Pope Francis

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/13/pope_francis_greets_special_olympics_footballers/1342720

Pope Francis greets Special Olympics Footballers
13/10/2017 12:24

Pope Francis meeting with a delegation from the Special Olympics International - ANSA
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday greeted Special Olympics athletes who are taking part in a Unified Football tournament this week at the Pio XI sports centre here in Rome.

Speaking to the althletes gathered, the Pope said, “you are the symbol of a sport that opens one's eyes and heart to the value and dignity of individuals and people who would otherwise be subject to prejudice and exclusion.”

The Holy Father told them that, in these days they would have the opportunity to reaffirm the importance of "unified" sport, “through which athletes with and without intellectual disabilities play together.”
 
The event takes place at the Pio XI sports centre with the support of the Knights of Columbus. 9 countries are taking part; they are Lituania, France, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Romania and Italy.

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/13/pope_francis_receives_lebanese_pm_hariri/1342787

Pope Francis receives Lebanese PM Hariri
13/10/2017 14:22

Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri during a private audience at the Vatican, October 13, 2017 - REUTERS
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Rafic Hariri on Friday morning, in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican. A Communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See reports that the Pope and the Prime Minister held cordial conversation over a range of subjects, including various aspects of the situation in Lebanon. They expressed for the strengthening of stability in the country, and offered the opportunity for expressions of appreciation for the welcome Lebanon has given to many refugees. Pope Francis and Prime Minister Hariri also discussed the broader situation in the Middle East, focusing on the need to find a just and comprehensive solution to the conflicts that plague the region.

The importance of intercultural and interreligious dialogue was also a subject of discussion, as was the value of cooperation between Christians and Muslims to promote peace and justice, along with the historic and institutional role of the Church in Lebanese life and the importance of the Christian presence in the whole region.

Below, please find the full text of the Communique from the Press Office of the Holy See, in its official English translation
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/13/pope_francis_telegram_for_california_fire_victims/1342801

Pope Francis: Telegram for California fire victims
13/10/2017 14:49

Flames threaten to crest a hilltop near Sonoma, California, late October 11, 2017 - AFP/Robyn Beck - AFP
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegram expressing his condolences to the families of victims of widespread wildfires in northern California, and promising prayers for all those affected.

Signed by the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and jointly addressed to the Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, and Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, the telegram promises Pope Francis’ prayerful solidarity with everyone affected by the fires.
 
Below, please find the full text of the Telegram
**********************************
The Most Reverend Salvatore Joseph Cordileone
Archbishop of San Francisco

The Most Reverend José Horacio Gómez
Archbishop of Los Angeles

Informed of the tragic loss of life and the destruction of property caused by the wildfire in California, the Holy Father assures you of his heartfelt solidarity and his prayers for all those affected by this disaster.  He is especially mindful of those who mourn the loss of their loved ones and who fear for the lives of those still missing.  His Holiness offers encouragement to the civil authorities and emergency personnel as they assist the victims of this tragedy. To all he sends his blessing.                                                                         

Cardinal Pietro Parolin

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https://aleteia.org/2017/10/13/october-13-in-fatima-the-day-god-shouted/

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/joseph-pronechen/fatimas-october-13-apparition-more-than-meets-the-eye
Oct. 13, 2017
Fatima’s October 13 Apparition: More Than Meets the Eye
The 100th Anniversary of Fatima on Oct. 13 highlights must-know-and-do messages behind the Miracle.
Joseph Pronechen

We’re heard much about the Miracle of the Sun, thanks be to God, that startled 70,000-plus people at the Cova da Iria 100 years ago on Oct. 13.

Instead of repeating basic details of the Miracle that Our Lady had promised in July saying, in October I will tell you who I am and what I want. I will then perform a miracle so that all may believe, and in August repeated, In the last month I will perform a miracle so that all may believe, and again in September reminded, In October I will perform a miracle so that all may believe, let’s look at what some eyewitnesses to the miracle said, and importantly, some basics of what Lucia described about that day and later emphasized were major instructions from Our Lady for all of us.
 

https://www.ewtn.com/fatima/sixth-apparition-of-our-lady.asp
Sixth Apparition of Our Lady

During the night of 12-13 October it had rained throughout, soaking the ground and the pilgrims who make their way to Fátima from all directions by the thousands. By foot, by cart and even by car they came, entering the bowl of the Cova from the Fátima-Leiria road, which today still passes in front of the large square of the Basilica. From there they made their way down the gently slope to the place where a trestle had been erected over the little holm oak of the apparitions. Today on the site is the modern glass and steel Capelhina (little chapel), enclosing the first chapel built there and the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima where the holm oak had stood.
 

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Video at the link

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/14/pope_sends_video-message_to_pilgrims_in_fatima_for_end_of_ce/1343102

Pope sends video-message to pilgrims in Fatima for end of Centenary celebrations
14/10/2017 19:18

The image of Our Lady of Fatima in the procession during the pilgrimage to the Sanctuary ending celebrations for the Centenary of the Apparations - EPA
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent a video-message to pilgrims gathered in Fatima to mark the closing of the Centenary of the Fatima Apparitions.

“Never be afraid, God is infinitely greater than all of our problems. He loves us very much. Go forward in your journey without losing sight of the Mother, like a child who feels safe when close to his mother, we too are safe when close to Our Lady” he said.   

In his message which was broadcast on giant screens at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima on 13 October, the Pope recalled his own pilgrimage to Fatima in May 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/14/pope_francis_emperor_karl_league_of_prayer/1342951

Pope addresses Emperor Karl League of Prayer
14/10/2017 12:02

Pope Francis, Sat Oct 14, 2017 - AFP
(Vatican Radio)  The challenges of our times demand the collaboration of all people of good will, especially with prayer and sacrifice.  Pope Francis made the exhortation in a brief address to some 130 members of the Emperor Karl League of Prayer, who are in Rome for their annual general assembly.

The League promotes the cause of canonization of Karl I (1887-1922), the last ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the last Emperor of Austria, the last King of Hungary, and the last monarch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.  Church leaders have praised Karl for adopting Christian faith in making political decisions and for his peace efforts during World War I.  The Catholic Church has recognized Karl’s heroic virtues and a miracle through his intercession, following which St. Pope John Paul II declared him Blessed on 3 October 2004.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/14/pope_francis_receives_vincentian_family/1342952

Pope Francis receives Vincentian Family
14/10/2017 12:04

Pope Francis arrives for a special audience at participants of a meeting of Vincentian Family in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, 14 oct 2017 ANSA/F Frustaci - ANSA
Vincentian charism, which has animated St. Vincent de Paul’s spiritual sons and daughters – the members of the Vincentian Family – through the course of four centuries.

Today, the Vincentian Family has 225 members and affiliate groups, including religious communities and lay associations, which work in more than 80 countries on 5 continents in health care ministry, education and faith formation, and general human promotion and development. They care for the homeless, refugees and displaced persons, orphaned and abandoned children, and single mothers.

Pope Francis to Vincentians: adore, welcome, go forward to serve

In remarks prepared for the 11 thousand members of the Vincentian Family gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, Pope Francis said, “St. Vincent gave rise to a charitable élan that has endured for centuries.” “Today,” he continued, “I would like to encourage you to continue this journey.”
 

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http://media02.radiovaticana.va/photo/2017/10/15/REUTERS2425800_LancioGrande.JPG

Pope says new Saints show us how to say 'yes' to God's love
15/10/2017 15:25

(Vatican Radio) Inviting all faithful to practice Christian love every day, Pope Francis on Sunday canonized 35 new saints, nearly all of them martyrs, holding them up as models who “point the way”.

To the over 35,000 pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Canonization Mass, the Pope said “They did not say a fleeting ‘yes’ to love, they said ‘yes’ (to God's love) with their lives and to the very end”. 

Those canonized included thirty martyrs, both priests and lay persons, who suffered anti-Catholic persecution in 1645 at the hands of Dutch Calvinists in Brazil, while three indigenous children in 16th century Mexico were martyred for refusing to renounce their Catholic faith and return to their ancient traditions. The other two new saints are a 20th-century priest from Spain and an Italian priest who died in 1739.

The Lord's desire for a true communion of life with us

The Pope’s homily inspired by the Parable of the Wedding Banquet speaks of the Lord’s desire for a true communion of life with us, a relationship based on dialogue, trust and forgiveness.

“Such, he said, is the Christian life:  a love story with God. 

We are all invited, Francis said, and no one has a better seat than anyone else.
 
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/15/homily_of_pope_franciscanonization_mass_for_35_new_saints/1343159
Homily of Pope Francis'Canonization Mass for 35 new saints
15/10/2017 14:08

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLc9UPzqsMU
2017.10.15 - Holy Mass with Canonization and Angelus 
Streamed live 10 hours ago
WITH COMMENTARY - Pope Francis celebrates Holy Mass with Canonization. Upon conclusion, recitation of the Marian Angelus prayer

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/15/pope_announces_synod_of_bishops_for_the_pan-amazon_region/1343151

Pope announces Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region
15/10/2017 13:41

An arial view of the Marmor River in Brazilìs Rondonia Amazon region - ANSA
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has announced a special assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region that will focus on the needs of its indigenous people, on new paths for evangelization and on the crisis of the rain forest.

The Pope’s announcement came on Sunday during the Angelus after a canonization Mass during which he canonized 35 new saints, including three indigenous children martyred in 16th century Mexico.

“Accepting the desire of some Catholic Bishops’ Conferences in Latin America, as well as the voice of various pastors and faithful from other parts of the world, I have decided to convene a Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, which will take place in Rome in the month October 2019”  he said.

Evangelization, indigenous people, crisis of rain forest

The main purpose of the Amazon synod, the Pope explained, will be to “identify new paths for the evangelization of God’s people in that region”.

Special attention, he added, will be paid to the indigenous people who are “often forgotten and without the prospect of a serene future, also because of the crisis of the Amazonian rain forest, a ‘lung’ of primary importance for our planet.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/16/pope_world_food_day_fao_hunger_conflicts_climate-change/1343291

Pope appeals for end to conflicts, climate change in fight against hunger, migration
16/10/2017 13:47

Pope Francis (L) and FAO Director-General Jose Graziano Da Silva (R), stand next to a marble statue donated by the pontiff during his visit to the FAO on World Food Day, 16 October 2017. - ANSA

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Monday appealed to the international community not only to guarantee enough production and fair distribution of food for all but also to ensure the right of every human being to feed himself according to his needs without being forced to leave his home and loved ones.

He made the call at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, where he marked World Food Day, which this year has as its theme, “Change the future of migration. Invest in Food Security and rural development.”  (Click here for the video of the Pope's FAO visit)
 
As a token of his visit and message, Pope Francis gifted to the UN food agency a marble sculpture of Aylan, the three-year-old Syrian toddler of Kurdish origin, whose image in the media made global headlines after his body washed up on a Turkish beach in September 2015 after he drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. The Vatican explained that the sculpture featuring a weeping angel over the little boy's corpse, symbolized the tragedy of migration.

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/16/vatican_deepavali_diwali_2017_tolerance_respect_appreciation/1343215

Vatican’s message for Deepavali ‎2017
16/10/2017 10:23

Deepavali or Diwali is the Hindu festival of light. - RV
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican has issued a message for the Hindu festival of Deepavali or Diwali,  inviting Christians and Hindus to join hands to create a healthy society, by going beyond tolerance and genuinely respecting and appreciating the “diversity of cultures and customs within our communities.”

The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue on Monday released its message for the annual festival of lights, which this year is celebrated on Oct. 18 or 19 in various parts of India.   

 “What is also needed is genuine respect and appreciation for the diversity of cultures and customs within our communities, which in turn contribute to the health and unity of society as a whole,” said the message signed by Council president, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and President and Secretary, Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot.

Please find below the text of the message of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue for Deepavali 2017:
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/15/pope_francis_do_not_distance_yourself_from_south_sudan/1343183

Pope Francis: Do not distance yourself from South Sudan
15/10/2017 18:18

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has called on the international community not to forget South Sudan and in particular the serious humanitarian emergency unfolding there.

The Pope made the call on South Sudan in a Preface he wrote to a new book on South Sudan. The book, published in Italian, is authored by Comboni Missionary, Father Daniele Moschetti. It was launched over the weekend, in Italy, Rome.

“Usually Missionaries are the ones to tell (the world) about lives lived on the periphery on behalf of the poor. So too is this testimony of Father Daniele Moschetti, a Comboni missionary, who offers a compelling account of the generous and passionate commitment of so many missionaries living side by side with those in need and, above all, of those who suffer because of ongoing conflicts that cause death and destruction,” Pope Francis wrote in the Preface.
 

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http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/7914/0/former-head-of-vatican-hospital-found-guilty-of-abuse-of-office

Former head of Vatican hospital found guilty of abuse of office
16 October 2017 | by Catholic News Service

Cardinal Bertone has said he paid 300,000 euros from his own savings for the work; however, the hospital foundation also paid 422,000 euros

Vatican court found the former president of the Vatican-owned pediatric hospital guilty of abuse of office for using donations belonging to the hospital's foundation to refurbish a Vatican-owned apartment used by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, former Vatican secretary of state.

Originally charged with embezzlement, Giuseppe Profiti was sentenced to one year in jail and fined 5,000 ($5,900) euros on the reduced charge, but the sentence was suspended. The three-judge tribunal dismissed charges against Massimo Spina, the hospital's former treasurer. The judgments were handed down on 14 October.

The original indictment said Profiti, who was president of Bambino Gesu hospital from 2008 to 2015, and Spina extracted 420,000 euros for non-institutional ends from 2013 to 2014 by using hospital foundation money to refurbish Vatican property in order to benefit a construction company owned by Gianantonio Bandera. The company, Castelli Re, went bankrupt in 2014.

Profiti argued in court that the money had been an investment because the apartment's refurbished areas were to be used for fundraising events to benefit the hospital.

Vatican prosecutor, Roberto Zanotti, said in closing arguments that the deal reflected "opacity, silence and poor management" in the way Vatican assets were handled.

Cardinal Bertone, who was not asked to appear in court, had said he paid 300,000 euros from his own savings for the work; however, the hospital foundation also paid the construction company 422,000 euros. Cardinal Bertone also donated 150,000 euros to the hospital because of the loss they incurred
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/17/pope_at_santa_marta_on_the_folly_of_hard-hearted_christians/1343474

Pope Francis at Santa Marta: on the folly of hard-hearted Christians
17/10/2017 12:44

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday – the Feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr. Following the Readings of the Day, the Holy Father reflected on the “foolishness” of those, who are unable to hear the Word of God, preferring appearances, idols, or ideologies – like the people of Jerusalem, whose faithlessness caused Our Lord to weep nostalgic tears.

The folly of those who hear not the Word

Francis’ reflection took  the word “fools”, which appears twice in the Readings, as his starting point: Jesus says it to the Pharisees (Lk 11: 37-41), while St. Paul refers to the Pagans (Rm 1: 16-25). St. Paul had also deployed the term to refer to the Christians of Galatia, whom he called “fools” because they let themselves be duped by “new ideas”. This word, “more than a condemnation,” explained Pope Francis, “is a signal,” for it shows the way of foolishness leading to corruption. “These three groups of fools are corrupt,” Pope Francis said.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/17/pope_francis_marks_800_years_of_franciscans_in_holy_land/1343465

Pope Francis marks 800 years of Franciscans in Holy Land
17/10/2017 12:28

Franciscan friars pray along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem's Old City during a Good Friday procession - AFP
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a letter to the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land marking the 800th anniversary of their presence as guardians of the holy sites in modern day Israel and Palestine.

In the letter, published on Tuesday, the pope praises the Franciscans for their vital contribution to life in the Holy Land, in particular their work to accompany pilgrims coming from all over the world.
 

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http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2017/pope-on-interviews-church-must-listen-respond-to-peoples-questions.cfm

Pope on interviews: Church must listen, respond to people's questions
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
10.17.2017 9:05 AM ET

CNS
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Replying to questions and giving interviews are a "pastoral risk" Pope Francis said he is prepared to take, because it is the best way to know and respond to people's real concerns.

"I know this can make me vulnerable, but it is a risk I want to take," the pope wrote in the introduction to a new book collecting transcripts of question-and-answer sessions he has held all over the world.

The collection in Italian, "Adesso Fate le Vostre Domande" ("Now, Ask Your Questions"), was edited by Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro and scheduled for release Oct. 19. The pope's introduction was published Oct. 17 in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

"I want a church that knows how to enter into people's conversations, that knows how to dialogue," Pope Francis wrote
 

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http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2017/senate-confirms-callista-gingrich-as-us-ambassador-to-the-holy-see.cfm

Senate confirms Callista Gingrich as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See
By Catholic News Service
10.17.2017 11:25 AM ET

CNS photo/Jonathan Ernst, Reuters

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Senate confirmed Callista Gingrich as the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.

Voting late Oct. 16, senators approved her nomination 70-23. More than 20 Democrats joined Republicans in supporting Gingrich, the wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a vocal ally of President Donald Trump.

Gingrich, 51, a lifelong Catholic and a former congressional aide, has been president of Gingrich Productions, a multimedia production and consulting company in Arlington, Virginia, since 2007.

She was expected to present her credentials at the Vatican in the coming weeks.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/18/pope_at_general_audience_jesus_came_to_save_us_from_death/1343753

Pope at General Audience: 'Jesus came to save us from death'
18/10/2017 15:07

Pope Francis greets the faithful as he arrives in St. Peter's Square for the weekly General Audience - REUTERS
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday reminded Christians that Jesus came to heal us and to save us from death. He also prayed for the over 300 victims of a deadly bombing in Somalia's capital Mogadishu and condemned the terrorist attack that falls on an ravaged tortured nation.

He was addressing the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Wednesday General Audience, during which he continued his catechesis on Christian Hope.

Noting that death is a reality that modern civilization “tends, more and more, to set aside” and not reflect upon, Pope Francis said that for believers death is actually “a door” and a call to live for something greater.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-catechesis-for-oct-18-2017/
Pope Francis Catechesis for Oct. 18, 2017 
‘Blessed Are the Dead that Die in the Lord’
October 18, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUwkWbSNipY
2017.10.18 - General Audience

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/10/18/pope_religions_for_peace/1343712

Pope addresses “Religions for Peace”‎ delegation
18/10/2017 11:26

Pope commended Religions for Peace for its efforts. - ANSA
(Vatican Radio)  “Religions, with their spiritual and moral resources, have a specific and ‎unique role to play in building ‎peace,” Pope Francis said on Wednesday.  “They cannot be neutral, much less ‎ambiguous, where peace is concerned,” he ‎told a delegation of 80 members of “Religions for Peace”, who met him in the Vatican.

Religions for Peace is the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition that advances common action among the world’s religious communities to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth.
 

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Hmmm...

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/vatican-academy-will-focus-on-immigration-instead-of-abortion.-pro-lifers-a

Mon Oct 9, 2017 - 1:27 pm EST
Vatican academy will focus on immigration instead of abortion. Pro-lifers ‘appalled’

VATICAN CITY, October 9, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — The first gathering of Pope Francis’ now overhauled Pontifical Academy for Life did not ease pro-life concerns over its future as the Vatican’s stated new focus for the PAV will turn from abortion and bioethics to include immigration and the environment.

Some are saying the Academy has “lost its way,” that the changes made by the pope “differ drastically” from its founding by Pope Saint John Paul II, or are an “attack” on the pro-life Academy’s mandate.

They question as well an apparent new prioritization of the temporal.

“It’s obvious that being ‘pro-life’ means, even for the academy, to rethink the semantic value of the term life, which cannot be reduced to a perspective that is uniquely bioethical,” Academy president, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, said at a press conference.

“If we must be pro-life, we must be always, in every way, and everywhere pro-life,” he continued, according to a C-FAM report, citing Pope Francis.

Paglia also said there were no plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae next year.

Rather, the Academy is opening “new frontiers for debate,” he said, mentioning in particular the environment, immigration, and arms control.