Pope: Day of Social Communications, "Fear not, for I am with you"

"God’s salvation can reach any man in any condition, even the most negative and painful. God's salvation is for everyone: for all! Without exception. And it is offered to all. This is why the Jubilee is a time of grace and mercy for all, good and bad. " "Jesus saved us staying on the Cross. And we all know it is not easy to stay on the cross on our little crosses of every day. "

 

Francis appeals "to everyone to commit themselves with all their strength to the protection of civilians as an imperative and urgent obligation". Tomorrow "Cor Unum" to meet on Syrian and Iraqi crisis.

 

"We need to figure out when our spirit is in this state of all-encompassing sadness, when it has almost no breathing space: This happens to us all". We must pray, pray strenuously, just like Job, cry out day and night for God to incline His ear. "It is a prayer of knocking on the door, but forcefully."

 

A difficult journey to two countries where Catholics are a small minority. In Tbilisi, for the first time a delegation from the "intransigent" Georgian Orthodox Church will participate in a Papal liturgy. In Baku the meeting with the Sheikh of Caucasus Muslims.

Speaking before thousands of catechists from around the world during the Jubilee Mass, Pope Francis highlighted "the centre" of the faith that is to be proclaimed: "the Lord Jesus is risen, [. . .] and he has given his life for you”. He also focused on the quality of the messenger, who proclaims “not by the power of convincing, never by imposing the truth, no less by growing fixated on some religious or moral obligation.” The rich man is blind because he does not see the poor. He squints because “he looks with adulation at famous people, of high rank, admired by the world, yet turns his gaze away from the many Lazaruses of today”. Nowadays, “we have fallen into this abyss of indifference, worldliness, selfishness". Francis expressed solidarity with Mexican bishops committed to the family against gender ideology. He mentioned the beatification of Fr Engelmar Unzeitig, killed in Dachau as well as the Day of the Deaf.

In his meeting victims of the terrorist attack in Nice on 14 July and their relatives, Pope Francis encouraged religious groups to entertain fraternal relations and refuse hatred. As a token of the who were killed, the pope received the gift of 86 flowers. Some secularists and environmentalists criticised the meeting. Muslim and Jewish leaders express their appreciation.

We publish the video recordings of the presentations made at the international symposium organised by AsiaNews on 2 September. In order of appearance: Fr Ferruccio Brambillasca, PIME Superior General; Card Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide; Sr Mary Prema, Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity; Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, postulator of the Cause of Mother Teresa; Card Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai; Fr John A. Worthley, on the influence of Mother Teresa in China; a witness to the influence of Mother Teresa in the Islamic world; and Mgr Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia.

"Our soul can be consumed by two types of worry: a good one gifted us by the Holy Spirit, that spurs an anxious soul to do good things" and a "bad worry, one that is born of a guilty conscience".

 

The announcement on website of Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, on the eve of the closing of the Plenary Session in Chieti. Orthodox Russians hope that focus of dialogue will now turn to Uniate question.

At the General Audience Francis says that "merciful love is the only way forward", "we must be more merciful, we must not speak ill of others, or tease others with criticism, with envy with jealousies, forgive, be merciful, live our life in love and give".

 

United States, Red Cross and militias accuse Moscow and Syria.  Russia claims it is yet another publicity stunt by Al Nusra Front. Kerry and Lavrov grapple to save the truce. Ban Ki-moon accuses all sides, but especially the Syrian government

 

"In war, everyone loses, including the victors" is the message that ended the day in Assisi where religious leaders of most of the world prayed again for peace. “We do not have weapons. We believe, however, in the meek and humble strength of prayer.” In the appeal for peace 2016, men and women of various religions called for “encounters through dialogue, [. . .] to oppose every form of violence and abuse of religion which seeks to justify war and terrorism

Francis says his meditation at the ‘Thirst for Peace: Faiths and Cultures in Dialogue’ meeting. "The victims of war, which sullies people with hate and the earth with arms, plead for peace; our brothers and sisters, who live under the threat of bombs and are forced to leave their homes into the unknown, stripped of everything, plead for peace.”