(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with the bishops of Sudan and South Sudan on Wednesday, shortly before his weekly general audience . The bishops are in Rome for a meeting organized by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
During the encounter, the bishops invited the Holy Father to visit South Sudan.
“He said: I am ready. I want to. I want to. I want to. But we have to leave everything in the hands of the Lord,” said Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro, of the Archdiocese of Juba.
Archbishop Loro told Vatican Radio’s 105Live the “issue of peace” is still a priority in both countries, especially South Sudan, “because we are at war.”
South Sudan achieved independence from Sudan in 2011, after decades of a civil war which killed over two million people.
Despite initial hopes of a peaceful future after independence was achieved, a civil conflict broke out in 2013 between factions in South Sudan. The new civil war has killed thousands of people and displaced over one million others.
“Without peace, religion has difficulties,” Archbishop Loro said.
He added the Church must also address the issue of vacant dioceses, as well as providing support for the local clergy.
“We must discuss with our superiors in the Congregation [for the Evangelization of People] about how to proceed and accomplish our goals,” the Archbishop said. “There are many questions from us on how to proceed.”
The Catholic Church in South Sudan has one archdiocese, and six suffragan dioceses. The bishops are members of the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which includes the bishops from Sudan.
Catholics make up over a third of the population in South Sudan. In Sudan, Catholics make up just over 3% of the population, while the vast majority of the people are Muslims.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday received a delegation of Muslims who presented him with an invitation to visit the Mosque of Rome.
The delegation included the imam Yahya Pallavicini from COREIS (The Islamic Community of Italy) and Abdellah Redouane, the director of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy.
After the meeting, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, said Pope Francis “study the invitation, and come to a decision,” but said he “would be cautious about a date.”
He added any dates being publicized in the press are “without foundation.”
Pope Francis made his first visit to Rome’s synagogue on Sunday.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on a cold Wednesday morning in Rome greeted the thousands of people in the warmth of the Paul the VI hall who had gathered for his General Audience.
The Holy Father, during his Catechesis focused his attention on Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which is currently underway. Pope Francis reflected on the theme for the week taken from the first letter of Saint Peter, “Called to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord”, which he said was chosen by an ecumenical group in Latvia.
Listen:
The Pope explained that this Week of Prayer invites us to “reflect on, and bear witness to, our unity in Christ as God’s People.”
He went on to say, that all those baptized, reborn to new life in Christ, are brothers and sisters, despite, “our divisions.”
Continuing on the theme of baptism, he said that it meant rediscovering the source of mercy, which is a source of hope for all, and he underlined, “no one is excluded from God’s mercy.” Sharing this grace, he added “creates an unbreakable bond between us Christians”, so that, by virtue of Baptism, we can consider ourselves brothers.
Concluding his Catechesis, the Holy Father prayed that during this Week of Prayer, the Lord would help all Christians to grow in that unity “which is greater than what divides us,” adding, “together, may we respond to his call to share with others, especially with the poor and forgotten of our world, the gift of divine mercy which we ourselves have received.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) During his catechesis at the weekly General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis focused his attention on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the sacrament of Baptism.
Please find below the Pope’s English language remarks read out loud at the audience.
Dear Brothers and Sisters: In these days we celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year’s theme is drawn from the First Letter of Peter, and was chosen by an ecumenical group from Latvia. In his Letter, Saint Peter encourages the first Christians to acknowledge the great gift received in Baptism and to live in a way worthy of it. He tells them: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people”. This Week of Prayer invites us to reflect on, and bear witness to, our unity in Christ as God’s People. All the baptized, reborn to new life in Christ, are brothers and sisters, despite our divisions. Through Baptism we have been charged, as Saint Peter tells us, “to proclaim the mighty works of the one who has called us out of darkness into his marvellous light”. During this Week of Prayer, let us ask the Lord to help all Christians to grow in that unity which is greater than what divides us. Together, may we respond to his call to share with others, especially with the poor and forgotten of our world, the gift of divine mercy which we ourselves have received.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archibishop of Yangon (Myanmar) and papal legate for the event, introduces the 51st International Eucharistic Congress saying, “Asia is a confluence of major religions”, a part of the world that “has not embraced secularism as the West has done. And spiritual fervor witnessed at the community level is a way of evangelizing the others”. According to the first cardinal of the history of Burmese Church, the event will be an occasion to work in three directions. “Dialogue with religions, with culture, and poor”. “Asia remains a common task for the church – he said – so the challenge is to see what is God saying through these realities”. The celebration of the Congress in the Philippines, the only predominantly Catholic country in Asia, is a major challenge to strengthen the missionary perspective. The theme revolves around the “hope” that joins the task of “the gift of God for young people” and “commitment to the ranks of the poor of the continent”. Every four years, Catholic faithful from around the world are invited to gather together to reflect on and celebrate the great mystery of the Eucharist during the International Eucharistic Congress. From Jan. 24-31, 2016, thousands of Catholic clergy and lay people will gather in Cebu, Philippines, for the 51st Congress, on the theme “ Christ in you, our hope of glory ” (Colossians 1:27). At a press conference Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle described the event as bigger than the World Cub, bigger than the Olympics. Tagle said it is Jesus who will make the gathering life-changing because He is the true reason for hope. IEC is expected to draw 15,000 participants from all over the world. (Source: AsiaNews, CBCP News) (from Vatican Radio)…