(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis warned African bishops against new and unscrupulous forms of “colonization” such as the pursuit of success, riches, and power at all costs; but also fundamentalism and the distorted use of religion, and new ideologies that destroy the identity of persons and families. He was speaking to representatives of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).
Listen to our report:
Pope Francis told them it is the young people who are the future of Africa, and they need the witness of their pastors. He said the most effective way to overcome the temptation to give in to harmful lifestyles is by investing in education.
“Education will also help to overcome a widespread mentality of injustice and violence, as well as ethnic divisions,” Pope Francis said. “The greatest need is for a model of education which teaches the young to think critically and encourages growth in moral values.”
Pope Francis also warned against a breakdown of the family in Africa, and said the Church is called to evaluate and encourage every initiative to strengthen the family, “which is the real source of all forms of fraternity and the foundation and primary way of peace.”
The Holy Father also praised the work of missionaries and church personnel in helping the elderly and suffering on the continent, giving special mention to those who have given aid in the recent Ebola crisis in west Africa.
Pope Francis praised SECAM for attempting to provide “a common response to the new challenges facing the continent”, allowing the Church to “speak with one voice and to witness to her vocation as a sign and instrument of salvation, peace, dialogue and reconciliation.”
He said to fulfil this mission, it is important that SECAM remain faithful to its identity as “a vibrant experience of communion and of service to the poorest of the poor.”
The full text of Pope Francis’ speech is below the video report
Dear Brother Bishops,
I am pleased to meet with you, the representatives of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, and to encourage your work. SECAM was conceived and developed to be at the service of the local churches in Africa. It seeks to provide a common response to the new challenges facing the continent, allowing the Church to speak with one voice and to witness to her vocation as a sign and instrument of salvation, peace, dialogue and reconciliation. To fulfil this mission, it is important that SECAM remain faithful to its identity as a vibrant experience of communion and of service to the poorest of the poor.
To this end, pastors must remain free from worldly and political concerns, that they continually strengthen the bonds of fraternal communion with the Successor of Peter (through cooperation with the Apostolic Nunciatures), and through easy and direct communication with other Church bodies. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain the simple ecclesial experiences available to all, as well as streamlined pastoral structures. Experience teaches that large bureaucratic structures approach problems in the abstract and risk distancing the Church from people. For this, it is important to be concrete: The concrete can touch reality.
Above all, it is the youth who need your witness: Young people look to us. In Africa, the future is in the hands of the young, who need to be protected from new and unscrupulous forms of “colonization” such as the pursuit of success, riches, and power at all costs; but also fundamentalism and the distorted use of religion, and new ideologies that destroy the identity of persons and families. The most effective way to overcome the temptation to give in to harmful lifestyles is by investing in education. Education will also help to overcome a widespread mentality of injustice and violence, as well as ethnic divisions. The greatest need is for a model of education which teaches the young to think critically and encourages growth in moral values (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 64). An important component in this educational process is the pastoral care of students: in Catholic or public schools there is a need to unite academic studies with the explicit proclamation of the Gospel (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 132-134).
There are various reasons why we are seeing, also in Africa, a trend towards the breakdown of the family. In response, the Church is called to evaluate and encourage every initiative to strengthen the family, which is the real source of all forms of fraternity and the foundation and primary way of peace (cf. JOHN PAUL II, Message for the XXVII World Day of Peace, 1 January 1994). More recently, many priests, men and women religious as well as members of the lay faithful have admirably taken responsibility for the care of families, with a special concern for the elderly, the sick and the handicapped. Even in the most distant and remote regions, your local Churches have proclaimed the Gospel of Life and, following the example of the Good Samaritan, have come to the help of those most in need. A magnificent witness to charity has been given in response to the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus, which has struck many communities, parishes and hospitals. Many African missionaries have generously given their lives by remaining close to those suffering from this disease. This path must be followed with renewed apostolic zeal! As followers of Christ, we cannot fail to be concerned for the welfare of the weakest; we must also draw the attention of society and the civil authorities to their plight.
Dear brothers, I express my appreciation for the invaluable contribution made by so many priests, men and women religious and lay faithful to the proclamation of the Gospel and the social advancement of your people. SECAM is also a means of promoting respect for the law, so as to ensure that the ills of corruption and fatalism may be healed, and to encourage the efforts of Christians in society as a whole, always in view of the common good. The great work of evangelization consists in striving to make the Gospel permeate every aspect of our lives so that we, in turn, can bring it to others. For this reason, it must always be borne in mind that evangelization implies conversion, that is, interior renewal. The process of purification, which is inherent in evangelization, means accepting the call of Christ to “repent and believe the Good News” (cf. Mk 1:15). As a result of this conversion to salvation, not only individuals but the entire ecclesial community is transformed, and becomes an ever greater and more vital expression of faith and charity.
May the light and the strength of the Holy Spirit sustain your pastoral efforts. May the Virgin Mary protect you and intercede for you and for the entire continent of Africa. To each of you, I give my Apostolic Blessing. Please pray for me.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Big cities are “fertile grounds” of evangelization that allows the Church to become a “leaven of Christian life” for citizens.
This was the reflection given by Pope Francis during today’s address to the participants of the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. The Pontifical Council reflected on the theme: “Encountering God in the heart of the city: scenes of the evangelization for the third millennium.”
Listen to Junno Arocho’s report:
The Holy Father began his address by saying that the assembly’s theme follows the path of his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, and concentrates on the challenges of evangelizing urban cultures. However, he also noted that often times, big cities present both opportunities and risks for the Church.
“They can be magnificent spaces of freedom and human fulfillment, but also terrible spaces of dehumanization and unhappiness,” the Pope said.
The Pope said that the Church is called to reach out to those individuals who are usually forgotten and abandoned by others. The lay faithful in particular, he noted, are called to “break the wall of anonymity and indifference” and to show that God is never absent from man’s heart.
“By becoming joyful announcers of the Gospel to their fellow citizens, the lay faithful discovers that there are many hearts that the Holy Spirit has already prepared to receive their witness, their closeness and their attention,” he said.
Saying that big cities are a “fertile ground of apostolate”, the Pope stressed that the laity are called to live a “humble leadership” and become a “leaven of Christian life for the whole city.”
Concluding his address, Pope Francis encouraged the members of the Pontifical Council for the Laity to continue their work in announcing the liberating message of the love of God in its strength, beauty and simplicity.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The challenge to find new ways for women to be “full participants in the various areas of social and ecclesial life…can no longer be postponed,” said Pope Francis.
Speaking on Saturday with members of the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Pope said a “more widespread and incisive female presence” in the Church “is desirable, so that we can see many women involved in pastoral responsibilities, in the accompaniment of persons, families and groups, as well as in theological reflection.”
Listen to the report by Laura Ieraci :
Council members were in Rome, from February 4 to 7, for their plenary assembly. The focus of this year’s plenary was “Women’s Cultures: Equality and Difference.”
The Pope said he is “convinced of the urgency of offering spaces to women in the life of the Church…, taking into account the specific and changing cultural and social sensitivities.”
The Pope noted, however, that the “irreplaceable role of women in the family” cannot be forgotten. While the “effective presence of women” in the public sphere, in decision-making and in the world of work must be encouraged and promoted, so must their “presence and preferential attention for the family” be upheld.
Women must not be left alone to carry the burden of deciding between the family and an effective presence in public life, he said.
“Rather,” he continued, “all institutions, including the ecclesial community, are called to ensure freedom of choice for women, so that they have the possibility to take on social and ecclesial responsibilities in a way that is in harmony with family life.”
Referring to the perception and treatment of a woman’s body in culture and society, the Pope said while it recalls the beauty and harmony that God granted the female body, it also recalls “the painful wounds” inflicted on women, “sometimes with brutal violence.”
In a reference to human trafficking and domestic violence, the Pope said, “the female body is unfortunately, not infrequently, attacked and disfigured, even by those who should be guardians and companions in life.”
“The many forms of slavery, of commodification, of mutilation of women’s bodies, oblige us therefore to work to defeat this form of degradation, which reduces (a woman’s body) to a mere object to sell on various markets,” he emphasized.
The Pope said he also wished to draw attention to “the painful situation of so many poor women, forced to live in dangerous and exploitative conditions,” who are “relegated to the margins of society and made victims of a culture of waste.”
Below is the Vatican Radio translation of the main body of the Pope’s message:
…
The topic that you chose is very close to my heart and already, on different occasions, I have been able to touch upon it and invite to further develop it. It consists of studying new criteria and ways, so that women feel not as guests, but as full participants in the various areas of social and ecclesial life. This is a challenge that can no longer be postponed. I say to the leaders of the Christian communities here, representing the universal Church, but also to laywomen and laymen, engaged in different ways in culture, education, economics, politics, the world of work, families, religious institutions. …
The first theme is: Between equality and difference: seeking a balance. This aspect should not be approached ideologically, because the “lens” of ideology impedes one from seeing reality well. The equality and difference of women—like men—are perceived better from the perspective of “with”, of relationship, than “against”. For some time, we have left behind us, at least in Western societies, the model of the social subordination of women to men, a secular model which, however, has never been spent of all its negative effects.
We have also overcome a second model, that of mere equality, applied mechanically, and of absolute equality. A new paradigm was configured, that of reciprocity and in equivalence and in difference. The man-woman relationship, therefore, should recognize that both are necessary in that they possess, yes, an identical nature, but with their own modality. One is necessary to the other, and vice versa, so as to truly fulfill the fullness of the person.
The second theme: “Generativity” as symbolic code. This turns an intense look to all mothers, and widens the horizon to the transmission and to the protection of life, not limited to the biological sphere, which we could synthesize with four verbs: desire, give birth to, take care of and let go.
In this context, I have in mind and I encourage the contribution of many women who work in the family, in the field of faith education, in pastoral activity, in education, but also in social, cultural and economic structures. You, women, know how to show the tender face of God, his mercy, which translates in the availability to give time more than to occupy spaces, to welcome rather than to exclude. In this sense, I like to describe the feminine dimension of the Church as a welcoming womb that regenerates life.
The third theme: The female body, between culture and biology, recalls for us the beauty and harmony of the body that God has given to women, but also the painful wounds inflicted, sometimes with brutal violence, to them as women. Symbol of life, the female body is, unfortunately, not infrequently, attacked and disfigured, even by those who should be guardians and companions in life.
The many forms of slavery, of commodification, of mutilation of women’s bodies, oblige us therefore to work to defeat this form of degradation, which reduces (a woman’s body) to a mere object to sell on various markets. I wish to draw attention, in this context, on the painful situation of so many poor women, forced to live in dangerous and exploitative conditions, relegated to the margins of society and made victims of a culture of waste.
The fourth theme: Women and religion: fleeing or seeking participation in the life of the Church? Here, believers are challenged in a special way. I am convinced of the urgency of offering spaces to women in the life of the Church and to welcome them, taking into account the specific and changing cultural and social sensitivities. Therefore, a more widespread and incisive female presence in the Community is desirable, so that we can see many women involved in pastoral responsibilities, in the accompaniment of persons, families and groups, as well as in theological reflection.
We cannot forget the irreplaceable role of women in the family. The qualities of gentleness, of particular sensitivity and tenderness, which is abundant in the female soul, represent not only a genuine force for the life of families, for the irradiation of a climate of peace and harmony, but also a reality without which the human vocation would be unfeasible.
It is, furthermore, to encourage and to promote the effective presence of women in many areas of the public sphere, in the world of work and in places where the most important decisions are taken, and at the same time to uphold their presence and preferential attention, altogether special, in and for the family. We must not leave women alone to carry this burden and to make decisions. Rather, all institutions, including the ecclesial community, are called to ensure freedom of choice for women, so that they have the possibility to take on social and ecclesial responsibilities in a way that is in harmony with family life.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See delegation to the United Nations said on Friday “religions and faith-based organizations are partners for sustainable development, and will be potent agents of the achievement of the post-2015 sustainable development goals, as they have been for the MDGs and, indeed, in the history of humanity.”
Speaking at a special event of the UN General Assembly entitled “World Interfaith Harmony: Multi-religious Partnership for Sustainable Development,” Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, said the event was a recognition of the contributions of religions and religious organizations in the life of communities and of the society as a whole.
Listen to the address by Archbishop Auza:
“Moreover, this act is a reminder that in many regions of the world, there are cases of marginalization or restrictions if not open persecution of religions and religious organizations, which constitute not only violations of basic human rights, but also a failure to acknowledge the positive role that religions and faith-based organizations played and continue to play in society,” Archbishop Auza said.
“The unique contribution of religions and the cooperation among them lies in their raison d’être, which is to serve the human person in its entirety,” he added.
The full text of the intervention is below
Intervention of H.E. Archbishop Bernardito Auza
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
at the Special Event of the General Assembly entitled “World Interfaith Harmony: Multi-religious Partnership for Sustainable Development”
New York, February 6, 2015
Mr. President,
At the outset, I wish to congratulate you for convening today’s special event of the General Assembly entitled “World Interfaith Harmony Week: Multi-religious Partnership for Sustainable Development.” Thanking you for your kind invitation to be part of this Panel, I assure you that it is my pleasure to participate in today’s event.
Mr. President,
I believe that this event is a recognition of the contributions of religions and religious organizations in the life of communities and of the society as a whole. The world of faith-based organizations appreciates this gesture.
Moreover, this act is a reminder that in many regions of the world, there are cases of marginalization or restrictions if not open persecution of religions and religious organizations, which constitute not only violations of basic human rights, but also a failure to acknowledge the positive role that religions and faith-based organizations played and continue to play in society.
The unique contribution of religions and the cooperation among them lies in their raison d’être, which is to serve the human person in its entirety. Religions and its institutions care about the whole of the human person:
Striving for authentic human development, they do not compartmentalize development, but work for a well-rounded flourishing of each human person and of the whole human person. Because human progress is an integral part of their vision and mission, besides erecting places of worship they also construct community-building centers, hospitals, schools and universities. They work to protect life and to empower the weak and the oppressed. They help populations develop their natural resources responsibly and protect them from the exploitation of powerful economic and political interests.
They are creative in lifting the poor out of poverty in all its forms, in particular in helping those who are trying to escape the ravages of hunger, poverty, endemic disease and ignorance.
They are not afraid, even to the point of great sacrifices, to fight for justice and raise awareness among the powerful and the rich on the social ends of power and wealth and the universal destination of the goods of this world.
Without pretentions of economic and political domination, they are generally seen as impartial negotiators in conflict resolutions and peace processes.
Locally rooted, they have first-hand knowledge of the many forms of poverty and inequalities. Universally networked, they are effective advocates of causes dear to the United Nations and to the human family as a whole, like the eradication of extreme poverty and the promotion of sustainable development respectful of the environment.
Religions and faith-based organizations would be the first ones to admit that their work was and is sometimes far from perfect, since it was and is the work of imperfect men and women. Notwithstanding, religions and faith-based organizations are partners for sustainable development, and will be potent agents of the achievement of the post-2015 sustainable development goals, as they have been for the MDGs and, indeed, in the history of humanity.
Mr. President,
We are aware and convinced more than ever that development and peace are inseparable and, indeed, interchangeable. As Pope Paul VI affirmed in 1967, development is the new name for peace (Populorum Progressio). Building peace means pursuing development. Extreme disparity between nations provokes discord and puts peace in jeopardy. When we fight poverty and oppose unfair conditions, we are not only furthering the spiritual good of the human person; we are promoting the well-being of the whole human person and the just ordering of societies. For peace is not simply the absence of warfare, based on a precarious balance of power; it is fashioned by our daily efforts spent for an ever greater harmony among individuals and nations. In these areas of human progress, religions and faith-based organizations are more than willing to work and to collaborate with individuals and institutions.
Mr. President, The Holy See and the Catholic Church are aware that because of their work, faith-based organizations can “disturb” certain interests and groups. This is especially true in the fight for justice and the protection of natural resources, like forests and heritage lands of indigenous populations. As Pope Francis affirmed with sadness, today we have more martyrs than in the first centuries! (Angelus, 23 June 2013). He was not only referring to those who were killed for their faith, but also to those who die for justice and the truth. We have thousands of examples of individuals and communities, whose fight for justice and dignity was deeply motivated by their religious faith and their belief in the inherent dignity of each and every the human person. We owe them profound respect and gratitude. We must carry on their fight.
Mr. President,
For its part, the Catholic Church and its vast network of organizations have been and continue to be active in every corner of the globe:
They work to promote universal access to education at its over 200,000 schools throughout the world, and to provide healthcare through almost 40,000 hospitals and care institutions, especially in remote areas otherwise deprived of healthcare.
They have helped and continue to help resolve conflicts through interreligious initiatives and direct mediation in various parts of the world, in Chile and Argentina, in Ecuador and Peru, in Mozambique and in Angola, in Southern Philippines and in Cuba.
The vast network of Catholic humanitarian and development agencies, locally rooted yet universally interconnected, respond to disasters and promote sustainable development, providing services regardless of race, religion and national or ethnic origin.
While these statistics represent only a portion of the selfless efforts and great sacrifice being done by religious organizations and their personnel, they serve as a reminder that no serious efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals will be successful and lasting if religions and faith-based organizations are not actively engaged in policy discussion and implementation.
In this regard, the Holy See continues to be concerned by situations where enacted or proposed legislative and administrative measures place undue limits on the practice of religion and their legitimate activities. Likewise, the Holy See condemns those who use religion as a pretext or justification for violating human rights or committing violence.
National and global decision makers, legal and political systems and all people of goodwill are called to cooperate to ensure that diverse religious expressions are not restricted or silenced.
Every individual and group must be free from coercion and no one should be forced to act in a manner contrary to his or her beliefs, whether in private or public, whether alone or in association with others. Religious intolerance and violence, which continue in some regions and nations even as we speak, at times affecting even majority religious groups, must be condemned. A religion that spouses violence cannot be an agent for development.
The Catholic Church declares its deep and abiding respect for other religions, and it rejects nothing of what is true, noble and holy in these religions. It expects the same from other religions, so that together we can continue to build strong relationships, for the greater good of all humanity.
Thank you, Mr. President.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Child protection experts from five continents began talks in the Vatican on Friday at the first full meeting of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The 17 member Commission was established by Pope Francis in 2014 and includes a range of professional men and women, together with survivors who were sexually abused by priests during their childhoods.
One of the founding members is German Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, head of the Institute of Psychology at Rome’s Gregorian University and director of its Centre for the Protection of Minors. He talked to Philippa Hitchen about the huge challenges facing the Commission and about the difficulties of tackling the broader issues of abuse of power within the Church today..
Listen:
Fr Hans says the Pope has already started the process of looking into the abuse of power in different sectors so he has “put his finger in a wound that has been there for many years” and which reappears over the centuries in the Church….
As Catholics and Christians, Fr Hans says, we have a special responsibility to live authentically what we profess, adding that “it’s one of the major driving forces behind all the reform process that is going on, including the issue of looking at sexual abuse and its roots in the Church”….
Asked about the work of the Pontifical Commission, Fr Hans says it’ll be interesting to meet with members from the five continents, bringing a “language and a world of experience which is different from each other”. Fr Hans notes there are issues that need to be addressed urgently in parts of Africa, such as the abuse of power and the abuse of women, including women religious, by priests. It’s also important, he says, to find the right language to speak about these problems because in some Asian cultures there is so much denial that “sex abuse is an absolute taboo and cannot even be mentioned by the media”.
Asked about accusations of how slowly the work of the Commission is proceeding, Fr Hans says it has no legal or juridical competencies but rather an advisory body to the Holy Father, to the different parts of the Holy See and to local bishops conferences. “It’s not a quick fix topic,” he stresses, and you can’t expect a culture that has developed through hundreds of years can be “detected, analysed and solved within five years or so”.
Certain problems, Fr Hans adds, must be addressed immediately, such as the accountability of bishops, the need to listen to victims and how to deal with offenders. But the most important task, he believes, is working towards “a change in attitude where it becomes normal for seminarians, pastoral workers, catechists, teachers, nurses working in Catholic institutions, that safeguarding of minors is of utmost importance to the Church”.
In some countries, Fr Hans concludes, this work decades ago, but in other countries – including European countries like Poland, Croatia or Hungary – the conversation is only just beginning. But Pope Francis, he says, has put this issue on his top priority list and bishops have to deal with it now.
(from Vatican Radio)…