(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is the inaugural contributor to a Lenten pastoral effort of the Prelature of the Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii . “ Keep Lent ” is an initiative of the Prelature’s youth ministry office, which reports several thousand subscribers already from throughout all of Italy and from around the world, including the United States.
The initiative begins on Ash Wednesday , and is based on social media: it will provide a daily Gospel reading and commentary from leading clergymen and lay catechists.
In his 2016 Lenten Message to all the faithful, Pope Francis said, “The digital world is a public square, a meeting-place where we can either encourage or demean one another, engage in a meaningful discussion or unfair attacks,” and encouraged Catholics to lead the way in making good use of God’s gifts in cooperation with the best of human ingenuity.
“In a broken, fragmented and polarized world,” said Pope Francis , “to communicate with mercy means to help create a healthy, free and fraternal closeness between the children of God and all our brothers and sisters in the one human family.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis was the principal celebrant at a Mass offered for the worldwide Capuchin community on Tuesday morning in St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Mass was offered in connection with the presence in Rome and at St. Peter’s of the relics of two great Capuchin saints , who were renowned in their earthly lives as priest-confessors: St. Pius of Pietralcina (or St. Padre Pio as he is popularly known) and St. Leopold of Mandic.
“I speak to you as a brother,” said Pope Francis to the Capuchins present, “and through you I would like to speak to all confessors, especially in the Year of Mercy: the confessional is for pardon – and [even] if you cannot give absolution – let me say hypothetically – please, do not beat up on the penitent; one who comes [to the confessional], comes seeking comfort, pardon, peace in his soul; let him find a father who embraces him and says, ‘God loves you,’ and makes the penitent feel that God really does.”
The Holy Father went on to express a desire to see confessors everywhere with broad minds and open hearts, who never tire of being vehicles of divine pardon, and who understand the suffering of penitents because they know themselves to be sinners and the first to be in need of God’s saving mercy.
“Either you perform the office of Jesus, who forgives, giving His [whole] life in prayer – so many hours there [in the confessional], seated as were those two [Sts. Pius and Leopold] there,” said Pope Francis, “or, you perform the office of the devil who condemns, who accuses – I do not know – I can tell you nothing else.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a greeting to the people of Mexico as they await his arrival telling them that he is travelling to the nation as a “missionary of mercy and peace”. Four days before the start of his apostolic journey to Mexico, the Pope sent a video message to those awaiting him. In the message, in his native Spanish, the Pope highlights the fact that he wants to embrace all Mexican people, especially those who suffer. He also speaks of his devotion for the Blessed Virgin and he expresses his joy at being able to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Please find below Vatican Radio’s translation of the Pope’s video message : Dear brothers and sisters, With not long to go before my visit to Mexico, I am happy, I feel great joy. In my prayers, I always have a thought for all Mexicans. I carry them in my heart. Now I will be able to visit them and tread the soil of this blessed land, so beloved by God and so close to the Virgin Mary. It’s possible that you may be asking yourselves: “What does the Pope want with this journey?” The answer is immediate and it is simple: I want to come as a missionary of mercy and peace; I want to meet with you so we can confess our faith in God together and share a fundamental truth in our lives: that is that that God loves us very much, He loves us with an infinite love which goes well beyond our merits. I want to be as close to you as possible, especially to those of you who are suffering, I want to embrace you and tell you that Jesus loves you very much, that He is always at your side. I am glad to know that you are preparing for the visit by praying a lot. Prayer opens our hearts and prepares it to receive God’s gifts. Prayer gives us the light to see others as God sees them, to love as God loves. Thank you for praying for me because I need your prayers. Would you like me to share with you one of my greatest wishes? It is to be able to visit the home of the Virgin Mary. Like one of her many children, I will go up to the Mother and lay at Her feet all that I carry in my heart. It’s wonderful to be able to visit the maternal home and feel the tenderness of Her benevolent presence. There, I will look into Her eyes and beg Her to never stop looking upon us with mercy, because She is our Mother in Heaven. From this moment, it is to Her that I entrust my journey and all of you, my dear Mexican brothers and sisters. May Jesus bless you and may the Blessed Virgin assist you. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has released a communiqué at the end of its week-long Plenary Assembly at the Vatican. Dated February 8, 2016, the statement details the focal points and proposals that emerged from the six Working Groups of the session, including a request for Pope Francis to remind all authorities in the Church of the importance of responding directly to victims and survivors who approach them, the finalization of a Universal Day of Prayer, and a penitential liturgy.
The communiqué goes on to list upcoming activities of the Commission and partner organizations, including workshops on the legal aspects of the Protection of Minors with a view to to establishing greater transparency around canonical trials, and the development of a website to facilitate sharing of best practices for the protection of minors around the world.
Below, please find the full text, in its official English version, of the communiqué from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
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News Release
Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
8 February 2016
TO BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has had seven full days of meetings in Rome. Meetings of the six Working Groups focused on updates for current projects, and developing and drafting proposals. Outside collaborators who assisted the Working Groups included the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development (CAFOD), and an expert in Penal Canon Law. Draft proposals were presented to the Plenary Assembly for further discussion and decision about policies to propose to the Holy Father. Policies endeavor to recognize the diversity of information and guidance currently available to the Church around the world.
Examples of proposals being finalized for Pope Francis’ consideration include: a request for him to remind all authorities in the Church of the importance of responding directly to victims and survivors who approach them; the finalization of a Universal Day of Prayer and a penitential liturgy.
Workshops on the legal aspects of the Protection of Minors to establish more transparency around canonical trials, with participation of external collaborators, are planned for later in the year and a report and recommendations will be provided at the next Plenary Assembly. A website is also being developed to share Best Practice for the Protection of Minors around the world.
In order to fulfill the mission of the Holy Father’s Chirograph for the Institution of the Commission to promote local responsibility, Commission members are actively in contact with numerous Bishops Conferences, and members of the Commission have presented to Religious Conferences and Congregations on safeguarding minors.
Over the past year or so, Commission members have met with Bishops and child protection authorities in: Philippines, Austria, Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Scotland, Poland, Central America (in Costa Rica), United States National Safe Environment (SECs) and Victims Assistance Coordinators (VACs). As an outcome of the workshop conducted by members of the Commission last August in the Philippines, the Philippine Bishops’ Conference created a child safeguarding office and Pastoral Exhortation on the pastoral care and protection of minors.
A meeting is planned in March in Ghana with Secretaries General of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), and a second meeting with child protection practitioners drawn from the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) in Tanzania. Commission members are also attending the Anglophone Safeguarding Conference in Rome and the United States National Safe Environment and Victims Assistance Coordinators 2016. In 2017 the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) has requested a workshop with Commission members.
The Commission likewise welcomes the recent announcement that in a week’s time the first course offering a diploma in the Safeguarding of Minors at the Pontifical Gregorian University will start with 19 participants from four continents: Africa, Europe, America and Asia.
The September 2016 meeting of the Commission will have a strategic focus on safeguarding minors in Catholic schools, and will invite contributions from experts in Latin America, England and Wales.
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors was created by Pope Francis in March of 2014. The Chirograph of His Holiness Pope Francis states specifically, “The Commission’s specific task is to propose to me the most opportune initiatives for protecting minors and vulnerable adults, in order that we may do everything possible to ensure that crimes such as those which have occurred are no longer repeated in the Church. The Commission is to promote local responsibility in the particular Churches, uniting their efforts to those of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, for the protection of all children and vulnerable adults.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a message of condolences for all those killed and injured in the earthquake that shook southern Taiwan on Saturday.
Rescuers on Sunday pulled more survivors from the remains of a high-rise apartment building but more than 100 people are believed to be still buried in the rubble. Over 170 people have been rescued but at least 26 are known to have died.
Below, please find the text of the message sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of Pope Francis
The Holy Father was saddened to learn of the suffering caused by the deadly earthquake which struck in Tainan, leaving many people dead or seriously injured. He sends prayerful condolences to the families of the deceased and injured, as well as to rescue personnel and the civil authorities. His Holiness, commending the souls of the departed to the tender mercy of God, invokes abundant divine blessings of consolation and strength upon those who mourn and upon all who have been affected by this tragedy.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State
(from Vatican Radio)…