To proclaim Jesus, there is no need for a "vade-mecum", but it is necessary to "approach", to approach "to see what happens" and to start "from the situation", not from a "theory". "All of us Christians must evangelize with our lives, with our example, and also with our word".
Fr. Jyoti Francis Costa is one of the two missionaries chosen by the Vatican in his country. Over the past two years he has preached the love of God in the parishes, in the dioceses and in pilgrimage centers. "I saw the joy in the faces of the faithful who come to know that God is merciful". "God forgives us and welcomes us as we are".
"Do I possess Christian freedom? Am I free, or am I a slave to my passions, ambitions, riches, or passing fancies? It seems like a joke, but many people are slaves to fashion! … Let us reflect on our freedom in the midst of a ‘schizophrenic’ world. It shouts ‘Freedom, Freedom, Freedom!’ but is really a slave. Let us reflect on the freedom that God gives us in Jesus.”
Witness, together with obedience and realism, were demonstrated by the apostles after the Resurrection. "Sins, compromises, fear make us forget" our first encounter with Jesus, the encounter that changed our life. "We carry a memory, but a watered down memory; it makes us become Christians but ‘rose water’ Christians.
Unconfirmed rumors of a possible Papals trip to the North African country on the occasion of the beatification of the seven monks of Tibhirine and of the other 12 martyrs of Algeria. The Algerian Foreign Minister says it is possible. Silence from Vatican. The appreciation of a young Algerian because the Pope sows love, peace, tolerance, as opposed to fundamentalist Islamic preachers, who preach hate.
Card. Zenari critical of the United Nations which has the task of finding a path to peace. Conflict is the sign of "complete failure" between "a crossfire of vetoed resolutions and others voted, but never adopted". Moscow and Washington have torpedoed "a dozen key resolutions" for the country's future.
In a telegram sent to the Archbishop of Algiers, Pope Francis expresses solidarity and sorrow for the deaths of 257 people, mostly soldiers and their families. Also 26 members of the Polisario Front died in the disaster. The Algerian government has opened an investigation.
The South Korean Church is praying for the success of the event, looking forward to "concrete" solutions to the peninsula’s problems. Hope was reborn with the Olympics. People are waiting for a message from Pope Francis.
A harsh exchange between Russia and the United States at the UN. Trump speaks of possible intervention, with the support of London and Paris. Moscow denounces the "campaign of aggression" against a sovereign state. Msgr. Georges Abou Khazen: "there are no certainties" on the Douma attack. The prayers of Christians for peace in the country.
About 158 refugee families live in the parish of Amadiya and surrounding villages. They need food, clothes, shoes, school support, kerosene. Many Christian, Yazid and Arab families returned to Mosul only to turn back. The ‘Adopt a Christian from Mosul’ campaign is ongoing.
Xi Jinping sent a highly congratulatory message. Japan and Germany issued polite words. The Observatory for Security and Cooperation in Europe criticised restrictions on fundamental freedoms. Tensions with Britain remain over the ex-spy poisoning. For Chinese scholar, as the West continues to attack Russia and China, the two will move closer.
