03/05/2015VATICAN Pope: "the abandonment is the most serious 'illness' of the elderly", who must be helped at the end of their life When life becomes very fragile and is approaching its earthly end, "we feel the responsibility to assist and accompany the person in the best way" to relieve the suffering. This is what families and palliative care provide. For the pontiff, "all medical knowledge is truly science, in its most noble sense, only if it finds its place as a help in view of the good of man, a good that is never achieved by going 'against' his life and dignity." Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Abandonment is the most
serious 'illness' of the elderly, and also the greatest injustice they can
suffer," said Pope Francis. However, "when life becomes very fragile and the
end of earthly existence approaches, we feel the responsibility to assist and
accompany the person in the best way" and relieve their suffering. This is what
families and palliative care...
03/04/2015VATICAN Pope: A society that "discards" the elderly, "depository of a people’s wisdom", carries a virus of death "A culture of profit insists on painting the elderly as a burden, a 'dead weight'. It thinks that the elderly don’t produce anything and therefore are a burden". "There is something vile in this addiction we have to this throw away culture. We have become used to discarding people." "The Church cannot and does not want to comply with a mentality of impatience, and even less that of indifference and contempt towards old age".
03/03/2015VATICAN Pope: "a thousand times Jesus preferred sinners" to hypocrites "In the second week of Lent we have these three words to think about, to ponder: the invitation to conversion; the gift that the Lord will give us, which is great forgiveness, a great forgiveness; and the trap, that is, pretending to convert, while choosing the path of hypocrisy. "
03/02/2015VATICAN Pope: Judging ourselves to obtain and offer mercy At Mass in Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis emphasizes that judging ourselves is the first step of Christian wisdom. Recognizing the envy that leads us to "speak ill of others", that we are capable of doing worse things than which we judge others for. "Who am I to judge?" obeys the exhortation of Jesus: Judge not lest you be judged.
03/01/2015VATICAN Pope: Let us not forget those who are suffering in Syria, Iraq and Venezuela; let us pray for them Francis comments the Gospel of the Transfiguration of Christ. "Jesus reveals himself as the perfect icon of the Father, the irradiation of his glory. It is the fulfilment of revelation. [. . .] Jesus' journey always leads us to happiness [. . .]. Love transfigures everything." The task he leaves for the disciples and the faithful is simple: "Listen to and follow the Saviour." After the Marian prayer, the Holy Father issued an appeal to the peoples of the Middle East, noting that "We are praying insistently for an end to the intolerable brutality of which they are victims."
02/28/2015VATICAN Pope encourages the growth of cooperatives as an economic model that serves the common good Cooperatives are "enterprises based on the principle of solidarity and social relations," that act as "the lever that raises and develops the weakest part of local communities and civil society," and provide "new welfare solutions" that support, facilitate and even encourage family life, because even though money is "the dung of the devil," if it is well managed, "it can be used to promote the common good."
02/27/2015PHILIPPINES - VATICAN For Filipino bishops' president, "pope awakes from indifference, a national evil" Speaking to AsiaNews, Mgr Socrates Villegas, archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan and president of the Filipino bishops' conference, underscores "the enormous importance of Francis' message for this Lent. Ours is a Catholic country, but selfishness is conquering more and more." The pope's great mass in Manila was "ray of sunshine that illuminates the future. Among those present, 50 per cent were under 20. They are our best hope."
02/26/2015SYRIA IS holding more than 250 Christians, for vicar to Aleppo, pope's prayers are a source of courage Pope Francis is closely monitoring the situation in Syria and praying for the Christian minority. For Mgr Georges Abou Khazen, the pope's closeness is a source "of great consolation and help." The road to peace "is long, but the only one possible." At least 5,000 Christians fled from the Islamists. The UN Security Council condemns the abductions.
02/24/2015UKRAINE - RUSSIA Ukraine, a land scorched by history by Vladimir Rozanskij The end of the Soviet Union led to idea that the West and democracy had won. However, the Ukrainian conflict proves otherwise. Although the pope's words on post-communist economic injustices are right, they have boosted Russians' belief that they are the "last bastion" against the ruin that Western capitalism will inevitably inflict. For them, their apocalyptic fate is inexorably tied to what will happen on the Ukrainian border.
02/22/2015VATICAN Pope gifts "Guard your heart" booklet as an aid to conversion in Lent At today's Angelus Pope Francis gave away booklets containing "the wealth of our doctrine," the essentials of the faith: "the seven sacraments, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Ten Commandments, the virtues, works of mercy. .. ". The booklet was distributed by volunteers and homeless people. "Those who are in need are also the ones who give us this great wealth." Lent is a time "for spiritual battle against the spirit of evil", already won by Jesus in the desert. "We go into the desert without fear, because we are not alone, we are with Jesus." This afternoon, the Pope goes to Ariccia on retreat with the Curia: "Pray so that in this desert we can hear the voice of Jesus and correct our many defects".
02/20/2015VATICAN Pope: "a good Christian is just to the people who depend on him" "Love of God and love of neighbor are one in the same" and especially in Lent "fasting, is not just abstaining from meat” only to "fight with and exploit workers" and make offerings to the Church "on their backs". The point of Lent is "to think about them: what can I do for the children, for the elderly, who do not have the opportunity to be seen by a doctor?", who maybe wait "for eight hours and then they give an appointment for a week after ".
02/19/2015CHINA - VATICAN If Beijing does not grant religious freedom to the Church diplomatic relations are useless by Peace* An underground priest sent AsiaNews his reflection on the state of relations between China and the Vatican. Talks and negotiations are useless if Beijing does not grant human rights to the people. The "Catholic question" cannot be separated from religious persecution against other religions and ethnic groups. Unlawful bishops loyal to the government are young and numerous. "They will do tremendous damage over the next 20 years if nothing is done." Local communities need bishops in communion with the pope even this upsets the government.
02/18/2015VATICAN Pope: Lent, a time of conversion, a push to return into "the arms of God" "This work of conversion is not just a human endeavor. Reconciliation between us and God is possible thanks to the mercy of the Father. [. . .] We will do well to ask, at the beginning of this Lent, for the gift of tears, so as to make our prayer and our journey of conversion ever more authentic and without hypocrisy."
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