Vatican City, Oct 18, 2015 / 09:40 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Following multiple knife attacks in the Holy Land this weekend, Pope Francis has appealed for courage and strength in bringing an end to violence and the desire for revenge. “Dear brothers and sisters, I follow with great concern the situation of strong tension and violence afflicting the Holy Land,” the Pope said Oct. 18, before leading pilgrims in the traditional Angelus prayer. “At this time great courage and strength of spirit is needed in order to say no to hate and revenge and to accomplish gestures of peace.” Francis asked pilgrims to pray “so that God reinforces everyone, government leaders and citizens, with the courage to oppose violence and made concrete steps of distention.” “In the current context of the Middle East it's more crucial than ever to make peace in the Holy Land: this is what God and the good of humanity asks of us.” The Pope’s plea came after he celebrated Mass for the canonization of four new saints, including Italian priest Fr. Vincent Grossi, Sister Mary of the Immaculate Conception, and married couple Louis and Zelie Martin, who are the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux. Violence and tensions in Gaza and the West Bank have spiked in the month of October, leaving seven Israelis dead as a result of attacks by Palestinians with either knives, guns or cars, CNN reports. Additionally, 44 Palestinians have been killed this month in Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank, including those who carried out the attacks. Protesters have also rioted in Palestinian territories, throwing rocks, which at times has prompted Israeli security forces to open fire. On Friday five Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank and Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Five other Palestinians, most of them teens, carried out knife attacks Saturday in the cities of Hebron, Jerusalem and Qalandia. In four of the five cases, the attackers were shot and killed. The weekend’s incidents add to the more than 1,770 injured either by live fire or rubber bullets in the month of October alone, according to al-Najjar. Read more

Vatican City, Oct 18, 2015 / 03:45 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Sunday Pope Francis canonized four new saints, whose greatest legacy he said was their tireless imitation of Jesus in humble service to others, which is something each of us are asked to emulate. “The men and women canonized today unfailingly served their brothers and sisters with outstanding humility and charity, in imitation of the divine Master,” the Pope said Oct. 18. “The radiant witness of these new saints inspires us to persevere in joyful service to our brothers and sisters, trusting in the help of God and the maternal protection of Mary,” he told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Mass. Among the four newly canonized individuals recognized for their exemplary virtue are Italian priest Fr. Vincent Grossi, Sister Mary of the Immaculate Conception, and married couple Louis and Zelie Martin. Known for being the parents of  the 19th century French saint Therese of Lisieux, Saints Louis and Zelie Martin are the first married couple to ever be canonized together. Pope Francis praised the couples’ humble attitude toward others, which is evident in the way that they practiced service within the family, “creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters, among whom was Saint Therese of the Child Jesus.” He also pointed to Italian saint Vincent Grossi's great zeal in attending to the needs of his flock, particularly the youth, as well as 20th century St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception’s extraordinary humility in serving the less fortunate, especially the children of the poor and sick. In his homily Francis focused on the day’s first reading from Isaiah, in which the prophet depicts the image of the Servant of the Lord, who despite coming from a prestigious lineage, is “despised, shunned by all, a man of sorrows.” “He does not do great things or make memorable speeches; instead, he fulfills God’s plan through his humble, quiet presence and his suffering,” the Pope said. Because his mission is carried out in suffering, “this enables him to understand those who suffer, to shoulder the guilt of others and to make atonement for it.” Jesus is the Servant of the Lord Isaiah was referencing, Francis explained, noting that it is thanks to his life and death, “marked by an attitude of utter service,” that we have been saved and reconciled with God. Pope Francis then turned to the Gospel reading from Mark, in which the disciples James and John are urged by their mother to ask Jesus to sit in places of honor at his right and left in God’s Kingdom, following their own hierarchal vision of what it would be like. “Their horizon was still clouded by illusions of earthly fulfillment,” he said, explaining that Jesus gives their worldly notions a “jolt” by speaking of his own earthly journey. In telling the disciples that “the cup that I drink you will drink…but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant,” Jesus assures them that they can share in his mission of suffering, but didn’t promise the honor they were looking for, the Pope said. “His response is to invite them to follow him along the path of love and service, and to reject the worldly temptation of seeking the first place and commanding others.” What Jesus’ words in the Gospel tell us is that service is the way authority is exercised in the Christian community, he said, adding that “those who serve others and lack real prestige exercise genuine authority in the Church.” After giving the disciples a model of what not to do, Jesus then points to himself as the example to follow, the Pope noted. He said that it is by imitating Jesus that the community gets a new outlook on life. In coming “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,” Jesus shows us that “he enjoys dominion because he is a servant, glory because he is capable of abasement, kingship because he is fully prepared to lay down his life.” “By his passion and death, he takes the lowest place, attains the heights of grandeur in service, and bestows this upon his Church.” Francis said that there is “no compatibility” between the worldly understanding of power and the humble service which characterizes true authority to Jesus’ own teaching and example. “Ambition and careerism are incompatible with Christian discipleship; honor, success, fame and worldly triumphs are incompatible with the logic of Christ crucified,” he said. “Instead, compatibility exists between Jesus, the man of sorrows, and our suffering.” Jesus, the Pope continued, knows our struggles firsthand thanks to his incarnation, and exercises his priesthood with mercy and compassion. “The fact that he is without sin does not prevent him from understanding sinners,” he said, adding that the Lord’s glory doesn’t come from “ambition or the thirst for power.” Rather, his glory is that of someone “who loves men and women, who accepts them and shares in their weakness, who offers them the grace which heals and restores, and accompanies them with infinite tenderness amid their tribulations.” Each of us through baptism are called to share in Christ’s mission, receiving the charity that flows from his heart and passing it on to others, he said. We then become “channels of his love and compassion, especially for those who are suffering, discouraged and alone.” Pope Francis closed his homily by praising the example of the new saints, and praying that from heaven, “may they now watch over us and sustain us by their powerful intercession.” Read more

Vatican City, Oct 17, 2015 / 10:24 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis presided over celebrations marking 50 years since the establishment of the Synod of Bishops, in which he reflected on the role of the synod in fulfilling our call as disciples to be servants.  “Never forget! For disciples of Jesus, yesterday and today, the only authority is the authority of service; the only power is the power of the Cross,” the Pope said Saturday to the Synod fathers gathered in the Vatican's Paul VI hall. Citing Matthew's Gospel in which Jesus says “whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,” the Pope added: “You shall not be so: In this expression we arrive at the heart of the mystery of the Church, and we receive the light needed to understand the hierarchical service. Pope Francis was speaking on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, established September 15, 1965 under the pontificate of Paul VI at the close of the Vatican II council. Since its establishment, there have been fourteen ordinary general synods, and three extraordinary synods.  This year's Synod on the Family, which runs from Oct. 4-25, is the second and larger of two such gatherings to take place in the course of a year. Like its 2014 precursor, the focus of the 2015 Synod of Bishops is the family, this time with the theme: “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the modern world.”  Over the course of his Oct. 17 address, the Pope spoke on the nature of “synodality” within the context of the Church's mission. “The world in which we live, and which we are called to love and serve even in its contradictions, the church requires the strengthening of synergies in all areas of her mission. The journey of synodality is the journey which God expects from the Church in the third millenium.”  Pope Francis observed that the concept of lay persons, pastors, and the bishop of Rome journeying together is an “easy concept” to express, but less so to put into practice.  He spoke of the establishment of the dual synods on the family over the course of a year, and whether or not it is possible to examine this theme without input from families. “But, how is it possible to speak on the family without consulting families, listening to their joys and hopes, their sufferings and agonies?”  This was made possible, he said, by the questionnaires sent to the particular Church in order to consult these families. Pope Francis went on to explain the importance of reciprocal listening within a synodal Church, explaining that listening is “more than feeling,” citing the Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes. “It is a reciprocal listening in which everyone has something to learn,” be they the faithful, the college of bishops, or the bishop of Rome himself. “The Synod of Bishops is the point of convergence of this dynamism of listening conducted at all levels in the life of the Church.”  Pope Francis added: “Through the Synod fathers, bishops act as authentic stewards, interpreters and witnesses of faith of the entire Church, who must be able to carefully distinguish the frequently changing public opinion.”  Here, the Pope cited his words at the vigil held before the Synod, in which he reminded the synod fathers of the gift of listening to God in order to do his will. That the Synod always acts both cum Petro et sub Petro (both with Peter and under Peter), “is not a limitation of freedom, but a guarantee of unity,” the Pope said.  Citing the concept of “ierarchica communio” (hierarchical communion) adopted during Vatican II, he explained: “Bishops are joined with the Bishop of Rome by the bond of episcopal communion (cum Petro) and are at the same time are hierarchically subject to him who is the Head of the College (sub Petro).” “Synodality, as a constitutive dimension of the Church, offers us the most appropriate interpretive framework for understanding the same hierarchical ministry,” he said. The Pope went on to explained how Jesus established the Church with the Apostolic College as its head, and Peter – the “rock” – serving as its base. He used the example of an “inverted pyramid,” with the summit being at the base. Pope Francis elaborated on the pontiff's place within the synodal Church.  “The Pope is not, by himself, above the Church; but (he is) within it as a baptized person among the baptized, and within the episcopal college as a bishop among bishops, called to at the same time – as the successor of the Apostle Peter – to guide the Church of Rome, which presides in love over all the Church.” Pope Francis concluded: “As a Church which 'walks together' with men, participating in the travails of history, cultivating the dream which is the rediscovery of the inviolable dignity of peoples and the function of authoritative service, can help even civil society establish itself, in justice and fraternity,  generating a more beautiful world (which is) more worthy of man for generations which come after us.”Update 10/18/15: This story previously ran with the headline, "Pope Francis: A disciple's only power is the Cross."  Read more

Vatican City, Oct 17, 2015 / 06:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Seven-year-old Carmen has an extraordinary story. Because of her Blessed Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin, the parents of Saint Therese of Lisieux, will be canonized this Sunday in Saint Peter's Square. The little girl was born prematurely in Spain in 2008 at just six months into pregnancy. She was fighting for her life for several weeks because of a cerebral hemorrhage and other severe ailments.   But her loved ones and many Carmelite sisters sought the miraculous intervention of the Martins. The Vatican recognized the baby’s healing as miraculous. Little Carmen’s parents, her mother Carmen and her father Santos, have told her story in an exclusive interview with CNA. “We’re just another family who received this miracle with open arms, as you'd expect. But we and Carmen are normal people like anybody else,” Santos said. The baby Carmen is now seven years old. “Our daughter was born at hardly six months gestation, after a pregnancy with many complications, and her organs were very underdeveloped. Complications set in right away: cerebral hemorrhage, bacterial infection … her situation was getting worse to the point we were extremely worried,” Santos explained. Both parents were both going through “a terrible situation.”   “For some parents dealing with such a dramatic situation it would stir up feelings of helplessness, grief, guilt and despair...on top of that we had a five year old son and we were trying to keep this situation from affecting him,” Santos said. The doctors told them to prepare for the worst. Every day had major significance. “Carmen was getting worse and worse,” her father said. She was so weak that for 35 days her parents could not even so much as touch their daughter in order to avoid infecting her. “The doctors thought there was no longer anything more they could do for her and after that they let us touch her,” Santos and Carmen said, adding “during this whole process we never lost faith, we clung to our faith and it helped us very much.” “For us faith is the foundation of our family, and as they say: without faith, there is no hope.” Little Carmen was born on the feast day of Saint Teresa of Avila, so her parents sought out a monastery or church connected with the saint. “We saw our answer come to us through prayer. Carmen was still alive—even though she was still very sick—so we were determined to look for a place even harder,” Santos said. “So I searched on Google for some place to pray to Saint Teresa and right away popped up the monastery of Saint Joseph and Saint Teresa in the town of Serra in Valencia Province.” “I went there one afternoon, but I got there almost at night and I couldn't get in because it was closed. So I told one of the Carmelite sisters on the intercom what was going on with Carmen and she told me they would pray.” The sister also told Santos that he could come there Sunday for Mass. “We were going to Mass there, we were praying and we would quickly turn around because we needed to get back to see our daughter since the hospital was 25 miles away.” After four or five Sundays, the Carmelite sisters became close to the parents of the sick baby. This was how the parents of Saint Therese of Lisieux came fully into their lives. Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin married in 1858 just three months after they met. They lived in celibacy for nearly a year, but went on to have nine children. Four died in infancy, while the remaining five daughters entered religious life. The Martins were known for living an exemplary life of holiness of prayer, fasting and charity. The couple frequently visited the elderly and invited poor people to dine with them in their home. Their daughter, St. Terese of Lisieux, became a Carmelite nun known as the Little Flower. She authored the deeply influential spiritual autobiography “Story of a Soul.” She was canonized in 1925 and named a Doctor of the Church in 1997. The canonization cause for another of their daughters, Leonia Martin, opened in 2015. The Martins were beatified in 2008. “Saint Therese’s parents were beatified on October 19, four days before Carmen was born,” Santos said. The Carmelite sisters gave little Carmen’s parents some pictures of the Martins, a prayer and a short biography of the married couple. “The prioress told us that perhaps these blesseds, who had miraculously cured a child, could also help us,” Santos said. “That very same night we began to pray to them,” he said. Other sisters in other convents also joined in prayer for the suffering baby. “Beginning the next day there were a series of changes and Carmen's state,” the girl’s father said. The next day Carmen was transferred to another hospital and she began to recuperate noticeably. She began to breathe without a machine and her infections began to subside. On the third day she left the intensive care unit, though it took several years to know whether she suffered side-effects from the hemorrhage. Carmen was finally released from the hospital on Jan. 2, 2009 the same day as the birthday of Saint Therese of Lisieux.   Fifteen days later, the relics of Blessed Louis and Zelie came to Lerida, Spain. The Carmelite sisters encouraged the family to go. There, they met the postulator for the Martins’ cause for Sainthood and explained their daughter’s healing. The postulator pursued the case, and the investigation for the Martins’ possible canonization began in November 2009. It was not until March 2015 that investigators approved Carmen's miracle that would raise the Martins to the altars. The family received the news on March 18 during the popular Fallas de Valencia festival. “Our whole family was going down San Vicente Street in Valencia right in the middle of the Offering of Flowers to the Virgin of the Defenseless to give her our bouquet. All of a sudden our cell phone went off and, after six years, they gave us the big news.” “It was a very special and moving moment, it couldn't have been at any other time, just when we were at the feet of the Virgin,” Santos recalled with great emotion. Baby Carmen’s parents have told her everything about how she was healed, adapted for her age. “For us it was always a miracle, and even more when we could see she was responding to everything and recuperating,” her parents said. “It's different to experience something like this than when somebody tells you about it. When it happens to you, your faith is reaffirmed.” Carmen’s parents said they were already strong believers before the miracle, but now they practice their faith more. The whole family will witness the canonization along with family and friends. They are “a little nervous and anxious” as they await the ceremony. But they also have “a lot of joy.” This is the first time the Church will canonize a married couple at the same ceremony.   Read more