Pope Francis

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/08/07/fr_lombardi_on_pope_francis_pastoral_visit_to_korea/1104176

Fr Lombardi on Pope Francis' pastoral visit to Korea
07/08/2014

(Vatican Radio) At a press conference in the Vatican on Thursday Fr. Federico Lombardi briefed journalists on Pope Francis’ pastoral visit to Korea which will take place from August 13th to 18th. It will be his third foreign journey and it will also mark the third trip of a Pope to the Asian nation.

Following in the footsteps of John Paul II, who travelled to the Republic of Korea twice in 1984 and 1989, Pope Francis will spend five days there, celebrating Asian World Youth Day with young people from across the continent and beatifying the large group of Korean martyrs who first brought the faith to the country.

A third important theme for the visit will be the quest for peace and reconciliation between the republic and its northern neighbour, which have been divided by a heavily armed buffer zone since the end of the Korean War in 1953. Answering journalists’ questions about the North Korean authorities declining an invitation to attend a concluding Mass in Seoul, Fr Lombardi said though the Pope is not planning to visit the so-called Demilitarized Zone, the problem of this division will be central to his thoughts throughout the visit:
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-appeal-for-iraqi-christians

Pope Francis: appeal for Iraqi Christians
2014-08-07 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) The Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, has issued a statement communicating the Holy Father's prayerful concern over the violence raging in Iraq, and especially for the Christians affected by the violence. In the statement, Fr. Lombardi says, "The Holy Father is following with deep concern the dramatic news reports coming from northern Iraq, which involve defenseless populations. Christian communities are particularly affected: a people fleeing from their villages because of the violence that rages in these days, wreaking havoc on the entire region."
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-sends-message-to-knights-of-columbus-supreme

Pope sends message to Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention
2014-08-07 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent greetings and encouragement to the Knights of Columbus who are currently holding their 132nd Supreme Convention in Orlando, Florida, in the United States. In a message, signed by the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope says the meeting’s theme of ‘Our Vocation to Fraternity’ is especially important since “the Church is called to be a community of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another” thus serving as “a leaven of reconciliation and unity for the whole human family.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/08/08/pope_names_envoy_to_iraq_to_show_solidarity_with_christians/1104226

Pope names envoy to Iraq to show solidarity with Christians
08/08/2014

(Vatican Radio) In response to the continuing crisis facing Christians in Iraq, Pope Francis has named Cardinal Fernando Filoni as his personal envoy to the war-torn country. Plans are also underway to bring all the Holy See’s representatives in the region to Rome for a meeting to support the tens of thousands of people who’ve been forced to flee by militants of the recently established Islamic State.
 

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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-angelus-address-sunday-august-10th

Pope's Angelus Address, Sunday, August 10th
Vatican City,  August 10, 2014 

At 12pm today, Pope Francis appeared at the window of the study in the Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Here below is an English translation of his words introducing the Marian prayer, and his address that followed:
***
Dear brothers and sisters,

Today's Gospel presents us with the story of Jesus who walks on the water of the Lake (cfr. Mt. 14, 22-33). After the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, He invites the disciples to go on the boat and precede him to the other side, while He dismisses the crowd, and then retires all alone to pray on the mountain until late at night. Meanwhile, a strong storm rises on the lake, and it is in the midst of this story that Jesus reaches the disciples' boat, walking on the water of the lake. When they see him, the disciples are frightened, they think it is a ghost, but He reassures them: "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!" (v.27). Peter, with his typical zeal, asks him almost as a test: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."; and Jesus says to him, "Come!" (vv.28-29). Peter steps off the boat and starts to walk on the water; but the strong winds strike him and he begins to sink. Then he cries: "Lord, save me!" (v.30), and Jesus stretches out his hand and lifts him up.
 

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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-francis-you-cannot-make-war-in-the-name-of-god

Pope Francis: You Cannot Make War in the Name of God!
Vatican City,  August 10, 2014 

Pope Francis made an appeal for peace in Iraq and Gaza before concluding his Sunday Angelus address. Throughout the weekend, the Holy Father has sent several tweets from his @Pontifex account, calling on the faithful to pray for those affected by the violence.

"The news coming from Iraq leaves us in disbelief and dismay: thousands of people, including many Christians, brutally driven from their homes; children dead from thirst and hunger during the escape; women who are abducted; people slaughtered; violence of every kind; destruction everywhere, destruction of homes, destruction of religious, historical and cultural patrimonies," he said.

"All this greatly offends God and greatly offends humanity. You cannot bring hatred in the name of God. You cannot make war in the name of God!"
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/08/11/pope_sends_video_message_to_the_people_of_korea/1104338

Pope sends video message to the people of Korea
11/08/2014

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a video message to the people of Korea, broadcast on Korean television over the weekend and ahead of his Apostolic journey to Korea.

In the message, the Holy Father begins by inviting the Korean people to pray with him that his upcoming visit will bear fruit for the Church and for Korean society in general.

Quoting from the Book of Isaiah the words "Arise, shine!" the Pope asks the Korean faithful to receive the light of the Lord, a light, he says that reflects the faith, hope and love, of the Gospel.

While in Korea, Pope Francis will be attending the Sixth Asian Youth Day and he stresses it is to the young people in particular that he brings the Lord’s call “Asian youth wake up! The glory of the martyrs shines on you”, which is also the theme of the event.

The Holy Father goes on to say that, “young people are bearers of hope and energy for the future; but they are also the victims of the moral and spiritual crisis of our time. But, the Pope reminds them, that the only person who can save us all is Jesus, the Lord.

Speaking about the Korean martyrs he will beatify on this his first Apostolic visit to Asia, the Pope says, "the light of the risen Christ shines like a mirror on the testimony of Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 companions, all martyrs for the faith.
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/do-not-fear-the-call-of-jesus-pope-says-in-radio-interview-42210/

Do not fear the call of Jesus, Pope says in radio interview

Vatican City, Aug 12, 2014 / 10:10 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a 20-minute live interview on an Argentinean radio station on Aug. 8, Pope Francis encouraged young people to fearlessly answer God’s call to selfless love through a vocation.

“Each person has a role, each person has a job to do, a vocation,” the Pope said. “Pray that God sends workers to the harvest, that he sends shepherds.”

“Young people who feel the call of Jesus should not be afraid,” he continued, explaining that life is “not for achieving gains. Life is for giving it away.”

“If someone is feeling that God is asking him to give his life in the priesthood, he should not be afraid. We need to gamble on big things, not on little ones. And if he feels that Jesus is calling him to form a family, let it be a strong, big, Christian family.”

The Pope’s remarks came during his radio conversation with Father Joaquin Giangreco and Father Juan Ignacio Liebana on Radio Virgen del Carmen in the Diocese of Añatuya.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-marian-devotion-ahead-of-korea-trip

Pope Francis: Marian devotion ahead of Korea trip
2014-08-13 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis visited the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on Wednesday morning, just hours before his scheduled departure for Korea. The Holy Father reached the church - which is the largest dedicated to the Mother of God in the city, and the place where the founder of the Society of Jesus, St Ignatius Loyola, said his first Mass - at 11 AM. He arrived quietly, in his usual, low-profile conveyance, without a motorcade and without fanfare. He paused in prayer for a little more than a quarter-hour, and left behind a small bouquet of flowers. 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-leaves-rome-for-5-day-visit-to-korea

Pope Francis leaves Rome for 5 day visit to Korea
2014-08-13 Vatican Radio

Pope Francis has just left Rome for Seoul at the start of his pastoral visit to Korea, the first papal visit to the country in 25 years. His plane is due to touch down in the South Korean capital at 1030 local time on Thursday.  His five-day visit coincides with the Church’s 6th Asian Youth Day gathering, while other highlights of his trip  include an open-air mass in Seoul’s World Cup stadium and the beatification of 124 Korean martyrs and a Mass for peace and reconciliation on the divided peninsula..
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/korea-preparations-impeccable-for-visit-by-pope-fr

Korea preparations "impeccable" for visit by Pope Francis
2014-08-13 Vatican Radio

 
Taekwondo is a form of martial arts.

It’s based on a combination of physical skill and mental concentration.

It’s also specifically Korean and eloquently reflects one of this country’s most striking characteristics: the ability to react to challenges with an energy that comes from both without and within.

How else do you explain one of the most rapid and exemplary economic recoveries in the history of the world? As a child at school in the 1960’s I remember donating my pocket money to the “Korean poor orphans fund”. Today, those orphans are active contributors to the world’s 13th industrial power and live in one of most thriving and technologically-advanced societies on the planet. And the secret to their success is precisely this: mental determination and concentration, physical ability and skill.

In other words, there’s nothing Koreans can’t do if they set their minds to it.

And they’ve certainly set their minds to making this papal visit an event to remember. The organizational machine is simply impeccable. Hundreds of smiling volunteers appear out of nowhere to answer even the silliest question. Dozens of translators are on hand to help you decipher the intriguing symbols that compose the Korean alphabet. Nothing is too much trouble. Everything works. Including the Italian expresso coffee machine. Even the policemen are charming. And wait till you see the flower arrangements.
 
With the International Press Centre up and running as of today and journalists streaming in from all over Asia and beyond – all that’s missing is the Pope.

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Sad to read about this protest.   

http://time.com/3106784/south-korean-protestants-rally-against-pope-francis-visit/

South Korean Protestants Rally Against Pope Francis’ Visit
4:57 AM ET

Not everyone is happy about the Pontiff's trip

Around 10,000 South Korean Protestants gathered at a convention center near Seoul on Tuesday to protest Pope Francis’ upcoming trip to the country.

The demonstration, organized by fundamentalist Protestants who view Catholicism as blasphemous, underscores tension among some denominations in South Korea, where nearly 30% of the population is Christian.
 
There had been hopes that the Pope would be able to preach unity on the Korean peninsula, however these fell flat after authorities in Pyongyang declined his request to visit North Korea. The Associated Press reports that he will nevertheless issue a “message of peace and reconciliation for all Koreans.”

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-un-secgen-intl-action-to-stop-iraq-violenc

Pope to UN SecGen: Int'l action to stop Iraq violence
2014-08-13 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has written to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, regarding the situation in Iraq. Dated August 9, and released today (Wednesday, Aug 13), the letter condemns the violent persecutions underway in the country, and calls on the international community to act swiftly and decisively to stop the humantiarian disaster currently taking place. "The violent attacks that are sweeping across Northern Iraq," writes Pope Francis, "cannot but awaken the consciences of all men and women of goodwill to concrete acts of solidarity by protecting those affected or threatened by violence and assuring the necessary and urgent assistance for the many displaced people as well as their safe return to their cities and their homes." Below, please find the full text of the letter in English.
*****************************************************
His Excellency

Mr Ban Ki-moon

Secretary General

United Nations Organization

It is with a heavy and anguished heart that I have been following the dramatic events of these past few days in Northern Iraq where Christians and other religious minorities have been forced to flee from their homes and witness the destruction of their places of worship and religious patrimony. Moved by their plight, I have asked His Eminence Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, who served as the Representative of my predecessors, Pope St John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, to the people in Iraq, to manifest my spiritual closeness and to express my concern, and that of the entire Catholic Church, for the intolerable suffering of those who only wish to live in peace, harmony and freedom in the land of their forefathers.

In the same spirit, I write to you, Mr Secretary-General, and place before you the tears, the suffering and the heartfelt cries of despair of Christians and other religious minorities of the beloved land of Iraq. In renewing my urgent appeal to the international community to take action to end the humanitarian tragedy now underway, I encourage all the competent organs of the United Nations, in particular those responsible for security, peace, humanitarian law and assistance to refugees, to continue their efforts in accordance with the Preamble and relevant Articles of the United Nations Charter.
 

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/08/13/pope-francis-china/14001613/

From 30,000 feet, Pope Francis reaches out to Beijing
2:24 p.m. EDT August 13, 2014

BEIJING — At Beijing's oldest Roman Catholic Church on Wednesday, Mary Zhang, 54, eagerly awaited the arrival of Pope Francis ... at cruising altitude.

"I'm very excited. It's the first time the pope has flown over China," said Zhang, a regular worshiper at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception who volunteered to help clean the church. "I really hope he can give a Mass in person in China one day. It's a sign of a better relationship between the Vatican and Beijing, as flying over China was not allowed before."

En route from Rome to Seoul for a five-day official visit to South Korea that begins Thursday, the pontiff will pass somewhere over northeastern China and send a telegram of greetings to Chinese leaders, as he does with all countries he flies over, in accordance with Vatican protocol.
 
Even a routine message carries historic significance, given the two sides' often-fraught relationship since diplomatic ties were cut in 1951 following Mao's ascent to power two years earlier. Francis' flight itself marks a minor breakthrough, as China refused to allow St. John Paul II's plane to cross its airspace en route to Seoul in 1989.

"This is a sign of detente, for sure," Father Bernardo Cevellera, a specialist in the Roman Catholic Church in China, told Reuters. "But the real miracle would be if (Chinese President) Xi Jinping responds with his own telegram, and what he says."
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-sends-telegram-from-plane-to-china-an

Pope Francis sends telegram from plane to China, and other countries
2014-08-14 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis sent telegrams to the Heads of State of the countries in which his plane overflew during his trip to South Korea.  For the first time in history, a Pope has flown over the People’s Republic of China, and in his telegram to President Xi Jinping, Pope Francis said “UPON ENTERING CHINESE AIR SPACE, I EXTEND BEST WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, AND I INVOKE THE DIVINE BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND WELL-BEING UPON THE NATION.”

The full text of all the telegrams are below

Belarus
HIS EXCELLENCY ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS
MINSK

AS I FLY OVER YOUR NATIONAL TERRITORY, I EXTEND MY BEST WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS.  INVOKING DIVING BLESSINGS UPON THE NATION, I PRAY THAT ALMIGHTY GOD MAY GRANT YOU ALL WELL-BEING AND PEACE.
FRANCISCUS PP.

Russia
HIS EXCELLENCY VLADIMIR PUTIN
PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
MOSCOW

AS I ENTER RUSSIAN AIR SPACE, I EXTEND MY BEST WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS.  I INVOKE DIVINE BLESSINGS UPON YOU ALL, PRAYING THAT ALMIGHTY GOD MAY GRANT THE NATION PEACE AND WELL-BEING.
FRANCISCUS PP.
 
China
HIS EXCELLENCY XI JINPING
PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
BEIJING

UPON ENTERING CHINESE AIR SPACE, I EXTEND BEST WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, AND I INVOKE THE DIVINE BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND WELL-BEING UPON THE NATION.
FRANCISCUS PP.

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http://www.news.va/en/news/a-missionary-dream

A missionary dream
2014-08-14 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis' journey to South Korea is not a "tourist visit," as the Holy Father himself explained to journalists during the 11 hour flight to Seoul. Vatican Radio's Sean Patrick Lovett explains the Pope's missionary dream:

Not everybody knows the real reason why Jorge Bergoglio became a Jesuit.

He dreamed of being a missionary in the Far East, just like the Jesuit St Francis Xavier. That’s what he himself said last year when speaking to a group of Jesuit school students in Rome.

“Going out…proclaiming Jesus Christ…not staying closed in our structures” – that’s how he described his call within the call.
 
Speaking to the 72 journalists representing 11 nations who are travelling with him on the flight from Rome, Pope Francis was even more explicit: “This is not a tourist visit”, he said. The Pope greeted members of the press corps individually, and thanked them for their words which, he said, “help unite us to the world”. He also prayed in silence for the Italian journalist and his Palestinian translator who were killed while reporting on the situation in Gaza on August 13th. Finally, the Pope promised to answer journalist’s questions on the return flight - even though, he quipped, he might end up “like Daniel in the lion’s den…although these lions don’t bite”, he added quickly.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-korean-leaders-honour-our-ancestors-treasu

Pope to Korean leaders: Honour our ancestors, treasure youth
2014-08-14 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) After his arrival in Seoul on Thursday morning, Pope Francis began his Apostolic Voyage to South Korea with private Mass at the Apostolic Nunciature in Seoul.

Following Mass, the Holy Father proceeded to the Presidential Palace, known as the “Blue House,” where he was greeted by President Park Geun-hye. The two leaders met for a brief courtesy visit, which included an exchange of gifts.

Pope Francis then met with civil authorities, including Korean political leaders, a representative of the Diplomatic Corps, and other leaders.

“It is a great joy for me to come to Korea,” the Pope said, “the land of the morning calm, and to experience not only the natural beauty of this country, but above all the beauty of its people and its rich history and culture.”

Listen to Pope Francis' address to South Korea's political and civil authorities, delivered in English:
 
Below, please find the full text of Pope Francis’ address:

Madam President,
Honorable Government and Civil Authorities,
Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Dear Friends,

It is a great joy for me to come to Korea, the land of the morning calm, and to experience not only the natural beauty of this country, but above all the beauty of its people and its rich history and culture. This national legacy has been tested through the years by violence, persecution and war. But despite these trials, the heat of the day and the dark of the night have always given way to the morning calm, that is, to an undiminished hope for justice, peace and unity. What a gift hope is! We cannot become discouraged in our pursuit of these goals which are for the good not only of the Korean people, but of the entire region and the whole world.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-asks-young-koreans-to-pray-for-unity

Pope asks young Koreans to pray for unity
2014-08-15 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) On the second day of his visit to South Korea, Pope Francis asked young people from across the Asian Continent to pray for the unity of the Korean family.

To the young people gathered at the Shrine of the Korean Martyrs at Solmoe, the Pope responded to a series of questions posed to him by some of those present, including the question of a Korean girl who spoke of the suffering of her nation caused by the separation between North and South and all it entails. Speaking "off-the-cuff" in Italian, Pope Francis said in reality there are not two Koreas, there is one - divided Korea - and just like a family that suffers separation, we must pray for our brothers: "Lord - the Pope said - help us acheive unity. That there may be no victory and no defeat, only one family".
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-invites-koreans-to-reject-inhumane-economic-m

Pope invites Koreans to reject inhumane economic models
2014-08-15 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis urged young Korean Catholics to be a generous force for spiritual renewal at every level of society.

To the crowds gathered at the World Cup Stadium in Daejoen for the celebration of Holy Mass on the day in which the Church celebrates the Assumption of Our Lady, the Pope issued a warning against the "allure of a materialism that stifles authentic spiritual and cultural values and the spirit of unbridled competition which generates selfishness and strife".
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-entrusts-victims-of-se-wol-ferry-disaster-to

Pope entrusts victims of Se-Wol ferry disaster to Our Lady
2014-08-15 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed for those who lost their lives in the sinking of the Se-Wol ferry, for their families and for all those whom - he said - continue to be affected by this great national disaster.

The Pope was speaking in English during his Angelus address after Holy Mass on the Feast of the Assumption.

Over 300 people were killed in the disaster that happened on 16 April 2014 some 20 km off the Coast of the Republic of Korea.

Please find below the text of his address: