Pope Francis

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Video, with English text, at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-francis-global-compact-education-video-message-relaunch.html
Pope: Global Compact on Education bears in itself 'a seed of hope'
15 October 2020, 14:37

Pope Francis relaunches the Global Compact on Education on Thursday with a video message during a virtual event at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University.
By Robin Gomes

Pope Francis on Thursday appealed to every sector of society across the globe to subscribe to and support the Global Compact on Education.

The initiative promotes the values of care for others, peace, justice, goodness, beauty, acceptance, and fraternity in order to build hope, solidarity and harmony everywhere.

The Pope made the appeal in a video message at the relaunch of the Global Compact on Education during a virtual event on Thursday at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University.

Education - a seed of hope

The Compact, sponsored by the Congregation for Catholic Education, is meant to encourage change on a global scale, so that education may become a creator of fraternity, peace, and justice. According to the Pope, the pact is “to ensure that everyone has access to a quality education consonant with the dignity of the human person and our common vocation to fraternity.”

“May we be sustained by the conviction that education bears within itself a seed of hope: the hope of peace and justice; the hope of beauty and goodness; the hope of social harmony,” the Pope said in his message. “We must move forward, all of us together, each as we are, but always looking ahead to the building of a civilization of harmony and unity, in which there will be no room for the terrible pandemic of the throw-away culture.”

Joining him at the virtual relaunch of the education pact were the Director-General of the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay, representatives of the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, and representatives of a few Italian universities.

In his message, the Pope drew attention to the adverse effects of the Covid-19 crisis on educational systems worldwide. Online educational platforms, he noted, have brought to light a marked disparity in educational and technological opportunities, forcing some ten million children to leave school, apart from the already over 250 million school-age children excluded from all educational activities.
 

Pope’s videomessage’s full text at the link below--
https://zenit.org/2020/10/15/popes-global-compact-on-education-launched-in-rome-today/
Pope’s Global Compact on Education Launched in Rome Today
OCTOBER 15, 2020 17:08

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-names-new-prefect-of-congregation-for-saints-causes-37047

Pope Francis names new prefect of congregation for saints’ causes

Vatican City, Oct 15, 2020 / 05:30 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis named a new prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints Thursday following Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s dramatic resignation from the post last month.

The pope appointed Bishop Marcello Semeraro, who has acted as secretary of the Council of Cardinal Advisers since it was established in 2013, to the position Oct. 15.

The 72-year-old Italian has served as bishop of Albano, a suburbicarian diocese located about 10 miles from Rome, since 2004.

Semeraro succeeds Becciu, who stood down Sept. 24 amid accusations that he was involved in embezzlement in his previous role as the second-ranking official at the Vatican Secretariat of State. Becciu was appointed prefect in August 2018, serving for two years. He has denied allegations of financial misconduct.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-10/council-cardinals-pope-appointment-cardinal-besungu-drc.html

DRC’s Cardinal Besungu appointed to Council of Cardinals
15 October 2020, 14:42

Pope Francis appoints Cardinal Ambongo Besungu, Archbishop of Kinshasa, as a new member of the Council of Cardinals.
By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis’ latest appointment to the Council of Cardinals brings an African perspective to the table.

Cardinal Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is the most recent addition to the group of Cardinal Advisors tasked with assisting the Pope in the government of the Universal Church and in the drafting and revision of the new Apostolic Constitution that will replace the Constitution Pastor Bonus promulgated by Pope Saint John Paul II.

With the addition of Cardinal Besungu, there are now seven members in the group. Africa used to be represented by Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya who left the Council at the end of 2018, together with Cardinals Pell and Errazuriz Ossa.

The other Cardinal Advisors have been confirmed. They are: Cardinals Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa (Honduras) and coordinator of the group; Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin; Seán Patrick O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston (USA); Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay (India); Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of München und Freising (Federal Republic of Germany); and Giuseppe Bertello, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-to-attend-interreligious-peace-event-in-rome-22239

Pope Francis to attend interreligious peace event in Rome
By Hannah Brockhaus

Vatican City, Oct 16, 2020 / 07:15 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis will attend an ecumenical prayer service and an interreligious ceremony for peace in Rome next week, the Vatican announced Friday.

The prayer service will be held at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli in the afternoon on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and will include participants from other Christian traditions.

Following the prayer, Pope Francis will also join in a ceremony with representatives of the world’s major religions, to take place in Campidoglio Square.

The square, which sits on Rome’s Capitoline Hill, was designed by Michelangelo. The square’s surrounding buildings house a city museum and Rome’s town hall. The Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli is also on the Capitoline Hill.

The interreligious ceremony will follow the prayer service. It will include speeches, the proclamation and delivery of the 2020 Appeal for Peace, the lighting of a peace candle, and a socially distanced sign of peace.

A minute of silence will be observed to remember the victims of wars and of the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to Pope Francis, other participants will include Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople; Haim Korsia, Chief Rabbi of France; Mohamed Abdelsalam Abdellatif, the Muslim General Secretary of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity; and Buddhist Shoten Minegishi.

The prayer service and ceremony are both organized by the lay Catholic community, Sant’Egidio.

The ecumenical service is called “An Encounter of Prayer for Peace in the Spirit of Assisi,” and the theme is “No one is saved alone -- Peace and Fraternity.”
 

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Video, with English text, at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-francis-video-message-fao-world-hunger-day.html
Pope to FAO: We are all responsible for the tragedy of hunger
16 October 2020, 14:45

Pope Francis sends a video message to the Director General of FAO on World Food Day, and thanks the UN organisation for their work to eradicate the tragedy that is human hunger.
By Vatican News staff writer

Addressing Qu Dongyu, the Director-General of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Pope Francis noted that “For humanity, hunger is not only a tragedy but it is also shameful.”

His words came on World Food Day which focuses this year on the theme: “cultivating, nourishing and preserving together. Our actions are our future”.
 
The text of the Holy Father Francis’ Video-Message to the Members of FAO at the link below--
https://zenit.org/2020/10/16/pope-francissends-video-message-to-members-of-fao-on-occasion-of-75th-anniversary-of-its-institution/
Pope Francis Sends Video-Message to Members of FAO on Occasion of 75th Anniversary of Its Institution
OCTOBER 16, 2020 15:56

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-10/holy-see-trafficking-human-beings-osce.html

Holy See calls for joint efforts to combat trafficking in persons
15 October 2020, 16:35

The Holy See’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) stresses the importance of joint efforts to respond to the crime of trafficking in persons, a scourge that affects some 40 million victims worldwide.
By Vatican News staff writer

“Trafficking in persons and other contemporary forms of enslavement are a worldwide problem that needs to be taken seriously by humanity as a whole.”

These were the words of the Holy See’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Monsignor Janusz Urbańczyk, during a meeting of the body’s Permanent Council.

He pointed out that there are “more than 40 million victims of trafficking or exploitation in the world.” Of that disturbing number, 10 million are younger than 18 years old, and 1 out of 20 are children under eight years old who are victims of sexual exploitation.

Msgr. Urbańczyk commended the OSCE’s efforts in this regard so far, and expressed appreciation in particular for its 4P approach: Prosecution, Protection, Prevention and Partnerships.

The OSCE meeting, which was held on Thursday, focused on the fight against trafficking in human beings.
 
https://zenit.org/2020/10/16/human-trafficking-exploitation-globally-face-increased-risks-during-covid19-pandemic-us-embassy-to-holy-see-organizes-virtual-symposium-across-globe/
FEATURE: Human Trafficking & Exploitation — Risks Surge During Pandemic – US Embassy to Holy See Organizes Virtual Symposium Across Globe
OCTOBER 16, 2020 09:54  DEBORAH CASTELLANO LUBOV

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https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-middle-east/2020/10/papal-representative-to-syria-warns-vatican-diplomats-time-is-running-out/

Papal representative to Syria warns Vatican diplomats ‘time is running out’
Inés San Martín  Oct 15, 2020

In a rare move, Pope Francis’s representative in Syria met on Thursday with the ambassadors accredited to the Vatican, in an attempt to raise awareness on the impact of the eight-year-long civil war in the country.

According to a Vatican press statement and further information provided by Vatican News, Cardinal Mario Zenari focused above all on the humanitarian aspect of what is the most serious “humanitarian catastrophe caused by man after the end of the Second World War” and recalled “that five armed forces of countries in disagreement are still operating on Syrian soil and skies.”

Though the statement does not say if he mentioned these countries, the list of nations currently fighting in Syria include Iran, Russia, Turkey and the United States.

The prelate called for an international response to the crisis and “radical” long-term solutions, quoting from Pope Francis’s recent encyclical Fratelli Tutti: “We need to develop the awareness that today we are either all saved together or no one is saved.”

The meeting, the Vatican said, “was an opportunity to rekindle attention towards the situation in Syria, which has been prostrated by almost ten years of violence.”

Also present in the meeting were two of the Vatican’s top diplomats: Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, who is the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States.
 

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Photo at the link

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/new-vatican-coin-depicts-mother-carrying-the-earth-in-her-womb-25763
New Vatican coin depicts 'mother carrying the earth in her womb'
By Hannah Brockhaus

Vatican City, Oct 16, 2020 / 10:15 am MT (CNA).-  A new coin minted by the Vatican City State depicts a woman carrying the earth in her womb. The artist who designed the coin, which commemorates Earth Day, has said the design was his response to the ecological theme he was commissioned to portray.

The Vatican City State Mint released a new series of coins Friday, with themes on migrants, Earth Day, the painter Raphael, and the Acts of the Apostles.

The 10 euro silver coin marks the 50th anniversary of World Earth Day. The front of the coin is the image of a pregnant woman embracing her round belly, which looks like a globe. Stalks of wheat are in her hair.

Luigi Oldiani, an Italian sculptor and Catholic who designed the coin, told CNA that he wanted to imagine “the earth as a young, pregnant woman who protects the earth — a young mother.”

The mint’s website says the coin depicts “a mother carrying the earth in her womb, to whom we owe care and love as if it were a daughter, with long ears of wheat in her hair, in a reference between past and future that becomes timeless, and therefore eternal.”

The image on the coin has been compared to carved wooden figures of a pregnant woman that were on display in churches and at events during the Vatican’s 2019 Synod of Bishops on the Amazon. Those figures, referred to by Pope Francis and others as “Pachamama,” were said by some to depict an Andean fertility goddess, while Vatican spokesmen characterized them more vaguely as symbols of “life.”
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/world-youth-day-lisbon-2023-unveils-marian-logo-84392

World Youth Day Lisbon 2023 unveils Marian logo
By Courtney Mares

Rome Newsroom, Oct 16, 2020 / 09:00 am MT (CNA).- World Youth Day Lisbon launched its website and unveiled its logo Friday as Portugal prepares to host the world’s largest gathering of Catholic young people in August 2023.

The logo, featuring the Blessed Virgin Mary in front of a cross, was selected in an international contest with hundreds of participants from 30 countries by the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life.

It was designed by Beatriz Roque Antunes, a 24-year-old who works at a communication agency in Lisbon.

“It means a lot to me. It’s not every day that one has the opportunity to offer their gifts to the faith and the Church,” Antunes said on finding out that her logo had been selected.

The Marian logo was designed to communicate the World Youth Day theme selected by Pope Francis: “Mary arose and went with haste,” from St. Luke’s account of the Virgin Mary’s visitation to her cousin Elizabeth after the Annunciation.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/number-of-catholics-worldwide-rises-to-133-billion-34786

World Mission Sunday: number of Catholics continues to rise worldwide

Vatican City, Oct 16, 2020 / 01:00 pm MT (CNA).- The number of Catholics worldwide increased by almost 16 million in a year to 1.33 billion, according to statistics highlighted by the Vatican ahead of the 2020 World Mission Sunday.

The figures, shared by the Fides News Service Oct. 16, showed that there were 15,716,000 more Catholics at the end of 2018 -- the most recent year where numbers are available -- compared to 2017.

This took the overall number of Catholics to 1,328,993,000, compared to 1,313,278,000 the year before.

The growth was spread across all inhabited continents, with an increase of 94,000 in Europe, 9.2 million in Africa, 4.5 million in the Americas, 1.8 million in Asia, and 177,000 in Oceania.

Fides noted that this was the third successive year that the number of Catholics in Europe had risen.

But the percentage of Catholics in the world population remained unchanged at 17.73%, meaning that the number of Catholics is increasing in line with broader global population growth.

Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927, presents the statistics annually ahead of World Mission Sunday, which takes place this Sunday, Oct. 18. The figures are taken from the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae, or Statistical Yearbook of the Church, which was published March 25.
 

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Update:  Cardinal Becciu

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/italian-security-consultant-appeals-extradition-to-vatican-over-financial-crimes-58547

Italian ‘security consultant’ appeals extradition to Vatican over financial crimes

CNA Staff, Oct 16, 2020 / 11:00 am MT (CNA).- A self-described geopolitical analyst at the center of the most recent Vatican financial scandal is being held in an Italian jail pending extradition to the Vatican. Cecilia Marogna was arrested October 13 by Italian financial authorities after a warrant was issued by Vatican prosecutors through Interpol.

Marogna has said she worked for the Holy See’s Secretariat of State as a security consultant and strategist. Vatican authorities reportedly issued the warrant on charges of aggravated embezzlement. She has acknowledged receiving hundreds of thousands of euros from the Vatican via her company registered in Slovenia, and confirmed use of the funds for the purchase of luxury items, including designer label handbags.

She has stated that the money all went to her Vatican consultancy work and her salary; expensive gifts, such as trips or purses, she said, “were used to create cooperative relationships.”

Although a Milan court of appeal has upheld the execution of the warrant, lawyers for Marogna have appealed her extradition to Vatican City, a process that is expected to take as long as a month to complete. Pending the outcome of the appeal, Marogna is being held in a local jail after the Milan court deemed her a flight risk.

Marogna has said that she has worked with the secretariat since contacting Cardinal Angelo Becciu in 2015 to see if he agreed with her analysis of security problems at Vatican nunciatures. At the time, Becciu served as the sostituto at the secretariat.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-audience-carabinieri.html

Pope tells ‘Carabinieri’ God sees their acts of service
17 October 2020, 11:30

Pope Francis receives representatives of the Saint Peter “Carabinieri” law enforcement corps that provides security in St. Peter’s Square and in the wider Vatican area of Rome.
By Vatican News staff writer

Everyone knows who the “Carabinieri” are with their dashing red-striped pants, scarlet lined capes, swords and tall red plumes on their hats!

It is to this national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carries out domestic policing duties that Pope Francis expressed his gratitude and support on Saturday morning during an audience in the Vatican.

He expressed appreciation for the service rendered by the Carabinieri to the Holy See as they collaborate with other Italian and Vatican security and forces for public order.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-accepts-resignation-of-polish-bishop-edward-janiak-under-investigation-38445

Pope Francis accepts resignation of Polish bishop under investigation
By Hannah Brockhaus

Vatican City, Oct 17, 2020 / 05:46 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis accepted Saturday the resignation of the Bishop of Kalisz in central Poland, Edward Janiak, who is under investigation for his handling of an abuse case.

Since June, Janiak’s diocese has been administered by Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś of Łódź.

Pope Francis named Ryś apostolic administrator “sede plena” of the Diocese of Kalisz June 25. “Sede plena” is a term used to signify that a see is still occupied by a bishop.

Instead, Oct. 17 the pope appointed Ryś apostolic administrator “sede vacante,” to signify that the see is now vacant and awaiting a new bishop following the resignation of the 68-year-old bishop.

Janiak’s resignation follows the May release of a documentary film accusing him of failing to take action against a priest accused of abuse.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vatican-coronavirus-case-in-pope-francis-residence-57438

Vatican: Coronavirus case in Pope Francis' residence
By Hannah Brockhaus

Vatican City, Oct 17, 2020 / 06:59 am MT (CNA).- The Holy See press office said Saturday a resident of the Vatican hotel where Pope Francis also lives has tested positive for COVID-19.

The person has been temporarily moved out of the Casa Santa Marta residence and placed in isolation, the Oct. 17 statement said. Anyone who came into direct contact with the person is also observing a period of isolation.

The patient is so-far asymptomatic, the Vatican said. It noted that in recent days, three other positive cases among residents or citizens of the city state have recovered.

The statement also added that pandemic health measures issued by the Holy See and the Governorate of Vatican City continue to be followed and "the health of all Domus [Casa Santa Marta] residents is constantly monitored."

The case within Pope Francis' residence is added to  the active coronavirus cases among Swiss Guards.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2020-10/world-mission-day-2020-pms-evangelisation-peoples.html

Church's missionary character highlighted ahead of World Mission Day 2020
16 October 2020, 13:07

As the Church prepares to celebrate the 94th World Mission Day on 18 October, the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and the Pontifical Mission Societies highlight the importance of the Church's missionary action in the world.
By Vatican News staff writer

Traditionally celebrated on the penultimate Sunday of October, World Mission Day is slated this year for 18 October.

The annual day is set aside to encourage prayers, cooperation and help for missions, as well as remind Christians of the fundamental missionary character of the Church and of every baptized person.
 
https://zenit.org/2020/10/16/church-leaders-hold-press-conference-ahead-of-world-mission-sunday/
Church Leaders Hold Press Conference Ahead of World Mission Sunday
‘Here I Am, Send Me’
OCTOBER 16, 2020 14:03  JIM FAIR

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-francis-angelus-catechesis-gospel-reading-common-good.html

Pope: good citizens must contribute to society and bear witness to the Gospel
18 October 2020, 12:20

Pope Francis tells Christians they have the duty and the responsibility to be a living presence in society, inspiring it with the Gospel.
By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis called on Christians to dedicate themselves generously to the promotion and defence of human dignity in today’s world, bearing witness to God and the meaning of life.

Addressing the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus, the Pope reflected on the Gospel reading of the day (Mt 22: 15-21) in which Jesus spells out the criteria for the distinction between the political sphere and the religious sphere, and gives clear guidelines for the mission of all believers of all times.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-mission-sunday-fr-macalli-release.html
Pope marks World Mission Day with thanks for the release of a missionary priest
18 October 2020, 13:52

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-francis-angelus-appeal-peace-libya-fishermen.html
Pope prays for peace and stability in Libya
18 October 2020, 13:00

https://zenit.org/2020/10/18/angelus-pope-francis-comments-on-jesus-parable-of-the-coin/
Angelus: Pope Francis Comments on Jesus’ Parable of the Coin
‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s’
OCTOBER 18, 2020 13:14  JIM FAIR

Video, with English commentary, at the link below--
POPE'S ANGELUS OF 18 OCTOBER 2020
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/angelus/2020-10/pope-angelus-18-october-2020.html

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-prayer-peace-interreligious-st-egidio-community-rome.html

Pope Francis to participate in international Prayer Meeting for Peace
17 October 2020, 14:44

Pope Francis and other leaders of world religions will join to pray for peace on 20 October in an initiative that takes place in the spirit of Assisi and of "Fratelli tutti".
By Vatican News staff writer

On Tuesday, 20 October, Pope Francis will participate in an international Prayer for Peace initiative entitled "No One Is Saved Alone – Peace and Fraternity".

Promoted by the Rome-based Community of Saint Egidio, the Prayer meeting is an ecumenical event and will see the participation of representatives of many Christian denominations in the Basilica of Saint Mary in Aracoeli on Rome’s Capitoline Hill.

According to a statement released by the Vatican Press Office, the Prayer meeting will be followed by an interreligious ceremony in Michelangelo’s Square on the Capitoline Hill in the presence of representatives of the world’s great religions and other world leaders.

In the spirit of Assisi
The Community of Saint Egidio, that is preparing to host its 34th meeting inspired by the historic interreligious encounter wanted by St. John Paul II in 1986, said it has promoted this International Meeting of Prayer for Peace in the spirit of Assisi and Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli tutti.

The event, which will take place in respect of the anti-covid norms will be live-streamed in 8 languages through the Community’s various web and social media channels.

Quoting from Pope Francis’ third encyclical letter, Fratelli tutti, a Saint Egidio communiqué says "The different religions, based on their respect for each human person as a creature called to be a child of God, contribute significantly to building fraternity and defending justice in society".

"In a difficult moment in history", the communiqué continues, "because of the pandemic but also because of old and new wars in progress - such as the one that has lasted for ten years in Syria or the current one in Nagorno-Karabakh, a solemn moment of reflection, prayer and encounter will be offered to the world from the heart of Europe: a message of hope for the future in the name of the greatest good, which is that of Peace".

Everyone is invited to participate in the online event.
 

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Update:  Cardinal Becciu

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vatican-finances-cardinal-angelo-becciu-vigorously-denies-interference-in-cardinal-george-pell-trial-42514
Becciu 'vigorously' denies interference in Cardinal Pell trial
By Hannah Brockhaus

Rome Newsroom, Oct 18, 2020 / 03:12 am MT (CNA).- Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu again denied having interfered in any way with the trial of Cardinal George Pell, after Italian media reported an allegation that Becciu might have wired money to Australia as a bribe during Pell’s trial.

An Oct. 17 statement from Becciu’s lawyer, Fabio Viglione, said the cardinal, “regarding the everlasting attention of some journalists to Cardinal Pell’s trial, is compelled to reiterate vigorously that he has never interfered with it in any way whatsoever.”

The lawyer also said “to protect and defend his honor, so gravely damaged,” Becciu may seek legal recourse against some news organizations for their continued reporting of “an alleged, albeit non existent activity to taint the evidence of Cardinal Pell’s trial.”
 

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Video at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-international-red-cross-president-audience.html

Pope meets with President of the International Red Cross
19 October 2020, 17:50

Pope Francis receives Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, for a private audience in the Vatican on Monday.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis received in audience on Monday, Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Maurer also met with Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Speaking to Vatican News after the encounter, Maurer highlighted the work of the International Red Cross in the world, especially amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has “accentuated and accelerated” many pre-existing problems.

Maurer also highlighted the convergence of views, values and aspirations between the Red Cross and the Holy See, especially in support of victims of war and violence.

He pointed out, in particular, that one viewpoint that the Church and ICRC share in common is developing a vision of a society that is inclusive and which builds bridges.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/blessed-carlo-acutis-tomb-closes-after-extended-time-of-public-veneration-58530

Blessed Carlo Acutis’ tomb closes after extended time of public veneration
By Courtney Mares

Rome Newsroom, Oct 19, 2020 / 10:00 am MT (CNA).- The glass that has allowed pilgrims to view Blessed Carlo Acutis will be permanently covered Monday as the official multi-week celebration of the Italian teen’s beatification in Assisi comes to an end.

Bishop Marcello Semeraro, the new prefect for the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints, will offer the Mass to mark the closing of his tomb on the evening of Oct. 19.

Though covered, Acutis’ tomb will remain in the Church of St. Mary Major’s Sanctuary of Spoliation in Assisi, where visitors will be able to pray before the tomb for years to come.