(Vatican Radio) The Office of Papal Charities has offered hospitality for one year, on behalf of Pope Francis, to a homeless Romanian woman who gave birth to a child overnight on the street located in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. The incident happened in the Piazza Pio XII, located in Italian territory.
The woman and her child were admitted to the nearby Santo Spirito hospital immediately after the birth, and are doing well.
Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, the Papal Almoner, had known the woman previously, since she is among the homeless who live in the neighborhood around St. Peter’s Basilica, and had made use of the facilities provided to the homeless by Pope Francis.
Archbishop Krajewski had also asked her during her pregnancy to make use of the facility for mothers with children run by Blessed Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity.
The Archbishop made the new offer of hospitality when he visited the woman in the hospital. The Office of Charities has also given special assistance to the woman’s partner, who is also Romanian.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with the bishops of Sudan and South Sudan on Wednesday, shortly before his weekly general audience . The bishops are in Rome for a meeting organized by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
During the encounter, the bishops invited the Holy Father to visit South Sudan.
“He said: I am ready. I want to. I want to. I want to. But we have to leave everything in the hands of the Lord,” said Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro, of the Archdiocese of Juba.
Archbishop Loro told Vatican Radio’s 105Live the “issue of peace” is still a priority in both countries, especially South Sudan, “because we are at war.”
South Sudan achieved independence from Sudan in 2011, after decades of a civil war which killed over two million people.
Despite initial hopes of a peaceful future after independence was achieved, a civil conflict broke out in 2013 between factions in South Sudan. The new civil war has killed thousands of people and displaced over one million others.
“Without peace, religion has difficulties,” Archbishop Loro said.
He added the Church must also address the issue of vacant dioceses, as well as providing support for the local clergy.
“We must discuss with our superiors in the Congregation [for the Evangelization of People] about how to proceed and accomplish our goals,” the Archbishop said. “There are many questions from us on how to proceed.”
The Catholic Church in South Sudan has one archdiocese, and six suffragan dioceses. The bishops are members of the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which includes the bishops from Sudan.
Catholics make up over a third of the population in South Sudan. In Sudan, Catholics make up just over 3% of the population, while the vast majority of the people are Muslims.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday received a delegation of Muslims who presented him with an invitation to visit the Mosque of Rome.
The delegation included the imam Yahya Pallavicini from COREIS (The Islamic Community of Italy) and Abdellah Redouane, the director of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy.
After the meeting, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, said Pope Francis “study the invitation, and come to a decision,” but said he “would be cautious about a date.”
He added any dates being publicized in the press are “without foundation.”
Pope Francis made his first visit to Rome’s synagogue on Sunday.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on a cold Wednesday morning in Rome greeted the thousands of people in the warmth of the Paul the VI hall who had gathered for his General Audience.
The Holy Father, during his Catechesis focused his attention on Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which is currently underway. Pope Francis reflected on the theme for the week taken from the first letter of Saint Peter, “Called to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord”, which he said was chosen by an ecumenical group in Latvia.
Listen:
The Pope explained that this Week of Prayer invites us to “reflect on, and bear witness to, our unity in Christ as God’s People.”
He went on to say, that all those baptized, reborn to new life in Christ, are brothers and sisters, despite, “our divisions.”
Continuing on the theme of baptism, he said that it meant rediscovering the source of mercy, which is a source of hope for all, and he underlined, “no one is excluded from God’s mercy.” Sharing this grace, he added “creates an unbreakable bond between us Christians”, so that, by virtue of Baptism, we can consider ourselves brothers.
Concluding his Catechesis, the Holy Father prayed that during this Week of Prayer, the Lord would help all Christians to grow in that unity “which is greater than what divides us,” adding, “together, may we respond to his call to share with others, especially with the poor and forgotten of our world, the gift of divine mercy which we ourselves have received.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) During his catechesis at the weekly General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis focused his attention on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the sacrament of Baptism.
Please find below the Pope’s English language remarks read out loud at the audience.
Dear Brothers and Sisters: In these days we celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year’s theme is drawn from the First Letter of Peter, and was chosen by an ecumenical group from Latvia. In his Letter, Saint Peter encourages the first Christians to acknowledge the great gift received in Baptism and to live in a way worthy of it. He tells them: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people”. This Week of Prayer invites us to reflect on, and bear witness to, our unity in Christ as God’s People. All the baptized, reborn to new life in Christ, are brothers and sisters, despite our divisions. Through Baptism we have been charged, as Saint Peter tells us, “to proclaim the mighty works of the one who has called us out of darkness into his marvellous light”. During this Week of Prayer, let us ask the Lord to help all Christians to grow in that unity which is greater than what divides us. Together, may we respond to his call to share with others, especially with the poor and forgotten of our world, the gift of divine mercy which we ourselves have received.
(from Vatican Radio)…