(Vatican Radio) The challenges of our times demand the collaboration of all people of good will, especially with prayer and sacrifice. Pope Francis made the exhortation in a brief address to some 130 members of the Emperor Karl League of Prayer , who are in Rome for their annual general assembly.
The League promotes the cause of canonization of Karl I (1887-1922), the last ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire , the last Emperor of Austria, the last King of Hungary, and the last monarch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Church leaders have praised Karl for adopting Christian faith in making political decisions and for his peace efforts during World War I. The Catholic Church has recognized Karl’s heroic virtues and a miracle through his intercession, following which St. Pope John Paul II declared him Blessed on 3 October 2004.
Peace initiatives
Pope Francis noted that the general assembly of Emperor Karl League of Prayer was taking place in Rome in the context of the centenary of the peace initiatives of Pope Benedict XV, a contemporary of the Austrian Emperor , in trying to avert the disaster of WWI .
The Holy Father drew attention to the three objectives of the League – namely, seeking and observing God’s will, committing oneself to peace and justice and expiating for the injustice of history, saying they were, so to say, a recurring feature of the life of Blessed Karl as a statesman, as a husband and father of a family, and as a son of the Church. “By giving himself to the will of God,” the Pope said, “he accepted the suffering and offered his life as a sacrifice for peace, always sustained by the love and faith of his wife, the Servant of God Zita.”
Pope Francis invited the Emperor Karl League of Prayer to maintain their promise of participating in the numerous efforts of the Pope on behalf of peace with their prayers and personal sacrifices . He said he counted on them, as the Successor of Peter cannot carry out his mission in the world without the support of the prayers of the faithful.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Bulletin for 10/15/2017
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegram expressing his condolences to the families of victims of widespread wildfires in northern California , and promising prayers for all those affected.
Signed by the Secretary of State of the Holy See , Cardinal Pietro Parolin , and jointly addressed to the Archbishop of San Francisco , Salvatore Cordileone , and Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles , the telegram promises Pope Francis ’ prayerful solidarity with everyone affected by the fires.
It goes on to say Pope Francis is especially mindful of those who mourn the loss of their loved ones and who fear for the lives of those still missing, and offers Pope Francis ’ encouragement to civil authorities and emergency workers.
The wildfires sweeping through California have killed at least 31 people and damaged thousands of homes, businesses and other buildings.
More than 20 thousand people have been displaced by 21 fires, and as many as 400 people remain missing amid the chaos of displacement and the ongoing battle to bring the blazes under control.
Below, please find the full text of the Telegram
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The Most Reverend Salvatore Joseph Cordileone
Archbishop of San Francisco
The Most Reverend José Horacio Gómez
Archbishop of Los Angeles
Informed of the tragic loss of life and the destruction of property caused by the wildfire in California, the Holy Father assures you of his heartfelt solidarity and his prayers for all those affected by this disaster. He is especially mindful of those who mourn the loss of their loved ones and who fear for the lives of those still missing. His Holiness offers encouragement to the civil authorities and emergency personnel as they assist the victims of this tragedy. To all he sends his blessing.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Rafic Hariri on Friday morning, in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican. A Communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See reports that the Pope and the Prime Minister held cordial conversation over a range of subjects, including various aspects of the situation in Lebanon. They expressed for the strengthening of stability in the country, and offered the opportunity for expressions of appreciation for the welcome Lebanon has given to many refugees. Pope Francis and Prime Minister Hariri also discussed the broader situation in the Middle East, focusing on the need to find a just and comprehensive solution to the conflicts that plague the region.
The importance of intercultural and interreligious dialogue was also a subject of discussion, as was the value of cooperation between Christians and Muslims to promote peace and justice, along with the historic and institutional role of the Church in Lebanese life and the importance of the Christian presence in the whole region.
Below, please find the full text of the Communique from the Press Office of the Holy See, in its official English translation
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This morning the Holy Father Francis received in audience H.E. Mr. Saad Rafic Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by H.E. Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States. The discussions, which took place in an atmosphere of great cordiality, enabled the examination of various aspects of the situation in Lebanon and the latest developments in the Middle East. Satisfaction was then expressed for the strengthening of stability in the country, in the hope of increasingly fruitful collaboration between the various political powers to promote the common good of the entire Nation. Appreciation for the welcome Lebanon has given to many refugees was reaffirmed, and the parties focused on the need to find a just and comprehensive solution to the conflicts that plague the region. Furthermore, the importance of intercultural and interreligious dialogue was highlighted, as well as the value of collaboration between Christians and Muslims to promote peace and justice, taking into consideration the historic and institutional role of the Church in the life of the country and the importance of the Christian presence in the Middle East.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Only Christ crucified will save us from the demons that make us ” slide slowly into worldliness “, saving us also from the “stupidity” that St. Paul talks about to the Galatians, and from seduction . This was central message of the homily of Pope Francis at his Mass, Friday morning, at the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican. He was reflecting on the episode in Luke’s Gospel where Jesus casts out a demon , which some people interpret as through power of the devil.
Watchfulness against Devil’s stealth
The Pope said the Lord asks us be watchful in order not to enter into temptation. This is why a Christians have to be awake, watchful and careful like a sentinel. Jesus was not narrating a parable but was stating a truth, i.e when the unclean spirit comes out of a man, he roams about in abandoned places looking for refuge and not finding any, decides to return to where he came from, where the freed man lives. Hence the demon decides to bring in “seven other spirits worse than him.” Pope Francis emphasized the word “worse”, saying it has much force in the passage because the demons enter quietly .
Worldliness
The demons thus start being part of the man’s life. With their ideas and inspirations, they help the man to live better and entering his life and heart and start changing him from within, but quietly without making any noise. This method is different from the earlier diabolic possession which was strong, the Pope explained, adding this time it a diabolic possession, something like in a “living room”. The devil slowly changes our criteria to lead us to worldliness. It camouflages our way of acting, which we hardly notice. And so, the man, freed from the demon, becomes a bad man, a man burdened by worldliness. And that’s exactly what the devil wants – worldliness , the Pope stressed.
Worldliness, Pope Francis explained, is a spell, a seduction , because the devil is the “father of seduction”. When the devil enters “so sweetly, politely and takes possession of our attitudes,” the Pope said, our values pass from the service of God to worldliness. Thus we become ” lukewarm Christians, worldly Christians”, a mixture, something that the Pope described as a “ fruit salad ” of the spirit of the world and the spirit of God. All this distances us from the Lord, the Pope said and stressed that the way to avoid it by being vigilant and calm without alarm.
Christ crucified who saves
Watchful means understanding what goes on in my heart, the Pope said, adding, “ It means stopping for a while to examine my life , whether I a Christian, whether I educate my children, whether my life is Christian or worldly?” And one understands this, as Paul points out, by looking at Christ crucified . One understands where worldliness lies and is destroyed before the Lord’s cross. The Crucifix saves us from the charms and seductions that lead us to worldliness.
The Holy Father exhorted Christians to examine themselves whether they look up to Christ crucified, whether they pray the Way of the Cross in order to understand the price of salvation, not just from sins but also from worldliness. The examination of conscience, the Pope said, is done always before Christ crucified, with prayer , after which one has to break loose from one’s comfortable attitudes, through works of charity, visiting the sick, helping someone in need and so on. This breaks the harmony and the spiritual worldliness that the demon together with seven others tries to create in us, the Pope added.
(from Vatican Radio)…