He continued, "We are all called upon to bear witness to and to proclaim the message that 'God is love', that God is not distant from us or insensible to our human affairs. He is close to us, He is always by our side, He walks with us to share our joys and our pains, our hope and our strife. He loves us so much, to the point of making Himself man; He came into the world not to guide us but so that the world might be saved through Jesus. And this is God's love in Jesus, this love that is so difficult to understand but which we feel when we draw close to Jesus. And He always forgives us, He always awaits us, He loves us very much. And the love of Jesus that we feel is God's love".
He added, "the Holy Spirit communicates the divine life to us and therefore allows us to enter into the dynamism of the Trinity, which is a dynamism of love, of communion, of mutual service, of sharing. A person who loves others for the very joy of loving is a reflection of the Trinity. A family in which the members love and help each other is a reflection of the Trinity. A parish in which the members care for each other and share their spiritual and material
assets is a reflection of the Trinity. True love is without limits but knows how to limit itself, in order to move towards the other, to respect the freedom
of the other. Every Sunday we go to Mass, we celebrate the Eucharist together and the Eucharist is like the 'burning bush' in which the Trinity humbly resides and communicates". He explained that it is for this reason that the Church has placed the Feast of Corpus Domini after the Feast of the Trinity. Next Thursday, in accordance with a Roman tradition, Holy Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, followed by a procession with the Holy Sacrament. The Pope invited Romans and pilgrims to participate to "express our wish to be a people united in the unity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I will see you all on Thursday, at 7 p.m., for the procession of Corpus Domini".

___________________________________________________________

FRANCIS PRAYS FOR PEACE AND RECONCILATION IN IRAQ
Vatican City, 15 June 2014 (VIS) - Following today's Marian Angelus prayer, the Holy Father expressed his concern at the dramatic events that are unfolding
in Iraq, and conveyed his hope that the future will bring peace and reconciliation for the people of this country. "I invite you all to join with me in prayer for the beloved Iraqi nation, especially the victims and those who
suffer most keenly the consequences of the escalation of violence, and in particular those, including many Christians, who have had to flee their homes. I wish security and peace upon all the population and hope for a future of reconciliation and justice, in which all Iraqis, regardless of their religious beliefs, will be able to build their homeland together, making it into a model of coexistence".
The Pope also announced that on Sunday 21 September he will visit the Albanian
city of Tirana. "With this brief trip I wish to confirm in the faith the Church
in Albania, and offer my encouragement and love to a country that has suffered greatly as a result of the ideologies of the past".
Before concluding, Pope Francis offered some words to domestic collaborators and carers for the elderly, "who come from all over the world and provide a valuable service to families, especially in their care for the elderly and for those who are not autonomous". He remarked, "Very often we do not do justice to
the great and good work they perform in families. Thank you very much!".

___________________________________________________________

MESSAGE FOR WORLD MISSION DAY
Vatican City, 14 June 2014 (VIS) - The following is the full text of the Holy Father's message for the 188th World Mission Day, to be held on Sunday, 19 October 2014:
"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today vast numbers of people still do not know Jesus Christ. For this reason, the mission ad gentes continues to be most urgent. All the members of the Church are called to participate in this mission, for the Church is missionary by her very nature: she was born 'to go forth'. World Mission Day is a privileged moment when the faithful of various continents engage in prayer and concrete gestures of solidarity in support of the young Churches in mission lands. It is a celebration of grace and joy. A celebration of grace, because the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, offers wisdom and strength to those who are obedient to his action. A celebration of joy, because Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, sent to evangelise the world, supports and accompanies our missionary efforts. This joy of Jesus and missionary disciples leads me to propose a biblical icon, which we find in the Gospel of Luke.
1. The Evangelist tells us that the Lord sent the seventy-two disciples two by
two into cities and villages to proclaim that the Kingdom of God was near, and to prepare people to meet Jesus. After carrying out this mission of preaching, the disciples returned full of joy: joy is a dominant theme of this first and unforgettable missionary experience. Yet the divine Master told them: 'Do not rejoice because the demons are subject to you; but rejoice because your names are written in heaven. At that very moment Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: "I give you praise, Father..." And, turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see"'.
Luke presents three scenes. Jesus speaks first to his disciples, then to the Father, and then again to the disciples. Jesus wanted to let the disciples share his joy, different and greater than anything they had previously experienced.
2. The disciples were filled with joy, excited about their power to set people
free from demons. But Jesus cautioned them to rejoice not so much for the power
they had received, but for the love they had received, 'because your names are written in heaven'. The disciples were given an experience of God's love, but also the possibility of sharing that love. And this experience is a cause for gratitude and joy in the heart of Jesus. Luke saw this jubilation in a perspective of the trinitarian communion: 'Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit', turning to the Father and praising him. This moment of deep joy springs from Jesus' immense filial love for his Father, Lord of heaven and earth, who hid these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to the childlike. God
has both hidden and revealed, and in this prayer of praise it is his revealing which stands out. What is it that God has revealed and hidden? The mysteries of
his Kingdom, the manifestation of divine lordship in Jesus and the victory over
Satan.
God has hidden this from those who are all too full of themselves and who claim to know everything already. They are blinded by their presumptuousness and they leave no room for God. One can easily think of some of Jesus' contemporaries whom he repeatedly admonished, but the danger is one that always
exists and concerns us too. The 'little ones', for their part, are the humble, the simple, the poor, the marginalised, those without voice, those weary and burdened, whom Jesus pronounced 'blessed'. We readily think of Mary, Joseph, the fishermen of Galilee and the disciples whom Jesus called as he went preaching.
3. 'Yes, Father, for such has been your gracious will'. These words of Jesus must be understood as referring to his inner exultation. The word 'gracious' describes the Father's saving and benevolent plan for humanity. It was this divine graciousness that made Jesus rejoice, for the Father willed to love people with the same love that he has for his Son. Luke also alludes to the similar exultation of Mary: 'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit exults in God my Saviour'. This is the Good News that leads to salvation. Mary, bearing in her womb Jesus, the evangeliser par excellence, met
Elizabeth and rejoiced in the Holy Spirit as she sang her Magnificat. Jesus, seeing the success of his disciples' mission and their resulting joy, rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and addressed his Father in prayer. In both cases, it is joy
for the working of salvation, for the love with which the Father loves his Son comes down to us, and through the Holy Spirit fills us and grants us a share in
the trinitarian life.
The Father is the source of joy. The Son is its manifestation, and the Holy Spirit its giver. Immediately after praising the Father, so the evangelist Matthew tells us, Jesus says: 'Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is
easy and my burden light'. 'The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of
all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly
born anew'.
The Virgin Mary had a unique experience of this encounter with Jesus, and thus
became 'causa nostrae laetitiae'. The disciples, for their part, received the call to follow Jesus and to be sent by him to preach the Gospel, and so they were filled with joy. Why shouldn't we too enter this flood of joy?
4. 'The great danger in today's world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience'. Humanity greatly needs to lay hold of the salvation brought by Christ. His disciples are
those who allow themselves to be seized ever more by the love of Jesus and marked by the fire of passion for the Kingdom of God and the proclamation of the joy of the Gospel. All the Lord's disciples are called to nurture the joy of evangelisation. The Bishops, as those primarily responsible for this proclamation, have the task of promoting the unity of the local Church in her missionary commitment. They are called to acknowledge that the joy of communicating Jesus Christ is expressed in a concern to proclaim him in the most distant places, as well as in a constant outreach to the peripheries of their own territory, where great numbers of the poor are waiting for this message.
Many parts of the world are experiencing a dearth of vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. Often this is due to the absence of contagious apostolic fervour in communities which lack enthusiasm and thus fail
to attract. The joy of the Gospel is born of the encounter with Christ and from
sharing with the poor. For this reason I encourage parish communities, associations and groups to live an intense fraternal life, grounded in love for
Jesus and concern for the needs of the most disadvantaged. Wherever there is joy, enthusiasm and a desire to bring Christ to others, genuine vocations arise. Among these vocations, we should not overlook lay vocations to mission. There has been a growing awareness of the identity and mission of the lay faithful in the Church, as well as a recognition that they are called to take an increasingly important role in the spread of the Gospel. Consequently they need to be given a suitable training for the sake of an effective apostolic activity.
5. 'God loves a cheerful giver'. World Mission Day is also an occasion to rekindle the desire and the moral obligation to take joyful part in the mission
ad gentes. A monetary contribution on the part of individuals is the sign of a self-offering, first to the Lord and then to others; in this way a material offering can become a means for the evangelisation of humanity built on love.

--- MPost/386 v1.21
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Cardinal Ricardo EZZATI ANDRELLO, S.D.B., archbishop of Santiago de Chile
COLOMBIA
Archbishop Luis Augusto CASTRO QUIROGA, I.M.C., Tunja
COSTA RICA
Bishop Oscar Gerardo FERN┴NDEZ GUILL╔N of Puntarenas
CUBA
Archbishop Dionisio Guillermo GARC═A IB┴╤EZ, of Santiago de Cuba
ECUADOR
Archbishop Fausto Gabriel TR┴VEZ TR┴VEZ, O.F.M., of Quito
EL SALVADOR
Archbishop Jose Luis ESCOBAR ALAS of San Salvador
GUATEMALA
Bishop Rodolfo VALENZUELA N┌╤EZ of Vera Paz
HAITI
Cardinal Chibly LANGLOIS, bishop of Les Cayes
HONDURAS
Cardinal Oscar A. RODR═GUEZ MARADIAGA, S.D.B., archbishop of Tegucigalpa
MEXICO
Cardinal Francisco ROBLES ORTEGA, archbishop of Guadalajara
NICARAGUA
Bishop S≤crates RenΘ S┴NDIGO JIR╙N, of Juigalpa
PANAMA
Archbishop JosΘ Domingo ULLOA MENDIETA, O.S.A., of Panamß
PARAGUAY
Bishop Catalino Claudio GIM╔NEZ MEDINA, of the Schoenstatt Fathers, bishop of Caacupe
PERU
Archbishop Salvador PI╤EIRO GARC═A-CALDER╙N of Ayacucho
PUERTO RICO
Archbishop Roberto Octavio GONZ┴LEZ NIEVES, O.F.M., of San Juan de Puerto Rico
REPUBLICA DOMINICANA
Bishop Gregorio Nicanor PE╤A RODR═GUEZ of Nuestra Senora de la Altagracia en Higⁿey
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Archbishop Joseph Edward KURTZ of Louisville
URUGUAY
Bishop Rodolfo Pedro WIRZ KRAEMER of Maldonado-Punta del Este
VENEZUELA
Archbishop Diego R. PADR╙N S┴NCHEZ of Cumanß
ASIA
ARAB STATES
His Beatitude Fouad TWAL, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins
BANGLADESH
Archbishop Patrick D'ROZARIO, C.S.C., of Dhaka
CHINA
Archbishop John HUNG SHAN-CHUAN, S.V.D., of Taipei
EAST TIMOR
Bishop Basølio DO NASCIMENTO of Baucau
INDIA (C.C.B.I.)
Cardinal Oswald GRACIAS, Archbishop of Bombay, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (F.A.B.C.)
INDONESIA
Archbishop Ignatius SUHARYO HARDJOATMODJO of Jakarta
IRAN
Archbishop Thomas MERAM of Urmy?, Urmia, Rezayeh of the Chaldeans, deputy president of the Episcopal Conference
JAPAN
Archbishop Peter Takeo OKADA of Tokyo
KAZAKHSTAN
Archbishop Tomash PETA of Mary Most Holy in Astana
KOREA
Bishop Peter KANG U-IL of Cheju
LAOS and CAMBODIA
Bishop Louis-Marie Ling MANGKHANEKHOUN, Apostolic Vicar of PaksΘ (Laos)
MALAYSIA - SINGAPUR - BRUNEI
Archbishop John HA TIONG HOCK of Kuching, Malaysia
MYANMAR
Bishop Felix LIAN KHEN THANG of Kalay
PAKISTAN
Archbishop Joseph COUTTS of Karachi
PHILIPPINES
Archbishop Socrates B. VILLEGAS of Lingayen-Dagupan
SRI LANKA
Cardinal Albert Malcom Ranjith PATABENDIGE DON of Colombo
THAILAND
Archbishop Louis CHAMNIERN SANTISUKNIRAN of Thare and Nonseng
VIETNAM
Mons. Paul B┘I V?N ?OC, archbishop coadjutor of Thánh-Ph⌠ H⌠ Chø Minh
EUROPA
ALBANIA
Archbishop Angelo MASSAFRA, O.F.M., of Shkodrδ-Pult
AUSTRIA
Cardinal Christoph SCH╓NBORN, O.P., archbishop of Vienna
BELGIUM
Archbishop AndrΘ L╔ONARD of Mechelen-Brussels
BELORUS
Archbishop Tadeusz KONDRUSIEWICZ of Minsk-Mohilev, deputy president of the Episcopal Conference
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Bishop Franjo KOMARICA of Banja Luka
BULGARIA
Bishop Christo PROYKOV, apostolic exarch of Sofia for Catholics of Byzantine Rite resident in Bulgaria
CROATIA
Cardinal Josip BOZANI?, archbishop of Zagreb, deputy president of the Episcopal Conference
CZECH REPUBLIC
Archbishop Jan GRAUBNER of Olomouc, deputy president of the Episcopal Conference
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Archbishop Paolo PEZZI, F.S.C.B., of Mother of God at Moscow
FRANCE
Archbishop Georges PONTIER of Marseilles
GERMANY
Cardinal Reinhard MARX, archbishop of Munich and Freising
GREAT BRITAIN:
ENGLAND AND WALES
Cardinal Vincent Gerard NICHOLS, archbishop of Westminster, England
SCOTLAND
Archbishop Philip TARTAGLIA of Glasgow
GREECE
Bishop Franghøskos PAPAMAN╙LIS, O.F.M. Cap., emeritus of Syros and Milos and of Santorini
HUNGARY
Cardinal PΘter ERD?, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, president of the Consilium Conferentiarum Episcoporum Europae (C.C.E.E.)
INTERNATIONAL BISHOPS' CONFERENCE OF SAINTS CYRIL AND METHODIUS
Archbishop Zef GASHI, S.D.B., of Bar, Serbia
IRELAND
Archbishop Diarmuid MARTIN of Dublin, deputy president of the Episcopal Conference
ITALY
Cardinal Angelo BAGNASCO, archbishop of Genoa
LATVIA
Archbishop Zbig?ev STANKEVI?S of Riga, deputy president of the Episcopal Conference
LITHUANIA
Bishop Rimantas NORVILA of VilkaviÜkis, deputy president of the Episcopal Conference
MALTA
Bishop Mario GRECH of Gozo
NETHERLANDS
Cardinal Willem Jacobus EIJK, archbishop of Utrecht
POLAND
Archbishop Stanis?aw G?DECKI, archbishop of Pozna?
PORTUGAL
Msgr. Manuel JosΘ MAC┴RIO DO Nascimento CLEMENTE, Patriarch of Lisbon
ROMANIA
Archbishop Ioan ROBU of Bucure?ti, Bucharest
SCANDINAVIA
Bishop Anders ARBORELIUS, O.C.D., of Stockholm, Sweden
SLOVAKIA
Archbishop Stanislav ZVOLENSK▌ of Bratislava
SLOVENIA
Bishop Andrej GLAVAN of Novo Mesto
SPAIN
Archbishop Ricardo BL┴ZQUEZ P╔REZ of Valladolid
SWITZERLAND
Bishop Markus B▄CHEL of Sankt Gallen
TURKEY
Archbishop Ruggero FRANCESCHINI, O.F.M. CAP., of Izmir
UKRAINE
Archbishop Mieczys?aw MOKRZYCKI of Lviv of the Latins
OCEANIA
AUSTRALIA
Archbishop Denis James HART of Melbourne
NEW ZEALAND
Archbishop John Atcherley DEW of Wellington, president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Oceania (F.C.B.C.O)
PACIFIC
Bishop Soane Patita Paini MAFI of Tonga, Fiji
PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND SOLOMON ISLANDS
Bishop Arnold OROWAE of Wabag, Papua New Guinea
IX. NOMINEES FROM THE UNION OF SUPERIOR GENERALS
Rev. Fr. Adolfo NICOL┴S PACH╙N, S.J., prepositor general of the Society of Jesus
Rev. Fr. Mauro J╓HRI, O.F.M. Cap., minister general of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
Rev. Fr. Mario ALDEGANI, C.S.I., father general of the Congregation of St. Joseph (Josephites of Murialdo)
X. HEADS OF THE DICASTERIES OF THE ROMAN CURIA
Cardinal Pietro PAROLIN, Secretary of State
Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig M▄LLER, prefect of the Congregration for the Doctrine of the Faith
Cardinal Leonardo SANDRI, prefect of the Congregration for the Oriental Churches
Cardinal Angelo AMATO, S.D.B., prefect of the Congregration for the Causes of Saints
Cardinal Marc OUELLET, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregration for Bishops
Cardinal Fernando FILONI, prefect of the Congregration for the Evangelisation of Peoples
Cardinal Beniamino STELLA, prefect of the Congregration for the Clergy
Cardinal Joπo Braz de AVIZ, prefect of the Congregration for the Institutes of
Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life
Cardinal Zenon GROCHOLEWSKI, prefect of the Congregration for Catholic Education
Cardinal Mauro PIACENZA, major penitentiary
Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
Cardinal Stanis?aw RY?KO, prefect of the Pontifical Council for the Laity
Cardinal Kurt KOCH, prefect of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
Archbishop Vincenzo PAGLIA, bishop emeritus of Terni-Narni-Amelia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family
Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah TURKSON, prefect of the Pontifical Council "Justice and Peace"
Cardinal Robert SARAH, prefect of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum"
Cardinal Antonio Maria VEGLI╥, president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant Peoples
Archbishop Zygmunt ZIMOWSKI, bishop emeritus of Radom, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers
Cardinal Francesco COCCOPALMERIO, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.
Cardinal Jean-Louis TAURAN, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
Cardinal Gianfranco RAVASI, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture
Archbishop Claudio Maria CELLI, president of the Pontifical Council for Social
Communications
Archbishop Salvatore FISICHELLA, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation
Cardinal Domenico CALCAGNO, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See
Cardinal Giuseppe VERSALDI, president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See
XI. MEMBERS OF THE ORDINARY COUNCIL
Cardinal Timothy Michael DOLAN, archbishop of New York, U.S.A.
Cardinal PΘter ERD?, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, president of the Consilium Conferentiarum Episcoporum Europae (C.C.E.E.)
Msgr. Bruno FORTE, archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, Italy
Cardinal Oswald GRACIAS, archbishop of Bombay, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (F.A.B.C.), India
Cardinal Laurent MONSENGWO PASINYA, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Cardinal Wilfrid Fox NAPIER, O.F.M., archbishop of Durban, South Africa
Cardinal George PELL, prefect of the Secretariat of the Economy, Vatican City
Cardinal Odilo Pedro SCHERER, archbishop of Sπo Paulo, Brazil
Cardinal Christoph SCH╓NBORN, O.P., archbishop of Vienna, Austria
His Beatitude Sviatoslav SHEVCHUK, major archbishop of Kyiv-Haly?, Head of the
Synod of the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church, Ukraine
Bishop Santiago Jaime SILVA RETAMALES, auxiliary of Valparaøso, Chile, secretary general of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops' Conferences (C.E.L.AM.)
Cardinal Luis Antonio G. TAGLE, archbishop of Manila, Philippines
Cardinal Donald William WUERL, archbishop of Washington, U.S.A.
Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah TURKSON, president of the Pontifical Council "Justice and Peace", Vatican City
Archbishop Salvatore FISICHELLA, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation, Vatican City
XII. PONTIFICAL APPOINTEES
Cardinal Angelo SODANO, dean of the College of Cardinals, Vatican City
Cardinal Godfried DANNEELS, archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussels, Belgium

--- MPost/386 v1.21
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"Since the moment your country freed itself from dictatorship, the ecclesial communities in Albania have begun again to journey onward and to reorganise pastoral ministry, looking to the future with hope. I am particularly grateful to those pastors who paid a great price for their fidelity to Christ and for their decision to remain united to the Successor of Peter. They were courageous
in the face of difficulty and trial. There are still priests and religious among us who have experienced prison and persecution, like the sister and brother who have told us their story. I embrace you warmly, and I praise God for your faithful witness that inspires the whole Church to continue to proclaim the Gospel with joy.
"Treasuring this experience, the Church in Albania can grow in its missionary and apostolic zeal. I know and appreciate the effort you make to oppose those new forms of 'dictatorship' that threaten to enslave individuals and communities. If the atheist regime sought to suffocate the faith, these new forms of dictatorship, in a more insidious way, are able to suffocate charity. I am referring to individualism, rivalry and heated conflicts: these are worldly mentalities that can contaminate even the Christian community. We need not be discouraged by these difficulties; do not be afraid to continue along the path of the Lord. He is always at your side, he gives you his grace and he helps you to sustain one another; to accept one another as you are, with understanding and mercy; he helps you to deepen fraternal communion.
"Evangelisation is more effective when it is carried out with oneness of spirit and with sincere teamwork among the various ecclesial communities as well as among missionaries and local clergy: this requires courage to seek out ways of working together and offering mutual help in the areas of catechesis and catholic education, as well as full human development and charity. In these
settings, the contribution of the ecclesial movements that know how to work in communion with pastors is highly valuable. That is precisely what I see before me: bishops, priests, religious and laity: a Church that desires to walk in fraternity and unity. When love for Christ is placed above all else, even above
our legitimate particular needs, then we are able to move outside of ourselves,
of our personal or communal pettiness, and move towards Jesus who, in our brothers and sisters, comes to us. His wounds are still visible today on the bodies of so many men and women who are hungry and thirsty; who are humiliated;
who are in hospital or prison. By touching and caring for these wounds with tenderness, it is possible to fully live the Gospel and to adore God who lives in our midst.
"When love for Christ is placed above all else, even above our legitimate particular needs, then we are able to move outside of ourselves, of our personal or communal pettiness, and move towards Jesus who, in our brothers and
sisters, comes to us. His wounds are still visible today on the bodies of so many men and women who are hungry and thirsty; who are humiliated; who are in hospital or prison. By touching and caring for these wounds with tenderness, it
is possible to fully live the Gospel and to adore God who lives in our midst.
"There are many problems that you encounter every day. These problems compel you to immerse yourselves with fervour and generosity in apostolic work. And yet, we know that by ourselves we can do nothing: 'Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain'. This awareness calls us to give due space for the Lord every day, to dedicate our time to him, open our hearts to him, so that he may work in our lives and in our mission. That which the Lord promises for the prayer made with trust and perseverance goes beyond what we can imagine: beyond that which we ask for, God sends us also the Holy Spirit. The contemplative dimension of our lives becomes indispensable even in the midst of the most urgent and difficult tasks we encounter. The more our mission
calls us to go out into the peripheries of life, the more our hearts feel the intimate need to be united to the heart of Christ, which is full of mercy and love.
"Considering the fact that the number of priests and religious is not yet sufficient, the Lord Jesus repeats to you today 'The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest'. We must not forget that this prayer begins with a gaze: the gaze of Jesus, who sees the great harvest. Do we also have this gaze?
Do we know how to recognise the abundant fruits that the grace of God has caused to grow and the work that there is to be done in the field of the Lord? It is by gazing with faith on the field of God that prayer springs forth, namely, the daily and pressing invocation to the Lord for priestly and religious vocations. Dear seminarians, postulants and novices, you are the fruit of this prayer of the people of God, which always precedes and accompanies your personal response. The Church in Albania needs your enthusiasm
and your generosity. The time that you dedicate today to a solid spiritual, theological, communitarian and pastoral formation, is directed to serving adequately the people of God tomorrow. The people, rather than seeking experts,
are looking for witnesses: humble witnesses of the mercy and tenderness of God;
priests and religious conformed to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who are capable of
communicating the love of Christ to all people.
"Together with you and the entire Albanian people, I want to give thanks to God for the many missionaries whose activity was decisive for the renewal of the Church in Albania and which continues to be of great importance to this day. These missionaries have offered a significant contribution to the consolidation of the spiritual patrimony that the Albanian bishops, priests, consecrated religious and lay persons have preserved in the midst of difficult trials and tribulations. Let us acknowledge the great work done by the religious institutes for the revival of Catholic education: these efforts are worth recognising and sustaining.
"Dear brothers and sisters, do not be discouraged in the face of difficulties.
Following the footsteps of your fathers, be tenacious in giving testimony to Christ, walking 'together with God, toward the hope that never disappoints'. In
your journey, rest assured that you are accompanied and supported by the love of the whole Church. I thank you from the heart for this meeting, and I entrust
each one of you and your communities - your plans and your hopes - to the holy Mother of God. I bless you from my heart and I ask you, please, to pray for me".

___________________________________________________________

Visit to the Bethany Centre: "Here faith becomes concrete charity"
Vatican City, 21 September 2014 (VIS) - The final stage of Pope Francis' apostolic trip to Albania was the visit to the Bethany Charitable Centre, approximately thirty kilometres from Tirana. The centre, founded by the Italian
Antonietta Vitale in 1999, assists numerous disabled people and poor or marginalised children, with the collaboration of a group of lay volunteers.
"In places such as this we are all confirmed in the faith; each one is helped in his or her belief, because we see the faith visibly expressed in practical acts of charity. We see how faith brings light and hope in situations of grave hardship", remarked Pope Francis in the address he gave in the church in the Centre, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. "This faith, working through charity, dislodges the mountains of indifference, of disbelief and of apathy. ... Through humble gestures and simple acts of service to the least among us, the Good News that Jesus is risen and lives among us is proclaimed".
"This Centre, furthermore, shows that it is possible to live together peacefully and fraternally as people of different ethnicities and followers of various religious confessions. Here differences do not prevent harmony, joy and
peace, but rather become opportunities for a greater mutual awareness and understanding. ... Each religious community expresses itself through love and not violence, and is never ashamed of showing goodness! The persons who nourish
goodness in their heart, find that such goodness leads to a peaceful conscience
and to profound joy even in the midst of difficulties and misunderstandings. Even when affronted, goodness is never weak but rather, shows its strength by refusing to take revenge. Goodness is its own reward and draws us closer to God, who is the Supreme Good. ... Goodness offers infinitely more than money, which only deludes, because we have been created to receive the love of God and
to offer it, not to measure everything in terms of money or power".
With regard to the volunteers who collaborate in the Centre, the Pope quoted one of the children in the Bethany Centre, who said, "'For fifteen years now they have sacrificed themselves joyfully out of love for Jesus and for us'. This phrase reveals how making a gift of oneself for the love of Jesus gives birth to joy and hope, and it also shows how serving one's brothers and sisters
is transformed into an experience of sharing God's kingdom. These words ... might seem paradoxical to many in our world who are slow to grasp their meaning
and who frantically seek the key to existence in earthly riches, possessions and amusements. What these people discover, instead, is estrangement and bewilderment".
The bishop of Rome emphasised that instead, "the secret to a good life is found in loving and giving oneself for love's sake. From here comes the strength to 'sacrifice oneself joyfully', and thus the most demanding work is transformed into a source of a greater joy. In this way, there is no longer any
fear of making important choices in life, but they are seen for what they are, namely, as the way to personal fulfilment in freedom".
He concluded, "May your patron, St. Anthony, accompany you along the way. I encourage you to continue faithfully serving the Lord Jesus in the poor and abandoned, and to pray to Him so that the hearts and minds of all may be opened
to goodness, to charity shown in works, which is the source of real and authentic joy".
The Pope greeted the children and disabled persons present upon leaving the church, and then transferred to Mother Teresa airport to depart for Rome. The aircraft carrying the Holy Father landed shortly after 9.30 p.m.

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Pope Francis recounts his emotional trip to Albania
Vatican City, 22 September 2014 (VIS) - During his return flight to Rome, the Holy Father responded to several questions posed by three Albanian journalists who had covered his apostolic trip to Albania. The three questions, and Pope Francis' answers, are published in full below.
Q: "Did His Holiness set out with an idea in mind about Albanians and Albania?
Such as the Albanian who has suffered but is also tolerant. Has he encountered any other quality in the Albanians, or are these the right qualities to enable the eagle to return to the nest?"
Pope Francis: "The Albanian is not only tolerant, he is a brother. He has the capacity for fraternity, which is more. This can be seen in the co-existence and collaboration between Muslims, Orthodox and Catholics. They collaborate, but like brothers. And then, another aspect that struck me at the beginning is the youth of the country - it is the youngest country in Europe. But you can see that Albania has achieved a superior development in culture and governance,
thanks to this fraternal quality".
Q: "Travelling along the central boulevard of Tirana, beneath the portraits of
the clerics martyred during the communist regime, in a country in which the State imposed atheism until twenty-five years ago, what was your personal feeling?"
Pope Francis: "For two months I have been studying that difficult period in the history of Albania, in order to understand it, and I have also studied something of its origins. But you have had beautiful and strong cultural roots since the beginning. It was a cruel period; the level of cruelty was terrible. When I saw those photos - but not just the Catholics, also the Orthodox, and Muslims .... and when I thought of the words said to them: 'But you must not believe in God', to which they responded, 'I believe'... Boom! They killed them. This is why I say that all three religious components have given witness to God and now give witness to fraternity".
Q: "Albania is a country with a Muslim majority. But your visit took place at a moment in which the global situation is precarious. You yourself have declared that the third world war has already begun. The message of your visit is intended solely for Albania, or beyond?"
Pope Francis: "No, it goes far beyond. Albania has constructed a path of peace, co-existence and cooperation that goes far beyond, that touches other countries that also have diverse ethnic roots. It is a country with a Muslim majority, but it is not a Muslim country. It is a European country. Albania is a European country in terms of her culture, the culture of coexistence, and also for her cultural history".
Q: "After Albania, where will your next trips be?"

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Finally, in the last part of the document, Cardinal Erdo focuses on the Gospel
of life: existence is from conception to to natural death, he remarks, and "openness to life is an essential part and intrinsic need of conjugal love, while nowadays, especially in the West, there are those who choose not to have children and those who would have them at any cost; "in both cases, the possibility of procreating a child is reduced to one's ability of self-determination. ... Welcoming life, assuming responsibility in procreating life and the care required are possible only if the family is not conceived as an isolated unit but an active part in a network of relationships. ... Increasing importance is being given to not leaving the family and families on their own, but to accompanying and supporting them in their everyday journey. ... Family tragedies are often the result of desperation, loneliness and a painful cry which no one knew how to discern".
It is therefore important to rediscover a sense of widespread and concrete solidarity, to overcome any "privatisation of love" which empties the family of
meaning and entrusts it instead to individual choice. It is necessary to create, on an institutional level, the conditions favourable to welcoming a child and for the care of the elderly as a social asset to be protected and promoted. The Church should devote herself in a special way to education in love and sexuality, explaining its value and avoiding banalisation and superficiality.
In conclusion, affirms Cardinal Erdo, the challenge for this Synod is to try to bring to today's world, beyond the circle of practicing Catholics and considering the complex situation of society, "the attractiveness of the Christian message" about marriage and the family, giving answers that are true and full of charity", because "the world needs Christ".
The full text in English of the "Relatio ante disceptationem" can be consulted
at: http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2014/10/06/0712/03003.html

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Nurturing "God's dream", guided by the Holy Spirit
Vatican City, 5 October 2014 (VIS) - "Today the prophet Isaiah and the Gospel employ the image of the Lord's vineyard. The Lord's vineyard is his 'dream', the plan which he nurtures with all his love, like a farmer who cares for his vineyard. Vines are plants which need much care", said the Holy Father in his homily during the Holy Mass celebrated this morning in the Vatican Basilica to inaugurate the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on "Pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelisation".
"God's 'dream' is his people", continued Francis. "He planted it and nurtured it with patient and faithful love, so that it can become a holy people, a people which brings forth abundant fruits of justice. But in both the ancient prophecy and in Jesus' parable, God's dream is thwarted. ... The temptation to greed is ever present. ... Greed for money and power. And to satisfy this greed, evil pastors lay intolerable burdens on the shoulders of others, which they themselves do not lift a finger to move. We too, in the Synod of Bishops, are called to work for the Lord's vineyard. Synod Assemblies are not meant to discuss beautiful and clever ideas, or to see who is more intelligent. They are
meant to better nurture and tend the Lord's vineyard, to help realise his dream, his loving plan for his people. In this case the Lord is asking us to care for the family, which has been from the beginning an integral part of his loving plan for humanity".
"We are all sinners and can also be tempted to 'take over' the vineyard, because of that greed which is always present in us human beings. God's dream always clashes with the hypocrisy of some of his servants. We can 'thwart' God's dream if we fail to let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives us that wisdom which surpasses knowledge, and enables us to work generously with authentic freedom and humble creativity". The Holy Father concluded, "to do a good job of nurturing and tending the vineyard, our hearts and our minds must be kept in Jesus Christ by 'the peace of God which passes all understanding'. In this way our thoughts and plans will correspond to God's
dream: to form a holy people who are his own and produce the fruits of the kingdom of God".

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Angelus: "A Bible for every family, to read often"
Vatican City, 5 October 2014 (VIS) - At midday, following the celebration of the Holy Mass for the inauguration of the Synod, the Holy Father appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. He thanked the Pauline brothers who distributed Bibles to mark the centenary of their foundation. "With the inauguration of the Synod on the Family, with the help of the Pauline
brothers we can say, a Bible in every family", he said, remarking that "the Bible is not to be kept on a shelf, but rather kept at hand to be read often, every day, individually or together, husband and wife, parents and children, perhaps in the evening, especially on Sunday. In this way the family grows and goes forth, with the light and strength of the Word of God".
The bishop of Rome invited all to "support the work of the Synod with prayer, invoking the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary". He added, "In this moment we join spiritually with those who, in the Shrine of Pompeii, elevate the traditional 'Supplication' to Our Lady of the Rosary. May she obtain peace for families and for the entire world".

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Prayer vigil for the Synod: may the Synod Fathers be able to listen to God and
to the People
Vatican City, 5 October 2014 (VIS) - At 6 p.m. yesterday, Saturday, in St. Peter's Square, a prayer vigil was held for the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, organised by the Presidency of the Italian Episcopal Conference. The Synod Fathers participated in the event, which alternated moments of prayer with reflection and testimonies of family life. At
7 p.m., the Holy Father joined the families and the faithful to say, "This is the time at which we willingly return home to find ourselves at the same table,
surrounded by affection, the good we have done and received, the encounters that have warmed the heart or helped it grow, the good wine that offers us a glimpse in our days of the feast without end. It is also the most difficult time for those who find themselves face to face with their own solitude, in the
bitter twilight of shattered dreams and unfulfilled plans: how many people pass
their days in the blind alley of resignation, neglect, even rancour; in how many homes is there a lack of the good wine of joy and thus of the flavour, the
very knowledge, of life. This evening let us become the voice of prayer for all; a prayer for all".
Francis went on to speak about "the communion of life assumed by married couples, their openness to the gift of life, mutual care, the encounter and the
memory of generations, educational accompaniment, the transmission of Christian
faith to children ... in all this, the family continues to be an unequalled school in humanity, an indispensable contribution to a just and caring society.
And the deeper its roots are, the further it is possible to go in life without becoming lost or feeling like a stranger in any land. This horizon helps us to grasp the importance of the Synod Assembly that opens tomorrow".
"To seek what the Lord asks of His Church now, we must listen to the heartbeat
of our times and perceive the spirit of humanity today, remaining impressed by their joys and hopes, their sadness and anguish. At that point we will know how
to propose credibly the good news on the family". Before concluding the Pope asked the Holy Spirit to offer the Synod Fathers the gift of listening to God and His people, invoking a sincere, open and fraternal encounter enabling them to face with pastoral responsibility the questions that come with changing times, yet always looking to Jesus Christ. He added, "With the joy of the Gospel we will recover the traces of a reconciled and merciful Church, poor and
a friend to the poor; a Church able, 'in patience and in love, to overcome its sorrows and its challenges, both within itself and from without'".

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Francis to disabled athletes: your testimony is a great sign of hope
Vatican City, 4 October 2014 (VIS) - This morning, in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the Pope received in audience seven thousand disabled athletes, members of the Italian Paralympic Committee. In his address he remarked that sport promotes contact and relations with people from different cultures and environments, and helps us become accustomed to accepting difference, transforming it into an opportunity for mutual enrichment and discovery. "Above
all", he affirmed, "sport becomes a valuable opportunity to recognise that we are brothers and sisters walking side by side, to favour a culture of inclusion
and to reject throwaway culture".
Francis reiterated that this aspect of sport becomes even more evident in relation to disabled athletes, because the physical disability they experience,
"through sport and healthy competition, is transformed into a message of encouragement" for those who find themselves in similar situations, and becomes
"an invitation to devote all your energies to doing good things together, overcoming barriers that we may encounter around us, and above all, those inside us".

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Pope Francis went on to focus on the figure of Pope Paul VI, recalling on the day of his beatification the words with which he established the Synod of Bishops: "by carefully surveying the signs of the times, we are making every effort to adapt ways and methods... to the growing needs of our time and the changing conditions of society".
"When we look to this great Pope, this courageous Christian, this tireless apostle, we cannot but say in the sight of God a word as simple as it is heartfelt and important: thank you. Thank you, our dear and beloved Pope Paul VI! Thank you for your humble and prophetic witness of love for Christ and his Church. In his personal journal, the great helmsman of the Council wrote, at the conclusion of its final session: 'Perhaps the Lord has called me and preserved me for this service not because I am particularly fit for it, or so that I can govern and rescue the Church from her present difficulties, but so that I can suffer something for the Church, and in that way it will be clear that he, and no other, is her guide and saviour'".
The Holy Father concluded, "In this humility the grandeur of Blessed Paul VI shines forth: before the advent of a secularised and hostile society, he was able to hold fast, with farsightedness and wisdom - and at times alone - to the
helm of the barque of Peter, while never losing his joy and his trust in the Lord. Paul VI truly 'rendered to God what is God's' by devoting his whole life to the 'sacred, solemn and serious task of continuing in history and extending on earth the mission of Christ', loving the Church and leading her so that she might be 'a loving mother of the whole human family and at the same time the minister of its salvation'".

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Angelus: Paul VI, tireless supporter of the missio ad gentes
Vatican City, 19 October 2014 (VIS) - Following the Holy Mass for the closure of the Synod of Bishops and before praying the Angelus, the Pope greeted pilgrims from Italy, especially the dioceses of Brescia, Milan and Roma, closely linked to the life and ministry of Paul VI.
The new Blessed, said Pope Francis, was a tireless supporter of the missio ad gentes, as shown above all by the apostolic exhortation "Evangelii nuntiandi", with which he sought to reawaken "zeal for and commitment to the mission of the
Church. It is important to conside this aspect of Paul VI's papacy today, the very day we celebrate World Mission Sunday".
"Before invoking Our Lady together with the Angelus prayer, I would like to underline Blessed Paul VI's profound marian devotion. The Christian people will
always be grateful to this pontiff for the apostolic exhortation 'Marialis cultus' and for having proclaimed Mary as 'Mother of the Church', on the occasion of the closure of the third session of Vatican Council II. Mary, Queen
of the Saints and Mother of the Church, help us to faithfully fulfil the Lord's
will in our life, as the new Blessed did".

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The Final Report and votes conclude the work of the Synod of Bishops
Vatican City, 19 October 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon the work of the Third Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, dedicated to "Pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelisation", concluded with a final synodal report (Relatio Synodi), the different points of which were subject to a vote by the Synod Fathers. The Holy Father authorised the immediate publication of the full text of the Relatio Synodi, which will provide the focus for reflection by all the Episcopal Conferences throughout the world this year in preparation for the Synod Assembly in October 2015, and which was approved by a majority of Synod Fathers. He also authorised the publication of the number of votes for each point. The full text of the Relatio
Synodi in Italian and the result of the votes may be consulted at:
http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2014/10/18/0770/03044.html

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The Pope speaks to the Synod Fathers: we walk a path together
Vatican City, 20 October 2014 (VIS) - At the end of the fifteenth and final general congregation, and after the votes had been cast, Pope Francis addressed
the Synod Fathers, affirming that during these two weeks the participants in the Third Extraordinary General Assembly have truly experienced synodality, a path of solidarity, a "journey together".
However, Pope Francis observed, as in every journey there were moments of travelling smoothly and swiftly, as if wishing to conquer time and reach the goal as soon as possible, and moments of fatigue, of wanting to say "enough", and at other times, moments of enthusiasm and ardour. There were moments of profound consolation listening to the testimony of true pastors, who wisely carry in their hearts the joys and pains of the faithful; moments of consolation, grace and comfort hearing the testimonies of the families who have
participated in the Synod and have shared with us the beauty and joy of married
life. It is a journey during which the stronger are compelled to help those who
are less strong, and the more experienced lend themselves to serve others, also
through debate.
He continued by remarking that since it is a journey taken by human beings, there have also been moments of disappointment, tension and temptation, of which he gave five examples. The first is the temptation to hostile inflexibility, closing oneself within the written word, the letter of the law, rather than the spirit, not allowing oneself to be surprised by God, and cleaving to the certitude of what we know and not of what we still need to learn and to achieve. This, he said, is the temptation of the zealous, of the scrupulous, of the solicitous and the so-called "traditionalists and intellectuals.
Then there is the temptation of "do-goodism", that in the name of deceptive mercy binds wounds without first treating and healing them; that addresses symptoms rather than causes and roots. It is the temptation of do-gooders, of the fearful, and also of the so-called "progressives and liberals".
The third temptation is to transform stones into bread to break the long, hard, and painful fast; and also to transform the bread into a stone and cast it against the sinners, the weak, and the sick; to transform it into unbearable
burdens. The fourth is the temptation to come down off the Cross, to please the
people, rather than remaining there in order to fulfil the will of the Father; to bow down to a worldly spirit instead of purifying it and turning it to the Spirit of God. Finally, there is the temptation to neglect the "depositum fidei", thinking of ourselves not as guardians but as its owners or masters; or, on the other hand, the temptation to neglect reality, making use of meticulous and pompous language to say much yet at the same time to say nothing.
However, the Holy Father commented these temptations must not frighten or disconcert us, or even discourage us, as no disciple is greater than his master, so if Jesus Himself was tempted, and even called Beelzebul, then His disciples should not expect better treatment. He added that he would be worried
and saddened if it were not for these temptations and these animated discussions, this movement of the spirits, as it was called by St. Ignatius; if
all were in a state of agreement or silent in false, quietist peace.
Instead, he expressed his joy at having heard speeches and interventions full of faith, pastoral and doctrinal zeal, wisdom, frankness, courage, and parrhesia, since what was set before the eyes of the Synod Fathers was the good
of the Church, of families, and the "supreme law", the "salus animarum". This occurred without ever calling into question the fundamental truths of the Sacrament of marriage, its indissolubility, unity, faithfulness, fruitfulness, and openness to life.
Pope Francis went on to emphasise that the Church is the vineyard of the Lord,
the fertile Mother and the caring Teacher who is not afraid to roll up her sleeves to pour oil and wine on wounds; who does not regard humanity from a glass house, ready to judge or categorise people. The Church is one, holy, Catholic, apostolic and composed of sinners, needful of God's mercy. The Church
is the true bride of Christ, who seeks to be faithful to her spouse and to her doctrine; she is not afraid to dine and drink with prostitutes and publicans. Her doors are wide open to receive the needy, the repentant, and not only those
who consider themselves perfect. The Church is not ashamed of the brother who has fallen, pretending not to see him, but on the contrary is involved and obliged to lift him up and set him on the path again, accompanying him to the definitive encounter with her spouse, in heavenly Jerusalem.
This, he continued, is the Church, our Mother. And when the Church, in the variety of her charisms, expresses herself in communion, she cannot err: it is the beauty and the strength of the sensus fidei, of that supernatural sense of the faith bestowed by the Holy Spirit so that, together, we can all enter into the heart of the Gospel and learn to follow Jesus in our life. This should never be seen as a source of confusion and discord.
Many commentators have imagined that they see a quarrelsome Church where one part is against the other, doubting even the Holy Spirit, the true promoter and
guarantor of the unity and harmony of the Church - the Holy Spirit who throughout history has always guided the barque, through her Ministers, even when the sea was rough and choppy, and the ministers unfaithful and sinners. The Pope emphasised the need to live through all this calmly and with inner peace, so that the Synod would take place cum Petro and sub Petro, with the presence of the Pope as a guarantee for all.
The duty of the Pope, he remarked, is to guarantee the unity of the Church, to
remind the faithful of their duty to faithfully follow Christ's Gospel and to remind the pastors that their first duty is to nurture the flock that the Lord has entrusted to them, and to seek the lost sheep with fatherly care and mercy,
and without false fears. His duty is to remind everyone that authority in the Church is a service, as Pope Benedict XVI clearly explained, when he stated that the Church is called and commits herself to exercising this kind of authority which is service ... not in her own name, but in the name of Jesus Christ ... through the Pastors of the Church, in fact: it is he who guides, protects and corrects them, because he loves them deeply. But the Lord Jesus, the supreme Shepherd of our souls, has willed that the Apostolic College, today
the Bishops, in communion with the Successor of Peter ... to participate in his
mission of taking care of God's People, of educating them in the faith and of guiding, inspiring and sustaining the Christian community.

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"The motto of the European Union is United in Diversity. Unity, however, does not mean uniformity of political, economic and cultural life, or ways of thinking. ... I consider Europe as a family of peoples who will sense the closeness of the institutions of the Union when these latter are able wisely to
combine the desired ideal of unity with the diversity proper to each people, cherishing particular traditions, acknowledging its past history and its roots,
liberated from so many manipulations and phobias. ... At the same time, the specific features of each one represent an authentic richness to the degree that they are placed at the service of all. ... Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the European Parliament, within this dynamic of unity and particularity, yours is the responsibility of keeping democracy alive for the peoples of Europe. It is no secret that a conception of unity seen as uniformity strikes at the vitality of the democratic system, weakening the rich, fruitful and constructive interplay of organisations and political parties. ... Keeping democracy alive in Europe requires avoiding the many globalising tendencies to dilute reality: namely, angelic forms of purity, dictatorships of relativism, brands of ahistorical fundamentalism, ethical systems lacking kindness, and intellectual discourse bereft of wisdom".
Keeping democracies alive "is a challenge in the present historic moment. The true strength of our democracies - understood as expressions of the political will of the people - must not be allowed to collapse under the pressure of multinational interests which are not universal, which weaken them and turn them into uniform systems of economic power at the service of unseen empires. This is one of the challenges which history sets before you today. To give Europe hope means more than simply acknowledging the centrality of the human person; it also implies nurturing the gifts of each man and woman. It means investing in individuals and in those settings in which their talents are shaped and flourish. The first area surely is that of education, beginning with
the family, the fundamental cell and most precious element of any society. ... Then too, stressing the importance of the family not only helps to give direction and hope to new generations, but also to many of our elderly, who are
often forced to live alone and are effectively abandoned because there is no longer the warmth of a family hearth able to accompany and support them. Alongside the family, there are the various educational institutes: schools and
universities. ... Young people today are asking for a suitable and complete education which can enable them to look to the future with hope instead of disenchantment".
The Pontiff went on to speak about the defence of the environment, remarking that "Europe has always been in the vanguard of efforts to promote ecology. Our
earth needs constant concern and attention. Each of us has a personal responsibility to care for creation, this precious gift which God has entrusted
to us. This means, on the one hand, that nature is at our disposal, to enjoy and use properly. Yet it also means that we are not its masters. Stewards, but not masters. ... Respect for the environment, however, means more than not destroying it; it also means using it for good purposes. I am thinking above all of the agricultural sector, which provides sustenance and nourishment to our human family. It is intolerable that millions of people around the world are dying of hunger while tons of food are discarded each day from our tables. Respect for nature also means recognising that man himself is a fundamental part of it. Along with an environmental ecology, there is also need of that human ecology which consists in respect for the person, which I have wanted to emphasise in addressing you today".
The second area in which talent flourishes is work. "The time has come to promote policies which create employment, but above all there is a need to restore dignity to labour by ensuring proper working conditions. This implies, on the one hand, finding new ways of joining market flexibility with the need for stability and security on the part of workers; these are indispensable for their human development. It also implies favouring a suitable social context geared not to the exploitation of persons, but to ensuring, precisely through labour, their ability to create a family and educate their children".
With regard to the need fro a united response to question of migration, Francis exclaimed, "We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery! ... The absence of mutual support within the European Union runs the risk of encouraging particularistic solutions to the problem, solutions which fail to take into account the human dignity of immigrants, and thus contribute to slave labour and continuing social tensions. Europe will be able to confront
the problems associated with immigration only if it is capable of clearly asserting its own cultural identity and enacting adequate legislation to protect the rights of European citizens and to ensure the acceptance of immigrants. Only if it is capable of adopting fair, courageous and realistic policies which can assist the countries of origin in their own social and political development and in their efforts to resolve internal conflicts - the principal cause of this phenomenon - rather than adopting policies motivated by
self-interest, which increase and feed such conflicts.
"Awareness of one's own identity is also necessary for entering into a positive dialogue with the States which have asked to become part of the Union in the future. I am thinking especially of those in the Balkans, for which membership in the European Union could be a response to the desire for peace in
a region which has suffered greatly from past conflicts. Awareness of one's own
identity is also indispensable for relations with other neighbouring countries,
particularly with those bordering the Mediterranean, many of which suffer from internal conflicts, the pressure of religious fundamentalism and the reality of
global terrorism.
"It is incumbent upon you, as legislators, to protect and nurture Europe's identity, so that its citizens can experience renewed confidence in the institutions of the Union and in its underlying project of peace and friendship. ... I encourage you to work to make Europe rediscover the best of itself. An anonymous second-century author wrote that 'Christians are to the world what the soul is to the body'. The function of the soul is to support the
body, to be its conscience and its historical memory. A two-thousand-year-old history links Europe and Christianity. It is a history not free of conflicts and errors, but one constantly driven by the desire to work for the good of all. We see this in the beauty of our cities, and even more in the beauty of the many works of charity and constructive cooperation throughout this continent. This history, in large part, must still be written. It is our present and our future. It is our identity. Europe urgently needs to recover its true features in order to grow, as its founders intended, in peace and harmony, since it is not yet free of conflicts".
"Dear Members of the European Parliament", he concluded, "the time has come to
work together in building a Europe which revolves not around the economy, but around the sacredness of the human person, around inalienable values. In building a Europe which courageously embraces its past and confidently looks to
its future in order fully to experience the hope of its present. The time has come for us to abandon the idea of a Europe which is fearful and self-absorbed,
in order to revive and encourage a Europe of leadership, a repository of science, art, music, human values, and faith too. A Europe which contemplates the heavens and pursues lofty ideals. A Europe which cares for, defends and protects man, every man and woman. A Europe which bestrides the earth surely and securely, a precious point of reference for all humanity".

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Francis at the Council of Europe: imposed peace is not enough - it must be loved, free and fraternal
Vatican City, 25 November 2014 (VIS) - At midday the Holy Father proceeded by car to the seat of the Council of Europe, where he met the authorities, including the secretary general Thorbj°rn Jagland, who accompanied him to the lobby of the Committee of Ministers. This was followed by an exchange of gifts,
after which they entered the Great Hall where, following greetings and the opening discourse by the secretary general, the Pontiff addressed those present, thanking them for their invitation and for their "work and contribution to peace in Europe through the promotion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law".
He continued, "This year the Council of Europe celebrates its sixty-fifth anniversary. It was the intention of its founders that the Council would respond to a yearning for unity which, from antiquity, has characterised the life of the continent. Frequently, however, in the course of the centuries, the
pretension to power has led to the dominance of particularist movements. ... The dream of the founders was to rebuild Europe in a spirit of mutual service which today too, in a world more prone to make demands than to serve, must be the cornerstone of the Council of Europe's mission on behalf of peace, freedom and human dignity".
On the other hand, the road to peace, and avoiding a repetition of what occurred in the two World Wars of the last century, "is to see others not as enemies to be opposed but as brothers and sisters to be embraced. This entails an ongoing process which may never be considered fully completed. This is precisely what the founders grasped. They understood that peace was a good which must continually be attained, one which calls for constant vigilance. ...
Consequently, the founders voiced their desire to advance slowly but surely with the passage of time. That is why the founders established this body as a permanent institution. Pope Paul VI, several years later, observed that 'the institutions which in the juridical order and in international society have the
task and merit of proclaiming and preserving peace, will attain their lofty goal only if they remain continually active, if they are capable of creating peace, making peace, at every moment'. What is called for is a constant work of
humanisation, for 'it is not enough to contain wars, to suspend conflicts ... An imposed peace, a utilitarian and provisional peace, is not enough. Progress must be made towards a peace which is loved, free and fraternal, founded, that is, on a reconciliation of hearts'".
Achieving the good of peace first calls for education in peace, "banishing a culture of conflict aimed at fear of others, marginalising those who think or live differently ... Tragically, peace continues all too often to be violated. This is the case in so many parts of the world where conflicts of various sorts
continue to rage. It is also the case here in Europe, where tensions persist", he said. "Yet peace is also put to the test by other forms of conflict, such as
religious and international terrorism, which displays deep disdain for human life and indiscriminately reaps innocent victims. This phenomenon is unfortunately bankrolled by a frequently unchecked traffic in weapons. The Church is convinced that 'the arms race is one of the greatest curses on the human race and the harm it inflicts on the poor is more than can be endured'. Peace is also violated by trafficking in human beings, the new slavery of our age, which turns persons into merchandise for trade and deprives its victims of
all dignity. Not infrequently we see how interconnected these phenomena are. The Council of Europe, through its Committees and Expert Groups, has an important and significant role to play in combating these forms of inhumanity. ... Peace is not merely the absence of war, conflicts and tensions. In the Christian vision, peace is at once a gift of God and the fruit of free and reasonable human acts aimed at pursuing the common good in truth and love".
"The path chosen by the Council of Europe is above all that of promoting human
rights, together with the growth of democracy and the rule of law. This is a particularly valuable undertaking, with significant ethical and social implications, since the development of our societies and their peaceful future coexistence depends on a correct understanding of these terms and constant reflection on them. ... In your presence today, then, I feel obliged to stress the importance of Europe's continuing responsibility to contribute to the cultural development of humanity.

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In the presentation, it was shown that bullying on the Internet is a new form of violence, and the related issue of the time the internet subtracts from family relations emerged. Alongside this there arose the question of adolescents and young people living in a condition of being continually "connected", a problem about which we all complain, and it was suggested that this might have its origins precisely in parents not spending enough time with them, and in not taking the time to listen to them. It was explained that numerous sociological studies exist, examining the risks linked to the rapid development of information and communication technology, a phenomenon that requires parents to act as mediators of the technological experience for their children. Therefore, there are examples that show that when family relationships are positive it is more likely that the potential of social networks lead to greater inter- and intra-generational cohesion, and where family relationships are poor or conflictual, the social networks more easily facilitate individualistic routes and forms of surrogate relationship. It was also mentioned that, in the globalised world in which we live, it is increasingly common for family members to live far from each other, and therefore social networks may constitute an important vehicle for information and entertainment. However, it is essential to remember that online connection is accompanied by "real", offline relationships, and that we cannot live alone,
wrapped up in ourselves.
Faced with these situations, it was noted that the Church cannot be excluded: emphasis was placed on the opportunities that the Web offers for evangelisation
or spiritual assistance, and the need for pastoral efforts in the formation of families. In this way, Cardinal Turkson highlighted that the Holy See, through the ratification of treaties on the rights of the Child, expresses its constant
concern for the well-being of children and their families, in the hope that these agreements are able to guarantee the protection of the rights and interests of children, whom St. John Paul II described as a precious treasure, given to each generation as a challenge to its wisdom and humanity.

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Pope Francis pays homage to the Immaculate Conception in Piazza di Spagna
Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Holy Father went to the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray before the image of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, and then to Piazza di Spagna where he carried out the traditional act of veneration of Mary Immaculate. For the occasion, Francis composed and recited a prayer, the full text of which is published below:
"Mary our Mother, today the People of God celebrate you and venerate you as Immaculate, preserved forever from the stain of sin.
Accept the homage I offer you in the name of the Church in Rome and throughout
the world.
Knowing that you, who are our Mother, are totally free from sin, is of great comfort to us.
Knowing that evil has no power over you, fills us with hope and strength in the daily struggle we have to face against the threats of the evil one.
But we are not alone in this struggle, we are not orphans because Jesus, before dying on the Cross, gave you to us as our Mother.
Even though we are sinners, we are still your children, children of the Immaculate, called to that holiness that shines in you by the grace of God since the beginning.
Inspired by this hope, today we invoke your maternal protection for us, our families, this city and the whole world.
Through your intercession, may the power of God's love that preserved you from
original sin, free humanity from every form of spiritual and material slavery and make God's plan of salvation be victorious in both hearts and in history.
May grace prevail over pride in us too, your children.
May we become merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful.
During this time leading to the celebration of Jesus' birth, teach us to go against the flow: to strip ourselves, to be humble and giving, to listen and be
silent, to go out of ourselves, giving space to the beauty of God, source of true joy.
Pray for us, our Immaculate Mother!".

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Angelus: like Mary, welcome grace and correspond with faith
Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) - "Everything is given freely by God, all is grace, all is a gift of His love for us". This, said Pope Francis, is the message of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, appearing at the window of his study to pray the Angelus at midday with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
The Holy Father explained that in the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel called Mary "full of grace", since "in her there was no space for sin: God had always chosen her as the mother of Jesus, and so He protected her from original
sin. Mary corresponds to this grace and abandons herself to it, saying to the Angel, 'Be it done to me according to your word'. She does not say 'I will do it according to your word', but rather, 'Be it done to me...'. And the Word was
made flesh in her womb. We too are asked to listen to God Who speaks to us and to accept His will; according to the logic of the Gospel, nothing is more active and fruitful than to listen and receive the Word of the Lord".
The attitude of Mary of Nazareth "shows us that being comes before doing, and we must let God act in order to truly become what He wants us to be. It is He Who works so many marvels in us. Mary is receptive, but not passive. Just as, at a physical level, she receives the power of the Holy Spirit but then gives flesh and blood to the Son of God Who grows in her, she also receives grace and
corresponds with faith, on a spiritual level. This mystery of the acceptance of
grace, that in Mary by unique privilege was without the obstacle of sin, is a possibility for all. ... As Mary is greeted by St. Elizabeth as 'blessed among women', so we too have always been 'blessed', that is, loved, and therefore 'chosen first from the creation of the world to be holy and immaculate'. Mary was preserved, whereas we have been saved thanks to baptism and faith: all of us, however, Mary and ourselves, through Christ".
"Faced with love, faced with mercy, with the divine grace poured into our hearts, just one consequence is imposed: gratuity. None of us can buy salvation! Salvation is a gift freely given by the Lord, a free gift from God who comes to us and abides in us. In the same way as we have received his gift freely, so we are called to freely give, in imitation of Mary, who straight after having received the Annunciation of the Angel, goes to share the gift of her fertility with her relative Elizabeth. Because, if all has been given, everything must be given again in turn. How? By letting the Holy Spirit make of
us a gift for others. The Spirit is a gift for us and we, through the Spirit, must be a gift for others and enable the Holy Spirit to make us into instruments of acceptance, instruments of reconciliation, instruments of forgiveness".
"If our existence is allowed to be transformed by the Lord's grace, so that the Lord's grace may transform us, we cannot keep for ourselves the light that comes from His face, but must instead pass it on so that it may illuminate others".

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The Pope lights the tallest Christmas tree in the world
Vatican City, 8 December 2014 (VIS) - Every year on this day in Gubbio, the Italian city where St. Francis tamed the wolf, the tallest Christmas tree in the world is lit up. Situated on the slopes of Mount Ingino, it is made up of dots of light of different types: 250 green dots trace a silhouette more than 650 metres high, which contains more than 300 lights of various colours. It is topped with a star of 1000 square metres, made up of 200 white lights. At dusk yesterday, 7 December, the Holy Father illuminated the tree from the Vatican using a tablet, and he greeted those in attendance in Gubbio.
"In switching on the light of the Nativity scene, we wish for the light of Christ to be in us. A Christmas without light is not Christmas. Let there be light in the soul, in the heart; let there be forgiveness to others; let there be no hostilities, which are dark. Let there be the beautiful light of Jesus. This is my wish for all of you, when you turn on the light of the crib.
"Many thanks for your gift, it is beautiful. Also I give to you my warmest wishes, peace and happiness.
"If you have something dark in your soul, ask the Lord for forgiveness. Christmas is a great opportunity to cleanse the soul. Do not fear, the priest is merciful, forgiving all in the name of God, because God forgives everything.
"May there be light in your hearts, in your families, in your cities. And now,
with this wish, let us turn on the light.
"Blessed be God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Merry Christmas and pray for me".

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Angelus: be messengers of God's consolation
Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace at midday today to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. Before the Marian prayer, Francis spoke about the second Sunday of Advent as a "wonderful time that reawakens in us the expectation of Christ's return and the memory of his historic coming. It is the Lord's invitation as expressed by the prophet Isaiah: 'Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God'".

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In the Book of Genesis, we read that God made man male and female, and blessed
them so that they could increase and multiply. He made Adam and Eve parents who, in response to God's command to be fruitful and multiply, brought about the first fraternity, that of Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel were brothers because they came forth from the same womb. Consequently they had the same origin, nature and dignity as their parents, who were created in the image and likeness of God.
But fraternity also embraces variety and differences between brothers and sisters, even though they are linked by birth and are of the same nature and dignity. As brothers and sisters, therefore, all people are in relation with others, from whom they differ, but with whom they share the same origin, nature
and dignity. In this way, fraternity constitutes the network of relations essential for the building of the human family created by God.
Tragically, between the first creation recounted in the Book of Genesis and the new birth in Christ whereby believers become brothers and sisters of the 'first-born among many brethren', there is the negative reality of sin, which often disrupts human fraternity and constantly disfigures the beauty and nobility of our being brothers and sisters in the one human family. It was not only that Cain could not stand Abel; he killed him out of envy and, in so doing, committed the first fratricide. 'Cain's murder of Abel bears tragic witness to his radical rejection of their vocation to be brothers. Their story brings out the difficult task to which all men and women are called, to live as
one, each taking care of the other'.
This was also the case with Noah and his children. Ham's disrespect for his father Noah drove Noah to curse his insolent son and to bless the others, those
who honoured him. This created an inequality between brothers born of the same womb.
In the account of the origins of the human family, the sin of estrangement from God, from the father figure and from the brother, becomes an expression of
the refusal of communion. It gives rise to a culture of enslavement, with all its consequences extending from generation to generation: rejection of others, their mistreatment, violations of their dignity and fundamental rights, and institutionalised inequality. Hence, the need for constant conversion to the Covenant, fulfilled by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, in the confidence that 'where sin increased, grace abounded all the more... through Jesus Christ'. Christ, the beloved Son, came to reveal the Father's love for humanity. Whoever
hears the Gospel and responds to the call to conversion becomes Jesus' 'brother, sister and mother', and thus an adopted son of his Father.
One does not become a Christian, a child of the Father and a brother or sister
in Christ, as the result of an authoritative divine decree, without the exercise of personal freedom: in a word, without being freely converted to Christ. Becoming a child of God is necessarily linked to conversion: 'Repent, and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'. All those who responded in faith and with their lives to Peter's preaching entered into the fraternity of the first Christian community: Jews and Greeks, slaves and free. Differing origins and social status did not diminish anyone's dignity or exclude anyone from belonging to the People of God. The Christian community is thus a place of communion lived in the love shared among brothers and sisters.
All of this shows how the Good News of Jesus Christ, in whom God makes 'all things new', is also capable of redeeming human relationships, including those between slaves and masters, by shedding light on what both have in common: adoptive sonship and the bond of brotherhood in Christ. Jesus himself said to his disciples: 'No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know
what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you'.
The many faces of slavery yesterday and today
From time immemorial, different societies have known the phenomenon of man's subjugation by man. There have been periods of human history in which the institution of slavery was generally accepted and regulated by law. This legislation dictated who was born free and who was born into slavery, as well as the conditions whereby a freeborn person could lose his or her freedom or regain it. In other words, the law itself admitted that some people were able or required to be considered the property of other people, at their free disposition. A slave could be bought and sold, given away or acquired, as if he
or she were a commercial product.
Today, as the result of a growth in our awareness, slavery, seen as a crime against humanity, has been formally abolished throughout the world. The right of each person not to be kept in a state of slavery or servitude has been recognised in international law as inviolable.
Yet, even though the international community has adopted numerous agreements aimed at ending slavery in all its forms, and has launched various strategies to combat this phenomenon, millions of people today - children, women and men of all ages - are deprived of freedom and are forced to live in conditions akin
to slavery.
I think of the many men and women labourers, including minors, subjugated in different sectors, whether formally or informally, in domestic or agricultural workplaces, or in the manufacturing or mining industry; whether in countries where labour regulations fail to comply with international norms and minimum standards, or, equally illegally, in countries which lack legal protection for workers' rights.
I think also of the living conditions of many migrants who, in their dramatic odyssey, experience hunger, are deprived of freedom, robbed of their possessions, or undergo physical and sexual abuse. In a particular way, I think
of those among them who, upon arriving at their destination after a gruelling journey marked by fear and insecurity, are detained in at times inhumane conditions. I think of those among them, who for different social, political and economic reasons, are forced to live clandestinely. My thoughts also turn to those who, in order to remain within the law, agree to disgraceful living and working conditions, especially in those cases where the laws of a nation create or permit a structural dependency of migrant workers on their employers,
as, for example, when the legality of their residency is made dependent on their labour contract. Yes, I am thinking of 'slave labour'.
I think also of persons forced into prostitution, many of whom are minors, as well as male and female sex slaves. I think of women forced into marriage, those sold for arranged marriages and those bequeathed to relatives of their deceased husbands, without any right to give or withhold their consent.
Nor can I fail to think of all those persons, minors and adults alike, who are
made objects of trafficking for the sale of organs, for recruitment as soldiers, for begging, for illegal activities such as the production and sale of narcotics, or for disguised forms of cross-border adoption.
Finally, I think of all those kidnapped and held captive by terrorist groups, subjected to their purposes as combatants, or, above all in the case of young girls and women, to be used as sex slaves. Many of these disappear, while others are sold several times over, tortured, mutilated or killed.
Some deeper causes of slavery
4. Today, as in the past, slavery is rooted in a notion of the human person which allows him or her to be treated as an object. Whenever sin corrupts the human heart and distances us from our Creator and our neighbours, the latter are no longer regarded as beings of equal dignity, as brothers or sisters sharing a common humanity, but rather as objects. Whether by coercion or deception, or by physical or psychological duress, human persons created in the
image and likeness of God are deprived of their freedom, sold and reduced to being the property of others. They are treated as means to an end.
Alongside this deeper cause - the rejection of another person's humanity - there are other causes which help to explain contemporary forms of slavery. Among these, I think in the first place of poverty, underdevelopment and exclusion, especially when combined with a lack of access to education or scarce, even non-existent, employment opportunities. Not infrequently, the victims of human trafficking and slavery are people who look for a way out of a
situation of extreme poverty; taken in by false promises of employment, they often end up in the hands of criminal networks which organise human trafficking. These networks are skilled in using modern means of communication as a way of luring young men and women in various parts of the world.
Another cause of slavery is corruption on the part of people willing to do anything for financial gain. Slave labour and human trafficking often require the complicity of intermediaries, be they law enforcement personnel, state officials, or civil and military institutions. 'This occurs when money, and not
the human person, is at the centre of an economic system. Yes, the person, made
in the image of God and charged with dominion over all creation, must be at the
centre of every social or economic system. When the person is replaced by mammon, a subversion of values occurs'.
Further causes of slavery include armed conflicts, violence, criminal activity
and terrorism. Many people are kidnapped in order to be sold, enlisted as combatants, or sexually exploited, while others are forced to emigrate, leaving
everything behind: their country, home, property, and even members of their family. They are driven to seek an alternative to these terrible conditions even at the risk of their personal dignity and their very lives; they risk being drawn into that vicious circle which makes them prey to misery, corruption and their baneful consequences.
A shared commitment to ending slavery
5. Often, when considering the reality of human trafficking, illegal trafficking of migrants and other acknowledged or unacknowledged forms of slavery, one has the impression that they occur within a context of general indifference.
Sadly, this is largely true. Yet I would like to mention the enormous and often silent efforts which have been made for many years by religious congregations, especially women's congregations, to provide support to victims.
These institutes work in very difficult situations, dominated at times by violence, as they work to break the invisible chains binding victims to traffickers and exploiters. Those chains are made up of a series of links, each
composed of clever psychological ploys which make the victims dependent on their exploiters. This is accomplished by blackmail and threats made against them and their loved ones, but also by concrete acts such as the confiscation of their identity documents and physical violence. The activity of religious congregations is carried out in three main areas: in offering assistance to victims, in working for their psychological and educational rehabilitation, and
in efforts to reintegrate them into the society where they live or from which they have come.

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"We baptised sons and daughters of the Church, all of us, are called upon to always welcome newly the presence of God among us and to help others to discover this presence, or to rediscover it if they have forgotten. It is a beautiful mission, similar to that of John the Baptist: guiding people towards Jesus - not to ourselves! - because it is towards Him that the human heart tends when it seeks joy and happiness".
"St. Paul, in today's liturgy, indicates the conditions for being missionaries
of joy: pray diligently, always give thanks to God, follow His Spirit, seek that which is good and avoid evil", continued the Pope. "If this is our way of life, then the Good News will be able to enter into many homes and to help people and families rediscover that in Jesus, there is salvation. In Him it is possible to find inner peace and the strength to face each day the different situations of life, even the most onerous and difficult. We never hear about a sad saint or a saint with a gloomy appearance. It would be contradictory. A Christian is a person whose heart is filled with peace because he or she knows to place joy in the Lord even when experiencing difficult moments in life. To have faith does not mean not having difficult moments, but rather having the strength to face them knowing that we are not alone. And this is the peace God gives to His sons and daughters".

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The Pope gives a prayerbook to the faithful
Vatican City, 14 December 2014 (VIS) - After today's Angelus prayer, Pope Francis greeted all those present in St. Peter's Square - families, parish groups, associations and, in particular, faithful from Poland where today the Christmas candle is lit, and commitment to solidarity is reaffirmed, especially
in the current Polish "Year of Caritas".
He then addressed the children who had brought him the figures from their Nativity displays to be blessed, thanking them for their presence and for the joy they brought to the square, where a sign was held that read "With Jesus, there is joy in our home". The Pope wished them a happy Christmas and asked them to pray for him in front of their Nativity display at home, as he does for
them.
"Prayer is the breath of the soul: it is important to find moments during the day to open our heart to God, even with the simple and short prayers of the Christian people. Therefore, I thought of giving a gift to all of you here in the square - a surprise, a gift: I will give you a little pocket-sized book that gathers together a few prayers, for various moments in the day and different situations in life. Some volunteers will distribute to them to you. Take one each and keep it with you always, as a help to live the whole day with
God, and so we do not forget that beautiful message you have brought here on your banner: 'With Jesus, there is joy in our home'. Once again: 'With Jesus, there is joy in our home'".
The book offered by the Pope contains Psalms, the Magnificat, invocations of Mary, the Gloria, the prayer to the Angel of the Guard, prayers to recite during the day and blessings for the table, in confession and for specific intentions. It is published in Italian by the Vatican Publishing House.

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Audience with Matteo Renzi: common concern about persistent social and economic problems
Vatican City, 13 December 2014 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father Francis received Matteo Renzi, prime minister of the Italian Republic, on an official visit. Following the papal audience, Renzi met with Cardinal Secretary of State
Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.
The discussions took place in a serene and cordial atmosphere. Attention focused on, among other issues, the current context of persistent difficulties of an economic and social nature, with negative consequences especially in relation to youth employment. In addition, the importance of education to promote the future of new generations was emphasised.
Various themes relating to international politics were then considered, and the Parties shared their serious concerns for the gradual worsening of conflicts in the Middle East.
With regard to the term of the Italian Presidency of the European Union, the Parties affirmed the importance of the themes mentioned by the Holy Father during his recent address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. These were held to be fundamental to the harmonious development of European peoples.
Finally, the Parties renewed their commitment to continuing their joint cooperation to resolve various issues of a bilateral nature.

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St. Lucy, patroness of the blind and visually-impaired, teaches us the secret of true happiness
Vatican City, 15 December 2014 (VIS) - "Your association is non-confessional; however you have proposed to meet on this specific day, confirming that the tradition retains a certain significance for you", said the Pope as he received
in audience the members of the National Council of the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually-Impaired, on the feast day of St. Lucy. Francis spoke about the human values the saint suggests, the first of which was courage. "We all need courage in order to face the challenges of life. ... In particular, the blind and visually-impaired need courage in order not to close themselves up, not to assume a victim mentality, but rather to open themselves to reality, to others, to society; to learn how to recognise and make good use of the capabilities the Lord has given to each person, without exception".
Another value suggested by St. Lucy, he continued, is "the fact that she was not alone, but rather was part of a community, a member of a body of which Christ was the head, a stone in the edifice of which Christ was the foundation.
... An association is not the sum of the individuals that constitute it - it is
much more. ... To form a group, to be united, to meet up with one another, to share experiences and pool resources ... all this is part of the civil patrimony of a group. And often people who live with disadvantages or disabilities can show everyone, with their experience, that we are not 'monads', we are not made to be isolated, but rather to relate to one another, to complete each other, to help, accompany and support each other".
"Finally, St. Lucy tells us the life is made to be given away. She lived this in the extreme form of martyrdom, but the value of giving oneself is universal:
it is the secret to true happiness. Humanity cannot be fully realised in having
or even in doing; it is realised in loving, that is, the giving of oneself. And
this may be understood as the secret of the name 'Lucy': a person is luminous to the extent that he or she is a gift for others. And every person, in reality, is a precious gift". The Pope concluded by remarking that even today living according to these values can mean encountering incomprehension and the struggle of at times going against the grain, and that it is necessary to fight, with the example and intercession of St. Lucy. He encouraged those present to confront this challenge with courage and with the joy of doing so together.

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Francis gives thanks to the foundation of Notre Dame des Sans-Abri for its work with the homeless
Vatican City, 13 December 2014 (VIS) - "Notre Dame des Sans-Abri (Our Lady of the Homeless)! What a beautiful name! The mother of Jesus, who gives shelter to
her sons", said Pope Francis this morning as he received in audience the Foyer de Notre Dame des Sans-Abri, the association founded in Lyon in 1952 by Gabriel
Rosset to assist the thousands of homeless men, women and children who lived under bridges, or in unsanitary and overcrowded huts.
"I would like you to know how much I appreciate your commitment to the poorest, to those who society turns away, those who have no roof over their heads or food to eat, those who are without work and therefore without dignity.
Your founder listened to the cry of the poor; he was moved by the suffering of others, and responded generously. This call is none other than the call of the suffering Christ Himself; in the people you serve, you touch their wounds and cure them; and at the same time, they offer you profound teaching, since through them you encounter Jesus. The poor always evangelise us, they communicate God's wisdom to us, mysteriously. Today's world urgently needs this
witness of divine mercy. At a time in which the human being is frequently rejected as useless when no longer productive, God, on the other hand, always acknowledges the dignity and nobility of his beloved son and daughter, who has a privileged position in His heart. The poor are the Lord's most favoured, and are at the centre of the Gospel".
"I thank you for this witness of mercy that you offer with many concrete actions, simple and warm gestures through which you alleviate the misery people
suffer, giving them new hope and restoring their dignity to them. There is no better way to announce to today's world the joy of the Gospel. The option for the last among us, for those society rejects and casts aside, is a sign that we
can always give, a sign that effectively bears witness to Christ, Who died and rose again".
Finally, Pope Francs invited the members of the foundation to remain faithful to their name, recalling the Marian dimension of their work. "Mary's heart is full of compassion for all people, especially for the poorest and most disadvantaged, those who are most in need; and it is her maternal tenderness - along with that of the Church - that is made manifest through you".

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The Pope prays to the Virgin of Guadalupe that the future of Latin America be forged for the poor
Vatican City, 13 December 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, on the liturgical solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, patroness of Latin America, the Holy Father celebrated Mass in the Vatican Basilica. The celebration was accompanied by hymns from the "Misa Criolla", by the Argentine composer Ariel Ramirez. Extensive extracts from the homily pronounced by the Pontiff are published below:
"Today, with gratitude and joy, the peoples and nations of our great Latin American homeland commemorate the feast of their 'patroness', Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose devotion extends from Alaska to Patagonia. ... On this feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe ... we sing with her the 'Magnificat', we entrust to her the lives of our people and the continental mission of the Church. When she
appeared to St. Juan Diego in Tepeyac ... this led to a new visitation. She tenderly hastened to embrace the new people of the Americas at the dramatic moment they came into being: 'A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed
with the sun, with the moon under her feet' that assumed within herself the cultural and religious symbolism of the native people, announcing her Son and giving Him to the new and suffering people of mixed race. ... The most perfect disciple of the Lord became the 'great missionary who brings the Gospel to our America'. The Son of Mary most Holy, his Immaculate Mother, reveals himself from the origins of this new peoples' history, as the 'true God who gives us Life'".

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The Pope celebrated Mass with the bishops, priests, religious and seminarians of the Philippines, during which he pronounced the following homily:
"'Do you love me? ... Tend my sheep'. Jesus' words to Peter in today's Gospel are the first words I speak to you, dear brother bishops and priests, men and women religious, and young seminarians. These words remind us of something essential. All pastoral ministry is born of love. All pastoral ministry is born
of love! All consecrated life is a sign of Christ's reconciling love. Like St. Therese, in the variety of our vocations, each of us is called, in some way, to
be love in the heart of the Church.
"I greet all of you with great affection. And I ask you to bring my affection to all your elderly and infirm brothers and sisters, and to all those who cannot join us today. As the Church in the Philippines looks to the fifth centenary of its evangelisation, we feel gratitude for the legacy left by so many bishops, priests and religious of past generations. They laboured not only
to preach the Gospel and build up the Church in this country, but also to forge
a society inspired by the Gospel message of charity, forgiveness and solidarity
in the service of the common good. Today you carry on that work of love. Like them, you are called to build bridges, to pasture Christ's flock, and to prepare fresh paths for the Gospel in Asia at the dawn of a new age.
"'The love of Christ impels us'. In today's first reading Saint Paul tells us that the love we are called to proclaim is a reconciling love, flowing from the
heart of the crucified Saviour. We are called to be 'ambassadors for Christ'. Ours is a ministry of reconciliation. We proclaim the Good News of God's infinite love, mercy and compassion. We proclaim the joy of the Gospel. For the
Gospel is the promise of God's grace, which alone can bring wholeness and healing to our broken world. It can inspire the building of a truly just and redeemed social order.
"To be an ambassador for Christ means above all to invite everyone to a renewed personal encounter with the Lord Jesus. Our personal encounter with Him. This invitation must be at the core of your commemoration of the evangelisation of the Philippines. But the Gospel is also a summons to conversion, to an examination of our consciences, as individuals and as a people. As the Bishops of the Philippines have rightly taught, the Church in the Philippines is called to acknowledge and combat the causes of the deeply rooted inequality and injustice which mar the face of Filipino society, plainly
contradicting the teaching of Christ. The Gospel calls individual Christians to
live lives of honesty, integrity and concern for the common good. But it also calls Christian communities to create 'circles of integrity', networks of solidarity which can expand to embrace and transform society by their prophetic
witness.
"The poor. The poor are at the centre of the Gospel, are at heart of the Gospel, and if we take away the poor from the Gospel we cannot understand the whole message of Jesus Christ. As ambassadors for Christ, we, bishops, priests and religious, ought to be the first to welcome his reconciling grace into our hearts. St. Paul makes clear what this means. It means rejecting worldly perspectives and seeing all things anew in the light of Christ. It means being the first to examine our consciences, to acknowledge our failings and sins, and
to embrace the path of constant conversion, every day conversion. How can we proclaim the newness and liberating power of the Cross to others, if we ourselves refuse to allow the word of God to shake our complacency, our fear of
change, our petty compromises with the ways of this world, our 'spiritual worldliness'?
"For us, priests and consecrated persons, conversion to the newness of the Gospel entails a daily encounter with the Lord in prayer. The saints teach us that this is the source of all apostolic zeal. For religious, living the newness of the Gospel also means finding ever anew in community life and community apostolates the incentive for an ever closer union with the Lord in perfect charity. For all of us, it means living lives that reflect the poverty of Christ, whose entire life was focused on doing the will of the Father and serving others. The great danger to this, of course, is a certain materialism which can creep into our lives and compromise the witness we offer. Only by becoming poor ourselves, by becoming poor ourselves, by stripping away our complacency, will we be able to identify with the least of our brothers and sisters. We will see things in a new light and thus respond with honesty and integrity to the challenge of proclaiming the radicalism of the Gospel in a society which has grown comfortable with social exclusion, polarisation and scandalous inequality.
"Here I would like to say address a special word to the young priests, religious and seminarians among us. I ask you to share the joy and enthusiasm of your love for Christ and the Church with everyone, but especially with your peers. Be present to young people who may be confused and despondent, yet continue to see the Church as their friend on the journey and a source of hope.
Be present to those who, living in the midst of a society burdened by poverty and corruption, are broken in spirit, tempted to give up, to leave school and to live on the streets. Proclaim the beauty and truth of the Christian message to a society which is tempted by confusing presentations of sexuality, marriage
and the family. As you know, these realities are increasingly under attack from
powerful forces which threaten to disfigure God's plan for creation and betray the very values which have inspired and shaped all that is best in your culture.
"Filipino culture has, in fact, been shaped by the imagination of faith. Filipinos everywhere are known for their love of God, their fervent piety and their warm devotion to Our Lady and her rosary; their love of God, their fervent piety and their warm devotion to Our Lady and her rosary! This great heritage contains a powerful missionary potential. It is the way in which your people has inculturated the Gospel and continues to embrace its message. In your efforts to prepare for the fifth centenary, build on this solid foundation.
"Christ died for all so that, having died in him, we might live no longer for ourselves but for him. Dear brother bishops, priests and religious: I ask Mary,
Mother of the Church, to obtain for all of you an outpouring of zeal, so that you may spend yourselves in selfless service to our brothers and sisters. In this way, may the reconciling love of Christ penetrate ever more fully into the
fabric of Filipino society and, through you, to the farthest reaches of the world".
Following the Mass Pope Francis visited a house belonging to the Tulay ny Kabataan Foundation, which provides assistance to street children. He conversed
with around three hundred of the children during his twenty-minute visit, during which he was moved by their gifts and displays of affection. He then returned to the apostolic nunciature to dine and to take an hour's rest.

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To families: be aware of your calling as Jesus' missionary disciples
Vatican City, 16 January 2015 (VIS) - At 5 p.m. local time the Pope proceeded to the Mall of Asia Arena to meet with families, the third scheduled event in his visit to the Filipino capital. He made the six-kilometre journey in the Popemobile so as to be able to greet the multitude of faithful who lined the streets. The Mall of Asia Arena is an indoor sports stadium, opened in 2012 and
able to hold twenty thousand people, and belongs to the SM chain of shopping centres which broadcast the meeting with the Pope live to all its cinemas. The songs, testimonies, readings and floral tributes to the Holy Father were the culminating moments of the event, during which he addressed a discourse to those present.
"Dear families, dear friends in Christ, I am grateful for your presence here this evening and for the witness of your love for Jesus and his Church. I thank
Bishop Reyes, chairman of the Bishops' Commission on Family and Life, for his words of welcome on your behalf. And, in a special way, I thank those who have presented testimonies and have shared their life of faith with us.
"The Scriptures seldom speak of St. Joseph, but when they do, we often find him resting, as an angel reveals God's will to him in his dreams. In the Gospel
passage we have just heard, we find Joseph resting not once, but twice. This evening I would like to rest in the Lord with all of you, and to reflect with you on the gift of the family.
"Joseph's rest revealed God's will to him. In this moment of rest in the Lord,
as we pause from our many daily obligations and activities, God is also speaking to us. He speaks to us in the reading we have just heard, in our prayer and witness, and in the quiet of our hearts. Let us reflect on what the Lord is saying to us, especially in this evening's Gospel. There are three aspects of this passage which I would ask you to consider: resting in the Lord,
rising with Jesus and Mary, and being a prophetic voice.
"Resting in the Lord. Rest is so necessary for the health of our minds and bodies, and often so difficult to achieve due to the many demands placed on us.
But rest is also essential for our spiritual health, so that we can hear God's voice and understand what he asks of us. Joseph was chosen by God to be the foster father of Jesus and the husband of Mary. As Christians, you too are called, like Joseph, to make a home for Jesus. You make a home for him in your hearts, your families, your parishes and your communities.

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To the families with recently baptised children, Francis confessed that he liked to hear the cry of newborns as "they are a promise of life", and that they should not be expected to leave the church when they cry. He also encouraged parents to teach their children the sign of the Cross. He comforted the sick by reminding them that the Lord is always close to them, as "a father never leaves his children alone", and therefore "we must be trustful, and courageous in our trust ... some days everything is bleak ... but never lose your trust". He thanked the homeless for not having given up hope, and for their witness in bearing their cross of solitude. "Beneath so many ashes of suffering, of solitude, know that there is the fire of the Holy Spirit; below, there is the embrace of God's love. And why does the Lord allow there to be this cross? He permitted it first for His Son. And so Jesus understands you well". He spoke with the young catechumens about war and peace, and encouraged them to pray every day, especially to the Virgin, "Our Mother who will lead us by the hand to find Jesus, to find peace and not to descend into war". Finally,
he answered a question on how he knew whether or not his decision to become a priest was the right one. He compared his inner certainty with what a man and woman might feel when they decide to marry, and explained that in spite of the sacrifices that have to be made and the problems that may appear, love is always stronger. "This certainty comes from Jesus", he emphasised.
Pope Francis went on to confess some of the faithful, and then proceeded to the church to celebrate Mass. In his homily, the Pope urged those present to listen to Jesus and to let Him preach to them. Jesus "speaks to us in the Gospel", he said, "and this is a habit we no longer have: to go and seek out the word of Jesus in the Gospel. Always carry a small copy of the Gospel with you, and keep it within reach. Read it whenever you have five or ten minutes to
spare: Jesus speaks to us there. Maintain daily contact with the Gospel". He continued by encouraging those present to allow the Lord to heal their wounds: "open your heart, to let Him enter and heal you".

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To the representatives of EXPO 2015: the root of all ills is inequality
Vatican City, 7 February 2015 (VIS) - On Saturday afternoon Pope Francis sent a video message to the 500 national and international representatives gathered in Milan, where Expo 2015 will be held, to address the theme, "The ideas of EXPO 2015: Towards the Milan Charter".
In his message, the Pope refers to his address in November to the Conference on Nutrition organised by the the FAO in Rome, in which he affirmed that "interest in the production, availability and accessibility of foodstuffs, climate change and agricultural trade should certainly inspire rules and technical measures, but the first concern must be the individual as a whole, who lacks daily nourishment and has given up thinking about life, family and social relationships, instead fighting for survival".
"St. John Paul II, in the inauguration in this hall of the First Conference on
Nutrition in 1992, warned the international community against the risk of the 'paradox of plenty', in which there is food for everyone, but not everyone can eat, while waste, excessive consumption and the use of food for other purposes is visible before our very eyes. Unfortunately, this 'paradox' remains relevant. There are few subjects about which we find as many fallacies as those
related to hunger; few topics as likely to be manipulated by data, statistics, the demands of national security, corruption, or futile lamentation about the economic crisis".
To overcome the temptation of sophisms, "that nominalism of thought that goes beyond ... but never touches reality", the Pope suggests three practical approaches: turn first to urgent priorities, be witnesses of charity, and be guardians rather than masters of the earth.
"Aim your gaze and heart not towards an emergency pragmatism that shows itself
to be perpetually provisional, but instead an approach aimed at removing the structural causes of poverty. Let us recall that the root of all ills is inequality", says Francis, repeating his words in the apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium: "we have to say 'thou shalt not' to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills. How can it be that it is not a news item
when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock
market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion. ... It is no longer simply about exploitation and oppression, but something new. ... The excluded are not the 'exploited' but the outcast, the 'leftovers'".
"It is therefore necessary, if we really want to solve problems and not become
lost in sophisms, to remove the root of all evil, which is inequality. To do this, there are some priority decisions to be made: to renounce the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and to act above all on the structural causes of inequality".
"Politics, though often denigrated, remains a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good", he continues. "Where, then, should a healthy economic policy begin? What are the necessary pillars for public administration? The answer is precise: the dignity of the human person and the common good. Unfortunately, however, these two pillars, that ought to structure economic policy, often 'seem to be a mere addendum imported from without in order to fill out a political discourse lacking in perspectives or plans for integral development. ... Please, be courageous and do not be afraid, in political and economic projects, to allow yourselves to be
influenced by a broader meaning of life as this will help you to truly serve the common good and will give you strength in 'striving to increase the goods of this world and to make them more accessible to all'".
With reference to the third point, the Pope again mentioned a comment he heard
many years ago from an elderly peasant: "God always forgives; men forgive at times; but the Earth never forgives. We must care for our sister the Earth, our
Mother Earth, so that she does not respond with destruction". "Faced with the goods of the Earth, we are required 'not to lose sight of the origin or purpose
of these goods, so as to bring about a world of fairness and solidarity', says the social doctrine of the Church. The Earth has been entrusted to us in order to be a Mother to us, able to give what is necessary for each person to live. ... The Earth is not an inheritance we have received from our parents, but rather a loan from our offspring to us, so that we may take care of it, enable it to continue and restore it to them".
"The stewardship of the Earth is not a task exclusive to Christians, but instead applies to all", he continued. "I entrust to you what I said during the
Mass of the beginning of my ministry as Bishop of Rome: 'I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be "protectors" of creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death
to accompany the advance of this world! But to be "protectors", we also have to
keep watch over ourselves! ... We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness'. Care for the Earth not only with goodness, but also with tenderness".

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The Pope: the participation of women in the social and ecclesial spheres is a challenge that cannot be deferred
Vatican City, 7 February 2015 (VIS) - "Women's cultures: between equality and difference" was the theme of the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for
Culture, an issue of great interest to Pope Francis, as he affirmed this morning while receiving in audience the participants in the event. He reiterated the importance of finding "criteria and new ways to enable women to no longer feel like guests, but instead to be full participants in the various areas of social and ecclesial life".
"The Church is a woman, she is female!" he exclaimed. "This is a challenge that cannot be deferred. I say this to the pastors of Christian communities, here representing the universal Church, but also to lay women and men engaged in different ways in culture, education, the economy, politics, the world of work, families, and religious institutions", he continued, offering an "itinerary" and a series of "guidelines to develop this effort throughout the world, in the heart of all cultures, in dialogue with the various religious affiliations".
With reference to the first theme considered in the Plenary Assembly, "Between
equality and difference: the quest for an equilibrium", Pope Francis remarked that this equilibrium must be harmonious, not merely a question of balance. "This aspect must not be faced ideologically, because the 'lens' of ideology prevents us from seeing reality clearly. Equality and difference of women - like that of men - is best perceived from the perspective of 'with', in relation to, rather than 'against'. We have long left behind, at least in western societies, the model of the social subordination of women to men, a centuries-old model whose negative effects are nonetheless not yet fully spent.
We have also left behind a second model, that of parity, pure and simple, applied mechanically, and of absolute equality. A new paradigm has thus taken shape, that of reciprocity in equivalence and in difference. The relationship between man and woman, therefore, must recognise that both are necessary inasmuch as they possess an identical nature but different modalities. One is necessary to the other, since the fullness of the person is thus truly achieved".
The second theme, "'generativity' as a symbolic code", broadens the horizons of biological maternity to include the transmission and the protection of life.
It may be summarised in four verbs: to wish for, to bring into the world, to care for, and to let go. The Pope acknowledges the contribution in this area of
the many women who work in the family, in the field of education in faith, in pastoral activity, in education in schools, and also in social, cultural and economic structures. "You, women, know how to embody the tender face of God, His mercy, which translates into willingness to offer time rather than occupy space, to accommodate rather than exclude. In this sense, I like to describe the feminine dimension of the Church as a welcoming womb for the regeneration of life".

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"And then", continued Francis, "we can ask the Lord, just as He came to cleanse the temple, to come and cleanse our soul. And we imagine Him, as He comes with a whip of ropes... No, this is not what cleanses the soul! Do you know what the whip is that Jesus uses to cleanse our soul? Mercy. Open your hearts to the mercy of Jesus. ... And if we open our hearts to Jesus' mercy, so
that He may cleanse our heart, our soul, then Jesus will trust in us".

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Angelus: let us build a temple to God with our lives
Vatican City, 8 March 2015 (VIS) - At midday today, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square. Francis' meditation focused on the meaning of the episode of the expulsion of the money changers from the temple, and he remarked that this prophetic gesture made a powerful impression on the people and on the disciples. "We have here, according to John, the first announcement of the death and Resurrection of Christ", said the Pope; "His body, destroyed by the violence of sin on the Cross, in the Resurrection, will become the meeting place between God and men. ... His humanity is the true temple, where God is revealed, speaks, meets; and the true worshippers of God are not the guardians of the material temple, the holders of power and religious knowledge, but are those who worship God 'in spirit and truth'".
"In this Lenten period", he continued, "we are preparing to celebrate Easter, when we renew the promises of our Baptism. Let us walk the world like Jesus and
make of our existence We walk into the world as Jesus did and we make of our entire existence a sign of His love for our brothers, especially the weakest and the poorest. We build a temple to God in our lives. And in this way, we make Him 'encounterable' to the many people we find along our path. If we are witnesses to this living Christ, many people will encounter Jesus in us, in our
testimony".
The Pontiff encouraged those present to "let the Lord enter with His mercy, to
bring cleanliness to our hearts". He added, "every Eucharist we celebrate with faith makes us grow as a living temple to the Lord, thanks to the communion with His crucified and risen Body. ... May Mary Most Holy, the privileged dwelling of the Son of God, accompany and sustain us on this Lenten path, so that we may rediscover the beauty of the encounter with Christ, Who will free us and save us".

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Francis' greetings on International Women's Day: "women give us to the ability
to see the world with different eyes"
Vatican City, 8 March 2015 (VIS) - After today's Angelus prayer, the Holy Father urged, "during Lent, let us try to be closer to those who are living through moments of difficulty; let us be closer to them with affection, prayer and solidarity".
He went on to address some words to women on International Women's Day: "a greeting to all women! To all the women who work every day to build a more human and welcoming society. And a fraternal thank you to those who in a thousands ways bear witness to the Gospel and work in the Church. This is for us an opportunity to reaffirm the importance and the necessity of their presence in life. A world where women are marginalised is a barren world, because women not only bring life, but they also give us the ability to see beyond - they see beyond themselves - and they transmit to us the ability to understand the world through different eyes, to hear things with more creative,
more patient, more tender hearts. A prayer and a special blessing for all women
present here in the square and for all women! Greetings!".

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Behaviour contrary to justice, honesty and charity cannot be covered up with worship
Vatican City, 8 March 2015 (VIS) - "Liturgy is not something exterior or distant, so that while it is celebrated I can think of other things or pray the
rosary. No, there is a link between the liturgical celebration and what I carry
with me in my life", said the Pope in his homily during his pastoral visit to the Roman parish of Ognissanti (All Saints) on the 50th anniversary of the first Mass in Italian celebrated in the same parish by Blessed Paul VI, following the liturgical reforms established by Vatican Council II.
Francis commented on the Gospel reading of St. John in which Jesus drives out the money changers from the Temple, with the exclamation, "Do not make my Father's house a house of trade." This expression refers not only to the commerce in the temple courtyards, but rather "regards a type of religiosity". He continued, "Jesus' gesture is one of cleansing, purification, and the attitude He condemns can be identified in the prophetic texts, according to which God is displeased by external worship made up of material sacrifices and based on personal interest. His gesture is a call to authentic worship, to correspondence between liturgy and life. ... Therefore, the Church calls us to have and to promote an authentic liturgical life, so that there may be harmony between what the liturgy celebrates and what we live in our existence".
Jesus' disciple "does not go to Church solely to observe a precept, to make sure he is not at odds with a God he must not 'disturb' too much. ... Jesus' disciple goes to Church to encounter the Lord and to find in His grace, working
in the Sacraments, the strength to think and act according to the Gospel. Therefore, we cannot delude ourselves that we can enter into the Lord's house to cover up, with prayers and acts of devotion, behaviour contrary to the demands of justice, honesty or charity towards our neighbour. We cannot substitute with religious homage what is due to others, deferring true conversion. Worship and liturgical celebrations are the privileged space for hearing the voice of the Lord, Who guides us on the road to rectitude and Christian perfection".
This involves "fulfilling an itinerary of conversion and penance, to remove the dregs of sin from our life, as Jesus did, cleansing the temple of petty interests. And Lent is an auspicious time for this, as it is the time of inner renewal, of forgiveness of sins, the time in which we are called upon to rediscover the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, that enables us to pass
from the shadows of sin into the light of grace and friendship with Jesus".
"Right here, fifty years ago, Blessed Paul VI inaugurated, in a certain sense,
liturgical reform with the celebration of the vernacular Mass in the language of the people. I hope that this circumstance may revive love for God's house in
all of you".
Following Mass, as he left the church, the Pope greeted the many faithful who awaited him. "Thank you, thank you for your welcome", he said. "That you for this prayer with me during Mass; and let us thank the Lord for what He has done
in His Church in these fifty years of liturgical reform. It was a courageous gesture of the Church, to draw closer to the people of God so they could better
understand what she does, and this is important for us, to follow Mass in this way. And it is not possible to step backwards, we must always move ahead, always ahead; those who go back, err. Let us go ahead on this road".

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The Pope on the sixtieth anniversary of Communion and Liberation: "Keep alive the call of the first encounter with Christ, and be free"
Vatican City, 7 March 2015 (VIS) - More than seventy thousand people, belonging to the movement Communion and Liberation (CL) participated in a mass meeting with Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square this morning, to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the creation of CL and the tenth of the death of its founder, the priest Luigi Giussani. The movement was established in Italy in 1954, when Giussani (1922-2005), on the basis of his experience in the "Berchet" classical lyceum in Milan, developed the initiative of Christian presence that used the already existing name of "Gioventu Studentesca" (GS). The current name Communion and Liberation (CL), which appeared for the first time in 1969, summarises the conviction that the Christian event lived in communion, is the foundation of authentic human liberation.
After listening to greetings from the priest Julian Carron, president of the fraternity, the Holy Father thanked all those present for their warm displays of affection and gave the various reasons for his gratitude to Don Giussani. "The first, and most personal, is the good that this man has done for me and for my priestly life, through reading his books and his articles. The other reason is that his thought is profoundly human and reaches the deepest yearning
of the person. You are aware of how important the experience of encounter was for Don Giussani - not with an idea, but with a person, with Jesus Christ. So, he educated in freedom, leading to the encounter with Christ, as Christ gives us true freedom".

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the Vatican Basilica, and by the side of the Holy Door, he presented the Bull of
Indiction to the four cardinal archpriests of the papal basilicas of Rome: St. Peter in the Vatican, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside-the-Walls and St. Mary Major. As an expression of his desire that the Jubilee be celebrated both in Rome and throughout the world, the Pope also handed a copy of the Bull to the prefects of the Congregations for Bishops, for Evangelisation of Peoples, and for the Oriental Churches, and thus symbolically to bishops worldwide. A copy of
the document was received by Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai on behalf of all the East , and by Archbishop Bartolome Adoukounou for the African continent. Msgr. Khaled Ayad Bishay of the Patriarchal Church of Alexandria of the Copts received
the copy destined for the Oriental Churches.
The Regent of the Papal Household, Msgr. Leonardo Sapienza, apostolic protonotary, read a number of extracts from the official document convoking the extraordinary Holy Year, in the presence of the Pope. The Holy Father then went on to preside at first vespers in the Vatican Basilica, and pronounced the following homily.
"The greeting of the Risen Christ to His disciples on the evening of Easter, 'Peace be with you!', continues to resound in us all. Peace, especially during this Easter season, remains the desire of so many people who suffer unprecedented violence of discrimination and death simply because they bear the name 'Christian'. Our prayer is all the more intense and becomes a cry for help to the Father, Who is rich in mercy, that He may sustain the faith of our many brothers and sisters who are in pain. At the same time, we ask for the grace of the conversion of our own hearts so as to move from indifference to compassion.
"St. Paul reminds us that we have been saved through the mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He is the Reconciler, Who is alive in our midst offering the way to reconciliation with God and with each other. The Apostle recalls that, notwithstanding the difficulties and the sufferings of life, the hope of salvation which Christ has sown in our hearts nonetheless continues to grow. The mercy of God is poured out upon us, making us just and giving us peace.
"Many question in their hearts: why a Jubilee of Mercy today? Simply because the Church, in this time of great historical change, is called to offer more evident signs of God's presence and closeness. This is not the time to be distracted; on the contrary, we need to be vigilant and to reawaken in ourselves
the capacity to see what is essential. This is a time for the Church to rediscover the meaning of the mission entrusted to her by the Lord on the day of
Easter: to be a sign and an instrument of the Father's mercy.
"For this reason, the Holy Year must keep alive the desire to know how to welcome the numerous signs of the tenderness which God offers to the whole world
and, above all, to those who suffer, who are alone and abandoned, without hope of being pardoned or feeling the Father's love. A Holy Year to experience strongly within ourselves the joy of having been found by Jesus, the Good Shepherd Who has come in search of us because we were lost. A Jubilee to receive
the warmth of His love when He bears us upon his shoulders and brings us back to
the Father's house. A year in which to be touched by the Lord Jesus and to be transformed by His mercy, so that we may become witnesses to mercy. Here, then, is the reason for the Jubilee: because this is the time for mercy. It is the favourable time to heal wounds, a time not to be weary of meeting all those who are waiting to see and to touch with their hands the signs of the closeness of God, a time to offer everyone the way of forgiveness and reconciliation.
"May the Mother of God open our eyes, so that we may comprehend the task to which we have been called; and may she obtain for us the grace to experience this Jubilee of Mercy as faithful and fruitful witnesses of Christ".

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Summary of the "Misericordiae Vultus", Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
Vatican City, 12 April 2015 (VIS) - The following is a summary of the Papal Bull "Misericordiae Vultus", by which Pope Francis convoked the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
The Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy is composed of 25 numbered sections. Pope Francis has described the most salient features of mercy, focusing primarily on the theme of the light of Christ's face. Mercy is not an abstract word, but rather a face to recognise, contemplate and serve. The
Bull is developed in a Trinitary fashion (Nos. 6-9) and extends to a description
of the Church as a credible sign of mercy: "Mercy is the very foundation of the Church's life" (No.10).
Pope Francis indicates the salient phases of the Jubilee. The opening coincides
with the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Vatican II Ecumenical Council: "The Church feels a great need to keep this event alive. With the Council, the Church entered a new phase of her history. The Council Fathers strongly perceived, as a true breath of the Holy Spirit, a need to talk about God to men and women of their time in a more accessible way. The walls which too long had made the Church a kind of fortress were torn down and the time had come to proclaim the Gospel in a new way" (No. 4). The conclusion will take place "with the liturgical Solemnity of Christ the King on 20 November 2016. On that day, as
we seal the Holy Door, we shall be filled, above all, with a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving to the Most Holy Trinity for having granted us an extraordinary
time of grace. We will entrust the life of the Church, all humanity, and the entire cosmos to the Lordship of Christ, asking him to pour out his mercy upon us like the morning dew, so that everyone may work together to build a brighter future." (no.5).
A special feature of this Holy Year is the fact that it will be celebrated not only in Rome, but also in all the other dioceses of the world. The Holy Door will be opened by the Pope at St. Peter's on 8 December, and on the following Sunday in all the Churches of the world. Another novelty is that the Pope will grant the possibility of opening the Holy Door also in Sanctuaries, where many pilgrims will go in order to pray.
Pope Francis resumes the teaching of St. John XXIII, who spoke of the "medicine
of Mercy", and of Paul VI who identified the spirituality of Vatican II with that of the Samaritan. The Bull explains, furthermore, various salient aspects of the Jubilee: firstly, the motto, "Merciful like the Father", then the meaning
of pilgrimage and above all the need for forgiveness. The theme that is particularly close to the Pope's heart is found in section No. 15: the works of corporal and spiritual mercy are to be resumed in order to "reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty. And let us enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God's mercy". A further indication is offered by Lent, with the sending out of the "Missionaries of Mercy" (No. 18), a new and original initiative by which the
Pope intends to emphasise his pastoral care in a more concrete way. In paragraphs 20 and 21 the Pope considers the theme of the relationship between justice and mercy, showing that he does not stop at a legalistic view, but rather aims at a path that leads to merciful love.
Paragraph 19 is a powerful appeal against organised violence and against those who are "advocates and accomplices" of corruption. The Pope uses strong words to
denounce this "festering wound", and insists that during this Holy Year there must be true conversion: "This is the opportune moment to change our lives! This
is the time to allow our hearts to be touched! When confronted with evil deeds, even in the face of serious crimes, it is the time to listen to the cry of innocent people who are deprived of their property, their dignity, their feelings, and even their very lives. To stick to the way of evil will only leave
one deluded and sad. True life is something entirely different. God never tires of reaching out to us. He is always ready to listen, as I am too, along with my brother bishops and priests. All one needs to do is to accept the invitation to conversion and submit oneself to justice during this special time of mercy offered by the Church" (No. 19).
The granting of indulgences as a traditional theme of the Jubilee year is expressed in section No. 22. A final original aspect is offered by Pope Francis with regard to mercy as a theme shared also by Jews and Muslims: "I trust that this Jubilee year celebrating the mercy of God will foster an encounter with these religions and with other noble religious traditions; may it open us to even more fervent dialogue so that we might know and understand one another better; may it eliminate every form of closed-mindedness and disrespect, and drive out every form of violence and discrimination" (No. 23).
The Pope's wish is that this Year, experienced also in the sharing of divine mercy, may be "dedicated to living out in our daily lives the mercy which the Father constantly extends to all of us. In this Jubilee Year, let us allow God to surprise us. He never tires of throwing open the doors of his heart and repeats that he loves us and wants to share his love with us. ... In this Jubilee
Year, may the Church echo the word of God that resounds strong and clear as a message and a sign of pardon, strength, aid, and love. May she never tire of extending mercy, and be ever patient in offering compassion and comfort. May the
Church become the voice of every man and woman, and repeat confidently without end: æBe mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old'".

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The Pope "in harmony" with the theme of the Seventh Summit of the Americas: "Prosperity with equity"
Vatican City, 11 April 2015 (VIS) - Pope Francis has sent a message to Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez, president of Panama, host country of the Seventh Summit
of the Americas, which on this occasion takes as its theme "Prosperity with equity: the challenge of cooperation in the Americas". The Holy Father commented
that he is "in harmony" with the theme chosen for the Summit, affirms that he is
"convinced ... that inequality, the unjust distribution of wealth and resources,
is a source of conflicts and violence among peoples, as it presupposes that the progress of some is built on the necessary sacrifice of others and that, to be able to live in a dignified fashion, one must fight with others".
"Well-being reached in this way is unjust at its root and attacks the dignity of the person", he writes. "There are 'basic goods', such as the earth, work and
a home, and 'public services', such as health, education, security and the environment, from which no human being should be denied access. This desire - which we all share - is unfortunately still far from reality. ... The great challenge of our world is the globalisation of solidarity and fraternity in the place of the globalisation of discrimination and indifference, and until a more equitable distribution of wealth is achieved, the ills of our society will not be resolved".
Francis remarks that many countries have certainly experienced significant economic development in recent years, but "it is equally true that others remain
prostrated in poverty. Moreover, in the emerging economies, a large part of the population does not benefit from general economic progress, to the point that frequently a greater rift opens up between rich and poor. 'Trickle down' theories have been shown to be erroneous: it is not enough to hope that the poor
may gather the crumbs that fall from the table of the rich. It is necessary to take direct action in favour of the most disadvantaged, attention to should be a
priority for governors, as it is for the smallest within a family".
He then turns his attention to the problem of immigration. "The immense disparity of opportunities between some countries and others ensures that many people feel compelled to abandon their homeland and their family, thus becoming easy prey for human trafficking and slave labour, without rights or access to justice. In some cases, the lack of cooperation between States leaves many people unprotected by the law and unable to guarantee their own rights, and thus
obliged to ally themselves with those who take advantage of others, or to resign

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think of the unfortunate and all who suffer, and to rededicate ourselves to bringing them comfort and happiness through acts of love and compassion".
This year's text is inspired by Pope Francis's "Message for the 2015 World Day of Peace", entitled No Longer Slaves, but Brothers and Sisters, in which the Holy Father observes that, historically, the institution of slavery was once generally accepted and resulted in the "rejection of others, their mistreatment,
violations of their dignity and fundamental rights, and institutionalised inequality". Accordingly, "a slave could be bought and sold, given away or acquired, as if he or she were a commercial product" and although slavery has been formally abolished throughout the world, there are still "millions of people today - children, women and men of all ages - deprived of freedom and forced to live in conditions akin to slavery".
Pope Francis gives examples of modern day slavery: men, women and child labourers; migrants who undergo physical, emotional and sexual abuse while working in shameful working conditions; persons forced into prostitution, many of whom are minors, as well as male and female sex slaves; those kidnapped by terrorists and forced to be combatants, and those who are tortured, mutilated or
killed. Human hearts deformed by corruption and ignorance are, according to the Holy Father, the cause of these terrible evils against humanity. When hearts are
corrupted, human beings no longer see others as "beings of equal dignity, as brothers or sisters sharing a common humanity, but rather as objects".
"Dear friends, we share the conviction that modern slavery and human trafficking are grave crimes, open wounds on the body of contemporary society", states the message for Vesakh. In one section of the "Eightfold Path" - namely "Right Livelihood" - the Buddha declares that trading in live beings, including slaves and prostitutes, is one of five occupations that are not to be engaged in. He instructs that possessions are to be acquired peacefully, honestly and by
legal means, without coercion, violence or deceit, and by means that do not cause harm or suffering. In this way, Buddhism promotes respect for the life and
freedom of each person".
"As Buddhists and Christians committed to respect for human life, we must cooperate together to end this social plague. Pope Francis invites us to overcome indifference and ignorance by offering assistance to victims, in working for their psychological and educational rehabilitation, and in efforts to reintegrate them into society where they live or from which they come".
The text concludes, "We pray that your celebration of Vesakh, which includes making special efforts to bring happiness to those less fortunate in our midst, may be a time of deepened consideration of the various ways in which we can work
together so that there will no longer be slaves, but brothers and sisters living
in fraternity, loving kindness and compassion for all".

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Regina Coeli: the content of Christian witness is not an ideology
Vatican City, 19 April 2015 (VIS) - At midday today the Pope appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Regina Coeli with the faithful present in the square. Before the Marian prayer, Francis spoke
about the meaning of witness in the life of Christians. "A witness is one who has seen, who recalls, and recounts", he said. "To see, to remember and to tell are the three verbs that describe identity and mission. The witness is one who has seen, but not with indifferent eyes; he has seen and allowed himself to be involved in the event. Therefore, he also remembers, not only because he is able
to precisely reconstruct the facts, but because these facts have spoken to him and he has grasped their deep meaning. And so the witness recounts, not in a cold or detached way, but as one who has allowed himself to be questioned, and has from that day forth changed his life".
"The content of Christian witness is not a theory, and ideology, or a complex system of precepts and prohibitions", he added, "but rather a message of salvation, a concrete event, or rather a Person: it is the risen Christ, the sole and living Saviour of all".
The Pontiff went on to emphasise that the Christian may be a witness of the risen Christ "by way of a path that has its foundation in Baptism and its nourishment in the Eucharist, its seal in Confirmation and its continual conversion in Penance. ... If, however, a Christian allows himself to be rapt by
comforts and vanity, if he becomes deaf and blind to the question of 'resurrection' of so many of his brothers, how will he be able to communicate the living Jesus, with his liberating power and infinite tenderness?".

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Men and women like us, seeking a better life
Vatican City, 19 April 2015 (VIS) - Following the Marian prayer, the Pope launched an appeal to the international community to react as soon as possible to tragedies like Saturday's shipwreck in Sicilian waters, causing the deaths of
hundreds of immigrants travelling towards the Italian coast.
"They are men and women like us", he said. "Our brothers who seek a better life; hungry, persecuted, wounded, exploited, victims of wars, seeking a better life. They were looking for happiness. I invite you to pray for them".

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State Visit of the President of the Italian Republic
Vatican City, 18 April 2015 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received a State visit from the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella. The visit takes place just two months after his election, and as the Pontiff remarked, "shows the excellent relations between the Holy See and Italy". There is a long-standing tradition of regular meetings between the Italian authorities
and the Universal Church, reinforced following Vatican Council II.
In his address to the president, the Pope referred first to the Lateran Pacts, incorporated into the Republican Constitution, which constitute "a solid framework for reference, within which the relations between Italy and the Holy See have been peacefully developed and strengthened, guaranteeing mutual sovereignty and independence and at the same time ensuring mutual orientation towards active collaboration, on the basis of shared values and in view of the common good". For this, it is fundamental for collaboration to be constantly renewed, "distinguishing roles and competences and with full respect for reciprocal functions", with the aim of "uniting forces for the good of all citizens, who have the right to such harmony, from which they derive innumerable
benefits. ... Reciprocal autonomy does not diminish, but indeed enhances common responsibility for human beings and for the spiritual and material needs of the community, which we all have the task of serving with humility and dedication".
"A healthy pluralism does not reject the specific contribution offered by the various ideal and religious members that make up our society, provided that, of course, they accept the fundamental principals that guide civil life, and do not
exploit or distort their beliefs to violent and abusive ends. In other words, the orderly development of a pluralistic civil society presupposes that it does not claim to confine the true religious spirit solely to the intimacy of the conscience, but that it also recognises its significant role in the building of society, legitimating the the valuable contribute that it may offer". In this respect, the history of Italy clearly demonstrates both the great contribution of Christianity to her culture and the character of her population, and the extent to which Christian faith has permeated the art, architecture and customs of the country".
The Pope did not fail to mention, among the fundamental goods for the development of each community, the importance of work, "distinguished by its bond with the very dignity of the person, with the possibility of building a dignified and free existence", and he emphasised that "the lack of work for the young becomes a cry of pain that must impel those in public office, intermediary
organisations, private businesspeople and the ecclesial community to make every effort to remedy the situation, according the suitable priority to the problem. Indeed, the possibility of dignity and of the future resides in the availability
of work".
Another theme of the Pope's address was the protection of the environment, and in this regard he spoke about the Milan Universal Exposition, the theme of which
is "Feeding the planet: energy for life". "The event of the Expo will be an important occasion in which the most modern technologies necessary for guaranteeing healthy, safe and sufficient food for all peoples, respecting the environment, will be presented", he said. "This may also contribute to deeper study of the causes of environmental degradation, in order to provide the competent authorities with a framework of knowledge and experience indispensable
for making effective decisions and for preserving the health of the planet that God has entrusted to the care of humankind".
Finally, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude for Italy's efforts in receiving the many immigrants who, risking their lives, seek acceptance. "It is clear that the proportions of the phenomenon require a much broader involvement.
We must never tire of soliciting more extensive efforts at European and international levels".
Francis concluded by expressing his hope that Italy, "treasuring her noble traditions and culture, largely inspired by Christian faith, may progress and prosper in harmony, offering her valuable contribution to peace and justice in the world".

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Italy and the Holy See: promoting and protecting religious freedom and human dignity at bilateral and international levels
Vatican City, 18 April 2015 (VIS) - This morning the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, paid a visit to the Holy Father Francis. The Head of the Italian State, accompanied by Paolo Gentiloni, minister for foreign affairs and international cooperation, subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States.
During the cordial discussions, satisfaction was expressed for the good relations between the Holy See and Italy, further consolidated by the recent signing of the Convention on fiscal matters. Themes relevant to the Italian social situation were then considered, with particular reference to the family, education, work and migration. Appreciation was affirmed for the cooperation of

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woman, of all humanity. He continues to invite us to rediscover the lost or obscured meaning of our human path and to hope to see again the shining horizon on which there shines in all its fullness the dignity of the human person. Honouring Dante Alighieri, as Paul VI has already invited us to do, we are able to enrich ourselves with his experience in order to cross the many dark forests still scattered on our earth and to happily complete our pilgrimage in history, to reach the destination dreamed of and wished for by every man: 'the love that moves the sun in heaven and all the stars'".

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Visit to the Roman parish of Santa Maria Regina Pacis
Vatican City, 4 May 2015 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon Pope Francis visited another parish in his diocese - Santa Maria Regina Pacis at the Ostia Lido. Before celebrating Mass, the bishop of Rome visited the community of the Little Sisters of Jesus, of Charles de Foucauld, also known as the "Luna Park Fraternity" since they live in caravans, and met with the elderly, the sick, and
young scouts from the parish, as well as parents who have baptised their children this year.
The Pope greeted the elderly, emphasising that they possess the wisdom of life,
experience, pain and patience, as well as the memory of the people and the family. He remarked that the sick "resemble Jesus: they suffer like Jesus and bear the cross like Jesus", and praised the parish community for lovingly caring
for the sick and the elderly, since "when they are not cared for by the community, that community does not function; it lacks something".
To the scouts, he commented that "in the art of climbing, the important thing is not that you do not fall, but rather that you do not stay on the ground". He continued, "We all fall, we all make mistakes, even sins, all of us. But what is
witness? It is getting up again with God's grace. ... This is what the world needs
from you, the witness of going ever onwards; although weak, we must go ahead". He also encouraged the young to transmit their faith with joy and, in difficult moments when joy is obscured, to "overcome those moments with dignity, in the hope that the Holy Spirit gives us strength ... and consolation ... until our joy
returns".
Finally, he reminded the parents of recently baptised children that baptism is not an isolated event, and invited them to walk with their children along the new path of faith, staying close to the parish community.
In the Pope's homily, in which he commented on the Gospel reading of the vine and the branches, he insisted on the importance of remaining united with Christ,
which also means "wanting to be forgiven by Him, but also to be 'pruned', so as to bear more fruit". He added, "abiding with Jesus means doing the same as He did: doing good, helping others, praying to the Father, healing the sick, helping the poor, having the joy of the Holy Spirit".
"There are also other branches, to which Jesus does not refer here, but He does
so elsewhere; those that present themselves as Jesus' disciples, but do the opposite of what a disciple does, and these branches are hypocrites. Perhaps they go to Mass every Sunday, perhaps they show themselves to be saintly and pious, but then they live as if they were pagans. And Jesus, in the Gospel, calls them hypocrites. Jesus is good, he invites us to abide in Him. He gives us
strength, and so if we slide into sinfulness - and we are all sinners - He forgives us, because He is merciful. But He wants two things - that we abide in Him and that we are not hypocrites. And this is how Christian lives go onwards".

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Regina Coeli: true Christians who do good for society
Vatican City, 3 May 2015 (VIS) - The union of Jesus with those who follow Him, explained through the image of the vine and the branches that Christ presents to
the disciples at the Last Supper, was the central theme considered by the Pope during this Sunday's Regina Coeli.
"We can all be joined to Jesus in a new way. If, on the contrary, one loses this union with Him, he becomes sterile, indeed harmful to the community. And to
express this reality, Jesus uses the image of the vine and the branches, and says: 'As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches'". ... Through Him - like the sap in a tree - the love of God Himself, the Holy Spirit, passes to the branches; through this parable Jesus enables us to understand the importance of remaining united with Him. The branches are not self-sufficient, but depend totally on the vine, the source of their life".
"The same is true for us as Christians. Grafted to Christ through Baptism, we have received from Him the freely-given gift of new life; we can stay in vital communion with Christ". However, the Pontiff emphasised, "it is necessary to stay faithful to Baptism, and to grow in friendship with the Lord through prayer, the prayer of every day, through listening and obedience to His Word - read the Gospel - and participation in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation", as "if one is intimately joined to Jesus, he or she receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which - as St. Paul tells us - are 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control'. As a consequence, a Christian brings great good to his neighbour and to society. Indeed, from these characteristics, it is possible to recognise who is a true Christian, just as we can recognise a tree from its fruits. The fruits of this deep union with Jesus are wonderful. ... We receive a new way of being, the life of Christ becomes our own; we can think like Him, act like Him, see the world and other things through Jesus' eyes. As a consequence, we are able to love our brothers, beginning with the poorest and the suffering ... and thus bring into the world the fruits of goodness, charity and peace. ... Let us trust in the intercession of Our Lady, so that we too may be living branches in the Church and give coherent witness of our faith, consistency between life and thought, life and faith - aware that we all, according to our specific vocations, participate in the sole salvific mission of Christ".
Following the Regina Coeli the Pope mentioned that yesterday in Turin the Italian Luigi Bordino was proclaimed blessed. A consecrated layman of the Priestly Society of St. Joseph Benedict Cottolengo, the new blessed "devoted his
life to the sick and those who suffer, and dedicated himself tirelessly to the poorest, curing and cleansing their wounds".

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The Pope presides at the Mass and day of reflection dedicated to Friar Junipero
Serra
Vatican City, 2 May 2015 (VIS) - Today the Pontifical North American College holds a day of reflection dedicated to "Friar Junipero Serra, apostle of California, witness of holiness", with the aim of spreading knowledge of the life, mission and witness of holiness of this blessed who will be canonised in Washington on 23 September during the Holy Father's apostolic journey to the United States. The day, organised by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America
and the Pontifical North American College, with the sponsorship of the archdiocese of Los Angeles, culminated with the celebration of a Holy Mass at the college at midday, at which Pope Francis officiated.
In his homily, the Pope emphasised three aspects of the life of the future saint: his missionary impulse, his Marian devotion and his witness of holiness.
"First of all, he was a tireless missionary", the Pontiff affirmed. "What made Friar Junipero leave his home and country, his family, university chair and Franciscan community in Mallorca to go to the ends of the earth? Certainly, it was the desire to proclaim the Gospel ad gentes, that heartfelt impulse which seeks to share with those farthest away the gift of encountering Christ: a gift that he had first received and experienced in all its truth and beauty. Like Paul and Barnabas, like the disciples in Antioch and in all of Judea. ... These missionary disciples who have encountered Jesus, the Son of God, who have come to know him through his merciful Father, moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit, went out to all the geographical, social and existential peripheries, to bear witness to charity. They challenge us! Sometimes we stop and thoughtfully examine their strengths and, above all, their weaknesses and their shortcomings.
But I wonder if today we are able to respond with the same generosity and courage to the call of God, who invites us to leave everything in order to worship him, to follow him, to rediscover him in the face of the poor, to proclaim him to those who have not known Christ and, therefore, have not experienced the embrace of his mercy. Friar Junipero's witness calls upon us to get involved, personally, in the mission to the whole continent, which finds its
roots in Evangelii Gaudium".
Secondly, "Friar Junipero entrusted his missionary activity to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We know that before leaving for California, he wanted to consecrate
his life to Our Lady of Guadalupe and to ask her for the grace to open the hearts of the colonizers and indigenous peoples, for the mission he was about to
begin. ... Since then, Our Lady of Guadalupe has become, in fact, the Patroness
of
the whole American continent. You cannot separate her from the hearts of the American people. She represents our shared roots in this land. Indeed, today's mission to the continent is entrusted to her, the first, holy missionary disciple, a constant presence and companion, our source of comfort and hope. For
she always hears and protects her American children".
Thirdly, the Pope invited those present to contemplate the witness of holiness given by Friar Junipero, "one of the founding fathers of the United States, a saintly example of the Church's universality and special patron of the Hispanic people of the country. In this way may all Americans rediscover their own dignity, and unite themselves ever more closely to Christ and his Church". He went on to cite the example of many American saints, who have distinguished themselves through their various charisms: contemplatives like Rose of Lima, Mariana of Quito and Teresita de los Andes; pastors who bear the scent of Christ
and of his sheep, such as Toribio de Mogrovejo, Francois de Laval, and Rafael Guizar Valencia; humble workers in the vineyard of the Lord, like Juan Diego and
Kateri Tekakwitha; servants of the suffering and the marginalised, like Peter Claver, Martin de Porres, Damian of Molokai, Alberto Hurtado and Rose Philippine
Duchesne; founders of communities consecrated to the service of God and of the poorest, like Frances Cabrini, Elizabeth Ann Seton and Katharine Drexel; tireless missionaries, such as Friar Francisco Solano, JosΘ de Anchieta, Alonso de Barzana, Maria Antonia de Paz y Figueroa and Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero; martyrs like Roque Gonzalez, Miguel Pro and Oscar Arnulfo Romero, and so many other saints and martyrs, whom I do not mention here, but who pray before the Lord for their brothers and sisters who are still pilgrims in those lands. There ha been so much holiness in America, so much holiness sown".
"May a powerful gust of holiness sweep through all the Americas during the coming Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy!" exclaimed the Holy Father. "Confident in
Jesus' promise, which we heard today in the Gospel, we ask God for this special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We ask the Risen Jesus, Lord of all ages, that the life of our American continent may be rooted ever more deeply in the Gospel it has received; that Christ may be ever more present in the lives of individuals, families, peoples and nations, for the greater glory of God. We pray too that this glory may be manifested in the culture of life, brotherhood, solidarity, peace and justice, with a preferential and concrete love for the poor, through the witness of Christians of various confessions and communities, together with believers of other religious traditions, and people of upright conscience and good will. Lord Jesus, we are merely your missionary disciples, your humble co-workers so that your Kingdom may come!"
"With this heartfelt prayer", he concluded, "I ask Our Lady of Guadalupe, Friar
Junipero and all the American saints to lead me and guide me during my approaching apostolic journeys to South America and North America. I ask all of you to keep this intention in your prayers, and to continue to pray for me".

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Francis to the faithful of Molise and Abruzzo: job creation cannot be postponed
Vatican City, 2 May 2015 (VIS) - More than seven thousand faithful of the diocese of Isernia-Venafro, which the Pope visited in July last year, were received in audience in the Vatican by the Holy Father this morning. Francis thanked them for the warmth and joy with which they welcomed him, without neglecting to mention the serious difficulties that continue to afflict the area, which he spoke about during his visit.
The Pontiff mentioned first of all the chronic unemployment that especially affects the youngest generations, who increasingly leave the area for other

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Vatican City, 10 May 2015 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received in private audience the president of the Republic of Cuba, Raul Castro Ruz. The meeting took place in the Pope's study adjacent to Paul VI Hall.
Upon arrival, at 9.30 a.m., the president was received by the Prefect of the Papal Household, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, accompanied by his substitute, Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, and the secretary for Relations with States, Bishop Paul Richard Gallagher. A personal meeting with the Pope then took place in the study, which lasted more than 50 minutes and was very cordial.
The president, as he declared before leaving the Vatican, thanked the Holy Father for his active role in improving relations between Cuba and the United States. He also expressed the sentiments of the Cuban people as they await and prepare for his upcoming visit to the island in September.
The Pope and the president then proceeded to the adjacent room for the presentation of the delegation accompanying Raul Castro, composed of around a dozen figures including the deputy prime minister, the minister for foreign affairs and the ambassador to the Holy See.
The exchange of gifts was very meaningful. The president offered the Pope a valuable commemorative medal of the Cathedral of Havana and a contemporary painting, depicting a large cross made up of wrecked boats, with a migrant in prayer in the foreground. The artist, the Cuban Kcho, was present and explained to the Pope that it was inspired by his great efforts to raise awareness in the world of the problems faced by migrants and refugees, beginning with his famous trip to Lampedusa. The Pope gave the president a copy of his apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" and a large medallion depicting St. Martin covering the poor man with his cape. The Holy Father observed that he was particularly keen to give this gift, as it recalled the commitment not only to protecting the poor but also to promoting dignity.
President Raul Castro and his delegation left the Vatican shortly after 10.30 a.m.

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Regina Coeli: love is a concrete path
Vatican City, 10 May 2015 (VIS) - During this Sunday's Regina Coeli, before thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope commented on the day's Gospel reading which "takes us back to the Cenacle, where we hear Jesus' new commandment, 'that you love one another as I have loved you'". He affirmed, "these words, pronounced during the Last Supper, summarise all Jesus' message; or rather, they summarise all He has gone. Jesus gave His life for His friends. Friends who had not understood Him, who had at the crucial moment abandoned, betrayed and denied Him. This shows us that He loves us even though we do not deserve His love: this is how Jesus loves us!".
"In this way, Jesus shows us the road to follow Him, the path of love. His commandment is not a simple precept, ... something abstract and external with regard to life. Christ's commandment is new because He was the first to realise it, He gave flesh to it, and thus the law of love is written once and for all in
the heart of man. ... It is a concrete path, a road that leads us out of ourselves
to reach out to others. Jesus showed us that God's love is implemented in love for our neighbour. They both go together. The pages of the Gospel are full of this love: adults and children, the cultured and the simple, rich and poor, the righteous and sinners all find welcome in Christ's heart".
"This Word of the Lord calls upon us to love each other, even if we do not always understand each other, even if we do not always agree ... but it is precisely there that we see Christian love. A love that is shown even if there are differences of opinion and character: but love is greater than these differences. And this is the love that Jesus has taught us. ... This love of Christ, that the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts, works wonders every day in the Church and in the world. There are many large and small gestures that obey the Lord's commandment".
"Little everyday gestures, gestures of closeness to an elderly person, a child,
a sick person, someone who is alone or in difficulty, homeless, jobless, an immigrant, a refugee. ... Thanks to the strength of this Word of Christ, every one
of us can be close to the brother and the sister he encounters. Gestures of closeness, of proximity. In these gestures, the love that Christ has taught us is made manifest".
Following the Regina Coeli, the Pope greeted, among others, the Italian State Forestry Corps, which is organising the national day for National Reserves for the rediscovery and respect for the beauty of creation; the participants in the conference, promoted by the Italian Episcopal Conference in support of high-quality schooling open to families; a delegation of women from "Komen Italia", an association engaged in the fight against breast cancer; and those who have taken part in an initiative for life which took place in Rome this morning.
"And, speaking of life", he added, "today in many countries we celebrate Mother's Day: let us remember all mothers with gratitude and affection, and let us applaud them, all the mothers who are here in the Square. And with this applause, let us embrace all mothers, all our dear mothers: those who live with us physically, but also those who remain with us spiritually. May the Lord bless
them all, and may Our Lady, to whom this month is dedicated, protect them".

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Pope's message to His Holiness Tawadros II: continuing friendship between the Orthodox Coptic Church and the Catholic Church
Vatican City, 11 May 2015 (VIS) - Pope Francis has sent a message to His Holiness Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, to commemorate the second anniversary of their meeting in Rome.
"Today more than ever we are united by the ecumenism of blood, which further encourages us on the path towards peace and reconciliation. I assure you and the
Christian community in Egypt and throughout the Middle East of my unceasing prayer, and I remember in particular the Coptic faithful recently martyred for their Christian faith. May the Lord welcome them into his Kingdom".
He continues, "with thanksgiving to the Lord, I recall our advances along the path of friendship, united as we are by one baptism. Though our communion is yet
imperfect, what we have in common is greater than what divides us. May we persevere on our journey to full communion, and grow in love and understanding".
"It is particularly encouraging that the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches has recently finalised the document 'The Exercise of Communion in the Life of the Early Church and its Implications for our Search for Communion Today'. I am certain that Your Holiness shares my hope that this vital dialogue will carry on and bear abundant fruit. I am especially grateful for the willingness of the Patriarchate of the See of Saint Mark to hold the next meeting of the Commission in Cairo".
"Christians throughout the world are facing similar challenges, which require us to work together in confronting these issues. I appreciate your appointment last year of a delegate to participate in the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops dedicated to the family. It is my hope that our cooperation in this area may continue, especially in addressing matters related to mixed marriages".
He concludes, "With these sentiments, and recalling what has rightly become known as the day of friendship between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, I exchange with Your Holiness a fraternal embrace in Christ the
Lord".

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Pope's letter for the bicentenary of the coronation of Our Lady of Mercy
Vatican City, 11 May 2015 (VIS) - Today in the shrine of Our Lady of Mercy of Savona, Italy, the coronation of the statue of the Virgin Mary by Pope Pius VII on 10 May 1815 will be celebrated. Pope Francis has therefore sent as letter to Bishop Vittorio Lupi of the diocese of Savona-Noli, in which he recalls that Benedict XVI too was a pilgrim to the shrine, erected almost five centuries ago in the place where the Virgin appeared to the peasant Antonio Botta, asking for penance and conversion, and bidding him farewell with the words "Mercy, not justice". "An exhortation that is more valid than ever in our age", he writes, "which is, in particular, a time for mercy".
"In such a dramatic moment in the history of Europe", he continues, "Pope Pius VII, kidnapped by Napoleon and imprisoned in Savona, was able to go to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy and he vowed that, once freed, he would return there
to crown her; this took place on 10 May 1815, and on 24 May he instituted the feast of Mary Most Holy, Help of Christians. Indeed, the Mother of Mercy is always close and helps all her children when they find themselves in danger, or,
as is often the case in our times, they suffer discrimination and persecution. I
hope that, as we draw closer to the Extraordinary Holy Year, all the Church may deepen and spread her trust in the Mother of Mercy, who in this land gave a perennial sign of her tenderness and her closeness to the pilgrm People of God in this world".

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To the bishops of Mozambique: always live among the faithful
Vatican City, 9 May 2015 (VIS) - The bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique were received this morning by the Pope at the end of their "ad Limina" visit. In the written discourse that he handed to them during the audience, he first recalls Jesus' question to the apostle Peter: "Do you love me?", and before the latter's affirmative response He asked him to be the shepherd to His flock. Christ, Who made Himself poor for us, requires of the bishops the same love for their own flock, along with their full availability and complete commitment. He calls them to set aside false presumptions in order to "wash the feet of those the Lord has entrusted to us".

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witness of life. In a particular way, consecrated men and women are asked to listen to the voice of the Spirit who calls them to go to the peripheries, to those to whom the Gospel has not yet been proclaimed.
The fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Decree Ad Gentes is an
invitation to all of us to reread this document and to reflect on its contents. The Decree called for a powerful missionary impulse in Institutes of Consecrated
Life. For contemplative communities, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, Patroness of the Missions, appears in a new light; she speaks with renewed eloquence and inspires reflection upon the deep connection between contemplative life and mission. For many active religious communities, the missionary impulse which emerged from the Council was met with an extraordinary openness to the mission ad gentes, often accompanied by an openness to brothers and sisters from the lands and cultures encountered in evangelisation, to the point that today one can speak of a widespread 'interculturalism' in the consecrated life. Hence there is an urgent need to reaffirm that the central ideal of mission is Jesus Christ, and that this ideal demands the total gift of oneself to the proclamation of the Gospel. On this point there can be no compromise: those who by God's grace accept the mission, are called to live the mission. For them, the
proclamation of Christ in the many peripheries of the world becomes their way of
following him, one which more than repays them for the many difficulties and sacrifices they make. Any tendency to deviate from this vocation, even if motivated by noble reasons due to countless pastoral, ecclesial or humanitarian needs, is not consistent with the Lord's call to be personally at the service of
the Gospel. In Missionary Institutes, formators are called to indicate clearly and frankly this plan of life and action, and to discern authentic missionary vocations. I appeal in particular to young people, who are capable of courageous
witness and generous deeds, even when these are countercultural: Do not allow others to rob you of the ideal of a true mission, of following Jesu s through the total gift of yourself. In the depths of your conscience, ask yourself why you chose the religious missionary life and take stock of your readiness to accept it for what it is: a gift of love at the service of the proclamation of the Gospel. Remember that, even before being necessary for those who have not yet heard it, the proclamation of the Gospel is a necessity for those who love the Master.
Today, the Church's mission is faced by the challenge of meeting the needs of all people to return to their roots and to protect the values of their respective cultures. This means knowing and respecting other traditions and philosophical systems, and realising that all peoples and cultures have the right to be helped from within their own traditions to enter into the mystery of
God's wisdom and to accept the Gospel of Jesus, who is light and transforming strength for all cultures.
Within this complex dynamic, we ask ourselves: 'Who are the first to whom the Gospel message must be proclaimed?'. The answer, found so often throughout the Gospel, is clear: it is the poor, the little ones and the sick, those who are often looked down upon or forgotten, those who cannot repay us. Evangelisation directed preferentially to the least among us is a sign of the Kingdom that Jesus came to bring: 'There is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. May we never abandon them'. This must be clear above all to those who embrace the consecrated missionary life: by the vow of poverty, they choose to follow Christ in his preference for the poor, not ideologically, but in the same
way that he identified himself with the poor: by living like them amid the uncertainties of everyday life and renouncing all claims to power, and in this way to become brothers and sisters of the poor, bringing them the witness of the
joy of the Gospel and a sign of God's love.
Living as Christian witnesses and as signs of the Father's love among the poor and underprivileged, consecrated persons are called to promote the presence of the lay faithful in the service of Church's mission. As the Second Vatican Council stated: 'The laity should cooperate in the Church's work of evangelisation; as witnesses and at the same time as living instruments, they share in her saving mission'. Consecrated missionaries need to generously welcome those who are willing to work with them, even for a limited period of time, for an experience in the field. They are brothers and sisters who want to share the missionary vocation inherent in Baptism. The houses and structures of the missions are natural places to welcome them and to provide for their human, spiritual and apostolic support.
The Church's Institutes and Missionary Congregations are completely at the service of those who do not know the Gospel of Jesus. This means that they need to count on the charisms and missionary commitment of their consecrated members.
But consecrated men and women also need a structure of service, an expression of
the concern of the Bishop of Rome, in order to ensure koinonia, for cooperation and synergy are an integral part of the missionary witness. Jesus made the unity
of his disciples a condition so that the world may believe. This convergence is not the same as legalism or institutionalism, much less a stifling of the creativity of the Spirit, who inspires diversity. It is about giving a greater fruitfulness to the Gospel message and promoting that unity of purpose which is also the fruit of the Spirit.
The Missionary Societies of the Successor of Peter have a universal apostolic horizon. This is why they also need the many charisms of consecrated life, to address the vast horizons of evangelisation and to be able to ensure adequate presence in whatever lands they are sent.
Dear brothers and sisters, a true missionary is passionate for the Gospel. St. Paul said: 'Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!'. The Gospel is the source of joy, liberation and salvation for all men and women. The Church is aware of this gift, and therefore she ceaselessly proclaims to everyone 'what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes'. The mission
of the servants of the Word - bishops, priests, religious and laity - is to allow everyone, without exception, to enter into a personal relationship with Christ. In the full range of the Church's missionary activity, all the faithful are called to live their baptismal commitment to the fullest, in accordance with
the personal situation of each. A generous response to this universal vocation can be offered by consecrated men and women through an intense life of prayer and union with the Lord and his redeeming sacrifice.
To Mary, Mother of the Church and model of missionary outreach, I entrust all men and women who, in every state of life work to proclaim the Gospel, ad gentes
or in their own lands. To all missionaries of the Gospel I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing".

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Francis prays with the Pentecostal evangelical pastors of Phoenix for the unity
of the Church
Vatican City, 24 May 2015 (VIS) - The diocese of Phoenix, U.S.A., has organised
a day of dialogue and prayer, on the eve of Pentecost, with a group of evangelical pastors of Pentecostal orientation, including the Italian Giovanni Traettino, whom Pope Francis visited during his trip to Caserta. The Holy Father
participated with a video message, screened yesterday afternoon at the opening of the meeting (during the night in Europe), ample extracts of which are given below:
"'Father, may we be one so that the world may believe you sent me'. This is the
slogan, the theme of the meeting: Christ's prayer to the Father for the grace of
unity. Today, Saturday ... I will be with you spiritually and with all my heart.
We will search together, we will pray together, for the grace of unity. The unity that is budding among us is that unity which begins under the seal of the one Baptism we have all received. It is the unity we are seeking along a common path. It is the spiritual unity of prayer for one another. It is the unity of our common labour on behalf of our brothers and sisters, and all those who believe in the sovereignty of Christ. Dear brothers and sisters, division is a wound in the body of the Church of Christ. And we do not want this wound to remain open. Division is the work of the father of Lies, the father of Discord, who does everything possible to keep us divided.
"Together today, I here in Rome and you over there, we will ask our Father to send the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and to give us the grace to be one, 'so that the world may believe'. I wish to say something that may sound controversial, or even heretical, perhaps. But there is someone who 'knows' that, despite our differences, we are one. It is he who is persecuting us. It is
he who is persecuting Christians today, he who is anointing us with (the blood of) martyrdom. He knows that Christians are disciples of Christ: that they are one, that they are brothers! He doesn't care if they are Evangelicals, or Orthodox, Lutherans, Catholics or Apostolic ... he doesn't care! They are Christians. And that blood (of martyrdom) unites. Today, dear brothers and sisters, we are living an 'ecumenism of blood'. This must encourage us to do what we are doing today: to pray, to dialogue together, to shorten the distance between us, to strengthen our bonds of brotherhood.
"I am convinced it will not be theologians who bring about unity among us. Theologians help us, the science of the theologians will assist us, but if we hope that theologians will agree with one another, we will reach unity the day after Judgement Day. The Holy Spirit brings about unity. Theologians are helpful, but most helpful is the goodwill of us all who are on this journey with
our hearts open to the Holy Spirit! In all humility, I join you as just another participant on this day of prayer, friendship, closeness and reflection. In the certainty that we have one Lord: Jesus is the Lord. In the certainty that this Lord is alive: Jesus is alive, the Lord lives in each one of us. In the certainty that He has sent the Spirit He promised us so that this 'harmony' among all His disciples might be realised".

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The Pope to Christian workers' association: fight for free, creative, participatory and fraternal work
Vatican City, 23 May 2015 (VIS) - "We must ensure that through work - free, creative, participatory and mutually supportive - human beings may express and increase the dignity of their lives", said Pope Francis this morning as he received in audience the members of the Christian Associations of Italian Workers (ACLI), who celebrate the 70th anniversary of their foundation this year.
The Holy Father took the opportunity to reflect on the scale and urgency of the
employment problem in today's world and the need to propose equitable, fraternal
and genuinely practicable solutions. "The spread of precariousness, illegal work
and organised crime, especially among the younger generations, ensure that the lack of work robs dignity and obstructs the fullness of human life. This demands
an immediate and vigorous response", he said, then indicating the four features that should be present in all work.
Firstly, work must be free: the true freedom of work means that man, continuing
the work of the Creator, ensures that the world reaches its objective. Too often, however, work is a vehicle for oppression at several levels: man against another man; new forms of organised slavery that oppress the poorest. "In particular, many children and women suffer as the result of an economy that obliges them to carry out undignified work that contradicts creation in its beauty and harmony. We must ensure that work is not a tool of alienation, but rather of hope and new life".
Creative work allows one to use his or her unique and original abilities. This

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