Pope Francis

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Video, in English, at the link

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/god-bless-america---pope-john-paul-ii-pope-benedict-xvi-and-pope-francis-speak-to-the-united-states-30234
‘God bless America’ - Popes speak to the United States

CNA Staff, Jul 3, 2020 / 11:20 am MT (CNA).- Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis each made apostolic visitations to the United States during the course of their pontificates. As the United States celebrates Independence Day, CNA remembers words to America from each of those popes:

Pope Francis

September 24, 2015, Address to a joint session of Congress.

….I think of the political history of the United States, where democracy is deeply rooted in the mind of the American people. All political activity must serve and promote the good of the human person and be based on respect for his or her dignity. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776).

If politics must truly be at the service of the human person, it follows that it cannot be a slave to the economy and finance. Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life. I do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves, but I encourage you in this effort.
—
How essential the family has been to the building of this country! And how worthy it remains of our support and encouragement! Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.

In particular, I would like to call attention to those family members who are the most vulnerable, the young. For many of them, a future filled with countless possibilities beckons, yet so many others seem disoriented and aimless, trapped in a hopeless maze of violence, abuse and despair. Their problems are our problems. We cannot avoid them. We need to face them together, to talk about them and to seek effective solutions rather than getting bogged down in discussions. At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a culture which pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future. Yet this same culture presents others with so many options that they too are dissuaded from starting a family.

A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to “dream” of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton.

In these remarks I have sought to present some of the richness of your cultural heritage, of the spirit of the American people. It is my desire that this spirit continue to develop and grow, so that as many young people as possible can inherit and dwell in a land which has inspired so many people to dream.

God bless America!
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-angelus-gospel-14-sunday-ordinary-time-catechesis.html

Pope at Angelus: ‘the poor are the builders of the new humanity’
05 July 2020, 12:15

Pope Francis reflects on the Gospel reading of the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time noting that the solace that Christ offers to the weary and the oppressed is not merely psychological relief or almsgiving.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis addressed a scattering of well-distanced faithful in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday with a reflection on the Gospel reading of the day (Mt 11: 25-30), which he explained, is divided into three parts.

In the first part, he said, “Jesus raises a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving to the Father, because He revealed to the poor and to the simple the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven.”

Then, he continued, “He reveals the intimate and unique relationship between Him and the Father.”

Finally, the Pope added, “He invites us to go to Him and to follow Him to find relief."
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-implement-global-ceasefire-effectively-and-promptly.html
Pope: Implement global ceasefire effectively and promptly
05 July 2020, 12:13

https://zenit.org/2020/07/05/popes-angelus-address-jesus-offers-prayer-of-praise-and-thanksgiving/
Pope’s Angelus Address: Jesus Offers Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving
JULY 05, 2020 12:48  JIM FAIR

Video, with English ccommentary, at the link below--
POPE'S ANGELUS OF 5 JULY 2020
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/angelus/2020-07/pope-s-angelus-of-5-july-2020.html

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-telephone-call-corviale-rome-elderly-prayers.html

Pope: ‘care for the elderly, don’t leave them alone’
03 July 2020, 11:54

Pope Francis calls the parish priest of a community on the periphery of Rome that he visited in 2018 assuring the faithful there of his prayers and urging them not to leave the elderly alone during the summer months.
By Vatican News

It is not surprising that social services and assistance projects of all sorts pop up at the beginning of summer in Italy in an effort to accompany the many elderly people left alone in the cities during the hot months of July and August when families go on holiday and support systems close.

Pope Francis does not forget those who are alone and in need, as demonstrated by a personal telephone call to a Rome parish priest of the suburban “Corviale” area, one of those “geographical peripheries” that is also very much an “existential periphery” at the heart of his apostolate of inclusion.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/covid-19-pope-francis-continues-his-gestures-of-closeness.html

Covid-19: Pope Francis continues his gestures of closeness
03 July 2020, 15:04

Pope Francis supports efforts against Covid-19 with a donation to the World Food Programme.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis, continuing his many gestures of closeness in recent times amid the Covid-19 crisis, has donated 25,000 Euros to the World Food Programme (WFP).

Announcing the Pope’s donation on Friday, the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development said in a statement that it is “an immediate expression of the Holy Father’s closeness” to people affected by the pandemic and those "engaged in essential services in favour of the poor."

The Holy Father made this donation through the Dicastery in collaboration with the Holy See’s Permanent Representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-francis-cooperatives-day-climate-renewable-energy-justice.html

Pope: cooperatives for clean energy against climate change
04 July 2020, 16:58

In a tweet to mark the International Day of Cooperatives, Saturday, Pope Francis notes that cooperatives across the globe are making a real difference in the fight against climate change.
By Robin Gomes

For the past 97 years, the International Day of Cooperatives has been celebrated each year on the first Saturday of July.  Since 1995, the United Nations and the International Cooperative Alliance have chosen the theme of the annual day. The focus for this year is on climate action for sustainable development for a healthier, fairer and more united economy.

In a tweet for Saturday’s observance, Pope Francis also focused on the role of cooperatives in the fight against climate change.  “In some places, cooperatives are being developed to exploit renewable sources of energy which ensure local self-sufficiency,” the Pope wrote on his Twitter account @Pontifex.  “They can make a real difference in the fight against climate change, thanks to a strong sense of community and a deep love for the land,” he added.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-07/pope-francis-appoints-new-apostolic-nuncio-to-united-kingdom.html

Pope Francis appoints new Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain
04 July 2020, 11:52

Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti has been named as the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis has named Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti as Apostolic Nuncio in Great Britain.

Since November 2015, Abp Gugerotti has held the post Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine. He has previously served as the Pope's representative to Georgia and Armenia, as well as to Azerbaijan (2001-2011), and later as Nuncio to Belarus (2011-2015).

The Apostolic Nuncio represents the Holy Father to the Church in the UK. His role is equivalent to that of an ambassador, representing the Holy See to the UK Government - the Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St. James's.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-francis-to-celebrate-anniversary-mass-of-lampedusa-visit.html

Pope to celebrate Mass for 7th anniversary of Lampedusa visit
06 July 2020, 13:17

Pope Francis will celebrate Mass on Wednesday to mark the seventh anniversary of his first papal trip outside Rome, which saw him visit the Italian island of Lampedusa to offer comfort to migrants.
By Devin Watkins

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, announced Monday that Pope Francis will celebrate Mass on 8 July to commemorate his pastoral visit to Lampedusa.

The Pope will preside at Mass at 11 AM Rome time in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, with only a handful of Vatican employees present.

“Given the health situation, only the staff of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Department for Promoting Integral Human Development will participate in the Mass,” Bruni said.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-francis-mass-seventh-anniversary-lampedusa-visit.html

Pope at Mass: Seek God's face in the poor, sick, abandoned and foreigners
08 July 2020, 11:25

Pope Francis celebrates the 7th anniversary of his visit to the migrants in the Italian island of Lampedusa with a Mass in the Casa Santa Marta chapel.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis on Wednesday urged Christians to discover the face of Jesus in the migrants, refugees and the displaced who are forced to flee because of the many injustices that still afflict our world today.

Celebrating a Mass in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta chapel, to commemorate the 7th anniversary of his visit to the migrants in the Italian island of Lampedusa, the Pope recalled the words of Jesus - “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me”.  He said this warning, for better or for worse, is a burning issue today.

The July 8, 2013 visit of the Pope to the Mediterranean island was the first of his pontificate after his election on 13 March of the same year.  During the visit, he threw a floral wreath in the sea in memory of some 20,000 migrants who died while trying to cross the Mediterranean.  He briefly met and spoke to some young African migrants before celebrating an open-air Mass.

The visit is highly symbolic of the pontificate of the Argentine Pope, who wants the Church to be an inclusive one that goes forth to the peripheries, to include all, leaving no one out.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-appoints-new-members-to-pontifical-council-for-inter-religi.html

Pope appoints new members to Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue
08 July 2020, 14:18

Pope Francis names new members to the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.
By Vatican News

Cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; and Michael Czerny, SJ, the Under-secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, are among the new members of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

The announcement of the appointments was made on Wednesday at the Vatican.

The Pontifical Council is the central office of the Church for the promotion of interreligious dialogue in accordance with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, in particular the declaration Nostra aetate.

It is responsible for promoting mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration between Catholics and followers of other religious traditions; encouraging the study of religions; and promoting the formation of persons dedicated to dialogue.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/georg-ratzinger-brother-of-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-buried-in.html
Pope emeritus Benedict XVI pens emotional letter for funeral of his brother, Georg Ratzinger
08 July 2020, 15:38

During the funeral of Georg Ratzinger, Pope emeritus Benedict XVI writes an emotional letter highlighting his brother’s vocation as priest and musician.
By Vatican News

The funeral of Father Georg Ratzinger, the brother of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, was held on Wednesday at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Regensburg, Germany.

Fr. Georg Ratzinger died at the age of 96 on 1 July after being hospitalized in Regensburg, the city where he lived the greater part of his life. His death came just over a week after the Pope emeritus made a visit in mid-June to Regensburg to be with his ailing brother.

Following his brother's death, Pope Francis sent a personal note of condolences to his predecessor, assuring the Pope emeritus of his prayers both for his brother and for Benedict himself.

During the funeral celebrated by Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg, Archbishop Georg Gänswein read an emotional letter written by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI for the occasion.
 
Photos at the link--
https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2020/07/retired-pope-benedict-follows-his-brothers-funeral-virtually/
Retired Pope Benedict follows his brother’s funeral virtually
Catholic News Service  Jul 8, 2020

Photos at the link--
https://twitter.com/BistumReg

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-francis-names-new-bishop-for-diocese-of-savannah-usa.html

Pope Francis names new Bishop for Diocese of Savannah, USA
08 July 2020, 12:13

Father Stephen Parkes has been named the new Bishop of Savannah, Georgia, USA.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis has named Father Stephen D. Parkes, a priest of the Diocese of Orlando, Florida, as the new Bishop of Savannah Georgia.

Father Parkes has been serving in Orlando as the Dean of Central Deanery North and Pastor of Annunciation Parish in Longwood.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-francis-appointments-pontifical-academy-of-social-sciences.html

Pope appoints new Members of Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
10 July 2020, 12:02

Pope Francis names three new members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, who hail from Chile, Italy, and Nigeria.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis on Friday appointed Pedro Morandé Court, from Chile; Mario Draghi, from Italy; and Kokunre Adetokunbo Agbontaen Eghafona, from Nigeria, as Ordinary Members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences was established by Pope John Paul II on 1 January 1994, with the aim of promoting the study and progress of the social sciences, primarily economics, sociology, law and political science. The Academy helps offer the Church those elements which she can use in the development of her social doctrine, and reflects on the application of that doctrine in contemporary society.
 

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https://zenit.org/2020/07/10/pope-appoints-metropolitan-archbishop-of-santiago-de-guatemala/

Pope Appoints Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago de Guatemala
JULY 10, 2020 15:02

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Gonzalo De Villa y Vásquez, S.J., as metropolitan archbishop of the archdiocese of Santiago de Guatemala, Guatemala, transferring him from the diocese of Sololá-Chimaltenango.

Archbishop-elect Gonzalo De Villa y Vásquez, S.J.

Archbishop-elect Gonzalo De Villa y Vásquez, S.J., was born on April 28, 1954, in Madrid, Spain. In 1974 he entered the novitiate of the Jesuits in the Dominican Republic. He studied philosophy in Mexico at the “Instituto Libre de Filosofia” and obtained a civil licentiate in “Humanidades”. He specialized in philosophy at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua. He carried out his studies in theology at the “Instituto de Teologia para Religiosos” in Caracas, Venezuela. In Canada, he obtained a master’s degree in “Pensamiento Social y Politico” at the University of York in Toronto, and, subsequently, a diploma in Latin American studies.

He was ordained a priest in Panama on August 13, 1983. He gave his religious vows in the Society of Jesus on 6 February 1993.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-francis-decrees-causes-saints-blessed.html

Pope takes 5 candidates a step closer to sainthood
11 July 2020, 15:06

Pope Francis approves the promulgation of decrees concerning 5 candidates to sainthood, including the recognition of a miracle attributed to Italian layperson Maria Antonia Samà, clearing the path for her beatification.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis received in audience Cardinal Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, on Friday, and authorized the promulgation of decrees concerning 5 candidates to sainthood.

Among the five decrees promulgated on Saturday, one is regarding a miracle and the rest are on heroic virtues.
 
Heroic virtues

Pope Francis also authorized the promulgation of four decrees regarding the heroic virtues of the following candidates:
 
- Servant of God Angiolino Bonetta of Italy, a teenager belonging to the Association of Silent Workers of the Cross.  He was born on September 18, 1948, in Cigole, and died there at the age of 14 on January 28, 1963.

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-advances-cause-of-teen-who-died-of-bone-cancer-17050

Pope Francis advances cause of teen who died of bone cancer

Vatican City, Jul 11, 2020 / 05:30 am MT (CNA).- The Vatican announced Saturday that Pope Francis has recognized the heroic virtues of a 14-year-old Italian boy who died in 1963.

The pope advanced the cause of Angiolino Bonetta, along with four others, following a July 10 meeting with Cardinal Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Bonetta was born on Sept. 18, 1948, in Cigole, northern Italy. A lively but virtuous boy, he excelled at school as well as at sports.

When a pain developed in his knee, he attributed it to his athletic activities. But when he began to lose weight, his mother took him to hospital, where he was diagnosed with bone cancer, at the age of 12. He underwent chemotherapy and his leg was amputated.

According to an account of his life in “Saints for the Sick,” a 2010 book by Joan Carroll Cruz, Bonetta remained cheerful and his acceptance of his illness inspired conversions. When a nun suggested that he should offer up his sufferings, he replied: “I have already offered all to Jesus for the conversion of sinners. I am not afraid; Jesus always comes to help me.”

To a woman who expressed sympathy on seeing him walking painfully on crutches, he said: “But don’t you know that at every step I could save a soul?”

When the cancer metastasized, increasing his agony, he turned for comfort to the Virgin Mary and received the Eucharist daily. He held tight to a crucifix and other holy objects, including a relic of St. Bernadette of Lourdes. He spent his nights praying the rosary for other patients who were sick in mind and body.
 

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https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2020/07/july-16-virtual-pilgrimage-to-lourdes-to-affirm-prayer-against-covid-19/

July 16 virtual pilgrimage to Lourdes to affirm prayer against COVID-19
Jonathan LuxmooreJul 11, 2020  CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

OXFORD, United Kingdom — An international virtual pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Lourdes, France, will “affirm the power of prayer” against COVID-19, said the shrine’s vice rector.

“Lourdes is all about spiritual and physical healing, and we’ve received 15,000 prayer petitions daily throughout the lockdown from around the world — for people about to die or fearing infection,” said Father Xavier d’Arodes de Peyriague, vice rector and head of international pastoral ministry.

“We quickly realized we weren’t just praying for people in Lourdes, but for those in need worldwide — and this e-pilgrimage will honor their presence in a great affirmation of the power of prayer.”

The priest spoke amid preparations for the July 16 event, marking the French site’s official reopening after four months’ closure.

In a July 10 interview with Catholic News Service, he said the 15-hour multigenerational and multicultural e-pilgrimage would include rosary recitals, lectures, music and archival videos in 10 languages illustrating the center’s mission, as well as three consecutive international Masses for Asia and Oceania, Europe and Africa, and the Americas.
 

Link, in English, to global online pilgrimage-- https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/lourdes-united/

https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/13138/lourdes-to-hold-first-virtual-pilgrimage-next-week
10 JULY 2020, THE TABLET
Lourdes to hold first 'virtual pilgrimage' next week
by Ruth Gledhill

The International Sanctuary of Lourdes is to hold its first ever global online pilgrimage next week.

With the world-famous shrine closed for the first time in its 162-year history, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Lourdes is to mark the anniversary on 16 July of the 18th and last apparition of the Virgin Mary by an international “e-pilgrimage” at the Grotto of the Apparitions. 
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-francis-message-priests-curas-villas-argentina-covid19.html

Pope’s closeness to priests hit by Covid-19 in Buenos Aires slums
11 July 2020, 11:44

Pope Francis has sent a video message expressing his closeness with priests who live and work among the people of poor neighbourhoods of the Argentine capital.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis has expressed his prayers, closeness and solidarity with the "Curas villeros", or priests who live and work in the "Villas miserias", the poor neighbourhoods or slums of the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.  In a brief video message, the Holy Father particularly expressed his closeness with three priests who have been hit by Covid-19 while carrying out their ministry.

"I want to tell you that I am close to you, that I am praying for you and that I am accompanying you right now. I know that you are fighting with your prayers and with the help of doctors", said the Pope in his video message posted by the "Curas villeros" on July 9 on their Twitter account.
 

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https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2020/07/pope-francis-pained-by-decision-to-turn-hagia-sophia-into-mosque/

Pope Francis ‘pained’ by decision to turn Hagia Sophia into mosque
Elise Ann Allen  Jul 12, 2020

ROME – After receiving sharp criticism in recent days for not speaking out about protests in Hong Kong and the recent decision to revert Turkey’s famed Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque, Pope Francis Sunday broke his silence on the latter, calling himself “pained” by the decision

Pointing to the International Day of the Sea, celebrated on the second Sunday of July, Pope Francis said after leading pilgrims in the traditional noontime Angelus prayer , “The sea carries my thoughts farther, to Istanbul. I’m thinking of Santa Sofia … I am very pained.”

His brief comment met with applause from the small crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the occasion.
 
Prior to Sunday, the pope had been criticized among some Orthodox news sites for his “sad silence” on the decision, which was heavily opposed by Orthodox churches around the world, who argued that the monument’s neutrality as a museum served as a point of unity between East and West.

According to the Orthodox Times news agency, the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate said Friday they regret that their concern and that of other Orthodox churches “has not been heard.”

“Unfortunately, this decision is not aimed at pacifying the existing disputes, but, on the contrary, it can lead to even greater divisions,” they said.

Last Sunday Pope Francis came under fire for omitting a portion of text in his Angelus appealing for religious freedom and human rights in Hong Kong. He has yet to speak out about the issue.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2020-07/turkey-turns-hagia-sophia-basilica-back-into-mosque.html
Turkey: Hagia Sophia Basilica to become mosque
11 July 2020, 10:18

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/pope-at-angelus-embracing-the-word-of-god-means-embracing-chris.html

Pope at Angelus: Embracing the Word of God means embracing Christ
12 July 2020, 12:12

Pope Francis reflects on the day’s Gospel reading during the Sunday Angelus, describing the Parable of the Sower as the “mother” of all parables.
By Vatican News

During Sunday’s Angelus, from the window of his studio above St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis drew inspiration from the Gospel of the day, in which Jesus recounts to a crowd the Parable of the Sower.

Calling it a little like the ‘mother’ of all parables, because it speaks about listening to the Word, it tells the story of a sower who casts seed over four different types of terrain.

The Pope explained that The Word of God, symbolized by the seeds, “is not an abstract Word, but is Christ himself, the Word of the Father who became flesh in Mary's womb. Therefore, embracing the Word of God means embracing the person of Christ.”
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-07/angelus-pope-remembers-seafarers.html
Pope Francis: 'I think of Hagia Sophia, and I am very saddened'
12 July 2020, 12:27

https://zenit.org/2020/07/12/pope-francis-on-the-possibilities-of-the-parable-of-the-sower/
Pope Francis on the Possibilities of the Parable of the Sower
The ‘Mother’ of all Parables
JULY 12, 2020 13:01  JIM FAIR

Video at the link below--
POPE FRANCIS ANGELUS OF 12 JULY
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/angelus/2020-07/pope-francis-angelus-of-12-july.html

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2020-07/covid-19-pope-francis-hospital-ship-brazil-amazon-river.html

The "Pope Francis" Hospital Ship joins the fight against Covid-19
13 July 2020, 16:07

The “Pope Francis Hospital Ship” brings medical equipment and assistance to coronavirus-hit communities along the Amazon river.
By Vatican News

“This ship has already worked miracles, bringing healing and hope to river populations,” said Brother Joel Sousa, a member of the ship’s coordination team.

Therefore, he continued, there is even more reason to do so in times of a medical emergency.

The “Pope Francis” Hospital Ship has been sailing the Amazon River for a year, delivering medical aid and assistance to some 700,000 members of coastal populations – many of them indigenous communities - in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest.

Experts are warning that while deforestation in the Amazon rainforests continues, the lives of indigenous people are at greater risk as the mortality rate from the coronavirus is already double that of Brazil's population.

Their situation is exacerbated due to lack of access to decent medical care and sheer distance from the nearest intensive care units.

In an interview published on the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) website, Brother Sousa revealed that the medical and logistical team aboard the ship got reorganized to specifically fight the pandemic.

He said the crew is now committed to raising awareness and providing information to the local populations and offers on-the-spot first-stage outpatient treatment.

"We are dealing mainly with flu-like symptoms and mild cases of Covid-19," he said, adding that "the doctors carry out the consultations, while we dedicate ourselves to the distribution of medicines.”