Vatican City, Jun 19, 2015 / 03:38 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis met with Italy's top Special Olympics athletes on Friday, encouraging them and all athletes to make sports a place for loyalty, human dignity and joy. “It is my hope that you all might live the upcoming games in a joyful, passionate, serene manner: have fun,” he said. The Pope held a June 19 audience for Italy's 150 delegates to the Special Olympics 2015 World Games. The event will be held in Los Angeles, Calif. July 25 to August 2. During his remarks, Pope Francis reflected on the promise of sports. “It is beautiful and meaningful that young people and adults find in sport and participation in competitions, including at an international level, an incentive to live their life fully,” he said. “It is a challenge, and you have accepted it and ‘taken the field’.” “I encourage you to continue in your efforts to help each other to discover your potential and to love life, to appreciate it in all its limits and above all, its beautiful sides.” The Pope also encouraged the Special Olympians to make friends from around the world.   The Special Olympics were founded in the U.S. in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver to provide sports and athletic opportunities for the mentally disabled. Over 4.4 million athletes in 177 countries take part in over 81,000 games and competitions each year, according to the website of the Special Olympics’ 2015 world games. Pope Francis said the athletes had chosen sports as “an experience of development and growth, in the presence of a condition of fragility and limitation.” He told them that sports is a way to learn “to participate, to outdo oneself, to strive together.” “All this helps you to become active members of society and also of the Church; and it helps society itself and the Church to overcome all forms of discrimination and exclusion.” He encouraged the athletes to be faithful to this ideal of sports. “Do not let yourself be contaminated by a false sporting culture, that of economic success, victory at any cost, and individualism,” he continued. He praised amateur sports’ culture of “gratuity” and of “sport for sport’s sake.” “We must protect and defend sport as an experience of human values: competition yes, but in loyalty and solidarity. Dignity for every person: always! No one must feel excluded from sport,” said Pope Francis. He said the world of sports and the Church can work together to restore the “true meaning” of sports in its “educational, playful and recreational” aspects and to restore its cultural and social dignity. Read more

Vatican City, Jun 19, 2015 / 03:53 am (CNA).- Speaking to a global gathering of priests, Pope Francis signaled an openness to changing the date of Easter in the West so that all Christians around the world could celebrate the feast on the same day. ... Read more

Vatican City, Jun 19, 2015 / 12:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- 'Laudato si' is not only an example of the Magisterium's social teaching: it also represents the birth of a new literary genre among papal documents. Normally in the modern epoch, Popes have included in encyclicals doctrinal themes. But 'Laudato si' is not a doctrinal text -- it is rather a pastoral letter based on the classical Latin American method: see, judge, act. Pope Francis begins his encyclical by inviting readers to marvel, like St. Francis of Assisi, before creation, which he says is the only path toward an integrated ecology. He then explains what his encyclical will do. “I will begin,” the Pope writes, “by briefly reviewing several aspects of the present ecological crisis, with the aim of drawing on the results of the best scientific research available today, letting them touch us deeply and provide a concrete foundation for the ethical and spiritual itinerary that follows. I will then consider some principles drawn from the Judaeo-Christian tradition which can render our commitment to the environment more coherent. I will then attempt to get to the roots of the present situation, so as to consider not only its symptoms but also its deepest causes.” “In light of this reflection, I will advance some broader proposals for dialogue and action which would involve each of us as individuals, and also affect international policy. Finally … I will offer some inspired guidelines for human development to be found in the treasure of Christian spiritual experience.” There is no better synthesis. The Pope's aim is to give people information that they might become conscious of the necessity of an “ecological conversion,” an expression borrowed from St. John Paul II. Thus the Pope chose to cite not only Church Fathers and Scripture, but bishops conferences and some modern thinkers. He made room also for the thought of the Eastern Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew, and even cited, though merely in a footnote, a Sufi thinker, Ali al-Khawas. It is the same method as in 'Evangelii gaudium', though an apostolic exhortation certainly has a different magisterial value than does an encyclical. In 'Evangelii gaudium' the Pope had suggested that bishops conferences could be given a doctrinal power they do not have at the moment. The last papal document on the subject was St. John Paul II's 1998 motu proprio 'Apostolos Suos', and his post-synodal apostolic exhortation 'Pastores gregis'. But Pope Francis seems to want to go farther. In this sense, the “green” encyclical of the Pope seems to be a manual, a text to use in catechesis, and in international policy forums to combat lobbies and powers. The practical directives which dot the text of the encyclical are a radical change in style. Public transportation, air conditioning, and recycled paper seem, a first glance, of little importance in a magisterial text. But for Francis, they are the very purpose of the text – a purpose principally pastoral, as pastoral as the directives to pray at meals, or to “adopt” city monuments and to care for them, for the benefit of all. And pastoral care is the central idea of integral ecology, which is the care of both the earth and of mankind. It is not only directives, however. The Pope inserts in the text all the classic themes of “human ecology,” while adding in such directions. Moreover, the encyclical, as are all encyclicals of recent decades, is aimed at all men of good will. Thus the choice of the two prayers at the encyclical's closing: one shared “with all who believe in a God who is the all-powerful Creator,” and the other a uniquely Christian prayer. Bergoglio's method, with many dramatic descriptions of reality which leave one to think in the end that the Christian faith is an invitation to joy: “Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.” Read more

Vatican City, Jun 18, 2015 / 03:03 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis' new encyclical is filled with references to his namesake, whom the Pope says is a model of how an integral ecology goes beyond matters of science and leads humanity to find God in creation. “I believe that Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically,” the Pope wrote. The saint, he said, “helps us to see that an integral ecology calls for openness to categories which transcend the language of mathematics and biology, and take us to the heart of what it is to be human.” St. Francis of Assisi is an Italian friar and preacher who founded the Order of Friars Minor, known more commonly as the Franciscans, in the early 1200s. He is the patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology, and is much loved by the faithful and non-Christians. Pope Francis' new encyclical was published June 18. It's title “Laudato Si,” meaning “Praise be to You,” is taken from St. Francis of Assisi's medieval Italian prayer “Canticle of the Sun,” which praises God through elements of creation like Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and “our sister Mother Earth.” Pope Francis revealed shortly after his 2013 election as Bishop of Rome that he had chosen his papal name in honor of the saint due to his emphasis on the poor. In the encyclical, the Pope says that we are called to embrace the same sense of wonder that St. Francis did when we encounter creation. “Just as happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever (St. Francis) would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he burst into song, drawing all other creatures into his praise,” the Pope wrote. Without this openness to “awe and wonder” when approaching nature and the environment, “our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs,” he said. “By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously,” he added, explaining that St. Francis' poverty and austerity were “no mere veneer of asceticism,” but rather “something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used and controlled.” The Pope reflected that, with scripture as a basis, St. Francis extends a universal invitation “to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness.” Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a “joyful mystery” which ought to be contemplated with gladness and praise to God as the saint shows us, he said. In the encyclical Pope Francis also pointed to the human person as being unique from the rest of creation since man is a being created in the image and likeness of God. Human beings, he said, “possess a uniqueness which cannot be fully explained by the evolution of other open systems.” The unique personal identity of each person as well as man's ability to reason, develop arguments, interpret reality and create art as well as other “yet undiscovered capacities” are all signs that humanity possesses a uniqueness “which transcends the spheres of physics and biology.” Although humanity is unique within creation, it doesn’t mean that others beings are “superfluous,” he said, explaining that the whole material universe is an expression of God’s love. Everything from the soil, water and the mountains are like “a caress” from God and they show us the “boundless affection” God has for his creatures. However, Francis cautioned that this doesn’t “put all living beings on the same level,” and nor does it “deprive human beings of their unique worth and the tremendous responsibility it entails.” Neither is it “a divinization of the earth,” which the Pope said “would prevent us from working on it and protecting it in its fragility.” Pope Francis also speaks of the personal conversion needed on the part of each individual if we are to care for creation and the environment in an effective way. Christians in particular, he said, must realize “that their responsibility within creation, and their duty towards nature and the Creator, are an essential part of their faith.” Again turning to the figure of St. Francis of Assisi, the Pope says that in looking to him we realize that “a healthy relationship with creation is one dimension of overall personal conversion, which entails the recognition of our errors, sins, faults and failures, and leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change.” This conversion calls for attitudes which foster a spirit of generous and tender care, he notes, saying that this first of all requires both “gratitude and gratuitousness.” Christian spirituality, he said, “proposes an alternative understanding of the quality of life, and encourages a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption.” Such sobriety is “liberating” when lived both freely and consciously, the Pope says, observing that to live soberly doesn’t mean one has a “lesser life” or that their life is lived with less intensity. “On the contrary, it is a way of living life to the full. In reality, those who enjoy more and live better each moment are those who have given up dipping here and there, always on the look-out for what they do not have.” The Pope also noted that having inner peace is closely tied to care for the environment and the common good. When lived with authenticity, this peace is reflected in a balanced lifestyle, which together with “a capacity for wonder,” leads to a greater understanding of life, Francis said. “An integral ecology includes taking time to recover a serene harmony with creation, reflecting on our lifestyle and our ideals, and contemplating the Creator who lives among us and surrounds us, whose presence must not be contrived but found, uncovered.” Because the universe reaches full fruition in God, a “mystical meaning” can be found in simple objects of nature, such as a leaf, a trail in the mountains, a dewdrop or even in “a poor person's face,” Francis observed. “The ideal is not only to pass from the exterior to the interior to discover the action of God in the soul, but also to discover God in all things.” At the end of the document, Pope Francis pointed to the sacraments as a concrete way in which God uses nature as a means of leading us to the supernatural life. He noted how water, oil and fire are used in the sacraments as symbols of a spiritual reality. “The hand that blesses is an instrument of God’s love and a reflection of the closeness of Jesus Christ, who came to accompany us on the journey of life. Water poured over the body of a child in Baptism is a sign of new life,” he said. He added that to encounter God doesn’t mean running away from the world or “turning our back” on nature. He noted how in the Eucharist God gives himself as food for the creatures he has saved, and has chosen to reach “our intimate depths” through a “fragment of matter,” which is the bread and wine. God, the Pope said, “comes not from above, but from within, he comes that we might find him in this world of ours.” Francis also drew attention to the role of Mary, who having cared for Jesus, now watches over “this wounded world” with pain and motherly affection. “Just as her pierced heart mourned the death of Jesus, so now she grieves for the sufferings of the crucified poor and for the creatures of this world laid waste by human power,” he said. The Pope concluded his encyclical with an encouragement to imitate St. Francis and to “sing as we go,” never letting our struggle and concern for the planet overshadow “the joy of our hope.” “God, who calls us to generous commitment and to give him our all, offers us the light and the strength needed to continue on our way.” Read more

Vatican City, Jun 18, 2015 / 03:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican's presentation of Pope Francis' new encyclical said the intent behind the document goes beyond political debates, aiming for something more essential: the well-being of all creation. At the June 18 launch of the highly-anticipated encyclical “Laudato Si,” Cardinal Peter Turkson acknowledged a critique that the Church is taking sides on scientifically still-debatable topics such as global warming, pollution, species extinction and global inequality’s impact on natural resources. “The aim of the Encyclical is not to intervene in this debate, which is the responsibility of scientists, and even less to establish exactly in which ways the climate changes are a consequence of human action” he said. Instead, the goal of the document is to promote the well-being of all creation and “to develop an integral ecology, which in its diverse dimensions comprehends ‘our unique place as human beings in this world and our relationship to our surroundings,” the cardinal said, quoting the encyclical. “Science is the best tool by which we can listen to the cry of the earth,” Cardinal Turkson said, noting that regardless of the various positions, studies tells us that “today the earth, our sister, mistreated and abused.” A true integral ecology seeks to address all of the various aspects of our lives, including the human person itself, the environment in which we live, in the economy and politics and in various cultures of the world, particularly those most at risk. Cardinal Turkson is the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He was joined in presenting the encyclical by a wide variety of voices, including Orthodox Bishop John Zizioulas of Pergamon, who was there as a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Constantinople, headed by Bartholomew I, whom Francis' frequently quotes in the encyclical. Also present was Prof. John Schellnhuber, founding director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate   Impact Research and a new appointee to the Pontifical Academy for the Sciences. Dr. Carolyn Woo, CEO and President of Catholic Relief Services, was also present. The Vatican announced the Pope’s plans to write “Laudato Si” in early 2014, and at Pope Francis' request, Cardinal Turkson was involved in the drafting process. In comments to CNA, the cardinal stressed the importance of an integral approach to the topic of ecology which links caring for the environment and caring for the human person. “You cannot believe in and love God without respecting or caring for what he has created, without caring for the work of his hands,” he said. He noted that “work of God's hands” includes two things: the human person and the world in which they live. “The two things we're talking about are so closely related, the one doesn't have sense without the other. The garden doesn’t have sense without the man to be brought into the garden, and man doesn't make sense if he wasn't the one to till and keep the land,” the cardinal said. What the encyclical's concern is has been “just that: to promote the well-being not of one over the other, but to promote the well-being of the two jointly. That's the point of the encyclical.” Pope Francis' concern for the common good – a term he uses 30 times in the encyclical – is what leads him to find answers to the question “what kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us?” In response to a question regarding American Catholic presidential candidates who have said that they are willing to listen to the Pope’s advice on matters of theology in the encyclical but not those of science, Cardinal Turkson said the attitude is “strange” since science is a broad domain. “We all talk about subject matters not because we’re experts in those matters. We talk about them because we’re concerned and they impact our lives,” he said. “The Pope is not a scientist but he can consult scientists” and draw conclusions based from their research and advice, the cardinal observed, and warned against a growing temptation to “de-emphasize the artificial split that has been introduced between religion and public life.” In his speech, Cardinal Turkson pointed to the Pope’s concern for finding effective proposals on international, national and local politics, as well as the decision-making processes in the public and business sectors, highlighting that are not “ideological.” Laudato Si, he said, “can and must have an impact on important and urgent decisions to be made in this area.” Prof. John Schellnhuber also spoke to attendees at the presentation, saying that in front of the “great challenge” of global warming, the encyclical's urgency to act on the issue “mirrors the scientific findings which have accumulated into an overwhelming body of evidence.” He spoke along the same lines that Pope Francis takes in his encyclical and warned against the harmful affects of the over-use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. “If we fail to strongly reduce these emissions and to bend the warming curve, we, our neighbors and children will be exposed to intolerable risks,” he said. He noted that the large-scale production of fossil-fuels has led to many important human developments, but only “for a minority,” and that although vast amounts of wealth have also been generated, on the other side of the cash “stand the poor and the poorest of the poor.” Schellnhuber said he wanted to break the myth that 85 of the world’s richest people own the same amount of wealth as 3.5 billion of global poor population. “It's actually 60” people, he said. His speech culminated by noting that a stable climate, which is “our common good,” is being destroyed not by the many, but by the few. “The Encyclical confirms this assessment which scientists and moral philosophers have claimed in the context of climate policy: 'The climate is a global commons of all and for all.'” He said that technologically speaking, all the resources necessary for developing clean energy are abundantly available. “All we have to do is develop the means to properly harvest it and responsibly manage our consumption.” Bishop John Zizioulas also addressed the gathering on behalf of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Orthodox Church. He thanked the Pope and Cardinal Turkson for the invitation to be there, and said that the encyclical “comes at a critical moment in human history and will undoubtedly have a worldwide effect on people’s consciousness.” “There is in its pages food for thought for all: the scientist, the economist, the sociologist and above all the faithful of the Church.” Zizioulas said the publication of the document is only a call to evaluate the effect our actions will have on future generations, but is also a call for ecumenical communion. “I believe that the significance of the Papal Encyclical Laudato Si' is not limited to the subject of ecology as such,” he said. Rather, for him it is also “an important ecumenical dimension in that it brings the divided Christians before a common task which they must face together,” the bishop noted, explaining that Christian unity today, particularly in the Middle East, “is de facto realized by persecution and blood – an ecumenism of martyrdom.” He noted how Sept. 1 is a day dedicated to the environment in the Orthodox Church, and suggested it become a date that all Christians share in common. Carolyn Woo spoke from the business perspective of the “one complex crisis” the world is facing, which in her opinion can’t be divided into two separate categories, but is rather one overall problem with both social and environmental consequences. At the end of the day, “business is a human enterprise and must strive for true human development and the common good,” she noted. If businesses invest in sustainability, then it is “another win-win” opportunity, Woo said. Quoting the Pope's encyclical, she explained that “efforts to promote a sustainable use of natural resources are not a waste of money, but rather an investment capable of providing other economic benefits in the medium term.” Read more

Vatican City, Jun 18, 2015 / 03:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican's presentation of Pope Francis' new encyclical said the intent behind the document goes beyond political debates, aiming for something more essential: the well-being of all creation. At the June 18 launch of the highly-anticipated encyclical “Laudato Si,” Cardinal Peter Turkson acknowledged a critique that the Church is taking sides on scientifically still-debatable topics such as global warming, pollution, species extinction and global inequality’s impact on natural resources. “The aim of the Encyclical is not to intervene in this debate, which is the responsibility of scientists, and even less to establish exactly in which ways the climate changes are a consequence of human action” he said. Instead, the goal of the document is to promote the well-being of all creation and “to develop an integral ecology, which in its diverse dimensions comprehends ‘our unique place as human beings in this world and our relationship to our surroundings,” the cardinal said, quoting the encyclical. “Science is the best tool by which we can listen to the cry of the earth,” Cardinal Turkson said, noting that regardless of the various positions, studies tells us that “today the earth, our sister, mistreated and abused.” A true integral ecology seeks to address all of the various aspects of our lives, including the human person itself, the environment in which we live, in the economy and politics and in various cultures of the world, particularly those most at risk. Cardinal Turkson is the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He was joined in presenting the encyclical by a wide variety of voices, including Orthodox Bishop John Zizioulas of Pergamon, who was there as a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Constantinople, headed by Bartholomew I, whom Francis' frequently quotes in the encyclical. Also present was Prof. John Schellnhuber, founding director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate   Impact Research and a new appointee to the Pontifical Academy for the Sciences. Dr. Carolyn Woo, CEO and President of Catholic Relief Services, was also present. The Vatican announced the Pope’s plans to write “Laudato Si” in early 2014, and at Pope Francis' request, Cardinal Turkson was involved in the drafting process. In comments to CNA, the cardinal stressed the importance of an integral approach to the topic of ecology which links caring for the environment and caring for the human person. “You cannot believe in and love God without respecting or caring for what he has created, without caring for the work of his hands,” he said. He noted that “work of God's hands” includes two things: the human person and the world in which they live. “The two things we're talking about are so closely related, the one doesn't have sense without the other. The garden doesn’t have sense without the man to be brought into the garden, and man doesn't make sense if he wasn't the one to till and keep the land,” the cardinal said. What the encyclical's concern is has been “just that: to promote the well-being not of one over the other, but to promote the well-being of the two jointly. That's the point of the encyclical.” Pope Francis' concern for the common good – a term he uses 30 times in the encyclical – is what leads him to find answers to the question “what kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us?” In response to a question regarding American Catholic presidential candidates who have said that they are willing to listen to the Pope’s advice on matters of theology in the encyclical but not those of science, Cardinal Turkson said the attitude is “strange” since science is a broad domain. “We all talk about subject matters not because we’re experts in those matters. We talk about them because we’re concerned and they impact our lives,” he said. “The Pope is not a scientist but he can consult scientists” and draw conclusions based from their research and advice, the cardinal observed, and warned against a growing temptation to “de-emphasize the artificial split that has been introduced between religion and public life.” In his speech, Cardinal Turkson pointed to the Pope’s concern for finding effective proposals on international, national and local politics, as well as the decision-making processes in the public and business sectors, highlighting that are not “ideological.” Laudato Si, he said, “can and must have an impact on important and urgent decisions to be made in this area.” Prof. John Schellnhuber also spoke to attendees at the presentation, saying that in front of the “great challenge” of global warming, the encyclical's urgency to act on the issue “mirrors the scientific findings which have accumulated into an overwhelming body of evidence.” He spoke along the same lines that Pope Francis takes in his encyclical and warned against the harmful affects of the over-use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. “If we fail to strongly reduce these emissions and to bend the warming curve, we, our neighbors and children will be exposed to intolerable risks,” he said. He noted that the large-scale production of fossil-fuels has led to many important human developments, but only “for a minority,” and that although vast amounts of wealth have also been generated, on the other side of the cash “stand the poor and the poorest of the poor.” Schellnhuber said he wanted to break the myth that 85 of the world’s richest people own the same amount of wealth as 3.5 billion of global poor population. “It's actually 60” people, he said. His speech culminated by noting that a stable climate, which is “our common good,” is being destroyed not by the many, but by the few. “The Encyclical confirms this assessment which scientists and moral philosophers have claimed in the context of climate policy: 'The climate is a global commons of all and for all.'” He said that technologically speaking, all the resources necessary for developing clean energy are abundantly available. “All we have to do is develop the means to properly harvest it and responsibly manage our consumption.” Bishop John Zizioulas also addressed the gathering on behalf of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Orthodox Church. He thanked the Pope and Cardinal Turkson for the invitation to be there, and said that the encyclical “comes at a critical moment in human history and will undoubtedly have a worldwide effect on people’s consciousness.” “There is in its pages food for thought for all: the scientist, the economist, the sociologist and above all the faithful of the Church.” Zizioulas said the publication of the document is only a call to evaluate the effect our actions will have on future generations, but is also a call for ecumenical communion. “I believe that the significance of the Papal Encyclical Laudato Si' is not limited to the subject of ecology as such,” he said. Rather, for him it is also “an important ecumenical dimension in that it brings the divided Christians before a common task which they must face together,” the bishop noted, explaining that Christian unity today, particularly in the Middle East, “is de facto realized by persecution and blood – an ecumenism of martyrdom.” He noted how Sept. 1 is a day dedicated to the environment in the Orthodox Church, and suggested it become a date that all Christians share in common. Carolyn Woo spoke from the business perspective of the “one complex crisis” the world is facing, which in her opinion can’t be divided into two separate categories, but is rather one overall problem with both social and environmental consequences. At the end of the day, “business is a human enterprise and must strive for true human development and the common good,” she noted. If businesses invest in sustainability, then it is “another win-win” opportunity, Woo said. Quoting the Pope's encyclical, she explained that “efforts to promote a sustainable use of natural resources are not a waste of money, but rather an investment capable of providing other economic benefits in the medium term.” Read more