Pope Francis

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-prayer-intention-may-2019.html

Pope's May prayer intention: For the Church in Africa
02 May 2019, 16:30

Pope Francis on Thursday released a video message accompanying his prayer intention for May, which this month is for the Church in Africa.

In his prayer intention for the month of May 2019, Pope Francis calls us to pray that the Church in Africa may be the seed of unity among her peoples and a sign of hope for the continent.

It has become the custom of Pope Francis to release a video message detailing his prayer intention for each month.

The full text of his intention is below:

The ethnic, linguistic, and tribal divisions in Africa can be overcome by promoting unity in diversity.

I want to thank the religious sisters, priests, laity, and missionaries for their work to create dialogue and reconciliation among the various sectors of African society.

Let us pray this month that the Church in Africa, through the commitment of its members, may be the seed of unity among her peoples and a sign of hope for this continent.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-mining-indigenous-rights-development-common-home.html

Pope: mining activities should ensure integral sustainable human development
03 May 2019, 15:51

Pope Francis with participants in the Vatican meeting on "Mining for the Common Good".   (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis on April 3 addressed participants in a meeting on “Mining for the Common Good”, promoted by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
By Robin Gomes

Pope Francis on Friday denounced a voracious economic model that is profit-oriented, shortsighted, and based on the misconception of unlimited economic growth, saying its impacts are disastrous on the natural world and in the lives of people.

“We need to see that what is at stake is our own dignity,”  he told some 60 participants in a Vatican meeting on the theme, “Mining for the Common Good”, promoted by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/pope-addresses-conference-on-mining-for-the-common-good/
Pope Addresses Conference on ‘Mining for the Common Good’ 
Meeting Organized by Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
May 03, 2019 16:2

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Video at the link

https://zenit.org/articles/pope-sends-video-message-to-people-of-bulgaria/

Pope Sends Video Message to People of Bulgaria 
Will Visit Balkan nation on May 5-6, 2019
May 03, 2019 16:16 

Pope Francis sent his greetings to the people of Bulgaria in a video message on Friday, May 2, 2019, ahead of his Apostolic Journey to the Balkan nation on May 5-6, 2019. The text of the message follows.

The Holy Father’s Video Message
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-greets-new-swiss-guard-recruits.html

Pope Francis greets new Swiss Guard recruits
04 May 2019, 12:34

Pope Francis with the Pontifical Swiss Guard  (Vatican Media)
Ahead of the traditional May 6th Swiss Guard swearing-in ceremony in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis received 23 new recruits on Saturday telling them “to be witnesses and apostles of personal and community renewal.”

Greeting the 23 new Swiss Guard recruits and their families ahead of their swearing-in ceremony in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace on Monday, the Pope expressed the hope that their service in the Vatican and their time spent in Rome would bring those they encounter “a word of comfort and a gesture of brotherhood, so that they may become convincing witnesses of the risen Christ, alive and present in every age.”

In this way, he continued, “you will live your Christian vocation in a fruitful way, rooted in Baptism, the origin of faith.”
 
The swearing-in ceremony of the 23 new recruits will take place in the St. Damasus Courtyard in the Vatican on Monday 6th May. The date of the event commemorates the 147 Swiss Guards who fell defending Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome in 1527.

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-ukraine-meeting-rome-press-office.html

Pope invites leaders of Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church to Rome
04 May 2019, 11:59

A Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine
The Holy See’s Press Office said that the Pope has called the leaders of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church for a meeting in July, as a sign of his closeness to the community and his efforts to build peace in the troubled nation.

Pope Francis is once more reaching out to the troubled spots of the world in his effort to bring about peace and harmony.  This time, on the eve of his visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia, the Holy Father turned his attention to Ukraine.

In his New Year address to the Diplomatic Corps in January, Pope Francis mentioned the “humanitarian initiative in Ukraine on behalf of those suffering, particularly in the eastern areas of the country”.

The Holy See Press Office released a statement on Saturday saying the Pope has invited the leaders of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church for a meeting in Rome, July 5-6.  The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church is in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.
 

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Video at the link

https://zenit.org/articles/pope-sends-video-message-to-people-of-north-macedonia/

Pope Sends Video Message to People of North Macedonia 
Will Visit Nation on Tuesday, May 7, 2019
May 04, 2019 16:39
 
Pope Francis on Saturday, May 4, 2019, sent a video message to the people of North Macedonia in advance of his apostolic visit to the country May 7. It will be the second part of his trip, which includes a visit to Bulgaria on May 5-6.

Here is the text of the video:
 

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https://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2019/holy-boldness-profile-of-women-religious-rising-at-vatican.cfm

Holy boldness: Profile of women religious rising at Vatican
By Cindy Wooden  Catholic News Service
5.2.2019 11:05 AM ET

CNS photo/Paul Haring
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican can move at a snail's pace but looking back over the past six years, the profile of women, especially women religious, at Vatican events has risen sharply.

The Roman Curia is not teeming with women leaders and Pope Francis has given no indication, for example, that he will open the diaconate to women, but women are taking center stage more often and doing so with the "parrhesia" or boldness Pope Francis encourages.

And rather than having to beg for a hearing, members of the International Union of Superiors General -- leaders of some 450,000 women religious around the world -- are regularly invited now to Vatican meetings at every level.

Sister Carmen Sammut, UISG president and superior of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, told reporters May 2 "with the Vatican dicasteries, many things have changed" over the past six years.
 
A small sign of the changing status of women also can be seen in the pope's interaction with participants at the UISG plenary meetings, which are held every three years in Rome. Pope Francis was scheduled to meet with some 850 women leading religious orders May 10.
 
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/05/03/women-religious-to-gather-in-rome-searching-for-the-new/
Women religious to gather in Rome searching for the ‘new’
Claire Giangravè   May 3, 2019

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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/04/22/vatican-publishes-updated-schedule-for-popes-visit-to-balkan-nations/
Vatican publishes updated schedule for pope’s visit to Balkan nations
Catholic News Service   Apr 22, 2019

ROME - Pope Francis will visit the Balkan nations of Bulgaria and North Macedonia May 5-7, encouraging the nations’ small Catholic communities, reaching out to the Orthodox and to Muslims and paying tribute to two popular saints.

St. Teresa of Kolkata was born Aug. 26, 1910, in Skopje, which is now the capital of North Macedonia. And St. John XXIII served as apostolic delegate in Bulgaria from 1925 to 1935; for the theme of Pope Francis’s trip, the Bulgarian bishops chose the title of St. John’s 1963 encyclical, Pacem in Terris (“Peace on Earth”).

The Vatican April 17 released a full schedule for the trip, updating the an outlined itinerary, which was published in early March. Here is the full schedule; times listed are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parentheses:

Sunday, May 5 (Rome, Sofia)

- 7 a.m. (1 a.m.) Departure from Rome’s Fiumicino airport for Sofia.
- 10 a.m. (3 a.m.) Arrival at Sofia Airport.
- 10:10 (3:10 a.m.) Meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov in the airport’s governmental lounge.
- 10:40 a.m. (3:40 a.m.) Welcoming ceremony on the square outside the presidential palace.
- 11 a.m. (4 a.m.) Courtesy visit with President Rumen Radev in the presidential palace.
- 11:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m.) Meeting with government authorities, civic leaders and the diplomatic corps at Atanas Burov Square. Speech by pope.
- Noon (5 a.m.) Visit with Bulgarian Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte and members of the Holy Synod at the Palace of the Holy Synod. Greeting by pope.
- 12:50 p.m. (5:50 a.m.) Silent prayer before the Throne of Sts. Cyril and Methodius at the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky.
- 1 p.m. (6 a.m.) Recitation of the Regina Coeli prayer in Alexander Nevsky Square.
- 4:45 p.m. (9:45 a.m.) Celebration of Mass in Battenberg Square. Homily by pope.
 

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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-bulgaria-apostolic-visit-sofia-flight-reporters.html
The Pope arrives in Bulgaria
05 May 2019, 10:16

Pope arrives at Sofia airport, Bulgaria, May 5, 2019.  (ANSA)
The papal plane landed at 9.50 a.m. local time in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. While flying out of Rome, Pope Francis sent a telegram greeting Italian President Mattarella saying that the purpose of his pastoral visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia is to "meet his brothers in faith and the inhabitants of those nations". He also met reporters on board following him.

Pope Francis arrived in Sofia at 9.50 local time on Sunday. A few minutes later, Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Anselmo Guido Pecorari, and the Head of Protocol came on board to greet the Pope.   Descending the steps of the aircraft, the Holy Father shook hands with Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov.  He caressed 4 children in traditional dress who greeted him with flowers at the start of his 3-day visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia, in what is the 29th apostolic journey abroad.

Accompanied by the Prime Minister and walking on a red carpet to a guard of honour, arrived at the Governmental Lounge of Sofia airport, where he had a brief private conversation with Borisov.
 
Videos at the links below--

Pope Francis - Sofia - Official Welcome 2019-05-05
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

Pope Francis - Sofia – Welcome Ceremony 2019-05-05
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-bulgaria-apostolic-journey-authorities-diplomats.html#.XM69ea_uq_g.twitter
Pope in Bulgaria: a bridge between East and West
05 May 2019, 11:00

Pope Francis being welcomed in Bulgaria at Sofia's Atanas Burov Square on May 5, 2019.  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis arrives in Bulgaria and delivers his first official discourse as he meets with Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps in Sofia.
By Vatican News

Geographically, Bulgaria’s capital city of Sofia lies midway between the Black Sea to the east and the Adriatic Sea to the west. In his first public speech in the country, Pope Francis called Bulgaria “a bridge between East and West, capable of favouring encounter between the different cultures, ethnic groups, civilizations and religions that for centuries have lived here in peace”.

Addressing the President, Authorities, and the Diplomatic Corps in Atanas Burov Square shortly after his arrival, the Pope praised Bulgaria, saying that here, “diversity, combined with respect for distinctive identities, is viewed as an opportunity, a source of enrichment, and not as a source of conflict”.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-bulgaria-apostolic-visit-sofia-welcome-ceremony.html
Pope in Bulgaria: Full text of speech to diplomats, civil authorities
05 May 2019, 10:37

Video at the link below--
Pope Francis - Sofia - Meeting with Government Authorities 2019-05-05
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-in-bulgaria-ecumenism-and-the-example-of-saints-cyril-and.html#.XM69i1CGHjs.twitter
Pope in Bulgaria: ecumenism and the example of Saints Cyril and Methodius
05 May 2019, 11:48

Pope Francis addressing the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Sofia, May 5, 2019.   (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis reflects on the example of Saints Cyril and Methodius during his meeting in Sofia with Patriarch Neophyte, Head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, along with Metropolitans and Bishops of the Holy Synod.
By Vatican News

In the Christian East, today is “Saint Thomas Sunday”. Pope Francis began by referencing the Apostle, “who puts his hand in the Lord’s side”, and touches His wounds.

“The wounds opened in the course of history between us Christians remain painful bruises on the Body of Christ which is the Church”, he said. “Even today, their effects are tangible”. Yet, said Pope Francis, “perhaps together we can recognize our failings and immerse ourselves in his wounds of love”, discovering “the joy of forgiveness”.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-bulgaria-apostolic-visit-orthodox-church-synod.html
Pope in Bulgaria: Full text of speech to Bulgarian Orthodox Church
05 May 2019, 11:24

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-bulgaria-john-xxiii-regina-coeli.html#.XM69owH-IlY.twitter
Pope in Bulgaria recalls Saint John XXIII during Regina Coeli prayer
05 May 2019, 12:12

Video at the link below--
Pope Francis - Sofia –Prayer before the Throne of Saints Cyril and Methodius-Regina Coeli 2019-05-05
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-bulgaria-apostolic-journey-mass0.html#.XM8A__6txSg.twitter
Pope at Mass in Bulgaria: God calls, God surprises, God loves
05 May 2019, 17:02

Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Prince Alexander I Square in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 5, 2019.   (Vatican Media)
The last public event of Pope Francis’ first day in the Bulgarian capital Sofia was an evening Mass in Prince Alexander I Square.
By Robin Gomes

In his homily at Sunday Mass, Pope Francis reflected on the day’s Gospel episode where Jesus reveals Himself again to His disciples at the Sea of Tiberias after His resurrection.  The episode he said reminds us of three amazing things that are part of our lives as disciples, namely, God calls, God surprises, God loves.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-bulgaria-apostolic-journey-mass.html
Pope in Bulgaria: Full text of homily at Mass
05 May 2019, 15:52

Video at the link below--
Pope Francis - Sofia - Holy Mass 2019-05-05
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/04/22/vatican-publishes-updated-schedule-for-popes-visit-to-balkan-nations/
Vatican publishes updated schedule for pope’s visit to Balkan nations
Catholic News Service
Apr 22, 2019
 
The Vatican April 17 released a full schedule for the trip, updating the an outlined itinerary, which was published in early March. Here is the full schedule; times listed are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parentheses:
 
Monday, May 6 (Sofia, Rakovski, Sofia)

- 8:30 a.m. (1:30 a.m.) Private visit to a refugee camp.
- 9:30 a.m. (2:30 a.m.) Departure by plane to Rakovski.
- 11:15 a.m. (4:15 a.m.) Celebration of Mass with first Communion at the Church of the Sacred Heart. Homily by pope.
- 1 p.m. (6 a.m.) Lunch with the bishops of Bulgaria at the Convent of the Franciscan Sisters.
- 3:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m.) Meeting with the Catholic community at the Church of St. Michael the Archangel. Speech by pope.
- 5:15 p.m. (10:15 a.m.) Departure by plane for Sofia.
- 6:15 p.m. (11:15 a.m.) Meeting for peace with Bulgarian representatives of various religions in Nezavisimost Square. Prayer by pope.
 

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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

Photo gallery at the link
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-in-bulgaria-warm-welcome-at-refugee-centre.html

Pope in Bulgaria: Warm welcome at refugee centre
06 May 2019, 08:26

Pope Francis at refugee centre  (Vatican Media)
The Pope visits the "Vrazhdebna" Refugee Centre which welcomes families from Syria and Iraq

Pope Francis on Monday morning visited the "Vrazhdebna" Refugee Centre on the outskirts of Sofia on this the second day of his Apostolic journey to Bulgaria.

On his arrival, the Pope was welcomed by the Director of the Centre and by the Director of Caritas.

He then went to the refectory where about 50 people, including parents and children, were gathered.

The children who were present in the Centre come from Syria and Iraq.  After a brief greeting from a volunteer, a song performed by the children and the gift of the children's drawings to the Pope, the Holy Father greeted the families present and addressed a few brief words to them.
 

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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

Photo gallery at the link
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-at-mass-in-bulgaria-communion-in-the-eucharist.html
Pope at Mass in Bulgaria: Communion in the Eucharist
06 May 2019, 11:30

Pope Francis during Mass in Rakovsky  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis celebrates Holy Mass with First Communion, in Rakovsky, Bulgaria, and tells the young boys and girls how the Eucharist expresses the communion that makes us all brothers and sisters.
By Vatican News

The homily was brief and to the point. But, most of all, it was addressed directly to the children who were there to receive their First Holy Communion: all 242 of them.

Rakovsky is the most predominantly Catholic town in Bulgaria, and the children had come from every corner of what Pope Francis called this “Land of Roses”. He was referring to the fact that Bulgaria is the world’s number one producer of rose oil, an essence used to make perfumes since the middle ages.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-in-bulgaria-full-text-of-mass-homily.html#.XNAJzQ4FJjc.twitter
Pope in Bulgaria: Full text of Mass homily
06 May 2019, 10:25

Video at the link below--
Pope Francis - Rakovsky - Holy Mass 2019-05-06
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-bulgaria-catholic-community.html
Pope to Catholic Community in Bulgaria: See with the eyes of faith
06 May 2019, 16:29

Pope Francis meeting with Bulgaria's Catholic Community in Church of St Michael the Archangel in Rakovsky  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis meets with the Catholic Community of Bulgaria in the town of Rakovski, and invites them to see things the way God does.
By Vatican News

Catholics in Bulgaria make up about one per cent of the population, in an overwhelmingly Orthodox nation. Around ten thousand faithful gathered in the predominantly Catholic town of Rakovski, in southern Bulgaria, on Monday afternoon to see and hear Pope Francis speak to them about a theme very close to his heart: seeing with the eyes of faith.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-bulgaria-catholic-community-full-text.html
Pope in Bulgaria: Full text of address to Catholic community in Rakovski
06 May 2019, 15:53

Video at the link below--
Pope Francis - Rakovsky - Meeting with the Catholic Community 2019-05-06
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-bulgaria-sofia-peace-meeting.html
Pope in Bulgaria prays for peace according to the example of St Francis
06 May 2019, 18:24

Pope Francis attends the prayer meeting for peace in Sofia  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis’ prayer for peace in Independence Square is his last public event in Sofia, and a summary of the themes of his Apostolic journey to Bulgaria.
By Vatican News

There were six candles to represent the six religious confessions participating in the ceremony. There was the logo for the papal visit with the words “Pacem in terris”, from the encyclical of Pope Saint John XXIII. There were roses, symbolizing Bulgaria, and there was an olive tree, symbolizing peace.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-interreligious-peace-prayer-meeting-bulgaria.html
Pope in Bulgaria: Full text of peace prayer meeting in Sofia
06 May 2019, 18:22

Video at the link below--
Pope Francis - Sofia - Prayer for Peace 2019-05-06
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

https://www.ksl.com/article/46546571/the-latest-orthodox-reps-not-at-popes-multi-faith-event
The Latest: Orthodox reps not at pope's multi-faith event
By The Associated Press | Updated - May 6th, 2019 @ 11:20am | Posted - May 6th, 2019 @ 2:47am

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — The Latest on Pope Francis' visit to Bulgaria (all times local):

7:45 p.m.

Pope Francis is presiding over a peace meeting in Bulgaria with members of the Balkan country's different faith communities and a children's choir singing "We Are the World."

There were no immediate signs at the meeting of a high-ranking representative of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

The Bulgarian church said it would not participate in any papal events during Francis' two-day trip, though members of its governing body greeted Francis upon his arrival Sunday.

The Monday afternoon peace meeting opened with the children's choir singing "We Are the World" in English. The 1985 song by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie was recorded to raise funds for African famine victims.

Francis is traveling to North Macedonia on Tuesday.
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Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia -- May 5-7, 2019

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-north-macedonia-apostolic-journey-skopje.html
Pope brings message of peace, unity to North Macedonia
06 May 2019, 23:40

Skopje prepares to welcome Pope Francis to North Macedonia  (AFP or licensors)
Pope Francis’ one-day visit to Skopje, North Macedonia, will focus on unity in diversity.
By Christopher Wells

When Pope Francis arrives in Skopje on Tuesday morning, he will become the first Pope ever to visit North Macedonia.

It’s an important moment for the small Catholic community in the country. The Church in North Macedonia comprises less than one percent of the population – a fact reflected in the choice of the motto for the visit, “Do not be afraid, little flock”.
 
Saint Mother Teresa

The meeting with religious leaders will take place in the Memorial House of (Saint) Mother Teresa, who was born to an Albanian family in Skopje; the Memorial is built on the site of the church – since destroyed – where Mother Teresa was baptised Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu.

Saint Mother Teresa was canonized by Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square in 2016, and was a natural choice for the Patron Saint of this voyage. While at the Saint’s Memorial House, he will also meet with poor people who are being assisted by Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity – one more concrete example of Pope Francis’ priorities for a missionary Church rooted in acts of charity, and reaching out to the peripheries of modern society.

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In other news...

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2019/05/06/pope-names-relator-general-special-secretaries-for-amazon-synod/
Pope names relator general, special secretaries for Amazon synod
Junno Arocho Esteves   May 6, 2019
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Pope Francis has chosen Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes to serve as relator general of next year’s Synod of Bishops on the Amazon. The cardinal is pictured in Washington March 23, 2017. (Credit: Tyler Orsburn/CNS.)
ROME - Pope Francis has chosen Brazil’s Cardinal Claudio Hummes to serve as relator general of next year’s Synod of Bishops on the Amazon.

The nomination of the 84-year-old retired Archbishop of Sao Paulo was announced at the Vatican on May 4. The relator is responsible for providing a comprehensive outline of the synod’s theme at the beginning of the meeting and for summarizing the speeches of synod members before work begins on concrete proposals for the pope.

Scheduled for Oct. 6-27, the synod will focus on “Amazonia: New paths for the church and for an integral ecology.”

Hummes currently serves as president of the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network, a Catholic organization founded by Caritas Internationalis that “promotes the rights and dignity of people living in the Amazon.”

The Vatican also announced that Francis had chosen two special secretaries for the synod.