Washington D.C., Sep 26, 2015 / 12:09 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis’ defense of religious freedom at the White House on Wednesday was “hugely significant,” said the chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Li... Read more

Philadelphia, Pa., Sep 26, 2015 / 10:09 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Church today is called to foster among young people a sense of responsibility and enthusiasm for the Gospel mission, Pope Francis said on Saturday to group of priests and religious gather... Read more

Washington D.C., Sep 26, 2015 / 10:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis rose above party politics and challenged lawmakers to a higher standard in his Thursday address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, Catholic members said. Just “his mere presence” commanded the respect of Congress, said. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.). “The fact that he is the successor of St. Peter validates the dignity of the institution and commands that everyone rise above petty partisanship and the rancor,” he told CNA. “This day Congress took a pause from divisions and focused on higher things.” The Pope called the members to a higher standard of governance, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said. “I love the way he set high expectations for us,” he said in a written statement after the Pope's address. Thursday marked the first time a Pope ever addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, and members expressed their awe at the spectacle. The very event would have been “unthinkable” even two generations ago given the history of anti-Catholicism in the U.S., said Dr. Charles Comosy, a theology professor at Fordham University. “It was really almost unreal to see the Pope walking into the House Chamber,” said Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), “coming into the place that I work.” With the audience dressed mostly in dark colors and Pope Francis in white, “it was like he was glowing,” Lipinski added. Pope Francis’ lengthy address touched upon themes of dialogue and respect for human life, the environment, and the family. He was interrupted repeatedly by applause even after members had been told not to applaud or cheer during the speech. It was not a partisan speech, noted Rep. Fortenberry, but one “that pointed to the dignity of persons and the necessity of just structures that lead to the well-being of persons.” We cannot “try and parse everything that he said to see where it fits on the political spectrum,” said Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.). For example, if Pope Francis “is talking about the economy, he’s talking about the morality of an economy,” she said, not the politics of it. “He didn’t come here to talk about whether there should be a capital gains tax increase. He took our own values, and elevated them and made everyone see that the intrinsic values of our country have high moral standing, but we have to live up to that,” she added. Dr. Comosy agreed. The speech, he said, did not follow “our lazy binary categories of liberal or conservative.” As an example, he noted the Pope’s praise of Catholic social activist Dorothy Day, who “at once stood unbelievably firmly against abortion and would go to the mat against nuclear weapons and would welcome the poor into her home, a house of hospitality, but would be very skeptical of government programs.” She does not fit the traditional liberal-conservative mold, and “that’s one reason why he invoked her,” Camosy said. If viewed purely on the surface, the address could be interpreted as slightly left-leaning, said Dr. Chad Pecknold, theology professor at the Catholic University of America, in the sense that it “seemed to re-order the priorities in favor of what the left has been prioritized most” like care for the environment, immigration, and abolishing the death penalty. However, he explained, it is in fact neither liberal nor conservative because it is foremost the speech of a pastor. It is up to the members of Congress to make policy from the principles laid out by Pope Francis – care for the human person and the environment and dialogue. “Republicans on the right who can articulate conservative policy around the universal issues that Pope Francis identifies have the most to gain,” he added. Congressmen loved the Pope’s appreciation for U.S. history and culture, expressed in his praise for four Americans – President Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, and Trappist monk and spiritual author Thomas Merton – for their exemplary character in helping “build a better future.” He “really took in the history of our country,” remarked Rep. Lipinski. Pope Francis exemplified “the brilliance of the Jesuits,” said Rep. Eshoo, “in this intellect that he has, that he would have taken Lincoln, King, Day, and Merton and woven the thread of each and what they represented to our country.” By invoking these American heroes, Sen. Kaine said, Pope Francis told America that “you are a great nation and you’ve had great leaders.” “This is who we are as a people. And in a world that still has huge needs, we have a unique role to do something about it,” he said. Members were also touched by Pope Francis invoking the “Golden Rule” of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Mt 7:12). Pope Francis stated in his address that the rule “also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.” At a press conference later on Thursday, the head of the Holy See’s press office Fr. Fredrico Lombardi emphasized that the Pope spoke for all stages of life including the unborn. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) said this defense of human life at all stages, conception until natural death, was “necessary and important.” The reference to the Golden Rule was Pope Francis “reminding us of our humility, reminding us of our obligations and responsibilities, talking about bringing people together and treating people respectfully,” said Rep. Frank Guinta (R-N.H.). It brought a “very significant reaction” in the House Gallery, he added. Other parts of the speech touched different members of Congress. Rep. Fortenberry especially liked Pope Francis’ defense of the family. “You can’t concentrate power in Washington and Wall Street and expect to have a healthy nation. It’s the other way around,” he said. “It begins with the most intimate form of community, which is the well-being of the family.” Others saw the speech as a call to service. “He called us to selfless service, reconciliation,” said Rep. Smith, as well as “dialogue,” all of which is “much needed in modern society, especially in Washington.” For Rep. Eshoo, her takeaway was that “we are servants,” and that “the closer you are to people, the more you will see the face of God.” After the speech, Rep. Lipinski saw more clearly the connection between his Catholic faith and his job as a lawmaker, to “take care of every single person.” He said he hopes he lives up to this every day. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) is not Catholic but “appreciated” Pope Francis’ plea for Americans to see humanity in refugees, as the world faces the largest refugee crisis since World War II. He brought up the fact that many religious minorities are persecuted around the world and suffer from lack of religious freedom, whom “we need to protect around the world” and “treat them as we want to be treated.” Read more

Philadelphia, Pa., Sep 26, 2015 / 07:30 am (CNA).- Pope Francis is now saying Mass at Philadelphia's Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul for clergy and religious, and has just delivered his homily. Find the full text here:   This morning I learned something about the history of this beautiful Cathedral: the story behind its high walls and windows. I would like to think, though, that the history of the Church in this city and state is really a story not about building walls, but about breaking them down. It is a story about generation after generation of committed Catholics going out to the peripheries, and building communities of worship, education, charity and service to the larger society. That story is seen in the many shrines which dot this city, and the many parish churches whose towers and steeples speak of God’s presence in the midst of our communities. It is seen in the efforts of all those dedicated priests, religious and laity who for over two centuries have ministered to the spiritual needs of the poor, the immigrant, the sick and those in prison. And it is seen in the hundreds of schools where religious brothers and sisters trained children to read and write, to love God and neighbor, and to contribute as good citizens to the life of American society. All of this is a great legacy which you have received, and which you have been called to enrich and pass on. Most of you know the story of Saint Katharine Drexel, one of the great saints raised up by this local Church. When she spoke to Pope Leo XIII of the needs of the missions, the Pope – he was a very wise Pope! – asked her pointedly: “What about you? What are you going to do?”. Those words changed Katharine’s life, because they reminded her that, in the end, every Christian man and woman, by virtue of baptism, has received a mission. Each one of us has to respond, as best we can, to the Lord’s call to build up his Body, the Church. “What about you?” I would like to dwell on two aspects of these words in the context of our particular mission to transmit the joy of the Gospel and to build up the Church, whether as priests, deacons, or members of institutes of consecrated life. First, those words – “What about you?” – were addressed to a young person, a young woman with high ideals, and they changed her life. They made her think of the immense work that had to be done, and to realize that she was being called to do her part. How many young people in our parishes and schools have the same high ideals, generosity of spirit, and love for Christ and the Church! Do we challenge them? Do we make space for them and help them to do their part? To find ways of sharing their enthusiasm and gifts with our communities, above all in works of mercy and concern for others? Do we share our own joy and enthusiasm in serving the Lord? One of the great challenges facing the Church in this generation is to foster in all the faithful a sense of personal responsibility for the Church’s mission, and to enable them to fulfill that responsibility as missionary disciples, as a leaven of the Gospel in our world. This will require creativity in adapting to changed situations, carrying forward the legacy of the past not primarily by maintaining our structures and institutions, which have served us well, but above all by being open to the possibilities which the Spirit opens up to us and communicating the joy of the Gospel, daily and in every season of our life. “What about you?” It is significant that those words of the elderly Pope were also addressed to a lay woman. We know that the future of the Church in a rapidly changing society will call, and even now calls, for a much more active engagement on the part of the laity. The Church in the United States has always devoted immense effort to the work of catechesis and education. Our challenge today is to build on those solid foundations and to foster a sense of collaboration and shared responsibility in planning for the future of our parishes and institutions. This does not mean relinquishing the spiritual authority with which we have been entrusted; rather, it means discerning and employing wisely the manifold gifts which the Spirit pours out upon the Church. In a particular way, it means valuing the immense contribution which women, lay and religious, have made and continue to make, to the life of our communities. Dear brothers and sisters, I thank you for the way in which each of you has answered Jesus’ question which inspired your own vocation: “What about you?”. I encourage you to be renewed in the joy of that first encounter with Jesus and to draw from that joy renewed fidelity and strength. I look forward to being with you in these days and I ask you to bring my affectionate greetings to those who could not be with us, especially the many elderly priests and religious who join us in spirit. During these days of the World Meeting of Families, I would ask you in a particular way to reflect on our ministry to families, to couples preparing for marriage, and to our young people. I know how much is being done in your local Churches to respond to the needs of families and to support them in their journey of faith. I ask you to pray fervently for them, and for the deliberations of the forthcoming Synod on the Family. Now, with gratitude for all we have received, and with confident assurance in all our needs, let us turn to Mary, our Blessed Mother. With a mother’s love, may she intercede for the growth of the Church in America in prophetic witness to the power of her Son’s Cross to bring joy, hope and strength into our world. I pray for each of you, and I ask you, please, to pray for me. Read more

Philadelphia, Pa., Sep 25, 2015 / 07:18 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- As thousands of Catholics descended upon Philadelphia to hear talks about family and faith, Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley had a message for them: Don’t be a party pooper.   “Beauty and joy are the most powerful tools that we have to evangelize,” Cardinal O’Malley said during a September 25 keynote address at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.    “So together we want to dream of a world where the beauty of family life attracts people to make a gift of themselves in marriage, to build a domestic church that will continue to build a civilization of love.”    The cardinal spoke at the World Meeting of Families, an international gathering designed to encourage and strengthen families across the globe. Pope Francis will celebrate the final Mass at the Sept. 22-27 gathering, which has as its theme, “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.”   The meeting also includes presentations, testimonies, music, and other events. The final keynote address was delivered by Cardinal O’Malley and well-known evangelical pastor and author Rick Warren.   “Joy-filled families are based on the love of God,” Warren said, adding that we only have love because we are made in the image of God, who is love.    The pastor also described joy-filled families as being filled with purpose, focused on becoming like Christ, and ultimately fulfilling God’s mission for them.   In his remarks, Cardinal O’Malley stressed the call to be missionary disciples.    The fundamental decision to love is born from an encounter with the living God, who first loved us, he said. In this encounter, we can see the world through God’s eyes and recognize what is truly beautiful and important in life.   Our response to that encounter is how we live out discipleship, the cardinal said.    “Pope Francis makes it clear that our call to discipleship is a call to be missionary disciples. We’re faithful to our mission as Christ’s family only by inviting others to be a part of that mission, by helping families to become what they are.”   Family is critical to achieving this goal, Cardinal O’Malley said. “In God’s plan, the family is the school of love where we learn to make a gift of ourselves.”   He emphasized that “marriage in God’s plan is the sanctuary of love” and “families are missionaries - they pass on the faith to new generations.”   “The parents not only communicate the Gospel to their children, but from their children they can receive the same Gospel, deeply lived by them. Such a family becomes an evangelizer of many families.”   Those families that live out this mission “change the course of history,” Cardinal O’Malley said. “They open the door that allows God’s light to enter the world and their witness helps us to be open to life.”   If the family does its job properly, it transforms crowds into communities, the cardinal said. A crowd is simply a collection of people drawn by circumstances or common interest, but generally disinterested in one another’s well-being, he elaborated, while a community cares about the other members.   He pointed to the Gospel story in which the crowd prevented a paralyzed man from getting close to Jesus, but his community of friends brought him to Christ by lowering him through a roof.    “The crowd always pushes away. Community draws people closer to Christ.”   “We inhabit the new mission territories of the Church. We need to find a way to bring the Gospel to the contemporary world,” Cardinal O’Malley said. “Our task is to change the crowd into a community. That’s what evangelization is about, and it must begin with our families.”    Read more

New York City, N.Y., Sep 25, 2015 / 06:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis’ appeal to the United Nations General Assembly to care for both the environment and the human person was actually a deft move to introduce more Church teaching to the bod... Read more

New York City, N.Y., Sep 25, 2015 / 04:49 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis on Friday had a brief, but urgent, reminder for the Catholics of New York City. They must proclaim the joy of God and remember to care for all those who go unnoticed in their metropolis, because they have seen the “great light” of Jesus Christ. “Knowing that Jesus still walks our streets, that he is part of the lives of his people, that he is involved with us in one vast history of salvation, fills us with hope,” the Pope said during his homily at Mass at Madison Square Garden Sept. 25. “God is living in our cities. The Church is living in our cities, and she wants to be like yeast in the dough. She wants to relate to everyone, to stand at everyone’s side, as she proclaims the marvels of the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Eternal Father, the Prince of Peace,” he added. His homily, delivered in Spanish, drew from the prophet Isaiah’s declaration: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” “We ourselves are witnesses of that light,” the Pope continued. “God’s faithful people can see, discern and contemplate his living presence in the midst of life, in the midst of the city.” The Pope reflected on the multicultural nature of large, modern cities, with such “hidden riches” as diverse cultures, traditions, languages, and cuisine. “But big cities also conceal the faces of all those people who don’t appear to belong, or are second-class citizens,” he said. There are people who go unnoticed, like foreigners, children without education, those without health insurance, the homeless, and the forgotten elderly. “These people stand at the edges of our great avenues, in our streets, in deafening anonymity. They become part of an urban landscape which is more and more taken for granted, in our eyes, and especially in our hearts,” he said.http://catholicnewsagency.tumblr.com/post/129875048103/popeinnyc-popeinus-photo-credit-alan Pope Francis said that when people in the Gospels asked Christ “what must we do?” the first thing he did was “to propose, to encourage, to motivate.” “He keeps telling his disciples to go, to go out. He urges them to go out and meet others where they really are, not where we think they should be. Go out, again and again, go out without fear, without hesitation. Go out and proclaim this joy which is for all the people,” the Roman Pontiff encouraged the congregation of tens of thousands. “Go out to others and share the good news that God, our Father, walks at our side. He frees us from anonymity, from a life of emptiness and selfishness, and brings us to the school of encounter. He removes us from the fray of competition and self-absorption, and he opens before us the path of peace.” This peace, he said, is “born of accepting others,” and fills our hearts “whenever we look upon those in need as our brothers and sisters.” The Pope also reflected on God as the Everlasting Father.   “No one or anything can separate us from his Love. Go out and proclaim, go out and show that God is in your midst as a merciful Father who himself goes out, morning and evening, to see if his son has returned home and, as soon as he sees him coming, runs out to embrace him.” Pope Francis said the knowledge of Christ's presence fills Christians with “a hope which liberates us from the forces pushing us to isolation and lack of concern for the lives of others, for the life of our city.” This is “a hope which frees us from empty ‘connections,’ from abstract analyses, or sensationalist routines. A hope which is unafraid of involvement, which acts as a leaven wherever we happen to live and work. A hope which makes us see, even in the midst of smog, the presence of God as he continues to walk the streets of our city.” The Pope will be in the United States until Sunday. On Saturday, he will travel to Philadelphia, where he will visit a correctional facility and take part in the World Meeting of Families.http://catholicnewsagency.tumblr.com/post/129872354988/pope-francis-has-arrived-at-madison-square-garden Read more

New York City, N.Y., Sep 25, 2015 / 03:09 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- When Martin Luther King, Jr. uttered his famous line “I have a dream”, he was thinking of you. Those were the words of Pope Francis this afternoon during a brief but moving encounter with elementary students at Our Lady, Queen of the Angels School in New York City's Harlem neighborhood. “His dream was that many children, many people would have equal opportunities,” the Pope reflected, speaking in Spanish. “His dream was that many children like you could get an education.” “It is beautiful to have dreams and to be able to fight for them. Today we want to keep dreaming.” Pope Francis met Sept. 25 with some two dozen elementary students from four different Catholic schools. The majority of the students hailed from Our Lady, Queen of the Angels School, where 92 percent of the students are minorities and two-thirds are on scholarship. During his visit to the school, he also met with migrants and refugees, employees of the local branch of Catholic Charities, and New York legislators. Outside the school, additional students were there to greet the Pope, chanting, “Holy Father, we love you.” Once Pope Francis, accompanied by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, was in a classroom at the school, he was greeted by their singing the Prayer of St. Francis, alternating between English and Spanish. The children and teachers then got to introduce themselves to Francis, and to show him projects from their classes. The Pope asked the schoolchildren to consider the dreams of their parents, most of whom are immigrants. “I know that one of the dreams of your parents and teachers is that you can grow up and be happy,” he said. “It is always good to see children smiling. Here I see you smiling. Keep smiling and help bring joy to everyone you meet.” “It's not always easy,” he added. “Everyone has problems, difficult situations, sickness. But don't stop dreaming, so that you can live with happiness.” “Wherever there are dreams, there is joy, Jesus is always present. Because Jesus is joy, and he wants us to feel that joy every day of our lives.” The Pope added that in contrast to Jesus, “the devil is always sowing unhapiness; he doesn't want us happy, or dreaming.” He then urged the children to fight for their right to dream and praised Our Lady, Queen of the Angels School for supporting the dreams of the children. “How nice it is to feel that school is a second home,” he said. “This is not only important for you, but also for your families. School then ends up being one big family. One where, together with our mothers and fathers, our grandparents, our teachers and friends, we learn to help one another, to share our good qualities, to give the best of ourselves, to work as a team and to pursue our dreams.” Pope Francis ended his comments by giving the kids a homework assignment. “It is just a little request, but a very important one,” he said. “Please don’t forget to pray for me, so that I can share with many people the joy of Jesus. And let us also pray that many other people can share the joy like yours.”   He concluded by reminding the children that they are assisted in all their problems, because “Jesus never abandons us.” A couple of the immigrants then sang for the Pope, and he led the group in praying the Our Father. Finally, he said, “Rezen por mi. [Pray for me.] Don't forget the homework!” Read more

New York City, N.Y., Sep 25, 2015 / 03:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis is saying Mass at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and has just delivered his homily. Please find below the full text of the Holy Father's words:   We are in Madison Square Garden, a place synonymous with this city. This is the site of important athletic, artistic and musical events attracting people not only from this city, but from the whole world. In this place, which represents both the variety and the common interests of so many different people, we have listened to the words: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Is 9:1). The people who walked – caught up in their activities and routines, amid their successes and failures, their worries and expectations – have seen a great light. The people who walked – with all their joys and hopes, their disappointments and regrets – have seen a great light. In every age, the People of God are called to contemplate this light. A light for the nations, as the elderly Simeon joyfully expressed it. A light meant to shine on every corner of this city, on our fellow citizens, on every part of our lives. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light”. One special quality of God’s people is their ability to see, to contemplate, even in “moments of darkness”, the light which Christ brings. God’s faithful people can see, discern and contemplate his living presence in the midst of life, in the midst of the city. Together with the prophet Isaiah, we can say: The people who walk, breathe and live in the midst of smog, have seen a great light, have experienced a breath of fresh air. Living in a big city is not always easy. A multicultural context presents many complex challenges. Yet big cities are a reminder of the hidden riches present in our world: in the diversity of its cultures, traditions and historical experiences. In the variety of its languages, costumes and cuisine. Big cities bring together all the different ways which we human beings have discovered to express the meaning of life, wherever we may be. But big cities also conceal the faces of all those people who don’t appear to belong, or are second-class citizens. In big cities, beneath the roar of traffic, beneath “the rapid pace of change”, so many faces pass by unnoticed because they have no “right” to be there, no right to be part of the city. They are the foreigners, the children who go without schooling, those deprived of medical insurance, the homeless, the forgotten elderly. These people stand at the edges of our great avenues, in our streets, in deafening anonymity. They become part of an urban landscape which is more and more taken for granted, in our eyes, and especially in our hearts. Knowing that Jesus still walks our streets, that he is part of the lives of his people, that he is involved with us in one vast history of salvation, fills us with hope. A hope which liberates us from the forces pushing us to isolation and lack of concern for the lives of others, for the life of our city. A hope which frees us from empty “connections”, from abstract analyses, or sensationalist routines. A hope which is unafraid of involvement, which acts as a leaven wherever we happen to live and work. A hope which makes us see, even in the midst of smog, the presence of God as he continues to walk the streets of our city. What is it like, this light travelling through our streets? How do we encounter God, who lives with us amid the smog of our cities? How do we encounter Jesus, alive and at work in the daily life of our multicultural cities? The prophet Isaiah can guide us in this process of “learning to see”. He presents Jesus to us as “Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace”. In this way, he introduces us to the life of the Son, so that his life can be our life. Wonderful Counselor. The Gospels tell us how many people came up to Jesus to ask: “Master, what must we do?” The first thing that Jesus does in response is to propose, to encourage, to motivate. He keeps telling his disciples to go, to go out. He urges them to go out and meet others where they really are, not where we think they should be. Go out, again and again, go out without fear, without hesitation. Go out and proclaim this joy which is for all the people. The Mighty God. In Jesus, God himself became Emmanuel, God-with-us, the God who walks alongside us, who gets involved in our lives, in our homes, in the midst of our “pots and pans”, as Saint Teresa of Jesus liked to say. The Everlasting Father. No one or anything can separate us from his Love. Go out and proclaim, go out and show that God is in your midst as a merciful Father who himself goes out, morning and evening, to see if his son has returned home and, as soon as he sees him coming, runs out to embrace him. An embrace which wants to take up, purify and elevate the dignity of his children. A Father who, in his embrace, is “glad tidings to the poor, healing to the afflicted, liberty to captives, comfort to those who mourn” (Is 61:1-2). Prince of Peace. Go out to others and share the good news that God, our Father, walks at our side. He frees us from anonymity, from a life of emptiness and selfishness, and brings us to the school of encounter. He removes us from the fray of competition and self-absorption, and he opens before us the path of peace. That peace which is born of accepting others, that peace which fills our hearts whenever we look upon those in need as our brothers and sisters. God is living in our cities. The Church is living in our cities, and she wants to be like yeast in the dough. She wants to relate to everyone, to stand at everyone’s side, as she proclaims the marvels of the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Eternal Father, the Prince of Peace. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light”. And we ourselves are witnesses of that light. Read more

New York City, N.Y., Sep 25, 2015 / 01:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis visited Our Lady, Queen of the Angels school in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City on Sept. 25. Most of the school's students come from migrant families. Read the full text of his prepared remarks:   Dear Children, I am very happy to be with you today, along with this big family which surrounds you. I see your teachers, your parents and your family members. Thank you for letting me come, and I ask pardon from your teachers for “stealing” a few minutes of their class time! They tell me that one of the nice things about this school is that some of its students come from other places, even from other countries. That is nice! Even though I know that it is not easy to have to move and find a new home, new neighbors and new friends. It is not easy. At the beginning it can be hard, right? Often you have to learn a new language, adjust to a new culture, even a new climate. There is so much to learn! And not just at school. The good thing is that we also make new friends, we meet people who open doors for us, who are kind to us. They offer us friendship and understanding, and they try to help us not to feel like strangers. To feel at home. How nice it is to feel that school is a second home. This is not only important for you, but also for your families. School then ends up being one big family. One where, together with our mothers and fathers, our grandparents, our teachers and friends, we learn to help one another, to share our good qualities, to give the best of ourselves, to work as a team and to pursue our dreams. Very near here is a very important street named after a man who did a lot for other people. I want to talk a little bit about him. He was the Reverend Martin Luther King. One day he said, “I have a dream”. His dream was that many children, many people could have equal opportunities. His dream was that many children like you could get an education. It is beautiful to have dreams and to be able to fight for them. Today we want to keep dreaming. We celebrate all the opportunities which enable you, and us adults, not to lose the hope of a better world with greater possibilities. I know that one of the dreams of your parents and teachers is that you can grow up and be happy. It is always good to see children smiling. Here I see you smiling. Keep smiling and help bring joy to everyone you meet. Dear children, you have a right to dream and I am very happy that here in this school, in your friends and your teachers, you can find the support you need. Wherever there are dreams, there is joy, Jesus is always present. Because Jesus is joy, and he wants to help us to feel that joy every day of our lives. Before going, I want to give you some homework. Can I? It is just a little request, but a very important one. Please don’t forget to pray for me, so that I can share with many people the joy of Jesus. And let us also pray so that many other people can share the joy like yours. May God bless you today and Our Lady protect you.     Read more