(Vatican Radio) Calling the situation in Libya “serious”, the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said action should be taken soon, “but any armed intervention must be undertaken under the framework of international law” and “under the umbrella of the United Nations.”
Cardinal Parolin was speaking to reporters after attending an event marking the anniversary of the Lateran Pacts at the Italian Embassy to the Holy See.
He also said it was important to “re-launch a diplomatic initiative” in Libya, where competing authorities control different sections of the country, and ISIL has gained a foothold.
Cardinal Parolin also drew attention to the manner in which the 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt died when they were murdered by Islamists in Libya last week. A video of their murder revealed they calmly called on Jesus as they were killed.
Calling the incident “terrifying”, he said the manner of their death was a “true testament to the sublime.”
“We are usually today led to underline the aspect of cruelty – and it is an unspeakable cruelty – and it is unbelievable that there can be incidents like this during our time,” he said. “But, we look to the other part, the part of the witness these martyrs gave. It has always been like this in the history of the Church.”
Cardinal Parolin said he prayed that “the Lord give us the grace to die in the same way.”
The Cardinal also spoke about media reports on terrorist threats to the Vatican, and clarified there were no “specific threats” regarding the Vatican.
“This does not mean that we should not be careful and vigilant, but without falling into alarmism,” he said.
He also said he spoke with his Italian counterparts about the emergency involving migrants trying to reach Italy by crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Africa. Hundreds have died in the last week trying to make the journey.
Cardinal Parolin reminded the authorities there is a “duty of charity” on this issue, but first of all there is a “duty of justice.”
“For the Italian authorities there are international conventions to which they are obligated,” the Cardinal said. “We as a Church principally underline the charitable aspects.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Calling the situation in Libya “serious”, the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said action should be taken soon, “but any armed intervention must be undertaken under the framework of international law” and “under the umbrella of the United Nations.” Cardinal Parolin was speaking to reporters after attending an event marking the…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a message of support to the Centre for Child Protection which has moved its headquarters to Rome to scale up its work of preventing the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.
At a ceremony on Monday evening at Rome’s Gregorian University, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors joined directors of the Centre to underline the work that still needs to be done in Churches across the world to keep children safe.
Philippa Hitchen reports…
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In his message to all those involved with the Centre for Child Protection, Pope Francis says he’s greatly encouraged by their work which he knows will bear much fruit. Over the past three years since its foundation, the CCP has been running an e-learning course, offering online training in awareness, prevention and care for survivors of child sexual abuse. Working with Church and non-religious institutions around the world, it has drawn on the expertise of theologians, canon lawyers, psychologists and social scientists to provide a multidisciplinary approach to one of the most serious problems facing the Church today. A problem that Cardinal O’Malley of Boston, America’s “ground zero” of the sex abuse crisis, knows only too well…
“We are painfully aware of the many places in the world where the issues of clerical sexual abuse has not been adequately addressed and we hope that the Pontifical Commission and the outstanding work of the Centre will make a difference”.
The executive director of the Centre, Belgian professor Karlijn Demasure explained how the work will be scaled up to offer more research opportunities and, from 2016, a new diploma course at the Gregorian for students wanting to specialise in the safeguarding of minors and vulnerable people. The Centre’s president, German Jesuit Father Hans Zollner noted that while there has been successful cooperation with partners in 10 countries so far, it’s vital now to reach out to Churches and religious organisations in countries where there is still no awareness, no education and no financial resources…
“We want to go there, where there is little or nothing and to do this in a culturally sensitive way….you have to know not only the language of the place, but also the language of the heart of the place where we go to….”
The Centre is seeking new partnerships with academic institutions to further critical research and to pioneer new ways of working with parishes, dioceses and national Church bodies to become a model of safeguarding and child protection for the wider society. Education in seminaries, training for new bishops and courses for those serving here in the Roman Curia are key parts of the programme. As is the question of the accountability of Church leaders to deal effectively with any priest or religious suspected of abusing people in his or her care. Cardinal Sean O’Malley again:
“Certainly one of the topics that the Pontifical Commission is dealing with is accountability and we’re currently working with theologians and canonists to come up with a concrete plan to put to the Holy Father….because obviously we are very concerned about the whole area of accountability”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a message of support to the Centre for Child Protection which has moved its headquarters to Rome to scale up its work of preventing the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. At a ceremony on Monday evening at Rome’s Gregorian University, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, head of the Pontifical…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis offered Mass Tuesday morning for the repose of the souls of the twenty-one Coptic Christians martyred for their faith in Christ. The Mass was attended by the Pope’s personal secretary, Abuna Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, who is Coptic Catholic.
As he prepared to begin Mass in the Santa Marta Chapel, the Pope invited the congregation to join him in prayer for ‘our brother Copts, whose throats were slit for the sole reason of being Christian, that the Lord welcome them as martyrs, for their families, for my brother Tawadros, who is suffering greatly’.
He then prayed: “Be my protector, O God, a mighty stronghold to save me. For you are my rock, my stronghold! Lead me; guide me, for the sake of your name”.
Monday evening the Pope had made a personal phone call to Patriarch Tawadros, who is the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria, to express his sorrow at the brutal murder.
During his homily the Pope spoke of man’s capability for evil and destruction and condemned what he termed ‘merchants of death’, business people who sell arms to those at war, furthering a cycle of hate, fratricide and violence.
Pope Francis was reflecting on the passage from Genesis that speaks of God’s wrath at man’s wickedness that is a prelude to the great flood. The Pope noted with regret that man, “seems to be more powerful than God”, because he is capable of destroying the good things that God has made.
Man is capable of destroying fraternity
Pope Francis pointed out that in the first chapters of the Bible we find many examples – Sodom and Gomorrah, the Tower of Babel – in which man reveals his wickedness. “An evil that lurks in the depths of the heart”.
The Pope noted some people would urge him not to be so negative, but – he continued – “this is the truth. We are also capable of destroying fraternity: Cain and Abel in the first pages of the Bible. They destroy fraternity. This is where wars begin. Jealousy, envy, so much greed for power, to have more power. Yes, this sounds negative, but it is realistic. You only have to pick up a newspaper, any newspaper – left-wing, center, right-ring … whatever. And you will see that more than 90% of the news is news of destruction. More than 90%. We see this every day”.
Pope Francis then asked the question: “What is happening in man’s heart?”. He said Jesus reminds us that “from within, out of the heart of man, comes evil.” Our “weak heart is wounded”.
Merchants of death sell arms to those who are at war
Pope Francis observed that man always “desires autonomy”: “I do what I want and if I want to do something, I will! So, if I want to make war, I will!
“Why are we like this? Because we are capable of destruction, that’s the problem. There are wars, arms trafficking … ‘But, we are businessmen!’ Yes, but of what? Of death? And there are countries that sell weapons, are at war with one side but also selling weapons to them, so that the war continues. A capacity for destruction. It’s not coming from our neighbors: it’s coming from us! ‘Every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually’. Everyone has this seed within, this possibility, but we also have the Holy Spirit who saves us! We must choose, in the little things”.
Pope Francis went on to warn against using gossip or slander against our neighbor: “Even in parishes and associations”, “jealousy” and “envy” can push people to go to their pastor to speak ill of others.
He warned: “This is evil and we all have this ability to destroy”. As Lent begins, the Church “invites us to reflect on this”. Pointing to today’s Gospel where Jesus rebukes the disciples who are arguing among themselves about having forgotten to bring bread. The Lord tells them to “watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod”. He gives the example of two people: Herod who “is bad, a murderer, and the Pharisees who are hypocrites.” In doing so, Jesus reminds them of when he broke the five loaves and urges them to think of the Salvation, of what God has done for all of us. Pope Francis went on to note that “they did not understand, because their hearts were hardened by this passion, by this evil need to argue among each other and see who was guilty of having forgotten the bread”.
Choosing to do good thanks to the strength Jesus gives us
Pope Francis said we have to take the Lord’s message “seriously”. “There is nothing strange in this, these are not the words of a Martian”, “man is able to do so much good”, he continued citing the example of Mother Teresa, “a woman of our time”. All of us, he said, “are capable of doing good, but we are also all capable of destruction; destruction great and small and even within our own family. [We are capable of destroying] our children”, not allowing them to grow “in freedom, not helping them to mature; cancelling out our children”. We are capable of this and this means that we need to constantly “meditate, pray, discuss things with each other, so as not to fall into this evil that destroys everything”:
“And we have the strength, Jesus reminds us. Remember. He says to us today: ‘Remember. Remember Me, I shed my blood for you; remember Me, I have saved you, I have saved you all; Remember Me, I have the strength to accompany you on the journey of life, not on the path of evil, but on the path of goodness, of doing good to others; not the path of destruction, but the path that builds: builds a family, builds a city, builds a culture, builds a home and much, much more”.
During Lent, we pray not to be misled by temptations
The Pope concluded: “We ask the Lord, today, before the beginning of Lent for this grace: to always choose the right path with his help and not be misled by temptations down the wrong path.”
(from Vatican Radio)…