(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday morning described Christianity as a religion that by its very nature must act for good, not a “religion of saying” made of hypocrisy and vanity. The Holy Father was speaking at Mass in the Chapel of the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican.
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Following the readings of the day, Pope Francis reflected on God’s reality and the “fakeness” of so many Christians who treat the faith as though it were window dressing – devoid of obligation – or an occasion for aggrandizement rather than an opportunity for service, especially to our neediest neighbors.
The way of doing
Building on the reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah in concert with the passage proclaimed from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, the Holy Father sought to explain once again the “evangelical dialectic between saying and doing.” He placed emphasis on the words of Jesus, which unmask the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees, calling the disciples and crowds to do as they say, though not as they do:
“The Lord teaches us the way of doing: and how many times we find people – ourselves included – so often in the Church, who say, ‘Oh, we are very Catholic.’ ‘But what do you do?’ How many parents say they are Catholics, but never have time to talk to their children, to play with their children, to listen to their children. Perhaps they have their parents in a nursing home, but always are busy and cannot go and visit them and so leave them there, abandoned. ‘But I am very Catholic: I belong to that association,’ [they say]. This is the religion of saying: I say it is so, but I do according to the ways of the world.”
What God wants
The way of “saying and not doing,” says the Pope, “is a deception.” Isaiah’s words indicate what is pleasing to God: “Cease to do evil, learn to do good,” and, “relieve the oppressed, do right by the orphan, plead for the widow.” It also shows another thing: the infinite mercy of God, which says to humanity, “Come, let us talk it over: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”:
“The mercy of the Lord goes out to meet those who dare to argue with Him, but to argue about the truth, about the things one does or does not do, [and He argues] in order to correct me. This, then, is the great love of the Lord, in this dialectic between saying and doing. To be a Christian means to do: to do the will of God – and on the last day – because all of us we will have one – that day what shall the Lord ask us? Will He say: “What you have said about me?” No. He shall ask us about the things we did.”
The make-believe Christians
Pope Francis went on to make explicit mention of the lines from Matthew’s Gospel, which foretell of the Last Judgment, when God will call men to account for what they have done to the hungry, thirsty, imprisoned, strangers. “This,” said the Holy Father, “is the Christian life: mere talk leads to vanity, to that empty pretense of being Christian – but no, that way one is not a Christian at all.”:
“May the Lord give us this wisdom to understand well where lies the difference between saying and doing, and teach us the way of doing and help us to go down that way, because the way of saying brings us to the place where were these teachers of the law, these clerics, who liked dressing up and acting just like if they were so many Majesties – and this is not the reality of the Gospel. May the Lord teach us this way.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Father Federico Lombardi is to bid farewell to Vatican Radio at the end of the month.
Father Federico Lombardi SJ will leave “the Pope’s Radio” after 26 years of extraordinary service, initially as Director of Programmes, and since 2005, as General Director.
He will continue to serve as Director of the Press Office of the Holy See.
This is not the only change Vatican Radio is facing at this time in history following the implementation of a major overhaul of the Vatican’s media sector, as signaled by Pope Francis last June when he established the Secretariat for Communications.
Another figure of reference due to leave Vatican Radio on February 29 is Alberto Gasbarri, Director of Administration.
Gasbarri, however, is perhaps best-known to the general public for having been the organizer and coordinator of Papal journeys for the last four decades.
Meanwhile, announcing that neither Lombardi nor Gasbarri will be replaced, Monsignor Dario Edoardo Viganò, Head of the Vatican Secretariat for Communications has appointed civil lawyer Giacomo Ghisani as Vatican Radio’s “ad interim” Legal Representative and Director of Administration.
Ghisani, who serves as Head of Vatican Radio’s International Relations and Legal Affairs, is Vice-Director of the Secretariat of Communications.
Ghisani’s appointment, Mons. Vigano’ says in a communiqué, is to ensure “the Radio’s ordinary administration within the current context of review and restructuring of the Vatican’s media operations”.
The communiqué informs that the process of unification of Vatican media, in line with Pope Francis’ “Motu proprio” that established the Secretariat of Communications on 27 June 2015, continues.
The “Motu proprio” determined that all Vatican media be consolidated in a new Dicastery.
The media operations in question are the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican Internet Service, Vatican Radio, the Vatican Television Centre, the “Osservatore Romano”, the Vatican Typography, the Photographic Service, and the Vatican Publishing House.
It points out that the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and the Holy See Press Office are already unified from an administrative and managerial point of view.
It also notes that Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Centre (CTV) are in practice partially unified and already share resources and provide services together.
It is within this context – the communiqué specifies – that having both Father Federico Lombardi and Alberto Gasbarri come to the end of their mandates they will not be replaced by “similar managerial figures”.
The communiqué also states that “the work ahead gives us a wonderful occasion to enhance and give value to areas of excellence as well as to the heritage provided by the multi-linguistic and multi-cultural” realities of the media operations in question.
Regarding Vatican Radio, the communiqué says that the current Director of Programmes, Father Andrzej Majewski SJ, will continue to provide a point of reference for editorial and journalistic work and Sandro Piervenanzi will continue to oversee the technological aspects of the Radio.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday celebrated a Jubilee for the Roman Curia, the Governorate, and the Institutions attached to the Holy See, as part of the Holy Year of Mercy.
The event took place on the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, which has the rank of “Solemnity” in the Vatican Basilica.
The Jubilee began in the Paul VI Hall, where employees of the Vatican and related institutions, with their families, gathered for a meditation led by Father Marko Rupnik, SJ. Following the spiritual reflection, all processed through the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica to take part in the Solemn Mass, at which Pope Francis presided.
The special Jubilee celebration offered members of Vatican Radio the opportunity participate in the liturgy in ministerial roles, with Christopher Wells from the English section proclaiming the first Reading. After the Mass, he spoke with Chris Altieri about the experience:
Listen:
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has told members of the Curia to tend to their flocks with generosity and mercy and has urged them to become a ‘model’ for all.
The Pope was speaking during his homily at Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on Monday morning, as he celebrated the Feast of the Chair of Peter and the Jubilee of Mercy for the Roman Curia and all the Institutions related to the Holy See.
Before participating in the Mass, all those present gathered in the Paul VI Hall for a meditation on the theme “Mercy in our everyday life”, and together with the Holy Father walked in procession through the Holy Door and into the Basilica.
“Pastors are first of all required – the Pope said – to have God himself who takes care of his flock as a model.”
He reminded them that God goes in search of the lost sheep, re-conducts them to the fold, cares for the wounded and heals the sick ones.
“This kind of behavior is the sign of love that knows no boundaries. It is faithful, constant, unconditional dedication, so that even the weakest may be reached by His mercy” he said.
And Pope Francis also urged those present to cultivate and practice a strong pastoral attitude within all Vatican work environments, “especially towards the people we meet every day”.
“May no one – he said – feel neglected or mistreated, may everyone experience the loving care of the Good Shepherd”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) It’s time for another dose of the “spiritual medicine” Misericordin . Following the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis offered the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square the gift of a small box, designed to look like a box of medicine, containing a small Rosary and an image of the Merciful Jesus.
“Lent is a good time to complete a journey of conversion, that has mercy at its centre,” the Pope said. He invited the faithful to “welcome this gift as a spiritual aid in order, especially during this Year of Mercy, to spread love, forgiveness, and brotherhood.”
It is the second time Pope Francis has offered Misericordin to the faithful. In November of 2013, the Pope encouraged the faithful to use the “spiritual medicine” in order “to make concrete the fruits of the Year of Faith” which was coming to an end.
On both occasions, the gifts were distributed by volunteers, including homeless people, refugees, and the poor.
(from Vatican Radio)…