(Vatican Radio) Words, actions and the ability to listen: those are the three factors that determine the good pastor or Christian in whom the faithful recognize consistency and authority. Pope Francis reflected on this theme in his Homily at Santa Marta in the Vatican Thursday.
Listen to our report:
Recalling the day’s Gospel reading in which the people marvel at Jesus’s authoritative teaching, Pope Francis said that people today know “when a priest, a bishop, a catechist, a Christian, has the consistency that gives him authority.” Jesus, he said, “admonishes his disciples” to beware of “false prophets.”
But how to discern the true preachers of the Gospel from the false ones?
Pope Francis said there are three things to look for: how do they speak, what do they do and, do they listen?
Speech, action, listen
“They talk, they do, but another attitude is lacking: that is the basis, which is the very foundation of speaking, of doing. They lack the ability to listen.”
But, the pope said, “the combination of speaking-doing is not enough … “ and can often be deceptive. What Jesus expects of us instead, he said, is to “listen and do – to put into practice:” ‘Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice,’ Jesus said, ‘is like a wise man who built his house upon a rock.’
Beware of “false prophets”
Instead, Pope Francis asserted, those who “hear the words but fail to make them their own…do not listen seriously or fail to put them into practice will be like the one who builds his house on the sand.”
“When Jesus warns people to beware of ‘false prophets’, he says: ‘By their fruits ye shall know them’. And here, by their attitude: so many words, they speak, they do wonders, do great things but they do not have an open heart to hear the Word of God; they are afraid of the silence of the word of God and these are the ‘pseudo Christians’, the ‘pseudo pastors ‘. It’s true, they do good things, it is true, but they lack the rock. ”
Worldly pastors talk too much and listen too little
What such people are lacking, the Pope continued, is “the rock of the love of God, the rock of the Word of God.” And without this rock, he warned, “they can’t preach, they cannot build: they pretend [and] in the end everything collapses.”
These are the “pseudo pastors,” the “worldly pastors…or Christians also, who talk too much,” the Pope added. “They are afraid of silence; maybe they do too much.” And, the Pope insisted, they are not capable of embracing what they’ve heard – [they like the sound of their own voices] – and this does not come from God.”
Highlighting the words, “doing, listening, speaking,” the Pope said, “one who only speaks and does, is not a true prophet, not a true Christian, and in the end everything will collapse: it is not on the rock of God’s love – [it] is not as firm as a rock. One who knows how to listen and [takes action on what he’s heard] , with the strength of the word of another, not his own: that is balance. Even though he is a humble person, that does not seem important – but how many of these great ones are there in the Church! How many great bishops, how many great priests, how many great faithful who listen and do from listening!”
An example of our days, the Pope said, is Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who “did not speak, and was able to listen in silence” and “has done so much!” Neither she “nor her work collapsed,” the Pope added. “The great know how to listen and they do from listening because their trust and their strength is [based] on the rock of Jesus Christ.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday said Jews and Christians can continue to cooperate together “for the good of the peoples of our time” and work for peace together – especially in the Holy Land and the Middle East. Speaking to representatives of B’nai B’rith International, a Jewish organization that sponsors cultural programs and promotes religious tolerance and international cooperation, the Pope recalled the landmark Vatican II declaration, Nostra Aetate which laid the groundwork for the Catholic Church’s relations with Jews. Founded in 1843, B’nai B’rith, which also provides humanitarian aid and community service in needy areas, has a presence in more than 50 countries across the globe.
In his remarks, the Pope said, “respect for life and creation, human dignity, justice and solidarity unite us for the development of society and for securing a future rich in hope for generations to come. In a particular way, we are called to pray and work together for peace. Unfortunately, there are many countries and regions of the world that live in situations of conflict – I think in particular of the Holy Land and the Middle East – and that require a courageous commitment to peace…”
B’nai B’rith monitors and combats anti-Semitism and other human rights abuses around the world, and together with its World Center in Jerusalem, advocates on behalf of the State of Israel.
As a founding member of IsraAid, the World Center works with many other Israeli relief organizations to provide humanitarian aid and disaster and emergency assistance to those in need.
B’nai B’rith is also the largest Jewish sponsor of federally subsidized housing for the elderly in the United States with 42 buildings in 26 communities. Working in partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, B’nai B’rith makes rental apartments available for senior citizens with limited incomes. B’nai B’rith senior housing is open to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap or national origin.
Below, please find the text of Pope Francis’ prepared remarks:
Dear Friends,
I am pleased to greet you during your visit to the Vatican. My predecessors met with delegations of B’nai B’rith International on several occasions, and today I offer you my welcome with renewed respect and affection.
Your organization has enjoyed relations with the Holy See since the promulgation of the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate . This document constituted a milestone on the path of mutual knowledge and esteem between Jews and Catholics, based on the great spiritual patrimony that, thanks be to God, we share in common.
Looking back on these fifty years of regular dialogue between the Catholic Church and Judaism, I cannot help but thank the Lord for the great progress that has been made. Many initiatives fostering reciprocal understanding and dialogue have been undertaken; above all a sense of mutual trust and appreciation has developed. There are many areas in which we as Jews and Christians can continue to work together for the good of the peoples of our time. Respect for life and creation, human dignity, justice and solidarity unite us for the development of society and for securing a future rich in hope for generations to come. In a particular way, we are called to pray and work together for peace. Unfortunately, there are many countries and regions of the world that live in situations of conflict – I think in particular of the Holy Land and the Middle East – and that require a courageous commitment to peace, which is not only to be longed for, but sought after and built up patiently and tenaciously by everyone, especially believers.
During these moments together, I wish to recall with heartfelt gratitude all those who have fostered friendship between Jews and Catholics. I particularly want to mention Saint John XXIII and Saint John Paul II. Saint John saved many Jews during the Second World War, met with them numerous times, and greatly desired a conciliar document on this theme. Regarding Saint John Paul, his various historical gestures remain very much alive in our memories, such as his visit to Auschwitz and to the Great Synagogue of Rome. With the help of God, I wish to walk in their footsteps, encouraged too by the many beautiful encounters and friendships I enjoyed in Buenos Aires.
May the Almighty and Eternal One bless our dialogue abundantly, especially during this year in which we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Nostra Aetate , so that our friendship may always grow deeper and bear abundant fruit for our communities and the entire human family.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said Wednesday that the international community has a duty to protect forced migrants.
Archbishop Tomasi, who is the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, was addressing a meeting of the UNHCR Standing Committee.
Referring to recent developments in Europe that have seen thousands of forced migrants turned away from EU borders and subjected to extreme difficulties and humiliation, Tomasi said that while the plight of so many exiles moves some to “have both compassion and indignation because of the unjust suffering inflicted on them, it also generates an irrational hostility in some groups as if the victims of violence and abuse of their human rights were the culprits for their own condition”.
He called on the international community “to go beyond emotions (…) and translate its duty to protect into action”.
“This – he said – is the real test of solidarity. The first step is an attitude of acceptance that should start at the borders, as indicated in the guidelines produced by the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights”.
And commenting on the fact that “the present situation is also producing asylum-seekers who are not protected by existing juridical instruments”, Tomasi said that “In these present disconcerting circumstances, extraordinary solidarity is called for, specifically a more generous resettlement policy and a stronger commitment to responsibility sharing”.
Please find below the full text of Archbishop Silvano Tomasi’s statement:
Statement by His Excellency Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
and Other International Organizations in Geneva
at 63rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the
United Nations High Commission for Refugees
Geneva, 24 June 2015
Mr. Chairman,
Protection of forcibly uprooted people remains a priority for the international community. The UNHCR High Commissioner reminded the world that in 2014, a daily average of 42,500 people became refugees, asylum-seekers, or internally displaced persons. More than 60 million people for a variety of reasons are displaced from their homes, the highest number since the end of World War II.
The plight of so many exiles moves one to have both compassion and indignation because of the unjust suffering inflicted on them. It also generates an irrational hostility in some groups as if the victims of violence and abuse of their human rights were the culprits for their own condition. The international community has to go beyond emotions, however, and translate its duty to protect into action. This is the real test of solidarity. The first step is an attitude of acceptance that should start at the borders, as indicated in the guidelines produced by the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights at International Borders. (A/69/CRP. 1 23 – July 2014) In these present disconcerting circumstances, extraordinary solidarity is called for, specifically a more generous resettlement policy and a stronger commitment to responsibility sharing.
The present situation is also producing asylum-seekers who are not protected by existing juridical instruments. For example, Pope Francis writes in his new encyclical on the care of our common home (Laudato Si’): “There has been a tragic rise in the number of migrants seeking to flee from the growing poverty caused be environmental degradation. They are not recognized by international conventions as refugees; they bear the loss of the lives they have left behind, without enjoying any legal protection whatsoever.” (n. 25) A similar concern is addressed by the timely Nansen Initiative, that aims at meeting the needs of people displaced across borders in the context of disasters and climate change.
Thus, the current emergency can become an opportunity to be more innovative and to explore new legal forms of protection like: the use of humanitarian visas in a wider way, the encouragement of community-based sponsorships of individuals and families, the opening of legal channels of passage so asylum-seekers may not have to risk their lives on rickety boats or deadly land-crossing or have to pay exorbitant sums to reach a safe haven where to apply for protection. An exclusively security oriented approach overlooks two important facts: that asylum-seekers are not a problem but human persons who are themselves the living victims of tragedies that forced them into exile; and that the common good extends beyond the national borders of a single State.
The dramatic increase in the number of persons requiring international protection is related to the growing phenomenon of failed States, the recourse to violence to solve disputes and the ravages of climate change. These crises, in turn, speak of failed global governance and of global powers becoming passive observers or a distant manipulative influence in the conflicts driving so many innocent civilians from their homes. The critical variable to end the bloodshed and the forced exodus of the population seems to be missing, the political will to reach a concrete solution as also underlined in the UNHCR’s document Solution Strategies. While funding is necessary, prevention is to be pursued more urgently: it will spare much suffering and it will be much less burdensome financially. Again, a variety of national and regional interests impede both the necessary political dialogue and the contextualization of displacement as a consequence of confrontational international relations.
Neighboring countries to failed States, and to States at war, carry the heaviest burden of caring for the refugees they have welcomed into their territory. The international community, however, has to shoulder collectively the responsibility of assisting the victims of the many on-going conflicts. Thus, in the distribution of financial resources for development on the part of international institutions, special consideration should be given to refugee-hosting countries. It is a practical measure that strengthens these countries and prevents the risk of their destabilization and the eventual production of more internally displaced persons and refugees.
Looking ahead, the refugee and displaced persons situation will unfortunately continue for some time. A changed outlook is needed. Forcibly uprooted people can be a resource for their own country’s reconstruction and stabilization in any political effort of reconciliation and peaceful coexistence. In countries of new residence, they contribute their intelligence and their skills in building a common future that benefit all. They are human persons first and the protection of their rights and dignity is an investment that guarantees the respect and protection of the dignity of all.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) A delegation from Philadelphia, Pa. is in Rome this week, making final preparations for the upcoming World Meeting of Families, scheduled to take place in the US city at the end of this coming September. Led by Philadelphia’s archbishop, Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., and the mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter, the delegation is working with the Pontifical Council for the Family and other Vatican offices to finalize details of what will be Pope Francis’ first visit to the United States since his election.
Mayor Nutter told Vatican Radio his city and its people are ready to welcome Pope Francis.
“It is a tremendous honor to be the host city for the World Meeting of Families,” said Nutter, “and of course, for the visit of Pope Francis.” The mayor went on to say, “Our plans are basically in place: to anticipate over a million people, perhaps as many as 1.5 million,” adding, “the logistics, the security, the transportation,” are all going very well. “We’re very excited,” said Mayor Nutter, “we’re ready.”
Click below to hear Mayor Michael Nutter’s extended conversation with Vatican Radio’s Massimiliano Menichetti
Asked about the difficulties in planning such an event, Mayor Nutter said, “Well, maybe not so much, ‘difficulties’, but certainly some challenges: first and foremost, Pope Francis is tremendously popular around the world and certainly in the United States of America – and with that, there will be a lot of people; we need to make sure, first and foremost, that [Pope Francis] is safe and secure; at the same time, as we all know, Pope Francis really enjoys [having] access to the people – he wants to be near people, he wants people to be around him, to talk with him, to touch him, and [so that] he can shake hands with them – that’s a bit of a challenge, but we will work it out – and most of the time, the Pope will get to do whatever he wants to do.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary
of the Joint Working Group between the Catholic Church and the World Council of
Churches, the Holy Father sent a message to Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit General
Secretary World Council of Churches. The Pope’s message was read aloud on
Tuesday afternoon, 23 June, by Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical
Council for Promoting Christian Unity, during a commemorative congress held in
Rome. The following is the English text of the Pope’s message . To the
Reverend Dr Olav Fykse Tveit General
Secretary World Council of Churches The 50th anniversary of the Joint Working
Group between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches is an
occasion of thanksgiving to Almighty God for the meaningful ecumenical
relationship which we enjoy today. So too, it is a moment to thank the Lord for
all that the ecumenical movement has achieved since its beginning over one
hundred years ago, inspired by a longing for the unity which Christ intended
for his body, the Church, and by an emerging sense of sorrow for the scandal of
division between Christians. Since its inauguration in 1965, the Joint
Working Group has fostered the necessary conditions for a greater common
witness of the Catholic Church and the Churches and Ecclesial Communities of
the World Council of Churches. Reflecting on these past 50 years, we should be
encouraged by the collaboration which the Joint Working Group has promoted, not
only in ecumenical issues, but also in the areas of interreligious dialogue,
peace and social justice, and works of charity and humanitarian aid. The Joint
Working Group should not be an inward-looking forum. Rather, it must become
ever more a “think-tank”, open to all the opportunities and challenges facing
the Churches today in their mission of accompanying suffering humanity on the
path to the Kingdom, by imbuing society and culture with Gospel truths and
values. In my Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii
Gaudium , I noted that realities are more important than ideas (cf. n. 233).
The Joint Working Group must be oriented to addressing the real concerns of the
Churches throughout the world. In this way, it will be better suited to
proposing collaborative steps that not only draw the Churches closer together,
but also ensure that they offer an effective diakonia suited to the
people’s needs. In fulfilling this task, the Joint Working
Group distinguishes itself by its own character and aims. The nine reports
produced thus far bear witness to the growing understanding and appreciation of
the bonds of brotherhood and reconciliation which, in the context of the
changing landscape of Christianity in the modern world, sustain Christians in
their common witness and evangelizing mission. We must recognize, though, that
in spite of the many ecumenical achievements of the past half century,
Christian mission and witness still suffer due to our divisions. Disagreements
on various subjects — in particular anthropological, ethical and social issues,
as well as issues related to the understanding of the nature and conditions of
the unity we seek — demand further sustained efforts. Our dialogue must
continue! I encourage the Joint Working Group to further its discussion on
crucial ecumenical issues and, at the same time, to promote ways for Christians
to testify together to the real, though imperfect, communion shared by all the
baptized. May we always trust that the Holy Spirit will continue to assist and
guide our journey, often in new and sometimes unexpected ways. This anniversary similarly is an
opportunity to express our gratitude to all those who, these past 50 years,
have tirelessly served the cause of Christian unity and advanced the joyful
proclamation of the Gospel (cf. Mt 28:18-20). Let us join together in imploring
our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, and in the power of the
Holy Spirit, to grant us the gift of full visible unity among all Christians,
so that the Church will ever more be a sign of hope to the world and an
instrument of reconciliation for all peoples….