(Vatican Radio) This Sunday, November 19th marks the first World Day of the Poor , which Pope Francis called for at the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. The Pontifical Council for New Evangelisation on Tuesday announced a number of special events that are taking place throughout the week to highlight this annual initiative.
Listen to Philippa Hitchen’s report:
On Sunday morning in St Peter’s Basilica, some four thousand poor and needy people, accompanied by volunteers from Italy, France, Spain, Brussels, Luxembourg and Poland will take part in a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis.
Following the Eucharist, 1.500 of the visitors will be invited to lunch in the adjacent Paul VI Hall, while the other 2.500 guests will be taken to lunch in some of the Catholic colleges, seminaries and charitable organisations in the vicinity of the Vatican.
Festive lunch in Paul VI Hall
Those dining in the Paul VI Hall will be served a meal of gnocchi with tomato sauce and veal stew with vegetables, plus tiramisu and coffee for desert, all prepared by papal chef Sergio Dussin from Bassano del Grappa in Italy’s northern Veneto region.
The Vatican police band and a children’s choir will provide background music for the festive lunch, which has been organised in collaboration with a number of local charity organisations and parishes.
Prayer vigil at St Lawrence Basilica
On the previous evening, Saturday 18th at 8pm, there will also be a prayer vigil in the ancient Rome Basilica of St Lawrence to remember volunteers all over the world who offer their services in support of the poor and marginalized.
Throughout the week of the 13th to 19th November, meanwhile, a mobile clinic has been set up just in front of St Peter’s Square offering free specialized medical services between the hours of 9am and 4pm.
Free medical services
A special booklet marking this first World Day of the Poor has also been published in six languages as a pastoral aid for dioceses and parishes worldwide who wish to take part in this important initiative.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Pietro Parolin has urged US Bishops to continue their prophetic witness in the face of the challenges facing the nation.
The Vatican Secretary of State’s words came as he travelled to the United States to join celebrations for the 100th anniversary of their episcopal conference and for the opening of their plenary assembly .
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni :
To the Bishops gathered for Mass on Sunday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, Cardinal Pietro Parolin reflected on the liturgical reading of the day and said “May the fire of God’s love inspire you as a body to make wise decisions free of all partisan spirit.”
This year’s plenary marks the centenary of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops that was founded in 1917 as the National Catholic War Council.
The conference, Parolin said, “originated in a Spirit-filled and wise response to the human suffering and displacement of the First World War.”
He noted that it is rooted in the care of American bishops for those who were “forced from their homes and came to the new world in search of security and a new life”.
Parolin recalled this history as, he said, “the Church in the US seeks to provide healing, comfort, and hope to new waves of migrants and refugees.”
He urged the bishops to provide a prophetic witness and “to be a source of wisdom and strength” and he praised the charitable institutions of the American Church.
The Cardinal also looked forward to a series of meetings which are being held to assess and improve Hispanic ministry in the US noting that it is a way to “foster that heightened sense of missionary discipleship which Pope Francis considers the heart of the new evangelization.”
“In the century prior to the founding of your conference, the challenge facing the Church in this country was to foster communion in an immigrant Church to integrate the diversity of peoples, languages, and cultures in the one faith, and to inculcate a sense of responsible citizenship and concern for the common good” he said.
Cardinal Parolin said the Catholic community is now called to work for a more just and inclusive society “by dispelling the shadows of polarization, divisiveness, and societal breakdown by the pure light of the gospel.”
He praised the bishops for defending the right to life of the unborn and for their concern for ensuring access to health care as well as for their contribution to the discussion of important social issues and political debates, in particular concerning issues that involve “the defense of moral values and the rights of the poor, the elderly, the vulnerable, and those who have no voice.”
Parolin concluded mentioning the importance of pastoral care and giving thanks for the Spirit’s gift of wisdom shown in the bishops’ conference, and prayed that that they “ make keep the lamp of faith burning brightly.”
The US Bishops assembly meetings are scheduled to continue through Wednesday.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican has released the details of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Peru and Chile, due to take place from the 15th to 22 January 2018.
Please find below the full programme:
Monday January 15, 2018
ROME-SANTIAGO
08:00 Departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Santiago
20:10 Arrival at Santiago International Airport
WELCOME CEREMONY
21:00 Arrival of the Holy Father at the Apostolic Nunciature
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
SANTIAGO
08:20 MEETING WITH AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS in the Palacio de la Moneda
Speech of the Holy Father
09:00 COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT in the Salon Azul of the Palacio de la Moneda
10:30 Holy Mass in Parque O’Higgins
Homily of the Holy Father
16:00 Short VISIT TO THE SANTIAGO WOMEN’S PENITENTIAL CENTER
Greetings from the Holy Father
17:15 MEETING WITH PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS, AND SEMINARIANS in the Cathedral of Santiago
Speech of the Holy Father
18:15 MEETING WITH BISHOPS in the Sacristy of the Cathedral
Greetings from the Holy Father
19:15 PRIVATE VISIT TO THE SANCTUARY by San Alberto Hurtado, SJ
Private meeting with the priests of the Society of Jesus
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
SANTIAGO-TEMUCO-SANTIAGO
08:00 Departure by plane from Santiago airport to Temuco
10:30 HOLY MASS in Maquehue Airport
Homily of the Holy Father
12:45 Lunch with archaeologists in the “Madre de la Santa Cruz” house
15:30 Departure by plane from Temuco airport to Santiago
17:00 Arrival at Santiago Airport
17:30 MEETING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
Speech of the Holy Father
18:30 Transfer by car to the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
19:00 VISIT TO PONTIFICIAL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF CHILE
Speech of the Holy Father
Thursday 18 January 2018
SANTIAGO-IQUIQUE-LIMA
08:05 Departure by plane from Santiago airport to Iquique
10:35 Arrival at Iquique International Airport
11:30 HOLY MASS in Campus Lobito
Homily of the Holy Father
14:00 Lunch with Oblate Fathers
16:45 Arrival at Iquique Airport
FAREWELL CEREMONY
17:05 Departure from Iquique airport to Lima
PERU
Thursday 18 January 2018
SANTIAGO-IQUIQUE-LIMA
17:20 Arrival at Lima Airport
WELCOME CEREMONY
Friday, January 19, 2018
LIMA-PUERTO MALDONADO-LIMA
08:30 MEETING WITH AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY and the DIPLOMATIC CORPS in the Courtyard of Honor
Speech of the Holy Father
09:00 COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT in the Salon of the Ambassadors at the Palacio de Gobierno
09:55 Departure by plane from Lima to Puerto Maldonado
11:45 Arrival at Puerto Maldonado Airport
12:00 MEETING WITH THE AMAZON PEOPLE in the Coliseo Regional Madre de Dios
Speech of the Holy Father
13:15 Lunch with representatives of the Amazonian people
15:45 VISIT TO HOGAR HOUSE
Greetings from the Holy Father
16:50 Departure by plane to Lima
18:40 Arrival at Lima airport
19:00 Private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus in the church of San Pedro
Saturday 20 January 2018
LIMA-TRUJILLO-LIMA
07:40 Departure by plane to Trujillo
09:10 Arrival at Trujillo airport
10:00 HOLY MASS
Homily of the Holy Father
12:15 Visit in Pope mobile to the district “Buenos Aires”
15:00 Short visit to the Cathedral
15:30 MEETING WITH PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS, SEMINARIANS in SS. Carlos AND Marcelo College
Speech of the Holy Father
16:45 MARIAN CELEBRATION in the Plaza de Armas
Speech of the Holy Father
18:15 Departure by plane to Lima
19:40 Arrival at Lima airport
Sunday, January 21, 2018
LIMA-ROME
09:15 PRAYER WITH CONTEMPLATIVE RELIGIOUS in the Sanctuary of the Señor de los Milagros
Homily of the Holy Father
10:30 PRAYER TO RELIQUES OF PERUVIAN SAINTS in the Cathedral of Lima
Prayer of the Holy Father
10:50 MEETING WITH BISHOPS in the Archbishop’s Palace
Speech of the Holy Father
12:00 ANGELUS in the Plaza de Armas
Angelus of the Holy Father
12:30 Lunch and Prayer in Apostolic Nunciature
16:15 Holy Mass in the Air Base “Las Palmas”
Homily of the Holy Father
18:30 Arrive at the airport
FAREWELL CEREMONY
18:45 Departure by plane to Rome / Ciampino
Monday, January 22, 2018
ROME
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) As the COP23 conference on climate change moves into its second week in Bonn, Germany, a delegation of leaders from the Pacific Island states arrived at the talks over the weekend. They hope to play a key role in discussions on how to implement the 2015 Paris agreement on cutting carbon emissions and helping to prevent global warming.
Pope Francis met at the weekend with the delegation of leaders from the Pacific Island Forum to share his concerns about the impact of rising sea levels on vulnerable island, coastal and fishing communities. The pope called for global cooperation, for solidarity and strategies to address the deterioration of the environment and the health of the oceans. He blamed many of the causes of this “environmental decay” on short-sighted human activity, provoked by the exploitation of natural and human resources.
Just ahead of the papal audience, Philippa Hitchen spoke to two of the Pacific island leaders, Taneti Maamau, President of the Republic of Kiribati , and Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, deputy Prime Minister of Samoa , at an encounter hosted by the Australian embassy to the Holy See.
Listen:
Climate change is seriously affecting the livelihood of Karibati in terms of costal erosion, President Maamau says, explaining that it affects the water quality in particular. Roads are also affected in coastal areas and schools often have to be closed when there are droughts, water surges, king tides and even cyclones. These are becoming regular problems, forcing us to look at alternatives for water supplies, he says.
Climate affecting lives and livelihoods
He lists a few alternatives, such as rainwater harvesting, which is problematic as it is entirely dependent upon sufficient rainfall. Other solutions, such as desalination of seawater, are also being examined, the president says, but these new technologies are expensive in terms of both importation and maintenance.
Time is running out
President Maamau says he is looking for a bigger commitment for reducing global temperatures, especially from larger, coal producing countries. For him , the sooner the agreements are made, the better. “We can’t wait. Our people are crying out!” the president states, simply.
Gratitude for Laudato SI ‘
President Maamau says he finds great encouragement in Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si . “The earth is our home, our mother”, he says, and we have to take care of it. That’s the divine mandate we were given, he adds, but sometimes, we are too greedy, hoping we can take everything in our hands to satisfy our needs. But sometimes we take too much and that’s causing trouble. My message to Pope Francis is, thank you!” the President says.
Seeking to lower 2 degrees limit
Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa notes that the Pacific nations have been advocating strongly to further limit the raising of the global temperature to 1.5 degrees, rather than 2 degrees. With scientific evidence pointing to an acceleration of climate change, she says, the Pacific Island nations are hoping to show how urgent the issue is, as well as proposing realistic ideas on how to achieve the 1.5 limit.
Responding to U.S. decision
Mata’afa, who is also the Samoan minister for the Environment says “We will also have to look at whether we can strategize and organise as a community of parties” to respond to the U.S. decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement.
No country can escape the effects
The deputy prime minister says that while Samoa is predominantly volcanic, other low lying countries like Tuvalu, Tokelau or Kiribati are experiencing serious impact, both in terms of encroachment of land and water tables. Several countries have already purchased land in Fiji in response to the risks, but she notes the question of sovereignty is a pressing one. “What happens to a country when they lose their land, how do you re-determine your sovereignty, maintain your cultural identities and so forth?” she asks.
Mata’afa notes these are global problems, “but the immediacy of the issue is there for us”. We’re seeing natural disasters increase all around the world and no country can claim to be free from the effects of climate change, she says.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent a pair of telegrammes to Iraq and Iran on Monday, expressing his condolences for the damage and loss of life caused by Sunday’s severe earthquake.
Listen to Devin Watkins’ report:
In the two messages signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis says he “was deeply saddened” by news of the 7.3-magnitude earthquake which struck the border region between Iran and Iraq.
He assured all those affected by the tragedy of his “prayerful solidarity” and his “sorrow to all who mourn the loss of their loved ones”.
The Pope also offered “his prayers for the deceased and commends them to the mercy of the Almighty.”
Pope Francis closed his messages by invoking “the divine blessings of consolation and strength” upon the injured and “the emergency and civil authorities engaged in rescue and recovery efforts”.
Please find below the Pope’s original telegrammes:
Message – Iraq:
His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the severe earthquake which has struck Iraq, and he assures all affected by this tragedy of his prayerful solidarity. In expressing his sorrow to all who mourn the loss of their loved ones, he offers his prayers for the deceased and commends them to the mercy of the Almighty. Upon the injured and the emergency and civil authorities engaged in rescue and recovery efforts, His Holiness invokes the divine blessings of consolation and strength.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State
Message to Iran:
His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the severe earthquake which has struck Iran, and he assures all affected by this tragedy of his prayerful solidarity. In expressing his sorrow to all who mourn the loss of their loved ones, he offers his prayers for the deceased and commends them to the mercy of the Almighty. Upon the injured and the emergency and civil authorities engaged in rescue and recovery efforts, His Holiness invokes the divine blessings of consolation and strength.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State
(from Vatican Radio)…