Pope Francis

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/17/world_day_of_migrants_and_refugees:_“towards_a_better_world”/en1-765017

2014-01-18 13:32:45
World Day of Migrants and Refugees: “Towards a Better World”

(Vatican Radio). Sunday 19th January the Church marks the 100th World Day of Migrants and Refugees. In his message to mark this occasion, Pope Francis urged countries to welcome and respect migrants and refugees and not to treat them as “pawns on the chessboard of humanity”.

In a world in which there are some 200 million migrants – 44 million of whom are refugees and internally displaced people – the Pope said “They are children, women and men who leave or who are forced to leave their homes for various reasons, who share a legitimate desire for knowing and having, but above all for being more.”

He also repeats his condemnation of “slave labour” and trafficking, develops his criticism of a “throwaway culture, and reiterates there must be a change in attitude on the part of host countries”.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/19/pope_francis:_parish_visit_to_existential_periphery/en1-765441

2014-01-19 16:22:24
Pope Francis: parish visit to "existential periphery"

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis made a pastoral visit to Rome’s Sacro Cuore Basilica on Sunday afternoon, in the context of the Church’s 100th annual World Day for Migrants and Refugees. The parish of the Basilica dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is run by the Salesians of Don Bosco, and operates an outreach to the city’s homeless and itinerant populations, as well as a centre of welcome and hospitality for more than 400 young refugees and asylum seekers from Somalia, Eritrea, Gambia, Cameroon, Ghana, Congo, Ivory Coast, Afganistan, Iraq, Iran, Kurdistan, Egypt, Syria, Sudan, Pakistan and Turkey. Listen: RealAudioMP3

Located in the heart of the city, in the vicinity of Rome’s central Termini railway station, the Basilica parish serves one of those “existential outskirts” that Pope Francis has called on Christians in every state of life – and especially those in religious life – to place at the centre of their work and witness in behalf of the Gospel. Sacro Cuore offers a range of services to the people it assists, from Italian language courses to driving lessons, remedial education for middle school equivalency, computer literacy, job training and placement.

The schedule of the Pope’s projected four-hour-plus visit included encounters with children and the faithful of the parish in the courtyard of the basilica, a meeting with refugees, another with homeless persons, an exchange of greetings with families that have had children baptised over the course of the past year, Mass in the Basilica, a visit with the Basilica’s Salesian community, and a moment with young people.

The Holy Father’s focus on migrants and refugees began earlier in the day, however, with an appeal after the Angelus prayer.
 

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http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Jewish-groups-praise-Pope-Francis-on-opening-of-Holocaust-archives-338662

Jewish groups praise Pope Francis on opening of Holocaust archives
01/19/2014 17:41

Jewish organizations praised Pope Francis on Sunday following a report that the Catholic leader will open the Vatican archives to investigate the actions of his predecessor Pius XII during the Holocaust. Pius, who is currently being considered for canonization, has been criticized by Jewish groups for failing to speak up against the persecution of Jews during the Second World War.

Pius' beatification has been a sore subject in Jewish-Catholic relations. Thus far, Pius has passed two of the four stages necessary to reach sainthood.

The Sunday Times quoted Argentinean rabbi Abraham Skorka, a close friend of Francis, as saying that the pope will follow through on a prior promise to examine Pius' wartime role. Prior to ascending to the papacy, Francis, who was known as Cardinal Bergoglio expressed his position on the issue in his book, On Heaven and Earth, which he co-wrote with Skorka in 2010.

"Opening the archives of the Shoah [Holocaust] seems reasonable," the future pope wrote. "Let them be opened up and let everything be cleared up. Let it be seen if they could have done something [to help] and until what point they could have helped." “If they made a mistake in any aspect of this we would have to say: ‘We have erred.’ We don’t have to be scared of this — the truth has to be the goal.”

Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial institute, praised Francis’ intention to open the archives, stating that it “would allow researchers to gain a clearer picture of the Vatican and the Pope's behavior during the Holocaust.”

Holocaust survivors also welcomed the news.
 
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http://www.ewtn.com/library/chistory/PIUS12.htm

LIBRARY DOCUMENTS ON PIUS XII

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/20/pope_francis:_be_open_to_the_gospel_and_to_god’s_surprises/en1-765640

2014-01-20 13:53:27
Pope Francis: be open to the Gospel and to God’s surprises

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday said Christian freedom is to be found in being docile to God’s Word.

Speaking during his homily at morning Mass in Casa Santa Marta, the Pope said we must always be ready to welcome the message of the Gospel and the surprises that God has in store for us.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni... RealAudioMP3

God’s word is alive and full of strength, it discerns the sentiments of the heart, but we must be open to receive it. Speaking to those present for morning Mass in the Vatican, the Pope highlighted the need to really welcome the message of the Gospel with an attitude of docility and openness.

The Gospel – the Pope said – doesn’t just tell us the things we want to hear. It is alive and strong and full of novelty; God’s Word – he continued - is “free” and full of surprises because “our God is the God of surprises, the God of the Revelation”.

And urging us to be malleable and docile, he said we must ask ourselves whether we adapt ourselves to the novelties of the Gospel? Or do we process the message until it becomes something different to what God wants it to be.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/20/pope_to_vatican_public_security_forces:_transmit_the_faith/en1-765637

2014-01-20 13:52:13
Pope to Vatican Public Security Forces: transmit the faith

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday thanked the Vatican Public Security forces, an Italian force established in 1945, for their “discreet but attentive” supervision of areas around the Vatican, especially St. Peter’s Square.

The Pope expressed his profound appreciation for their service, saying “we are all aware of the need to work continuously to ensure that this unique site is protected and that its character as a sacred and universal space is preserved.”

He noted that thanks to them, the pilgrims and tourists who flood the square “are serene, move tranquilly about, enjoying a sense of peace.”

Observing that their work calls for “technical and professional preparation together with attentive surveillance and kindness and dedication,” he pointed to the times when large numbers of pilgrims flock to St. Peter’s Basilica to pray at the tombs of Saint Peter “and those of his successors, especially John XXIII and John Paul II.”

Pope Francis thanked them especially for their “effective activity carried out during the days that preceded the Conclave, following the resignation of Pope Benedict” and reiterated his appreciation for the contributions of all those who helped make that period of transition pass in a smooth and orderly fashion.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/17/pope_francis:_dont_forsake_the_gift_of_being_gods_children/en1-764868

2014-01-17 13:31:51
Pope Francis: Don't forsake the gift of being God's children

(Vatican Radio) We must not sell out the gift of being God’s children for a distorted sense of normality. These were the words of Pope Francis at Mass on Friday morning in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. As Christians, Pope Francis said, we must actively strive against the normality of our everyday lives to remain faithful to God’s choosing. We must not sell out to the temptation of worldliness, of living as if God didn’t exist.

We often forget the Word of God, Pope Francis continued, we forget what the Lord says, and we listen instead to whatever word is more fashionable, more fun. This temptation, the Pope said, is more dangerous than an outright renouncing of faith, because it is more subtle, and less clear. It is true, he recognised, that Christians must be normal people, but they must also bear in mind the Word of God which says to them ‘you are my people, I have chosen you, I am by your side’.
 

 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/21/pope_francis:_god_always_chooses_the_small_and_least_powerful/en1-765907

2014-01-21 13:05:00
Pope Francis: God always chooses the small and least powerful

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says we need to be small and humble to dialogue with God. At the same time He always chooses those who are small and who have least power. This was the core message of the Pope’s homily at Tuesday morning's Mass in the Santa Marta residence.

Listen to this report by Susy Hodges:

We need to safeguard our smallness in order to have a personal dialogue with God. In his homily Pope Francis reflected on the personal relationship between God and his people - the small and humble - saying God always speaks to us on a personal level, using our names. "It’s never a dialogue between the powerful and the masses."
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/21/pope_francis_to_receive_us_president_barak_obama/en1-765968

2014-01-21 15:09:26
Pope Francis to receive US President Barak Obama

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is scheduled to receive US President, Barak Obama, in audience in the Vatican, on Thursday 27 March 2014.

The news was announced on Tuesday by the White House, and confirmed by Father Federico Lombardi, Head of the Vatican Press Office.

It will be Obama’s first meeting with Pope Francis. At the Inaugural Mass of his Petrine Ministry on March 19, 2013, the United States was represented by US Vice-President, Joe Biden.

The announcement comes just days after the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal-designate Pietro Parolin met with US Secretary of State, John Kerry.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/21/pope_francis_message_to_world_economic_forum_in_davos/en1-765901

2014-01-21 18:36:06
Pope Francis' message to World Economic Forum in Davos

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a message to participants at the World Economic Forum which opens in the Swiss resort city of Davos on Tuesday evening. Catholic Church leaders are among those taking part in the four day meeting, which is focused on the theme ‘The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business’.

In the message, Pope Francis says it’s important to praise the steps being taken improve people’s welfare in areas of health care, education and communications and to recognize the fundamental role that modern business activity plays in bringing about these changes. Nonetheless, he says, the successes which have been achieved have often led to widespread social exclusion and too many men and women still experience the dramatic consequences of daily insecurity
 
Pope Francis stresses the vital role that politicians and economists have in promoting an inclusive approach which takes into consideration the dignity of every human person and the common good. This concern, he says, ought to shape every political and economic decision but at times seems to be little more than an afterthought. Those working in these sectors, he insists, have a precise responsibility towards others, particularly the most frail, weak and vulnerable. It is intolerable, he adds, that thousands of people continue to die every day from hunger, even though food is available and often simply wasted. We cannot but be moved, he says, by the refugees seeking minimally dignified conditions, who not only fail to find hospitality but often tragically perish in moving from place to place.

What is needed, the Pope concludes, is a renewed and broadened sense of responsibility on the part of all and an openness to the transcendent vision which can guide economic and financial activity towards a more ethical and humane approach.

Listen to Philippa Hitchen's report: RealAudioMP3

Below, we publish the full text of Pope Francis' message:
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/22/pope_tweets_support_for_march_for_life_/en1-766312

2014-01-22 15:09:37
Pope tweets support for March for Life



(Vatican Radio) In a special “tweet” today, Pope Francis voiced his support for the March for Life, held each year in Washington D.C. on the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion throughout the country.

  “I join the March for Life in Washington with my prayers. May God help us respect all life, especially the most vulnerable”

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/22/pope_francis_at_weekly_general_audience:_the_scandal_of_division/en1-766212

2014-01-22 12:14:44
Pope Francis at weekly General Audience: the scandal of division

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis devoted the catechetical portion of his weekly General Audience on Wednesday to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which this year is dedicated to a question taken from the First Letter to the Corinthians: “Has Christ Been Divided?”. The English-language synthesis, read out after the main reflection delivered by Pope Francis in Italian, said, “We know that Christ has not been divided; yet we must sincerely recognize that our communities continue to experience divisions which are a source of scandal and weaken our witness to the Gospel.”

In reproaching the Corinthians for their divisions, Paul reminds them to rejoice in the great spiritual gifts which they have received. His words encourage us to rejoice in the gifts God has given to other Christians, gifts which we can receive from them for our enrichment. To be able to do this calls for humility, discernment and constant conversion.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/22/pope_francis:_appeal_for_peace_in_syria/en1-766183

2014-01-22 11:25:39
Pope Francis: appeal for peace in Syria

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis appealed for peace in Syria on Wednesday, offering prayers for leaders and policy experts gathering in Switzerland for a conference aimed at working toward a resolution of the Syrian civil war that has claimed more than 100 thousand lives and driven millions of people from their homes. Listen: RealAudioMP3

Speaking at the end of his weekly General Audience, Pope Francis said, “I ask the Lord to touch the hearts of all [parties and participants], that, looking only to the greater good of the so sorely tried Syrian people, they might spare no effort to reach as quickly as possible the cessation of violence and the end of the conflict, which has already caused too much suffering.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/22/father_lombardi_on_upcoming_papal_trips/en1-766412

2014-01-22 17:38:24
Father Lombardi on upcoming papal trips

(Vatican Radio) Asked by reporters about the upcoming international trips of Pope Francis, the director of the Vatican Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, said that the possibility of an Apostolic Voyage to Asia is being studied. Such a trip could include a visit to South Korea, on the occasion of the sixth Asian Youth Day, set to take place in August 2014.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/23/pope_francis:_jealousy,_envy_and_gossip_divide_and_destroy_christian/en1-766578

2014-01-23 15:20:24
Pope Francis: jealousy, envy and gossip divide and destroy Christian communities

(Vatican Radio) Christians must close the doors to the jealousies, envy and gossip that divide and destroy our communities: that’s what Pope Francis stressed in his homily at Mass in the Santa Marta guesthouse Thursday morning.
Listen to Tracey McClure's report: RealAudioMP3

The Pope’s remarks take on added meaning because today marks the sixth day of prayer for Christian unity which culminates Saturday with the celebration of Vespers presided by Pope Francis in the Rome Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

In his homily, Pope Francis reflects on the day’s first reading which recalls the victory of the Israelites over the Philistines - thanks to the courageous actions of the young David. But, King Saul’s joy over the victory soon turns to sadness and jealousy when he sees the women praising David for killing Goliath. So, "that great victory,” Pope Francis says, “begins to undergo defeat in the heart of the King" and like Cain, the "worm of jealousy and envy" begins to insinuate itself in its place. And again like Cain and Abel, the king decides to kill David. "This is what jealousy does in our hearts,” observes the Pope. “It is a destructive anxiety (it: inquietudine cattiva), which cannot tolerate that a brother or sister has something that I have not." Saul, "instead of praising God for this victory as did the women of Israel, prefers to withdraw into himself, feeling sorry for himself (it. rammaricarsi)” and “stew his feelings in the broth of bitterness."
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/23/holy_see_calls_for_immediate_ceasefire_in_syria/en1-766634

2014-01-23 14:12:59
Holy See calls for immediate ceasefire in Syria



(Vatican Radio) The Holy See has called for an “immediate” ceasefire in Syria, during the Geneva 2 Conference in Switzerland. The leader of the Holy See’s Delegation, Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi said the “violence has to stop because too much suffering has been inflicted on all the people of Syria and on the entire region.” The international peace talks are looking for a compromise which can end the conflict in Syria.

The full text of the intervention by Archbishop Tomasi is below
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/23/pope_francis:_communication_must_promote_culture_of_encounter/en1-766566

2014-01-23 12:24:31
Pope Francis: Communication must promote culture of encounter

(Vatican Radio) It’s no good trying to communicate the Gospel if we are not open to encounter the lives and the truth of others’. That’s the theme at the heart of Pope Francis’ message for the 48th World Communication Day which was presented at a press conference in the Vatican on Thursday. Entitled ‘Communication at the service of an authentic Culture of Encounter’, the document says effective Christian witness is not about bombarding people with religious messages but about respectfully engaging with their questions and their doubts.

Philippa Hitchen takes a closer look…..
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/23/holy_see:_worrying_exodus_of_middle_east_christians/en1-766646

2014-01-23 14:38:44
Holy See: "Worrying exodus" of Middle East Christians

(Vatican Radio) The Holy See has expressed its concern about a “worrying exodus” of Christians from Middle East countries which have been their homelands for nearly two thousand years. The Holy See’s Permanent ******* to the United Nations in New York, Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, said Christians often targeted by “fundamentalist and extremist forces” in the region.

He was speaking during the UN Security Council Open Debate on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.”

“The Holy See stands ready to support all religious communities in their efforts to reach new understandings and the restoration of trust after these years of violence, revenge and recrimination.,” Archbishop Chullikatt said.

The full text of Archbishop Chullikatt’s intervention is below
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/23/thirty_years_of_diplomatic_relations_between_the_united_states_and/en1-766493

2014-01-23 10:42:22
Thirty years of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Holy See ...



(Vatican Radio) On Thursday, January 23 the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Holy See, Kenneth Hackett inaugurated a photographic exhibition here in Rome marking 30 years of Diplomatic Relations between the United States of America and the Holy See.

So if you've ever wondered how the land lies in terms of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the United States , listen to Veronica Scarisbrick interviewing our expert in this field.
 
If you do you'll discover how until the 1890's there were simply no United States Ambassadors appointed to the Holy See. How at one point in history Catholics weren't always exactly popular in this nation. And also how the events following World War II would lead to to improved diplomatic relations.

As Professor Fogarty further explains things changed when John Fitzgerald Kennedy ran for presidency: :"..it became one of the two crucial issues in the campaign of John Kennedy for President of the United States: was he in favour of diplomatic relations with the Vatican and was he in favour of financial federal aid to parochial schools? ... there was hesitation as whether or not the President could have a meeeting with the Pope .."

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/24/pope_francis:_build_bridges_of_dialogue,_not_walls_of_resentment/en1-766987

2014-01-24 13:51:11
Pope Francis: build bridges of dialogue, not walls of resentment

Christians must build bridges of dialogue, not walls of resentment. These were the words of the Holy Father at Mass on Friday morning in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.

Pope Francis reflected in his homily on the conflict between King Saul and David which is the focus of the day’s Old Testament reading. At one point, the Pope said, David has the chance to kill Saul, but he chooses “a different path: the path of dialogue, to make peace”.

All Christians, always, should follow the path of reconciliation, the Pope said, because that is what Jesus taught us, because Jesus showed us the way. In order to enter into dialogue, the Pope explained, it’s important to be meek, to be humble, even after an argument or a fight. It’s important to “bend”, to be flexible, so as not to reach breaking point
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/24/pope_to_rota:_authentic_spirit_of_service/en1-766868

2014-01-24 13:07:39
Pope to Rota: authentic spirit of service

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis delivered his first allocution to the Roman Rota on Friday, at the start of the court’s judicial year. The Roman Rota is the Church’s highest appellate tribunal and the highest ordinary judicial tribunal. It deals principally though not exclusively with questions arising from marriage nullity cases that come before it.
 
Regarding the way in which a judge ought to exercise his authority, Pope Francis spoke of the need for “objectivity” and “fairness [It. equità]” that allow him, “to adjudicate with imperturbable and impartial equidistance,” from the parties and from his own personal tastes, opinions and preferences.

Pastorally, Pope Francis said the judge must have an authentic spirit of service. “[A judge] is the servant of justice,” he said, “called to treat and adjudicate the condition of the faithful who turn to him in trust.”