Franco Pisano

"Please be brave, because when we pray for a need, a necessity it sis normal. God is our friend: He is a rich friend who has bread, he has what we need. As if Jesus said: In prayer be intrusive. Do not get tired ". But do not get tired of what? Of asking. “Ask and it will be given to you”.

Some auditors highlighted the inadequacy of an ecclesial proposal centred on ethical theism against the profound thirst for the spirit among the young. The names of the three members picked by the pope were made public today; they will join the Commission tasked with drafting the final document.

Speaking of the commandment "do not kill", Francis asked, "how can an act that does away with innocent and defenseless life in its origin be therapeutic, civil or simply human ".I ask you: is it right to “take out” a human life to resolve a problem? Is it right to hire an assassin to resolve a problem?"

The focus of 14 reports are the need for a Church in dialogue that is not self-referential or biased, but is focused on the credibility of testimony. Digital culture and the risk of compulsive behaviour engendered by the "screen culture" were discussed. Pastors must be trained to face the pastoral, missionary and spiritual challenges of a culture of globalisation, secularism and technology.

“In order to know which side we are on, or whether we are exaggerating because we are getting into an overly abstract, even gnostic, contemplation; or whether we are too busy; we must ask ourselves the question: ‘Am I in love with the Lord? Am I certain, certain that He has chosen me? Or do I live my Christianity like this, doing things… Yes, I do this, I do that; But what does my heart do? Does it contemplate?”

"Lay people and pastors", we must ask ourselves if we are open to what the Lord gives us "every day", often putting us in difficulty, or we are "official" Christians, doing what we owe, feeling "in order" and chained to the same rules.

The Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops writes an open letter to the former nuncio to Washington. In it, he describes the former nuncio’s accusations as a baseless “political manoeuvre”. “I cannot understand how you could have allowed yourself to be convinced of this monstrous accusation which has no standing,” he writes.

During a meeting with some 7,000 young people, Francis urged them to find themselves as they search what is good, “being on the way” and not “sit on the couch.” For him, "Nowadays, populists are a bit trendy, but they have nothing to do with the people and the way the latter express themselves, in culture, in celebrations, also in celebrations. Populism is the opposite, [it is] closure, 'only us'."

The Vatican responds to Mgr Viganò’s dossier. "Both abuse and its cover-up can no longer be tolerated and a different treatment for Bishops who have committed or covered up abuse, in fact represents a form of clericalism that is no longer acceptable."

Meng Hongwei’s fate is unknown. Media reports suggest that the Interpol official, who is also China’s Deputy Public Security Minister, was detained by security officers upon his arrival in China.

"We reduce the Gospel to a social, sociological fact, and not to a personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus speaks to me, speaks to you, speaks to each one of us". "Let us ask the Holy Spirit to open the doors of our heart, so that Jesus may enter, that we may not only hear Jesus", but let us listen to his message.

Card de Rocha noted that for those who want to accompany young people towards life in fullness, "it is essential to know the realities that they live in, starting from the most painful ones such as want, war, prison, migration and all other forms of poverty".