06/18/2013VATICAN Pope: in loving our enemy we become "poorer", like Jesus, who made himself poor for us To be able to love our enemies we must pray. Pray for them, and say to God: "Change their heart. They have a heart of stone, but change it, give them a heart of flesh, that feels good and love." And for us too, "so that the Lord teaches us this wisdom which is so hard, but so beautiful, because it makes us look like the Father and like the Son." Vatican
City (AsiaNews) - It's hard to love our enemies, but Jesus
asks it of us. Loving our enemies "impoverishes us", it makes "us
poor" like Jesus, who became poor for us. In
this poverty, "in Jesus' lowering of himself is the grace that has...
06/17/2013ISLAM Oasis: with the death of secular humanism, it is time to build new bridges by Bernardo Cervellera On the first day of the Oasis Centre's annual conference, participants hear that secularism and the 'crisis of man'-that of an inward-looking man, stalked by radical environmentalism, man as an animal, a 'monkey'-appear to be at an end. Islamic parties brought to the fore by the Arab spring are failing. As new religious experiences emerge in the Arab world, states try to bring under their bureaucratic control. But, as Benedict XVI put it, faith and reason must engage in dialogue. In Najaf (Iraq), a Council for dialogue between religions has been set up for the purpose of promoting basic universal human rights and full citizenship for all of the country's religious communities.
06/17/2013VATICAN Pope: "Things mean everything to this world: wealth, vanity," but for Christians, this is nothing, Jesus is"everything" During the Mass celebrated this morning, Francis denounces that all Christians mistakes, all the mistakes of the Church, all of our mistakes are born here, when we say 'nothing' is 'everything' and that 'everything' does not count ... "." "A Christian is a person who widens his or her heart, with this magnanimity, because they have “everything”,, which is Jesus Christ. Everything else is 'nothing.' They are useful, needed, but when it counts we must know how to choose that ‘everything’, with that mildness, that Christian meekness which is the sign of the disciples of Jesus, meekness and patience. "
06/17/2013VATICAN Pope to G8: promote a ceasefire in Syria and economic measures "inspired by the ethics of truth" Pope Francis writes to the British Prime Minister Cameron. Peace "requires a farsighted renunciation of claims" Remember that man "is not simply an additional economic factor, or a disposable good, but is equipped with a nature and a dignity that cannot be reduced to simple economic calculus".
06/16/2013VATICAN Pope: the Gospel of life is not replacing God with idols of our time, children with selfishness An immense crowd participates in the Mass celebrated by Francis in the day dedicated to Evangelium Vitae in this Year of Faith is. "Often the man does not choose life, does not accept the 'Gospel of life'," which brings true freedom, but "is guided by ideologies and a logic that block life, which do not respect it, because they are dictated by selfishness, self-interest, by profit, power, pleasure and not by love, seeking the good of others. "
06/15/2013VATICAN Pope: Christians must live proclaiming Christ, not seeking peace until Heaven In his usual morning homily Francis emphasizes "the scandal of the cross: Christ became sin for me to bring my soul back to the Lord." Christian life "should not seek the peace of the philosophers but must be lived with zeal. We must live wandering the world preaching the Gospel. "
06/15/2013ISLAM Oasis: benefits and risks of secularization in Muslim-Christian sphere At the annual meeting of the Scientific Committee of the magazine founded by Card. Angelo Scola, testimony from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria. Many personalities from the international academic world present. Discussion focuses on secularization brought about by the "Arab Spring", the fundamentalist fallout and western secularism.
06/14/2013VATICAN - ANGLICAN Pope meets Anglican Primate: together to defend life, social justice and Christians in Syria Francis receives Archbishop Welby. In our history "painful moments", now on the road to unity. And if "have emerged greater difficulties than those that one could imagine," in the theological dialogue there are "cordial relations and everyday coexistence" that allow us to move forward.
06/14/2013VATICAN Pope: priests need "true humility" and recognize they are sinners to receive the gift of salvation At Mass this morning Francis recalls St Paul who said that in order to understand that the "extraordinary power" of faith is God's work; it was poured in sinful men, in "earthen vessels". "The humility of the priest, the humility of a Christian is concrete" and if a Christian fails "to profess this to himself or even to the Church, something is wrong."
06/14/2013SYRIA - USA U.S. to arm Syrian rebels "Red line" crossed: Assad's forces used chemical weapons "to a minimal extent." The rebels want anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons. Bill Clinton suggests a no-fly-zone, similar to Libya. Holy See and the United Nations against any military escalation. Victims of conflict: 93 thousand people, of whom 80% were men. But there are also 1,700 children under 10 years of age.
06/13/2013VATICAN For Pope, whoever curses, "deserves hell" At Mass this morning, Francis once again slammed those who speak ill of others, who get angry" because "when we denigrate another person it is because we are unable to grow up and need to belittle others, to feel more important".
06/13/2013VATICAN Pope: "now", the encyclical on faith, written with "four hands" with Benedict XVI The announcement this morning to participants at the Council meeting of the Synod Secretariat. "Pope Benedict handed it to me, it is a powerful document, although I will say that there I received this great work: he began it and I carried it forward." In his speech, Francis says that the proclamation of the Gospel must not be afraid of "new paths" and speaks of "the further development" of the Synod of Bishops.
06/13/2013ASIA - USA Asian markets collapse, fears of the end of the Fed's stimulus All indexes dive: Tokyo falls to -6.35%, Shanghai and Hong Kong follow closely. Only Seoul ‘holds’ managing to cede less than 1 and a half points. Markets volatile ahead of U.S. central bank meeting, which could cut the financial stimulus program if it were to leave the labor market.
06/12/2013VATICAN Pope: God's people bring light into this world where "the devil acts, but God is stronger" "Woe to those who stifle children in their joyful enthusiasm of hope!: the cry of Francis at the end of the general audience, marking today's World Day Against Child Labour. "God invites everyone to be part of his people," even "those who feel distant", "who are fearful and indifferent." Too many wars among Christians, even in the workplace and in the family: "We all have likes and dislikes, perhaps we are angry with someone. And so, we pray for those with whom we are angry: This is a big step in the law of love."
06/12/2013VATICAN Pope: defeating temptation to "stand still" and "adolescent progressivism" At Mass this morning in Santa Marta, Francis says that faced with those who reject any change and those who follow every cultural change, the way forward is the one indicated by the Holy Spirit, that of "freedom," "in continuously discerning the will of God. "
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