the diaconate as a concrete expression of Jesus’ new commandment of love.
He also said their 50th anniversary, which takes place in this Jubilee of Mercy, provides “a spiritual context aimed at renewing in us awareness of the importance of mercy in our lives and in our ministry”.
The Holy Father said Jesus Himself is the newness of the new commandment of love in the Gospel of John.
“The Lord Jesus entrusted the Apostles with a new commandment: “love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another”. Jesus Himself is this ‘newness’. He gave us an example so that, as He did, we should also do… By loving one another, the disciples continue the mission for which the Son of God came into the world. They understand, with the help of the Holy Spirit, that this commandment involves service to our brothers and sisters.”
This realization of the necessity of service along with the concrete needs of the early Christian community, the Pope said, led the disciples to implement the diaconate, a word which literally means service.
He said, “Deacons manifest the commandment of Jesus in a particular way: imitating God in the service of others; imitating God who is love and desires to serve us. The manner of God’s acting – that is, His acting with patience, goodness, compassion, and willingness to make us better persons – these must also characterize all ministers. It is especially deacons who are the face of the Church in the daily life of a community, which lives and journeys in the midst of the people and in which the greatest is not the one who commands, but the one who serves”
Pope Francis concluded by telling the deacons, “May the Lord sustain you in your service and help you arrive at an ever deeper faith in His love, so that you may live it in joy and dedication.”
Below is Vatican Radio’s English translation of the Pope’s remarks:
Dear Brothers,
It’s my pleasure to welcome you in occasion of the 50th anniversary of the International Center of the Diaconate, which you celebrated at the end of last year. Your visit takes place during the Holy Year of Mercy, which provides a spiritual context aimed at renewing in us awareness of the importance of mercy in our lives and in our ministry. I thank you all for your presence, and I especially thank Mons. Fürst and Prof. Kießling for their kind words.
The Lord Jesus entrusted the Apostles with a new commandment: “love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (Jn 13,34). Jesus Himself is this ‘newness’. He gave us an example so that, as He did, we should also do (cf. Jn 13,15). That commandment of love is the last will of Jesus, given to the disciples in the upper room after the washing of the disciples’ feet. Shortly afterwards he underlines: “This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15,12). By loving one another, the disciples continue the mission for which the Son of God came into the world. They understand, with the help of the Holy Spirit, that this commandment involves service to our brothers and sisters. In order to provide for the concrete care of people and their necessities, the Apostles chose several “deacons”, that is, servants. Deacons manifest the commandment of Jesus in a particular way: imitating God in the service of others; imitating God who is love and desires to serve us. The manner of God’s acting – that is, His acting with patience, goodness, compassion, and willingness to make us better persons – these must also characterize all ministers: Bishops as successors of the Apostles, priests – their collaborators – and deacons in the concrete “serving at table” (Acts 6,2). It is especially deacons who are the face of the Church in the daily life of a community, which lives and journeys in the midst of the people and in which the greatest is not the one who commands, but the one who serves (cf. Lk 22,26).
Dear deacons, I hope your pilgrimage to Rome during this Jubilee Year is an intense experience of the mercy of God and that it helps you to grow in your vocation as ministers of Christ. May the Lord sustain you in your service and help you arrive at an ever deeper faith in His love, so that you may live it in joy and dedication. Know that my prayer and my blessing is with you always, and please do not forget to pray for me. Thank you.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday evening made an unexpected appearance at the Judges’ Summit on Human Trafficking and Organized Crime, a two day conference taking place in the Vatican and organized by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
Listen to Devin Watkins’ report:
Speaking to judges and prosecutors from around the world, the Holy Father asked them “to fulfill their vocation and their crucial mission — to establish justice — without which there is neither order nor sustainable and integral development, nor social peace”.
He said judges’ unique contribution to humanity is a result of their ‘understanding of indifference and its extreme forms in a globalized world’.
This situation of globalized indifference has led to the creation of ‘structures of sin’, from which judges must be free by vocation.
“Taking charge of one’s own vocation also means feeling, and proclaiming oneself, free from the pressures of governments, private institutions and, of course, the ‘structures of sin’ of which my predecessor John Paul II spoke, particularly in regard to organised crime. Without this freedom, a nation’s judiciary is corrupted and corrupting.”
Pope Francis went on to say that the reason for the Judges’ Summit was to help fulfill Goal 8.7 of the United Nations’ new sustainable Development Goals, that is, to eradicate forced labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking.
“We must generate a crosscutting wave of “good vibes” to embrace the whole of society from top to bottom, from the periphery to the centre and back, from leaders to communities, and from villages and public opinion to the key players in society. As the religious, social and civic leaders have realized, achieving this requires that judges too become fully aware of this challenge, feeling the importance of their responsibility towards society, sharing their experiences and best practices and acting together to break down barriers and open new paths of justice to promote human dignity, freedom, responsibility, happiness and, ultimately, peace.”
The Holy Father reminded the judges that to ‘execute justice’ means not seeking punishment as an end in itself, but that penalties are for the re-education of the wrongdoers in the hope of their reintegration into society.
Turning to the needs of victims, he said “Judges today are called more than ever to focus on the needs of victims. The victims are the first who need to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society — and their traffickers and executioners must be given no quarter and pursued.”
The Pope concluded with a reference to the Beatitudes from the Gospel of Matthew. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who suffer for justice, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed by our Father are those who treat the most needy and least of my brothers and sisters as myself. They — and here I am referring especially to judges — will have the highest reward: they shall inherit the earth, and they will be called children of God.”
The offical English translation of Pope Francis’ address can be found below:
I would like to warmly greet you and renew the expression of my esteem for your cooperation and contribution towards human and social progress, a task of which the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences is more than capable.
If I’m happy for this contribution and proud of you, it is in consideration of the remarkable service you can offer to humanity — both through an understanding of indifference and its extreme forms in the globalised world — and through solutions facing this challenge, trying to improve the living conditions of the needy among our brothers and sisters. Following Christ, the Church is called to engage and to be faithful to people, even more in the case of situations where open wounds and dramatic suffering are present, and where values, ethics, social sciences and faith are involved; situations in which the testimony of you all as individuals and humanists, together with your own social expertise, is particularly appreciated.
In the course of these recent years there have been many important activities at the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences under the vigorous drive of its President, Chancellor and some external collaborators of prestigious reputation, whom I thank from the heart. Activities in defence of the dignity and freedom of men and women today and, in particular, to eradicate human trafficking and smuggling and the new forms of slavery such as forced labour, prostitution, organ trafficking, the drug trade and organised crime. As my predecessor Benedict XVI said, and I’ve affirmed it myself on several occasions, these are real crimes against humanity that should be recognised as such by all religious, political and social leaders — and reflected in national and international laws.
The meeting on 2 December 2014 with the leaders of today’s most influential religions in this globalised world, and the summit on 21 July 2015 with the mayors of the major cities of the world, have shown the willingness of this Academy to pursue the eradication of new forms of slavery. I hold a special memory of these two meetings, as well as the noteworthy youth symposiums, all due to the initiative of the Academy.
Now, inspired by the same motivation, the Academy has brought you together, judges and prosecutors from around the world, with practical experience and wisdom in eradicating human trafficking, smuggling and organised crime. You have come here representing your colleagues with the praiseworthy aim of making progress in spreading awareness of these scourges and consequently manifesting your irreplaceable mission to face the new challenges posed by the globalisation of indifference, responding to society’s growing concern and respecting national and international laws. Taking charge of one’s own vocation also means feeling, and proclaiming oneself, free from the pressures of governments, private institutions and, of course, the “structures of sin” of which my predecessor John Paul II spoke, particularly in regard to organised crime. Without this freedom, a nation’s judiciary is corrupted and corrupting.
Fortunately, for the realisation of this complex and delicate human and Christian project of freeing humanity from the new slaveries and organised crime, which the Academy has undertaken following my request, we can also count on the important and decisive synergy with the United Nations. I am thankful that the representatives of the 193 UN member states unanimously approved the new Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular Goal 8.7. This reads: “Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms”. We can very well say that such goals and targets are now a moral imperative for all member states of the UN.
To this end, we must generate a crosscutting wave of “good vibes” to embrace the whole of society from top to bottom and vice versa, from the periphery to the centre and back, from leaders to communities, and from villages and public opinion to the key players in society. As the religious, social and civic leaders have realised, achieving this requires that judges too become fully aware of this challenge, feeling the importance of their responsibility towards society, sharing their experiences and best practices and acting together to break down barriers and open new paths of justice to promote human dignity, freedom, responsibility, happiness and, ultimately, peace. Without over-extending a metaphor, we could say that the judge is to justice as the religious leader and the philosopher are to morality, and the ruler — or whichever personalised figure of sovereign power — is to the political. But only in the figure of the judge is justice recognised as the first attribute of society.
In calling together these judges, the Academy wants nothing more than to cooperate, within its means, with the UN’s mandate. I take this opportunity, therefore, to thank those nations whose Ambassadors to the Holy See have not shown themselves indifferent or unfairly critical, but, on the contrary, have actively collaborated with the Academy to make this summit possible.
I ask the judges to fulfil their vocation and their crucial mission — to establish justice — without which there is neither order nor sustainable and integral development, nor social peace. Undoubtedly, one of the greatest social ills of the world today is corruption at all levels, which weakens any government, participatory democracy and the activity of justice. Judges, you are responsible for executing justice, and I you to pay special attention to justice in the field of human trafficking and smuggling and, against this and organised crime, I ask you to take care not to fall into a web of corruption.
When we say “execute justice”, as you well know, we do not mean seeking punishment as an end in itself, but in the case of penalties, that they be for the re-education of the wrongdoers in the hope that they can be reintegrated into society. “Not even a murderer loses his personal dignity, and God himself pledges to guarantee this” (John Paul II, EV, nr. 9). And if this delicate connection between justice and mercy applies to those responsible for crimes against humanity as well as for every human being, it is a fortiori true especially for the victims who, as the term suggests, are more passive than active in the exercise of their freedom, having fallen into the trap of the new slave hunters. These victims are too often betrayed even in the most intimate and sacred part of themselves, that is to say, in the love they aspire to give and take. Their family owes it to them or their suitors or husbands promise it to them, but end up selling them instead into the forced labour and prostitution market or selling them into the organ trade.
Judges today are called more than ever to focus on the needs of the victims. The victims are the first who need to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society — and their traffickers and executioners must be given no quarter and pursued. The old adage that these things have existed since the world began is meaningless. Victims can recover and in fact we know that they can regain control of their lives with the help of good judges, social workers and society as a whole. We know a good number of survivors who are now lawyers, politicians, brilliant writers, or have a successful job serving the common good in a valid way. We know how important it is that each former victim is encouraged to talk about their having been a victim as a past experience now valiantly overcome; of being a survivor or rather, a person with a life of quality, whose dignity has been restored and freedom claimed.
You are called to give hope and to do justice. From the widow seeking justice insistently (Lk: 18,1-8), to the victims of today, all fuel a desire for justice and a hope that the injustice that passes through this world is not final, that it does not have the last word.
Perhaps it may help to apply, according to the characteristics of each country, on every continent and in every legal tradition, the Italian practice of recovering the ill-gotten gains of traffickers and criminals and offering them to society and, in particular, for the reintegration of the victims. Rehabilitation of victims and their reintegration into society, always a real possibility, is the greatest good we can do for them, for community and for social peace.
If there is anything that runs through the Beatitudes and the protocol of divine judgment according to the Gospel of Matthew (Ch. 25), it is the issue of justice: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who suffer for justice, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed by our Father are those who treat the most needy and least of my brothers and sisters as myself. They — and here I am referring especially to judges — will have the highest reward: they shall inherit the earth, and they will be called children of God, they shall see God, and enjoy eternity with the heavenly Father.
In this spirit, I am encouraged to ask judges, prosecutors and academics to continue their work and carry out, within their own means and with the help of Grace, successful initiatives that honour them in the service of people and the common good.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass for the conclusion of the Jubilee for Priests on Friday, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In his homily for the feast, the Holy Father reflected on “two hearts: the Heart of the Good Shepherd” and the hearts of priests.
“The Heart of the Good Shepherd is not only the Heart that shows us mercy, but is itself mercy,” the Pope said. He reminded priests that “the Heart of the Good Shepherd reaches out to us, above all to those who are most distant.”
The contemplation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Heart of the Good Shepherd, is an invitation to priests to reflect on the question, “Where is my heart directed?” Priestly ministry, the Pope said, is often caught up in “plans, projects, and activities.” While this is necessary, the Holy Father invited priests to consider that the Heart of Jesus is directed to two treasures: the Father and ourselves. Jesus’ days, he said, “were divided between prayer to the Father and encountering people.” Like Jesus, the priest should have his heart turned towards God and towards his brothers and sisters.
Pope Francis than offered three suggestions to help priests’ hearts “burn with the charity of the Good Shepherd”: seek out; include; and rejoice. Like the Good Shepherd who goes out to find the lost sheep, priests must not only “keep the doors open,” but actively go out to find those who are lost. Priests, too, must be inclusive, welcoming all. No one, the Pope said, must be excluded “from his heart, his prayer, or his smile.” Finally, the joy of Jesus “the Good Shepherd is not a joy for himself alone, but a joy for others and with others, the true joy of love” and this is “also the joy of the priest.”
The Holy Father concluded his homily by recalling the words of consecration, prayed by priests each day at the Mass: “This is My Body, which is given up for you.” This, he told the assembled priests, “This is the meaning of our life; with these words, in a real way we can daily renew the promises we made at our priestly ordination” — and he thanked them for saying “yes” to giving their lives “in union with Jesus.”
The full text of the Holy Father’s homily can be found here .
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) On Friday 3 June, Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass with priests in St Peter’s Square as part of a special Jubilee of Mercy for Priests.
Please find below the prepared text for the Holy Father’s Homily:
This celebration of the Jubilee for Priests on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus invites us all to turn to the heart, the deepest root and foundation of every person, the focus of our affective life and, in a word, his or her very core. Today we contemplate two hearts: the Heart of the Good Shepherd and our own heart as priests .
The Heart of the Good Shepherd is not only the Heart that shows us mercy, but is itself mercy. There the Father’s love shines forth; there I know I am welcomed and understood as I am; there, with all my sins and limitations, I know the certainty that I am chosen and loved. Contemplating that heart, I renew my first love: the memory of that time when the Lord touched my soul and called me to follow him, the memory of the joy of having cast the nets of our life upon the sea of his word (cf. Lk 5:5).
The Heart of the Good Shepherd tells us that his love is limitless; it is never exhausted and it never gives up. There we see his infinite and boundless self-giving; there we find the source of that faithful and meek love which sets free and makes others free; there we constantly discover anew that Jesus loves us “even to the end” ( Jn 13:1), without ever being imposing.
The Heart of the Good Shepherd reaches out to us, above all to those who are most distant. There the needle of his compass inevitably points, there we see a particular “weakness” of his love, which desires to embrace all and lose none.
Contemplating the Heart of Christ, we are faced with the fundamental question of our priestly life: Where is my heart directed? Our ministry is often full of plans, projects and activities: from catechesis to liturgy, to works of charity, to pastoral and administrative commitments. Amid all these, we must still ask ourselves: What is my heart set on, where is it directed, what is the treasure that it seeks? For as Jesus says: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” ( Mt 6:21).
The great riches of the Heart of Jesus are two: the Father and ourselves. His days were divided between prayer to the Father and encountering people. So too the heart of Christ’s priests knows only two directions: the Lord and his people . The heart of the priest is a heart pierced by the love of the Lord. For this reason, he no longer looks to himself, but is turned towards God and his brothers and sisters. It is no longer “a fluttering heart”, allured by momentary whims, shunning disagreements and seeking petty satisfactions. Rather, it is a heart rooted firmly in the Lord, warmed by the Holy Spirit, open and available to our brothers and sisters.
To help our hearts burn with the charity of Jesus the Good Shepherd, we can train ourselves to do three things suggested to us by today’s readings: seek out , include and rejoice .
Seek out . The prophet Ezekiel reminds us that God himself goes out in search of his sheep ( Ez 34:11, 16). As the Gospel says, he “goes out in search of the one who is lost” ( Lk 15:4), without fear of the risks. Without delaying, he leaves the pasture and his regular workday. He does not put off the search. He does not think: “I have done enough for today; I’ll worry about it tomorrow”. Instead, he immediately sets to it; his heart is anxious until he finds that one lost sheep. Having found it, he forgets his weariness and puts the sheep on his shoulders, fully content.
Such is a heart that seeks out – a heart that does not set aside times and spaces as private, a heart that is not jealous of its legitimate quiet time and never demands that it be left alone. A shepherd after the heart of God does not protect his own comfort zone; he is not worried about protecting his good name, but rather, without fearing criticism, he is disposed to take risks in seeking to imitate his Lord.
A shepherd after the heart of God has a heart sufficiently free to set aside his own concerns. He does not live by calculating his gains or how long he has worked: he is not an accountant of the Spirit, but a Good Samaritan who seeks out those in need. For the flock he is a shepherd, not an inspector, and he devotes himself to the mission not fifty or sixty percent, but with all he has. In seeking, he finds, and he finds because he takes risks. He does not stop when disappointed and he does not yield to weariness. Indeed, he is stubborn in doing good , anointed with the divine obstinacy that loses sight of no one. Not only does he keep his doors open, but he also goes to seek out those who no longer wish to enter them. Like every good Christian, and as an example for every Christian, he constantly goes out of himself . The epicentre of his heart is outside of himself. He is not drawn by his own “I”, but by the “Thou” of God and by the “we” of other men and women.
Include . Christ loves and knows his sheep. He gives his life for them, and no one is a stranger to him (cf. Jn 10:11-14). His flock is his family and his life. He is not a boss to feared by his flock, but a shepherd who walks alongside them and calls them by name (cf. Jn 10:3-4). He wants to gather the sheep that are not yet of his fold (cf. Jn 10:16).
So it is also with the priest of Christ. He is anointed for his people, not to choose his own projects but to be close to the real men and women whom God has entrusted to him. No one is excluded from his heart, his prayers or his smile. With a father’s loving gaze and heart, he welcomes and includes everyone, and if at times he has to correct, it is to draw people closer. He stands apart from no one, but is always ready to dirty his hands. As a minister of the communion that he celebrates and lives, he does not await greetings and compliments from others, but is the first to reach out, rejecting gossip, judgements and malice. He listens patiently to the problems of his people and accompanies them, sowing God’s forgiveness with generous compassion. He does not scold those who wander off or lose their way, but is always ready to bring them back and to resolve difficulties and disagreements.
Rejoice . God is “full of joy” (cf. Lk 15:5). His joy is born of forgiveness, of life risen and renewed, of prodigal children who breathe once more the sweet air of home. The joy of Jesus the Good Shepherd is not a joy for himself alone, but a joy for others and with others , the true joy of love. This is also the joy of the priest. He is changed by the mercy that he freely gives. In prayer he discovers God’s consolation and realizes that nothing is more powerful than his love. He thus experiences inner peace, and is happy to be a channel of mercy, to bring men and women closer to the Heart of God. Sadness for him is not the norm, but only a step along the way; harshness is foreign to him, because he is a shepherd after the meek Heart of God.
Dear priests, in the Eucharistic celebration we rediscover each day our identity as shepherds. In every Mass, may we truly make our own the words of Christ: “This is my body, which is given up for you.” This is the meaning of our life; with these words, in a real way we can daily renew the promises we made at our priestly ordination. I thank all of you for saying “yes” to giving your life in union with Jesus : for in this is found the pure source of our joy.
(from Vatican Radio)…