(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday thanked the Vatican security force for their tireless service and warned against crimes that are connected to exploitation and corruption.
The Pope’s words came as he celebrated Holy Mass for the Gendarmerie on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Corps of the Vatican Gendarmes.
In his homily the Pope reflected on the reading of the day from the prophet Amos regarding three different types of people: the exploiter, the crook and the faithful man.
“Crooks love the scam and hate honesty. Crooks love bribes, agreements done in the dark. This is worse than anything, because he believes he’s being honest” he said.
And he pointed out that crooks “trample on the poor” with no concern or thought for the consequences of their actions.
The Pope also spoke of the many people in the world today who have “large, large industries of slave labor” and said that “in the world today slave labor is a style of management.”
Pope Francis also reflected on the figure of the faithful man saying he is the one who follows Jesus and is “a man of prayer, in the double sense that he prays for others and trusts in the prayer of others for him.”
He told those present that their responsibility is to serve by fighting against “scams, against crooks, against exploiters”.
And observing that the responsibility of the gendarmes is to defend honesty,” he said: “I thank you for these two centuries of service, and I wish for all of you that the society of Vatican City, that the Holy See, from the lowest to the highest, recognize your service.”
The Vatican Gendarmerie is the Corps that offers constant watch over Vatican City and the extraterritorial areas belonging to the Holy See. The Corps ensures the security of these places, maintains public order, and works to prevent and stop crime, in addition to carrying out duties as judicial and border police. Pope Pius VII established the force in 1816 after the Congress of Vienna led to the restoration of the Papal States.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The United Nations is hosting a summit of world leaders on Monday to tackle global issues around refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing countries together behind a more humane and coordinated approach.
The one day meeting at the UN headquarters in New York marks the first time the General Assembly has called for a summit on this issue. Organisers hope it will point the way towards a more responsible and predictable system for responding to large movements of refugees and migrants.
Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, is heading the Holy See delegation at the summit and he’s also speaking at a high-level side event on the role of faith based organisations in supporting all people on the move. The event is sponsored by the Vatican’s Permanent Observer mission to the UN, together with Caritas Internationalis and the Geneva based International Catholic Migration Commission.
Philippa Hitchen spoke to Mgr Robert Vitillo, secretary general of the ICMC to find out more ….
Listen:
Mgr Vitillo says some 120 heads of state and other experts will be attending the summit so the Holy See is taking this opportunity to organize an event that will be focused on ‘Responsibility and Solution Sharing’. The Church and other faith groups, he notes, are often in the forefront of responding to the needs of migrants and refugees, both in the emergency phases, as well as in the search for long term solutions for those who cannot return to their homes.
Mgr Vitillo, who is part of the Holy See delegation, points out that Pope Francis has taken a vital global leadership role on this issue, in words but also in deeds, by sponsoring refugee families in Vatican City and challenging every Catholic parish and religious order to do the same.
The message of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, he adds, is that all major global problems today cannot be solved by governments alone, but require a “solidarity approach” with governments working together alongside civil society and faith based structures.
Mgr Vitillo underlines the summit’s recognition that this is global issue. While media attention has largely been focused on Europe, he says, this meeting will show that it’s only a small part of problem, with developing countries continuing to shoulder the greatest burden of taking in refugees. He also hopes the summit will look at migrants and refugees, not just as a problem, but as a necessity for many high income countries and a source of cultural enrichment for all.
UN documents, Mgr Vitillo comments, are often seen as the lowest common denominator in order to achieve consensus and many civil society organisations are already disappointed with the document that’s due to be approved by heads of state on Monday. Rather than being seen as an end it itself, he says it should be seen as the beginning of a process to get states to implement what they’ve signed up to, working with civil society to monitor and evaluate solutions.
Another positive development he points to is the fact that refugees fleeing from persecution were previously considered separately from migrants, but this document talks about both, recognizing that other factors like climate change, abject poverty, or long term displacement force people to leave their homes. By looking at this as a holistic problem, he concludes, “I hope some holistic solutions can flow from it”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has asked for prayers for peace in a world in which war is everywhere.
Speaking on Sunday morning after the Angelus prayer, the Pope said that on Tuesday he will travel to the Umbrian town of Assisi to participate in the Day of Prayer for Peace.
“Today, more than ever, we need peace in this war which is everywhere in the world. Let us Pray for peace!” he said.
Explaining that he is going to Assisi in the footsteps of Saint John Paul II who called for the World Day of Prayer for Peace thirty years ago, he invited all parishes, all ecclesial associations and individual believers across the world to participate in the event with their prayers.
“Following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, a man of brotherhood and meekness, we are all called to offer a strong testimony to the world of our common commitment twoards peace and reconciliation between peoples” he said.
And he appealed to everyone to join in prayer on Tuesday: “may each of us take some time to pray for peace. The whole world united”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged his representatives across the globe to keep a vigilant and lucid gaze on the Church and on the world.
The Pope was addressing Papal Nuncios in the Vatican Clementine Hall on Saturday morning as they concluded a 3-day meeting especially convened during the Holy Year of Mercy.
106 out of the 108 Papal representatives currently in service attended the event – only two were unable to travel to Rome. Among the 108 Papal representatives in service, 103 are Apostolic Nuncios with episcopal rank, and 5 are prelates who perform the mission of Permanent Observer at various international bodies.
During the long and multi-faceted speech to his men on the ground, Pope Francis said “you are the link between the Successor of Peter and the various local Churches” which are vital nourishment for the life of the Church and for the proclamation of God’s message.
And pointing out that without humility no service is possible or fruitful, the Pope said that the humility of a Nuncio passes through his love for the country and for the Church in which he is called to serve.
Pope Francis said that watching, analyzing and reporting back are all necessary tasks, but he said, they are not sufficient in the life of a Nuncio who must also “meet, listen, talk, share, propose and work together, showing sincere love, sympathy and empathy with the people and with the local Church”.
He exhorted them not “to point fingers at” or criticize those whose opinions differ from their own, this – he said – is a miserable tactic of today’s political and cultural wars and must not be a method adopted by the Church.
“Our gaze must be far-reaching and deep” – he said- and the formation of consciences is a primary duty that requires delicacy and perseverance.
And acknowledging that there are many threats in the world that attack the flock, confusing it, disrupting it, dispersing and even destroying it, Pope Francis told the Nuncios they must be aware of the faces of danger that threaten their flocks; and he pointed to the situation of so many Christians in the Middle East who are threatened with eradication thanks also to the complicit silence of many.
“To be ready and happy to spend (sometimes even lose) time with bishops, priests, religious, parishes, cultural and social institutions, is ultimately “the job of a Nuncio” he said.
The Pope also exhorted those present to make sure the Apostolic Nunciature truly is the “Pope’s home”: a place in which the entire ecclesial body can find support and advice, and in which public authorities may find a constant reference point – and not only for diplomatic functions.
“Make sure, he said, that your Nunciature never becomes a refuge for ‘friends and friends of friends’. Flee from gossip and careerists” he said.
Pope Francis then encouraged the Nuncios not to be afraid of facing complex and difficult issues and situations, but warned them against endorsing political or ideological battles “because the Church’s permanence is not based on the consent of parlors or squares, but on loyalty towards the Lord”.
And pointing out that the Church’s true power flows from God’s mercy, the Pope said “We have no right to deprive the world, the diplomatic forum and large areas of international discussion of this wealth that no one else can provide”.
This awareness – he said – encourages us to enter into dialogue with everyone, to be the prophetic voice of the marginalized: “May their cry become our cry and together we can break the barrier of indifference that often reigns to hide hypocrisy and selfishness”.
The Pope then told the Nuncios that “to accompany, you have to move”. He invited them to visit dioceses, religious institutes, parishes and seminaries to understand how God’s people live, what they think and which are the questions they ask.
He told them to be “a true expression of an outgoing Church, or a ‘field hospital’ which is capable of being part of the local Church, of the country or of the institution” to which they have been sent.
“May your diplomatic service be the attentive and clear gaze of the Successor of Peter upon the Church and the world!” he said.
Acknowledging that the speed of our times demands constant and permanent updating and training, Pope Francis said the challenges we face today are great ones and he said papal diplomacy is called to be involved and to make “mercy palpable in this wounded and broken world”.
He said that while the Church must not underestimate current problematics, it is called to look ahead and not be obsessed with the need for immediate results
The Pope told the nuncios not to be afraid to speak with confidence to people and to public institutions certain of the fact that clarity and mercy never confuse or detract from the beauty and the power of truth.
The world, Pope Francis said: “is afraid and is spreading fear. Often this is the key it adopts in its reading of reality and chooses – as its strategy – to build a world founded on walls and moats”.
“We can understand the reasons of that fear, but we must not embrace it, ‘for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control’(2 Tim 1, 7)”.
Draw from this spirit – Pope Francis said – and go: “open doors, build bridges, create ties, make friendships, promote unity. Be men of prayer: never neglect this, especially silent adoration, the true source of your work”.
Fear – he concluded – lives permanently in the darkness of the past and is provisional: “The future is ours because it belongs to Christ!”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Refugees and migrants are more than statistics, Pope Francis told members of the European Confederation and World Union of Jesuit Alumni and Alumnae; they are no different than our own family and friends.
The Jesuit group had been participating in a conference in Rome this week entitled “Global Migration and Refugee Crisis: Time to Contemplate and Act” .
Ann Schneible reports:
In the face of tens of thousands of persons forcibly displaced worldwide, the Pope stressed that it is important to move beyond the statistics, and realize that migrants and refugees “are no different than our own family members and friends.”
“Each of them has a name, a face, and a story,” the Holy Father said,” as well as an inalienable right to live in peace and to aspire to a better future for their sons and daughters.”
The Pope challenged those present to be guided by Jesuit founder, St Ignatius of Loyola, in addressing the challenges which refugees face.
“At this place and time in history, there is great need for men and women who hear the cry of the poor and respond with mercy and generosity.”
The Holy Father said responses to the refugee crisis should be “through acts of mercy that promote their integration into the European context and beyond.”
“Remember that authentic hospitality is a profound gospel value that nurtures love and is our greatest security against hateful acts of terrorism.”
Jesuits also have the important role of providing education for refugee children, many of whom grow up without access to schools, Pope Francis said.
By helping to “transform this educational reality,” he said, the conference participants can “build a stronger Europe and a brighter future for refugees.”
Finally, the Holy Father urged those present to transform their communities “into places of welcome where all God’s children have the opportunity not simply to survive, but to grow, flourish and bear fruit.”
(from Vatican Radio)…