Vatican City, Feb 22, 2015 / 01:49 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis and members of the Curia set out from Rome on Sunday afternoon to begin their annual Lenten retreat. This year's spiritual exercises will run from Feb. 22-27 on the theme: “Servants and prophets of the living God,” according to the Jan. 30 announcement in L'Osservatore Romano. The retreat will be guided by Fr. Bruno Secondin, Carmelite, who will focus on the prophet Elijah and the prophetic role of the Church today. For the second consecutive year, Pope Francis wanted the Curia's spiritual exercises to be held outside of Rome, in order to foster the spiritual retreat and to avoid the temptation to continue working. The Pope and the Curial members will follow the five-day spiritual exercises at the Casa Divin Maestro in Ariccia, a city located some 16 miles outside of Rome.   Read more

Vatican City, Feb 22, 2015 / 10:22 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The 40 days of Lent are a reminder that we face spiritual deserts, and we must confront them with courage and the aid of Scripture, Pope Francis said during his weekly Angelus address. Delivering the Feb. 22 address from the papal apartments to a sizable crowd gathered in Saint Peter's Square, the Pope's remarks came on the first Sunday of Lent, hours before he embarked on a week-long Spiritual Exercises retreat with members of the Curia. The pontiff began his pre-Angelus reflection by speaking on the Gospel reading of the day, in which St. Mark gives an account of Christ's 40 days in the desert following the Baptism in the river Jordan. During this period, he recalled, Jesus was “tempted by Satan,” and “was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.” This “voluntary test confronted by Jesus” is one from which he “emerges victoriously and which prepares him to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” the Pope said. During the period in the desert, Jesus engaged in “hand-to-hand” combat with Satan, “unmasking his temptations” and being victorious against them, the Holy Father said. “Everyone has triumphed” in Jesus through this victory; however, “it is up to us to protect this victory in our daily lives.” Lent is a time of “spiritual battle against the spirit of evil,” Pope Francis said. “And as we cross the Lenten 'desert', we fix our gaze toward Easter, which is Jesus' definitive victory against Evil, against sin, and against death.” This is the significance of the first Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father continued: “to decisively lose ourselves on the path of Jesus, the path which leads to life.” He went on to highlight the desert as a place for listening to “God's voice and the tempter's voice,” which cannot otherwise be done amidst noise and confusion, in which “one only hears superficial voices.” Since God's voice is heard in His Word, the Pope reminded those present of the importance of reading the Scriptures daily, “because otherwise we do not know how to respond to the hidden dangers of evil.” This desert, he continued, “helps us to say no to worldliness, to idols,” while helping us “to make courageous choices in conformity to the Gospel,” reinforcing “solidarity with our brethren.” “Therefore, we enter into the desert without fear, because we are not alone: we are with Jesus, with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit.” In particular, Lent is a time of becoming “ever more aware of how much the Holy Spirit, (who we received) in Baptism, has worked and is able to work in us.” Before leading the crowds in the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Francis turned to Mary, the “model of docility to the Spirit,” who “helps us to allow ourselves to be guided by Him who wishes to make each one of us a 'new creation'.” The Pope prayed in particular for Mary's intercession during “this week of Spiritual exercises” in which he and members of the Curia were to take part, beginning Sunday afternoon. He then appealed to the faithful to pray for those taking part in the Exercises, they may “listen to the voice of Jesus and correct” their many defects, and “confront the temptations” which attack them daily. Following the recitation of the Marian prayer in Latin, Pope Francis greeted the various pilgrims from around Rome and the world, before introducing the distribution of prayer booklets to those in the square. “Lent is a journey of conversion,” he said, adding that “our heart must be converted to the Lord.” For this reason, Pope Francis took the first Sunday of Lent as an occasion to distribute small prayer booklets entitled “Custodisci il cuore” – “Guard your heart” – to those in Saint Peter's Square. Each booklet, distributed by volunteers in the square, contains various tenants of the faith, including the Seven Sacraments, Ten Commandments, a list of the virtues, and the works of mercy. The Pope said those in the square should carry with them this “richness of our doctrine,” in order “to guard the heart.” “Humanity needs justice, peace, love,” he said, and can have it only by turning with all its heart to God, who is the source of all these things.   Read more

Vatican City, Feb 22, 2015 / 10:22 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The 40 days of Lent are a reminder that we face spiritual deserts, and we must confront them with courage and the aid of Scripture, Pope Francis said during his weekly Angelus address. Delivering the Feb. 22 address from the papal apartments to a sizable crowd gathered in Saint Peter's Square, the Pope's remarks came on the first Sunday of Lent, hours before he embarked on a week-long Spiritual Exercises retreat with members of the Curia. The pontiff began his pre-Angelus reflection by speaking on the Gospel reading of the day, in which St. Mark gives an account of Christ's 40 days in the desert following the Baptism in the river Jordan. During this period, he recalled, Jesus was “tempted by Satan,” and “was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.” This “voluntary test confronted by Jesus” is one from which he “emerges victoriously and which prepares him to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” the Pope said. During the period in the desert, Jesus engaged in “hand-to-hand” combat with Satan, “unmasking his temptations” and being victorious against them, the Holy Father said. “Everyone has triumphed” in Jesus through this victory; however, “it is up to us to protect this victory in our daily lives.” Lent is a time of “spiritual battle against the spirit of evil,” Pope Francis said. “And as we cross the Lenten 'desert', we fix our gaze toward Easter, which is Jesus' definitive victory against Evil, against sin, and against death.” This is the significance of the first Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father continued: “to decisively lose ourselves on the path of Jesus, the path which leads to life.” He went on to highlight the desert as a place for listening to “God's voice and the tempter's voice,” which cannot otherwise be done amidst noise and confusion, in which “one only hears superficial voices.” Since God's voice is heard in His Word, the Pope reminded those present of the importance of reading the Scriptures daily, “because otherwise we do not know how to respond to the hidden dangers of evil.” This desert, he continued, “helps us to say no to worldliness, to idols,” while helping us “to make courageous choices in conformity to the Gospel,” reinforcing “solidarity with our brethren.” “Therefore, we enter into the desert without fear, because we are not alone: we are with Jesus, with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit.” In particular, Lent is a time of becoming “ever more aware of how much the Holy Spirit, (who we received) in Baptism, has worked and is able to work in us.” Before leading the crowds in the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Francis turned to Mary, the “model of docility to the Spirit,” who “helps us to allow ourselves to be guided by Him who wishes to make each one of us a 'new creation'.” The Pope prayed in particular for Mary's intercession during “this week of Spiritual exercises” in which he and members of the Curia were to take part, beginning Sunday afternoon. He then appealed to the faithful to pray for those taking part in the Exercises, they may “listen to the voice of Jesus and correct” their many defects, and “confront the temptations” which attack them daily. Following the recitation of the Marian prayer in Latin, Pope Francis greeted the various pilgrims from around Rome and the world, before introducing the distribution of prayer booklets to those in the square. “Lent is a journey of conversion,” he said, adding that “our heart must be converted to the Lord.” For this reason, Pope Francis took the first Sunday of Lent as an occasion to distribute small prayer booklets entitled “Custodisci il cuore” – “Guard your heart” – to those in Saint Peter's Square. Each booklet, distributed by volunteers in the square, contains various tenants of the faith, including the Seven Sacraments, Ten Commandments, a list of the virtues, and the works of mercy. The Pope said those in the square should carry with them this “richness of our doctrine,” in order “to guard the heart.” “Humanity needs justice, peace, love,” he said, and can have it only by turning with all its heart to God, who is the source of all these things.   Read more

Vatican City, Feb 21, 2015 / 02:46 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- You cannot call yourself a true believer if you participate in organized crime, Pope Francis told members of the Cassano all’Jonio diocese in Italy on Saturday. No one, the Pope said Feb. 21, can “call themselves Christians and violate the dignity of the person; those who belong to the Christian community cannot program or carry out acts of violence against others and against the environment.” “Jesus never invited demons to lunch, no he chased them away, because they are evil,” he said, emphasizing that Christ and evil are incompatible. Mere external signs of devotion which are not coupled with a true and “public” conversion “are not enough to be considered in communion with Christ and His Church,” Francis stressed. “External gestures of religiosity are not enough to credit as believers those who with the malice and arrogance typical of criminals, make lawlessness their lifestyle,” he said, calling those affiliated with criminal organizations to a conversion of heart. Pope Francis’ words were delivered in a speech given to faithful from the southern Italian diocese of Cassano all’Jonio, who came to the Vatican to thank the Pope for his June 21 visit last year. While celebrating Mass during his one-day trip to the region of Calabria, Pope Francis had spoken harsh words against the local mafia, known as the 'Ndrangheta, calling them “adorers of evil” and saying that all who have chosen the “evil road, such as the mobsters, (are) not in communion with God. They are ‘excommunicated.’” In today’s audience with Calabrian pilgrims, the Pope reaffirmed these sentiments, and once again called those involved in crime to conversion. “Open your heart to the Lord! The Lord is waiting for you and the Church welcomes you if your willingness to serve the good is as clear and public as was your choice to serve evil,” he said. Roughly 100 buses left Calabria this morning, bringing close to 7,000 pilgrims to the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, where they celebrated Mass with Cassano all’Jonio’s bishop, Nunzio Galantino, at 10:30 before having an audience with the Pope at noon. In addition to his responsibilities in Cassano all’Jonio, Bishop Nunzio is also the Secretary-General of the Italian Bishop's Conference. Francis recalled how he met with the imprisoned, sick, elderly and religious during his previous visit to the diocese. He asked the people to pray for more vocations. In particular, he praised the work of one group – the Emmanuel Community – for aiding young people caught in the web of drug addictions. “Our era is in great need of hope! Young people should not be denied hope, young people need to hope; we must offer those experiencing pain and suffering concrete signs of hope,” he emphasized. “Social realities and associations, as well as individuals who work in hospitality and sharing, are generators of hope.” “Therefore I urge your Christian communities to be protagonists of solidarity, not to stop in front of those who, out of a narrow self-interest, sow selfishness, violence and injustice. Oppose the culture of death and be witnesses to the Gospel of Life!”   Read more

Vatican City, Feb 21, 2015 / 11:56 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The ongoing crisis in Ukraine was among the topics covered by Pope Francis and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in their Feb. 21 meeting at the Vatican. Merkel helped to negotiate the latest cea... Read more

Vatican City, Feb 21, 2015 / 06:53 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Although liberation theology proponents visited Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero and left him their books, he was never swayed by their ideas, says the late archbishop’s personal secretary. In statements to CNA, Msgr. Jesus Delgado, former secretary of Archbishop Romero, said that the archbishop’s murder on March 24, 1980, “was in opposition to what he preached, which is what the Church asks of all: conversion to Jesus, a personal encounter with Jesus.” Archbishop Romero, “like the Second Vatican Council, called for a personal encounter with Christ Jesus, which implied a preferential option for the poor, because Jesus opted for the poor to save us all.” Oscar Romero y Galdamez was Archbishop of San Salvador from 1977 until March 24, 1980, when he was shot while saying Mass. He was a vocal critic of the human rights abuses of the repressive Salvadoran government, and he spoke out on behalf of the poor and the victims of the government. No one has been prosecuted for his assassination, but right-wing death squads are suspected. On Feb. 3, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of a decree recognizing the martyrdom of Archbishop Romero, paving the way for his beatification. The theologians of the congregation for saints had unanimously recognized Archbishop Romero's 1980 assassination as a martyrdom on Jan. 8. The Pope's approval was the last step needed before Archbishop Romero could be beatified. At the same time, the Pope also recognized the martyrdoms of three priests killed in Peru by the Shining Path, a Communist guerilla group. Msgr. Delgado responded to years of allegations that there was a connection between Archbishop Romero and liberation theology, a controversial school of thought that developed in Latin America in the 1950s, which has been criticized as a Marxist interpretation of the Gospel. “When I wrote his life story, I looked over his library. Obviously, the liberation theology proponents always visited him and left him their books,” Msgr. Delgado said. “I saw them, and they were like brand new, he never even opened them. He never read them, he never looked at them. On the other hand, all the books of the fathers of the Church were worn and were the source of his inspiration.” Archbishop Romero “knew nothing about Liberation Theology, he did not want to know about it. He adhered faithfully to the Catholic Church and to above all to the teachings of the Popes.” His theology was focused on the presence of God among the poor, “which we could describe like this: ‘God present and living with the poor and walking with the poor’,” Msgr. Delgado said. “This was the point that his rich friends did not understand, and it’s not that they didn’t want to understand, but at that time we were immersed in the struggle been the Soviet Union and the United States.” Archbishop Romero “was pulled by one side and the other, and he wanted to remain and always did remain on the same path: preaching the word of God and calling us all to conversion to Christ and with Christ to the poorest people.” Those on the left that relied on Archbishop Romero did so for their own objectives, he added. “They threatened to kill him because, they said, he blessed the coup d’etat and the agricultural reform proposed by the 1979 coup d’etat.” For this reason, “they labeled him a supporter of the reform and not of the revolution and they sentenced him to death,” Msgr. Delgado stated. “He lived Christmas of 1979 in fear of the flames that were threatening him from the right and the left.” “He was killed on March 24 and I always say that either side could have killed him, both the left and the right. They hated him for one reason or another. Afterwards, the Truth Commission proved that it was the right that killed him,” Msgr. Delgado said. The problem, he continued, is that Archbishop Romero was manipulated and used by proponents of both the left and right, inaccurately held up as a “battle flag” for ideologies with which he did not agree. Asked why the Vatican received negative reports for years about Romero, Msgr. Delgado said, “The news that came in was negative and the Popes did not have a good understanding of the situation in Latin America. They were very prudent in response.” “Thank God a Pope has come along who knows this situation in Latin America well and who unblocked everything, opening the path to justice and truth,” Msgr. Delgado stated.   Read more