Franco Pisano

Francis' message for the World Day of Peace. A call for universal access to the Covid vaccine. From Christianity the concepts of person and common good. The social doctrine of the Church "a precious heritage of principles, criteria and indications, from which to draw the 'grammar' of care".

“To pray with tenderness for others. We are all leaves on the same tree: each one that falls reminds us of the great piety that must be nourished in prayer, for one another. Let us pray for one another: it will do us good and it will do everyone good”. May the difficulties help us to live a less consumeristic and more religious Christmas.

A national survey shows a six-point drop from the previous 54 per cent of December last year. When it comes to food poverty, 31 per cent of households rate themselves poor in food, while 47 per cent poor rate themselves as borderline.

Those in the Church tasked with proclaiming Christ to others must have John the Baptist as their model, but they can do so only by detaching themselves from themselves and from worldliness, i.e. “by not attracting people to themselves but directing them toward Jesus.”

Video message from Francis to the meeting of over 50 Catholic agencies. The humanitarian emergency, the drama of refugees, the flight of Christians from their places of origin are some of the problems that exist in Syria, Iraq and neighbouring countries.

"At times we can believe we do not need anything, that we are enough for ourselves, and we live in total self-sufficiency. Sometimes this happens. But sooner or later this illusion vanishes”. And "one day" this inner voice "wakes up and screams". "In this season of Advent, marked by the pandemic, we make our own the prayer of supplication, which Jesus encourages us to.

The Lord “knows our heart better than we do ourselves. Let's take advantage of the present moment! Yes, this is the Christian sense of 'carpe diem'. Do not enjoy life in the fleeting moment, no, this is the worldly meaning. But grasp today to say 'no' to evil and 'yes' to God; open up to His Grace; finally stop withdrawing into ourselves, dragging ourselves into hypocrisy ".

The announcement says that Francis will go to Baghdad, the plain of Ur, which is linked to the memory of Abraham, to the cities of Erbil and Mosul as well as Qaraqosh in the plain of Nineveh. Francis will thus make the visit that John Paul II was unable to make.

The document of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity was presented, which " first of all a challenge to Catholics ". The Vademecum serves, Pope Francis said, as "encouragement and guide" to the exercise of the bishop’s responsibilities for Christian unity.

The pandemic is exacerbating the inequalities already present in our societies, said Francis, who received the ambassadors of Jordan, Kazakhstan, Zambia, Mauritania, Uzbekistan, Madagascar, Estonia, Rwanda, Denmark and India, for the presentation of the Letters of Credence.

Francis released a message for International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Society and the Church must promote "active" participation, not just assistance. Parishes too must remove obstacles and encourage training so that the disabled too can teach catechism.

Questions are being raised about the arrest of Alfredo Mapano, a former peace talk consultant for the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). He was taken into custody at work at a government corporation in Misamis Oriental province.