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Ukrainian Archbishop calls on Christians to help end conflict

February 25, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Ukrainian Archbishop calls on Christians to help end conflict

2015-02-23 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, held a press conference on Monday to share details of the ad limina visits that all Ukrainian bishops have been making to the Vatican this past week. As well as denouncing the occupation of his country by Russian forces, the Ukrainian leader appealed to all Christians to help with the worsening humanitarian crisis which has been provoked by the conflict, as Philippa Hitchen reports… Ukraine’s Catholic bishops came to tell Pope Francis and other Vatican officials that their country is the victim of Russian military aggression which has caused huge suffering to all sectors of society. While some parts of the media describe…Continue Reading

Pope Francis declares Armenian saint Doctor of the Church

February 24, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis declares Armenian saint Doctor of the Church

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has declared Armenian poet and monk, Saint Gregory of Narek, a Doctor of the Universal Church.  Meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints on Saturday ahead of his departure for Aricca on Lenten retreat, the Pope confirmed the proposal put forward by the Plenary Session of the Congregation to confer the title of Doctor of the Universal Church on the 10th century saint. St. Gregory of Narek is widely revered as one of the greatest figures of medieval Armenian religious thought and literature. Born in the city of Narek in about 950 A.D., St. Gregory came from a line of scholars and churchmen. St. Gregory received his education under…Continue Reading

Pope renews call to conversion for members of organized crime

February 23, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope renews call to conversion for members of organized crime

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis says that people involved in organized crime or who deliberately carry out acts of violence against others or the environment cannot call themselves Christian. The Pope’s comments were contained in a speech delivered Saturday to pilgrims from the Diocese of Cassano all’Jonio, who had travelled to Rome on a ‘return visit’ to thank the Holy Father. In June last year, Pope Francis made a one day visit to the diocese in the southern Italian region of Calabria which has been deeply scarred by the local organized crime group, the ‘Ndrangheta. During that visit the Pope had issued a call to conversion to all of those still involved in organized crime. A call he renewed on Saturday,…Continue Reading

Pope at Angelus: Lent is a time of battle against evil

February 22, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope at Angelus: Lent is a time of battle against evil

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Lent is a time where we struggle against the temptations of Satan and worldliness.  His words came at his Sunday Angelus address at the end of which he announced the distribution of 50,000 free copies of a pocket-sized booklet called “Safeguard your Heart” containing reflections on Jesus’ teachings.  Many of those distributing the booklets to the pilgrims present in St Peter’s Square were homeless people. In his Angelus address the Pope recalled how Jesus went into the solitude of the wilderness for 40 days where he successfully overcame temptations in “a hand-to-hand combat” with Satan. And through his victory over Satan, he said, “we have all triumphed but we need to protect this victory in…Continue Reading

Pope Francis: Never use God as a cover for injustice

February 21, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis: Never use God as a cover for injustice

(Vatican Radio) Saying we must never use God as a cover for injustice, Pope Francis warned on Friday (February 20th) against those who follow all the outward signs of piety but then exploit or mistreat their employees or dependents. The Pope’s words came during his homily at morning Mass celebrated in the Santa Marta residence. Pope Francis used his homily to reflect on how Christians, especially during Lent, should not confine themselves to outside signs of piety like fasting and charity and instead must reach out to those in need. He said Jesus wants from us a fasting that breaks the evil chains, frees those who are oppressed, clothes those who are naked and carries out justice. This, he explained,…Continue Reading

Priest reacts to Pope Francis’ meeting with Roman clergy

February 20, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Priest reacts to Pope Francis’ meeting with Roman clergy

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis greeted Roman parish priests in an audience in the Vatican Thursday, reflecting on the theme ‘Ars celebrandi,’ especially on the homily. To prepare for the meeting, the priests received a copy of the 2005 statement that the then Cardinal Bergoglio delivered at the Congregation for Divine Worship on the issue. Sergio Centofanti of Vatican Radio’s Italian service spoke to Don Fabio Bartoli, pastor of the Church of St. Benedict in Rome. R. – “I was very impressed first of all by a reference he made to the need to recover the sense of wonder in the Liturgy; I was struck by the idea that he emphasized:  how the priest who celebrates the Liturgy in an automated…Continue Reading

Pope Francis: Ash Wednesday Homily

February 19, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis: Ash Wednesday Homily

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis delivered the homily at Mass in the Basilica of St. Sabina on the Aventine Hilll in Rome on Wednesday afternoon – Ash Wednesday – the beginning of the great penitential season of Lent. Below, please find Vatican Radio’s translation of the text the Holy Father prepared for the occasion. ******************** As God’s people today we begin the journey of Lent, a time in which we try to unite ourselves more closely to the Lord Jesus Christ, to share the mystery of His passion and resurrection. The Ash Wednesday liturgy offers us, first of all, the passage from the prophet Joel, sent by God to call the people to repentance and conversion, due to a calamity (an…Continue Reading

Pope at Audience: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper

February 18, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope at Audience: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper

(Vatican Radio)  In families, we learn how to be good brothers and sisters; what we learn at home then becomes a source of enrichment for society as a whole, said Pope Francis Wednesday during the general audience as he continued his series of lessons on the family. Below a Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Father’s catechesis Dear brothers and sisters, in our journey of catechesis on the family, after considering the role of mother, father, children, today it is the turn of brothers and sisters. “Brother,” “sister” are words that Christianity loves very much. And, thanks to the family experience, they are words that all cultures and all ages understand. The fraternal bond has a special place in the…Continue Reading

Pope at Santa Marta: Slain because they were Christian

February 17, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope at Santa Marta: Slain because they were Christian

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis offered Mass Tuesday morning for the repose of the souls of the twenty-one Coptic Christians martyred for their faith in Christ. The Mass was attended by the Pope’s personal secretary, Abuna Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, who is Coptic Catholic. As he prepared to begin Mass in the Santa Marta Chapel, the Pope invited the congregation to join him in prayer for ‘our brother Copts, whose throats were slit for the sole reason of being Christian, that the Lord welcome them as martyrs, for their families, for my brother Tawadros, who is suffering greatly’. He then prayed: “Be my protector, O God, a mighty stronghold to save me. For you are my rock, my stronghold! Lead me; guide…Continue Reading

Pope Francis at Angelus: Spread Goodness, Compassion

February 16, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis at Angelus: Spread Goodness, Compassion

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis recited the Angelus on Sunday, with pilgrims and tourists gathered in St. Peter’s Square. In remarks ahead of the prayer, the Holy Father offered a reflection on the Gospel reading of the day, in which St. Mark the Evangelist speaks of Christ’s battle against all manner of evil, especially in favor of those who are suffering in body and spirit, specifically telling of the Lord’s miraculous healing of a leper. “The mercy of God overcomes all barriers,” said Pope Francis. “The hand of Jesus touched the leper,” he continued, explaining that Christ does not act from a safe distance, nor does He act by proxy, but is exposed directly to the contagion of our evil. “So,”…Continue Reading