Pope Francis

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-christians-should-open-the-road-to-jesus

Pope: Christians should open the road to Jesus
2016-12-16 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Christians should look to the “great” John the Baptist as a model of humble witness to Jesus, as one who denies himself, even to the point of death, in order to point out the coming of the Son of God. That was Pope Francis’ message, during the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta, to Bishops and religious celebrating the 50th anniversary of their ordination, and to married couples celebrating the 50th anniversary of their wedding vows.

John the Baptist, the witness who points to Christ

The Church’s liturgy turns once again, as it has in the past two days, to the figure of St John the Baptist, presented in the Gospel as the “witness.” His vocation, the Pope explained in his homily, is “to give witness to Jesus,” “to point out Jesus,” like a lamp with respect to the light:

A lamp that points out where the light is, that bears witness to the light. He was the voice. He said of himself: “I am the voice that cries out in the desert.” He was the voice but that bears witness to the Word, points out the Word, the Word of God, the Word. He was only the voice. The Word. He was the preacher of penitence who baptized, the Baptist, but he makes it clear, he says clearly: “After me comes another who is mightier than I, who is greater than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. And He will baptize you in fire and the Holy Spirit.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/12/16/papal_preacher_delivers_third_advent_sermon/1279462

Papal preacher delivers third Advent Sermon
16/12/2016 10:00

(Vatican Radio) The Papal preacher, Father Raniero Cantalamessa, delivered his third Advent Sermon on Friday to Pope Francis and members of the Roman Curia.

As preacher to the Papal Household, Capucin Father Cantalamessa gives a meditation to the Pope, Cardinals, and members of the Roman Curia every Friday morning in Lent and Advent in the Apostolic Palace’s “Redemptoris Mater” Chapel.

In the third Advent sermon, Fr. Cantalamessa continued his theme of the Holy Spirit’s action in the Church.

Please find below the full text English translation of the Sermon:
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-meets-with-colombian-leaders-in-wake-of-peace-deal-76189/

Pope Francis meets with Colombian leaders in wake of peace deal

Vatican City, Dec 16, 2016 / 11:45 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis met Friday morning with Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón and former president Senator Álvaro Uribe Vélez, as the country works to finalize a peace accord which would end a 52-year conflict between the government and rebel groups.

Meeting first with Santos, “the discussions took place in an atmosphere of great cordiality, confirming the existing good relations between the Holy See and Colombia,” a Dec. 16 communique from the Vatican stated.

“Appreciation was expressed for the Pope’s support during the peace process, along with the hope that such peace be stable and lasting.”

Pope Francis afterwards met with Uribe individually and then together with Santos, where they spoke about the “culture of encounter” and “emphasized the importance of sincere dialogue between all members of Colombian society,” the communique related.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-mass-with-cardinals-to-mark-80th-birt

Pope Francis: Mass with Cardinals to mark 80th birthday
2016-12-17 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis was the principal celebrant at Mass in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on the morning of December 17th. The Mass was that of the Saturday in the Third Week of Advent, and the concelebrants were the Cardinals resident in Rome.

The reason for the extraordinary liturgical celebration was thanksgiving to God for the life of Pope Francis, who was born 80 years ago this day, on December 17th, 1936.

The liturgy unfolded with the simple penitential settings of the season, and the readings were those of the day. The Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, offered words of greeting in the name of all those present and of all the members of the College, saying, “The risen Jesus appeared to the disciples and addressed these well-known words to Simon-Peter: ‘Simon son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?’ And the Apostle immediately replied: ‘Yes, Lord, You know that I love you!’ It is with this love that Your Holiness today carries out His mission in the world. Then we know that we are close to you, especially today, on this beautiful day of your life.

Cardinal Sodano went on to say, “Our prayer shall be with you always, well mindful as we are of what we repeat in the Holy Mass every day, and that is: that by communion with the Body and Blood of Christ, may the Holy Spirit unite us in One Body.”

At the end of the Mass, Pope Francis offered thanks to the Cardinals present, saying, “For several days now, I’ve been thinking of a word that can seem ugly – no? – dotage. It is scary: just yesterday, [Office Manager for the Dept. for Relations with States in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See] Msgr. [Luigi] Cavaliere  gave me [a copy of] Cicero’s De senectute  - right? Really laying it on [It. una goccia in più]. Only, remember what I said to you on March 15 [2013], in our first meeting: ‘Old age is the seat of wisdom.’ Hopefully it is for me, right? Let us hope that it is so.”
 

Homily at the link
http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/
Saturday, December 17, 2016
"Stop. Remember. Go Forward." – On Turning 80, Pope's Note to Self

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP6AwZqhmBM
2016.12.17 Eucharistic concelebration with the Cardinals presided over by Pope Francis

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-receives-president-of-malta-in-audien

Pope Francis receives President of Malta in audience
2016-12-17 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) On Saturday the Holy Father Francis received in audience the president of the Republic of Malta, Her Excellency Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States. During the cordial discussions, the good relations between the Holy See and Malta were evoked, focusing in particular on the special contribution of the Catholic religion in the formation of the identity of the country and on the relevant role of the Church in promoting the human and cultural progress of society. 

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Happy 80th Birthday, Pope Francis! 

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/benedict-xvi-sends-birthday-wishes-to-pope-francis-70453/

Benedict XVI sends birthday wishes to Pope Francis

Vatican City, Dec 17, 2016 / 12:41 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI sent birthday greetings to Pope Francis on Saturday, Francis’ eightieth birthday.

The Holy See Press Office characterized the written message as “very affectionate” and “particularly appreciated” by the Pope.

Benedict then made a personal call to the Pope.

“In addition, Benedict XVI sent Pope Francis three small gifts that the Holy Father received as three very personal and meaningful signs for both of them,” the press office said.

Pope Francis received more than 70,000 birthday wishes from all over the world via email. Of these, the most numerous were in English, Spanish, Polish and Italian.

The press office said the Pope is going ahead with the day as normal and is living it “with great joy.”
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-will-make-two-day-visit-to-fatima-marking-apparition-anniversary-20288/

Pope will make two-day visit to Fatima marking apparition anniversary

Vatican City, Dec 17, 2016 / 05:59 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Thought rumors have been floating around for some time, the Vatican confirmed Saturday that Pope Francis will travel to Fatima, Portugal May 12-13 in honor of the centenary of the apparitions.

“On the occasion of the centenary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Cova da Iria, and welcoming the invitation of the Republic and of the Portuguese bishops, His Holiness Pope Francis will go on pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima May 12-13, 2017.”

The announcement was made in a Dec. 17 communique from the Vatican. Official statements confirming the dates had already been made over the past few days by both the president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, as well as the Fatima Shrine itself.

Of all Marian apparitions, those relating to Our Lady of Fatima are among the most famous. On May 13, 1917, siblings Francisco and Jacinta Marto – 9 and 7 – and their cousin, 10-year-old Lucia dos Santos, took their sheep to graze near the Portuguese town of Fatima when they saw a figure of a woman dressed in white and holding a rosary.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-at-angelus-look-to-the-creche

Pope Francis at Angelus: look to the crèche
2016-12-18 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed the Angelus with pilgrims and tourists gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, exactly a week before Christmas Day, 2016.

In the reflection he shared with the people in the square ahead of the  traditional noonday Marian devotion, the Holy Father focused on the upcoming Christmas feast, exactly one week away at the time he delivered his remarks.

After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father returned to the theme.

“During this this week let us look for a few moments in which to pause, have a bit of silence, and imagine Our Lady and St. Joseph on their way to Bethlehem,” he said. “The journey – the fatigue of it, but also the joy of it – the commotion, and then their anxiety over finding a place to stay, the worry – and so on,” he added.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-the-feast-of-christmas/
Angelus Address: On the Mystery of Christmas 
December 18, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-iCx7zif9A
2016.12.18 Angelus Domini 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-young-people-listen-to-your-grandparents

Pope to young people: 'listen to your grandparents'
2016-12-19 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday encouraged young Catholics to cultivate their relationships with their grandparents.

Addressing  a group of young people who belong to an Italian Catholic lay association called ‘Azione Cattolica Italiana’, the Pope spoke of the joy that derives from the coming of Jesus, and said that joy is increased and multiplied when we share it.

He invited the young people to receive the joy of Advent as they would receive a gift and to bear witness to it in their families, schools, parishes and in all places.

The Pope especially invited them to share it with their grandparents – and with elderly people in general – and he encouraged them to listen to the aged whom, he said, “have the wisdom of life”.

“I would like to give you a task: speak to your grandparents,(…) ask them questions, they have the memory of history, the experience of living, and this is a great gift for you that will help you in your life journey” he said.

And Francis also pointed out the grandparents themselves need “to listen to you, understand your aspirations and your hopes”

“This is your task: speak to your grandparents, listen to them” he said.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-welcomes-south-koreas-new-ambassador-to-holy

Pope welcomes South Korea's new ambassador to Holy See
2016-12-19 Vatican Radio


Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Monday welcomed to the Vatican South Korea’s new ambassador to the Holy See, ‎Jonghyu Jeong.  At a formal ceremony in the Vatican, Jeong presened his credentials to Pope Francis at ‎the start of his diplomatic mission with the Holy See.    The 66-year old father of 3 children is a law ‎graduate and holds a doctorate in law from Kyoto University, Japan. 

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https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/exclusive-cardinal-burke-suggests-timeline-for-formal-correction-of-pope-fr

Mon Dec 19, 2016 - 3:54 pm EST
EXCLUSIVE: Cardinal Burke suggests timeline for ‘formal correction’ of Pope Francis

December 19, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – In an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews, Cardinal Raymond Burke has given an indication of the possible timeline of a “formal correction” of Pope Francis should the Pope not respond to the five dubia seeking clarity on Amoris Laetitia, presented to the Pope by four Cardinals, including Cardinal Burke.

“The dubia have to have a response because they have to do with the very foundations of the moral life and of the Church’s constant teaching with regard to good and evil, with regard to various sacred realities like marriage and Holy Communion and so forth,” Burke said during a telephone interview.

“Now of course we are in the last days, days of strong grace, before the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord, and then we have the Octave of the Solemnity and the celebrations at the beginning of the New Year - the whole mystery of Our Lord’s Birth and His Epiphany - so it would probably take place sometime after that.”

The cardinal, who is the patron of the Sovereign Order of Malta, said the format of the correction would be “very simple.”

“It would be direct, even as the dubia are, only in this case there would no longer be raising questions, but confronting the confusing statements in Amoris Laetitia with what has been the Church’s constant teaching and practice, and thereby correcting Amoris Laetitia,” he said.
 

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Uh, oh... 

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/san-gennaros-blood-didnt-liquefy--so-pray-anyway-abbot-says-74307/

San Gennaro's blood didn't liquefy--so pray anyway, abbot says

Last year, Pope Francis and Cardinal Sepe hold relic of St. Januarius' blood in Naples cathedral March 21, 2015. Credit: CTV.

Naples, Italy, Dec 19, 2016 / 12:06 pm (CNA).- Prayer was the response to a rare failure of a saint’s blood to liquefy in Naples, an occurrence some believe to portend misfortune.

“We must not think of disasters and calamities. We are men of faith and we must pray,” said Monsignor Vincenzo De Gregorio, the Abbot of the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, ANSA reports.

The blood belongs to St. Januarius, Patron of Naples and former bishop and martyr of the city.

Known in Italian as San Gennaro, his bones and a reliquary of his blood are preserved in Naples’ cathedral. He is believed to have been martyred during the infamous persecution of Christians during the rule of the Roman emperor Diocletian, who retired in 305.

The reputed miracle is locally known and accepted, though has not been the subject of official Church recognition. The liquefaction is believed to happen at least three times a year: the Saturday before the first Sunday of May, Sept. 19, which is the saint's feast day, and Dec. 16, the anniversary of the 1631 eruption of the Mount Vesuvius volcano.

During the miracle, the dried, red-colored mass confined to one side of the reliquary becomes blood that covers the entire glass. In local lore, the failure of the blood to liquefy signals war, famine, disease or other disaster.

The blood did indeed liquefy on Sept. 19, 2016.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-appoints-new-director-of-vatican-museums

Pope appoints new director of Vatican Museums
2016-12-20 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis has appointed a new Director of the Vatican Museums, Barbara Jatta, who is set to take up the post on 1 January 2017.

Born in Rome on 6 October 1962, Barbara Jatta previously held the position of Vice-Director of the Vatican Museums.

She received her Liberal Arts degree in Letters from the ‘Sapienza’ University in Rome in 1986, a Diploma in Archives at the Vatican School of Paleography the following year, and a specialization in Art History in 1991.

Ms. Jatta has taught courses in ‘History of Graphic Art’ since 1994 at the University of Naples.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-urges-people-of-good-will-to-fight-th

Pope Francis urges people of good will to fight the ‘folly of terrorism'
2016-12-20 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegramme of condolences to the Archbishop of Berlin in which he says he is praying for the dead and injured in Monday's attack on a Christmas market in Germany’s capital city.

In his message to Archbishop Heiner Koch, the Pope also says he joins “all men and women of good will” who have committed themselves to efforts “so that the murderous folly of terrorism finds no more room in our world.”

The telegramme, written by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on behalf of the Holy Father, says that Francis was deeply saddened and is praying for the 12 persons who were killed and for the many wounded in what he called “the terrible act of violence”.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-prays-for-russia-after-gun-attack

Pope Francis prays for Russia after gun attack
2016-12-20 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has expressed his condolences to the family of the Russian ambassador to Turkey who was shot dead by a police officer at an art exhibition.

In a message sent by the Holy See’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to Russian president Vladimir Putin, the Pope said he was “saddened to learn of the violent attack in Ankara, which resulted in the death of Ambassador Andrei Karlov”. He assured the people of the Russian Federation of his prayers and “spiritual solidarity” at this time.

The attack on Monday night was carried out by a man in a suit believed to be an-off duty police officer. Footage captured of the incident shows Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, firing at least eight shots while shouting in Turkish: “Don’t forget Aleppo. Don’t forget Syria.” He was shortly after killed by special forces.

Karlov had previously served as an ambassador to North Korea.

The full statement by Cardinal Pietro Parolin is published below:
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/12/21/audience_pope_presented_with_nativity_scene_made_of_bread/1280606

Audience: Pope presented with Nativity scene made of bread
21/12/2016 11:26

Pope Francis at the weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall. - ANSA

(Vatican Radio) During his last General Audience before Christmas, Pope Francis on Wednesday met with a delegation of Roman bakers. To mark the occasion they gave the Pope a sculpture of bread in the shape of a crib made by master baker Fabio Albanesi.

The edible work was presented by Mr Albanesi and the coordinator of the bakers of Rome, Giancarlo Giambarresi.

Speaking about the meeting and the gift, the National President of the Association of Bakers, Davide Trombini said, "it is a very significant event for the bakers of Rome in an important moment in the life of the city and the country which is facing many issues related to ongoing economic difficulties and coexistence: with this initiative the bakers want to affirm the importance of welcome and solidarity towards others which is the most important message that comes to us from the impending celebration of Christmas.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-open-your-hearts-to-the-good-news-of-christma

Pope: 'open your hearts to the good news of Christmas'
2016-12-21 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday urged the faithful to open their hearts to the Good News of the Saviour’s birth.

The Pope was addressing the pilgrims gathered in the Vatican Paul VI Hall for the weekly General Audience.

His catechesis on Christian hope focused on these last days of Advent and on how we prepare to receive the message embodied in the nativity.

Reflecting on the fact that a catechesis focusing on Christian hope is more than appropriate during the time of Advent, Pope Francis recalled the words of the prophet Isaiah, “the Lord himself will give you a sign: the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel” and also “a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-on-the-coming-of-hope-into-the-world/
General Audience: On the Coming of Hope Into the World 
December 21, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbGiyYNsyWg
2016.12.21 General Audience

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-grants-vallejo-balda-conditional-freedom

Pope grants Vallejo Balda conditional freedom
2016-12-21 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis has commuted the jail sentence of a Spanish priest who was convicted of leaking Vatican documents and ordered that he be released from jail. Monsignor Lucio Vallejo Balda was sentenced to 18 months in a Vatican jail last July at the end of a trial dubbed "Vatileaks II".

A statement from the Holy See press office said the Pope took the step because Vallejo

Balda, had already served more than half of his sentence.

It also said he would be under "conditional freedom" for the rest of his sentence.
 
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/6538/0/-vatileaks-priest-freed-from-prison-by-pope-in-act-of-clemency
'Vatileaks priest' freed from prison by Pope in act of clemency
21 December 2016 | by Christopher Lamb

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-christmas-greetings-to-vatican-employ

Pope Francis: Christmas greetings to Vatican employees
2016-12-22 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received employees of the Holy See’s curial dicasteries and Vatican offices on Thursday morning, along with their families, for an exchange of Christmas greetings and well-wishes.

In remarks prepared for the occasion and delivered in the Paul VI Hall, Pope Francis spoke to his guests of the duty to be grateful to heaven for the gift of work, and of the duty employers have to respect the rights and dignity of the people who work for them.

“Work is very important for the person who works, and for that person’s family,” said Pope Francis. “While we give thanks [for the work we have], let us pray for the persons and the families – in Italy and in all the world – who do not have work, or who so often do unworthy jobs, poor-paying jobs, jobs that are harmful to their health,” he continued.

The Holy Father went on to say, “We must commit ourselves, each of us according to his responsibility, to guaranteeing that work be always worthy and dignified (It. degno): that it be respectful of the person and of the family; that it be just.”

“Here in the Vatican,” Pope Francis explained, “we have an additional reason to do this: we have the Gospel, and we must follow the directives of the Social Doctrine of the Church.”
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd-AfG4J1BE
2016.12.22 Special Audience for Vatican Employees

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-lays-out-guiding-principles-of-roman-curia-re

Pope lays out guiding principles of Roman Curia reform
2016-12-22 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis invited the Roman Curia to embrace the process of reform on Thursday, telling them Christmas is “the feast of the loving humility of God, of the God who upsets our logical expectations, the established order”.

His words came in his annual Christmas greetings to the Roman Curia

“At Christmas,” Pope Francis said, “we are called to say ‘yes’ with our faith, not to the Master of the universe, and not even the most noble ideas, but precisely to this God who is the humble lover.”

In his address to the Roman Curia, the Holy Father returned, as during the previous two year’s addresses, to the theme of Curial reform, laying out the framework, guiding principles, and what is yet to come.

He said, “Since the Curia is not an immobile bureaucratic apparatus, reform is first and foremost a sign of life, of a Church that advances on her pilgrim way, of a Church that is living and for this reason semper reformanda, in need of reform because she is alive.”

The Pope said reform must “con-form to the Good News which must be proclaimed joyously and courageously to all, especially to the poor, the least and the outcast” and that it “must be guided by ecclesiology and directed in bonum et in servitium, as is the service of the Bishop of Rome”.

He said the aim of reform is not aesthetic, like a facelift, for “it isn’t wrinkles we need to worry about in the Church, but blemishes!”

Pope Francis said curial reform will only work if the men and women who work in the Curia are renewed and not simply replaced.

“Permanent formation is not enough; what we need also and above all is permanent conversion and purification. Without a change of mentality, efforts at practical improvement will be in vain.”

He said resistance to the process of reform is healthy, provided it does not come from ill intentions.

Describing three types of resistance, the Pope said open resistance is “born of goodwill and sincere dialogue” and hidden resistance comes from “hardened hearts content with the empty rhetoric of a complacent spiritual reform”, while malicious resistance springs up “in misguided minds and comes to the fore when the devil inspires ill intentions… [which] hides behind words of self-justification and often accusation”.

Pope Francis then laid out the guiding principles of the reform, which are:

- Individual responsibility (personal conversion)
 - Pastoral concern (pastoral conversion) - Missionary spirit (Christocentrism)
 - Clear organization - Improved functioning
 - Modernization (updating) - Sobriety
 - Subsidiarity - Synodality
 - Catholicity - Professionalism
 - Gradualism (discernment)

In conclusion, the Holy Father reiterated that Christmas is the feast of God’s loving humility and repeated a prayer of Fr. Matta el Meskin, addressing the Lord Jesus born in Bethlehem.

“Grant us to become small like you, so that we can draw near to you and receive from you abundant humility and meekness. Do not deprive us of your revelation, the epiphany of your infancy in our hearts, so that with it we can heal all our pride and all our arrogance. We greatly need… for you to reveal in us your simplicity, by drawing us, and indeed the Church and the whole world, to yourself.”

Please find below the official English translation of Pope Francis’ address:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O76W-VBq0ro
2016.12.22 Christmas greetings of the Roman Curia