(Vatican Radio) Remember to pray to the Holy Spirit: this was the message Pope Francis had for pilgrims and tourists who braved the drear and drizzle of a January morning in Rome, to gather in St Peter’s Square beneath the window of the Papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace and pray the Angelus with the Holy Father on this Sunday – the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord and the conclusion of the liturgical season of Christmas.
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Noting that the descent of the Holy Spirit at Christ’s baptism in the Jordan is the sign by which the Lord begins His public teaching ministry, Pope Francis said, “We often pray to Jesus, we pray to the Father, especially when we pray the “Our Father” – but not so frequently do we pray to the Holy Spirit – it is true, no? – He is the Forgotten One.” The Holy Father went on to say, “We need to ask for His help, His strength, His inspiration,” explaining, “the Holy Spirit, who entirely animated the life and ministry of Jesus, is the same Spirit who now leads Christian existence, the existence of [every] man and woman who say they are and want to be Christians.”
Earlier in the day, Pope Francis marked the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord with Mass in the Sistine Chapel, during the course of which he baptized thirty-three infants.
In his homily, the Holy Father focused on three related themes: on the Word of God as nourishment for the soul; on faith as an intrinsically and essentially ecclesial reality – something that is “of the Church” and into which we are incorporated in baptism; on the anointing that is part of baptism, and therefore on the sacrament as one of royal, prophetic and priestly consecration. Departing from his prepared text, the Holy Father offered some homiletic reflections on the importance of prayer – especially of prayer to the Holy Spirit – in the life of Christians. “It is so very important to pray to the Holy Spirit,” he said, “for the Spirit teaches us to carry forward the family, the children – He makes it possible to see that the children grow up in the atmosphere of the Holy Trinity.” The Pope went on to say, “It is precisely the Spirit who leads them forward – and this is why we need not forget to invoke the Holy Spirit often, every day.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
Three young Haitian men who survived the Haitian earthquake of 2010
were received Saturday at the Vatican by Pope Francis along with attendees
of a day-long event to mark the passing of five years since the
devastating quake. They were in Rome courtesy of the Knights of
Columbus. All three are amputees, and two lost their legs during the Jan. 12,
2010 earthquake. Undeterred by their disabilities they took up amputee
soccer, showing off their remarkable skills in a scrimmage with Roman
players at a K of C soccer field in Rome on Friday. The three are
members of Team Zaryen – a Haitian amputee team in Port-au-Prince. Wilfrid Macena, Mackenson Pierre and Sandy J.L. Louiseme received
prosthetic and rehabilitation care through “Healing Haiti’s Children,” a
program sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and the University of
Miami-affiliated Project Medishare. The partnership made available free
prosthetics and rehabilitation to every child who lost a limb in the
earthquake. With Medishare’s medical expertise and the Knights of Columbus’s
funding of nearly $1.7 million to date, a sustainable program was forged
by hiring local Haitians to do much of the fabrication and
rehabilitation work. To date, approximately 1,000 people have received
prosthetic limbs through the program, with more than 25,000 people
receiving additional rehabilitation services. Some of the Haitian amputees, including Macena, Pierre and Louiseme,
signed on as members of a new soccer team composed of amputee athletes
from Port-au-Prince and the surrounding region. In Rome on Saturday, they presented Pope Francis with a jersey with
the number 5 on it to indicate the number of years that have passed
since the event that changed their lives so dramatically. They also
presented the soccer-loving pope from Argentina with a ball signed by
team members. The conference in Rome was called by Pope Francis to focus on the
humanitarian catastrophe and its ongoing impact, and he used the
occasion Saturday to affirm the Church’s closeness to the Haitian
people. The meeting, organized by the Pontifical Commission for Latin
America and the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum,” included a presentation
by Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. Carl Anderson and Dr. Robert Gailey, director of rehabilitation for
Project Medishare, also greeted the pope together with the team. “We are profoundly grateful to the Holy Father for calling this
conference and for remembering the Haitian people, who are too often
forgotten,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “The members of team
Zaryen represent both the loss and the resilience of the Haitian people,
who have both endured and overcome so much since the Earthquake.” The moving story of the prosthetic program and those it has served
has been captured in “Unbreakable: A Story of Hope and Healing in
Haiti,” a documentary that is being aired by several PBS affiliates in
U.S. markets this month. Winner of the Most Inspirational Documentary Award at the DocMiami
International Film Festival’s Florida Documentary Film Festival in
September, the film also follows the story of the amputee soccer team,
named Zaryen (tarantula) after the spider known for its resilience —
even after losing a leg. The team has inspired not only Haitians but also Americans, as it
traveled to the U.S. in 2011 to introduce amputee soccer to troops who
lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan. ( Courtesy Knights of Columbus )…
“Once more, extremism distorts the sense of religion and uses God to motivate a terrible crime,” Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias said. Expressing disgust over the Jan. 7 attack against the offices of French weekly Charlie Hebdo, the Archbishop of Bombay said it “has no justification. The prelate, who is president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, said that he was “deeply saddened by the terrible murderous attack in Paris, which threw the families of the victims and the whole of France in a state of despair and mourning. The Church in India feels the pain of the French people and expresses solidarity to the families who are now mourning their dead.”
Alluding to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Cardinal Gracias said, “we were the target of violent and dangerous religious fundamentalism, which used God to justify violence.” “Religious intolerance is contempt for human beings and life, but also for the Lord. It threatens to destabilize society, communities and even nations. The attack that took place in Paris is criminal and has in no way a justification”. Despite this, he noted, ”we must always be sensitive to religious feelings, and remain on guard against the danger of prejudice based on membership in a community of faithful. As religious leaders, it is our responsibility to proclaim and make livelier the Gospel of peace, the path for dialogue”. (Source: AsiaNews)
(from Vatican Radio)…
Pope Francis will observe a papal tradition on Sunday, the feast of the Baptism of Lord, baptizing 33 infants during a Mass amid the splendor of Michelangelo’s frescos in the Vatican’s famed Sistine Chapel. The 12 male and 21 females are children of Vatican employees. Pouring water over their heads, he will formally welcome the babies as members of the Catholic Church. The commemoration of the Baptism of Jesus by St. John the Baptist in the River Jordan, marks the end of Christmas season in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, and the start of Ordinary Time. The Sistine Chapel is the venue where cardinals gather for a conclave to elect a new pope. Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis there on March 13, 2013.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Pope Francis addressed the participants of a meeting convened by the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum” and the Pontifical Council for Latin America to mark the fifth anniversary of the earthquake that struck Haiti. Among those present were representatives of the Holy See, bishops and Episcopal conferences, as well as charitable and religious organizations.
The two day conference, entitled “The Communion of the Church: Memory and Hope for Haiti, 5 Years After the Earthquake” sought to place a spotlight on continuing reconstruction efforts on the island.
Listen to Junno Arocho’s report:
In his address, Pope Francis thanked the bishops of Haiti as well as the representatives of the charitable institutions who continue to aid the people of the island-nation.
“Through the help given to our brothers and sisters in Haiti, we have shown that the Church is a great body, one in which the various members care for one another. It is in this communion, prompted by the Holy Spirit, that our charitable service finds its deepest motivation.”
Turning his attention towards rebuilding efforts, the Pope explained that all that needs to be done “rests on three solid pillars: the human person, ecclesial communion, and the local Church.”
The person, he said, is at the centre of the Church’s activities, thus ensuring that material needs are met in order to help Haitians to “further their own spiritual and religious lives.”
“In this phase of reconstruction, humanitarian and pastoral activities are not in competition with one another, but rather are complementary,: each needs the other, and together they help Haitians to be mature persons and Christians capable of devoting themselves to the good of their brothers and sisters.”
Regarding the second pillar of ecclesial communion, the Holy Father reflected on the various dioceses, religious institutions and charitable organizations who continue to work in the country. However, he stressed that charity is more authentic and incisive when lived in communion.
“Charity is the inner life of the Church and is manifested in ecclesial communion. Communion between bishops and with bishops, who are the first ones responsible for the service of charity.”
Finally, Pope Francis highlighted the importance of the local Church, encouraging the bishops, priests and religious of Haiti to become witnesses of evangelical charity through prayer, listening to the word of God and receiving the Sacraments.
“The Church in Haiti must become always more alive and fruitful, to witness to Christ and to make its contribution to the development of the nation.”
Concluding his address, the Pope expressed his gratitude to those present and urged them to continue along the path of healing and rebuilding Haiti.
(from Vatican Radio)…