(Vatican Radio) Following the Mass for the Immaculate Conception, and the solemn inauguration of the Jubilee of Mercy with opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis led the crowds in the recitation of the midday prayer to the Blessed Virgin, the Angelus.
Two things are necessary to fully celebrate the day’s feast, the Pope said: first, “to fully welcome God and His merciful grace into our life; second, to become in our own times ‘workers of mercy’ through an evangelical journey.” In imitation of Mary, he said, “we are called to be ‘bearers of Christ’ and witnesses of His love,” especially towards those who are most in need.
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Pope said, “has a specific message to communicate to us: it reminds us that in our lives, everything is a gift, everything is mercy.” Mary helps us to rediscover “divine mercy as the distinctive mark of the Christian . . . You cannot conceive of a true Christian who is not merciful, just as you cannot conceive of God without His mercy.” Mercy, he said, “is the key-word of the Gospel.” For that reason, “we should not be afraid: we should allow ourselves to be embraced by the mercy of God, who waits for us and forgives everything.”
Following the Angelus, Pope Francis called on the crowd to greet Benedict XVI, the pope emeritus, who was present for the Liturgy and who was one of the first pilgrims to pass through the Holy Door.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday opened the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica, inaugurating the Jubilee of Mercy. The ceremony took place after he celebrated Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception in St. Peter’s Square.
Listen to our report:
The rain did not keep the people away: Over 50 thousand arrived, including the President and Prime Minister of Italy, Sergio Mattarella and Matteo Renzi; as well as King Albert II of Belgium with Queen Paola.
Pope Francis, during his homily , highlighted the primacy of grace.
“Were sin the only thing that mattered, we would be the most desperate of creatures,” Pope Francis said. “But the promised triumph of Christ’s love enfolds everything in the Father’s mercy…The Immaculate Virgin stands before us as a privileged witness of this promise and its fulfilment.”
The Holy Father went on to say the Holy Year is “itself a gift of grace.”
“To pass through the Holy Door means to rediscover the infinite mercy of the Father who welcomes everyone and goes out personally to encounter each of them,” he continued.
Pope Francis concluded his homily by saying “as we pass through the Holy Door, we also want to remember another door, which fifty years ago the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council opened to the world.”
Pope Francis said the anniversary cannot be remembered only for the legacy of the Council’s documents, but must also remember the “encounter” which happened at the Council.
“The Jubilee challenges us to this openness, and demands that we not neglect the spirit which emerged from Vatican II, the spirit of the Samaritan, as Blessed Paul VI expressed it at the conclusion of the Council” – he said – “May our passing through the Holy Door today commit us to making our own the mercy of the Good Samaritan.”
After Mass, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door to St. Peter’s, where he was met by his predecessor, Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI, whom he embraced.
The Jubilee will continue this Sunday, when Pope Francis opens the Holy Door in his Cathedral, St. John Lateran, and bishops around the world open Holy Doors in their own Cathedrals, and other designated Churches.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) On Tuesday, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Francis solemnly inaugurated the Jubilee Year of Mercy with the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
“This Extraordinary Holy Year is itself a gift of grace,” the Pope said in his homily To pass through the Holy Door means to rediscover the infinite mercy of the Father who welcomes everyone and goes out personally to encounter each of them.”
The full text of Pope Francis’ prepared homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the Inauguration of the Jubilee of Mercy can be found below:
Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Inauguration of the Jubilee of Mercy
8 December 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In a few moments I will have the joy of opening the Holy Door of Mercy. We carry out this act, so simple yet so highly symbolic, in the light of the word of God which we have just heard. That word highlights the primacy of grace . Again and again these readings make us think of the words by which the angel Gabriel told an astonished young girl of the mystery which was about to enfold her: “Hail, full of grace” (Lk 1:28).
The Virgin Mary was called to rejoice above all because of what the Lord accomplished in her. God’s grace enfolded her and made her worthy of becoming the Mother of Christ. When Gabriel entered her home, even the most profound and impenetrable of mysteries became for her a cause for joy, faith and abandonment to the message revealed to her. The fullness of grace can transform the human heart and enable it to do something so great as to change the course of human history.
The feast of the Immaculate Conception expresses the grandeur of God’s love. Not only does he forgive sin, but in Mary he even averts the original sin present in every man and woman who comes into this world. This is the love of God which precedes, anticipates and saves . The beginning of the history of sin in the Garden of Eden yields to a plan of saving love. The words of Genesis reflect our own daily experience: we are constantly tempted to disobedience, a disobedience expressed in wanting to go about our lives without regard for God’s will. This is the enmity which keeps striking at people’s lives, setting them in opposition to God’s plan. Yet the history of sin can only be understood in the light of God’s love and forgiveness. Were sin the only thing that mattered, we would be the most desperate of creatures. But the promised triumph of Christ’s love enfolds everything in the Father’s mercy. The word of God which we have just heard leaves no doubt about this. The Immaculate Virgin stands before us as a privileged witness of this promise and its fulfilment.
This Extraordinary Holy Year is itself a gift of grace. To pass through the Holy Door means to rediscover the infinite mercy of the Father who welcomes everyone and goes out personally to encounter each of them. This will be a year in which we grow ever more convinced of God’s mercy . How much wrong we do to God and his grace when we speak of sins being punished by his judgment before we speak of their being forgiven by his mercy (cf. Saint Augustine, De Praedestinatione Sanctorum , 12, 24)! But that is the truth. We have to put mercy before judgment, and in any event God’s judgement will always be in the light of his mercy. In passing through the Holy Door, then, may we feel that we ourselves are part of this mystery of love . Let us set aside all fear and dread, for these do not befit men and women who are loved. Instead, let us experience the joy of encountering that grace which transforms all things .
Today, as we pass through the Holy Door, we also want to remember another door, which fifty years ago the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council opened to the world. This anniversary cannot be remembered only for the legacy of the Council’s documents, which testify to a great advance in faith. Before all else, the Council was an encounter. A genuine encounter between the Church and the men and women of our time . An encounter marked by the power of the Spirit, who impelled the Church to emerge from the shoals which for years had kept her self-enclosed so as to set out once again, with enthusiasm, on her missionary journey. It was the resumption of a journey of encountering people where they live: in their cities and homes, in their workplaces. Wherever there are people, the Church is called to reach out to them and to bring the joy of the Gospel. After these decades, we again take up this missionary drive with the same power and enthusiasm. The Jubilee challenges us to this openness, and demands that we not neglect the spirit which emerged from Vatican II, the spirit of the Samaritan , as Blessed Paul VI expressed it at the conclusion of the Council. May our passing through the Holy Door today commit us to making our own the mercy of the Good Samaritan.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican tribunal hearing the criminal case in the leaking of confidential documents – the so-called “Vatileaks II” case – resumed work on Monday morning.
The defendants – three officials and two journalists – were at the trial, with their lawyers.
According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the morning’s session dealt primarily with the requests submitted the previous week by the defense.
The Court refused a request by Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui for dismissal of charges based upon lack of jurisdiction – reaffirming the laws place the case “without uncertainty” in the jurisdiction of the Court of the Vatican City State, and noting she had previously acknowledged this fact.
The Court refused a request for a psychological expert for Msgr. Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, since the court only admits “psychiatric” experts, not “psychological” ones – but adding any relevant personality and behaviour issues of the accused would be adequately ascertained from the trial.
However, the Court allowed almost all of the other requests: An expert requested by Ms. Chaouqui to look at computers and mobile phones; and the acquisition of several documents requested by the defence (texts of e-mails, text messages, various newspaper articles, and previously performed psychiatric evaluation pertaining to Msgr. Vallejo Balda)
The Tribunal also admitted the request presented by the defence for additional witnesses to be called, including figures such as Cardinals Abril y Castelló and Parolin, among others.
On Monday, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, also made a statement defending the process of the trial, stating within the courts of the Vatican City State there “exist all the procedural guarantees characteristic of the most advanced contemporary legal systems.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr Federico Lombardi, S.J., has published a “Note” concerning the ongoing trial concerning the leaking of confidential documents – the so-called “Vatileaks 2.”
Judges and lawyers at Vatican City State Tribunal: guaranteeing a fair trial – Note of Father Federico Lombardi
In recent weeks, since the opening of the trial for the dissemination of reserved documents commonly known as “Vatileaks 2”, many observations and evaluations have been written regarding the judicial system of Vatican City State and in particular on the Tribunal where this trial and its related procedures are taking place. Since many of these observations are inappropriate, or at times entirely unjustified, it would appear opportune to offer some considerations enabling a clearer view and a more just evaluation of this fundamental aspect of the situation.
Firstly, although this should be self-evident, it is necessary to recall that Vatican City State has its own legal order, entirely autonomous and separate from the Italian legal system, and has its own judicial bodies for the various levels of judgement and the necessary legislation in terms of criminal matters and procedure.
Within this latter there exist all the procedural guarantees characteristic of the most advanced contemporary legal systems. Indeed, all the fundamental principles are established and fully implemented: an independent and impartial tribunal constituted by law, the presumption of innocence, the right to a technical defence (by private or ex officio legal representation), and the freedom of the judicial college to form an opinion on the basis of evidence in public hearing and in debate between the prosecution and the defence, leading to the issuance of a sentence able to be substantiated and with the possibility of being contested by appeal and ultimately annulled.
All those engaged in judicial roles, both investigators and judges, are selected via cooptation; they may not be recruited by way of a public selection procedure open to the citizens of the State, as normally occurs in other States. They are selected from among professionals of the highest level, with consolidated experience and a recognised reputation (as may be seen in their curricula vitae, which can be consulted via internet). Indeed, they are all professors in Italian universities.
With regard to the lawyers, a violation of the right to a defence has been hypothesised. In this respect it is necessary to avoid a basic mistake: the current Vatican legislation, applied by the legal authorities, is perfectly in line with procedural law in the majority of jurisdictions throughout the world, where a specific qualification is required for admission to practice in the courts; this is issued subject to certain prerequisites and the possession of specified qualifications. It is therefore unsurprising that a lawyer able to practice in Italy may not be able to do so in Vatican City State, just as he or she would not be able to practice in Germany or France. Arguments to the contrary would imply that a foreign defendant would be able to claim to be represented in Italy by a foreign private lawyer, which is not permitted. Such conditions do not constitute a limit imposed by the Vatican legal order, but rather a further confirmation of its autonomy and completeness.
All lawyers are enrolled on an easily consulted professional register of lawyers with right of audience before the Vatican City State Tribunal. Ex officio or private lawyers may be selected from the professionals on this register.
These are lawyers qualified not only at the Tribunals of the Church and the Holy See, but also in the Italian courts, as they are all registered in the respective councils of the Order of Italian lawyers. In addition, they also possess a second degree in canon law and a further diploma conferred following a three-year specialist course at the Roman Rota. Therefore, they are professionals who, aside from being in authorised to practise in Italy, are also in possession of further knowledge rendering them eligible for practice in a jurisdiction in which a knowledge of canon law is necessary.
These are prerequisites necessary to guarantee the professionalism and competence of those who are entrusted with ensuring the proper conduct of a trial which, for various reasons, attracts broad attention.
(from Vatican Radio)…