Pope Francis

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Pope Francis’s trip to the Baltics, September 22-25, 2018
Photo Gallery at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/apostolic-journey-latvia-ecumenical-meeting.html#.W6jZ8eTAnkk.twitter

Pope urges Latvian Christians to pursue unity and keep the faith alive
24 September 2018, 11:47

Pope Francis arrives at the Lutheran Cathedral in Riga for an Ecumenical Meeting  (AFP or licensors)
Pope Francis on Monday warned Latvians to keep the Christian faith alive and to continue to nurture the bonds of Christian unity resisting the danger of turning the faith into “a museum piece”.
By Linda Bordoni

Addressing an Ecumenical Meeting in Riga on the first day of his apostolic visit to Latvia, Pope Francis expressed his appreciation for what he called one of Latvia’s special traits: a “lived ecumenism” which has succeeded in building unity while preserving the unique and rich identity of the different Christian Churches.

The Meeting took place in  the city’s Lutheran Cathedral, a place – the Pope said – that has been home to the Christian life of the city: “a faithful witness to all those brothers and sisters of ours who have come here to worship and pray, to sustain their hope in moments of trial and to find the courage to face times of great injustice and suffering”.

He remarked how the cathedral is also home to one of the oldest organs in Europe describing it as the “the instrument of God and of men for lifting eyes and hearts to heaven”.
 
Video at the link below--
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Pope Francis’s trip to the Baltics, September 22-25, 2018
Photo Gallery and Video at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/apostolic-journey-lativa-riga-meeting-eldery.html
Pope to elderly in Riga: You are the roots of what blossoms today
24 September 2018, 11:18

Pope addressing elderly at Saint James Cathedral, Riga   (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis meets with elderly people in Riga’s St James Cathedral, lauding them for their constancy in faith through trial and tribulation.
By Francesca Merlo

Pope Francis recalled that many of those present were victims of “the horror of the war, then political repression, persecution and exile”. He lauded them, as he said they “remained steadfast” and “persevered their faith”.

“Neither the Nazi regime nor the Soviet regime could extinguish the faith in your hearts” said Pope Francis.

These occurrences, said Pope Francis, “did not stop some of you from becoming priests, religious sisters, catechists or from serving the Church in other ways that put your lives at risk”. He commended them, assuring them they “fought the good fight”.
 

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Pope Francis’s trip to the Baltics, September 22-25, 2018
Photo Gallery and Video at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/apostolic-journey-latvia-mass-aglona.html#.W6j2a7T3DMA.twitter
Pope at Mass in Latvia: Mary shows how be close to and care for others
24 September 2018, 15:14

Pope Francis celebrating Mass in Aglona, Latvia on September 24, 2018.   (Vatican Media)
Pope at Mass in Latvia: Mary shows how be close to and care for others

On day 3 of his 4-day apostolic visit to the Baltic nations, Pope Francis Monday evening concluded his day-long visit to Latvia, celebrating Mass at the sanctuary of the Mother of God in Aglona.

Pope Francis delivered a homily at Mass, holding out Mary at the foot of the cross and at the wedding feast of Cana as a model to Latvians of how they should care for the oppressed, the exploited and the marginalized, and how to receive and adapt themselves to the needs of others.

Recalling the theme of his Latvian visit -  “Show yourself as Mother!” – Pope Francis said the main way that Mary shows herself is near the cross.

The Pope said Mary stands near those who suffer, those from whom the world flees, including those who have been put on trial, condemned by all and deported.  The Pope said it not that they are simply oppressed or exploited; they are completely “outside the system”, on the very fringes of society.  The Mother, the Pope said, also stands close by them, steadfast beneath their cross of incomprehension and suffering.
 

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Pope Francis’s trip to the Baltics, September 22-25, 2018

https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/09/04/vatican-issues-updated-papal-schedule-for-baltics-trip-sept-22-25/
Vatican issues updated papal schedule for Baltics trip Sept. 22-25
Cindy Wooden   Sep 4, 2018
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
 
Here is the updated scheduled released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parentheses
 
Tuesday, Sept. 25 (Vilnius, Tallinn, Rome)

- 8:15 a.m. (1:15 a.m.) Farewell ceremony at the international airport of Vilnius.

- 8:30 a.m. (1:30 a.m.) Departure from international airport of Vilnius for Tallinn, Estonia.

- 9:50 a.m. (2:50 a.m.) Arrival at Tallinn’s international airport. Official welcome.

- 10:15 a.m. (3:15 a.m.) Welcoming ceremony in the square near the presidential palace.

- 10:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m.) Courtesy visit with the president in the presidential palace.

- 11 a.m. (4 a.m.) Meeting with government authorities, local leaders and representatives of the diplomatic corps in the garden of the presidential palace. Speech by pope.

- 11:50 (4:50 a.m.) Ecumenical encounter with young people in Kaarli Lutheran Church. Speech by pope.

- 1 p.m. (6 a.m.) Lunch with the papal entourage in a Brigidine Sisters’ convent.

- 3:15 p.m. (8:15 a.m.) Encounter in the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul with people receiving assistance from the church’s charitable services. Greeting by pope.

- 4:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m.) Mass in Freedom Square. Homily by pope.

- 6:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m.) Farewell ceremony at Tallinn’s international airport.

- 6:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m.) Departure from Tallinn to Rome.

- 9:20 p.m. (3:20 p.m.) Arrival at Rome’s Ciampino airport.

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Pope Francis’s trip to the Baltics, September 22-25, 2018
Photo Gallery and Video at the link

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Pope: Estonia a land of memory and fruitfulness
25 September 2018, 10:44

Pope Francis greets the President of Estonia   (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis addresses Estonia’s state and civil authorities, and members of the diplomatic Corps at the Presidential Palace in Tallinn.
By Lydia O’Kane

Estonia, Land of Mary

In his meeting with state and civil authorities and members of the Diplomatic Corps on Tuesday, Pope Francis recalled how that for centuries Estonia was known as “the Land of Mary”. He remarked, that it is a name that is not simply part of the country’s history, but also part of its’ culture. Thinking of Mary and Estonia, the Pope continued, “reminds me of two words: memory and fruitfulness.”

Faith of your predecessors

“To be a land of memory, explained Pope Francis, is to keep remembering that what you have attained today is due to the efforts, the hard work, the spirit and the faith of your predecessors.”

The Pontiff noted the suffering and tribulation that the people had to endure at different times in history. “Struggles for a freedom and independence that was constantly disputed or threatened”, he said. Nonetheless, he added, “in the last twenty-five years or so, since you once again took your proper place in the family of nations, Estonian society has taken “giant steps” forward” in the fields of innovation, press freedom, democracy and political freedom.
 

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Pope Francis’s trip to the Baltics, September 22-25, 2018
Video at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/apostolic-journey-estonia-young-people-charles-church.html#.W6oK9FvKsIQ.twitter
Pope Francis to young people: ‘Love's not dead’
25 September 2018, 10:42

Pope Francis meets with young people in the Lutheran Charles Church, Tallinn, Estonia  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis meets with young people in an ecumenical gathering in the Lutheran Charles Church in Tallinn, Estonia on Tuesday, saying, “Love is not dead—it calls us and sends us forth”.
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

During his Apostolic Visit to Estonia on Tuesday, Pope Francis met with young people in an ecumenical gathering in the Lutheran Charles Church. He drew inspiration for his remarks from a painting in the apse of the Church bearing the verse from Matthew, “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).

Young people can identify with Jesus

Pope Francis began his remarks by thanking three of the young people, Lisbel, Tauri and Mirko, who gave their testimonies. He then told the young people gathered that they could “identify with some of the things going on in the section of the Gospel” depicted in the painting. At this point, Jesus feels misunderstood and Matthew notes that Jesus is saddened by this (cf 11:20-24).

Frequently you too, as young people, can feel that the adults around you do not appreciate your hopes and desires; sometimes, when they see you very happy, they get suspicious; and if they see you anxious about something, they downplay it, the Pope said.
 

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Pope Francis’s trip to the Baltics, September 22-25, 2018

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Estonians remember Marian roots, look to Pope’s visit
24 September 2018, 06:27

A statue of Mary at Tallinn's Catholic Cathedral
As Pope Francis makes his one-day Apostolic Journey to Estonia on Tuesday, the country’s tiny Catholic community is recalling its history as ‘Land of Mary’ and the visit of Pope St. John Paul II, 25 years ago.
By Devin Watkins – Tallinn, Estonia

Tears filled her eyes as she told the story.

The Vicar General of the Bridgettine Sisters recalled the many sacrifices and struggles her sisters had to endure to return to Estonia. Their convent near Tallinn, in Pirita, was founded before the Reformation in 1406. The nuns endured that tumultuous period and went on to thrive until the Soviet occupation in 1940. Then they were forced to close.

The Bridgettines returned some 23 years ago, after Pope St. John Paul II visited after the fall of communism. Now they host his successor, Pope Francis, for lunch on Tuesday, as he takes a moment from his busy schedule to rest in this place of peace.

Archbishop Edward Profittlich

On the wall where the Pope takes his lunch is a picture of a man whose story encapsulates the struggle of Catholics in Estonia: Servant of God Edward Profittlich.

He was the first bishop of Estonia, and was carted off by the Soviets to die in a forced-labor camp in Siberia. His cause of canonization will soon reach Rome.

His name is etched alongside more than 130,000 others at a state memorial to the many people who died during the Soviet occupation.
 

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Pope Francis’s trip to the Baltics, September 22-25, 2018

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Pope: We all have a place in God's family
25 September 2018, 14:30

Pope meeting with Beneficiaries of the Church's Charitable Works, Tallinn, Estonia  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis meets with Beneficiaries of the Church’s Charitable Works in Tallin, Estonia, where he tells them that the Lord keeps giving us new chances because his greatest joy is to see us reborn.
By Francesca Merlo

Pope Francis listened to the stories of Marian and Vladimir, both of whom explained how the Church has helped them overcome difficult situations in their lives, before addressing the gathering.
 
Video at the link below--
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Pope Francis’s trip to the Baltics, September 22-25, 2018
Photo Gallery at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/apostolic-journey-estonia-mass-tallin.html#.W6pF_lKpQAM.twitter
Pope urges Estonian Catholics to leave their comfort zones and go out to others
25 September 2018, 14:47

Pope at Mass in Freedom Square, Tallin, Estonia on September 25, 2018.   (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis on Tuesday concluded his September 22 to 25 pastoral visit to the Baltic nations celebrating an evening Mass in Freedom Square in the Estonian capital Tallin.
By Robin Gomes

Recalling how God established His covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai after bringing them out of slavery from Egypt, Pope Francis, in his homily, urged Estonians not to give into new forms of slavery after emerging from decades-long repression under foreign domination.

He told them it is God who loved us first and who wants our free response.  God fulfils man’s aspirations and without Him we aren't pilgrims but orphans and drifters with no home to return to.
 
Homily at the mass--
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2018/documents/papa-francesco_20180925_omelia-estonia-tallin.html

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

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/full-text-of-pope-francis-in-flight-press-conference-from-estonia-33293

Full text of Pope Francis' in-flight press conference from Estonia

Vatican City, Sep 25, 2018 / 03:49 pm (CNA).- The following is an unofficial transcript of the in-flight press conference on the papal plane returning from Tallinn, Estonia to Rome on Sept. 25, 2018.

Greg Burke: Good evening, Holy Father, and thanks especially. Three countries in four days isn’t so easy. It’s tiring. But, perhaps it’s better than four countries in three days. It seemed a bit like four countries in four days because the first day there was this surprise from China. So, we did a little of this also, we came close to China. Let’s try to remain on the theme and speak about the trip and certainly, we’ll begin with the local journalists from each nation and we’ll try during the press conference to speak about the trip to the Baltics. I don’t know if you want to say something first, or…

Pope Francis: First of all, I’d like to thank you for the work that you’ve done because also for you three countries in four days isn’t easy, especially moving from one place to another is tiring. I thank you so much for the service you offer to the people, the people on this trip because communication is important. What happened there, they are many important things that happened on this trip and I await your questions.

Greg Burke: First is Saulena Ziugzdaite from Lithuania.

Saulena Ziugzdaite (Bernardinai.lt): Holy Father, thank you for this moment and for all of this trip. When you spoke in Vilnius about the Lithuanian soul, you said that we must be a bridge between East and West. But, it’s not easy to be a bridge. You’re always crossed by others. Some say our tragedy is that we are a bridge. Perhaps, one says, it’s decidedly better to go to the part of the West, with its values. But for you, what did you mean, what does it mean to be a bridge?

Pope Francis: Evidently, you are part today politically of the West, of the European Union. You have done much to enter into the European Union, after independence, you immediately did all of your homework, which isn’t easy, and you were able to enter into the European Union, that is, a belonging to the West. But, you also have relations with NATO. You belong to NATO, which speaks of the West. If you look to the East, there is your history- a tough history.

Also, a part of the tragic history came from the West, no? From the Germans, from the Poles, but especially from Nazism, no? It was that which came from the West. From the East, from the Russian Empire. Making bridges means- demands- strength. Strength not only of belonging - that gives you strength - but of one’s own identity. I am aware that the situation of the three Baltic countries is always in danger, always. The fear of invasion, because history itself reminds you of that. You are right when you say it’s not easy, but this is a game that is played every day, step after step, with culture, with dialogue. But, it’s not easy and I believe that the obligation of all of us is to help you in this… not to help you but to be close to you with our hearts.
 

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Pope: I wanted the Agreement with China, dialogue is the path
25 September 2018, 23:49

Pope Francis during an inflight press conference (archive photo)
The Pope’s comments on the Agreement with China were among the most anticipated by reporters on board the return flight from the Baltic countries. Among the other themes touched on by the Pope were the defence of the identity of the three Republics, the condemnation of armaments, and clerical abuse, which he called a “monstrosity.”
By Alessandro De Carolis

There was more than one aspect to the Pope’s Apostolic Journey to the Baltics—or rather, the experience that has just been lived quickly branches into interwoven themes upon which Pope Francis wanted to express himself, themes that are the keystones of his Magisterium. And so there was a reversal of roles during the press conference. At one point the Pope was prodding the reporters on the flight back from Talinn to ask “questions about the trip,” holding back others who were fluttering over their notebooks. Because the three questions asked by reporters from the Baltic countries were not enough for the Pope to fully express himself, he took it upon himself to immerse himself in the reality of the “three sisters,” Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, united in the wounds that remain etched in their collective memory. The Baltic nations are currently looking to the west, while rooted in the east, with a future that the Pope has looked forward to with hope.
 
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-refuses-to-take-reporters-questions-on-abuse-crisis
Wed Sep 26, 2018 - 4:29 pm EST
Pope Francis refuses to take reporters’ questions on abuse crisis

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Photo Gallery at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-general-audience-lithuania-latvia-estonia.html

Pope at General Audience recalls his visit to Baltic nations
26 September 2018, 13:29

Pope Francis at the general audience in Rome's St. Peter's Square, September 26, 2018.  (ANSA)
During his weekly General Audience of September 26, Pope Francis relived his 4-day apostolic visit to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia which he concluded on Tuesday.

Pope Francis dedicated the reflection of this week’s General Audience to his apostolic journey to the Baltic nations, September 22-25.   He said he visited Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, on the occasion of the centenary of their independence.   They lived half of the 100 years under the yoke of occupations, first under the Nazis and then under Soviet rule.

“They are peoples who have suffered greatly,” the Pope said, “and for this reason the Lord has looked upon them with predilection.”

The Holy Father expressed his gratitude to the presidents and civil authorities of the three nations or the welcome given him. He also thanked the bishops and all those who have helped to prepare and implement the ecclesial event.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-on-papal-trip-to-baltic-countries-full-text/
GENERAL AUDIENCE: On Papal Trip to Baltic Countries (Full Text)
September 26, 2018 14:23

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

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Pope hopes agreement with China will heal wounds, foster communion
26 September 2018, 11:11

Pope Francis at the General Audience of September 26, 2018.  (AFP or licensors)
At the end of his General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis explained the motives behind the Provisional Agreement signed by the Holy See and China in Beijing on September 22.

Pope Francis urged for prayers that the Provisional Agreemen between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China on the appointment of Bishops in China,  may help heal past wounds and foster full communion

Good of Chinese Catholics

“The Agreement,” the Pope explained, “is the fruit of a long and thoughtful path of dialogue, aimed at fostering a more positive collaboration between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities for the good of the Catholic community in China and for harmony in the entire society.”

He said in this spirit he decided to send a message of fraternal encouragement to Chinese Catholics and to the whole of the Universal Church.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-message-chinese-catholics-agreement-holy-see-china.html#.W6tdGHltzF4.twitter
Pope Francis to Chinese Catholics: Faith changes history
26 September 2018, 12:00

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https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/09/27/francis-calls-for-permanent-catechumenate-for-married-couples/

Francis calls for ‘permanent catechumenate’ for married couples
Ed Condon   Sep 27, 2018
CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY

ROME - Pope Francis has stressed the need for ongoing formation for couples, before and after marriage, saying that even the basic teachings of the Church “could not be taken for granted.” The pope spoke in an address to participants in a recent course on marriage and family life held in Rome.

Speaking Sept. 27 in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran to an audience of priests, deacons, and lay people, Francis renewed his call for a “permanent catechumenate for the sacrament of marriage,” saying it was essential for couples to receive ongoing formation both before and after their wedding.

The course, which ran Sept. 24-26, was sponsored by the Diocese of Rome and the Roman Rota, the Church’s appellate court which primarily handles marriage nullity cases.

Francis has previously insisted on the need for better, longer, more comprehensive instruction for couples in his annual addresses to the Rota.

“The greater effectiveness of pastoral care is realized where the accompaniment does not end with the celebration of the wedding, but escorts them at least for the first years of married life,” the pope said.
 

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Archbishop Viganò...

https://www.lifesitenews.com/mobile/news/breaking-vigano-releases-new-testimony-responding-to-popes-silence-on-mccar?utm_content=buffer5aea3&__twitter_impression=true

BREAKING: Viganò releases new ‘testimony’ responding to Pope’s silence on McCarrick cover-up
Diane Montagna
Thu Sep 27, 2018 - 2:04 pm EST

ROME, September 27, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) — Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has today issued a new extraordinary testimony, responding to Pope Francis’ refusal to answer the charge that he knew of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s abuse, yet lifted sanctions against him.

In the four-page document, the former Vatican ambassador to the United States also responds to the Pope’s recent homilies which seem to cast himself in the role of Christ and Viganò as the diabolical “Great Accuser.”

“Has Christ perhaps become invisible to his vicar? Perhaps is he being tempted to try to act as a substitute of our only Master and Lord?” Archbishop Viganò asks in the new explosive testimony, sent to LifeSiteNews today.

Dated Sept. 29 , the liturgical feast of St. Michael the Archangel, and bearing the Archbishop’s episcopal coat of arms, Viganò:

•explains why he believes he had a duty to come forward despite his oath to keep the “pontifical secret,” adding that “the purpose of any secret, including the pontifical secret, is to protect the Church from her enemies, not to cover up and become complicit in crimes committed by some of her members”;
•restates with vigor his central charge that “since at least June 23, 2013, the Pope knew from me how perverse and evil McCarrick was in his intentions and actions, and instead of taking the measures that every good pastor would have taken, the pope made McCarrick one of his principal agents in governing the Church, in regard to the United States, the Curia, and even China, as we are seeing these days with great concern and anxiety for that martyr Church”;
•points to the Pope’s reply that he would “not say a word” but notes that he has contradicted himself, in comparing “his silence to that of Jesus in Nazareth and before Pilate,” and comparing Viganò to “the great accuser, Satan, who sows scandal and division in the Church, though without ever uttering my name”;
•raises concern over revelations that Pope Francis played a role in covering up for or blocking investigations into other priests and prelates, including Fr. Julio Grassi, Fr. Mauro Inzoli, and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor;
•and says it was Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, who told him of Pope Benedict’s sanctions against McCarrick, and urges the cardinal to “bear witness to the truth.”

“My decision to reveal those grave facts was for me the most painful and serious decision that I have ever made in my life,” Viganò writes. “I made it after long reflection and prayer, during months of profound suffering and anguish, during a crescendo of continual news of terrible events, with thousands of innocent victims destroyed and the vocations and lives of young priests and religious disturbed.”

“The silence of the pastors who could have provided a remedy and prevented new victims became increasingly indefensible, a devastating crime for the Church,” he writes. “Well aware of the enormous consequences that my testimony could have, because what I was about to reveal involved the successor of Peter himself, I nonetheless chose to speak in order to protect the Church, and I declare with a clear conscience before God that my testimony is true.”

In his new testimony, Archbishop Viganò also encourages the faithful to “never be despondent!”

Exhorting the Church Militant, he says: “Make your own the act of faith and complete confidence in Christ Jesus, our Savior, of Saint Paul in his second Letter to Timothy, Scio cui credidi, which I choose as my episcopal motto. This is a time of repentance, of conversion, of prayers, of grace, to prepare the Church, the bride of the Lamb, ready to fight and win with Mary the battle against the old dragon.”

Here below is the official English text of Archbishop Viganò's new testimony. It can also be accessed here as PDF.
 

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Pope says art is a source of harmony and peace
28 September 2018, 12:48

Pope Francis meeting the "Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums" on September 28, 2018.   (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis on Friday thanked members of the "Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums" for their preservation and conservation efforts.
By Robin Gomes

“In today’s troubled world, unfortunately so often torn and damaged by selfishness and the thirst for power, art represents, perhaps even more than in the past, a universal need because it is a source of harmony and peace, and expresses the dimension of gratitude.”

Pope Francis made the observation on Friday to some  45 member  of the association, Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of their foundation.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-council-christian-unity-plenary.html#.W64pUn25qj4.twitter

Pope Francis: ‘Holy Spirit shows path to true Christian unity’
28 September 2018, 13:14

Pope Francis speaks to the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis spoke Friday to participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, saying the Church can learn from discerning the Holy Spirit’s presence in charismatic communities.

The theme for the Plenary Assembly was “Pentecostals, Charismatics, and Evangelicals: Impact on the Concept of Unity”.

Pope Francis said the growth of these communities is “an important phenomenon, which cannot be overlooked.” He said, “We have the duty to discern and recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in these communities, seeking to build bonds of authentic solidarity with them.”
 

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https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2018/09/28/pope-removes-notorious-chilean-abuser-from-the-priesthood/

Pope removes notorious Chilean abuser from the priesthood
Inés San Martín   Sep 28, 2018

ROME - Seven years after Fernando Karadima was found guilty by the Vatican of sexually abusing minors and sentenced to a life of penitence and prayer, Pope Francis has made the “exceptional” decision to remove him from the priesthood.

A Vatican statement released on Friday said the decision was made “in conscience and for the good of the Church.”

The now former priest had been found guilty of abuse by the Vatican in 2011, and had been sentenced to a life of penitence and prayer.

Karadima was never sentenced by Chilean courts due to the country’s statute of limitations.

To this day, it’s unknown how many people were sexually abused by Karadima. Presumably, the number of people who were psychologically abused, victims of his abuse of power, or who had their consciences manipulated by the priest, is even larger.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-world-deaf-day-message.html

Pope on World Deaf Day: fight culture of exclusion, waste
28 September 2018, 16:07

International week of the Deaf and Sign Language, September 23-30, 2018. 
Pope Francis has sent a message to Italy’s National Agency for the Deaf on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of World Deaf Day, which this year is being observed on September 29.
By Robin Gomes

Pope Francis on Friday called for the promotion of deaf people against today’s culture of exclusion and waste, by increasing their welcome, inclusion, encounter and solidarity.

The Pope’s appeal came in a message on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of World Deaf Day which  Italy is observing on September 29. this year.   

The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) initiated the observance of World Deaf Day in 1958, with the first celebration taking place in Rome on 28 September that year.  The annual day was later extended to a full week at the end of September, becoming the International Week of the Deaf (IWD).  The World Deaf Day is marked on the last day of the IWD.
 

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Ruffini: Pope invites us to let the network community free us
29 September 2018, 12:00

Paolo Ruffini with Pope Francis  (Vatican Media)
On the occasion of the release of the theme for the 2019 World Communications Day, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication comments on the Pope’s invitation to help young people reach freedom on social media through truth.
By Francesca Merlo

Pope Francis announced the theme of the next World Communications Day today: “We are all members of one another (Eph 4:25): from network community to human communities".  In an interview with Vatican News, Paolo Ruffini, the new Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication discusses what he thinks can help us shift from “network community” to “human communities”.

Up to what point can we speak of real communities when we are faced with the logic that characterises some of the communities of our social networks? On the 2019 World Communications Day, Pope Francis once again focuses his attention on his presence on social media through his Twitter and Instagram accounts (@pontefix and @franciscus respectively)