Vatican City, 21 January 2016 (VIS) – The Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Lfie and the Societies of Apostolic Life (CIVCSVA) has announced the events relating to the conclusion of the Year of Consecrated Life, to be held from 28 January to 2 February in Rome, which are expected to be attended by more than four thousand consecrated persons from all over the world. On the theme “Consecrated life in communion. The common foundation in the variety of forms”, on these days there will be meetings, prayer vigils, times for regrouping and examining in greater depth the specifics of each form, looking prophetically towards the future”. The aims of the meeting are to get to know better the great mosaic of consecrated life, to live communion rediscovering the single call uniting the variety of forms (Ordo Virginum, monastic life, apostolic institutes, secular institutes, new institutes and new forms of consecrated life), starting out together on the path of the great Jubilee of Mercy that once more gives all consecrated persons the specific mandate of their vocation: to be guided by the Father’s mercy, witnesses and builders of an authentically lived fraternity. The first event will take place on 28 January: a vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, presided by Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, secretary of the CIVCSVA, and in which Cardinal Joao Braz De Aviz, prefect of the Congregation, will participate. On 29 January, all consecrated persons will gather in the Paul VI Hall, while on 30 and 31 January, in five locations in Rome, representatives of each form of consecrated life will meet to explore in greater depth various specific aspects of their vocation. They will subsequently meet in the Paul VI Hall again on 1 February, for an audience with the Holy Father and the Oratory “On the trail of beauty”, directed by Msgr. Marco Frisina. The events will end on 2 February with the morning Jubilee pilgrimage and the Eucharistic celebration for the twentieth World Day of Consecreted Life, celebrated by Pope Francis….
(Vatican Radio) Three thousand pilgrimage operators and rectors of shrines gathered in the Paul VI hall on Thursday to hear Pope Francis speak about the beauty and devotion of those who go on pilgrimages and visit shines, especially in this Jubilee Year of Mercy.
The Pope told these Jubilee participants that making pilgrimages to shrines is one of the most eloquent expressions of the faith of God’s people, and is a form of evangelization which needs to be increasingly promoted and valued.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s report
At Marian shrines and at shrines to the Saints, the Holy Father said, there is a profound spirituality, with each person bringing a special wish from their heart and a special prayer.
But Pope Francis also noted that, it would be a mistake to assume that those who go on a group pilgrimage do not live out the experience in a personal way.
In fact, continued the Pope, pilgrims carry their own history, faith, lights and shadows of their own lives and when they enter a sanctuary they immediately feel at home, welcomed, understood and supported.
The Holy Father went on to say that the pilgrims who come to a sanctuary are often tired, hungry, thirsty physically but also spiritually.
Welcome pilgrims
Those that go on a pilgrimage and who reach their destination, Pope Francis explained, should feel at home, loved and looked on with eyes of mercy. Anyone, he said, young or old, rich or poor, sick or troubled, the curious tourist, can receive a welcome because in each one there is a heart that seeks God.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Stressing the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, especially in this Jubilee Year, the Pope underlined that those who approach the confessional do so because they are repentant of their sins. God, he added, does not condemn, but welcomes and hugs them, like the father of the prodigal son.
The Holy Father also stressed that priests who carry out a ministry in sanctuaries must have a heart of mercy; their attitude must be that of a father.
In conclusion, Pope Francis prayed people would celebrate this Jubilee of Mercy as one big pilgrimage.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday celebrated the feast of St. Agnes in the Vatican with the centuries-old rite of the blessing of the lambs.
Listen to Devin Watkins’ report:
The two lambs blessed by Pope Francis in the Urban VIII Chapel are traditionally less than a year old. Come summer those lambs will be shorn and their wool used to make the Pallium.
The Pallium are white wool stoles, decorated with six black crosses worn by Metropolitan Archbishops around their necks as a symbol of their authority and unity with the Pope.
Agnes means “lamb” in Latin. St. Agnes, a martyr of the early 4th century known for her consecrated virginity, was killed as a young girl for refusing to worship pagan gods. She is buried in the Basilica named for her, located on Rome’s Via Nomentana.
To symbolize St. Agnes’ purity, when being blessed by the Pope, one of the lambs wears a crown of white flowers, while the other wears a red floral wreath to recall her faithful witness even unto death.
Once woven, the Palliums are guarded in an urn at the tomb of St. Peter until the Pope blesses them on June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Last year, Pope Francis modified the Pallium Investiture Ceremony , allowing for archbishops to receive the Pallium in their own diocese.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass on Thursday, the feast of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr. In his homily, the Holy Father prayed that God might preserve us from the sins of envy and jealousy – ugly sins that kill others with words and that exist even in our Christian communities.
Envy is an ugly sin that grows like a weed
The first reading (1 Sam 18:6-9; 19:1-7) tells the story of Saul, the king of Israel, and his jealousy towards David. After the victory over the Philistines, the women joyfully sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” From that day forward, Saul looked on David with suspicion, fearing that David might betray him. Ultimately, Saul decided to kill him. Later he followed the advice of his son and reconsidered. But his wicked thoughts returned. Jealousy, the Pope said, is “a sickness” that returns and brings with it envy:
“How ugly envy is! it is an attitude, it is an ugly sin. And jealousy or envy grows in the heart like a weed: it grows, but it doesn’t allow good plants to grow. It harms everything that its shadow seems to fall upon. There is no peace! It is a tormented heart, it is an ugly heart! But the envious heart, too – we hear it here – leads to killing, to death. And Scripture says clearly: through the envy of the devil, death entered the world.”
Envy kills, even in our communities
“Envy kills,” the Pope said. “It does not tolerate others having something that I do not have. And it always suffers, because the heart of an envious or jealous person suffers. It is a suffering heart!” It is a suffering that desires “the death of others.” “But how many times,” he asked, “in our communities – and we don’t have to look too far to see this – are people killed, through jealousy, with the tongue? Someone is envious of this, of the other, and they begin to gossip – and gossip kills”:
“I too, thinking and reflecting on this passage, invite myself – and everyone – to see if, in my heart, there is any jealousy, any envy, which always leads to death and doesn’t make me happy; because this sickness always leads us to regard the good others possess as if it were against us. And this is an ugly sin. It is the beginning of many, many crimes. Let us ask the Lord to give us the grace not to open the heart to jealousy, not to open the heart to envy, because these things always lead to death.”
Jesus handed over out of envy
Pope Francis concluded by noting that Jesus was handed over to Pontius Pilate because of the envy of the chief priests and the scribes:
“According to the interpretation of Pilate – who was very intelligent, but a coward – envy was what lead to the death of Jesus: the instrument, the ultimate instrument. They handed him over out of envy. Let us also ask the Lord the grace never, because of envy, to hand over to death a brother, a sister of the parish, of the community, or even someone in our neighbourhood. Everyone has their sins, everyone has their virtues. They are specific to each individual. Look at the good, and do not kill with gossip through envy or jealousy.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has appealed to the economic leaders of the world not to forget the poor.
The Pope’s cry for justice and integral development came in a message to the participants of the annual World Economic Forum taking place in Davos, Switzerland.
Present among the over 2,500 participants for the 3-day event are over 1,000 chief executives or company chairs and more than 40 world leaders.
The refugee crisis, climate change and rising interest rates are foreseen to be among the main themes.
Listen to Linda Bordoni’s report on the Pope’s message :
Your primary challenge – the Pope said to the movers and shakers of global economy today – is to “seek to help those poorer than yourselves to attain dignified living conditions, particularly through the development of their human, cultural, economic and social potential.”
Emphasizing the fact that “we must never allow the culture of prosperity to deaden us, make us incapable of “feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor”, he pointed out that “weeping for other people’s pain does not only mean sharing in their sufferings, but also and above all realizing that our own actions are a cause of injustice and inequality”.
In no uncertain terms Pope Francis tells business leaders to open their eyes, see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry for help!”
And quoting from the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee Year of Mercy he said: “May their cry become our own and together may we break down the barriers of indifference that too often reign supreme and mask our hypocrisy and egoism!”
In his message dotted with quotations from encylicals and other church teachings, Pope Francis also mentions the profound and epochal changes we are challenged to face today and he urged leaders to make sure the coming “fourth industrial revolution” which – he said – is “the result of robotics and scientific and technological innovations, does not lead to the destruction of the human person – to be replaced by a soulless machine – or to the transformation of our planet into an empty garden for the enjoyment of a chosen few”.
“On the contrary, he said, the present moment offers a precious opportunity to guide and govern the processes now under way, and to build inclusive societies based on respect for human dignity, tolerance, compassion and mercy”.
The Pope concluded with the appeal to pursue a sustainable and integral development that safeguards the planet and to use the tools of business to help overcome the complex crisis of society and the environment, and to fight poverty.
Please find below the full text of Pope Francis’ message to the 2016 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos:
To Professor Klaus Schwab
Executive President of the World Economic Forum
Before all else, I would like to thank you for your gracious invitation to address the annual gathering of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters at the end of January on the theme: “Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution”. I offer you my cordial good wishes for the fruitfulness of this meeting, which seeks to encourage continuing social and environmental responsibility through a constructive dialogue on the part of government, business and civic leaders, as well as distinguished representatives of the political, financial and cultural sectors.
The dawn of the so-called “fourth industrial revolution” has been accompanied by a growing sense of the inevitability of a drastic reduction in the number of jobs. The latest studies conducted by the International Labour Organization indicate that unemployment presently affects hundreds of millions of people. The financialization and technologization of national and global economies have produced far-reaching changes in the field of labour. Diminished opportunities for useful and dignified employment, combined with a reduction in social security, are causing a disturbing rise in inequality and poverty in different countries. Clearly there is a need to create new models of doing business which, while promoting the development of advanced technologies, are also capable of using them to create dignified work for all, to uphold and consolidate social rights, and to protect the environment. Man must guide technological development, without letting himself be dominated by it!
To all of you I appeal once more: “Do not forget the poor!” This is the primary challenge before you as leaders in the business world. “Those who have the means to enjoy a decent life, rather than being concerned with privileges, must seek to help those poorer than themselves to attain dignified living conditions, particularly through the development of their human, cultural, economic and social potential” (Address to Civic and Business Leaders and the Diplomatic Corps, Bangui, 29 November 2015).
We must never allow the culture of prosperity to deaden us, to make us incapable of “feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and sensing the need to help them, as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own” (Evangelii Gaudium, 54).
Weeping for other people’s pain does not only mean sharing in their sufferings, but also and above all realizing that our own actions are a cause of injustice and inequality. “Let us open our eyes, then, and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry for help! May we reach out to them and support them so they can feel the warmth of our presence, our friendship, and our fraternity! May their cry become our own, and together may we break down the barriers of indifference that too often reign supreme and mask our hypocrisy and egoism!” (Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Misericordiae Vultus, 15).
Once we realize this, we become more fully human, since responsibility for our brothers and sisters is an essential part of our common humanity. Do not be afraid to open your minds and hearts to the poor. In this way, you will give free rein to your economic and technical talents, and discover the happiness of a full life, which consumerism of itself cannot provide.
In the face of profound and epochal changes, world leaders are challenged to ensure that the coming “fourth industrial revolution”, the result of robotics and scientific and technological innovations, does not lead to the destruction of the human person – to be replaced by a soulless machine – or to the transformation of our planet into an empty garden for the enjoyment of a chosen few.
On the contrary, the present moment offers a precious opportunity to guide and govern the processes now under way, and to build inclusive societies based on respect for human dignity, tolerance, compassion and mercy. I urge you, then, to take up anew your conversation on how to build the future of the planet, “our common home”, and I ask you to make a united effort to pursue a sustainable and integral development.
As I have often said, and now willingly reiterate, business is “a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving our world”, especially “if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good” (Laudato Si’, 129). As such, it has a responsibility to help overcome the complex crisis of society and the environment, and to fight poverty. This will make it possible to improve the precarious living conditions of millions of people and bridge the social gap which gives rise to numerous injustices and erodes fundamental values of society, including equality, justice and solidarity.
In this way, through the preferred means of dialogue, the World Economic Forum can become a platform for the defence and protection of creation and for the achievement of a progress which is “healthier, more human, more social, more integral” (Laudato Si’, 112), with due regard also for environmental goals and the need to maximize efforts to eradicate poverty as set forth in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Mr President, with renewed good wishes for the success of the forthcoming meeting in Davos, I invoke upon you and upon all taking part in the Forum, together with your families, God’s abundant blessings.
(from Vatican Radio)…