Pope John Paul I has moved a step closer to sainthood with the recognition of his heroic virtues. Pope Francis on Wednesday authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree approving his predecessor’s heroic virtues which confers on him the title ‘ Venerable’.
Pope Francis also authorized 7 other decrees along with that of John Paul I – two of them on martyrdom and 5 on heroic virtues.
Venerable Servant of God Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul I whose heroic virtues Pope Francis has approved and declared him ‘ Venerable Servant of God’ had a brief papacy of just 33 days, yet has left an indelible mark on the Catholic Church.
A ‘ Smiling Pope’ as he is called in that short duration of his pontificate gave nine speeches, three messages, wrote three Apostolic letters and four other official letters, gave two homilies and had five Sunday ‘Angelus’ prayers and four Wednesday general audiences. This short encounter if not his vast experience as a priest, bishop, Patriarch of Venice and then the Cardinal has proved him to be a person of faith, humble and meek person yet tough when it comes to Church teachings. Love of God and love of neighbor was his special hallmark.
Born on 17th Oct 1912 at “Forno di Canale (Belluno, Italy), Albino Luciani was son of Giovanni Luciani and Bortola Tancon. He was baptized the same day at home, by the midwife, as he was in danger of death but formalized two days later in the Church by the curate. On 2nd Feb 1935 he was ordained deacon and on 7 th July 1935 Ordained to the priesthood at St. Peter’s Church of Belluno diocese of Belluno e Feltre.
In February 1947 he Graduated from the Gregorian University in Rome with a doctorate in Sacred Theology, his thesis being, “The origin of the human soul according to Antonio Rosmini”. 27 th December 1958 he was Consecrated Bishop by John XXIII at St. Peter’s Basilica together with the newly consecrated bishops, Gioacchino Muccin and Girolamo Bortignon.
In 1977 he participated in the IV Ordinary General Assembly in Rome of the Synod of Bishops regarding “Catechetics in Our Time”. August 10 the following year brought him again to the Vatican after the death of Pope Paul the VI.
On 26 th August during the second day of the conclave, he was elected Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and he chose his name John Paul I, wishing to serve the Church as his predecessors did. During his first Sunday Angelus he humbly acknowledged that he chose that name knowing that he neither had the wisdom of the heart of Pope John nor the preparation and culture of Pope Paul. With this name he became the first Pope to take up a dual name in papal history.
Luciani vowed to serve as a teacher and a servant and had taken up Humilitas (Humility) as his episcopal motto which was evident even after he was appointed a pope. He wished to do away with Papal Coronation mass and chose to have just papal inauguration. He also preferred not to use the ‘sedia gestatoria’ or the ceremonial throne like an armchair on which the Pope travels from St Peter’s Square.
Luciani a warm, gentle and kind man with a friendly disposition was loved by the people who were in awe of his persona. He had impressed people with his excellent oratory skills. His ideologies reflected the spirit of humanity and showcased the immense love and warmth that he had for God and his people.
His swift six point plan defined what the journey of his pontificate would be. He planned to renew the Church through the policies implemented by Vatican II, to revise canon law, to remind the Church of its duty to preach the Gospel, to promote Church unity without watering down doctrine, to promote dialogue and to encourage world peace and social justice.
His successors looked upon him as a gentle soul with a heart filled with love. If his immediate successor Cardinal Karol Wojtyła spoke of his values of faith, hope and love, Benedict XVI commented that it was due to his virtues that despite holding papacy for just 33 days, he was able to win the people’s hearts. For Pope Francis, John Paul I was an icon of mercy and humility and he has quoted him in his homilies and in an interview. His qualities of heart and mind made him affable.
Already two miracles are attributed to his intercession and are under examination. If any of them is recognized, he would be cleared for Beatification.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has reminded the faithful that the Eucharist is a wonderful event during which Jesus Christ, our life, becomes present.
Speaking to the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Wednesday General Audience , Pope Francis began a new series of reflections focusing on the Eucharist and highlighting the importance of how we attend and of how we participate in Mass in order to really experience our relationship with God.
To the some 13,000 pilgrims present for the weekly audience, Pope Francis said that while at Mass “the Lord is present with us but many times we talk among ourselves and we are not close to Him” during the celebration.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni :
Importance of rediscovering the meaning of the Sacraments
He explained that for us Christians it is essential to understand the meaning and the value of Holy Mass in order to be able to fully live our relationship with God.
Remembering Christians who have died to defend the Eucharist
“We cannot forget the great number of Christians who, in the entire world, in two thousand years of history, have resisted until death in order to defend the Eucharist” he said.
And he remembered those whom, he said , “still today, risk their lives to participate at Sunday Mass”.
The Pope recalled the history of Christians in North Africa who were caught celebrating Mass in 304, during the persecutions by the Roman Emperor Diocletian: “When asked why they had faced such danger, the Christians said that their Christian life would end if they did not go to Mass.”
Those Christians, he said, were killed and became witnesses of the Eucharist, which they chose over their mortal lives.
Noting that it is important to go back to the roots and rediscover what is the true meaning of the actions we carry out during the celebration of the Sacraments, the Pope said the Eucharist allows us “to take part in the sacrifice of Mass and approach the table of the Lord.”
The word Eucharist means thanksgiving
He explained that the word Eucharist means thanksgiving, because we thank God for allowing us to receive him.
Francis also referred to the Second Vatican Council which, he said, pushed forward a series of liturgical renewals in order to encourage the encounter between the faithful and Christ.
‘Boring’ priests must convert
Describing the Sacrament of the Eucharist as “an amazing event during which the Lord is present”, the Pope noted that too often the faithful describe the Mass as boring: “Is the Lord boring? He asked those present: No, no, it’s the priest. It’s the priests? Then the priests must convert!”
Children must learn how to make the sign of the cross properly
And explaining why we do certain things during Mass he posed the question: “Have you seen the way children make the sign of the Cross?”
“We must teach them, he said, how to do it well, because that is how Mass begins, that is how life begins, that is how the day begins!”
Lift up your hearts not your cellphones
And furthering his comments on how, too often, the Mass is lived in a superficial way, Pope Francis remarked on the fact that the priest who celebrates says “Lift up your hearts” not “Lift up your cellphones to take a photo!”
“This is a bad thing” he said, “It makes me very sad when I celebrate Mass here in the Square or in the Basilica and I see many cellphones raised. And it’s not only the faithful, but also many priests and bishops. Please! Mass is not a show!”
It is very important, Pope Francis concluded, to rediscover the meaning of the Eucharist and of the other Sacraments which are the signs of God’s love, the privileged ways to meet with Him.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has begun a new series of catecheses focussing on the Eucharist. He was addressing the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the weekly General Audience .
Please find below the English Summary of the Pope’s cathechesis :
Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today begins a new series of catecheses devoted to the Eucharist. The Mass is the very “heart” of the Church and the source of her life. How many martyrs have died to defend the Eucharist! Their witness confirms our Lord’s promise that by partaking of his body and blood we pass with him from death to life (cf. Jn 6:54). At every celebration of Mass, our lives, offered in union with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, become, in him, an offering of praise and thanksgiving pleasing to the Father, for the salvation of the world. The liturgical renewal called for by Second Vatican Council sought to help the faithful understand more fully and share more fruitfully in the Eucharist. At Mass, Jesus becomes truly present and allows us in some way, like the Apostle Thomas, to touch his flesh and renew our faith in him. In coming weeks, we will seek to grow in our appreciation of this great gift, so as to share more fully in its spiritual riches and beauty, which give ultimate meaning and direction to our lives.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Tuesday with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar , Sheikh Ahmed Muhammad al-Tayeb who is in Rome to attend a conference organised by the St Egidio community.
No details of the private encounter were released, but the meeting marked the second trip to the Vatican in two years by Egypt’s top Muslim leader. His first meeting with the pope in May 2016 marked an important step forward after five years of suspended dialogue between the Holy See and the prestigious Al-Azhar university.
Pope’s visit to Cairo
In April this year, Pope Francis travelled to Cairo to visit the headquarters of Sunni Muslim scholarship and attend an international peace conference there. During his two day visit to Egypt, the pope urged religious leaders to denounce violations of human rights and expose attempts to justify violence and hatred in the name of God.
Respecful interreligious dialogue
He appealed for respectful interreligious dialogue, saying the only alternative to a culture of civilized encounter is “the incivility of conflict”. Recalling the visit of St Francis to the Sultan in Egypt eight centuries ago, he called for dialogue based on sincerity and the courage to accept differences.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of a deadly shooting Texas .
Twenty-six people were killed in the attack, including the unborn child of a young mother, who was also killed. The dead ranged in age from 18 months to 77 years. Twenty others were wounded, with 10 still in critical condition late on Monday.
In a telegram addressed to Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin noted Pope Francis was “deeply grieved by news of the loss of life and grave injuries caused by the act of senseless violence perpetrated at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs .” The Holy Father, the Cardinal said, “asks you kindly to convey his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the wounded, to the members of the congregation, and to the entire local community.”
Cardinal Parolin said Pope Francis was praying to “our Lord Jesus Christ to console all who mourn and to grant them the spiritual strength that triumphs over violence and hatred by the power of forgiveness, hope and reconciling love.”
(from Vatican Radio)…