(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis spoke of the ‘terrorism of gossip’ as the biggest sign of the devils work in a meeting with priests, religious and seminarians at Naples Cathedral Saturday.
The Gothic ‘Duomo’ – home to the much revered relic of St. Januarius patron Saint of Naples – was the setting for Pope Francis’ first appointment of the afternoon.
He was welcomed by Cardinal Crescenzio Seppe, the Archbishop of Naples and then surrounded by an enthusiastic group of cloistered nuns who had been given special permission to attend the encounter.
The spontaneity of the cloistered set the tone for a convivial meeting, so much so, that in what has become a classic move, Pope Francis began saying “I prepared a speech, but speeches are boring” before launching into a forty minute off-the-cuff reflection on priestly and religious life.
Pope Francis reminded the priests, religious, seminarians and deacons present to put Jesus at the center of their life and not personal problems with their bishop, other priests or members of their community. He said “If the center of your life is someone you have a problem with, you’ll have no joy” and when there’s no joy in life of priest or nun, ‘people can smell it’.
To seminarians, he said “If Jesus isn’t center of your life, postpone ordination”, while he urged religious men and women to nurture a deep relationship with Mary saying “if you don’t know the Mother, you won’t know Son”.
Pope Francis also spoke of the danger of attachment to worldly goods. He said when priests or nuns are attached to money, they unconsciously prefer people with money. Here, in a humorous aside, the Pope told the story of one nun so attached to money that when she fainted someone suggested putting 100 pesos under her nose to wake her up. Instead, ordained and consecrated must always have a preferential option for the poor.
Pope Francis also tested those present asking how many could remember the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Too many of us can’t, he said. He spoke of a convent that remodeled and put TVs in every room, which hindered community life.
“Community life isn’t easy” Pope Francis admitted. Often because “the devil sows jealously” which is revealed in the ‘terrorism of gossip’, that can destroy others. This, he stated “is the greatest sign of the devil’s work”.
But all of these dangers can be avoided by three simple things, Pope Francis concluded: Adoration, love of the Church and apostolic zeal. Warning that the Church isn’t an NGO, Pope Francis said “I leave you with three things: adore Jesus, love the Church, be a missionary”.
The encounter concluded with the veneration of the relics of St. Januarius, a vile of dried blood which each March 19 th on the Feast of the great patron is moved, liquefies and visibly flows again. It has become inseparable in popular imagination with good fortune.
As the Pope kissed the reliquary, cardinal Sepe announced the blood of St Januarius “is already halfway liquefied”. To which Pope Francis calmly responded if the blood only half liquefied it means the Saint thinks we’re only half converted. “We must keep going.”
Following his encounter with the clergy and religious of Naples, Pope Francis held a closed door encounter with the sick and disabled in the Jesuit Church in Naples.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has spoken out against the ‘stink of a corrupt society’ that leaves young people pray to exploitation in the workplace, marginalizes immigrants and corrodes hope in society.
Continuing his whirlwind trip to Pompeii and Naples, Pope Francis on Saturday morning arrived in Scampia, an impoverished neighourhood close to Naples where he received a rapturous welcome from the community there in John Paul II Square. It is an area, which Cardinal Cresenzio Sepe described in his address to the Pope during this visit, as a suburb of Naples, which despite its many problems is rich in resources, especially the Parishes that are committed to spreading the Gospel.
The Holy Father heard from three representatives who included Corazon, an immigrant from the Philippines. She told the Pope she was speaking on behalf of those from his community that are immigrant those who are homeless and he asked Pope Francis to be an authentic voice them.
The Pope also heard from Michele, who spoke to him about the despair of those who can’t find work. He told the Holy Father there are less and less people in his community who have a job before adding that, “we need to believe in the sacredness of work.”
Speaking on behalf of the Prosecutors of Naples, Antonio Bonajuto, President of the Court of Appeal of Naples addressed the Pope describing the effects of corruption in society there saying, “it invalidates public ethics and generates juvenile delinquency, despair and death.” He then appealed to Pope Francis saying, “Indicate to us, Your Holiness, a path of hope to sustain the commitment of all those who pursue law and justice… To these three speakers the Pope offered words of hope and encouragement.
Click here for our video report:
Below a Vatican Radio translation of Pope Francis’ responses:
A heritage of hope in the face of evil
“I wanted to start my visit to Naples from here from this periphery. I greet you all and thank you for your warm welcome! We can really see that Neapolitans are not cold people”
“You belong to a people with a long, complex and dramatic history. Life in Naples has never been easy, but it has never been sad! This is your greatest asset. Daily life in this city, with its difficulties and its hardships and sometimes its trials, produces a culture of life that always helps people to pick themselves up again after every fall, and to ensure that evil never has the last word. This is a beautiful challenge: no, never let evil have the last word. It is this hope, as you well know, this great heritage, this ‘raising of the soul’, which is so precious, but also exposed to assaults and theft. We all know, those who voluntarily take the path of evil steal a piece of hope, earn a little something but steal hope from themselves, from others, from society. The path of evil is one that always steals hope and also robs honest and hardworking people, as well as the good reputation of this city, it
We are all immigrants
Responding to the words of a Filipino immigrant, the Pope said: “I would like to speak to the sister who spoke on behalf of immigrants and the homeless. She asked for a word to ensure that migrants are children of God and citizens. But must we arrive at this point? Are migrants second-class humans? We have to feel that our migrant brothers and sisters are citizens, are like us, God’s children, they are migrants like us, because we are all migrants bound for another country, no? And maybe we will all get there? And nobody will be lost on the way! We are all immigrants, all children of God, children of God who has put us all on a journey, everyone. You cannot say: ‘But migrants are like this … We are not. .. ‘. No! We are all immigrants, we are all on a journey, everyone. And this word is not written in a book, that we are all migrants; it is written in our flesh, eh? In our flesh, in our way of life, and it assures us that in Jesus that we are all children of God, loved children, wanted children, saved children. Think of that! We are all immigrants on the journey of life. None of us have a fixed abode in this land! We all have to leave. And all we have to leave to find God! One before and the other after, or as that old man said, that crafty old man: ‘Yes, yes, all! You go on ahead, I will go last! ‘. All of us, all, we all have to leave”.
The battle against black market labor
Responding to the words of an unemployed man, the Pope said: “Then there were the words of the worker. And I also thank him, because of course I wanted to touch this point, which is a negative sign of our times. Especially the lack of jobs for young people. But you think young people aged 25 years and under, more than 40 percent have no work! But this is serious! What does a young unemployed person do? What is the future? What path can they choose in life? And this is a responsibility not only of the city, not only of the country, but the world! Why? Because there is an economic system that is denying people and now it is the young people’s turn to be discarded, that is without jobs. And this is serious! Why? – ‘But father, there are the works of charity, there are voluntary services, there is Caritas, there is this center, there’s that club, which feeds … ‘. But the problem is not eating, the most serious problem is that it does not give them the chance to bring the bread home, to earn it! And when you do not earn your daily bread, you lose your dignity! And this lack of work steals dignity. We have to struggle with this, we have to defend our dignity as citizens, men, women, youth. And this is the drama of our time. We must not remain silent. And also part-time work. What do I mean by this? The exploitation of people in the workplace! A few weeks ago, a girl who needed work found a job in a tourist agency and these were the conditions: 11 hours of work, 600 Euros per month with no contribution for her pension. ‘Oh, but it’s just 11 hours! If you do not like it, look at the queue of people who are waiting for the job! ‘. This is called slavery, this is called exploitation, this is not human, this is not Christian. And if the person who does this says he is Christian, he is a liar, it is not true, he is not Christian. Even the exploitation of black market labor, where you make people work without a contract, with nothing, and you pay them what you want, this is exploitation of people. Without contributions for their pension or healthcare: ‘Ah, I do not care’. I understand you well, brother, I understand you well and thank you for saying what you said. We must resume the fight for our dignity, which is the struggle to seek, to find, to rediscover opportunities to bring home the bread! This is our battle”.
The stink of corruption
Finally responding to the words of an Appeals Court prosecutor, the Pope said: “He used a beautiful expression ‘path of hope’ and remembered a saying of St. John Bosco: ‘good Christians and honest citizens’, aimed at children and young people. The path of hope for the children, those who are here and everyone is first and foremost that of education, but a real education, the path to educate for a future, and this prevents and helps people to move forward. But he said a word in passing that I would like to take up, a word that is used a lot today, the judge said ‘corruption’, ‘corruption’. But, tell me, if we close the door to immigrants, if we take away people’s work and their dignity, what do you call this? It’s called corruption! It’s called corruption and we all have the opportunity to be corrupt, none of us can say, I’ll never be corrupt. No! It is a temptation, it is slipping, there, there, there, into an easy business, into delinquency, into criminality, into the exploitation of people. How much corruption there is in the world. It is a word that if we study it a bit’, is bad, no? Because corruption is a dirty thing! If we find a dead animal and is corrupted, , it’s ugly. But it also ‘stinks’, corruption ‘stinks’! A corrupt society stinks! A Christian who allows corruption to enter is not Christian, they stink! I Got It? My presence is meant to be an impetus to a journey of hope, rebirth and recovery that is already underway. I know the generous and effective commitment of the Church, present with its community and its services at the very heart of the reality of Scampia; as well as the continued mobilization of voluntary groups, whose help is never lacking. I also encourage the presence and active involvement of the city government, because a community cannot progress without their support, especially in times of crisis and in the presence of difficult and sometimes extreme social situations. ‘Good politics’ is a service to people, which is exercised primarily at a local level, where the weight of failures, delays, real omission is more direct and hurts more. Good politics is one of the highest expressions of charity, service, and love. Do good politics, but among you all: politics concerns everyone! Good politics depends on you all”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Following the celebration of Mass with thousands of faithful at Plebiscito Square, Pope Francis made his way to the Giuseppe Salvia Detention Center of Poggioreale in Naples. The Pope was welcomed to the center by Antonio Fullone, director of the Detention Center and it’s chaplain, Fr. Franco Esposito. The highlight of the visit came as he shared lunch with 120 inmates of the prison. His 12 table guests included an Argentinean and the overseer of the prison, some of whom were given the opportunity to ask the Holy Father a few questions. For his part, the Holy Father addressed the detainees, expressing his happiness at being able to visit them. He spoke at length with them and engaged in a spontaneous “off-the.cuff” conversation. In his prepared remarks that were handed to those present, t he Pope said he came to bring them “the love of Jesus” who came to the world save everyone. “At times you may feel disappointed, discouraged, abandoned by all, but God does not forget his children, He never abandons them!” he said. “He is always at our side, especially in times of trial; He is a Father who is “rich in mercy”, who always turns towards us his serene and benevolent gaze, always waiting for us with open arms.” The Holy Father went on to encourage the prisoners, saying that no matter what mistakes they committed in life, the Lord never tires of showing them the path that leads to Him and that “not even jail bars” can separate them from God’s love. “The only thing that can separate us from Him is our sin, but if we recognize Him and confess with sincere repentance, that very sin becomes the place of encounter with Him, because He is mercy” he said. Acknowledging the many letters he receives from prisoners around the world, the Pope sympathized with them and the undignified conditions many find themselves in. However, he also praised the work of the directors, chaplains, educators and pastoral workers who remain close to them. He also called for the development of a positive experience in prison life so that, once freed, detainees can contribute to both society and the Church. Concluding his remarks, Pope Francis called on the prisoners to live every day in God’s presence. “Even in the midst of so many problems, even serious ones, let us not lose our hope in the infinite mercy of God and in His providence,” he said. (from Vatican Radio)…
Vatican City, 21 March 2015 (VIS) – At 9 a.m. the Pope’s helicopter landed in the sports field in the Scampia quarter, one of the most highly-populated in Naples, built between 1970 and 1990 largely in response to the emergency caused by the earthquake that devastated Naples in 1980. It is among the areas with the highest rates of unemployment in Italy.
From the sports camp the Pope travelled by Popemobile from St. John Paul II Square, where he met with the inhabitants of the zone and with the representatives of various social groups. Francis, surrounded by children, was greeted by the cardinal archbishop of Naples, Crescenzio Sepe, and by two other people who welcomed him on behalf of immigrants and workers.
The Holy Father went on to address those present, frequently deviating from his official text in order to enter into open dialogue with those present. “You belong to a population with a long history, marked by complex and dramatic vicissitudes”, he said. “Life in Naples has never been easy, but it has never been sad. This is your greatest resource: joy. Daily life in this city, with all its difficulties, discomforts and at times its ordeals, produces a culture of life that helps you to get up again after every fall, and to ensure that evil never has the last word. It is hope, as you well know, that is your great patrimony, this ‘lever of the soul’, so precious, but also so exposed to assault and robbery. One who voluntarily sets out on the path of evil steals a piece of hope. … He steals it from himself and from others, from the many honest and hard-working people, from the good name of the city, from its economy”.
He then responded to the Filipina speaker who had previously asked for a word of encouragement on behalf of immigrants and the homeless, who are also “children of God”. Francis, visibly moved, remarked that immigrants must not only be sure of being loved by and dear to God, but must also have the certainty of being citizens, and he remarked that it is the responsibility of all to ensure this. Moreover, he emphasised that we are all migrants, sons of God who walk a path together, as no-one truly has a fixed abode on this earth.
In response to the second speaker, the Pope remarked that the lack of employment is a negative sign of our times, and of a system that discards people, in this case the young who are thus deprived of hope for the future. He reiterated that unemployment, the impossibility of bringing home bread for one’s family, causes the profound suffering that comes with the loss of dignity. He also denounced forms of exploitation such as work without social security or pension contributions, and stressed that it is not possible to consider Christian a person who offers a job involving eleven hours’ work a day without security of any type and with very low rates of pay, and who remarks that if a worker is not willing to accept these conditions, there are many others who will. Francis referred to this form of exploitation as slavery, and urged all those present to combat it at its roots, to fight for dignity and not to give in when faced with injustice.
Finally, he responded to the greetings from a representative of the magistrature, who had spoken about the importance of education in creating honest citizens, and affirmed that undoubtedly the path of education is the way to hope and the best protection against evil.
He also spoke about corruption, affirming that a society that closes its doors to immigration and does not give work to the people is a corrupt society, a society in a state of decomposition, and he warned that, at the same time, no-one may consider himself safe from corruption, as it is very easy to fall victim to it, as it is a “slippery slope towards easy business … towards the exploitation of others. … A Christian who lets corruption in, is not a Christian!” he exclaimed.
Francis encouraged the presence and efforts of the city institutions, as “a community cannot progress without their support”, and he emphasised the need for “good politics”, that is, service to the people, to be carried out in particular in the local context, where the burden of defaults, delays, and omissions is more direct and most keenly felt. “Good politics constitutes one of the highest expressions of charity, service and love”, he remarked. “Implement good policy, together: politics is carried out together”.
“Naples is always ready to rise again, inspired by a hope forged by a thousand trials, that is therefore an authentic and concrete resource you can always count on. Its roots are found in the very soul of the Neapolitans, especially in their religiosity, their piety. … I hope you will have the courage to keep going, with your joy … the courage never to rob anyone of hope. … I hope that you will continue in your search for sources of work, so that all may have the dignity of being able to put food on the table, and to move forward in cleansing your soul, in cleansing your city, in cleansing your society, so that there may no longer be the odour of corruption”….
Vatican City, 21 March 2015 (VIS) – Piazza del Plebicito, the centre of Naples, was crowded with faithful today for the Eucharistic concelebration at which Pope Francis presided at 11 a.m. In his homily the Holy Father commented on the passage from the Gospel of St. John in which Jesus, in the temple, spoke about Himself as a source of “living water”, and the people began to discuss the truthfulness of this assertion. Although the high priests wanted to detain him, “as they did under dictatorships”, noted Francis, the guards returned empty-handed as they had heard “the voice of truth”.
“The Word of the Lord, today as yesterday, always causes division between those who welcome it and those who reject it”, explained the Pontiff. “It is, at times, an inner conflict in our hearts because we experience the fascination, the beauty and the truth of Jesus’ words, but at the same time we reject them because they challenge us and it costs us too much to observe them”.
“Today I have come to Naples to proclaim with you, “Jesus is the Lord! No-one speaks like him! But I don’t want to say it alone: I want to hear it from everyone!” continued Francis, inviting the faithful to repeat this phrase in unison. “He alone has the words of mercy that can heal the wounds of our heart. He alone has the words of eternal life. The Word of Christ is powerful: … its power is that of love, a love that knows no limits, a love that makes us love others before ourselves. The Word of Jesus, the Holy Gospel, teaches us that the truly blessed are the poor in spirit, the non-violent, the meek, workers of peace and justice. It is the strength that changes the world”.
“The Word of Christ is intended to reach out to everyone, in particular those who live in the peripheries of existence, so that they might find in Him the centre of their life and the source of hope. And we, who have had the grace of receiving this Word of Life, are called upon to go, to leave our confines and with zeal bring forth all the mercy, the tenderness, the friendship of God. Go and welcome: in this way the heart of the mother Church and all her children is able to beat. When hearts open up to the Gospel, the world starts to change and humanity is resurrected. If we welcome and live the Word of Jesus every day, we will rise again with Him. The Lenten period that we are living makes this message resound in the Church, as we proceed towards Easter: in all God’s people the hope of rising again with Christ is reignited”.
“Dear Neapolitans”, exclaimed the Bishop of Rome, “make room for hope, do not let yourselves be robbed of hope. Do not fall pray to the promises of easy money or dishonest income. React decisively to the organisations that exploit and corrupt the young, the poor and the weak, with their cynical trade in drugs and other crimes. Corruption and delinquency disfigure the face of this beautiful city! To criminals and all their accomplices, I repeat: convert to love and justice! Let yourselves be found by God’s justice! With the grace of God, Who forgives all, it is possible to return to an honest life. This is asked of you also by tears of the mothers of Naples, mixed with those of Mary, the heavenly Mother. … May these tears soften hard hearts and lead all towards the path of goodness”.
“Today is the beginning of spring, and today is a time of redemption for Naples: it is my wish and my prayer for a city that contains so much spiritual, cultural and human potential, and above all, so much capacity for love. The authorities, the institutions, the various social situations and citizens, all together and in harmony, can build a better future. And the future of Naples is not to withdraw into itself, but instead to open up trustfully to the world. This city can find in Jesus’ mercy, which makes all things new, the strength to go ahead with hope. … To hope is to resist evil. To hope is to see the world through the eyes and heart of God. To hope is to wager on the mercy of God, Who is the Father, and Who always forgives all”.
Following Mass, the Pope transferred to the Poggioreale penitentiary, where he lunched with detainees….