Franco Pisano

For Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), "Mass conversions are carried out by right-wing groups, performing ghar-vapasi where extremists claim they are bringing lost sheep back into the fold” who had “allegedly been coerced away from their original religion”. Such “claims are baseless. Many tribal people required to take part in the ghar vapasi programmes were animists and never Hindus.”

Like the parable of the prodigal son, God is "a father who makes us understand just how much he has missed us". And even if we have wandered far "we find the strength to pray" by starting again "from the word" Abba, Father "," with the tender sense of a child ". Next Friday the Week for Christian Unity begins. "Ecumenism is not something optional".

Francis sends a message to the meeting of the presidents of the Doctrinal Commissions of the Bishops’ Conferences of Asia with a delegation from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Francis writes a Letter for the 25th anniversary of the Pontifical Academy for Life. "On the one hand, appeals are made to alleged rights, arbitrary and non-essential in nature, accompanied by the demand that they be recognized and promoted by public structures, while, on the other hand, elementary and basic rights remain unacknowledged and are violated in much of the world”.

The meeting in Thailand "manifests the desire of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to support local Episcopates in their responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the doctrine of the faith, considering the specific challenges that face the continent of Asia today.”

The is seen as a reaction to the religiosity of the all-powerful president, especially as it is applied in the public administration. According to Turkish writer and theologian Cemil Kılıç, even if 99 per cent of Turks declare themselves Muslim, this does not mean that religion shapes the life of Turks.

In the preface to the book "Evangelii gaudium con don Bosco", Francis writes that the Salesian is "an optimist by nature, he knows how to look at children with positive realism". "The Salesians - he writes - have trained me in beauty, at work and in being very happy". "They helped me grow without fear, without obsessions". "They helped me to move forward in joy and prayer".

"If we do not love our brothers and sisters whom we see, how can we love God whom we cannot see?". "Only faith will give us the strength not to gossip, to pray for everyone, even for our enemies and not to let feelings of jealousy and envy grow".

"The only uncertainty is when, but we do not doubt that He will answer. Maybe we will have to insist for a lifetime, but He will answer ". "How often have we asked and not received, knocked and found a closed door? Jesus urges us, in those moments, to insist and not to give up. Prayer always transforms reality: it transforms reality always: if things do not change around us, at least we will change".

Message from Francis for the next day of the sick that this year is celebrated in solemn form in Calcutta. " Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available for everyone through her welcome and defence of human life, of those unborn and those abandoned and discarded."

"God takes the first step, who has compassion, who has mercy and so often we, our attitude is indifference. Let us pray to the Lord to heal humanity, beginning with us: let my heart recover from this sickness which is the culture of indifference ".

In the speech to the diplomatic corps, Francis lists concerns over crisis of multilateral diplomacy and violations of respect due to each person. Thanks to the agreement "all the Bishops in China are in full communion with the Successor of Peter and with the universal Church".