Franco Pisano

Pope Francis met with US President Joe Biden focusing on climate change ahead of the G20 Summit in Rome and the COP26 Conference in Glasgow. The pontiff also released an audio message to the BBC. in it, he says: “The most important lesson we can take from these crises is our need to build together, so that there will no longer be any borders, barriers or political walls for us to hide behind.”

In in its message for the Hindu festival of Diwali, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue calls for “Bringing light together in people’s lives through interreligious solidarity [which] also validates the usefulness and resourcefulness of religious traditions in society.”

The "new fundamentalists": the road frightens them and "they turn back because they feel safer: they seek the security of God and not the God of security". Francis blessed two bells, destined for Ecuador and Ukraine. "May their sound announce the 'Gospel of life' to the world, awaken the consciences of men and the memory of the unborn. I entrust to your prayers every child conceived, whose life is sacred and inviolable".

In a letter marking the 30th anniversary of the Patriarch’s election, Francis speaks about their “fraternal friendship”. He goes on to say that “the way of dialogue, in charity and in truth, [is] the only possible way for reconciliation between believers in Christ and for the re-establishment of their full communion.” To this end, he notes that he shares with Bartholomew “the understanding of our common pastoral responsibility in the face of the urgent challenges confronting the entire human family today.”

Catholics are up by more than 15 million people, almost 2 million in Asia. Worldwide, the number of priests is up (+1.989 in Asia); so is the number of deacons but not in Asia (-11). There are fewer bishops and major seminarians. Mission stations (3,217) with a resident priest are up (+301) in every continent (+88 in Asia).

"We know that one of the most widespread modern conceptions of freedom is this: 'my freedom ends where yours begins.' But here the relationship is missing! It is an individualistic vision. Instead, those who have received the gift of freedom brought about by Jesus cannot think that freedom consists in staying away from others, seeing them as a nuisance; they cannot see the human being as closed in on himself, but always part of a community." The spontaneous gesture of the little boy, who sat down next to Francis.

With respect to vaccines, “there is an urgent need to help countries that have fewer of them, but this must be done with far-sighted plans, not just motivated by the haste of wealthy nations to be safer. Remedies must be distributed with dignity, not as pitiful handouts.”

“The quest for personal prestige can become a spiritual malady, masquerading itself even behind good intentions: for example, when behind the good we do and preach, we actually seek ourselves alone and our own affirmation, that is, that we get ahead and climb up, we see it even in the Church”.

Francis released a video message to the participants of the second session of the 4th World Meeting of Popular Movements (EMMP), underway online today. The social doctrine of the Catholic Church highlights “principles such as the preferential option for the poor, the universal destination of goods, solidarity, subsidiarity, participation, and the common good. These are all ways in which the Good News of the Gospel takes concrete form”.

"How many errors have been made in the history of evangelisation by seeking to impose a single cultural model! Uniformity as a rule of life is not Christian! Unity yes, uniformity no! At times, even violence was not spared in order to make a single point of view prevail." "Criticism of every evangelical novelty is not only of our time, but has a long history behind it."

"Today Jesus calls us, as he did the rich man in the Gospel, to empty ourselves, to free ourselves from all that is worldly, including our inward-looking and outworn pastoral models; and to ask ourselves what it is that God wants to say to us in this time. And the direction in which he wants to lead us."

Moment of reflection for the beginning of the Synodal Process "For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission". To become "a Church of listening" to the Spirit and to our brothers and sisters, a "Church of closeness" that "establishes greater bonds of friendship with society and the world".