2014-08-19T23:12:00+00:00

St. Louis, Mo., Aug 19, 2014 / 05:12 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Following more than a week of protests after the death of an African-American teen, the Archdiocese of St. Louis is asking Catholics to offer special prayers for peace in the coming days. “We are all aware of the turmoil and tragedy our St. Louis community is experiencing. The residents of Ferguson, Missouri, are struggling to find peace in the chaos. As people of Christ, we are struggling to find direction in the unrest,” said Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis in an Aug. 18 letter. “In all circumstances, but especially in these difficult times, we are all called to be instruments of peace through our words and actions.” Appealing for peace, the archbishop announced he will be celebrating a Mass for Peace and Justice at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, on Wednesday, Aug. 20, and will host a special collection “to assist food pantries and parishes in the Ferguson area that offer assistance to those who have been affected by the looting and destruction of property.” Archbishop Carlson invited all the parishes “to offer Masses for peace in our community,” as well as to arrange Holy Hours, rosaries and additional special collections. He also stated that Catholic schools within the archdiocese will “begin a daily rosary for peace and to offer special intentions during all school Masses,” as Catholic schools begin classes. The archbishop – referencing Pope Francis’s encouragement “to ask Our Lady, the Undoer of Knots, to intercede for us in difficult circumstances” – asked Catholics to ask Mary for her prayers “for peace and justice in our community.” The town of Ferguson, Mo., along with other communities surrounding St. Louis, have erupted in demonstrations and protests following the Aug. 9 shooting of unarmed African-American teenager Michael Brown. Eyewitness reports conflict, with some saying that the 18-year-old was holding his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender as he was shot. According to an Aug. 15 announcement by Ferguson police, Brown is an alleged suspect in a convenience store robbery that occurred earlier on the day of the shooting, though the officer who shot Brown did not know of these allegations at the time of the confrontation. In the days since the shooting, vigils and protests have taken place around the St. Louis area. Some demonstrations have escalated into violence or been taken advantage of by looters. Local police have also come under criticism for the targeting of minority communities, as well as for the use of SWAT teams, tear gas and rubber bullets to disrupt peaceful demonstrations and unarmed protesters. Reporters covering the protests, as well as numerous community members, have been arrested during the protests. In some cases, protesters have reacted by volleying back tear gas canisters and objects towards the police. In the days since the beginning of the protests, law enforcement duties have been transferred from local police to state highway patrol officials. Archbishop Carlson said that he has “personally visited Ferguson and Michael Brown's memorial to offer my prayers for everyone affected by this tragedy,” and expressed that he found strength in the face of the situation “in the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: ‘Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.’”   Read more

2014-08-19T18:00:00+00:00

Vatican City, Aug 19, 2014 / 12:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Holy See announced Tuesday that Pope Francis has asked that the faithful join him in praying for the repose of the souls of three members of his family who have been killed in a car accident. “The Pope was informed of the tragic accident in Argentina involving some of his family, and is profoundly saddened,” Fr. Federico Lombardi, Holy See press officer, said Aug. 19. “He calls upon all who share in his grief to be united with him in prayer.” Pope Francis' nephew, Emanuel Horacio Bergoglio, 38, was returning to Rosario from a weekend with his family in the mountains near Cordoba, in central Argentina. Their Chevrolet Spin hit a truck carrying corn. Emanuel is in the hospital of Villa Maria in critical condition. His wife Valeria Carmona, 39, died, along with their children, Jose, 2, and Antonio, 8 months. The Pope's nephew is the son of his late brother, Alberto. Read more

2014-08-19T10:02:00+00:00

Kyiv, Ukraine, Aug 19, 2014 / 04:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The newly elected head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate must decide whether that Church can be independent from Russia, Ukraine's eastern neighbor with which it is in conflict, analysts say. On Aug. 13, Metropolitan Onufriy was elected Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, making him the primate of the UOC-MP, which is one of the three primary Orthodox Churches in Ukraine. He was enthroned at his Church's Kyiv cathedral Aug. 17. In addition to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate – which is under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church – there is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. "The greatest dependence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Moscow is ideological,” Anatoliy Babinskyj, an analyst of the Religious Information Service of Ukraine told CNA, adding that “98 percent of the literature which is sold in the churches of the UOC-MP are published in Russia with a clear idea of 'the Russian world'.” “Ukraine is not only a huge market for Russia  but also a field for ideological influence through books, websites, magazines, and priests who teach theological, cultural, and mental traditions in Russian.” Ukraine has experienced significant unrest this year: its president was ousted in February and a new government appointed; in March, Crimea was annexed by Russia; and pro-Russian separatist rebels have taken control of eastern portions of Ukraine, around Donetsk and Luhansk, since April. Fighting in the country continues: at least 2,119 have died in the violence since mid-April. More than 155,000 are internally displaced, and 188,000 have become refugees in Russia, according to the United Nations. Against this backdrop, Metropolitan Onufriy's election last week was due to his excellent reputation, experts say: he has not been involved in scandals in the past, and is known for his true prayer. He was born in 1944 to a priest in western Ukraine. He became a monk in Russia in the 1970s, and was ordained a priest in 1972. He later returned to Ukraine, joining a monastery in his homeland. He was consecrated a bishop in 1990. In 1988 Metropolitan Onufriy graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy, which belonged to one of the most conservative schools of theology in the Soviet Union; in contrast, the Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow, Kirill, studied at the liberal Leningrad Theological Academy. “The Church has chosen prayer and ministry, and clever conservatism has never been harmful,” Fr. Gregory Kovalenko, spokesman for the UOC-MP, told CNA regarding Metropolitan Onufriy's election. While the metropolitan has 40 years experience as a monk, some experts are hesitant that this will help him be a good manager, a necessary talent for exercising control over his Church. He had, in fact, been elected locum tenens for the Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine – thus acting head of the UOC-MP – in February. He acted on behalf of Metropolitan Volodymyr, who was primate of that Church from 1992 until his July 5 death. According to Fr. Kovalenko, Metropolitan Onufriy speaks Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, and English. “The bishops' choice (of Onufriy) is very logical; we are not ready for radical steps today” the UOC-MP Metropolitan of Vyshneve and Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy, Oleksandr Drabynko, told CNA. Prior to the election, the electors gave the future primate three tasks: unification of Ukrainian society; gaining autocephaly for the Church, that it could be united with the UOC-KP; and union within the Church, which has been troubled by the recent unrest in eastern Ukraine. Metropolitan Volodymyr had been able to balance the factions within the Church, according to Babinskyj. "(While) staying a rather pro-Ukrainian leader, he didn’t prohibit pro-Russian priests from working,” he said. “And the situation in eastern Ukraine is, in a way, their fault. Even now, when there is war with Russia, the priests of the Moscow Patriarchate continue to agitate for 'the Russian world' in the churches of Luhansk and Donetsk.” This spring, Fr. Vitaliy Eismonth, a priest of the UOC-MP, served a Divine Liturgy with the UOC-KP, for which he was removed from ministry for a month. Following the election of Metropolitan Onufriy, he joined the Kyiv Patriarchate. According to the Information Center of Razumkov, a Ukrainian analytics center, the number of believers adhering to the UOC-KP now exceeds the those with the UOC-MP, while in 2013 the Churches' numbers were about the same. This month the UOC-MP community in Soloniv, a village in western Ukraine's Rivne province, joined the Kyiv Patriarchate when its priest refused to pray for the Ukrainian military serving in the country's east; and the Kyiv Patriarchate recently announced that about 10 parishes have transferred to their jurisdiction this year from the UOC-MP. Despite these moves, the UOC-MP does not see a danger in losing its faithful. Metropolitan Drabynko said it is not a catastrophe, and that the situation is highly dependent on what region of Ukraine one is in. Metropolitan Onufriy told journalists shortly after his election that “we remain, and have always been, open to dialogue among different branches of Orthodoxy. And we want to see union between us, but we have our principles – a canon of the Holy Orthodox Church and association can only be in accordance with these canons; no other argument can be sufficient. We will communicate with our Orthodox brothers.” Patriarch Kirill affirmed the metropolitan's election, and Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's prime minister, congratulated him, saying, “I am sure that you will do everything to establish and maintain peace, to strengthen the Orthodox unity, and to revive  spiritual and moral values,” according to RIA Novosti. The Kyiv Post reported Aug. 14 that Patriarch Filaret, head of the Kyiv Patriarchate, reacted to the election his new counterpart won't advocate for Ukrainian interests, and that he will discuss unification of the Churches “only with the patriotically-minded clergy” of the UOC-MP. Metropolitan Onufriy was elected on the second round of voting, by 48 of the 74 bishops voting in the council. Fr. Kovalenko said the decisiveness of the vote shows that the new primate will be able to united the faithful of the UOC-MP. "He is honored in the monasteries of our Church. People in different regions like him, and it will help him to stabilize the life of Church," Fr. Kovalenko said. Metropolitan Oleksandr said that “I don’t see any pro-Russian branches of bishops, (though) there are some who still think in Soviet and imperial stereotypes. But Russia is not the example for them, rather, union with the Russian Orthodox Church. They are afraid of anything new, and an unpredictable future. Unity with Moscow is what they see as a guarantee of canonicity and stability – that the path they stand on is the right one.” The analysts who spoke to CNA, however, are hesitant whether or not Metropolitan Onufriy is the person who can maintain balance within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarchate, noting the changes in Ukrainian society which the patriarchate has ignored. “Before the future head of the Church was placed a goal: union with the Kyiv Patriarchate. But now there is the question, can Metropolitan Onufriy integrate the atmosphere of the UOC-MP? Even if there are some bishops and priests who do not agree with the policy of the authority, they will not make such  radical steps. But the UOC-MP cannot just get rid of a significant number of parishioners,” Babinskyj said. Babinskyj also noted that “no official dialogue” has occurred between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church – to which most Catholics in Ukraine belong. There been only “private conversations, and cooperation at various commissions,” he said. While Metropolitan Onufriy has not made any statements about his attitude toward Ukrainian Greek Catholics, analysts expect he will maintain his conservative views. "The school of theology to which Metropolitan Onufriy belongs holds that the UGCC is a Western project to capture Ukraine in a union. I think that such a statement can be expected very quickly," Babinskyj added. Metropolitan Oleksandr concluded that “the biggest impact on the future vector of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the outlook of its bishops and priests will be had by the tears of the mothers who have lost their children, sacrificed to keep Ukraine integral.” Read more

2014-08-19T08:04:00+00:00

Chiang Mai, Thailand, Aug 19, 2014 / 02:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In preparation for the upcoming synod on the family, more than 50 Thai faithful came together last month for a weekend of community building and reflection on the Gospel. The families gathered July 26-27 at the center of the Catechist Sisters of Mary the Immaculate Conception – also known as the Mae Pon Sisters – in Chiang Mai, a city in far northern Thailand. The weekend, sponsored by the local chapter of the Focolare movement and by the Diocese of Chiang Mai, reflected on the complex issues and challenges facing families in the country. “It was one big family,” Santa Agustilo and Darwin de Guzman, members of the Chiang Mai Focolare group, told CNA. The event was meant to be an experience of living the Gospel and in the spirit of preparation for the synod on the family which will be held in Rome in October. “Pope Francis has expressed his growing concern for the family,” Bishop Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana of Chiang Mai told CNA Aug. 18. “With Pope Francis' call for the special synod on the family’ slated this October, looking into the empirical pastoral challenges facing families around the world, we would like to join in, sharing our humble contribution to this effort with the universal Church.” The weekend featured the insights of  Khun Tavorn and Khun Varaphorn Wongvirathepphiban, who attended the recent Family Congress in Rome. During the residential program the couples did exercises such as “how to wait, to listen, to forgive, to talk and share and to appreciate each other,” and were reminded of Pope Francis' three phrases for couples: “thank you, I'm sorry, and may I?” “The program was very dynamic,” Guzman said, “and rich in content, as it focused on the relationship between husband and wife; the differences between a man and a woman; raising children; and family difficulties, as well as delicate matters in conjugal relationships.” Fr. Matthew Sasin of Chiang Mai said that “the importance of prayer and having Jesus at the center of family life was emphasized – that presence of Jesus in the midst, which guides and leads spouses on how to lead the family.” Agustilo told CNA, “the couples went home, taking with them the conviction that it is neither the husband nor the wife who is greater in the family: rather it is God who is the greatest inside the home.” More than 50 people participated in the event, ranging from an infant to grandparents, and including 11 married couples. As the Chiang Mai diocese is dominated by hill tribes, many of the participants were from diverse tribes in the area, as well as Filipino migrants. Fr. Sasin said Mass for the participants, in his homily voicing psalms and prayers in various native languages for the participants from diverse backgrounds. Families from such remote tribes as the Pgakenyaw, Akha and Kachin participated; each has its own language, customs, and traditions. The two-day family experience witnessed evenings of inter-cultural recreation, where children and adults manifested their joy in singing and dancing, and consecrating each day with prayers of thanksgiving before the Blessed Sacrament. The postulant students of Baan Marie Niramol displayed a medley of traditional Pgakenyaw dances integrating culture and faith. “I have known the Focolare movement since I was young in the Mission Center … now I am married with two children, and coming here is like renewing my life,” a participant from Mae Suai told CNA. “I have been so far away from God for some time now, and I want to go back to him … this is like a way of recharging my life,” she said. Another participant from the Kachin tribe recalled, “I am very happy for this occasion of sharing with us about how to live family life,” adding, “I am not an educated person I am able to learn from your examples and from your life.” “I have only my family, and I want to live better. It is a hard life with my wife and two daughters, but I will try to put into practice what I have learned here,” said the participant. Another participant from the Akha tribe told CNA that “what I have always liked in the Focolare movement is the family atmosphere, where everybody is welcome: all the tribes can be together as a family without any discrimination.” Read more

2014-08-19T06:02:00+00:00

Vatican City, Aug 19, 2014 / 12:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Before any international trip Pope Francis visits Benedict XVI, a key Vatican archbishop revealed, noting the good relations between the two and how Pope Francis is carrying forward Benedict's vision.   Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, who serves as prefect of the Pontifical Household, spoke in an all-out interview Aug. 15 with the Austrian Catholic press agency in “Kath.net” while he was in the diocese in Freibourg. There he led  Aug. 13 the pilgrimage to the shrine of Lautenbach, in the territory of Oberkirch, where Archbishop Gaenswein served as a parish priest shortly after his priestly ordination.   Asked about the “two Popes,” Archbishop Gaenswein underscored that “there is only one Pope,” and then stressed that he personally is acting as a “bridge” between Pope Francis and the former pontiff, given his double charge as prefect and personal secretary of Benedict XVI.   “I live with Benedict XVI, I regularly meet with him in the morning for meals and during the evenings… so I work as a bridge, when Pope Francis and Benedict XVI want exchange messages, give one a phone call to the other, or even want to meet.” “Usually, Pope Francis pays a visit to Benedict XVI before every international trip,” and this has become a sort of habit like that of going to pray to the Basilica of Saint Mary the Major.   Archbishop Gaenswein rejected any comparison between Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, since “the Pope is not the successor of his predecessor, but the successor of Peter,” and so the differences of personas is quite normal.   “Comparing Pius XII with his successor John XXIII is like comparing day and night. And also Paul VI and John Paul II are very different,” the prefect explained.   Archbishop Gaenswein also stressed that Pope Francis is following the line given by the speech Benedict XVI’s held in Freibourg Sep. 25, 2011.   In that speech, Benedict XVI addressed the Church’s tendency to “become self-satisfied, settle down in this world, becomes self sufficient and adapt herself to the standards of the world,” and underscored that “not infrequently, Church gives greater weight to organization and institutionalization than to her vocation to open towards God, her vocation to opening up to the world towards the other.”   These issues are recurrent themes of Pope Francis’ preaching, who had often spoke about them, also during his voyage to South Korea.   In his meeting with Korean Bishops Aug. 14, Pope Francis underscored that “a prophetic witness to the Gospel presents particular challenges to the Church in Korea,” since the prosperous, yet increasingly secularized and materialistic society may tempt pastoral ministers lifestyle and mentality guided more by worldly criteria of success, and indeed power, than by the criteria which Jesus sets out in the Gospel.”   Pope Francis inherited the search for a less worldly Church, and now this search is pervading the Curia reform.   Archbishop Gaenswein explained that “Curia is living reform the way it was expected, who knows the Curia also know that the Curia is better of its fame. Roman Curia is very ancient, there is no century during which its structure had not been modified, and this is partly because of internal suggestions and partly because of external suggestions.” Read more

2014-08-18T23:06:00+00:00

Houston, Texas, Aug 18, 2014 / 05:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- If Christianity could be contained in one tweet, it might read: God creates man, man sins against God, God sends his only Son into the world to bring man back to Him. It's a difficult task to fit the entire Gospel into 140 characters or less. But that doesn't mean the Church shouldn't try. That was Archbishop Jose Gomez's Aug. 16 message on media and the New Evangelization at the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders (CALL) conference in Houston, Texas. In fact, he said, the Church can learn from the brevity of some of Jesus' teachings and the prayers of early Christians when creating social media content.   “Jesus spoke in 'brief' but memorable forms,” the archbishop reflected, “think about his beatitudes, his parables, and his aphorisms. The Desert Fathers and early Christian monks used proverbs and short prayers drawn from the Psalms and the Scriptures.” The concept of the Church employing the latest media to share the Gospel is not a new one, the Archbishop noted. Evangelization has always been about communication, and technology has always helped further that mission, beginning with the printing press and continuing with radio, T.V. and the internet. For the 23rd World Communications Day in 1989, even before the internet was standard household technology, Pope St. John Paul II observed: “The question confronting the Church today in not any longer whether the man in the street can grasp a religious message, but how to employ the communications media so as to let him have the full impact of the gospel message.” That question remains relevant as technology continues to change and advance. “We are living in the first generation where the Internet, computers, mobile phones and social networking media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are a “given” part of ordinary daily reality,” Archbishop Gomez observed. The way people think, express themselves, learn, and form relationships are all affected by this reality, he said, and the Church must respond, seeing the media as an opportunity rather than as a challenge to the Gospel. The archbishop himself has a Facebook page and a Twitter account, with about 235,000 followers and 14,000 followers respectively. “My goal is to make connections with my people, to build friendship and community, to address peoples’ spiritual needs, and to nourish their faith,” he said. His own diocese of Los Angeles is employing a social media strategy with four goals: to provide news and information about the Church, to provide the Church's interpretation of current events, to share Church doctrine, and to defend and explain the Church's teachings. The Church must also be savvy when it comes to the culture of the “digital realm”, he said, recognizing that social media often makes use of brief snippets that tend to appeal more to emotions and experiences rather than arguments and explanations. “The Church holds the most extraordinary human-interest stories ever imagined – in the lives and adventures of our saints and mystics, in the stories of our missionaries and martyrs,” he said. “What we need today is a new zeal and fresh imagination to bring out the riches from the vast treasury of our Catholic spiritualities.” And despite the widespread secularization of today, social media reveals humanity's need for connection and love, and ultimately their hunger for God. “People are searching the social channels of the Internet for 'answers' and for spiritualities that will bring them holiness and wholeness and communion with God and other people,” he said, which is why social media must be “mission territory” for the Church. However, all social media must be used as a means to an end – to help people encounter the living God, outside of the digital world. “But we need to remember...that our Catholic faith is incarnational and sacramental,” he said. “There is nothing 'virtual' about the Christian religion. That means our message will always be in a kind of fundamental tension with the 'virtual' realities and 'virtual' communities of the digital continent.” So regardless of what form of social media interaction the Church engages in,“it’s all about bringing people to Jesus.” “(They must) experience of the reality of the living God who loves us, who forgives us, who cares for us like a Father. And this reality is only experienced fully in the Church and in the sacraments.” CALL is a national organization dedicated to the growth and spiritual formation of the Latino leaders of this country in their knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith. Read more

2014-08-18T22:30:00+00:00

Aboard the papal plane, Aug 18, 2014 / 04:30 pm (CNA).- Speaking to journalists aboard the Aug. 18 flight to Italy from South Korea, Pope Francis said he supports international intervention in Iraq and is willing to go to there personally if it will help end the violence against Christians and other religious minorities. He also addressed topics ranging from peace efforts between Israel and Palestine, future papal visits, to his personal schedule, relationship with Benedict XVI and life at the Vatican. Below is a full transcript of the discussion between Pope Francis and journalists during Tuesday's flight.Korean journalist Sun Yin Park, Yonhap press agency: In the name of the Korean journalists and our people, I wish to thank you for your visit. You have brought happiness to many people in Korea and thank you for your encouragement for the education of our country. Holy Father, during your visit to Korea, you have reached out to the family of victims of the Sewol ferry disaster and consoled them. Two questions. One, what did you feel when you met them? Two, were you not concerned your actions could be misinterpreted politically?Pope Francis: When you find yourself in front of human sorrow, you do what your heart brings you to do. Today, they will say, 'oh, he's done this because he has political intention,' or that other thing. But you can say anything. But, you think about these men and women, mothers and fathers, who lost their children. Brother and sisters who have lost brothers and sisters…to the great sorrow of such a catastrophe. My heart…I'm a priest, you know, and being able to come close like that is the first thing. I know that the consolation I can give with a word of mine isn't a remedy, it doesn't give new life to their dead but the in these moments human proximity gives us strength. There is solidarity. I remember that, as archbishop of Buenos Aires, I lived two of these catastrophes. One, was a dance hall where you could hear pop music, 193 died (he refers to Cromagnon disco).  And then, another time a catastrophe with a train. I think 120 died. In that time, I felt the same, to come close to make them strong. And if we in these sad moments come close to each other, we help each other so much. And then on the other question and then I'd like to say something more. I put this on (the yellow lace from the victims' relatives). After half a day of wearing it, I took it on for solidarity with them, eh. Someone came up and said, it's better to take it off, eh. You must be neutral (there is a controversy about the responsibility of the tragedy: relatives of victims have touched on government corruption which led to building a ship with sub-par material). But, listen with human sorrow you can't be neutral. It's what I feel. Thanks for this question. Thanks.American journalist Alan Holdren, Catholic News Agency/ACI PRENSA/ EWTN: As you know, not long ago the U.S. military forces have started bombing terrorists in Iraq to prevent a genocide. To protect the future of the minorities, I think also of the Catholics under your guidance, do you approve of this American bombing (campaign)?Pope Francis: Thanks for such a clear question. In these cases where the is an unjust aggression, I can only say that it is licit to stop the unjust aggressor. I underscore the verb “stop.” I don't saying to bomb or make war, (but) stop it. The means with which it can be stopped should be evaluated. To stop the unjust aggressor is licit. But we also have to have memory, as well, eh. How many times under this excuse of stopping the unjust aggressor the powers have taken control of nations. And, they have made a true war of conquest. One single nation cannot judge how you stop this, how you stop an unjust aggressor. After the Second World War, there was the idea of the United Nations. It must be discussed there and said 'there's an unjust aggressor, it seems so “How do we stop it?” Only that, nothing more. Secondly, the minorities. Thanks for the word because they speak to me of the Christians, poor Christians – it is true, they suffer – and the martyrs – and yes, there are so many martyrs – but here there are men and women, religious minorities, and not all Christian and all are equal before God, no? Stopping the unjust aggressor is a right that humanity has but it is also a right of the aggressor to be stopped so he doesn't do evil.French journalist Jean Louis de la Vaiessiere, Agence France Press: As Cardinal Filoni and the Dominican superior Bruno Cadoré, Would you be ready to support a military intervention against the jihadists in Iraqi territory? Another question, do you think of someday being able to go to Iraq, maybe to Kurdistan to sustain the Christian refugees and pray with them in the land where they've lived for 2000 years?Pope Francis: Thank you. I have been not long ago with the governor of Kurdistan. He had a very clear thought on the situation and how to find a solution but it was before these last aggressions. And the first question I have responded to. I am only in agreement in the fact that when there is an unjust aggressor that he is stopped. Sorry, I forgot about that. Yes, I am available but I think I can say this. When we heard with my collaborators this situation of the religious minorities and also the problems in that moment of Kurdistan which couldn't receive so many people. It's a problem. It's understood. They couldn't, right? It can't be done and we've thought of so many things. We wrote first of all a communique that Fr. Lombardi wrote in my name. Then, this statement was sent out to all of the nunciatures so that it might be communicated to the governments. Then, we sent a letter to the secretary general of the United Nations. And so many things and in the end we said, eh, sending a personal envoy (who was) Cardinal Filoni. And in the end we have said, and if it were necessary when we return from Korea we can go there. It was one of the possibilities. This was the response. And in this moment, I am ready and right now it isn't the most, the best thing to do but I am disposed for this.Italian journalist Fabio Zavattaro, Rai Television: You were the first pope to fly over China. The telegram that you sent to the Chinese president was received without negative comments. Are we passing on to a possible dialogue and would you like to go to China?Vatican Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi: I can announce that we are now in Chinese airspace so the question is pertinent. Pope Francis: When we were about to enter into Chinese airspace I was in the cockpit with the pilot. One of them, showed me the registry. Anyway, he said, there were 10 minutes left before entering Chinese airspace. we have ask for authorization. You always ask. 'Is it normal to ask for permission in every nation? Yes.'  I heard how they asked authorization and how they responded. I was a witness to this. Then the pilot said, now we send the telegram. But I don't know how they will have done it by like that. So, then i said goodbye to them and went back to my seat and i prayed a lot for that beautiful and noble Chinese people. a wise people. i think of the great Chinese sages, a history of science and knowledge. Also we Jesuits have a history there, also Father (Matteo) Ricci. And, all thees things came up to my mind. Do I have a wish to go.? Certainly, tomorrow. Yes. We respect the Chinese people. It's just that the Church ask for freedom for its role and for its work. This is another condition. But, do not forget that fundamental letter for the Chinese problem which was the letter sent to the Chinese by Pope Benedict XVI. That letter today is current. Rereading it is good for you. The holy see is always open to being in contact, always, because it has a real esteem for the Chinese people.Spanish journalist Paloma Garcia Ovejero, Radio Cope: The next trip will be Albania, then maybe Iraq and the Filippines and Sri Lanka. But where will you go in 2015? I'll tell you also just in case, you know that in Avila and Alba de Tormes there are so many expectations, can they still hope? Pope Francis: Yes, yeah. The madam president of Korea in perfect Spanish told me “hope is the last thing to go.” That's what she said. Hoping for the unification of Korea, no. That's what she told me. We can hope, no? But it has not been decided...Journalist: and after Mexico?Pope Francis: Now I'll explain. This year, Albania is planned. Some say that the Pope has a style of starting things from the peripheries. But, I'm going to Albania for two important reasons. First, because they were able to make a government – and let's think of the Balkans, eh – a government of national unity among Muslims, Orthodox and Catholics with an inter-religious council that has helped a lot and is balanced. And this is good it is harmonized it. The presence of the Pope to all peoples…but you can work well, eh. I've that it could be a true aid to that noble people. I've also thought of the history of Albania, which of all the nations in the former Yugoslavia was the only one that in its constitution had the practical atheism. If you went to Mass, it was unconstitutional. And then, one of their ministers told me that - and I want to be precise in the number – 1820 churches were destroyed, orthodox and catholic, in that time. And then other churches were made into cinemas and others dance halls. I felt like I needed to go. It's close, done in a day. Next year, I would like to go to Philadelphia for the encounter of families. I was also invited by the president of the United States to the American congress and by the secretary general of the United Nations in New York. Maybe the three cities together, no? Mexico. The Mexicans would like me to go to Our Lady of Guadalupe. And we could take advantage of that, but it's not certain. And then Spain. The monarchs have invited me. And the episcopate has invited me. But it's raining invitations to go to Spain, also Santiago di Compostela. But maybe, and I won't say more, because it isn't decided, to go in the morning to Avila and Alba de Tormes and return in the afternoon. It would be possible, yes, but it's not decided. And this is the response. Thank you.German journalist from KNA: What type of relationship is there between you and Benedict XVI? Is there an habitual exchange of opinions and ideas? Is there a common project after this encyclical?Pope Francis: We see each other. Before leaving I went to see him. He, two weeks prior, had sent me an interesting text and he asked me an opinion. We have a normal relationship because I go back to this idea and maybe a theologian doesn't like it. But, I think that the pope emeritus is not an exception. After so many centuries, he's the first emeritus and let's think that if i am aged and don't have the strength, but it was a beautiful gesture of nobility and also humility and courage. But, I think that 70 years ago also the bishops emeritus were an exception. They didn't exist. Today, the bishops emeritus are an institution. I think that the pope emeritus is already an institution. Why? Our lives are getting longer and at a certain age there is not the capacity to govern well, because the body tires and health perhaps is good but there is the capacity to carry forward all of the problems like those in the governance of the church. I think that Pope Benedict made this gesture of popes emeritus. I repeat that maybe some theologian would say this isn't just, but i think like this. The centuries will tell if it's like this or not, we'll see, but if you can to say to me, 'but do you think that one day if you don't feel like it, will you go on?' But, I would do the same. I would do the same. I will pray, but I would do the same. He opened a door that is institutional not exceptional. And our relationship is one of brothers, truly, but I've said that it's like having a grandfather at home for the wisdom. He has a wisdom with his nuances and it does me well to hear. He encourages me a lot. This is the relationship we have.Japanese journalist Yoshinori Fukushima: Your Holiness, Pope Francis, first of all many thanks for this first visit to Asia. During this visit, you met people who have suffered. What did you feel when you greeted the seven 'comfort women' at mass this morning. And regarding the suffering of people, as in Korea there were hidden Christians in Japan and next year will be the 150th anniversary of their coming out (after years of hiding, editor note – see my previous email ). Would it be possible to pray for them together with you in Nagasaki? Thanks.Pope Francis: It would be wonderful. I was invited, eh, both by the government and the episcopate I was invited. But suffering. You go back to one of the first questions. The Korean nation is a people that has not lost its dignity. It was a people invaded and humiliated, it has gone through wars and been divided with so much suffering. Yesterday, when I went to the encounter with young people, I visited the museum of the martyrs there. It's terrible the suffering of these people. Simply to not step on the cross. It's a pain, an historical suffering. It has the capacity to suffer this nation and also this is a part of its dignity. Also today, when there were these elderly ladies in front at Mass. Think that during that invasion they were girls taken away to the police stations to be taken advantage of. And they haven't lost their dignity. They were there today showing their faces. These elderly women, the last of them who remain. It's a people strong in their dignity. But going back to martyrdom and suffering, also these women are the fruits of war. Today we are in a world of war. everywhere. Someone told me, 'you know father that we're in the third world war, but in pieces. ' He understood this, no? It is a world in war where they commit these cruelties. I would like to speak about two words. First, cruelty. Today, children don't count. Once they spoke of 'conventional warfare.' Today this doesn't count. I'm not saying that the conventional war is a good thing, but today the bomb goes and kills the innocent with the culpable with the child and the women and mother. They kill everyone. But, we need to stop and think a bit about what level of cruelty we have reached. This should scare us. And, this is not to create fear. We could make an empirical study. The level of cruelty today of humanity is a bit scary. Another word on which I would like to say something in relation with this is torture. Today, torture is one of the almost ordinary means of acts of intelligence services, of judicial processes. And, torture is a sin against humanity. It is a crime against humanity. And, to Catholics I say that torturing a person is a mortal sin. It is a grave sin. But, it's more. It's a sin against humanity. Cruelty and torture. I would really like it if you in your media were to make a reflection of how you see these things today, how is the level of cruelty of humanity and what you think of torture. I think it would do us all well to think about this.American journalist Deborah Ball, Wall Street Journal: Our question is You have a very, very difficult routine. With very little rest and little vacation and you make these hard trips. And then in the last few months we've also seen that you've had to cancel some appointments anche an event. Should we be concerned about the rhythm you carry?Pope Francis: Yes, some have told me this. I took my holidays at home as usual. Once I read a book and it's interesting. The title was “Be happy to be neurotic.” I've also got some neuroses. But you have to treat neuroses well, eh. Give them “mate” (an Argentine tea) every day, no? (laughs) One of my neuroses is that I'm too attached to life. The last time I took a vacation outside of Buenos Aires with the Jesuit community was in 1975. But then, I always take holidays. Truly, eh. But at home. I sleep more. I read book that I like. I listen to music. I pray more. In July and a part of August I did this and it was good (for me). The other part of the question, it's true that I’ve had to cancel. That is true. The day I had to go to Gemelli Hospital. 10 minutes before. That there, I just couldn't do it. They were certain very busy days. But I need to be more prudent, you're right.French journalist Anais Martin, French Radio: In Rio, when the crowd yelled “Francesco, Francesco!” you responded “Cristo, Cristo!” Today, how do you manage this immense popularity? How do you live it?Pope Francis: I don't know how to tell you. I live it thanking the Lord that his people are happy. I really do that, hoping the best for the people of God. I live it as generosity towards the people. On the inside, I try to think of my sins and my errors not to flatter myself because I know it won't last long. Two or three years and then (makes a sound and gesture) up to the house of the of the Father. It's not wise to believe this. I live it as the presence of the Lord in his people who uses his bishop, the shepherd of the people to do so many things. I live it more naturally than before. Before I was a bit scared. Also, it comes to mind not to make errors because you can't do wrong for the people and all these things.Italian journalist Francesca Paltracca, RAI Radio: For the Pope who came from the ends of the world and found himself in the Vatican, beyond Saint Martha Residence where you have your life and your choice (to live there)? How does the pope live within the Vatican? They always ask us this, but how does he move around? Does he take walks? You go to the cafeteria. … This is surprising. So, what type of life do you have beyond that of St. Martha?Pope Francis: I try to be free. There are appointments of the office, of work. But my life for me is the most normal that I could have. Truly. I would love to be able to leave but you can't…You can't because if you go out the people come so you can't and that's a reality. But there inside in the St Martha, I have a normal life of work and rest and chatting. I have a normal life.Journalist: Don't you feel imprisoned, then?Pope Francis: No, no, at the beginning yes. Now some of the walls on the inside have come down.Journalist: Which are the walls that have come down?Pope Francis: I don't know, the Pope can't… For example, to have a laugh. One goes to the elevator, someone comes because the Pope can't go down in the elevator alone. But, go back to your post because I'm going down alone! That's how it is. It's normality. It's a normality.Argentine journalist: Holy Father, sorry for this but I have to ask you as part of the Spanish group from Argentina. I'm going to have to ask you a question that will exhibit your knowledge. Your team for the first time is the champion of America. I would like to know how you're living it, how you found out. They tell me that one of the delegation is coming Wednesday and you're going to receive him during the general audience.Pope Francis: It's true that this is the greatest piece of news after the second place (of the Argentine national team) in Brazil. I found out here. In Seoul they told me. Listen, on Wednesday they're coming, eh. They're coming. And, it's a public audience. For me, San Lorenzo is the team for which all of my family were fans. My father played basketball for San Lorenzo. He was a player on the basketball team. And when we were kids, we went and my mom came with us to the Gasometro (San Lorenzo stadium). I remember today the season of 1946. A magnificent team that San Lorenzo had. They came out champions. I live it with joy.Journalist: Is it a miracle?Pope Francis: Miracle? No. (laughs) Miracle, no.German journalist Juergen Erbacher, German TV: Holy Father, they have long spoken of an encyclical on ecology. Can you tell us when it will be released? And, which are the central points?Pope Francis: This encyclical. I've spoken a lot with Cardinal Turkson and also with others and I have asked Cardinal Turkson to bring together all of the contributions. They arrived. And the week before the trip, no, four days before he delivered the first draft to me. The first draft is this big (gestures). I'd say it's a third bigger than Evangelii Gaudium. And that's the first draft. Now, it's not an easy issue because on the protection of creation and the study of human ecology, you can speak with sure certainty up to a certain point then come the scientific hypotheses some of which are rather sure, others aren't. In an encyclical like this that must be magisterial, it must only go forward on certainties, things that are sure. If the Pope says that the center of the universe is the earth and not the sun, he errs because he says something scientific that isn't right. That's also true here. We need to make the study, number by number, and I think it will become smaller. But going to the essence is what we can affirm with certainty. But, you could say in the notes, in the footnotes, that this is a hypotheses and this and this. To say it as an information, but not in the body of the encyclical which is doctrinal and needs to be certain.Korean journalist Young Hae Ko, Korean daily newspaper: Thank you so much for your visit to South Korea. I'm going to ask you two questions. First one is: just before the final mass at the Myeong-dong Cathedral, you consoled the comfort women there. What thought came to you? That's my first question and my second question is Pyongyang sees Christianity as a direct threat to its regime and it's leadership and we know that something terrible happened to North Korean Christianity but we don't know exactly what happened. Is there special effort in your mind to change North Korea's approach to Christianity?Pope Francis: The first question. I repeat this. Today, these women were there because despite all they have suffered they have dignity and they showed their faces. I have thought also about what I've said a little bit ago about the sufferings of war, the cruelty brought by a war. These women were taken advantage of, enslaved, but they are all cruelties. I thought of all of this. The dignity they have and also how much they've suffered. Suffering is an inheritance. We say…They first fathers of the Church say that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians. The Korean have planted a lot. A lot. For coherence, no? You now see the fruit of that planting, of the martyrs. On North Korea, I know what is a sufferance. One, I know for sure, that there are some family members, many family members that cannot reunite and this is true. This is a suffering of that division of the nation. Today in the cathedral where I dressed in the adornments of the Mass, there was a gift they've given me which was a crown of thorns of Christ made with the iron wire that divides the single Korea. We've got this on the airplane. It's a gift I'm carrying. The suffering of the division, of a divided family. As I said yesterday I think, I don't remember, we have a hope. The two Koreas are siblings and they speak the same language. When you speak the same language it's because you have the same mother and this gives us hope. The suffering of division is great and I understand this and I pray that it ends.American journalist Phil Pulella, Reuters: I won't stand up because if I do my colleagues from the televisions will kill me. An observation and a question. As an Italian-American I wanted to compliment you on your English. You shouldn't be afraid. And if before you go to America, my homeland, you want to practice I'm available. (Pope inaudible, making faces about the difficulty of English pronunciation). Whichever accent you want to use: New Yorker…I'm from New York so I'm available. So the question is this: You spoke about martyrdom. At what point are we in the process for the bishop Romero? And what would you like to see come out of this process?Pope Francis: The process was in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, "blocked for prudence," as they said. Now it is unblocked and has passed to the Congregation for Saints and it is following the normal path of a process. It depends on how the postulators move. That's very important to do it quickly. What I would like is that it's clarified when there is martyr in odium fidei (for the hatred of the faith) both for confessing the creed and for doing works that Jesus commands with our neighbor. This is a work of the theologians, who are studying it. Because behind him is a long list and there are others. There are others who were killed but weren't of the same height of Romero. We have to distinguish this theologically, no? For me, Romero is a man of God. He was a man of God. But we have to run the process and the Lord has to give his sign there. But, now the postulators have to move because there are no impediments.French journalist Celine Noyaux, La Croix: Seeing the war in Gaza, do you think the prayer for peace organized in the Vatican last June 8 was a failure?Pope Francis: Thanks for the question. That prayer for peace, absolutely was not a failure! First, the initiative didn't initiative didn't come from me. The initiative to pray together came from the two presidents. The president of the state of Israel and the president of the State of Palestine. They made the restlessness present to me. Then, we wanted to do it there but we couldn't find the right place because of the political post of each one it was very strong if we did it in one or another part. The nunciature was a neutral site, yes, but to get to the nunciature the president of Palestine had to enter in Israel. The thing wasn't easy. They said, well, let's do it in the Vatican. We'll go. These two men are men of peace. They are men who believe in God. They have lived so many nasty things, so many nasty things. They are convinced that the only path to resolve that situation is negotiation, dialogue, peace. Your question now. Was it a failure? No, I think that the door is open. All four. With the representative which is Bartholomew. I wanted him to be there as the head of the orthodox, but the ecumenical patriarch of the orthodox. I don't want to use terms that aren't appreciated by all of the orthodox. As ecumenical patriarch, it was good that he was with us. But the door to prayer was opened. We said we needed to pray. It's a gift, peace is a gift. It's a gift that is merited through our work, but it's a gift. And to say to humanity that also the path of dialogue which is important, of dialogue also there is prayer. It's true, after this what happened has happened. But this is given by circumstances.  That encounter wasn't given by circumstances. It's a fundamental step of the human being, prayer. Now the smoke of the bombs of the wars don't allow us to see the door but the door is still open from that moment. As I believe in God, I believe that God is watching that door and all who pray and ask that he help us. I like that question. Thanks for having posed it. Thanks.Fr. Federico Lombardi: Holy Father, thanks a lot. I think you've done more than an hour of conversation also with us and now it's just that you go relax a bit with the end of the voyage. Anyway, we know that on this trip you'll probably go on to Our Lady.Pope Francis: From the airport, I'm going to Our Lady. It’s a nice thing. I asked Dr. Giani (the head of the Vatican's gendarme police) to bring roses from Korea with the colors of Korea, but then outside the nunciature a little girl came with a bouquet of flowers and we said why don't we take these flowers from a girl from Korea. That's what we'll do. From the airport, we'll go to pray a bit there and then onwards to home. Read more

2014-08-18T18:07:00+00:00

Aboard the papal plane, Aug 18, 2014 / 12:07 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis supports international intervention in Iraq and is willing to go to there personally if it will help end the violence against Christians and other religious minorities. “In these cases where there is an unjust aggression, I can only say that it is licit to stop the unjust aggressor,” Pope Francis told reporters. “I underscore the verb 'stop.' I don't say 'to bomb' or 'make war,' (but) 'stop it,'” he said in response to the question posed by CNA and EWTN News Rome bureau chief Alan Holdren. Speaking to journalists aboard the Aug. 18 plane flight back to Italy from South Korea, the Pope noted the Holy See's diplomatic efforts to end the violence in Iraq, especially against Iraqi minorities. Pope Francis also said that a papal visit to Iraq was “one of the possibilities.” “And in this moment, I am ready.” He added: “and right now it isn't the most, the best thing to do but I am disposed to this.” Military victories by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS or ISIL) have resulted in persecution and murder of Iraqi Christians and other religious minorities. Tens of thousands have fled their homes. Many have taken refuge in the northern region known as Kurdistan. A papal communique against the violence has been sent to all the nunciatures and a letter written to the United Nations’ Secretary General. The Pope has met with the governor of Iraqi Kurdistan and has named Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, as his personal envoy to Iraq. Pope Francis stressed that the means to stop violence in Iraq must be evaluated and that the violence cannot be used as a pretext for other goals. “To stop the unjust aggressor is licit. But we also have to have memory, as well, eh. How many times under this excuse of stopping the unjust aggressor the powers have taken control of nations. And, they have made a true war of conquest,” he said. “One single nation cannot judge how you stop this, how you stop an unjust aggressor.” The Pope noted the establishment of the United Nations after World War II and the need to discuss unjust aggression there. “I am only in agreement in the fact that when there is an unjust aggressor that he is stopped,” he said. “Stopping the unjust aggressor is a right that humanity has but it is also a right of the aggressor to be stopped so he doesn't do evil.” The Pope stressed the plight of Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq. “They speak to me of the Christians, poor Christians, and the martyrs – and yes, there are so many martyrs – but here there are men and women, religious minorities, and not all Christian and all are equal before God, no?” The Pope also condemned “cruelty” in warfare, especially towards children and other non-combatants. “Today, children don’t count. Once they spoke of ‘conventional warfare.’ Today this doesn't count,” he lamented. “I’m not saying that the conventional war is a good thing, but today the bomb goes and kills the innocent with the culpable with the child and the women and mother. They kill everyone. But, we need to stop and think a bit about what level of cruelty we have reached. This should scare us.” This comment is “not to create fear,” but rather a cause for more study, the Pope said. “The level of cruelty today of humanity is a bit scary,” he added. He also vocally rejected torture. “Today, torture is one of the almost ordinary means of acts of intelligence services, of judicial processes. And, torture is a sin against humanity. It is a crime against humanity. And, to Catholics I say that torturing a person is a mortal sin. It is a grave sin. But, it’s more. It's a sin against humanity.” The Pope’s remarks also touched on the prayer for peace at the Vatican, where he hosted the presidents of Israel and the Palestinian state as well as the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople. “These two men are men of peace. They are men who believe in God. They have lived so many nasty things, so many nasty things. They are convinced that the only path to resolve that situation is negotiation, dialogue, peace.” “Was it a failure? No, I think that the door is open.” “Now the smoke of the bombs of the wars don't allow us to see the door but the door is still open from that moment,” Pope Francis said. “As I believe in God, I believe that God is watching that door and all who pray and ask that he help us. Read more

2014-08-18T18:03:00+00:00

Seoul, South Korea, Aug 18, 2014 / 12:03 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Two Korean nuns expressed their excitement after participating in an audience with Pope Francis, saying his words on poverty and the witness of the martyrs were particularly impactful. “I was very happy, thankful for his closeness. But for everyone, the whole people, they are very happy,” Sister Lee Hee Jung told CNA Aug. 17. “It’s a feeling that is difficult to express, because there are so many emotions that I felt – consolation, joy, gratitude, a feeling of surprise.” It’s a “feeling that his words touch you,” she said, explaining that “he is a like a motor for us, he gives us energy, he moves us. He gives us strength. And this is hard to express in one word.” Sister Lee, who is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her first profession this year, was one of the thousands of religious present for Pope Francis’ audience with the religious communities of Korea. The meeting was held Aug. 16 at the Training Center “School of Love” in Kkottongnae. The meeting came during the Pope’s Aug. 13-18 visit to South Korea, with coincided with the Sixth Asian Youth Day. Earlier during the trip, he met with youth from across Asia and beatified 124 Korean martyrs at a Mass attended by an estimated 1 million people. From what the Pope said, one of the most impactful things for her personally was how he “highlighted the faith our ancestors, the martyrs who died for their faith" and the need “to imitate their faith,” the sister observed. “So for me in this moment we must recover the faith of our ancestors who truly gave their lives for the faith.” Speaking of the testimony they give as religious, Pope Francis told the communities gathered that “Only if our witness is joyful will we attract men and women to Christ.” “And this joy is a gift which is nourished by a life of prayer, meditation on the word of God, the celebration of the sacraments and life in community,” he explained. “When these are lacking, weaknesses and difficulties will emerge to dampen the joy we knew so well at the beginning of our journey.” Sister Lee, who is about to begin a new mission in China, said she is excited to go because “historically we have received the faith from China because our ancestors saw Chinese books that spoke about God, so they went to China to get baptized.” “So now they have faith, but probably, in my own personal opinion, they are lacking their own spirituality, so I hope that we can go there, be with them, live with them with our spirituality, (the) spirituality of the martyrs, to guard the faith.” Also present in the Pope’s audience was Sister Renata Pa, who returned just two months ago from a mission in Virginia, USA. A sister of St. Paul of Chartres, the oldest order in Korea, Sister Pa has been a part of her community for over 20 years. “I was so impressed” by the audience with the Pope, she said, “and we are blessed by the Pope. We are so happy.” Recalling how she helped the Bishops conference prepare for the encounter, the religious sister observed that it was exciting to meet the Pope afterward, stating that “I will never forget that time, I was so happy and it was a wonderful time with him.” Particularly impactful for her were the Pope’s words on poverty, she stated, explaining that “For us poverty” is what “the Pope said; the Church is going out to poor people.” Sister Pa explained that she was also very moved by the pontiff’s words and actions surrounding the Sewol ferry disaster earlier this spring that killed over 300 people, mostly high school students. “We have had a big accident in Sewol, so he gave us a lot of comfort. He met the Sewol parents, and he so impressed us. He gave us so much comfort. I can’t explain my heart, but he gave us much peace and consolation.” Read more

2014-08-18T04:51:00+00:00

Seoul, South Korea, Aug 17, 2014 / 10:51 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Calls for peace and reconciliation dominated Pope Francis’ historic apostolic visit to South Korea, which concluded as the Pope boarded a plane back to Rome Aug. 18. “Jesus asks us to believe that forgiveness is the door which leads to reconciliation,” the Pope said at the final Mass, which he described as being “first and foremost a prayer for reconciliation in this Korean family.” “God’s gifts of reconciliation, unity and peace are inseparably linked to the grace of conversion, a change of heart which can alter the course of our lives and our history, as individuals and as a people.” Earlier in the day, Pope Francis met briefly with about a dozen religious leaders representing various faiths, including Buddhism, Confucianism and native Korean religions, as well as the Anglican, Lutheran and Orthodox churches. The Aug. 13-18 apostolic visit coincided with the 6th Asian Youth Day, which drew tens of thousands of young people from across the continent. Pope Francis addressed the youth on several occasions, urging them to “wake up” and respond to God’s call. He reminded the young people of the continent that “you are not only a part of the future of the Church; you are also a necessary and beloved part of the Church’s present!” “Dear young friends, in this generation the Lord is counting on you!” he said during a discussion with the youth. “Are you ready to say ‘yes’ to him? Are you ready?” After listening to several young people present the joys and challenges of living as Catholics in different Asian countries, the Pope began to deliver a prepared address, but set aside his written remarks part-way through, saying that he wanted to speak to those present spontaneously, from the heart. The off-the-cuff comments that followed were among the Pope’s strongest words on the relationship between North and South Korea. “There is only one Korea, but this family is divided,” he said, pointing to the parable of the Prodigal Son as an example of the need for humble conversion, repentance and forgiveness in order to achieve reconciliation. During his apostolic visit, Pope Francis also beatified Korean martyrs Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 companions, saying that “their witness to the power of God’s love continues to bear fruit today in Korea.” The Pope observed that today, there is a temptation “to compromise our faith, to water down the radical demands of the Gospel and to conform to the spirit of this age.” “Yet the martyrs call out to us to put Christ first and to see all else in this world in relation to him and his eternal Kingdom. They challenge us to think about what, if anything, we ourselves would be willing to die for,” he said, noting that most of the martyrs were laity killed during a time of intense persecution. Also during the trip, Pope Francis prayed at a cemetery for aborted children and visited a rehabilitation center for individuals with disabilities. He greeted a group of women were forced into sexual slavery during World War II by the Japanese military. He also met with government officials, charging them to embrace hope and working for peace and justice in order to benefit the common good. Meeting with a group of lay leaders, the Holy Father emphasized the family as the school of virtue and basic unit of society. Speaking to religious communities, he stressed that only the authentic joy of the Gospel, lived out in community life and public witness, will attract others to Christ. The pontiff baptized a 62-year-old man whose son was among the victims in the Sewol Ferry tragedy earlier this year; the man took the baptismal name “Francis.” On two occasions during the trip, the Pope met with local bishops, urging them to be guardians of hope, protecting the legacy of the faith handed on by the martyrs of the nation. Warning against relativism and an over-simplified reduction of the faith, he encouraged them to keep alive “the flame of holiness, fraternal charity and missionary zeal within the Church's communion.” He stressed the importance of strong Christian identity, saying, “We cannot engage in real dialogue unless we are conscious of our own identity.” Read more




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