(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday afternoon will begin the “24 hours for the Lord” with a penitential celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica. The initiative now in its third year will place emphasis once again on the importance of prayer, Eucharistic adoration and the sacrament of reconciliation.
The intention for this year, the Jubilee of Mercy, is to draw people around the world to the mercy of God.
The “24 Hours for the Lord” is being promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.
The English language official at the Council, Fr Eugene Silva told Lydia O’Kane that it is an opportunity once again in this Jubilee Year to place the sacrament of penance and reconciliation back at the centre of ordinary pastoral life.
Listen to this interview with Fr Eugene Silva
He adds, that despite the fact that people can be at times apprehensive about going to confession, “there’s no reason for people to be anxious.”
Putting the 24 hours for the Lord in the context of the Extraordinary Year, Fr Eugene thinks that because the grace of mercy is being talked about more, people will be that much more receptive to immersing themselves in God’s mercy.
Although Rome is a pilgrimage hub, dioceses across the world will be opening their doors to this 24 hour event. But if you happen to be in the Eternal City, there are plenty of opportunities to be part of the initiative.
Pope Francis, on Friday, March 4 in St. Peter’s Basilica, will preside over the Penitential Celebration of the 24 Hours for the Lord.
Later at 9pm people will be able to receive the sacrament of confession and Eucharistic adoration in the churches of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Piazza Navona), Santa Maria in Trastevere (Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere) and the Sacred Stigmata of St. Francis (Largo Argentina).
The next day, Saturday, March 5, the church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will remain open with the presence of priests for confessions until 4pm.
To conclude the third edition of the “24 hours for the Lord”, a celebration of thanksgiving will take place in the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia, near the Vatican which is the Sanctuary dedicated to the Divine Mercy. It will be presided over by Archbishop Rino Fisichella.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) A revamped “Click to Pray” app is officially launched at the Vatican Friday as an initiative for the Jubilee Year of Mercy. The launch also coincides with this year’s 24 Hours for the Lord .
An initiative by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the “Click to Pray” app allows users to take part in a mobile network of prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, with reminders at different points of the day to pray for a specific intention.
Listen to Alexander MacDonald’s report:
The application allows users to ask others for prayer, prompts users to pray for others’ intentions and lets users know the monthly prayer intentions of Pope Francis. Each month is identified with a different prayer theme – February intentions were for Creation and the focus for March is the family.
The app was originally launched in November 2014 by the Apostleship of Prayer in Portugal to help young people pray with the Pope. The new version becomes the digital platform for the global network of the Pope’s prayer efforts. It is available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
The launch coincides with “24 hours for the Lord,” a full day dedicated to opening churches for Eucharistic Adoration and confession in dioceses throughout the world, an initiative of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization.
The Apostleship of Prayer reports that more than 80,000 users registered for the Click to Pray app in Portugal. Asked to transform the app into an international network, the organization re-designed the app to help pilgrims pray with the Pope for the great challenges facing humanity and the Church’s mission in this Year of Mercy. Its focus has also grown from youth to people of all ages.
The Click to Pray app gives an opportunity to pray three times a day: in the morning with Jesus whereby we entrust our lives to the Lord and in communion with the whole Church. At noon, we pray to be more open to the Holy Spirit. At the end of the day we pray to make ourselves available to cooperate with the mission of Christ. Notifications also remind users to pray for challenges of the Church highlighted by Pope Francis.
Click to Pray also gives the ability for users to compose prayers and to ask others to unite with them in prayer. Users may receive inspirational notes and Bible quotations from the Apostleship of Prayer which urge users to be closer to the heart of Jesus.
On learning of the project, Pope Francis has confirmed that he is pleased with the effort and is encouraged that the international prayer network will assist greatly in this Year of Mercy for all Catholics to pray in communion.
The Click to Pray app is present in almost 100 countries, on all continents and in all cultures, uniting potentially millions of people to pray together for the mission of the Church.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Thursday that some organisations at the service of human life “are more interested in the economic side than working for the common good.” He also warned that human nature nowadays is increasingly reduced to a malleable material that can be molded to any design and said the first thing to safeguard is our own humanity. His comments came in an address to participants at the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Participants at the Assembly are discussing the theme of virtue in the ethics of life and in his address to the gathering, Pope Francis stressed the need to welcome and care for human life in all circumstances. At the same time, he said, we must protect our humanity from the poison of selfishness and lies and warned that when it comes to defending human life, it’s not uncommon that so-called “splendid vices” are “masquerading under the name of virtues.”
The Pope explained that whilst there are many institutions working in the service of human life there are also many others that are more interested in the economic side than in striving for the common good.
Departing from his prepared text and speaking off the cuff, the Pope reiterated his frequent warning against ideological colonizations, saying these insinuate themselves into the minds of humans under the form of virtues, modernity and new attitudes. However, in reality, he said, they are taking away our ideological freedom and are afraid of the reality as created by God.
When it comes to virtues, he went on,” it’s not a ‘cosmetic’ question or a beautiful facade” but instead it’s about rooting out dishonest desires from our hearts and of seeking good with sincerity.
In the field of ethnics about life, said the Pope, the norms that sanction respect for human beings, are not enough on their own to fully achieve the wellbeing of the human person. Instead, he said, it’s the virtues of those who work to promote human life that provide the ultimate guarantee that good will be truly respected.
Nowadays, Pope Francis noted, there is no lack of scientific knowledge and technical expertise that can offer support to human life in those situations where it is weak. However, “sometimes humanity is lacking in these situations.” Doing good, the Pope stressed, “is not the correct application of ethical knowledge but instead “presupposes a real concern for the fragile human being.” In this context, he warned that “doctors and all health workers must never abandon a blending of science, technical expertise and humanity” in their work.
In conclusion, Pope Francis reminded his listeners that when it comes to defending and promoting human life, this can be done more effectively only if we are aware of and show the beauty of that life. “By displaying a genuine compassion and the other virtues, you will be precious witnesses of the mercy of the God of life,” he said.
Listen to this report by Susy Hodges:
(from Vatican Radio)…
Pope Francis has told participants of the Pontifical Academy for Life that Virtue is the best that the heart of man offers.
“Virtue is not just a habit, but it is the constantly renewable ability to choose good. Virtue is not an emotion, is not a skill that is acquired through a refresher course, let alone a biochemical mechanism, it is the highest expression of human freedom. Virtue is the best that the heart of man offers,” the Holy Father speaking in Italian told participants who went to see him at the Sala Clementina (Clementine Hall) of the Apostolic Palace.
In Africa, Burkina Faso, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo are members of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
The Academy is holding its general assembly in the Vatican from 3 to 5 March under the theme, “Virtues in the Ethics of Life.”
Established in 1994, the Pontifical Academy studies issues connected with the promotion and the defense of human life from an interdisciplinary perspective. Among other activities, the Academy aims at fostering a culture of life.
The academy categories Pro-life as applying to those members whose principal activity is pastoral or social assistance, or who are active in Pro-life organisations nationally or internationally.
In general, members of the academy have expertise in different fields of biomedical sciences and related disciplines.
(Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va)
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday received Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (East Timor), His Excellency Rui Maria de Araújo, who subsequently met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was accompanied by the under-secretary for Relations with States, Msgr. Antoine Camilleri.
A press statement from the Holy See Press Office called the discussions cordial, and said “the good relations between the Holy See and Timor-Leste were evoked, as well as the historical contribution of the Church to building up the nation and collaboration with the civil Authorities in various social areas, such as education, health and the fight against poverty.”
At the end of the meeting with the Secretary of State, in the Hall of Treaties in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, there took place the exchange of instruments for the ratification of the Accord between the Holy See and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, signed in Dili on 14 August 2015.
The exchange signifies ratification of the agreement which contains 26 articles that recognizes the Church as having juridical rights.
Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin addressed those gathered. He noted that the agreement is the result of many years of negotiations backed by a common spirit of dialogue and cooperation, recognizing the important role the Catholic Church plays in the life of the Timorese people. Commitments have been made in the area of education, health and the fight against poverty.
The legal framework, the Cardinal noted, does not mean special privileges for the Church but simply allows the Church to contribute freely to building a more harmonious society, animated by justice and peace.
The Cardinal concluded by entrusting the people of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the maternal protection of the Mary, Mother of God.
(from Vatican Radio)…