Pope Francis

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-05/pope-mass-santa-marta-jesus-faithful-friendship.html#.WvmVYqUBFl0.twitter

Pope at Mass: Our "destiny" is to live in friendship with Jesus
14 May 2018, 13:11

Pope Francis at Mass at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican on May 14, 2018.  (Vatican Media)
In his homily at Mass, Monday morning, Pope Francis urged Christians in their vocation to live their friendship with Jesus, whose love, he said, is faithful, even to those who betray Him.
By Robin Gomes

We have received our friendship with Jesus by “lot”, that is by “destiny”, not by “chance”, and our vocation is precisely to remain friends of the Lord.   Pope Francis made the exhortation in his homily at Mass Monday morning at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta residence.

The Pope based his reflection on the word “lot” that occurs a few times in the day’s Mass readings and a prayer on the feast of St. Matthias, who was chosen by lot to fill the place of Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
 

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https://zenit.org/articles/pope-to-meet-bishops-of-chile-may-15-17/

Pope to Meet Bishops of Chile May 15-17 
May 14, 2018 12:43  •Deborah Castellano Lubov•

According to a statement published by the Holy See Press Office on May 12, Francis will meet the bishops within the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall to identify “each one’s  responsibilities” and decide on the necessary “changes” for the protection of minors against sexual abuses.

“It’s not foreseen,” the statement explained, “that Pope Francis will make a statement either during or after the meetings, which will be held in the strictest confidentiality.”

The Vatican announced that 31 Diocesan and Auxiliary Bishops and two Bishops Emeritus, will take part in the meetings, and that Pope Francis will be accompanied by the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who is also President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

The objective is a discernment “before God” of the responsibilities and necessary changes. “The objective of this long ‘synodal process” is to discern together, in God’s presence, each one’s responsibility for these devastating wounds, as well as to study adequate and lasting changes that will impede the repetition of acts that are always reprehensible.”
 

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http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/9068/pope-s-lamborghini-fetches-700-000-for-charity-at-auction

14 May 2018   
Pope's Lamborghini fetches £700,000 for charity at auction

PICTURE: Pope Francis accepts a Lamborghini presented by representatives of the Italian automaker at the Vatican Nov. 15 ©CNS

A custom-built 2018 Lamborghini Huracan coupe autographed by Pope Francis raised over £700,000 at a Sotheby's auction on 12 May in Monaco.

The Italian luxury carmaker donated the white vehicle with gold stripes -- to match the white and yellow of the Vatican City flag -- to the pope in November. The pope put his diminutive signature on the car's hood, then put the vehicle up for auction to raise money for charity.

The final selling price of 809,000 euros (£712,724) outstripped its pre-auction estimated price range of around £300,000.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-05/pope-mass-santa-marta-bishops-flock.html#.WvrHJCFRgqY.twitter

Pope at Mass: Be bishops for your flock, not for your career
15 May 2018, 12:50

2018-05-15 Messa Santa Marta  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis says he prays all bishops follow the example of the Apostle Paul with his obedience to the Holy Spirit and his love for his flock. His words came during his homily at Mass celebrated on Tuesday morning in the Vatican’s Santa Marta residence.
By Susy Hodges

Pope Francis focused his reflections on the day’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles where Paul, “compelled by the Holy Spirit,” takes his leave from the Church Elders at Ephesus to go to Jerusalem. “It’s a decisive move, a move that reaches the heart, it’s also a move that shows us the pathway for every bishop when it’s time to take his leave and step down,” he said.

Paul’s examination of conscience

Retracing the biblical account of how Paul summoned the presbyters of the Church at Ephesus to take his leave of them, Pope Francis noted how the Apostle made an examination of his conscience, telling the Elders what he had done for the community and leaving them to judge his work. Paul seemed “a bit proud,” said the Pope, but in actual fact “he is objective.”  He only boasts about two things: “his own sins and the Cross of Jesus Christ which saved him.”
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-05/chile-bishops-press-conference.html#.WvrHcw5FHc8.twitter

Chilean Bishops express pain and shame over abuse
15 May 2018, 10:44

Chile Bishops
Pope Francis is currently holding a series of closed-door meetings with the Bishops of Chile to formulate a response to the abuse crisis that has rocked the Church in that country. The discussions are being attended by 31 diocesan and auxiliary bishops and 3 emeritus bishops, and will be ongoing until May 17th.

Press conference of two Chilean bishops

On the eve of the meeting, two Chilean bishops held a press conference in Rome. They are Bishop Fernando Ramos, Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago and General Secretary of the Chilean Episcopal Conference, and Bishop Juan Ignacio González of San Bernardo.

Called by the Pope

Bishop Ramos recalled Pope Francis’ letter of April 8th with which he summoned the bishops to the Vatican. He explained how the Bishops have come specifically: “To receive the conclusions of the report by Archbishop Scicluna following his visit to Chile, and also to discern short, medium and long term measures to restore communion and justice”. These, according to the General Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference were “the two great themes to which the Holy Father invited us with his letter".
 

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http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2018/parishes-grow-only-when-people-are-welcomed-heard-pope-says.cfm

Parishes grow only when people are welcomed, heard, pope says
By Cindy Wooden   Catholic News Service
5.15.2018 10:08 AM ET

CNS photo/Reuters
Pope Francis attends a meeting with leaders from the Diocese of Rome at St. John Lateran Basilica May 14. (CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters) See POPE-ROME-RENEWAL May 15, 2018.

ROME (CNS) -- After months of study and discussion, the parishes of the Diocese of Rome have recognized "a general and healthy exhaustion" with doing the same things over and over, touching the lives of fewer and fewer people as time goes on, Pope Francis said.

Changing the way parishes -- and their priests and involved laity -- operate will not be easy, the pope said, but members of the diocese must set out to follow the Lord more closely, deal with the reality in their neighborhoods and learn how to show everyone living within the parish boundaries that they are recognized and loved.

Pope Francis addressed some 1,700 diocesan leaders, both clergy and laity, May 14 at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the diocese of Rome.
 

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https://zenit.org/articles/vaticans-instruction-cor-orans-on-contemplative-life/

Vatican’s Instruction “Cor Orans” on Contemplative Life 

‘With this instruction, this Dicastery intends to confirm the high appreciation of the Church for the contemplative monastic life and its solicitude to safeguard the authenticity of this unique form of the sequela Christi’
May 15, 2018 14:43

Below is the Vatican-provided English text of Instruction “Cor Orans” on contemplative life, of the Congregation for the Institutes Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life. It was published by the Vatican this morning, May 15, 2018, and presented in the Holy See Press Office:
 

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Cardinal Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy--trial in Australia

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/court-to-consider-request-for-media-gag-order-in-cardinal-pell-trial-97985

Court to consider request for media gag order in Cardinal Pell trial

Cardinal George Pell speaks with CNA at the Vatican March 17 2016. Credit:Alexey Gotovskiy/CNA.

Melbourne, Australia, May 14, 2018 / 04:09 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- An Australian court will determine Wednesday whether to accept a request by prosecutors for a “super injunction” against all media reporting of upcoming trials against Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, on charges of historic sexual offenses.

If accepted, the proposed injunction request would do more than block the details of the trials from being made public; it would also prevent “any report of the whole or any part of these proceedings and any court documents associated with this proceeding.”

The injunction would apply to “all states and territories of Australia and on any website or other electronic or broadcast format accessible within Australia.”

Similar restrictions kept private the number and details of the charges against Pell during a month-long preliminary hearing, during which the majority of the charges against the cardinal were dismissed.

The 10 remaining charges are likely to be run as two separate trials, Pell’s defense lawyer Robert Richter has said. The cardinal returns to the County Court in Melbourne May 16 for a further hearing, which is expected to determine if there will be two trials, and their dates.
 

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https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/05/15/pope-gives-chiles-bishops-a-text-for-three-day-abuse-summit/

Pope gives Chile bishops something to pray on for abuse summit
Inés San Martín   May 15, 2018

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with comments from Bishop Juan Ignacio Gonzalez regarding a dispute over his claims of knowing abuse victims.

ROME - After the first meeting between Pope Francis and 34 Chilean bishops to talk about “extraordinary challenges [regarding] abuse of power, sexual [abuse] and [abuses] of conscience” facing the Chilean Church, on Tuesday the Vatican released a statement saying Francis had given the prelates a text on which to “pray and meditate.”

“This afternoon the pope gave each of the bishops a text with some themes on which to meditate; from now on until the next meeting, a moment opens dedicated exclusively to meditation and prayer,” the short statement says.

The statement was released after the first meeting between the pope and the prelates came to an end. Having started at 4:00 pm local, it lasted for about two hours and took place in the auletta of the Paul VI Synod Hall, a room located in the hall where popes hold their weekly audiences during bad-weather months.

There will be three more meetings: One on Wednesday afternoon and two on Thursday.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-05/pope-francis-wcc-geneva-press-conference.html

Papal visit to WCC marks historical milestone in ecumenical relations
15 May 2018, 15:54

WCC General Secretary Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit and Fr Andrzej Choromanski from the Vatican's Council for Christian Unity hold the logo for the June 21st Ecumenical Pilgrimage  (AFP or licensors)
At a press conference in Geneva, Vatican and World Council of Churches officials unveil details of the ecumenical pilgrimage that Pope Francis will make to the headquarters of the global Christian fellowship on June 21st
By Philippa Hitchen

Pope Francis’ forthcoming visit to the World Council of Churches in Geneva will provide a strong signal to the international community that trust and cooperation can prevail over the divisions of historical conflicts or religious identities.

That was the message at the heart of a press conference on Tuesday providing details of the ecumenical pilgrimage which the Pope will make to the World Council of Churches on June 21st to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the global fellowship of Christian Churches.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-05/pope-francis-general-audience-catechesis-baptism-16-may-2018.html#.WvwKla_Chjo.twitter

Pope Francis: Let grace of Baptism bear fruit in your lives
16 May 2018, 12:23

Concluding his Wednesday General Audience reflections on the sacrament of Baptism, Pope Francis urges us to be guided by the light of Christ.
By Philippa Hitchen

At his general audience on Wednesday Pope Francis concluded his series of reflections on the sacrament of Baptism, speaking of the spiritual fruits that it brings to each believer.

Baptismal garment

The Pope noted that right from the first centuries of Christianity, it became a tradition to dress those who had received the waters of Baptism in a new, white clothes to symbolise the new and transfigured life received through Christ and the Holy Spirit.

If we are clothed in Christ, St Paul reminded the early believers in his letter to the Colossians, we must take on the virtues of “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”. Bear with each other, he said, and forgive each other as the Lord forgave you. Above all, put on the virtue of love, which binds all together in perfect unity.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-on-baptism-part-vi-put-on-christ/
GENERAL AUDIENCE: On Baptism (Part VI): Put on Christ 
May 16, 2018 14:36

Video at the link below--
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-05/pope-francis-hindu-jain-sikh-interreligious-dialogue.html#.WvwDnzvezEE.twitter

Pope meets Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs
16 May 2018, 10:44

Pope Francis meeting representatives of Dharmic religions in the Vatican on May 16, 2018. (Vatican Media)
Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Christian representatives had participated in a conference on Tuesday organized by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Pope Francis on Wednesday briefly met a delegation of Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Sikhs who participated in a one-day conference in the Vatican, and another group of Buddhist monks from Thailand.   

Dialogue and cooperation

The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue on Tuesday organized a conference  on the theme, “Dharma and Logos – Dialogue and Cooperation in a Complex Age”, in which some 200 representatives of Dharmic religions that originated in India, and Christians participated.

Meeting the representatives of Dharmic religions ahead of his weekly general audience, the Pope expressed satisfaction at the conference they attended, saying “dialogue and cooperation are essential at a time like our own”, marked by tensions, conflicts and violence. 

He said one needs to thank God when “religious leaders actively foster a culture of encounter by offering an example of fruitful dialogue and by working together effectively in the service of life, human dignity and the care of creation.”
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-05/pope-mass-santa-marta-true-false-unity.html#.Wv1UuXZFH2A.twitter

Pope at Mass: ‘May true unity be our goal’
17 May 2018, 11:42

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Casa Santa Marta  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis reflects on two types of unity in his homily during Mass on Thursday morning at Casa Santa Marta. One he calls “true” unity; and the other, “false” unity.
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

The first reading from Acts 23:6-11 and the Gospel from John 17:20-26 demonstrate two styles of unity, Pope Francis said during his homily at Mass at Casa Santa Marta on Thursday morning.

False unity divides

Pope Francis sees a false unity binding Paul’s accusers together. It is false because it leads to division he said. The Sadducees and Pharisees are at first united in their accusation against Paul. But Paul lays bare the “stone that divides” them, observing that he was on trial because of his “hope in the resurrection of the dead”.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-05/pope-new-ambassadors-holy-see-credentials-migration.html

Pope Francis tells Ambassadors to prioritize migration issues
17 May 2018, 16:43

Pope Francis addresses new Ambassadors to the Holy See  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis has urged new Ambassadors to the Holy See to work for peace and reconciliation and to use their diplomatic clout to favour better laws to protect and integrate migrants and refugees.
By Linda Bordoni

Addressing the new Ambassadors of Tanzania, Lesotho, Pakistan, Mongolia, Denmark, Ethiopia, and Finland accredited to the Holy See, Pope Francis focussed his discourse on the most urgent issues we face in our changing world, in particular the humanitarian challenges posed by migration.

“Ours, the Pope said, is a time of truly epochal changes, which calls for wisdom and discernment on the part of all those concerned for a peaceful and prosperous future for coming generations”.

And highlighting the fact that the goal of international diplomacy is to promote justice and harmony amongst nations and within the human family, he singled out migration as a great priority:
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-to-chilean-bishops-serve-christ-in-victims-of-abuse-13388

Pope to Chilean bishops: Serve Christ in victims of abuse

Vatican City, May 17, 2018 / 01:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis thanked Chile's bishops for their “frank” dialogue during a 3-day Vatican meeting on the Chilean abuse scandals, and asked them to focus on serving abuse victims as they return to their dioceses and prepare to implement short and long term resolutions.

“After these days of prayer and reflection I invite you to continue building a prophetic Church, which knows how to put what is important at the center: service to the Lord in the hungry, the prisoner, the migrant and the abused,” the pope said in a letter to Chilean bishops.

Published May 17, the letter was given to each of the bishops by Pope Francis during their final meeting earlier that evening.
 
Pope Francis himself didn't say much apart from a few simple things, Gonzalez said, one of which was a comment that the problems they are facing “are not like the problem of Jonas: we're not throwing Jonas down so he gets eaten by the whale while we continue surfing.”

Naturally the pope will have decisions to make and there will be resolutions, but those will come later, the bishop said, adding that the time they had was one of discernment and returning to their heart of their mission, which is Christ.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-05/letter-of-pope-francis-to-the-chilean-bishops.html#.Wv3Zhq7WxDM.twitter
Letter of Pope Francis to the Chilean Bishops
17 May 2018, 21:20

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-05/vatican-document-ethics-finance-economics-money.html#.Wv3Z7pUSzzh.twitter

Vatican Document: Money must serve, not rule
17 May 2018, 15:27

Press Conference in the Holy See's Press office where the new document was unveiled to journalists.
Entitled ‘Oeconomicae et pecuniariae quaestiones: Considerations for an Ethical Discernment regarding Some Aspects of the Present Economic-Financial System’ the new document has been prepared by two major offices of the Holy See.
By Susy Hodges

The 15-page page document, jointly prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, was unveiled on Thursday at a news conference in the Holy See's Press Office.

Love for integral good: the key to authentic development

The document begins by stressing the Church’s concern for the integral development of every person, saying “Love for the integral good, inseparable from love for the truth, is the key to authentic development.”

Turning to the state of the world’s economy, the document calls for more regulation of markets and financial systems, saying economic crises show they are not able to govern themselves and need a strong injection of morality and ethics.  It also urges universities and business schools to educate the next generation of business leaders about ethics and not just profits.
 

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20180106_oeconomicae-et-pecuniariae_en.html#

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Dicastery For Promoting Integral Human Development

Oeconomicae et pecuniariae quaestiones
Considerations for an Ethical Discernment Regarding Some Aspects of the Present Economic-Financial System

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-05/pope-francis-mass-meddling-busybody.html#.Wv6pOmDwql0.twitter

Pope Francis at Mass: ‘Don’t waste time being a busybody’
18 May 2018, 12:02

Pope Francis at Mass on Friday in the Casa Santa Marta  (Vatican Media)
In his homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Friday morning, Pope Francis reminds bishops and all pastors to “love, tend the sheep, and prepare oneself for the cross”, not wasting time meddling in the lives of others.

Pope Francis at Mass on Friday had words of advice for all pastors. He told them to “love, shepherd your flock, and prepare oneself for the cross” and not to fall into the temptation of “sticking their nose in other people’s business.”

His advice was drawn from the Gospel of John, which recounts the last encounter between Jesus and Peter.

‘Follow me’

Pope Francis said Jesus leads Peter on a mental journey through their relationship. Jesus, the Pope said, wants to do the same for each of us, so that we “recall our shared journey.”

The Holy Father transformed Jesus’ last words to Peter – “Follow me” – into concrete attitudes and behaviors, giving Peter three directives: “love me, tend my sheep, and prepare yourself.”
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-05/chile-bishops-statement-resignation-sex-abuse.html

Chilean bishops implore forgiveness for sex abuse scandal and offer to resign
18 May 2018, 15:51

Members of Chile's bishops conference release a statement in which they offer to resign following the clerical sex abuse scandal in their country  (AFP or licensors)
The 34 Chilean bishops that make up the country’s episcopal conference released a statement on Friday offering to resign and putting their fate in the hands of Pope Francis.
By Linda Bordoni

Following three days of meetings with Pope Francis in the Vatican, the bishops of Chile met the press and read a statement in which they thanked the Pope for having listened to them "paternally and for having offered his fraternal correction” during these days "of reflection and prayer".

Resignations in Pope's hands

Speaking briefly to the press after having read their statement, the bishops explained that they have put their positions “in the hands of the Holy Father and will leave it to him to decide freely” for each of them.

They also referred to a document handed to them personally by the Pope in which are indicated a series of “absolutely reprehensible things that have happened in the Chilean Church in relation to unacceptable abuses of power, conscience and of sexual [nature], and which have led to diminishing of the prophetic vigor that characterized the Church.”
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/all-chilean-bishops-present-resignation-await-decision-from-pope-66506
All Chilean bishops present resignation, await decision from pope

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-05/pope-paul-vi-canonized-october-14.html

Pope Paul VI to be canonized on October 14th
19 May 2018, 12:29

Pope Paul VI
Pope Francis has announced that Paul VI will be proclaimed a saint on Sunday, October 14th in the Vatican.

Pope Paul VI, who had the task of closing the Second Vatican Council in 1965, will be canonized in St Peter’s Square together with     Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, and another four saints of charity, during the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican.

Holiness within everyone’s reach

Paul VI was born Giovanni Battista Montini in 1897. He died at the papal residence of Castelgandolfo on August 6th 1978, after being pope for 15 years. At a General Audience on March 16th 1966, he explained that “holiness is within everyone’s reach” and that we only need two elements in order to become saints: "the grace of God and good will".
 
https://zenit.org/articles/six-blesseds-to-be-canonized-october-14-2018/

Six Blesseds to be Canonized October 14, 2018 
Group includes Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Oscar Romero
•May 19, 2018 19:15•ZENIT Staff•Catholic Church
 
Six Blesseds will be canonized on October 14, 2018, Pope Francis declared on May 19, 2018, during an Ordinary Public Consistory for the Canonization of the Blesseds.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-05/pope-francis-message-world-mission-sunday-2018.html

Pope’s message for World Mission Sunday 2018
19 May 2018, 14:02

World Youth Day Cross.
In his message released on May 19, Pope Francis urges young people to join the Church in bringing the Gospel to all.

By Robin Gomes

The Vatican on Saturday released the message of Pope Francis for this year’s World Mission Sunday, in which the Pontiff is inviting young men and women who want to follow Christ, to seek, to discover and to persevere in their vocation.   

Observed by the Catholic Church on the penultimate Sunday of October every year, World Mission in 2018 Sunday falls on Oct. 21.  Instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1926, the annual day urges prayers and help for missions as well as recalls the fundamental missionary character of the Church and of every Christian.

The theme of this year’s observance, “Together with young people, let us bring the Gospel to all,” echoes the upcoming synod of bishops, scheduled from October 3-28 in the Vatican, whose theme is “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment.”