Pope Francis

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-general-audience-our-father-catechesis-dialogue.html#.XBDtfNJkV0Q.twitter

Pope at Audience: ‘Our Father turns suffering into dialogue’
12 December 2018, 11:04

Pope Francis speaks at weekly General Audience  (Vatican Media)
Continuing his catechesis on the Lord’s prayer at the weekly General Audience, Pope Francis says the Our Father invites us to turn every pain and disturbance into a dialogue with God.
By Devin Watkins

Pope Francis continued his reflection on the Our Father during the Wednesday General Audience, calling it “a bold prayer”.

“I say bold because, if Christ had not suggested it, none of us would probably have dared to pray to God in this way,” he said.

The Holy Father noted that there are no prefaces to the prayer. Jesus, he said, invites us to pray directly to the Lord without the barriers of subjection or fear. “He doesn’t tell us to call God ‘Omnipotent’ or ‘Most High’ or ‘You, who are so distant from us...’ but simply to use the word ‘Father’… expressing closeness and filial trust.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-full-text-a-prayer-that-asks-with-trust/
General Audience Full Text: ‘A Prayer That Asks With Trust’ 
Holy Father Continues Series on the ‘Our Father’
•December 12, 2018 14:34•Virginia Forrester

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

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-francis-mass-our-lady-of-guadalupe.html

Pope Francis celebrates Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe
12 December 2018, 18:32

Pope Francis celebrates Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday evening to mark the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. A working translation of the Pope's homily is below:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness” (Lk 1,46-48). Thus begins the hymn, the Magnificat, through it, Mary becomes the first “teacher of the Gospel” (CELAM, Puebla, 290): she reminds us of the promises made to our fathers and invites us to sing the mercy of the Lord.

Mary teaches us that, regarding the art of mission and hope, lots of words and programmes are not necessary. Her method is very simple: she walked and she sang.
 
Video at the link below--
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-12/council-cardinal-advisors-december-meeting-burke.html#.XBE0vxMchUE.twitter

Council of Cardinal Advisors wrap-up December meeting
12 December 2018, 15:28

Pope Francis and the Council of Cardinal Advisors  (Vatican Media)
The Director of the Holy See Press Office briefed journalists on the December meeting of the Pope’s Council of Cardinal Advisors that ended on Wednesday.
By Linda Bordoni

Speaking to journalists at the Vatican Press Office, Director Greg Burke said the Council of Cardinal Advisors had concluded their 27th meeting and he highlighted some of the issues that were addressed.

Burke noted that Pope Francis had been present for all encounters of the 3-day meeting, excluding Wednesday morning when he presided at the General Audience.

He pointed out that Cardinal Parolin had not been present due to his commitments in Morocco at the signing of the Global Compact for Migration,  and also that three other Cardinals are no longer part of the Council.

Three Cardinals no longer part of the Council

.“In October the Pope had written to three of the more elderly Cardinals – Cardinal Pell from Australia, Cardinal Errazuriz from Chile and Cardinal Monsengwo of Congo thanking them for their work,” Burke said, so they are no longer part of the Council and he specified that the Pope has not named new Cardinals in their place.

Burke pointed to some important themes of the meeting including the containment of costs of the Holy See, the February meeting of the Presidents of Episcopal Conferences, and the new Apostolic Constitution concerning the Roman Curia and the Dicastery for Communication.

He said Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Coordinator for the Council of the Economy, “got everybody’s attention in talking about how to contain costs in the Vatican”.
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/three-cardinals-dropped-from-c9-as-reform-process-nears-end-29340
Three cardinals dropped from C9 as reform process nears end
By Hannah Brockhaus

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/reports-of-pell-guilty-verdict-emerge-despite-gag-order-32220
Reports of Pell guilty verdict emerge, despite gag order
By Ed Condon

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-to-ambassadors-proposing-solutions-in-dialogue-with-church.html#.XBJKUMNvOSs.twitter

Pope to Ambassadors: Proposing solutions in dialogue with Church
13 December 2018, 12:03

Pope meeting new Ambassadors  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis receives ten new Ambassadors accredited to the Holy See and confirms the Church’s commitment to proposing concrete solutions to humanitarian problems in a spirit of constructive dialogue.

The ten new Ambassadors come from Switzerland, Malta, The Bahamas, Cabo Verde, Iceland, The Gambia, Qatar, Estonia, Turkmenistan, and Grenada. All of them are non-resident Ambassadors because their countries do not have an established Embassy to the Holy See in Rome. 

They presented their letters of credence, or diplomatic credentials, to the Pope during an audience in the Clementine Hall in the Vatican on Thursday. The Ambassadors from Turkmenistan and Grenada are the first to be accredited to the Holy See from their respective countries.

Learning lessons from the past

In his address, Pope Francis recalled that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War which his predecessor, Pope Benedict XV, called a “senseless slaughter”. May the lessons learned from the two great wars of the twentieth century convince the world’s people and their leaders of “the futility of armed conflict and the need to resolve conflicts through patient dialogue and negotiation”, he said.
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-francis-telepace-tv-media-peace-journalism-poor.html

Pope urges Telepace TV to be voice of voiceless, peace builders
13 December 2018, 15:29

Pope Francis meeting officials, staff and collaborators of Telepace on December 13, 2018.   (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis on December 13 received officials, staff and collaborators of Telepace TV on the occasion of their 40th anniversary.
By Robin Gomes

Pope Francis on Thursday felicitated the Italian Catholic television network Telepace on its 40th anniversary, encouraging it to be the channel of the peace of the babe of Bethlehem by being the voice of the voiceless and avoiding gossip.  He was speaking to some 140 officials and staff of Telepace which began in 1979 in the Diocese of Verona.

Among Telepace’s programmes are the Pope’s Wednesday general audience, his Sunday Angelus prayer and other celebrations as well as the Rosary.

Voice of the voiceless

Pope Francis reminded the Telepace staff of their very specific objective of being the “voice of those who have no voice”, saying this is especially needed today when the culture of waste leaves more and more people without a voice. 

Defining the power of communication as "proximity" that “cares, comforts, heals, accompanies and celebrates", the Pope said that the instruments of communication are both a gift from God as well as a great responsibility. 
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-s-telegramme-of-condolence-after-brazil-massacre.html

Pope's telegramme of condolence after Brazil shooting
13 December 2018, 08:05

Floral tributes after shooting at Cathedral  (ANSA)
In a telegram, the Pope entrusts to the mercy of God the victims of the shooting that took place yesterday in the Cathedral of Campinas, 100km from São Paulo, Brazil.

Pope Francis is "deeply affected by the dramatic attack that took place during the celebration of Holy Mass in the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Campinas. Those were the words contained in the telegramme, signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, sent to the diocesan administrator of the archdiocese of Campinas.

The Pontiff "entrusts to the mercy of God the victims of the massacre" and assures his closeness and spiritual comfort to the families who have lost their loved ones and to the entire archdiocesan community. Moreover, Pope Francis invokes "a prompt recovery for the wounded, inviting everyone, in the face of a moment of pain, to find comfort and strength in the Risen Jesus, praying that hope will not be lacking in this hour of trial and that forgiveness and love will prevail over hatred and vengeance".
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/strasbourg-attack-pope-expresses-condemnation-and-compassion.html

Strasbourg attack: Pope expresses condemnation and compassion
13 December 2018, 08:13

Shooting aftermath in Strasbourg  (ANSA)
In a telegram addressed to the Archbishop of Strasbourg, Pope Francis assures prayers for all those affected by Tuesday’s attack that left three people dead and thirteen wounded.
By Vatican News

The telegram was sent in the name of the Pope by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to Archbishop Luc Ravel of Strasbourg.

“It is with sadness and concern that His Holiness Pope Francis learned of the attack that took place last night at the Christmas market in Strasbourg”, reads the text of the message. “Pope Francis again expresses his firm condemnation of such acts.”

Prayers for those affected

The message continues with the Pope assuring all those affected by this attack, the families especially, of his prayer and compassion. “As a pledge of consolation”, reads the telegram, the Holy Father “implores the abundance of divine blessings on the victims, on those who assist them and on all the French people”.

“While entrusting the dead to the mercy of God”, says the message, “the Holy Father has a special thought for the professionals and the volunteers who take care of the wounded”.
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-to-visit-bulgaria-former-yugoslav-republic-of-macedonia.html#.XBJOlg7_tkE.twitter

Pope to visit Bulgaria, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
13 December 2018, 12:29

Logo for the Apostolic Journey to Bulgaria
The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Greg Burke, announced the Apostolic Journey on Thursday.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis is set to visit Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in May.

An announcement made Thursday by the Holy See Press Office said that the Holy Father had accepted the invitation of the civil authorities and the Catholic Church in the two nations. The Pope will visit the cities of Sofia and Rakovski during the visit to Bulgaria, which will take place on 5-7 May; and on 7 May will travel to the city of Skopje in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-to-visit-mother-teresas-birthplace-in-2019-59123
Pope Francis to visit Mother Teresa's birthplace in 2019

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2018-12/us-bishops-praise-iraq-syria-genocide-relief-accountability-act.html

US Bishops praise enactment of Iraq & Syria Genocide Relief Act
13 December 2018, 14:16

The US Bishops Conference (USCCB) applaud US legislation that directs humanitarian aid to genocide victims in Iraq and Syria, and will hold perpetrators accountable.
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

In a statement released on Tuesday, the same day the legislation was signed by President Trump, US Bishops Conference (USCCB) “applaud” the enactment of the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act. Through this legislation, genocide victims in Iraq and Syria will receive humanitarian aid and perpetrators will be held accountable.

Sign of hope

In the statement, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, Chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, said that the legislation “is a signal of hope for the critically vulnerable of this region”. He thanked the bill’s author, those who sponsored it, and President Trump for signing it into law.

Statistics on Christians

According to Archbishop Broglio, only 14% of Christians have remained in Iraq. Of these, many are displaced and in desperate need of assistance in order to return home and remain in Iraq. The Yazidi population has suffered a similar fate.

Form of genocide

The Archbishop concluded the statement, saying the Catholic Church has consistently drawn attention to those in the Middle East and throughout the world who face “persecution and displacement”. Pope Francis, he said, has called “the persecution, torture and killing of Christians in the Middle East…a ‘form of genocide’ that must end”.
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-12/second-advent-sermon-raniero-cantalamessa-2018.html

Fr Cantalamessa: Contemplating Trinity helps overcome division
14 December 2018, 13:59

Second Sermon for Advent 2018  (Vatican Media)
In his second Sermon for Advent 2018, the Preacher to the Pontifical Household continued his reflection on the Holy Trinity. The Sermon was delivered in the “Redemptoris Mater” Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, in the presence of Pope Francis.
By Vatican News

“The Trinity is like one of those musical triangles that vibrates and gives forth the same sound from whatever side it is struck.” This was one of the key notes of the Second Advent Sermon given by Fr Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap., the Preacher of the Pontifical Household. In this “triumvirate,” he said, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are always “engaged in glorifying each other.” Fr Cantalamessa’s sermon revolved around the idea of this Trinitarian symphony. “There is only one ‘place’ in the world where the rule of ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ is perfectly put into practice, and it is in the Trinity!”
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-artists-you-express-church-s-mission-christmas-concert.html#.XBOasp7TzR8.twitter

Pope to artists: ‘you help the Church express its mission’
14 December 2018, 12:15

Pope Francis meets with artists performing in the Vatican's Christmas Concert  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis meets on Friday with the artists who will perform in the Vatican’s Christmas concert on Saturday telling them that their creativity has always helped to express the Church’s mission.
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

“The Church’s mission has always been expressed through the creativity and talent of artists”. Thus Pope Francis praised the role of artists as he welcomed in audience in the Sala Clementina the artists who will perform in Saturday’s Christmas Concert in the Vatican.

Children will benefit

Pope Francis’ reflection was framed by the two organizations who will benefit from proceeds raised through the Concert. The first is a ministry of the Salesian Fathers called Missione Don Bosco (Don Bosco Mission), dedicated to the education of South Sudanese children in a refugee camp in Palabek, Uganda. The second will benefit Scholas Occurrentes who educate children in Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, where 130,000 Christians are refugees.
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-francis-audience-italy-prime-minister-conte.html

Pope Francis receives Italian Prime Minister Conte
15 December 2018, 17:21

Pope Francis and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in the Vatican
Pope Francis on December 15 received Prime Minister of Italy, Giuseppe Conte, for a private audience in the Vatican.
By Robin Gomes

Pope Francis received Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Saturday morning during a private audience in the Vatican. Conte was accompanied by the Italian ambassador to the Holy See, Pietro Sebastiani.

Migration, environment, peace

The Pope and Conte met for some 45 minutes during which they discussed some pressing issues. In a post on Facebook, Conte wrote that the Pope and he committed themselves to a broad reform plan for those they are responsible for, in their respective spheres of authority.

“We discussed issues such as social inequalities, migration, the environment and peace,” Conte wrote.  He said it was a very touching meeting, which renewed his political, ethical and social commitment to work with great determination to improve Italian society and to make all citizens fully participate in the country's social and economic well-being.
 
Prime Minister Conte also anticipated his wishes for Pope Francis on his birthday, which he celebrates on Monday, December 17, when the Argentine Pontiff turns 82.

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-s-christmas-greetings-to-santa-marta-dispensary.html

Pope's Christmas greetings to Santa Marta Dispensary
16 December 2018, 13:39

Pope Francis during audience with children and family from the dispensary of Santa Marta  (ANSA)
Pope Francis greets families and staff from the Santa Marta Dispensary and is presented with a cake for his Birthday

For over ninety years the Santa Marta Dispensary has provided medical assistance to children and families in need and is based just a stone’s throw away from the Pope’s residence inside the Vatican.

The Dispensary was established in 1922 by Pope Pius XI, and was visited by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2005. In the Paul VI hall on Sunday, Pope Francis was greeted by 800 people, including volunteers, doctors, nurses and families assisted by the Dispensary.
 
Christmas and Birthday greetings

On the occasion of the Pope’s Birthday, which he celebrates on December 17th, a large cake had been prepared. After wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Pope Francis joked, “I hope there is no indigestion with that big cake!”

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-angelus-invitation-to-joy-on-bambinelli-sunday.html#.XBZECmzugFk.twitter

Pope Angelus: Invitation to Joy on “Bambinelli Sunday”
16 December 2018, 13:03

Pope Francis at the Sunday Angelus blesses the “Bambinelli” and says this third Sunday of Advent invites us to be joyful.

The Third Sunday of Advent has for many years been the day when the children of Rome bring the Baby Jesus statues from their Nativity Scenes to St. Peter’s Square to be blessed by the Pope during the Angelus. The day is affectionately known as “Bambinelli Sunday.”

Bambinelli Sunday

The theme chosen by the Roman Oratory Centre for this traditional appointment with Pope Francis on Sunday was "All the joy in a manger".

Speaking from the window of his studio in the Apostolic Palace, the Pope told the children wrapped up against the winter chill, that “when you gather in your homes in prayer before the manger, looking at the Child Jesus, you will feel amazement at the great mystery of God made man; and the Holy Spirit will give your heart the humility, tenderness and goodness of Jesus. This is the true Christmas! May this be so for you and for your families.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/popes-angelus-address-third-sunday-of-advent-gaudete-or-bambinelli-sunday/
Pope’s Angelus Address: Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete, or Bambinelli Sunday) 
On the Sunday of Joy, Reminds: ‘No worry, no fear will ever be able to take away from us the serenity that comes, not from human things, from human consolations, no, but the serenity that comes from God, knowing that God guides our life lovingly, and He does so always’
December 16, 2018 15:39

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

[grace-land]

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-death-penalty-a-legalistic-value-not-a-christian-one-15853

Pope Francis: Death penalty a ‘legalistic’ value, not a Christian one

Vatican City, Dec 17, 2018 / 12:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The death penalty is always a rejection of the Gospel and of human dignity, and therefore must be rejected by all countries, Pope Francis told the Delegation of the International Commission against the Death Penalty on Monday.

In his meeting with the delegation at the Vatican, the Pope set aside his prepared remarks and gave an impromptu address.

In his prepared text, which was then handed out to the delegation, Francis said he has prioritized the abolition of the death penalty throughout his ministry because of the great harm it does to human dignity.

“The certainty that every life is sacred and that human dignity must be safeguarded without exception has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to work at different levels for the universal abolition of the death penalty,” he said.

The Pope in August ordered a revision of paragraph 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, calling the death penalty “inadmissible” and urging its elimination. The Pope called for the changes in May, the final draft of the new paragraph was issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
 

"Address of the Holy Father" at the link below--
https://zenit.org/articles/holy-father-affirms-call-to-end-death-penalty/
Holy Father Affirms Call to End Death Penalty 
December 17, 2018 17:26•Jim Fair

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-12/pope-francis-mass-saint-joseph-teaches-silence.html

Pope at Mass: ‘St. Joseph raises Jesus in silence'
18 December 2018, 12:51

Pope Francis delivers the homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta  (Vatican Media)
In his homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday, Pope Francis speaks about how Saint Joseph dreamed of the future while keeping his feet on the ground and silently helping to raise Jesus.

Pope Francis reflected on the example of Saint Joseph in his homily at Tuesday morning’s Mass. He also prayed for several disabled Slovakian children who had made Christmas decorations for the chapel.

Turning to St. Joseph, the Pope called him “a man of dreams… who knows how to accompany others in silence.”
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-tornielli-monda-editor-chief-dicastery-communication.html

Pope makes new appointments at Vatican Media
18 December 2018, 13:14

Andrea Tornielli and Andrea Monda
The Vatican Press Office on Tuesday announced that the Pope has appointed an Editorial Director for the Dicastery of Communication and an Editor-in-Chief for the “Osservatore Romano”.
By Linda Bordoni

Pope Francis has appointed Italian journalist Andrea Tornielli as Editorial Director for the Vatican Dicastery for Communication (Vatican News' parent organization) and Andrea Monda as Editor-in-Chief of the “Osservatore Romano” newspaper. The announcements were made on Tuesday by the Holy See Press Office.
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-francis-message-world-day-peace-politics-service-of-peace.html

Pope Francis: Good politics is at the service of peace
18 December 2018, 12:03

Pope Francis
The Holy See Press Office publishes Pope Francis’ Message for the 52nd World Day of Peace
By Christopher Wells

“Peace be to this house!” In his greeting to the world for the 52nd World Day of Peace, Pope Francis takes up the words proposed by Christ in the Gospel. The Holy Father notes that “the ‘house’ of which Jesus speaks is every family, community, country, and continent.”

At the service of peace

In his message for the World Day of Peace, the Pope reflects on the role of “good politics at the service of peace.” Those who hold political office, he says, must exercise their office in service to others, basing their work on the foundation of charity and human virtues.
 
Follow the link to read the full text of Pope Francis' Message for the Celebration of the 52nd World Day of Peace.

Link to read the full text:  http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/documents/papa-francesco_20181208_messaggio-52giornatamondiale-pace2019.html

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE
 FRANCIS
FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
52nd WORLD DAY OF PEACE

1 JANUARY 2019

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-12/february-meeting-abuse-victims-organizing-committee.html

February meeting: Bishops should meet with abuse victims
18 December 2018, 15:45

The Organizing Committee sends a letter to participants in the February meeting on the protection of minors in the Church, inviting Bishops to meet with survivors of abuse in their own countries.

In a letter to the heads of Bishops’ Conferences, the four Members of the Organizing Committee for “The protection of minors in the Church” meeting urge attendees “to reach out and visit with victims of clergy sex abuse in your respective countries prior to the meeting in Rome, to learn first-hand the suffering that they have endured.”

The Organizing Committee is composed of Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, and Fr. Hans Zollner SJ.

Pope Francis convoked the presidents of Bishops’ Conferences around the world for a 21-24 February gathering in the Vatican.

In a separate statement, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Greg Burke, said meeting with abuse survivors “is a concrete way of putting victims first, and acknowledging the horror of what happened.” He said the meeting on the protection of minors “will focus on three main themes: responsibility, accountability and transparency.”

In their letter, the organizers invite participants to come together “in solidarity, humility, and penitence to repair the damage done, sharing a common commitment to transparency, and holding everyone in the Church accountable.”

“The Holy Father has asked us to thank you for your support in completing the attached questionnaire to better prepare for the meeting, and to urgently invite you to take up this road together. The Holy Father is convinced that through collegial cooperation, the challenges facing the Church can be met,” they write.
 

The letter of the organizing committee at the link below--
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/bishops-urged-to-meet-abuse-victims-ahead-of-february-summit
Dec. 18, 2018
Vatican Urges Bishop Participants to Meet Abuse Victims Before February Summit
Edward Pentin

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-12/pope-francis-donates-incubators-hospitals.html

Pope Francis donates incubators to Roman hospitals
19 December 2018, 11:24

Pope Francis receives two incubators at the General Audience on 21 November  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis gives two neonatal incubators to Roman hospitals as a special Christmas gift, one of which will be sent to assist newborn babies in Ethiopia.
By Devin Watkins

Getting into the giving mood surrounding Christmas, Pope Francis has donated a pair of neonatal incubators to two Roman hospitals.

The Pope’s Almoner, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, delivered the gifts on Wednesday morning, and blessed them during a special ceremony.

Incubator for Roman babies

One incubator was gifted to the Fatebenefratelli Hospital on the Tiber Island, bringing its total of neonatal intensive care units to 30.

In a statement, the hospital said it treats some 600 newborn babies in intensive care every year. Of these, around 80% are premature births of “extremely fragile yet amazingly strong babies who require very specialized care and constant love.”

One for babies in Ethiopia

Pope Francis gave the other incubator to the Vatican’s Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital.

This Christmas gift will be sent to a hospital in Ethiopia, as part of a joint project with the Doctors with Africa CUAMM organization