(Vatican Radio) Jesus never forgets the day we encountered Him for the first time; we should ask God for the “grace of memory” so that we can always remember it. That was the Pope’s hope for us in the homily at Mass on Friday morning at the Casa Santa Marta.
An encounter is the means chosen by Jesus to change lives. A good example of this is Paul of Tarsus, the anti-Christian persecutor who, by the time he reached Damascus, had already become an Apostle. Pope Francis spoke about the celebrated episode in the first reading of the day’s liturgy, and related it to the many encounters that appear in the Gospel narratives.
The first encounter
More precisely, Francis considered the “first encounter” with Jesus – the encounter that “changes the life” of those who meet Him: John and Andrew, who stayed with the Master throughout the night; Simon who immediately became “the rock” of the new community; and then the Samaritan, the leper who returned to thank Jesus for healing him, the sick woman who was healed when she touched Christ’s tunic: these, the Pope said, are decisive encounters that should prompt a Christian to never forget his own first encounter with Christ.
“He never forgers, but we forget the encounter with Christ. And this would be a good assignment to do at home, to consider: ‘When have I really felt that the Lord was close to me? When have I felt the need to change my life, or to become better, or to forgive someone? When have I felt the Lord asking something of me? When have I encountered the Lord?’ Because our faith is an encounter with Jesus. This is the foundation of our faith: I have encountered Jesus, as Saul did.”
Daily memory
Pope Francis said we should look inside ourselves sincerely and ask: “When did you say something to me that changed my life, or invited me to take a step forward in my life?”:
“This is a beautiful prayer, and I recommend saying it every day. And when you remember, rejoice in it, in that memory, which is a memory of love. One more beautiful assignment would be to take the Gospels and look at the stories there and see how Jesus encountered the people, how He chose the Apostles… So many encounters with Jesus are there. Maybe one of them is similar to mine. Each one of us has his own.”
Let us remember the first love
And we should not forget, the Pope said, that Christ intends the “relationship with us” in the sense of a predilection, a relationship of love “of you and for you”:
“Pray and ask for the grace of memory. ‘When, Lord, was that first encounter, that first love?’ – so that we might not hear the complaint the Lord makes in Revelation: ‘I have this against you, that you have forgotten your first love’.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the Holy See, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, has participated in a United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “The role of youth in countering violent extremism and promoting peace,” looking at the role of social media plays in the life of young people.
“Young people around the world can use the internet and social media to enter into contact, make friends and learn about the great cultures and traditions of other people in every corner of the world,” said Archbishop Auza. “Unfortunately, these great technological advances can also be manipulated to spread messages of hate and violence.”
He said the phenomenon of young people’s responding to the recruitment of those inciting them to engage in violent extremism develops within a context of disillusionment and missed opportunities, of socio-cultural identity crisis and failed integration, of alienation and dissatisfaction, of intergenerational break-up and broken families.
“A fundamental step in addressing the radicalization of young people is to work with and support the family in its efforts to educate children and young people in the values of dialogue and respect for others, to make them better equipped to resist what appear at first as attractive calls to a ‘higher cause’ and to ‘adventure’ with extremist groups,” he said.
The full text of the intervention by Archbishop Auza is below
Intervention of H.E. Archbishop Bernardito Auza
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
Security Council Open Debate on “The role of youth in countering violent extremism and promoting peace”
New York, 23 April 2015
Your Royal Highness,
At the outset, let me congratulate Jordan for its Presidency during this month and, in particular, for scheduling this debate on the role of young people in countering violent extremism and promoting peace.
The ever-increasing globalization and technological interconnectedness have brought many benefits to our world today, but they have also created new and emerging challenges. Young people around the world can use the internet and social media to enter into contact, make friends and learn about the great cultures and traditions of other people in every corner of the world. Unfortunately, these great technological advances can also be manipulated to spread messages of hate and violence. Today’s debate allows us to examine more in depth how these harmful messages are finding new audiences and how States can work together to face the challenge.
The phenomenon of young people’s responding to the recruitment of those inciting them to engage in violent extremism develops within a context of disillusionment and missed opportunities, of socio-cultural identity crisis and failed integration, of alienation and dissatisfaction, of intergenerational break-up and broken families.
A fundamental step in addressing the radicalization of young people is to work with and support the family in its efforts to educate children and young people in the values of dialogue and respect for others, to make them better equipped to resist what appear at first as attractive calls to a “higher cause” and to “adventure” with extremist groups. The family is the first educator of children. If States really want to reach young people before they are exposed to extremist ideologies, they should “render appropriate assistance to parents…in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities.”1
1 Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 18.2.
Studies and events show that some governments tend to avoid frank and constructive conversations on the question of radicalization. Hiding the problem, however, is counterproductive. Fostering public debate, on the other hand, can encourage young people to ventilate their frustrations before they succumb to extremist ideologies, and can assist the State to articulate policies accordingly. Failure to bring the problem into public discussion may imply disinterest, fear or both, while encouraging debate will ordinarily promote collective confidence and deeper mutual knowledge among the various ethnic or racial, and religious components of society. This dialogue can lead to the formulation of government policies of which all members of the society can claim collective ownership, and offer young people convincing counter-narratives to extremist propaganda.
Indeed, balanced public policy plays a key role in facilitating a solid integration of immigrants in society as citizens. Policies that discourage xenophobic or racist perceptions are much needed, and contribute to the observance of healthy religious and socio-cultural values.
Religion constitutes a potent part of these value systems. Policies and education that seek to minimize or eliminate the faith component of individual and collective identities could leave the young disoriented, alienated, marginalized or excluded, and prone to the message of extremist groups. There is no doubt that the catchwords and slogans used by extremist groups to recruit young people often involve distorted religious and socio-cultural values.
Unemployment and despair also lie behind the vulnerability of many young people towards the propaganda and manipulations of extremist recruiters. Idle minds and hands are highly vulnerable to extreme ideologies. Thus, global economic inequalities and the marginalization and exclusion from development to which they lead are not only a grave social and economic concern, but can become a threat to international peace and security. Thus, achieving social justice is key to counter the phenomenon of young people’s joining extremist organizations.
Your Royal Highness,
In our fight against extremist ideologies and in our efforts to promote a culture of peace, young people themselves are a most precious resource. We can counter extremist recruiters by promoting voices that are trusted and respected among their peers, in the very platforms they use to recruit new members, like the social media.
Faith leaders and organizations must condemn messages of hate in the name of religion and provide young people with the religious formation that fosters understanding and respect between peoples of different faiths. People of faith have a grave responsibility to condemn those who seek to detach faith from reason and to instrumentalize faith as a justification for violence. As Pope Francis emphasized during his visit to Albania on 21 September 2014, no one should consider oneself “to be the ‘armour’ of God while planning and carrying out acts of violence and oppression!”
Thank you, Your Royal Highness
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Monsignor Guillermo Karcher is an Argentinian priest and pontifical usher and has known the Pope for over 20 years. It was he who held Pope Francis’ microphone when he addressed his first words to the world from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica following his election.
In an interview with Vatican Radio marking the Pope’s name-day of Jorge or George, Monsignor Karcher described the Pope as a modern- day St. George because “he is a great fighter against the forces of evil and does this with a truly Christian spirit.” Monsignor Karcher said Pope Francis showed the same strength and same characteristics when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires where he sowed good in order to fight evil and was much loved by his flock.
Despite the Pope’s huge popularity, Monsignor Karcher was asked if Francis gets upset when criticisms are levelled against him, including from those within the Catholic Church. He replied saying that the Pope responds to such criticisms by laughing and saying “OK, it’s better that we know what people are like.” He says this reaction is due to Pope Francis’ freedom of spirit and his interior strength. The Pope, he continued, is carrying forward a ministry entrusted to him for the good of the Church and the world and he does it with a tranquil heart and a feeling of certainty. He also has a strong spirituality and every morning dedicates two hours to prayer and reflection.
Asked what greeting or wish he would like to give the Pope on his name-day, Monsignor Karcher said he hopes the Holy Father will continue to be himself, with his consistency and his transparency because “he is doing so much good.” I hope, he concluded, that St. George protects him and that he continues “this battle for good, by sowing the good that he is already doing.”
Listen to the report by Susy Hodges:
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Here in the Vatican we are marking Saint George’s Day in a special way. Yes, Cardinal Bergoglio may have taken the name Francis as Pope but his Christian name is Jorge, George to you and me. That’s why we’ve chosen to bring you a timely reflection for his Feast day on the 23rd of April. Especially as in England our patron Saint is Saint George. One who’s most often depicted as a soldier fighting a dragon to save someone else’s life.
Monsignor Peter Fleetwood reflects for us on the meaning of this symbolism explaining how dragons may be mythical animals, but myths contains symbols and symbols sum up some aspect of life that is very important or powerful: ” I suspect the dragon represents evil in any form. Some people may not like to hear this , but the dragon may represent evil people”.
Listen to Monsignor Peter Fleetwood in a programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick for the series “Why Bother? Staying Catholic despite it all..” :
We would have to apologise to the Chinese in this respect, Father Peter Fleetwood specifies, for according to an ancient tradition they believe dragons are symbols of good, so exactly the opposite. But this is no Chinese story for as he tells us here in the West : “The dragon is a symbol of the power evil people can wield in this world. They can force good people into submission and either damage them or humiliate them or lead them astray. This is a frightening reality, and it is a reminder that sometimes goodnes and holiness mean bravery in the face of wickedness. At a baptism, the new Christian is exorcised, not because she or he is possessed , but because the Christian Church recognises where human power runs out and we simply have to rely on God. Saint George is a reminder that we need help to survive when evil is about. It may be a naive symbolism, but the pictures and statues of Saint George are all about the battle between good and evil. They also heark back to what Jesus said about his sheep. He was there to protect them , because they needed protection. Saint George is a reminder that sometimes good people are called upon to bother to be brave and offer that protection in place of Jesus”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, has confirmed that Pope Francis will visit Cuba ahead of his visit to the United States in September 2015.
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Father Lombardi said, “I am able to confirm that the Holy Father Francis, having received and accepted the invitation from the civil authorities and bishops of Cuba, has decided to pay a visit to the island before his arrival in the United States for the trip announced some time ago.”
The visit to Cuba is especially significant in light of the role played by Pope Francis in diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Cuba. Leaders from both nations have publicly thanked Pope Francis for his aid in negotiations.
Pope Francis will be the third Pope to visit Cuba. In 1998, Saint John Paul II made the first papal visit to the island nation, meeting Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Later, in 2012, Benedict XVI also visited Cuba.
Pope Francis’ visit to Cuba will precede his journey to Philadelphia in the United States for the World Meeting of Families. During his Apostolic Voyage, the Holy Father will also visit Washington, D.C. and New York City.
No other details of the Holy Father’s planned visit to Cuba have been released.
(from Vatican Radio)…