Pope Francis

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http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/vatican-updates-papal-itinerary-for-cuba-mexico-visit.cfm

Vatican updates papal itinerary for Cuba, Mexico visit
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
2.8.2016 10:55 AM ET
 
Here is the updated schedule as released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Standard Time in parenthesis when it is different from local time:

Sunday, Feb. 14 (Mexico City, Ecatepec, Mexico City)

-- 10:15 a.m. (11:15 a.m.) Transfer by helicopter to Ecatepec.

-- 11:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m.) Mass in the area of the "study center" of Ecatepec. Homily by pope. Pope recites Angelus.

-- 2 p.m. Lunch with the papal entourage in the Ecatepec diocesan seminary.

-- 4:45 p.m. (5:45 p.m.) Transfer by helicopter to Mexico City.

-- 5:15 p.m. (6:15 p.m.) Arrival in Mexico City.

-- 5:45 p.m. (6:45 p.m.) Visit to the Federico Gomez Children's Hospital of Mexico. Greeting by pope.
 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_zDqINblng
Pope Francis in Mexico: Holy Mass - 2016.02.14
Scheduled for Feb 14, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Holy Mass at the Study Center of Ecatepec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcjqOqTJta8
Pope Francis in Mexico: Visit to the children's hospital - 2016.02.14
Scheduled for Feb 14, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Visit to the “Federico Gómez” children's hospital

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/02/14/pope_francis_you_dont_dialogue_with_the_devil/1208631

Pope Francis: You don't dialogue with the devil
14/02/2016 19:39

(Vatican Radio) On Sunday, Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass for the First Sunday of Lent in the Mexico City suburb of Ecatepec. Veronica Scarisbrick is in Mexico with the Pope, and sends us this report.

Stunning, gaudy flowered carpets with bold geometrical Aztec designs and an altar covered by an empty white arch for the Holy Mass of Pope Francis in Ecatepec. All in the middle of nowhere: a field bulldozed down for the occasion, which can hold up to 400,000 people.

And close to the altar the image of the Mother of all Mexicans, Our Lady of Guadalupe decorated with white roses. And when he arrived, Pope Francis incensed the image framed by the rays of the sun.

White roses take on a symbolic meaning here as they are linked to the Apparitions of the ‘Morenita’ – as she’s known here – to Juan Diego in the 16thcentury. That explains by the way, why Saint Juan Diego is the Patron Saint of florists.

And all the while the sun shone over the forgotten people of ‘Ecatepec’.

Not forgotten though by Pope Francis. He elected them as his chosen people on one of his five days in the nation and for his Holy Mass on this first Sunday of Lent.

I say forgotten because they are those who live in the peripheries north east of Mexico City, one of Mexico’s ‘barrio bravos’ -- an expression meaning a lawless neighbourhood where organized crime, pollution and poverty reign...

Significantly the responsorial psalm was sung by a woman here in Ecatepec, a place where women are targeted in a special way, beautifully sung.

And in his homily Pope Francis spoke of a ‘society of the few, for the few’ and highlighted how Lent was a time to unmask three great temptations that wear down and fracture the image God wanted from us. Wealth: so the seizing hold of goods that are for all; vanity: so the relentless exclusion of those ‘who are not like me’; and pride: so putting oneself on a higher level than one truly is.

And to the people of the lawless neighbourhood of Ecatepec, speaking off the cuff Pope Francis said, “You don’t dialogue with the devil.”
 
http://www.news.va/en/news/homily-for-mass-at-ecatepec-study-centre-full-text
Homily for Mass at Ecatepec Study Centre: Full text
2016-02-14 Vatican Radio

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http://www.news.va/en/news/angelus-let-us-give-thanks

Angelus: Let us give thanks
2016-02-14 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Following Mass on Sunday, Pope Francis led the people gathered at Ecatepec in the traditional Angelus prayer.

During his address, the Holy Father invited the people to remember, and be thankful for, God's blessings.

Below, please find the full text of Pope Francis' prepared remarks for his Angelus address:

Angelus
 Centro de Estudios de Ecatepec

Sunday 14 February 2016

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the first reading of this Sunday, Moses offers a directive to the people. At harvest time, a the time of abundance and first fruits, do not forget your beginnings. Thanksgiving is something which is born and grows among a people capable of remembering. It is rooted in the past, and through good and bad times, it shapes the present. In those moments when we can offer thanks to God for the earth giving us its fruits and thereby helping us make bread, Moses invites his people to remember by enumerating the difficult situations through which it has passed (cf. Deut 26:5-11).

On this festive day we can celebrate how good the Lord has been to us. Let us give thanks for this opportunity to be together, to present to our Good Father the first fruits of our children, our grandchildren, of our dreams and our plans; the first fruits of our cultures, our languages and traditions, the first fruits of our concerns… How much each one of you has suffered to reach this moment, how much you have “walked” to make this day a day of feasting, a time of thanksgiving. How much others have walked, who have not arrived here and yet because of them we have been able to keep going.  Today, at the invitation of Moses, as a people we want to remember, we want to be the people that keeps alive the memory of God who passes among his People, in their midst. We look upon our children knowing that they will inherit not only a land, a culture and a tradition, but also the living fruits of faith which recalls the certainty of God’s passing through this land. It is a certainty of closeness and solidarity, a certainty which helps us lift up our heads and ardently hope for the dawn.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/02/15/popes_guestbook_message_to_mexican_seminarians/1208650

Pope's guestbook message to Mexican seminarians
15/02/2016 00:20

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis told Mexican seminarians to not be "clerics of the state" in the guestbook he signed at the Diocesan Seminary in Ecatepec. Pope Francis had lunch at the seminary after celebrating Mass on Sunday.

The complete text of the Message follows:

"Let all those who in this house are prepared for the priesthood, always keep foremost in their mind Jesus Christ, the Lord and His Holy Mother. And that they prepare themselves to be shepherds of the faithful people of God and not 'clerics of the state. Francis 14-2-16'"
 

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http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/francis-ends-sunday-visiting-children-hospital#.VsE0NBh07pI.twitter

Francis ends Sunday visiting children in hospital
Feb. 14, 2016

Mexico City --   Pope Francis ended his second full day in Mexico with one of his most endearing pastoral exercises, visiting children in hospital -- many of them gravely ill, some of them waiting for transplant surgery.
 
Francis arrived at the Federico Gomez pediatric hospital at about 5 p.m. local time, almost 30 minutes ahead of schedule. He was greeted by Mexican First Lady Angelica Rivera, who introduced him to many of the children.

After visiting with 38 children one-by-one in an oncology ward -- kissing, hugging, and handing each child a rosary -- the pope made brief remarks on the need to express gratitude and give blessing to others.

"Entering here and seeing your eyes, your smiles, your faces, has filled me with a desire to give thanks," said Francis.

"And at the same time, I wish to bless you," he continued. "I ask God to bless you, and to accompany you and your families, and all those people who work in this home and try to ensure that your smiles grow day by day."

Following his remarks, Francis again went around meeting children one-by-one. In one memorable moment, he took five-year-old Rodrigo Lopez Miranda in his arms and helped a doctor administer some medicine on the child's tongue.

In another moment, one young woman wearing a blue head wrapping spoke intently to the pontiff for several moments. Alexia Garduno Aladro then broke into a full rendition of the Ave Maria, with Francis smiling and hugging her as she finished.
 

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http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/vatican-updates-papal-itinerary-for-cuba-mexico-visit.cfm

Vatican updates papal itinerary for Cuba, Mexico visit
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
2.8.2016 10:55 AM ET
 
Here is the updated schedule as released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Standard Time in parenthesis when it is different from local time:

Monday, Feb. 15 (Mexico City, Tuxtla Gutierrez, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico City)

-- 7:30 a.m. (8:30 a.m.) Departure by plane for Tuxtla Gutierrez.

-- 9:15 a.m. (10:15 a.m.) Transfer by helicopter to San Cristobal de Las Casas.

-- 10:15 a.m. (11:15 a.m.) Mass at the city's sports center with the indigenous community from Chiapas. Homily by pope.

-- 1 p.m. (2 p.m.) Lunch with representatives of the indigenous community and the papal entourage.

-- 3 p.m. (4 p.m.) Visit to the cathedral of San Cristobal de Las Casas.

-- 3:35 p.m. (4:35 p.m.) Transfer by helicopter to Tuxtla Gutierrez.

-- 4:15 p.m. (5:15 p.m.) Meeting with families at the Victor Manuel Reyna Stadium at Tuxtla Gutierrez. Speech by pope.

-- 6:10 p.m. (7:10 p.m.) Departure by plane for Mexico City.

-- 8 p.m. (9 p.m.) Arrival at the Mexico City airport.
 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpkR5pkWezY
Pope Francis in Mexico: Holy Mass - 2016.02.15
Scheduled for Feb 15, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Holy Mass with representatives of the indigenous communities of Chiapas in the municipal sport center

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23tOdakkIKk
Pope Francis in Mexico: Visit to the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de las Casas 2016.02.15
Scheduled for Feb 15, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Visit to the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de las Casas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzdkyUAg3ak
Pope Francis in Mexico: Meeting with families - 2016.02.15 
Scheduled for Feb 15, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Meeting with families in the “Víctor Manuel Reyna” stadium in Tuxtla Gutiérrez

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-symbolic-celebration-of-indigenous-me

Pope Francis' symbolic celebration of indigenous Mexican culture
2016-02-15 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) One of the highlights of Pope Francis’ six day visit to Mexico was the Mass that he  celebrated at the sports centre of San Cristóbal de las Casas in the southern state of Chiapas on the morning of Monday February 15th .

As our correspondent in Mexico, Veronica Scarisbrick reports, it was a colourful celebration for the thousands of indigenous people who turned out to welcome the man they call “amigo Francisco, Papa de la libertad” or "our friend Francis, Pope of freedom".

He had chosen to be with the indigenous people of Chiapas. And they turned up in their gaudy traditional costumes providing a splash of colour in this beautiful mountainous region where nature reigns. And the sound of rather elaborate wooden xylophones filled the air.

It was a highly symbolic celebration, firstly because in this remote area, home to the Mayan people, the altar stood against backdrop of a giant cut out the colorful ocre, rust and white façade of the city’s Cathedral, placed there to indicate the connection with the centuries old evangelization initially by the Spanish Dominicans.

Secondly because the altar in this region of  Mayan temples in misty jungles, waterfalls and a wealth of wildlife rested on a Mayan Pyramid symbolic of steps reaching up to heaven. Meaning how Christian faith does not clash with the cultural roots of a people. And the altar itself evoked the waterfalls of ‘Agua Azul’, so an expression of the harmonious contact with nature, of the abundance of the rainforest.
 
https://twitter.com/FatherRosica
Thomas Rosica ‏@FatherRosica  · 10h  10 hours ago 
The altar at San Cristobal de las Casas (Chiapas) where #PopeFrancis will celebrate mass with indigenous peoples

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-tells-indigenous-mexicans-the-world-needs-the

Pope tells indigenous Mexicans the world needs their culture and values
2016-02-15 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday celebrated Mass for the largely indigenous population of the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico, saying today’s world needs their ancient values and traditions.

The outdoor Mass, celebrated at a sports stadium in the town of San Cristobal de Las Casas, included prayers and readings in several of the local languages. Despite being rich in natural resources, the southern region remains significantly less developed than the rest of the country, with high levels of poverty and illiteracy.

In his homily, the Pope noted that “in a systematic and organized way” the indigenous cultures have been misunderstood and excluded from society.  “Some have considered your values, culture and traditions to be inferior”, Pope Francis said, while others, “intoxicated by power, money and market trends, have stolen your lands or contaminated them”.  He stressed that it would be worthwhile for each person “to examine our conscience and learn to say, “Forgive me!”

In particular Pope Francis said indigenous peoples have much to teach the rest of the world about “how to interact harmoniously with nature, which they respect as a “source of food, a common home and an altar of human sharing”.

Please find below the full text of the Pope’s homily during Mass at the Municipal Sport Centre in San Cristóbal de las Casas
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-meets-with-mexican-families

Pope Francis meets with Mexican Families
2016-02-16 Vatican Radio

On Monday evening Pope Francis flew to the city of  Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of the Mexican southeast state of Chiapas, where he met with families in the city’s stadium (the stadium of Tuxtla Gutierrez). Before addressing the gathering, he listened to testimonies by people from different family situations who included a civilly married couple of divorced parents who are actively involved with charitable work, a disabled adolescent who found joy in being accepted by the church and is now active in the evangelization of other youth, a single mother who was rejected by society but welcomed with love in the Church, and a catholic family of the diocese of Tapachula.

In his prepared remarks, Pope Francis noted that the testimonies he had heard represented the joys, hopes and determination by which many families confront sadness, disillusion and failings. He observed that “living in a family is not always easy, and can often be painful and stressful”. He added that he would prefer a wounded family that makes daily efforts to put love into play to a society that is afraid of love.   

Before travelling to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the Pope visited the cathedral of San Cristóbal where he offered flowers to the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a gift of a chalice and a Chasuble to the cathedral. Inside the Church, he was welcomed by groups of the elderly and the sick. Before reciting the Marian prayer with them he told them that they help Jesus to carry his cross, by taking a piece of it. He prayed to God through the intercession of Our Lady to give them strength and peace of heart and to comfort them.

Here below is the Pope’s full speech in English to the Families in the stadium of Tuxtla Gutierrez.
 

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http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/vatican-updates-papal-itinerary-for-cuba-mexico-visit.cfm

Vatican updates papal itinerary for Cuba, Mexico visit
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
2.8.2016 10:55 AM ET
 
Here is the updated schedule as released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Standard Time in parenthesis when it is different from local time:

Tuesday, Feb. 16 (Mexico City, Morelia, Mexico City)

-- 7:50 a.m. (8:50 a.m.) Departure by airplane for Morelia.

-- 10 a.m. (11 a.m.) Mass with priests, seminarians, religious men and women, and consecrated persons. Homily by pope.

-- 3:20 p.m. (4:20 p.m.) Visit to the city's cathedral.

-- 4:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m.) Meeting with young people at the Jose Maria Morelos Pavon Stadium. Speech by pope.

-- 6:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m.) Departure by plane for Mexico City.

-- 7:35 p.m. (8:35 p.m.) Arrival in Mexico City.
 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcQaQ_7IHfA
Pope Francis in Mexico: Holy Mass - 2016.02.16 
Scheduled for Feb 16, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Holy Mass with priests, men and women religious, consecrated people and seminarians

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T946RrJMiQ
Pope Francis in Mexico: Visit to the Cathedral of Morelia - 2016.02.16
Scheduled for Feb 16, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Visit to the Cathedral of Morelia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Q-lIOseZU
Pope Francis in Mexico: Meeting with young people - 2016.02.16
Scheduled for Feb 16, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Meeting with young people in the “José María Morelos y Pavón” stadium

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-clergy-and-religious-you-are-not-gods-empl

Pope to clergy and religious: ‘you are not God’s employees’
2016-02-16 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday celebrated Mass with priests, seminarians and religious men and women and urged them not to surrender to difficulties posed  by situations of violence, corruption, drug trafficking and disregard to human dignity, and he appealed to them to continue proclaiming the message of the Gospel.

The Mass, celebrated in Morelia’s “Venustiano Carranza” Stadium, comes on the penultimate day of his apostolic journey to Mexico.

After his arrival in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan State, the Pope made his way through crowds of people lined up along the motorcade route cheering and waving Vatican flags.

Michoacan State is at the heart of Mexico’s drug-trafficking route, a region wracked by poverty, unemployment, drug violence and corruption.   

The Pope’s presence in Morelia is also a sign of his respect for the city's Archbishop, Alberto Suarez Inda, whom Francis proclaimed Cardinal last year.

In his homily the Pope told those present that their lives “speak of prayer” and that “the school of prayer is the school of life”.

And acknowledging that “temptation can come to us from places often dominated by violence, corruption, drug trafficking, disregard for human dignity, and indifference in the face of suffering and vulnerability”, Pope Francis urged the clergy and all consecrated persons never to succumb to “resignation”.

“A resignation which paralyzes us and prevents us not only from walking, but also from making the journey; a resignation which not only terrifies us, but which also entrenches us in our “sacristies” and false securities; a resignation which not only prevents us from proclaiming, but also inhibits our giving praise.  A resignation which not only hinders our looking to the future, but also thwarts our desire to take risks and to change.  And so, “Our Father, lead us not into temptation” he said.

And tapping into the value of memory which can "help us to look at the 'stuff' of which we are made",Pope Francis also recalled one Mexican evangelizer (Bishop Vasco Vazquez de Quiroga) first known – he said - as “the Spaniard who became an Indian”.

Among the Indians – the Pope said – he was known as “Tata Vasco”, which in the Purhépechan language means Father.

“The situation of the Purhépechas Indians, whom he described as being “sold, humiliated, and homeless in marketplaces, picking up scraps of bread from the ground”, far from tempting him to listless resignation, succeeded in kindling his faith, strengthening his compassion and inspiring him to carry out plans that were a “breath of fresh air” in the midst of so much paralyzing injustice.  The pain and suffering of his brothers and sisters became his prayer, and his prayer led to his response” he said.

Please find below the full text of the Pope's homily:
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-greets-children-in-mexicos-morelia-cathedral

Pope greets children in Mexico's Morelia cathedral
2016-02-16 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday visited the cathedral of Morelia, capital of Mexico’s Michoacán state, reminding hundreds of children that to be good Christians they must love God above all else but also love their neighbours as themselves.

The 17th century cathedral, built in the characteristic local pink stone with twin bell towers, was packed with cheering children as the Pope arrived on his way to a meeting with young people later in the afternoon.

Pope Francis met in the sacristy with a group of university rectors and leaders of other Christian communities present in Mexico, before laying a large bunch of flowers on the altar. Then, to the delight of those present, he took the microphone and spoke off the cuff, reminding them to pray for their parents and grandparents, their teachers and all those people who take care of them.

The Pope concluded by blessing the children and reminding them to pray for him too. He then made his way out through the central nave of the cathedral, stopping to greet some of the boys and girls individually.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-tells-young-mexicans-they-are-the-wea

Pope Francis tells young Mexicans they are the wealth of the nation
2016-02-17 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday met with tens of thousands of young Mexicans from across the country, telling them that they are the wealth of the nation.

After evidently enjoying the singing and dancing performed by hundreds of youngsters in colourful local costumes, the Pope told them to put their hope, not in money or material things, but in Jesus Christ who is calling them to be ‘salt and light’ among their friends and their communities.

Pope Francis also told the young people he understands the difficulties they face when they lose friends or relatives to drugs or criminal organizations, when they have no job opportunities or feel their rights are being trampled on. But he told them never to lose hope, to draw close to Jesus and to go out and proclaim their faith to others.

Please find below Pope Francis’ prepared remarks to young people in the José María Morellos y Pavón Stadium, Morelia, Mexico

Dear young friends,

            Good afternoon.         When I arrived in this country I received a warm welcome.  I saw something which I have sensed for a long time: the vitality, the joy, and the festive spirit of the Mexican people.  And now [ahorita]… after listening to you, but particularly after seeing you, I am also certain about something else, something I said to the President of the nation when I arrived.  One of Mexico’s greatest treasures is that it has a youthful face: its young people.  Yes, you are the wealth of this land.  I did not say the hope of this land, but its wealth.
 

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http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/vatican-updates-papal-itinerary-for-cuba-mexico-visit.cfm

Vatican updates papal itinerary for Cuba, Mexico visit
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
2.8.2016 10:55 AM ET
 
Here is the updated schedule as released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Standard Time in parenthesis when it is different from local time:

Wednesday, Feb. 17 (Mexico City, Ciudad Juarez)

-- 8:35 a.m. (9:35 a.m.) Departure by plane for Ciudad Juarez.

-- 10 a.m. (12 p.m.) Arrival at Abraham Gonzalez International Airport in Ciudad Juarez.

-- 10:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m.) Visit to Cereso prison. Speech by pope.

-- 12 p.m. (2 p.m.) Meeting with workers and employers at the Colegio de Bachilleres of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Speech by pope.

-- 4 p.m. (6 p.m.) Mass at the fairgrounds of Ciudad Juarez. Homily and greeting by pope.

-- 7 p.m. (9 p.m.) Departure ceremony at the Ciudad Juarez International Airport.

-- 7:15 p.m. (9:15 p.m.) Departure by plane for Rome.

Thursday, Feb. 18 (Rome)

-- 2:45 p.m. (8:45 a.m.) Arrival at Rome's Ciampino Airport.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oXaW2H0m5Q
Pope Francis in Mexico: Visit to the penitentiary of Ciudad Juárez - 2016.02.17
Scheduled for Feb 17, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Visit to the penitentiary of Ciudad Juarez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXeUU_ZoJ-A
Pope Francis in Mexico: Meeting with the world of labour - 2016.02.17
Scheduled for Feb 17, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Meeting with the world of labour at the Bachilleres College in the state of Chihuahua

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqznigeN5cg
Pope Francis in Mexico: Holy Mass - 2016.02.17
Scheduled for Feb 17, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Holy Mass at the Ciudad Juárez fairgrounds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRMrU5Sox9o
Pope Francis in Mexico: Farewell ceremony - 2016.02.17 
Scheduled for Feb 17, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Farewell ceremony at the International Airport of Ciudad Juárez

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-prisoners-no-one-is-beyond-the-reach-of-go

Pope to prisoners: ‘no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy’
2016-02-17 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday told prison inmates that God’s mercy embraces everyone and is found in every corner of the world.

On the last day of his Mexican pilgrimage, the Pope travelled to Ciudad Juárez, very close to the US border, where he visited inmates, their families and prison workers in the city’s Prison n. 3.

Until not long ago, Juárez was considered the murder capital of the world as cartel-backed gang warfare triggered souring homicide rates and ‘disappearances’.

To the some 700 inmates gathered in the prison courtyard, Pope Francis noted he was coming to the end of his visit to Mexico and he could not leave with greeting them and celebrating the Jubilee Year of Mercy with them.

He said that to celebrate the Holy Year of Mercy recalls “the pressing journey that we must undertake in order to break the cycle of violence and crime”.

He said that many decades have already been lost “thinking and believing that everything will be resolved by isolating, separating, incarcerating (…) and believing that these policies really solve problems”.

Pope Francis said that the care for prisoners is a moral imperative for the whole of society and that reintegration does not begin “within these walls”, but “before – outside -  in the streets of the city”.

    “Reintegration or rehabilitation begins by creating a system which we could call social health, that is, a society which seeks not to cause sickness, polluting relationships in neighbourhoods, schools, town squares, the streets, homes and in the whole of the social spectrum.  A system of social health that endeavours to promote a culture which acts and seeks to prevent those situations and pathways that end in damaging and impairing the social fabric” he said.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-business-leaders-lack-of-opportunity-leads

Pope to business leaders: ‘lack of opportunity leads to poverty’
2016-02-17 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has called on business leaders and representatives of the Chambers of Commerce to invest in the future by creating opportunities of sustainable and profitable work for the young.

On the last day of his apostolic journey to Mexico the Pope was addressing representatives of the “world of work” gathered at an Institute for Superior Education, the Colegio de Bachilleres of the State of Chihuahua.

Please find below the translation of the Pope’s address: 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

    I wanted to meet with you here in this land of Juárez, because of the special relationship this city has with the world of labour.  I am grateful not only for your words of welcome and for your testimonies, which reveal the anxieties, joys and hopes of your lives, but also for this opportunity to share and reflect together.  Anything we can do to foster dialogue, encounter, and the search for better alternatives and opportunities is already an accomplishment to be valued and highlighted.  Obviously more needs to be done, and today we do not have the luxury of missing any chance to encounter, discuss, confront or search.  This is the only way we will be able to build for tomorrow, to create sustainable relationships capable of providing the needed framework that, little by little, will rebuild the social bonds so damaged by a lack of communication and by a lack of the minimal respect necessary for a healthy coexistence.  So I thank you, and I hope that this occasion may serve to build the future.  May it be a good opportunity to forge the Mexico that its people and children deserve.