(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday visited the cathedral of Morelia, capital of Mexico’s Michoacán state, reminding hundreds of children that to be good Christians they must love God above all else but also love their neighbours as themselves.
The 17th century cathedral, built in the characteristic local pink stone with twin bell towers, was packed with cheering children as the Pope arrived on his way to a meeting with young people later in the afternoon.
Pope Francis met in the sacristy with a group of university rectors and leaders of other Christian communities present in Mexico, before laying a large bunch of flowers on the altar. Then, to the delight of those present, he took the microphone and spoke off the cuff, reminding them to pray for their parents and grandparents, their teachers and all those people who take care of them.
The Pope concluded by blessing the children and reminding them to pray for him too. He then made his way out through the central nave of the cathedral, stopping to greet some of the boys and girls individually.
Among those whom the Pope stopped to talk to for a few moments was a seven year old girl called Lupita who was miraculously cured of a life threatening brain malfunction when she was just three months old. The miracle was attributed to the intercession of Blessed José Sanchez Del Rio, a young boy who joined the ‘Cristero’ movement to defend the Church during Mexico’s civil war in the early 20th century.
The 14 year old was put to death by government officials in 1928 because he refused to renounce his Catholic faith. He was recognized as a martyr on June 22nd 2004 by Pope John Paul II and was beatified on November 20th 2005 in Mexico. Last month Pope Francis approved the miracle, allowing for his canonization to take place later this year.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday celebrated Holy Mass at a stadium in Morelia, capital of Michoacán, urging Mexican priests, religious and seminarians not to be resigned to the paralyzing injustice of violence, corruption and drug trafficking.
Veronica Scarisbrick is in Mexico following the Pope’s five day pastoral visit to the country and reports on the problems plaguing young people especially in the state of Michoacàn
Listen:
Michoacán was once known as ‘The Garden of New Spain’. But it’s more likely to be referred to today as a flourishing garden of drug cartels. So, a place of unspeakable drug related violence. Interestingly the Holy Mass the Pope celebrated was both in Spanish and in ‘purhépechan’, the indigenous language of this area.
And in this city where the drug cartels are incredibly powerful and permeate people’s lives his homily reflected what he called a ‘permanent system’ of violence with corruption, drug trafficking , disregard for human dignity and indifference in the face of suffering and vulnerability. Confronted with this reality, he strongly insisted we must not be led into temptation, the devil can overcome us with one of his favourite weapons: resignation.
And then Francis spoke of the value of tapping into our memories when we are tempted. In a special way he mentioned the figure of the first Bishop of Michoacán Vasco de Quiroga back in 1536. A man, he explained, who left an interesting legacy.
As I discovered this first Bishop had adopted Thomas More’s ‘Utopia’ as a model. Making quite sure the indigenous people were taught religion, crafts and the fundamentals of self-government. His legacy lives on to this day. Indigenous people have passed down their know how and are masterfully skilled craftsmen, producing from guitars to pottery, from copper products to woven woolens.
Interestingly Pope Francis referred to Vasco de Quiroga in his homily as ‘the Spaniard who became an Indian’. One who spoke of these indigenous people “as being sold, humiliated and homeless in marketplaces, picking up scraps of bread from the ground“. And one the Pope went on to say who far from being tempted to resignation succeeded in kindling the faith in the midst of so much ‘paralyzing injustice’.
‘Paralyzing injustice’, a fitting expression which could relate to today in this land of ‘gentlemen narcos’.
It’s one which affects more than anyone here perhaps the young people of Morelia with whom Pope Francis will meet in at the ‘José Maria Morelos y Pavòn’ stadium.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday celebrated Mass with priests, seminarians and religious men and women and urged them not to surrender to difficulties posed by situations of violence, corruption, drug trafficking and disregard to human dignity, and he appealed to them to continue proclaiming the message of the Gospel.
The Mass, celebrated in Morelia’s “Venustiano Carranza” Stadium, comes on the penultimate day of his apostolic journey to Mexico.
After his arrival in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan State, the Pope made his way through crowds of people lined up along the motorcade route cheering and waving Vatican flags.
Michoacan State is at the heart of Mexico’s drug-trafficking route, a region wracked by poverty, unemployment, drug violence and corruption.
The Pope’s presence in Morelia is also a sign of his respect for the city’s Archbishop, Alberto Suarez Inda, whom Francis proclaimed Cardinal last year.
In his homily the Pope told those present that their lives “speak of prayer” and that “the school of prayer is the school of life”.
And acknowledging that “temptation can come to us from places often dominated by violence, corruption, drug trafficking, disregard for human dignity, and indifference in the face of suffering and vulnerability”, Pope Francis urged the clergy and all consecrated persons never to succumb to “resignation”.
“A resignation which paralyzes us and prevents us not only from walking, but also from making the journey; a resignation which not only terrifies us, but which also entrenches us in our “sacristies” and false securities; a resignation which not only prevents us from proclaiming, but also inhibits our giving praise. A resignation which not only hinders our looking to the future, but also thwarts our desire to take risks and to change. And so, “Our Father, lead us not into temptation” he said.
Pope Francis also recalled one Mexican evangelizer, first known – he said – as “the Spaniard who became an Indian”.
Among the Indians – the Pope said – he was known as “Tata Vasco”, which in the Purhépechan language means Father.
“The situation of the Purhépechas Indians, whom he described as being “sold, humiliated, and homeless in marketplaces, picking up scraps of bread from the ground”, far from tempting him to listless resignation, succeeded in kindling his faith, strengthening his compassion and inspiring him to carry out plans that were a “breath of fresh air” in the midst of so much paralyzing injustice. The pain and suffering of his brothers and sisters became his prayer, and his prayer led to his response” he said.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis had lunch with representatives from Mexico’s indigenous communities after his Mass in the southern region of Chiapas.
The indigenous population is 15% of the total for the nation, and much higher in the southern region.
Vatican Spokesman Father Frederico Lombardi, SJ, explained that the meeting followed the same format which the Pope has used on other trips, such as World Youth Day, meeting groups of refugees, or visiting the poor.
Eight representatives from different Indigenous communities sat down for lunch with the Holy Father. They included an indigenous priest, who was dressed as a normal indigenous man, rather than in any particular clerical dress.
Other representatives included a permanent deacon and his wife, a religious sister, a representative for indigenous youth and a catechist. The group represented a cross section of the indigenous community of Mexico.
Father Lombardi went on to say: “The Pope had a simple, normal conversation with them.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Pontifical Gregorian University on Monday began its first Diploma Program on the Safeguarding of Minors.
The one-semester course is conducted under auspices of the Centre for Child Protection, as a unit of the University’s Institute of Psychology.
In a speech to the first class of the programme, the Rector of the Gregorian University Father François-Xavier Dumortier, S.J., said it was a “relevant part” of the academic structure of the Pontifical Gregorian University.
“Since 2011-2012, we did our best to confront the sad phenomenon of the sexual abuse of minors – especially within the Church,” Fr. Dumortier said. “Responding to Pope Benedict XVI’s and to Pope Francis’ call to root out this evil, we set up this Centre for Child Protection … In the face of situations and facts that wounded, so deeply, many people but also damaged the Church’s witness and credibility, there was a crucial need to address this challenge.”
The diploma course is designed for those presently working in the field of safeguarding, or who will be doing so in the future. This would include child protection officers for dioceses, religious congregations, and other institutions; as well as those who advise or offer training on the issue in educational institutions such as seminaries, formation houses, and schools.
Father Dumortier said the Gregorian University was offering the course because “if the sexual abuse of minors is a sad reality, it’s also a complex and many-sided reality.”
The twelve-week course will be interdisciplinary, bringing together psychology, social sciences, theology, and canon law. The seminar method of teaching will allow students to actively participate and to discuss practical problems and case-studies with respect to sexual abuse and the safeguarding of minors.
“The way of proceeding is marked by courage – the courage of confronting problems and tragedies – of intelligence in order to understand better the roots of such events – and of humble commitment to get rid of this evil,” said Fr. Dumortier.
The full remarks by Father François-Xavier Dumortier, S.J., are below
I am very happy to be with you this evening and, as Rector of the Gregorian University, to welcome and to greet all of you at the beginning of this Diploma Program. I wish you a good and fruitful time of formation and I thank especially Professor Demasure for offering such a valuable program, with this seminar method of teaching and taking an interdisciplinary approach.
This one-semester program of a Diploma in the Safeguarding of Minors is a new proposal and a very significant one.
It has been proposed and is under the responsibility of the Centre for Child Protection, as a unit of the Institute of Psychology, and for this reason it is a relevant part of the academic structure of the Pontifical Gregorian University. Why? I would like to share with you some reasons:
1.- First: since 2011-2012, we did our best to confront the sad phenomenon of the sexual abuse of minors – especially within the Church. Responding to Pope Benedict the sixteenth’s and to Pope Francis’ call to root out this evil, we set up this Center for Child Protection conceived, founded and promoted by Fr. Hans Zollner. In the face of situations and facts that wounded, so deeply, many people but also damaged the Church’s witness and credibility, there was a crucial need to address this challenge. The CCP was established in January 2012 in Munich in conjunction with the Symposium “Towards Healing and Renewal” at the Gregorian University in Rome, as a global initiative within the Catholic Church and beyond for the prevention of the sexual abuse of minors. After a first successful stage until the end of 2014, the CCP moved to Rome in January 2015. At the opening of the new location, His Eminence Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap, head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors said: “The prevention of sexual and other kinds of abuse of minors is of greatest importance for the universal Church. I am confident and pray that the CCP will make a substantial contribution to this long-term effort”.
The CCP aims at growing into an international and educational facility of excellence in training and education. For this reason, the CCP, in addition to the elearning training program for the prevention of sexual abuse, conducts interdisciplinary research and a doctoral program, organizes international conferences on abuse prevention and safeguarding, and has developed this program, that is, the “new born” of the Centre. The “Diploma in Safeguarding of Minors and 2 Vulnerable Persons” is aimed primarily at people who work in abuse prevention or want to specialize in it. You are the first students of this program … and we are very happy to welcome you and to give you the best of our support.
2. – Second: why did the Gregorian want to give its own response to such a challenge? Because, if the sexual abuse of minors is a sad reality, it’s also a complex and many-sided reality. Moreover, it’s not only a Church issue: protection of children must be a major concern for our contemporary societies. Therefore, it was obvious that a University such as the Gregorian, which has many intellectual resources that are crucial for coping with this issue, would allow and offer an interdisciplinary approach; such an approach is indeed crucial and decisive.
As you know, there were and there are many people prompt to denounce and to condemn, but there were and there are few to respond proactively to facts which are not only sins but crimes because the wounds caused by such acts run deep. So, the problem was not only: how to help to respond to the tragedy of child abuse? How to study with an interdisciplinary approach?… but also: how to prevent it by promoting a policy and a culture of effective safeguarding?
3. – Third: how can this be done as an academic unit belonging to the Institute of Psychology of the Gregorian University?
– according to a way of proceeding
– and aiming at a specific target
3.1. The way of proceeding is marked by courage – the courage of confronting problems and tragedies – of intelligence in order to understand better the roots of such events – and of humble commitment to get rid of this evil.
3.2. The specific target is to train people who will be promoters of such a policy and of a culture of safeguarding, who will be multipliers because they will transmit to others what they understand and know better.
In conclusion, I would say:
– it’s an issue of paramount importance for the Church and for our societies and it requires the best of our human abilities, the best of our hearts and minds.
It will be a long-term task and it’s a wonderful commitment. So …. I wish not only that you would specialize in the field of safeguarding, but also in that of creating, or participating in the creation of, safeguarding strategies.
We share indeed the same desire of moving ahead because the awareness of the crucial needs of the Church and of the world are pushing us to contribute “to this long term effort”.
François-Xavier Dumortier February 15, 2016
(from Vatican Radio)…