In expressing his closeness, Francis writes: “There is no day when I [. . .] do not carry you in my heart [. . .], you who suffer the terror unleashed by this aggression.” For hi, the world “has come to see” Ukrainians as a “noble and martyred people”. Faced with the cold winter and the rockets landing on power stations that make the suffering even more tragic, Francis cites the trials of the Holy Family in Bethlehem, noting that “the light came, not from men, but from God”.
At the general audience Francis prays for the victims of the earthquake in Indonesia and - recalling Stalin's Holodomor - for the "many children elderly women who today suffer the martyrdom of aggression in Ukraine". His hopes that the World Cup in Qatar can be an occasion for "encounter and harmony, fostering peace and brotherhood among peoples".
Pope Francis makes a private visit to Asti (Italy) to see his 90-year-old cousin, in the place his parents left when they emigrated to Argentina. “Everyone thinks that they know what's wrong in society, [. . .] in the world and in the Church,” Francis said in his homily on the feast of Christ the King. “But do we do anything? Do we get our hands dirty like our God nailed to wood or do we stand with our hands in our pockets watching?”
Titled "Birth”, the biopic follows the life and death of the first Korean priest and martyr, killed in 1846 at the age of 25. It will open in theatres on 30 November, but a preview was screened at the Vatican this week. He “dreamt of equality and truth in a new world and tried to change it. And this is also a seed for the present,” said the popular Korean actor who played him.
At the general audience, the pontiff issued a new call to prayer after the missile attack that caused death and damage to many civilian infrastructures. In his catechesis, Francis spoke of the desolation in our spiritual life that shakes the "aseptic serenity that makes one inhuman". Disquiet as "a response to the objection that the experience of God is a mere projection of our desires".
In his homily, the pope urges action in the face of a "cruel" Third World War. And he warns against being lured by magicians, populist plotters and defeatists. At the Angelus he recalled the launch of the Laudato Sì platform and the ongoing Cop27 in Egypt, which must ensure "steps forward" in the wake of the Paris Agreement. The theme of "perseverance" in the good.
An ethnic Dayak, he replaces Bishop Giulio Mencuccini. Now all Indonesian dioceses are led by Indonesian bishops. For Card Suharyo, the new bishop will take care of the good done by his predecessor. His background in philosophy will help him accommodate local wisdoms with Christianity.
Yesterday saw "cordial talks" between Francis and the Hashemite monarch, the fifth meeting in less than 10 years. Their "shared concern" for the holy city and for the permanence of Christians in the Middle East region. The problem of post-pandemic poverty and unemployment and religious tourism to support the economy.
For the first time in years, the family of Shia activist Mohammed Ramadhan was allowed physical contact with him during a visit. Sentenced to death based on a confession allegedly extracted through torture, his case was among those raised during the pontiff's trip. His wife remains concerned about his health.
At the general audience Francis reviews his recent trip, answering the question: why visit a country with a very large Islamic majority? "Dialogue is the oxygen of peace. The Christians of the Gulf invite us to broaden our horizons and dedicate ourselves to getting to know others". Commemoration of the Orthodox Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos, "a far-sighted pastor".
Back from Bahrain, the pontiff appealed to Lebanese leaders. The Maronite patriarch hopes that the pope will be heard. The apostolic journey to Lebanon was cancelled and never rescheduled. The pope remains close to the country and its people, praying for them.
The mass celebrated at the stadium "the most moving moment". The visible "enthusiasm" of tens of thousands of faithful. The 'dedication' of the local community in preparing for the visit. The pontiff's physical suffering, his "fragility" touched the hearts of Muslims too.
Pope Francis’s apostolic journey to Bahrain ended this morning with a meeting with the local clergy, men and women religious and pastoral workers. “It is beautiful,” he said, “to be part of a Church composed of different histories and different faces that find their harmony in the one face of Jesus.” After mentioning the countries of origin of the Catholics living in the Vicariate, Francis also mentioned Lebanon “so weary and sorely tried” and expressed hope for the peace agreement in Ethiopia.
Francis led the Mass at Bahrain's National Stadium attended by thousands of migrant workers from Asia. When Jesus invites us to love our enemies, he “is not idealistic, but realistic”, for that is the only way “to shatter the chains". At the ecumenical meeting, the pontiff said that the Gulf is a laboratory of unity. “Precisely in our own deserts, the Lord loves to open up new and undiscovered paths and makes fountains of living water spring up”.
In his address to the Forum for dialogue with other religious leaders, the Pope calls for fraternity to be made concrete: "In the garden of humanity, instead of caring for the totality, people play with fire, with missiles and bombs. Religion should not be constraint, but freedom, which is opening up to the good for which we were created".
The pontiff makes this appeal right after he arrived in the Gulf country on an apostolic visit. Like bread, work “is often lacking, and often too, it is a bread that is poisoned, since it enslaves.” Speaking about the nearby forgotten war in Yemen, he calls for weapons to fall silent and action be taken to truly build peace.
On the day the departed are commemorated, the pontiff led a Mass of remembrance in St Peter's for the cardinals and bishops who passed away this past year. At the end of life, “the only chief merit and accusation is mercy towards the poor and the discarded. [. . .] let us not be surprised by this discovery.”
On the Solemnity of All Saints, Pope Francis spoke about the Beatitudes, made relevant more than ever today by war. Noting that “often what we want is not really peace,” but “to be at peace, to be left in peace,” the pope said that the Gospel reminds us that peace does not fall from above, but it is built with “commitment, collaboration [and] patience.” He also called on the faithful to pray for his upcoming apostolic journey to Bahrain.
A 2,300 seat place of worship inaugurated last year with a statue of Our Lady to whom it is dedicated. The Pontiff will hold an ecumenical meeting and prayer for peace during his trip to the Gulf. Its construction was the fruit of the mission of Mgr Ballin, vicar apostolic who died in 2020.
At the Angelus his thoughts for the young people killed by the stampede in the Korean capital, associated with the victims of terrorist violence in Mogadishu. Among the 153 deaths so far confirmed in Seoul were also citizens of several other countries including China, Iran, Russia and the United States. Commenting before the prayer on the passage of the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus, the pontiff said, "It is permissible to look down on a person only to help him rise."
At the General Conference of the Churches of Asia-which concludes tomorrow in Bangkok-the issue of growing conflicts challenges the continent's bishops' conferences. Mumbai Card. Gracias: "Let us not stop at words, let us animate civil society for reconciliation." Pope Francis' envoy Card. Tagle: "The Gospel tells us that God acts through the little ones. Even being a minority is a mission."
Three youth representatives are at the General Conference of Asian Churches, two from India and one from Malaysia. Speaking to AsiaNews, they see the meeting as a great opportunity for an open debate. The emerging challenges in our societies concern them firsthand. For them both present and future count.
The cause of beatification and canonisation of Patriarch Card Gregory Peter XV Agagianian opened today in Rome. Card De Donatis led the Mass at the Lateran basilica in the presence of the current Armenian Catholic Patriarch Minassian. Agagianian bore witness to the faith through works, and his role in the Second Vatican Council.
Titled "Enlarge the space of your tent”, the report reflects the ideas formulated by 112 bishops’ conferences sent to the Vatican, including from the Churches of Asia. Starting with this paper, discussions will get underway again at the local level to pick the priorities for the first phase of the Synodal Assembly in October 2023.
At the general audience, Francis continued his catechesis on discernment with a reflection on the feeling of desolation. Appeal for an end to the violence in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a nun was also killed.
Leaders representing the world’s Christian confessions as well as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism pleaded and prayed for peace at Rome’s Colosseum. Francis bemoans that “even after Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” nuclear weapons “continued wrongly to be produced and tested.” He said: “do not resign yourselves! [. . .] let us cultivate seeds of reconciliation.”
Part 2 of PIME missionary and sinologist, Fr. Gianni Criveller's analysis of the second renewal of the agreement on the appointment of bishops. "The Agreement is being used as an instrument of pressure on priests. The wonders taking place in China's Catholic communities are not a result of this religious policy, but in spite of it'. Read Part 1.
During the Angelus, Francis and two young Portuguese registered for World Youth Day in Lisbon in August 2023. The pontiff also expressed “heartfelt concern” for the conflict in Ethiopia and the suffering caused by floods in Africa. He mentioned the interfaith meeting on peace set to take place at the Colosseum next Tuesday. The Pharisee and the Publican in the Gospel parable exemplify the movement of rising and descending.
Fr Gianni Criveller, PIME missionary and China expert, looks at the provisional agreement after a two-year period in which only two bishops were appointed. Restrictions on religious practice continue with unprecedented harshness. China’s role in the ongoing dialogue raises doubts about its sincerity.
The imminent papal visit is generating great expectations and enthusiasm in the country, which is part of the Vicariate of Northern Arabia. Set at 8.30 am on 5 November, the papal Mass will pack the local stadium, with early arrivals at night. Some 2,000 visitors are expected from Saudi Arabia.
