Pope Francis

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-10/13-new-cardinals-express-the-missionary-vocation-of-the-church.html

13 new Cardinals express the “missionary vocation of the Church”
05 October 2019, 12:42

Pope Francis embraces a Cardinal at the last consistory, which took place in 2018.  (AFP or licensors)
Saturday afternoon’s Consistory brings together new cardinals from places that express the Church’s missionary outreach and universal character.
By Vatican News

The word “consistory” comes from the Latin “consistorium”, meaning “a place of assembly” – because the Latin verb “consistere” means, literally, “to stand together”.

Starting in the 11th Century, ecclesial assemblies, or gatherings, became regular opportunities for the Pope to seek advice from his most trusted counsellors, the Cardinals.

Symbols of the consistory

Today, the ceremony during which the Pope creates new Cardinals is also called a Consistory. It includes the presentation of rings and a red hat. The colour itself is a symbol of the blood the Cardinal should be ready to shed, if called to “lay down his life for his sheep”. He is also assigned a titular church in Rome, and his coat of arms may be displayed at the entrance, alongside that of the reigning Pontiff.

A universal Church

When Pope Francis announced the 13 new cardinals, during the Angelus of 1 September, he stressed how “their origins express the missionary vocation of the Church, which continues to proclaim the merciful love of God to all people on earth”.

Those origins are in North America, Central America, Africa, Europe and Asia: from Indonesia, Morocco, and Cuba; to Guatemala, Angola, and Luxembourg.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-10/an-introduction-to-the-newest-cardinals-of-the-holy-roman-church.html
An introduction to the newest Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
05 October 2019, 15:42

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-10/consistory-titular-and-diaconal-churches-of-the-new-cardinals.html
Consistory: Titular and Diaconal churches of the new Cardinals
05 October 2019, 17:54

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-10/pope-to-new-cardinals-witness-to-christ-with-compassion.html

Pope to new Cardinals: Witness to Christ with compassion
05 October 2019, 17:20

Pope Francis creates thirteen new Cardinals
Pope Francis creates 13 new Cardinals during an Ordinary Public Consistory in St Peter’s Basilica on Saturday afternoon, and reflects on the importance of being aware of God’s compassion.
By Vatican News

“Compassion”: This was the keyword in Pope Francis’ homily during the Ordinary Public Consistory, celebrated in the Vatican before members of the College of Cardinals, and delegations from five continents.

“Compassion is a keyword in the Gospel”, he said. “It is forever written in the heart of God”.
 
Text of the homily
https://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-creates-13-new-cardinals-10-are-electors/
Pope Francis Creates 13 New Cardinals, 10 are Electors 
October 05, 2019 17:08•Jim Fair

Video at the link below--
Pope Francis-Ordinary Public Consistory 2019-10-05
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Photo gallery at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-10/new-cardinals-visit-pope-emeritus.html
Pope emeritus to new Cardinals: Remember the value of fidelity to the Pope
05 October 2019, 18:16

Statement to journalists from the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni:

This evening, Saturday 5 October 2019, at the end of the celebration of the Ordinary Public Consistory, the Holy Father and the new Cardinals went by bus to the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery to meet with the Pope emeritus, Benedict XVI.

After a brief greeting, in which he reminded the new cardinals of the value of fidelity to the Pope, Benedict XVI, together with Pope Francis, gave them a blessing.
 

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Photo gallery at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-10/pope-at-mass-for-opening-of-synod-rekindle-fire-of-the-spirit.html
Pope opens Synod for the Amazon, calling for fidelity to the newness of the Spirit
06 October 2019, 10:39

Mass for the Opening of the Synod on the Amazon
Pope Francis celebrates Mass in St Peter’s Basilica for the Opening of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region. In his homily, the Pope urges the Bishops to take to heart the message of Saint Paul in his Letter to Timothy.
By Vatican News

It was at the Angelus of 15 October 2017 that Pope Francis first announced he was convoking a Special Assembly of Bishops in order to “identify new pathways for the Church and for an integral ecology”.

Paul to Timothy

On Sunday, the Pope celebrated Mass for the opening of that Synod, invoking Saint Paul, “the greatest missionary in the Church’s history”. The Apostle “helps us to make this ‘synod’, this ‘journey together’”, he said.

Pope Francis quoted Paul’s words to Timothy, when he writes: “I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands”.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2019-10/petition-to-the-virgin-of-the-rosary-of-pompeii.html
Petition to the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii
06 October 2019, 14:50

Text of the full homily at the link
https://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-opens-synod-of-bishops-for-amazon-with-mass-in-vatican-basilica/
Pope Francis Opens Synod of Bishops for Amazon with Mass in Vatican Basilica 
October 06, 2019 11:46•Jim Fair

Video at the link below--
Pope Francis- Mass for the opening of the Synod of Bishops 2019-10-06
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-10/pope-at-angelus-living-our-faith-in-an-attitude-of-service.html

Pope at Angelus: Living our faith in an attitude of service
06 October 2019, 12:38

Pope Francis waves to the crowd gathered in St Peter's Square on Sunday for the Angelus.  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis reflects on the theme of faith at the Sunday Angelus.
By Vatican News

In his Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis examined two images used in the day’s Gospel: the mustard seed, and the attentive servant.

The parable of the mustard faith

In the first image, the Lord says that even faith “the size of a mustard seed” is able to uproot a mulberry tree and plant it in the sea. The Pope explained that Jesus wants us to understand that “nothing is impossible for those who have faith, because they do not rely on their own strength, but on God, who can do everything”.

By comparing faith to the tiny mustard seed, Jesus shows that “faith is not proud and self-confident, but in its humility, it feels a great need for God, and in its smallness, it abandons itself with total confidence to Him”.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-faith-full-text/
Angelus Address: On Faith (Full Text) 
October 06, 2019 14:35•Virginia Forrester

Video, with English commentary, at the link below--
Pope's Angelus of 6 October 2019
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/angelus/2019-10/pope-s-angelus-of-6-october-2019.html
or
Pope Francis - Angelus prayer 2019-10-06
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region, Vatican, Oct. 6-27, 2019

https://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2019/synod-is-a-time-to-listen-discern-not-despise-pope-says.cfm
Synod is a time to listen, discern, not despise, pope says
By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service
10.7.2019 8:40 AM ET

CNS photo/Paul Haring
 
The first full day of the synod began with a prayer service in front of the altar of St. Peter's Basilica with members of indigenous communities standing arm-in-arm with cardinals and bishops singing as they waited for Pope Francis.

When the pope arrived, he led the invocation of the Holy Spirit's assistance with the chanting of "Veni, Creator Spiritus" ("Come, Holy Spirit") before processing with the large group from the basilica to the synod hall.
 
Video at the link below--
Pope Francis-Opening of the Synod 2019-10-07
Synod of Bishops: Procession from St. Peter's Basilica to the Synod Hall and opening of the Synod
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region, Vatican, Oct. 6-27, 2019

https://cruxnow.com/amazon-synod/2019/10/07/pope-opens-synod-urging-bishops-not-to-kick-the-holy-spirit-out-of-the-hall/
Pope opens synod urging bishops ‘not to kick the Holy Spirit out of the hall’
John L. Allen Jr.   Oct 7, 2019

(Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini.)
ROME - Pope Francis launched his high-stakes summit on the Amazon into orbit Monday, opening things up by blasting ideologies that disrespect native and indigenous cultures and urging bishops and other participants not to “kick the Holy Spirit out of the hall” as the Oct. 6-27 event unfolds.

“Ideology is a dangerous weapon,” the pope said, opening the first working session of the Synod of Bishops on the Amazon.

“It’s reductive and leads us to exaggerate our pretense to intellectually understand [a culture] without admiring it or taking it up ourselves,” Francis said. Such “slogans,” the pontiff said, “serve to divide, annihilate and destroy,” saying their toxic consequences can be seen in the “extermination of the majority of indigenous persons” in the Amazon.

Nor is such disrespect confined to the past, Francis said, noting that just yesterday he’d heard a semi-joking complaint from someone about the feathered headdress one of the natives had worn inside the Vatican.

“What’s the difference between that and the birettas worn by some of the cardinals of our dicasteries?” the pope asked, drawing strong laughter from the synod hall.
 
Translation of his off-the-cuff address
https://zenit.org/articles/i-asked-you-to-pray-a-lot-pope-francis-remarks-at-1st-general-congregation-of-synod-of-bishops-on-amazon/
‘I Ask You to Pray a Lot’ — Pope Francis’ Remarks at 1st General Congregation of Synod of Bishops on Amazon 
October 07, 2019 16:06

Video at the link below--
Pope Francis-Opening of the Synod 2019-10-07
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region, Vatican, Oct. 6-27, 2019

https://cruxnow.com/amazon-synod/2019/10/07/chair-of-popes-amazon-summit-puts-married-priests-women-squarely-on-the-table/
Chair of pope’s Amazon summit puts married priests, women squarely on the table
John L. Allen Jr.   Oct 7, 2019

(Credit: AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino.)
ROME - Not wasting any time, the chairman of Pope Francis’s Synod of Bishops on the Amazon kicked things off Monday morning by putting the hotly contested issues of married priests and the role of woman squarely on the assembly’s table.

“Another issue consists in the lack of priests at the service of local communities in the area, with a consequent lack of the Eucharist, at least on Sundays, as well as other sacraments,” said Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, appointed by Francis to serve as the relator, or chair, of the Oct. 6-27 gathering.

“This means pastoral care made up of sporadic visits instead of adequate daily pastoral care,” Hummes said.
 
Prior to Hummes, Italian Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the secretary of the Synod of Bishops provided a lengthy overview of the meeting’s history and procedures. Baldisseri said the ultimate purpose of the gathering is to focus on “this garden of immense wealth and natural resources, the motherland of indigenous peoples with an unmistakable history and face, and a territory that’s threatened by the runaway ambition of human beings rather than being taken care of.”

As Baldisseri presented it, the synod will alternate between general sessions in which participants can speak to the entire assembly and smaller working groups organized by language that allow for freer discussion. The first meeting of those small groups is scheduled for Wednesday.

In a nod to the 21st century, Baldisseri also told participants that while they’re free to give interviews and discuss the synod publicly during their free time, he’d ask them not to take to social media to share impressions during the actual working sessions.

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Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region, Vatican, Oct. 6-27, 2019

Press Briefings

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-10/synod-people-of-amazon-must-be-protagonists.html
Synod: People of Amazon must be protagonists
07 October 2019, 16:41

The first press briefing for the Synod for the Amazon took place Monday afternoon at the Holy See Press Office.
By Vatican News

“Listening” and “joy” were two of the keynotes struck at the first press briefing for the Synod on the Amazon.

The media event was opened by the Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini, who emphasized how his team would provide transparency and openness during the Synod, while ensuring that the gathering itself would remain a “protected space” for dialogue and discernment.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-10/amazon-synod-2019-general-congregation.html
Synod: Summary of the second General Congregation of the Synod Fathers
07 October 2019, 21:09

The Synod Fathers meet for a second time on Monday to discuss some of the main topics of the day. Members of the Commission for the elaboration of the Final Document and of the Commission for Information are elected.

On Monday afternoon, the works of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon continued with the 2nd General Congregation and with the elections of the members of the Commission for the elaboration of the Final Document and of the Commission for Information.

Four members of the Commission were elected, three more nominations will be made by Pope Francis in the following days.

The Synod Fathers then spoke in turn on numerous points:

Climate
 

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Hmmm...

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2019-10/pope-mass-santa-marta-october-8-faith-ideology.html

Pope at Mass: ideology should not replace faith
08 October 2019, 14:09

Celebrating Holy Mass Tuesday morning at the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican, Pope Francis lamented Christians who judge everything “from the smallness of their hearts”. Instead, he said, the Lord mercifully approaches all human situations because He came to save, not to condemn.
By Robin Gomes

In his homily at Mass, Pope Francis reflected on the Old Testament figure of Jonah who ran away from God who wanted him to be His prophet to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh or they would be punished. Setting sail for Tarshish, he had to be thrown overboard to calm a furious storm that the Lord had started in the sea.  A whale that swallowed him, threw him out on the shore after three days, an image, the Pope said, that reminds us of Christ’s Resurrection on the third day.

Man repents, God relents

Tuesday’s first reading continues Jonah’s story where, this time, he obeys God, goes to preach to the Ninevites who convert and God relents from punishing them. The Pope said this time the “stubborn Jonah” did his job well and left.

Jonah indignant at the Lord's mercy

The Holy Father said that tomorrow’s Mass reading will show Jonah angry at the Lord because he is too merciful and because He does the opposite of what he threatened to do.

Jonah says to the Lord that it is better to die than to continue this work as a prophet of God, who in the end does the opposite of what He sent him to do.

Saying this, Jonah goes out of the city and builds a hut from where to see what would happen to the city. The Lord then makes a gourd plant grow over the prophet to provide him shade. But soon God causes the plant to wither and die. 

Jonah is again outraged at God over the gourd plant.  The Lord tells Jonah that if he could be concerned about the gourd plant, for which he did nothing, why couldn’t He have mercy on a great city like Nineveh.

The Pope noted that the heated exchange between the Lord and Jonah is between two hardheads.

While Jonah is stubborn with his convictions of faith, the Lord is stubborn in His mercy.  He never leaves us, he knocks on the door of the heart till the end.  He’s always there.

Jonah was stubborn because he put conditions on his faith.  He is the model of those Christians who always put conditions saying, "I am a Christian on condition that things are done this way."  They accuse that these changes are not Christian, they are heresies. The Pope said they are Christians who condition God, who condition the faith and the action of God.
 
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/10/08/beware-of-those-who-want-god-to-live-up-to-their-standards-pope-says/
Beware of those who want God to live up to their standards, pope says
Cindy Wooden  Oct 8, 2019
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
 
The Vatican News report on the pope’s homily included no mention of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon or the controversy surrounding it, including accusations that some of the statements in the synod working document are heretical.
 

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Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region, Vatican, Oct. 6-27, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-10/amazonsynod-young-people-protagonists-of-integral-ecology.html
#AmazonSynod. Young people, protagonists of integral ecology
08 October 2019, 12:18

The Synod Hall  (Vatican Media)
On the afternoon of Monday, 7 October, the work of the Synod for the Pan-Amazon Region continued in the presence of the Pope, with the 2nd General Congregation and with the elections of members of the Commission for the elaboration of the final document and of the Commission for Information.
By Vatican News

The afternoon session saw the election, by absolute majority, of the four members of the Commission for the elaboration of the Final Document of the Synod. They are: Bishop Mario Antonio Da Silva of Roraima in Brazil; Archbishop Héctor Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte, O.F.M. of Trujillo and President of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference; Bishop Nelson Jair Cardona Ramírez of San José del Guaviare in Colombia; and Archbishop Sergio Alfredo Gualberti Calandrina of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia.

Pope to choose three other members

Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, Archbishop of Mexico City, was initially elected but said he preferred to relinquish his position to a Synod Father from one of the seven Episcopal Conferences directly involved in the Amazon Region. The elected Bishops join those already part of the Commission, namely: the President, Cardinal Claudio Hummes; the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri; the pro-Secretary General, Bishop Mario Grech; the two special secretaries: Cardinal Michael Czerny and Bishop David Martinez de Aguirre Guinea. The Pope will name three other members in the next few days.

Election of Members of the Information Committe

Four members of the Information Committee were then elected by separate ballots with a relative majority. They are: Bishop Erwin Kräutler, C.Pp.S., prelate emeritus of Xingu, Brazil; Bishop Rafael Cob García, Apostolic Vicar of Puyo, Ecuador; Bishop José Ángel Divassón Cilveti, S.D.B., former Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Ayacucho in Venezuela; and Italian Father Antonio Spadaro, Director of "La Civiltà Cattolica". The latter join the team led by Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication and the Secretary, Father Giacomo Costa; the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni; the Editorial Director of the Dicastery for Communication, Andrea Tornielli; Sister Maria Ines Lopes dos Santos, Councillor of the Episcopal Commission for the Amazon of the Episcopal Conference of Brazil, and Mauricio López Oropeza, Executive Secretary of the Ecclesial Pan-Amazon Network.
 

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Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region, Vatican, Oct. 6-27, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-10/amazon-synod-briefing.html
Amazon Synod Briefing: Defending and protecting indigenous peoples
08 October 2019, 17:10

Participants in the Synod pray at the third General Congregation, which took place Tuesday morning.  (Vatican Media)
At the press briefing following the morning’s General Congregation, the Prefect for the Dicastery for Communication reviews the various topics raised in the opening days of the Synod; while other speakers emphasized different aspects of the discussions.
By Christopher Wells

Among the topics highlighted by Dr Ruffini were the need of indigenous people for the sacraments, the importance of formation for pastoral ministers, the destruction caused by exploitative interests, and inculturation within the Church.

Diversity leads to discernment

Father Giacomo Costa, the Secretary of the Commission for Information, explained the synodal method both in prepared remarks and in response to questions in the press. Each participant is able to address the Synod, speaking from their own perspective and according to their own lights. This leads to discussion, rather than debate; and this diversity allows the Synod to exercise genuine discernment.

Cardinal Pedro Ricardo Barreto Jimeno, S.J.

In the first guest intervention on Tuesday, Jesuit Cardinal Pedro Barreto, Archbishop of Huancayo, Peru, and Vice President of REPAM, noted the “lights and shadows” that have marked the Church’s involvement in the Amazon region. The Church has for centuries been close to the sufferings of the Amazonian people; but she must also recognize the injustices of the past and apologize for them. He expressed a desire for a single language, beginning with Jesus, a language of love, of walking together, that bears witness to a simple, humble life.
 

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Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region, Vatican, Oct. 6-27, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-10/amazon-synod-day-2-the-church-confesses-ecological-sins.html
Amazon Synod Day 2: The Church confesses "ecological sins"
08 October 2019, 21:48

(Vatican Media)
The second working day of the special Synod for the Pan-Amazon Region ended with the fourth General Congregation. The afternoon session was held in the presence of the Pope, with 182 synod fathers in attendance.
By Vatican News

The systematic violation of the rights of the original peoples of the Amazon; and the risk to life throughout the entire region due to the wounding of its habitat, were at the centre of the reflections during the fourth congregation of the Synod of Bishops.

Reject indifference, accept responsibility

There was a strong appeal to the Church, with her moral and spiritual authority, to always protect life and denounce the many structures of death that threaten it. Individualism and indifference, which make us look at reality as spectators, was rejected; while ecological conversion, centred on responsibility and an integral ecology that prioritises human dignity, was promoted.

To the international community: confront human rights violations

Synod fathers called on the entire international community, which is so often indifferent to the shedding of innocent blood, to take seriously the environmental degradation of the Pan-Amazon region. From a synodal point of view – that is, seen as walking together, in friendship – the native populations, guardians of the natural reserves, evangelized by the Cross of Christ, must be considered allies in the fight against climate change. One intervention on this subject, from a fraternal delegate, emphasized the need to join forces and engage in dialogue, because, he said, friendship “respects, protects, and cares.” There was a call from many quarters for the Church to become an ally to grassroots social movements, to humbly listen to and welcome the Amazonian worldview, and to come to a deeper understanding of the meaning given by local cultures to ritual symbols – a meaning often different from the “Western” tradition.

Greater knowledge of "ecological sins"

Various interventions highlighted the need for sustainable development, which is socially just and inclusive, and combines scientific and traditional knowledge because the future of Amazonia “a lived reality and not a museum” “is in our hands”. A desire was also expressed for an “ecological conversion” that would allow people see the gravity of sins against the environment as sins against God, against our neighbour, and against future generations. This would imply a need to produce and spread more widely a theological literature that would include “ecological sins” alongside traditional sins.

Promoting a permanent indigenous diaconate

The reflection on ministries was enriched by the call to join forces in the formation of native missionaries, both lay and consecrated. Speakers identified a need for greater involvement of indigenous peoples in the Apostolate, beginning with the promotion of the permanent indigenous deaconate and a greater development of lay ministry, understood as an authentic manifestation of the Holy Spirit. There were also calls for greater involvement of women in the life of the Church.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-10/pope-francis-wishes-jewish-feasts-holy-days.html

Pope offers wishes to Jews on their holy days
07 October 2019, 17:12

Pope Francis and Riccardo Di Segni, the Chief Rabbi of Rome. 
Pope Francis has sent a message to the Chief Rabbi of Rome, Riccardo Di Segni, on the occasion of the Jewish holy feasts of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.

“On the occasion of the solemn anniversaries of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, I am happy to offer you and the Jewish Community of Rome my sincere good wishes,” the Pope Francis wrote Rabbi Di Segni.  “My thoughts also extend to the Jewish Communities in the world, in the hope that these feasts may bring abundant blessings from the Eternal One and be a source of intimate joy". "May the Almighty, in His eternal mercy, strengthen everywhere our bonds of friendship and the desire to foster constant dialogue for the good of all,” the Holy Father wrote, wishing all Jews, “Shalom Aleichem", meaning “Peace be upon you”.

The Jewish holidays

Rosh Hashanah, meaning “head of the year”, refers to the Jewish day of the new year.   The first of the High Holy Days, the two-day celebration was marked from September 29 to October 1, this year.

Yom Kippur, known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest of Jewish feasts.  It is traditionally observed with a 25-hour period of fasting and intense prayer.  This year, it occurs from October 8 to 9. 
 

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https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2019/10/08/pope-names-north-dakota-priest-to-head-diocese-of-helena-montana/

Pope names North Dakota priest to head Diocese of Helena, Montana
Catholic News Service   Oct 8, 2019

(Credit: CNS photo/courtesy Diocese of Bismarck.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Pope Francis has appointed Father Austin A. Vetter, a priest of the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota, to be the bishop of the Diocese of Helena, Montana.

The appointment was announced in Washington Oct. 8 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Vetter, 52, succeeds Bishop George L. Thomas, who was named in February 2018 to head the Diocese of Las Vegas, after 14 years as Helena’s bishop. Msgr. Kevin O’Neill was elected Helena’s diocesan administrator by the College of Consultors May 17, 2018, two days after Thomas was installed in Las Vegas.
 

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Update:  Cardinal Pell

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/08/prosecutors-lodge-documents-opposing-george-pells-high-court-appeal

Prosecutors lodge documents opposing George Pell's high court appeal
Victoria’s office for public prosecutions confirms it has submitted a response to Pell’s bid for appeal to be heard
Tue 8 Oct 2019 04.17 EDT 

Prosecutors will oppose the grounds of a high court appeal bid by jailed paedophile cardinal George Pell.

Victoria’s Office of Public Prosecutions on Tuesday confirmed it had filed a summary of its argument in response to a special leave application from Pell, lodged last month.
 
The high court will consider Pell’s special leave application documents in conjunction with Judd’s submission and permit or deny the motion.

If leave is granted, Pell will need to lodge a formal appeal.

The process can take up to six months and is sometimes completed behind closed doors.

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-10/pope-francis-audience-saint-paul-conversion-ideology.html

Pope at Audience: Christ converts our hearts to love others
09 October 2019, 12:18

Pope Francis waves to the faithful in St. Peter's Square
In his catechesis at the weekly General Audience, Pope Francis reflects on how God converted the heart of Saul, the persecutor of Christians, and transformed him into the fearless preacher we know as Saint Paul.
By Devin Watkins

In the Acts of the Apostles, Saul was a religious ideologue who persecuted Jesus’ early followers.

That same sinful man became Paul after his dramatic conversion to Christianity, offering us an example of the power of God’s love for each of us.

Pope Francis reflected on that model of life-changing love in his catechesis at the Wednesday General Audience, and he compared St Paul’s unconverted actions to those of modern dictatorships.

Dictatorial persecution

He said Saul hunted and captured early Christians, under the authority of the High Priest.

“You who come from those peoples who were persecuted by dictatorships,” said the Pope, “you understand well what it means to hunt and capture people. This is what Saul did.”

Pope Francis added that religion, for Saul, had become a religious, social, and political ideology.

Saul’s anger and conflictual attitude, he said, are an invitation to ask ourselves whether we meet other people or set ourselves up against others.

“Do I belong to the universal Church – with the good and the bad, all of us – or do I hold a selective ideology? Do I adore God or a dogmatic formulation?” he asked.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/popes-general-audience-on-the-acts-of-the-apostles-st-pauls-conversion/
POPE’S GENERAL AUDIENCE: On the Acts of the Apostles & St. Paul’s Conversion
October 09, 2019 14:19

Video at the link below--
Pope Francis - General Audience 2019-10-09
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region, Vatican, Oct. 6-27, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-10/amazon-synod-briefing-ecclesial-presnece-and-new-ministries.html
Amazon Synod Briefing: Ecclesial presence and new forms of ministry
09 October 2019, 18:29

General Congregation of the Amazon Synod
Two experts - Dr Carlos Afonso Nobre and Dr Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira - and an Amazonian Bishop, Erwin Kräutler, spoke with journalists at Wednesday's briefing at the Holy See Press Office.
By Christopher Wells

At the press briefing following the morning session of the Amazon Synod, Dr Paolo Ruffini stressed some of the highlights of the interventions, including profound ecological conversion, the need for the Church to be present to the people of Amazonia, and the importance of making changes to our way of life. He emphasized the requirement for Christianity to develop an ecological morality.

Father Giacomo Costa, S.J., the Secretary for the Commission for Information, elaborated on the discussions about ministries that can be entrusted to laity, and about encouraging women in the ecclesial work they are already undertaking. He also discussed the importance and meaning of dialogue, and the significance of the Synod as a “sounding board”, which can help the Church undertake a different manner of living in and with creation.

Carlos Alfonso Nobre

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr Carlos Alfonzo Nobre, a climate scientist from Brazil, spoke about the contribution of science to discussions on the Amazon. In particular, he said that science can help identify risks and propose solutions. Modern scientific advancements, he said, can offer solutions that maintain the health of Amazonia, while providing a greater quality of life for the people of the region.

Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira

Another Brazilian, Dr Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira, a member of the Commissione Nazionale per il Medioambiente conama, emphasized the great diversity, even within Amazonia. She lamented the loss of bio-diversity in the Amazon. Guimarães Vieira also focused on the situation of isolated indigenous peoples, native tribes which have limited contact with the rest of the world. She expressed her happiness that the Synod has taken up the theme integral ecology, an especially important theme for her native country.

Erwin Kräutler
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/amazon-synod-bishop-indigenous-people-do-not-understand-celibacy-96691
Amazon synod bishop: 'Indigenous people do not understand celibacy'
by JD Flynn

Vatican City, Oct 9, 2019 / 08:40 am (CNA).- A contributor to the working document for the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops on the Amazon region made his case Wednesday for the priestly ordination of married men in the region.

“I’m saying this with great sincerity - there is no other option,” Bishop Erwin Kräutler, the retired head of the Xingu prelature in Amazonian Brazil, said at a Vatican press briefing Oct. 9.
 

[grace-land]

Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region, Vatican, Oct. 6-27, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-10/amazon-synod-proposals-for-a-female-lay-ministry.html
Amazon Synod: Proposals for a female lay ministry
09 October 2019, 17:03

Synod, General Congregation  (Vatican Media)
Synthesis of the Fifth General Congregation. 174 Synod Fathers were present for the Wednesday morning session.
By Vatican News

The integral health of the Amazon was one of the concerns raised this morning in the Synod hall. The model of development espoused by a capitalism that devours; the fires that are destroying the region; corruption; deforestation; and illegal farming – all these threaten the health of the people, the territory, and the whole planet.

Protecting voluntarily isolated populations

Indigenous populations that choose to remain isolated are particularly vulnerable and exposed to genocide. It is important to maintain awareness about this issue. In order to keep attention focused on this issue, there is a felt need to institute an international ecclesial institution for the defence of the human rights and for the needs of these communities.

More dialogue: the Church engages local populations

At times the Church has been slow to respond to the needs of the people. Sometimes, in fact, she is far from the local people, and this void is filled by the neo-Pentecostal communities.

Ecumenical and interreligious dialogue remains urgent and indispensable. Respectful and fruitful, it is a fundamental dimension for a Church “going forth” into the multicultural context of the Pan-Amazon region. Interculturality is more than a challenge: It must not be not be an imposition from on high of one’s own culture, but must involve the acceptance of the other and of a healthy decentralization in a synodal perspective. The hope was expressed that the Church, without hiding the difficulties involved, might be missionary, that she might have indigenous face, and that a logic might be favoured in which the periphery becomes the centre, and the centre becomes a periphery in a rich movement of mutual transformation.

Ministries that respond to the needs of the Amazonian people

There was an appeal for a greater involvement of the laity through the creation of new ministries that respond to the needs of the Amazonian people. This is also part of the synodal approach: the Church can be creative in proposing a multi-faceted ministry among the native Indian peoples and the peoples of the forest. Since the Second Vatican Council, there has been a request for greater efforts at inculturating the liturgy, with celebrations that respect both the traditions and languages of the local peoples, and the integral message of the Gospel. Careful discernment on the part of the Bishops is necessary, with no possible solution being excluded a priori, including the ordination of married men. There were also requests from many seminarians for an affective formation aimed at healing the wounds caused by the sexual revolution. Today, many wish to rediscover and better understand the value of celibacy and chastity. The Church cannot remain silent about this treasure, which is a teaching that transforms hearts.

A female lay ministry
 
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/key-synod-father-says-pan-amazon-synod-is-maybe-a-step-to-women-catholic-pr
Oct. 9, 2019
Key Synod Father: Pan-Amazon Synod ‘Maybe a Step to’ Women Catholic Priests
Bishop Erwin Kräutler, understood to be the principal author of the synod’s working document, supports women’s ordination and also says he believes two-thirds of Amazonia’s bishops are in favor of ordaining married men to bring the Eucharist to remote areas without priests.
Edward Pentin

[grace-land]

Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region, Vatican, Oct. 6-27, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-10/amazon-synod-day-3-summary.html

Amazon Synod Day 3: The drama of drug trafficking and the call to ecological conversion
10 October 2019, 00:43

The sixth General Congregation of the Special Synod of Bishops for the Amazon region took place in the afternoon of the 9th of October in the presence of Pope Francis. The Synod for the Amazon is taking place in the Vatican ‪until October the 27th.‬ 180 Synod Fathers were present in the Synod Hall.
Vatican News - Vatican City

The tragedy of drug trafficking and its consequences: this is one of the interventions that resounded this afternoon in the Synod Hall. In some areas of the Amazon region, the cultivation of coca has increased from 12 thousand to 23 thousand hectares. This has had a devastating effect on the increase in crime and on the upheaval of the natural equilibrium of an increasingly desertified territory.

At the same time, millions of hectares of land are being destroyed by authorised fires and in the construction of hydroelectric dams. This has had a very strong impact on the environment of some regions, altering ecosystems.

For this reason, a call to ecological conversion is necessary. It was said in the Synod Hall that the Church must be a prophetic voice in order for the topic of integral ecology to enter the agenda of international bodies.

Inculturation and evangelisation

In other interventions by the Synod Fathers, they returned to reflect on the balance between inculturation and evangelisation inviting us to look at the example of the eloquence of Jesus.

The incarnation itself, is in fact the greatest sign of inculturation, because it is the Word of God taking on a human form in order to make itself visible in His love.

The Church has been called to be incarnated in concrete life, in the same way that the missionaries were in the Amazon.