Vatican City, Jan 2, 2017 / 07:49 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a letter sent to bishops around the world for the feast of the Holy Innocents, Pope Francis lamented the many children who suffer from war, slavery and various forms of abuse, including within t... Read more

Vatican City, Jan 1, 2017 / 07:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Sunday, the first day of the new year and the 50th World Day of Peace, Pope Francis condemned a terrorist attack which took place in Istanbul early Sunday morning, praying for the victims, the inju... Read more

Vatican City, Jan 1, 2017 / 04:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Sunday Pope Francis said that celebrating Mary, the Mother of God, highlights a beautiful aspect of our faith: that Mary is our mother too, and that by her example we can learn to practice virtue a... Read more

Vatican City, Dec 31, 2016 / 10:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- During a prayer service for the close of 2016, Pope Francis said the arrival of a new year should serve as an opportunity to toss out attitudes of selfishness and exclusion, focusing instead on ho... Read more

Vatican City, Dec 26, 2016 / 10:05 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis has said the heroic martyrdom of St. Stephen is mirrored in the persecution of modern-day Christians, particularly in the Middle East. “When we read the history of the early ce... Read more

Vatican City, Dec 25, 2016 / 05:36 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" blessing Christmas Day, Pope Francis prayed that the Child Jesus, also called the Prince of Peace, would bring a real and lasting peace to everyone suffering from violence and conflict around the world. The power of the Christ Child "is the power of service, which inaugurates in our world the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of justice and peace.” "For this reason, the birth of Jesus was accompanied by the angels’ song as they proclaimed: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!'" Pope Francis said Dec. 25. "Today this message goes out to the ends of the earth to reach all peoples, especially those scarred by war and harsh conflicts that seem stronger than the yearning for peace." Speaking to pilgrims from a balcony in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope prayed by name for areas of the world which are affected by violence, including Syria, countries that make up the Holy Land, various parts of Africa, Myanmar, Colombia, and Eastern Ukraine. Around 40,000 people were present for the blessing and message, the Vatican reports. In his message, Francis also prayed for all those affected by terrorism, especially those who have lost loved ones, and for those who carry out acts of terrorism, praying that "those who have sown fear and death into the hearts of so many countries and cities" may also experience peace. To all those who are abandoned and excluded he prayed for peace, "not merely the word, but a real and concrete peace." And for children, the Pope prayed that "on this special day on which God became a child, above all those deprived of the joys of childhood because of hunger, wars or the selfishness of adults,” would experience the peace of Christ as well. The power of the Child Jesus, he said, is not a worldly power, based on strength or on wealth, but on "the power of love." “…it is the power which gives new birth, pardons faults, reconciles enemies, and transforms evil into good,” he said. “It is the power of God.” “'For to us a child is born, to us a son is given:' he is the 'Prince of peace.' Let us welcome him!" the Pope continued. Francis then led the usual Sunday Angelus, concluding with the "Urbi et Orbi" blessing and a final greeting and “Merry Christmas!” to everyone present in the Square physically and through radio and television from around the world.Please see below for the full text of the Pope’s "Urbi et Orbi" message:Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Christmas!Today the Church once again experiences the wonder of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph and the shepherds of Bethlehem, as they contemplate the newborn Child laid in a manger: Jesus, the Savior.On this day full of light, the prophetic proclamation resounds: “For to us a child is born, To us a son is given. And the government will be upon his shoulder; and his name will be called “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is 9:6)The power of this Child, Son of God and Son of Mary, is not the power of this world, based on might and wealth; it is the power of love. It is the power which created the heavens and the earth, which gives life to all creation: to minerals, plants and animals; it is the force which attracts man and woman, and makes them one flesh, one single existence; it is the power which gives new birth, pardons faults, reconciles enemies, and transforms evil into good. It is the power of God. This power of love led Jesus Christ to strip himself of his glory and become man; it led him to give his life on the cross and to rise from the dead. It is the power of service, which inaugurates in our world the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of justice and peace.For this reason, the birth of Jesus was accompanied by the angels’ song as they proclaimed: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” (Lk 2:14).Today this message goes out to the ends of the earth to reach all peoples, especially those scarred by war and harsh conflicts that seem stronger than the yearning for peace.Peace to men and women in the war-torn land of Syria, where far too much blood has been spilled. Above all in the city of Aleppo, site of the most awful battles in recent weeks, it is most urgent that assistance and support be guaranteed to the exhausted civil populace, with respect for humanitarian law. It is time for weapons to be still forever, and the international community to actively seek a negotiated solution, so that civil coexistence can be restored in the country.Peace to women and men of the beloved Holy Land, the land chosen and favored by God. May Israelis and Palestinians have the courage and the determination to write a new page of history, where hate and revenge give way to the will to build together a future of mutual understanding and harmony. May Iraq, Libya and Yemen – where their peoples suffer war and the brutality of terrorism – be able once again to find unity and concord.Peace to the men and women in various parts of Africa, especially in Nigeria, where fundamentalist terrorism exploits even children in order to perpetrate horror and death. Peace in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, so that divisions may be healed and all people of good will may strive to undertake the path of development and sharing, preferring the culture of dialogue to the mindset of conflict.Peace to women and men who to this day suffer the consequences of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, where there is urgent need for a common desire to bring relief to the civil population and to put into practice the commitments which have been assumed.We implore harmony for the dear people of Colombia, which seeks to embark on a new and courageous path of dialogue and reconciliation. May such courage also motivate the beloved country of Venezuela to undertake the necessary steps to put an end to current tensions, and build together a future of hope for the whole population.Peace to all who, in different areas, are enduring sufferings due to constant dangers and persistent injustice. May Myanmar consolidate its efforts to promote peaceful coexistence and, with the assistance of the international community, provide necessary protection and humanitarian assistance to all those who gravely and urgently need it. May the Korean peninsula see the tensions it is experiencing overcome in a renewed spirit of cooperation.Peace to those who have lost a person dear to them as a result of brutal acts of terrorism, and to those who have sown fear and death into the hearts of so many countries and cities.Peace – not merely the word, but a real and concrete peace – to our abandoned and excluded brothers and sisters, to those who suffer hunger and to all the victims of violence. Peace to exiles, migrants and refugees, to all those who in our day are subject to human trafficking. Peace to the peoples who suffer because of the economic ambitions of the few, because of the sheer greed and the idolatry of money, which leads to slavery. Peace to those affected by social and economic unrest, and to those who endure the consequences of earthquakes or other natural catastrophes.Peace to the children, on this special day on which God became a child, above all those deprived of the joys of childhood because of hunger, wars or the selfishness of adults.Peace on earth to men and women of goodwill, who work quietly and patiently each day, in their families and in society, to build a more humane and just world, sustained by the conviction that only with peace is there the possibility of a more prosperous future for all.Dear brothers and sisters, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given:” he is the “Prince of peace.” Let us welcome him![Bestows blessing]To you, dear brothers and sisters, who have gathered in this Square from every part of the world, and to those in various countries who are linked to us by radio, television and other means of communication, I offer my greeting.On this day of joy, we are all called to contemplate the Child Jesus, who gives hope once again to every person on the face of the earth. By his grace, let us with our voices and our actions give witness to solidarity and peace. Merry Christmas to all! Read more

Vatican City, Dec 24, 2016 / 03:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis noted how the coming of Jesus as an infant is paradoxical to the images of grandeur that had accompanied the prophesies on the coming of the Messiah, saying this should challenges us to go beyond the ephemeral and focus on what really counts. “If we want to celebrate Christmas authentically, we need to contemplate this sign: the fragile simplicity of a small newborn, the meekness of where he lies, the tender affection of the swaddling clothes. God is there,” the Pope said Dec. 24. This is the “enduring sign to find Jesus,” he said. “Not just then, but also today.” He noted how the day’s Gospel reading revealed “a paradox,” speaking of the emperor and mighty people of those times, yet God doesn’t manifest himself there. Jesus “does not appear in the grand hall of a royal palace, but in the poverty of a stable; not in pomp and show, but in the simplicity of life; not in power, but in a smallness which surprises,” Francis said. So if we want to find him, “we need to go there, where he is: we need to bow down, humble ourselves, make ourselves small.” Pope Francis spoke to attendees of his Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. During this year’s procession, a Vatican police officer and firefighter were chosen to carry the statue of the baby Jesus as a sign of gratitude for the 200th anniversary of the Gendarmerie, as well as the help the firefighters offered to those affected by the earthquakes in Central Italy earlier this fall. In his homily, the Pope said the Child Jesus “challenges us” by inviting us “to leave behind fleeting illusions and go to the essence, to renounce our insatiable claims, to abandon our endless dissatisfaction and sadness for something we will never have” and rediscover “peace, joy and the meaning of life.” The infant in the manger is a challenge, but Francis also urged attendees to allow themselves to be challenged by the children of today, “who are not lying in a cot caressed with the affection of a mother and father, but rather suffer the squalid mangers that devour dignity.” Many children today hide underground to escape bombs or are forced to sleep either on the streets of large cities or at the bottom boats overflowing with immigrants, he said, noting that this reality should also challenge us. “Let us allow ourselves to be challenged by the children who are not allowed to be born, by those who cry because no one satiates their hunger, by those who have not toys in their hands, but rather weapons.” Christmas is both a mystery of hope and of sadness, he said, noting how the arrival of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem points us to the indifference of many in the face of those who are discarded. The same indifference is present modern society “when Christmas becomes a feast where the protagonists are ourselves, rather than Jesus; when the lights of commerce cast the light of God into the shadows; when we are concerned for gifts but cold towards those who are marginalized,” he said. However, Christmas is also a sign of hope, because despite the darkness in our lives, God's light “shines out.” His gentle light doesn’t make us fearful, but rather, “God who is in love with us, draws us to himself with his tenderness, born poor and fragile among us, as one of us.” Pope Francis closed his homily encouraging everyone to let themselves be challenged by Jesus, and walk toward him with trust from the part of us in which we ourselves feel marginalized and limited. He told them to take time to pause and look at the crib where Jesus was born, imagining the “light, peace, utmost poverty and rejection” that accompanied his birth. “Let us enter into the real Nativity with the shepherds, taking to Jesus all that we are, our alienation, our unhealed wounds. Then, in Jesus we will enjoy the flavor of the true spirit of Christmas: the beauty of being loved by God.”Please see below for the full text of the Pope’s homily:“The grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men” (Tit 2:11). The words of the Apostle Paul reveal the mystery of this holy night: the grace of God has appeared, his gift is free; in the Child given unto us the love of God is made visible.It is a night of glory, that glory proclaimed by the angels in Bethlehem and also by us today all over the world. It is a night of joy, because from this day forth, and for all times, the infinite and eternal God is God with us: he is not far off, we need not search for him in the heavens or in mystical notions; he is close, he is been made man and will never distance himself from our humanity, which he has made his own. It is a night of light: that light, prophesied by Isaiah (cf. 9:1), which would illumine those who walk in darkness, has appeared and enveloped the shepherds of Bethlehem (cf. Lk 2:9).The shepherds simply discover that “unto us a child is born” (Is 9:5) and they understand that all this glory, all this joy, all this light converges to one single point, that sign which the angel indicated to them: “you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:12). This is the enduring sign to find Jesus. Not just then, but also today. If we want to celebrate Christmas authentically, we need to contemplate this sign: the fragile simplicity of a small newborn, the meekness of where he lies, the tender affection of the swaddling clothes. God is there.With this sign the Gospel reveals a paradox: it speaks of the emperor, the governor, the mighty of those times, but God does not make himself present there; he does not appear in the grand hall of a royal palace, but in the poverty of a stable; not in pomp and show, but in the simplicity of life; not in power, but in a smallness which surprises. In order to discover him, we need to go there, where he is: we need to bow down, humble ourselves, make ourselves small. The Child who is born challenges us: he calls us to leave behind fleeting illusions and go to the essence, to renounce our insatiable claims, to abandon our endless dissatisfaction and sadness for something we will never have. It will help us to leave these things behind in order to rediscover in the simplicity of the God-child, peace, joy and the meaning of life.Let us allow the Child in the manger to challenge us, but let us also allow ourselves to be challenged by the children of today’s world, who are not lying in a cot caressed with the affection of a mother and father, but rather suffer the squalid “mangers that devour dignity:” hiding underground to escape bombardment, on the pavements of a large city, at the bottom of a boat overladen with immigrants. Let us allow ourselves to be challenged by the children who are not allowed to be born, by those who cry because no one satiates their hunger, by those who have not toys in their hands, but rather weapons.The mystery of Christmas, which is light and joy, questions and unsettles us, because it is at once both a mystery of hope and of sadness. It bears within itself the taste of sadness, inasmuch as love is not received, and life discarded. This happened to Joseph and Mary, who found the doors closed, and placed Jesus in a manger, “because there was no place for them in the inn” (v. 7). Jesus was born rejected by some and regarded by many others with indifference. Today also the same indifference can exist, when Christmas becomes a feast where the protagonists are ourselves, rather than Jesus; when the lights of commerce cast the light of God into the shadows; when we are concerned for gifts but cold towards those who are marginalized.Yet Christmas has essentially a flavor of hope because, notwithstanding the darker aspects of our lives, God’s light shines out. His gentle light does not make us fear; God who is in love with us, draws us to himself with his tenderness, born poor and fragile among us, as one of us. He is born in Bethlehem, which means “house of bread.” In this way he seems to tell us that he is born as bread for us; he enters life to give us his life; he comes into our world to give us his love. He does not come to devour or to command but to nourish and to serve. Thus there is a direct thread joining the manger and the cross, where Jesus will become bread that is broken: it is the direct thread of love which is given and which saves us, which brings light to our lives, and peace to our hearts.The shepherds grasped this in that night. They were among the marginalized of those times. But no one is marginalized in the sight of God and it was precisely they who were invited to the Nativity. Those who felt sure of themselves, self-sufficient, were at home with their possessions; the shepherds instead “went with haste” (cf. Lk 2:16). Let us allow ourselves also to be challenged and convened tonight by Jesus. Let us go to him with trust, from that area in us we feel to be marginalized, from our own limitations. Let us touch the tenderness which saves. Let us draw close to God who draws close to us, let us pause to look upon the crib, and imagine the birth of Jesus: light, peace, utmost poverty and rejection. Let us enter into the real Nativity with the shepherds, taking to Jesus all that we are, our alienation, our unhealed wounds. Then, in Jesus we will enjoy the flavor of the true spirit of Christmas: the beauty of being loved by God. With Mary and Joseph we pause before the manger, before Jesus who is born as bread for my life. Contemplating his humble and infinite love, let us say to him: thank you, thank you because you have done all this for me. Read more

Vatican City, Dec 24, 2016 / 10:41 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Two days after the announcement that Pope Francis has established a group to look into the circumstances regarding the recent dismissal of the Order of Malta's former Grand Chancellor, the Knights responded – saying the decision was an internal matter. The response follows the forced resignation of leader Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, which some attribute to controversy regarding the order's charity branch being allegedly involved in distributing condoms in Myanmar to prevent HIV. On Dec. 22 the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had formed a group of five “senior officials” tasked with “gathering any liable factors” and to “fully and quickly inform the Holy See on the matter that has recently affected the Grand Chancellor of the Order, Mr. Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager.” Members of the group include Archbishop Silvestro Tomasi, Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda S.J., Belgian lawyer Mr. Jacques de Liedekerke, Mr. Marc Odendall and Mr. Marwan Sehnaoui. In response to the formation of the group, the Knights of Malta issued a Dec. 24 statement saying the replacement of a Grand Chancellor is “an act of internal governmental administration” that falls solely in the Order’s competence. “The aforementioned appointment is the result of a misunderstanding by the Secretariat of State of the Holy See,” the statement continued. It noted that the Order’s Grand Master, Matthew Festing, wrote a letter to Pope Francis yesterday explaining why the Holy See’s suggestions were therefore “unacceptable,” while at the same time assuring the Pope of his “filial devotion.” According to a previous, Dec. 13 statement from the Order, Albrecht von Boeselager and his position as Grand Chancellor was the subject of an “extremely grave and untenable situation” Dec. 6, just a few days earlier. Festing then called Boeselager to take part in a meeting with the Order’s Grand Commander, Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein, and Cardinal Raymond Burke, the Order’s papal representative, in order to ask for his resignation. After twice refusing to submit his resignation, Boeselager was, “with the backing of the Grand Master and the Sovereign Council and most members of the Order around the world,” forced to resign as part of a “disciplinary procedure” which can result in the suspension of a person’s membership in the Order. The reason for Boeselager’s removal, the statement read, “was due to severe problems which occurred during Boeselager’s tenure as Grand Hospitaller of the Order of Malta, and his subsequent concealment of these problems from the Grand Magistry, as proved in a report commissioned by the Grand Master last year.” A day later, Dec. 14, the appointment of John Edward Critien as the Grand Chancellor ad interim was announced by the order. While the real reasons for Boeselager’s removal are still unknown, many have speculated that it is due at least in part to a program the order’s charity branch took part in several years ago offering aid to sex slaves in Myanmar. Part of the aid included giving condoms to the women in order to protect against HIV. However, Boeselager argued at the time that the condoms were distributed by other aid programs, and not his own. The Vatican was informed about the incident and the order’s involvement in the program ceased. An ethics committee was then launched in order to ensure that similar mistakes weren’t made in future projects. Pope Francis’ establishment of the group, then, seems to be aimed at gathering an accurate reading of the facts. Whether or not he will respond to Festing’s letter is yet to be seen. Read more

Vatican City, Dec 24, 2016 / 10:41 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Two days after the announcement that Pope Francis has established a group to look into the circumstances regarding the recent dismissal of the Order of Malta's former Grand Chancellor, the Knights responded – saying the decision was an internal matter. The response follows the forced resignation of leader Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, which some attribute to controversy regarding the order's charity branch being allegedly involved in distributing condoms in Myanmar to prevent HIV. On Dec. 22 the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had formed a group of five “senior officials” tasked with “gathering any liable factors” and to “fully and quickly inform the Holy See on the matter that has recently affected the Grand Chancellor of the Order, Mr. Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager.” Members of the group include Archbishop Silvestro Tomasi, Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda S.J., Belgian lawyer Mr. Jacques de Liedekerke, Mr. Marc Odendall and Mr. Marwan Sehnaoui. In response to the formation of the group, the Knights of Malta issued a Dec. 24 statement saying the replacement of a Grand Chancellor is “an act of internal governmental administration” that falls solely in the Order’s competence. “The aforementioned appointment is the result of a misunderstanding by the Secretariat of State of the Holy See,” the statement continued. It noted that the Order’s Grand Master, Matthew Festing, wrote a letter to Pope Francis yesterday explaining why the Holy See’s suggestions were therefore “unacceptable,” while at the same time assuring the Pope of his “filial devotion.” According to a previous, Dec. 13 statement from the Order, Albrecht von Boeselager and his position as Grand Chancellor was the subject of an “extremely grave and untenable situation” Dec. 6, just a few days earlier. Festing then called Boeselager to take part in a meeting with the Order’s Grand Commander, Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein, and Cardinal Raymond Burke, the Order’s papal representative, in order to ask for his resignation. After twice refusing to submit his resignation, Boeselager was, “with the backing of the Grand Master and the Sovereign Council and most members of the Order around the world,” forced to resign as part of a “disciplinary procedure” which can result in the suspension of a person’s membership in the Order. The reason for Boeselager’s removal, the statement read, “was due to severe problems which occurred during Boeselager’s tenure as Grand Hospitaller of the Order of Malta, and his subsequent concealment of these problems from the Grand Magistry, as proved in a report commissioned by the Grand Master last year.” A day later, Dec. 14, the appointment of John Edward Critien as the Grand Chancellor ad interim was announced by the order. While the real reasons for Boeselager’s removal are still unknown, many have speculated that it is due at least in part to a program the order’s charity branch took part in several years ago offering aid to sex slaves in Myanmar. Part of the aid included giving condoms to the women in order to protect against HIV. However, Boeselager argued at the time that the condoms were distributed by other aid programs, and not his own. The Vatican was informed about the incident and the order’s involvement in the program ceased. An ethics committee was then launched in order to ensure that similar mistakes weren’t made in future projects. Pope Francis’ establishment of the group, then, seems to be aimed at gathering an accurate reading of the facts. Whether or not he will respond to Festing’s letter is yet to be seen. Read more