The visit of His Holiness
Pope Francis to the United Nations comes at a moment of challenge and hope. As
the world struggles to cope with conflict, poverty and climate change, Pope
Francis has been a leading voice for urgent action to protect people and our
planet. I am deeply privileged to
have had the opportunity to meet several times with His Holiness, who impressed
me as a man of great humility and humanity. When we met last year at the
Vatican in May, the Pope urged senior United Nations officials to “work
together in promoting a true, worldwide ethical mobilization which, beyond all
differences of religious or political convictions, will spread and put into
practice a shared ideal of fraternity and solidarity, especially with regard to
the poorest and those most excluded.” International cooperation on
behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people is fundamental to the mission of
the United Nations as enshrined in our Charter, which entered into force 70
years ago next month. As the United Nations works
with partners to address the many emergencies in our world, we are also looking
to build long-term stability. That is why we are so honoured that His Holiness
will visit on the day that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will be
adopted. Pope Francis has called on
people everywhere to work towards realizing the new sustainable development
goals “with generosity and courage”. As I discussed with the Pope, this will
require challenging all forms of injustice. Following the adoption of
the sustainable development goals, attention will shift to the upcoming climate
change conference in December in Paris, where every government in the world
will gather seeking to adopt a new, universal and meaningful climate agreement.
I fully concur with Pope Francis in his recent encyclical that climate change
is a moral issue, in addition to its other dimensions, and one of the principal
challenges facing humanity.
His Holiness rightly cited the solid scientific consensus
showing significant warming of the climate system, with most global warming in
recent decades mainly a result of human activity. Pope Francis and I
wholeheartedly agree on the urgency for action, and the critical need to
support the poorest and most vulnerable members of our human family from a
crisis they did least to cause, but suffer from the most. Other faith groups
have echoed this view, including most recently a gathering of eminent Islamic
scholars and religious leaders. Pope Francis’ message
extends far beyond the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. On the first page
of his recent encyclical, the Pope states that “faced as we are with global
environmental deterioration, I wish to address every person living on this
planet”. The Catholic Church and the
United Nations have a number of shared values and goals, not least ending
poverty, promoting social inclusion, and protecting the environment. As we reflect on the
Organization’s many achievements, we are all too aware of the persisting grave
threats in our world. The conflict in Syria and
the wider impact of violent extremists in the region constitute a colossal
humanitarian tragedy that demands international action. As the plight of
refugees and others searching for a better life has come to the fore,
especially with more arrivals in Europe, the Pope has been a leading advocate
of a humane response. I am deeply grateful for his repeated calls for
compassion. This month, I am convening a
special meeting on the refugee crisis to promote a systematic approach
encompassing not only countries of destination but also countries of transit
and, most important, countries of origin. We must tackle the root causes that
drive so many to flee, including vicious conflict, governance failures, harsh
repression and grave violations of human rights, including religious
persecution. It is also essential to confront the ruthlessness of people
smugglers and traffickers and stop their dangerous crimes. Pope Francis has
demonstrated the value of religious leaders engaging on these pressing global
issues. I count on him and other faith leaders to counteract the prevailing
forces of division and hate with dialogue and understanding. Together, we can
realize our vision of a peaceful world where all people live in safety and
dignity….
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis travels to Havana, on Saturday at the start of his ten day visit to Cuba, the United States and the United Nations in New York. The first part of that pastoral journey will take him to the Cuban capital and then on to the cities of Holguin and Santiago de Cuba on the south-eastern tip of the island, where he’ll rededicate the Caribbean country to Our Lady of Charity of ‘El Cobre’. Pope Francis follows in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who visited Cuba in 2012 and of Pope John Paul II, who was the first pontiff to travel to the communist country in 1998. But Francis will be the first Latin American pope to visit the island, just two months after the announcement of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States – a historic development with which the Vatican was closely involved. Oblate Father Andrew Small is director the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States, but back in the early 2000s he travelled regularly to Cuba as secretary of the U.S. Bishops’ office for Latin America. Ahead of the Pope’s departure, he talked to Philippa Hitchen about the importance of U.S.-Cuban relations and about the welcome Pope Francis will receive from the Cuban people… Listen:
Fr Andrew say the Cuban Church has always been strongly supported by the Church in the United States and that the U.S. bishops have constantly worked for the lifting of the economic embargo that has had such serious repercussions on the lives of ordinary Cubans. Since the “shifting sands following the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 and Cuba’s realignment, less with the Soviet bloc and more with certain forces in Latin America”, Fr Andrew says the economic isolation of the country has continued. But he traces the “reforms and opening up to ownership of small businesses” that have taken place since the previous papal visits….. Fr Andrew notes that the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba has always been very tense and “complicated by forces on the ground” such as the “old guard” in Havana and the exile community in Miami and the Eastern United States. Following the handover of power from Fidel Castro to his brother Raul, Fr Andrew says the new Cuban leader found it “difficult to free himself from the more hardline forces” that were keeping the “memory and principles of the revolution” alive. But the Cuban Church, he continues, has always been “a key partner in helping some of those openings happen without losing face or seeming as if the revolution was crumbling”…. Fr Andrew says that Pope Francis has many advantages as the first Latin American Pope in that he understands the political context of the region and knows many of the players personally. He is “able to come into that and try to seek some new beginning – which is what the party seemed to want but never knew how to get there”, he says. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a videomessage to the people of Cuba on the eve of his Apostolic visit to the country. In the message to the people of Cuba which was broadcast on Thursday evening, Pope Francis said he was visiting their country to share their faith and their hope. He expressed the joy he felt when thinking about their fidelity to the Lord, and the strength it gave him thinking about the courage with which they face the difficulties of everyday and the love with which they help and support each other along the path of life.
Listen
In his broadcast the Pope said his message was a very simple one, but he added, an important and necessary one. It is, Pope Francis said, that Jesus loves you so much, Jesus loves you completely.
The Holy Father continued saying that the Lord loves you from the heart.
“He knows better than anyone else what everyone needs, what are your longings, what is your deepest desire. He never abandons us, and even when we don’t act as he expects us to, he said, Jesus is always at our side, ready to welcome us, to comfort us, to give us a new hope, a new opportunity, a new life.
Thanking the Cuban people for their prayers in advance of his visit, Pope Francis said he wanted to be with them as a missionary of mercy, adding “let me also encourage you to be missionaries of the infinite love of God.
Noting that he would be visiting the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Cobre as a pilgrim, the Holy Father entrusted this Apostolic journey to her.
Pope Francis will visit Cuba from the 19-22 of September.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Pietro Parolin says migration will be one of the most important themes raised by Pope Francis during his visit to Cuba and the U.S. from the 19th to the 28th of September. Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with the Vatican Television Centre, Cardinal Parolin also confirmed that the Pope would definitely relaunch his message during his speeches to the U.S. Congress and the United Nations about the need to care for creation that was at the heart of his recent encyclical Laudato Si. The cardinal spoke too about how he hoped the canonization of Blessed Junipero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, would encourage integration within the U.S. Church of an increasingly relevant and important Hispanic component in the nation.
Asked first about the journey to Cuba and the rapprochement between Havana and Washington, Cardinal Parolin reiterated the Holy See’s view that the (U.S.) economic embargo against Cuba should be lifted. At the same time, he said the bishops hoped that this step could be accompanied “by a greater opening (in Cuba) when it comes to freedom and human rights.”
Touching next on the Pope’s visit to the Shrine of Our lady of Charity of Cobre in Cuba, Cardinal Parolin said it was a “normal” thing to do, because of “the strong Marian devotion of the Latin American and Cuban people” and by going there the Pope would encounter the heart of the Caribbean island and its people.
Asked next whether migration would be one of the main themes of the papal visit to the U.S., Cardinal Parolin said he was sure this would be the case because this is an issue very keenly felt by the Pope to which he often refers. The Cardinal said it was his earnest hope that this encounter between the Pope who is carrying this problem within his heart and a nation that has experienced many waves of migrants landing on its shores “can offer some guidelines” for resolving this ongoing migration crisis.
During his visit to the U.S. Pope Francis is due to canonize blessed Junipero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, whom he has described as the founding father of the United States. When asked whether this event is a call for the U.S. to rediscover its Spanish and Catholic history, Cardinal Parolin agreed. He said the main message offered by this canonization is to encourage integration within the U.S. Church of an “increasingly important and relevant Hispanic component” in the nation.
Turning next to two keenly awaited speeches by Pope Francis, one to the U.S. Congress and another to the United Nations, Cardinal Parolin was asked whether the Pope is likely to relaunch the message contained within his Laudato Si encyclical. He replied saying “yes, definitely” but added that he believed the Pope’s remarks would extend beyond the issue of climate change and encompass a “more integral ecology” that takes into consideration the transcendental nature of the human person possessing fundamental rights, “especially the right to life and religious freedom.”
Asked about the criticism that have been raised by some in the U.S. who consider the papal encyclical an excessively strong attack on the capitalist system, Cardinal Parolin responded by saying he believed the Pope would invite everybody to reflect on those issues, adding that it was realistic to realize that “things are not going in the right direction” and therefore there’s also a need to find ways of solving this. “We need a change,” he said.
The final question put to Cardinal Parolin concerned the Pope’s meeting with families from around the world in the U.S. city of Philadelphia and whether that would be the final chance to listen to families on the road leading to next month’s Synod of Bishops on the Family taking place in the Vatican. The Cardinal said he agreed with that and said what will emerge from this meeting is the beauty of the family and the help that the Gospel can offer to families. He said this would be the positive side, without forgetting the great challenges on this issue. Concluding, the cardinal said the meeting in Philadelphia would give the whole Church “a new enthusiasm” and a desire to proclaim the gospel of the family, whilst at the same time, “helping families who find themselves in whatever type of difficulties in living the Gospel in its fullness which is a source of joy, peace and happiness for all.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
Vatican City, 17 September 2015 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace the Holy Father Francis received in audience the Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States. The cordial discussions offered the opportunity to reaffirm the wish to consolidate the existing good relations between the Holy See and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and to consider issues of common interest, with special attention to the relationship between Church and State, underlining the relevance of religious freedom and spiritual values for social cohesion. Within the context of Luxembourg’s term of presidency of the European Union, attention then turned to various matters of a European and international nature, with particular reference to current conflicts, the issue of migration and the need to provide assistance to refugees and displaced persons, as well as the situation of persecuted religious minorities….