Pope Francis prays for over 150 victims of Syria terror attacks

Pope Francis has asked God to 'convert the hearts of those who sow death and destruction' following a series of deadly attacks by the Islamic State group (ISIS) in Syria.
While speaking during his weekly audience in St Peter's Square, on Wednesday, May 25, the pontiff prayed for "eternal rest to the victims" and "consolation to their relatives" after suicide attacks in the regime's coastal heartland that killed more than 150 people on Monday.
Francis said almost all the victims of the seven explosions targeting bus stations, hospitals and other civilian sites in the seaside cities of Jableh and Tartus were "unarmed civilians". Eight of them were children.
"It is the duty of everyone to protect children, most of all those exposed to a high risk of exploitation, trafficking and deviant behaviours," He added, "prayer is not a magic wand," it is our daily bread, our powerful weapon and the staff for our journey."
"We pray in this Mass, for the victims of this cruelty - so many of them - we pray also for the perpetrators of such cruelty, that the Lord might change their hearts,"
On Monday, a series of seven deadly coordinated blasts targeted Syrian cities of Tartus and Jableh killing over 150 people including children. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks.

For Pope Francis, missionary work is 'love without limits'

On Pentecost, Pope Francis praised missionary work as a massive work of mercy based on the desire for everyone to be saved and loved.



The mission to the nations is “a great, immense work of mercy, both spiritual and material,” he said.

The Church’s missionary mandate means that the Church “cares for those who do not know the Gospel, because she wants everyone to be saved and to experience the Lord’s love.” Pope Francis said the Church must “announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel” and proclaim mercy in every part of the world to reach every person, young and old.

“Faith is God’s gift and not the result of proselytizing. Rather, it grows thanks to the faith and charity of evangelizers who witness to Christ,” he explained. “As they travel through the streets of the world, the disciples of Jesus need to have a love without limits, the same measure of love that our Lord has for all people. We proclaim the most beautiful and greatest gifts that he has given us: his life and his love.”

Pope Francis spoke about mission work in his message for World Missionary Day, celebrated Oct. 23. The message’s text was released on Pentecost Sunday, May 15.



“Mercy finds its most noble and complete expression in the Incarnate Word. Jesus reveals the face of the Father who is rich in mercy,” the pontiff said.

“When we welcome and follow Jesus by means of the Gospel and sacraments, we can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, become merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful; we can learn to love as he loves us and make of our lives a free gift, a sign of his goodness,” he continued.

According to Pope Francis, through God’s love the Church “discovers its mandate, lives it and makes it known to all peoples through a respectful dialogue with every culture and religious belief.”



He said everyone is invited to go out as missionary disciples who offer their talents, creativity, wisdom and experience. They go out “in order to bring the message of God’s tenderness and compassion to the entire human family.”

Mercy is a part of God’s greatness, he explained.

“When mercy encounters a person, it brings deep joy to the Father’s heart; for from the beginning the Father has lovingly turned towards the most vulnerable, because his greatness and power are revealed precisely in his capacity to identify with the young, the marginalized and the oppressed.”

In the face of his children’s weaknesses and infidelity, God’s heart is “overcome with compassion.”

Pope Francis invoked the Bible’s use of the word “mercy” when using the word for a mother’s womb. This word “refers to the love of a mother for her children, whom she will always love, in every circumstance and regardless of what happens, because they are the fruit of her womb,” he said.

He praised the growing presence of women in missionary work as “a significant sign of God’s maternal love.” He also praised the role of lay and religious women and many families who carry out their missionary vocation. They often better understand people’s problems and can deal with them in a fresh way.

He encouraged habits like focusing “on people rather than structures” and building good relations, harmony, peace, solidarity, dialogue, cooperation and fraternity.

The pontiff described the Virgin Mary as the model of missionaries and he prayed that she “foster and safeguard the living and mysterious presence of the Risen Lord in every place.”

Pope Francis said that evangelization in many places begins with the patient work of education. This helps bring forth a people who are able to evangelize and “take the Gospel to those places where it otherwise would not have been thought possible.”

The Pope suggested there is a right to be evangelized.

“All peoples and cultures have the right to receive the message of salvation which is God’s gift to every person,” he said. “This is all the more necessary when we consider how many injustices, wars, and humanitarian crises still need resolution.
Missionaries know from experience that the Gospel of forgiveness and mercy can bring joy and reconciliation, justice and peace.”

The Pope cited his apostolic exhortation “Evangelium Gaudium,” which said every Christian and every Christian community must discern how to “reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel.”

World Missionary Day was first approved in 1926 under Pope Pius XI. It was organized by the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith.

The Pope noted the day’s 90th anniversary and stressed the importance of parish, diocesan and religious community offerings. These offerings support Christian communities in need and support “the proclamation of the Gospel even to the ends of the earth.”

“Let us not close our hearts within our own particular concerns, but let us open them to all of humanity,” he said.

Pope Francis: You can't love your pet more than your neighbor

People in need deserve more love from us than the animals do, Pope Francis has said.
In off-the-cuff remarks Saturday, he said: “How often do we see people greatly attached to cats, to dogs,” but fail to “help their neighbor, their neighbor who is in need... This will not do.”
The Pope’s catechesis for the Jubilee of Mercy audience discussed the theme of piety and how it shows God’s mercy through compassion for the suffering and afflicted.
“The piety of which we speak is a manifestation of God’s mercy,” the Pope told the rain-soaked crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square.


The pontiff explained that piety, or “pietà” – which in Italian can also be translated as compassion, pity, or mercy – should not “be confused with compassion which we feel for the animals who live with us.”
“It happens, in fact, that at times one feels this sentiment toward animals, and remains indifferent to the suffering of one’s brothers and sisters,” he added.
The May 14 gathering at the Vatican was the latest in a series of special audiences for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, which are being held throughout the year in addition to the weekly general audiences on Wednesdays.

The Jubilee of Mercy is an Extraordinary Holy Year that officially commenced December 8 – the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica. It will close Nov. 20, 2016 with the Solemnity of Christ the King.
Pope Francis centered Saturday’s catechesis on piety with regard to those “who need love.” Piety is an aspect of mercy, and one of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, he said.



As noted in the English language synthesis of the address, the word piety denotes a sense of “religiosity or devotion,” but it also relates to compassion and mercy.
The concept of piety existed in the Greco-Roman world, the Pope explained in Italian, where it referred to being submissive toward superiors, such as the gods, one's parents, the elderly, etc.
“Today, however, we must be careful not to identify piety with that pietism, fairly widespread, which is only a superficial emotion and which offends the dignity of others,” he said.
The pontiff cited the many instances in the Gospel in which persons who were sick, possessed, in poverty, or otherwise afflicted would call on Jesus to “Have mercy” (“Abbi pietà” in Italian).
“Jesus responded to everyone with his gaze of mercy and the comfort of his presence,” he said.
In asking Jesus for help or mercy, each of these persons demonstrated their faith, referring to him as
“Teacher,” “Son of David,” or Lord, the Pope explained.
“They intuited that in him there was something extraordinary, that could help them leave behind the condition of sadness in which they had found themselves. They perceived in him the love of God himself.”
Jesus, in turn, took pity, and called the suffering and wounded persons “to have faith in him and in his Word.”


The pontiff explained that Jesus “shares the sadness of those he encounters,” while at the same time works in them to “transform them in joy.”
Pope Francis said “we too are called to cultivate” attitudes of compassion when confronted with situations which shake us from “the indifference that prevents us from recognizing the needs of our brothers and sisters,” and free us from the “slavery of material goods.”
He concluded his catechesis by invoking the example of Mary, who “cares for each of her children and for us believers,” and who is “the icon of piety.”

Pope Francis: Be witnesses of the Gospel every day

Pope Francis commemorated the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven by reminding the faithful of their duty to be witnesses of the Gospel every day of the week, in all areas of life – and not just on Sundays.
“We must carry this witness every week: Christ is with us; Christ has gone up into Heaven, and is with us; Christ is alive!” the Pope said during his May 8 Regina Caeli address to the crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Citing the words of Jesus in the day's Gospel taken from Luke, the pontiff explained how the Apostles were “witnesses” of Christ's death, resurrection, and now Ascension; indeed, they returned to Jerusalem and joyfully testified about the risen Christ, in whose name they would preach conversion and “repentance, for the forgiveness of sins.


The Pope said this witness – “made not only with words but also with daily life” – should go beyond Church on Sunday. Rather, it should extend throughout the entire week in our “homes, offices, schools, in places of entertainment, in hospitals, in prisons, in homes for the elderly, in places crowded with immigrants, in the city's peripheries.”
Pope Francis centered his address on the Feast of the Ascension, which commemorates Jesus ascending into Heaven 40 days after his Resurrection from the dead. While this feast technically falls on a Thursday, many countries transfer the celebration to the following Sunday.

“We contemplate the mystery of Jesus who left our earthly space in order to enter in the fullness of God's glory, bringing with him our humanity,” the Pope said.
The pontiff reflected on the reaction of the disciples, who had previously witnessed Jesus being rejected by Jerusalem, “Judas' betrayal, Peter's denial, the dispersal of the disciples and the violence of a power” which left them feeling threatened.


“From that day, for the Apostles and for every disciple of Christ, it was possible to live in Jerusalem, and in every city of the world, even in those most troubled by injustice and violence,” he said. This is because every inhabitant of every city can turn their gaze upward "with hope.”
“Jesus, God, is true man; with his human body he is in Heaven! And this is our hope, our anchor, and we are firm in this hope if we look to heaven.”
“In this heaven lives that God who has revealed such closeness as to take the face of a man, Jesus of Nazereth,” the Pope continued. “And he remains always God-with-us” – that is, Emmanuel – “and he never leaves us alone!”
“In the Ascension of Jesus, the Crucified and Risen One, there is the promise of our participation in the fullness of life with God.”
Jesus assures the disciples that, in making this announcement and giving this testimony, we will be clothed in the Holy Spirit, the pontiff explained.
“Here lies the secret of this mission: the presence among us of the Risen Lord, who with the gift of the Spirit continues to open our minds and our hearts, to proclaim his love and mercy even in the most resistant areas of our cities.”


“The Holy Spirit is the real architect of the manifold testimony that the Church and every baptized make in the world.” For this reason, we should not neglect to gather together “in prayer to praise God and to invoke the gift of the Spirit.”
After leading the crowds in the Regina Caeli prayer, Pope Francis extended his “cordial greetings” to all who work in communications, acknowledging this Sunday's 50th World Day of Social Communications.
“I hope that the way we communicate in the Church always has a clear evangelical style, a style which combines truth and mercy,” he said.
The pontiff greeted the tens of thousands of people who took part in this year's March for Life in Rome, many of whom had made their way to St. Peter's Square at the end of the morning march.
Pope Francis then went on to acknowledge Mother's Day – celebrated this Sunday in many countries – and led the crowds in the Hail Mary for all mothers.


“We remember with gratitude and affection all mothers – those who are today in [St. Peter's] Square, our mothers, those who are among us and those who have gone to heaven – entrusting them to Mary, the mother of Jesus.”

Don't lock up the Holy Spirit in your heart, Pope Francis says

The Holy Spirit seems to be a “luxury prisoner” in many Christians’ hearts: someone who is welcomed to stay, but not allowed to act or move us forward, the Pope said during his homily at Mass on Monday.



“We keep the Holy Spirit as a ‘luxury prisoner’ in our hearts: we do not allow the Spirit to push us forward, to move us. The Spirit does everything, knows everything, reminds us what Jesus said, can explain all about Jesus,” the Holy Father said May 9 during his Mass at the chapel of Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican.

In the day's reading, when St. Paul speaks with the disciples in Ephesus (Acts 19: 1-8), Pope Francis pointed out that they had “not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Likewise, while Christians today have a knowledge of the Holy Spirit as part of the Holy Trinity, they do not know what the Spirit’s role is in the Church.

“The Holy Spirit is the one who moves the Church, the one who works in the Church and in our hearts,” the Roman Pontiff said.



The Third Person of the Trinity is “the protagonist of the Living Church,” he said, while cautioning against simply reducing the Christian life to a code of “morals and ethics.”

The faith, the Pope said, is something more. It “is not just an ethical life: it is an encounter with Jesus Christ.”

The Holy Spirit “frees us from the ‘orphan-like’ condition which the spirit of the world wants to put us in.”

“The Holy Spirit is the one who “moves us to praise God, to pray to the Lord” and who “teaches us to see the Father and call him ‘Father.’”

There is one thing the Holy Spirit “can’t do” the Pope said: “The Holy Spirit cannot make us ‘virtual’ Christians who are not virtuous.” Instead, “The Holy Spirit makes real Christians. The Spirit takes life and prophetically reads the signs of the times pushing us forward.”

Ahead of Pentecost Sunday the Holy Father invited Christians to prepare by opening up our hearts to the Holy Spirit.



“This is what we must do this week: think of the Spirit and talk to him.”

Pope Francis also greeted the Vincentian Sisters of Charity who work in Casa Santa Marta. Today they are celebrating the feast of St. Louise de Marillac who, along with St. Vincent de Paul, founded their order.

Teaching Children to Pray the Rosary in Small Steps

by
Kevin Di Camillo

I am not a teacher. Let me rephrase that: I am a terrible teacher. Ask any poor undergraduate who suffered under my lame attempts to impart knowledge. Indeed, my end-of-semester teacher evaluations were so poor I didn’t keep them, as they could only prevent me from ever teaching in the future. Mercifully, my future didn’t include teaching.



But as a father I am, by default and design, a teacher to our twins. And one thing I have to teach the twins is how to pray. In particular, how to pray the Rosary. This is not easy. Or maybe it is and I’m just as bad at teaching “How To Pray the Rosary” as I was at teaching “Introduction To Poetry” and “English Composition 101”.

That said, I think I’ve hit on a formula that is, if not exactly successful, at least not a total failure (yet). It’s based on small steps and starts when your kids are able to speak and begins right at your front door.

For years now, before we come in the house I stop and tell the twins: “We must say a ‘Hail Mary’ here: this is the ‘Hail Mary’ door, and it’s what monks do before they walk in their cell.” I started this practice some time ago, so by now it’s second nature to the kids. They had the “Hail Mary” down in no time. And they learned that in a Carthusian Charterhouse, the monks pray an “Ave Maria” before entering.


Next, we always said the Angelus en route to school in the morning, and again after dinner. I could only pray, literally, that the kids said it at noon at their school too, but apparently that’s too much to ask of a Catholic school. Sigh.

Once we had the “Ave Maria” at the door down, and the Angelus, I introduced the kids to the Seven Sorrows (Dolors) of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This was actually easier than I thought it would be. My son takes the opening “Our Father”—which isn’t actually part of the Seven Sorrows, but I added it, figuring it would make learning the Rosary easier, and for once I guessed correctly. Next, we took turns with the Seven Dolors, and I tried to mix up who said which ones. Now that they know all seven by heart—the Prophecy of Simeon in the Temple, the Flight into Egypt, the Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple, Jesus and Mary meeting on the Way of the Cross, the Crucifixion, the Pieta— they get a chance to say a “new” sorrow and not the same one every day.



Once we had the Dolors of Mary down, so to speak, I added a “Glory Be” to finish it off, and, after scratching my head added three more Hail Marys for the Holy Father, and the Fatima Prayer, which we said at Night Prayer. So over the course of the months leading to their First Holy Communion, the twins could do a decade of the Rosary without even knowing it.

We take a lot of car trips, and in New Jersey that’s basically like saying we sit in traffic more than the average American family. My parents first taught my siblings and me the Holy Rosary on long vacation car trips and, since every car trip in Jersey is by default, I began by saying, “Who thinks papa can say a whole Rosary before we get to school?” Naturally the kids wisely bet against me, but since gridlock is endemic here, I had time on my side and always keeping some extra rosaries in the minivan, and had them follow along.

I think the revelation for me in all this is that second-graders have no real sense of time. (I know I didn’t.) When I was young and my dad would announce we were going to say the Rosary I could have sworn it took at least an hour (or longer) to do so. But those were long, boring car rides to very distant destinations. My kids know their route to school, they know it’s about “as long as an episode of ‘Jessie’ or ‘Kickin’ It’ or ‘Dog With A Blog’” so I think—think—they are way ahead of where I was as a kid in terms of the Rosary. It’s not a huge black hole of time. In twenty-five minutes you can pray St. John Paul the Great’s favorite prayer, the Holy Rosary.

So when the kids received their rosaries the past year as part of the First Holy Communion presents, it was not with a sense of “what do I do with this?” but “Wow! Now I have my own rosary!”

“But what about ‘The Apostles’ Creed’?” I can hear someone asking. Good question. And it had me stumped for a while, too. However, when I realized at Mass the kids liked to follow along with their own missals, I was able to show them that the Nicene Creed is “simply” a longer version of the Apostles’ Creed—and let’s look at what is in the Apostle’s Creed. In essence, we made a bit of a game out of it.



Finally, there’s habit. Although my twins are adopted, they somehow both wound up insomniacs like me. Whenever I hear, “Papa, I can’t sleep!” My first question is: “Where is your rosary?” It’s usually under their pillow, so I kneel beside them and say, “Now how does the Apostle’s Creed begin?” I was amazed at how quickly they had learned it.

Again, I am a terrible teacher. And perhaps what I’ve shared won’t help you teach your children the Rosary. But so far it has worked for us, and I hope it does for you as well.

Catholic Bishops to Buhari: Build ranches in cattle-rearing states, declare attackers insurgents

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has asked the Federal Government to focus on building cattle ranches in states where cattle rearing is prevalent.
A delegation of the CBCN, led by its president, Ignatius Kaigama, stated this during a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja.
In an address, delivered by Mr. Kaigama, the Catholic Bishop of Jos Arch Diocese, the CBCN called on Mr. Buhari to investigate the recent attacks by herdsmen in Agatu, Benue State; Nimbo community in Umuchigbo, Enugu State, and parts of Delta as well as Nasarawa States, among others and declare the perpetrators of the attacks, insurgents.
“Cattle ranches should be created in states known for cattle breeding, with adequate water and fodder provided and nurtured.
“Farmland for root crops and other plants should be protected for their specific products in states known for such.
“This will reduce or eliminate clashes stemming from trespassing,” Mr. Kaigama said.
The CBCN leader charged the Federal Government to focus on disarming herdsmen, saying that the perpetrators of violence should not be allowed to force Nigerians to live in perpetual fear of their follow citizens.
“The fact that armed attacks and wanton killings have become a national threat, it should be declared an insurgency and treated as such, with the aim of dislodging the insurgents from occupied communities by the security and military operatives.
“Our people cannot continue to live in perpetual fear of attacks by fellow Nigerians with criminal intent,” the Bishop said.
The CBCN commended the president’s resolve to deal with the problem, and called for serious approach towards the proposed investigation.
“Happily, we understand that you have ordered some investigations into the Agatu and Nimbo killings.
“The Agatu killings, the Nimbo killings and many other killings in Benue, Taraba, Nassarawa, Ondo, Edo, Delta and elsewhere should be seriously investigated, with the perpetrators unmasked and decisively dealt with.
“For a more permanent peace between herdsmen and farmers in our country, some streamlining is necessary for the good of the cattle rearers in the North and for the welfare of farmers in the South and elsewhere in Nigeria,” Mr. Kaigama stated.
Mr. Kaigama also called on the president to continue the war against terror, as the law requires, and noted that the high rate of success in the battle against corruption is great relief for well meaning Nigerians.
“We commend your efforts in the fight against Boko Haram and against corruption. We encourage that justice be done according to the rule of law, with no sacred cows to be spared.
“These two monsters which you are tackling pretty well have threatened to destabilize Nigeria and to cripple our national growth and development. Although many people have been killed, many others rendered homeless and are without adequate means of livelihood, we commend you for being quite successful so far in repelling the insurgence from decimating Nigeria by halting its further advance,” the Bishops stated.
The Bishops also called on the Federal Government to increase support for missionary schools as a way of improving Nigeria’s educational sector.

Bishop weds 109 couples in Nassarawa State (PHOTO)

Most Rev. Mathew Audu, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Saturday in Masaka joined 109 couples in a mass wedding in the state.

Speaking during his third pastoral visit to St. Martin`s Catholic Church, Masaka, Audu appealed to relatives of the new couples to allow them to build their marriages and not interfere in their private lives.
“As newly wedded couples, you must love each other just as Christ Jesus loved the church and died to set souls free,” the priest said.
“You must respect each other’s feelings; care for each other, share views and reason together in peace and unity.
“You must not allow a third party to come into your matter; always invite God to intervene in your case.
“Ensure that you are coordinated in all your dealings and make the word of God your standard, your pillar, your faith and your hope.
“If you can keep these entire commandments, your marriage will be perfect and other couples will want to copy from you,” he said.

Enugu killings: Security agencies tactically withdrew from Nimbo – Catholic Bishop

The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Prof. Godfrey Onah, Friday, slammed security agencies over the mass murder carried out by Fulani herdsmen at Nimbo community in Enugu State.


Bishop Onah, who addressed journalists in Nsukka maintained that the killings could had been averted but for the “tactical withdrawal of security agencies from the community.”
“The most painful of the Nimbo attack is that it was announced, expected and executed in broad daylight without any inhibition.
“The security tactically withdrew, shortly before the attack and when they returned to the community, there was no attempt to pursue and arrest the herdsmen who carried out the attack.
“For now, nobody can say the exact number of people killed in Nimbo as those who were badly wounded are still dying and dead bodies are being recovered”, he said.
The Bishop urged the Federal Government to arrest the perpetrators and their sponsors and also disarm all those who carried rifle in public without permission.
“We appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive on security operatives to go after herdsmen that commit crime in some communities. We wish the directive will be carried to the letter and promptly before the situation gets out of hand.

“Protection of lives and property is the primary responsibility of any government, as act of governance will lose its meaning without the guarantee of safety of citizens.
“If nothing serious is done to call the Fulani herdsmen to order, by the time Buhari wins his war against corruption there will be no one left for him to govern,” he added.
Bishop Onah expressed fear that the attack on Nimbo might result into acute food shortage in the state.

“Nimbo is one of the food baskets and now that many people in the area are homeless, very soon the state may face the problem of acute food shortage”, he said.
He, however, urged the people of Nsukka not to engage in any form of reprisal attack.
“Besides, we should not give the security agencies any excuse to add to our woes as they are sure to respond rapidly to any perceived form of aggression on our part.
“Reprisal attack is not the answer, as it is wrong, unlawful and un-Christian; we should patiently wait for government solution in the face of this provocation”, he said.

The Bishop said the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka was mourning for the death of her children and the pains of the displaced.
“We are living in fears as no one knows when the militant herdsmen will strike again.
“The diocese has directed that prayers be offered in all churches next Sunday for the attack in Nimbo community as well as pray against such attack again in the state.
“As good Christians, like our Lord Jesus Christ, we should pray for those who persecute and kill us”, he said.

He commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Sen Chukwuka Utazi, the senator representing Enugu North district, for their efforts in attending to the injured and the displaced people.

Know the difference between sin and sinner, Pope Francis says

On Wednesday Pope Francis stressed the importance of knowing how to distinguish between sin and sinner, adding that God’s mercy is not afraid to reach out and touch our sins in order to forgive them.

“The Word of God teaches us to distinguish between the sin and the sinner,” the Pope said April 20, noting that when it comes to sin, there are no “compromises.”

When it comes to sinners, “which are all of us,” it’s important to reach out to them, he said, adding that sinners “are like the sick who are healed, and in order to be cured the doctor must be close to them, visit them, touch them.”

However, Francis also clarified that in order to truly be healed, a sick person must first “recognize their need for the doctor!”

Pope Francis spoke to the thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his Wednesday general audience. He continued his catechesis on mercy, turning to the Gospel passage in Luke in which Jesus dines at the house of Simon, a Pharisee, and forgives a “sinful woman” who washes his feet with precious oils.

In his speech, the Pope said that the episode brings out a comparison between two figures: Simon, the faithful and zealous follower of the law, and the anonymous sinful woman, who expresses repentance.

“While the first judges others based on appearances, the second with her actions expresses her heart with sincerity,” Francis said, noting that while Simon doesn’t want to compromise himself or get involved in Jesus’ life, the woman fully entrusts herself to the Lord “with love and veneration.”

As a Pharisee, Simon finds it incomprehensible that Jesus allows himself to be “contaminated” by sinners, as was the common mentality at the time. “He thinks that if Jesus were really a prophet he must recognize and stay away from (sinners) to avoid being stained, as if they were lepers.”

This attitude, Francis said, is typical of a certain understanding of religion which emphasizes the radical opposition between God and sin. However, the Pope stressed that the Word of God teaches us to distinguish between “the sin and the sinner.”

When it comes to the Pharisee and the sinful woman, “Jesus sided with the latter,” the Pope observed, explaining that since the Lord was free from “the prejudices which impede the expression of mercy,” he allowed the woman to continue her act of love and repentance.

“He, the Holy One of God, allows himself to be touched by her without the fear for being contaminated,” Francis said.

In forming a relationship with this woman, “Jesus puts an end to that condition of isolation to which the merciless judgement of the Pharisee and his fellow villagers, who insulted her, condemned her.”

Pope Francis then contrasted the hypocrisy of the doctors of the law with the humble and sincere act of the woman, whose conversion happened in front of everyone.

“All of us are sinners but many times we fall into the temptation of hypocrisy, to believe that we are better than others,” he said, and cautioned that instead of looking at others’ sins, we must first acknowledge our own faults and mistakes.

When Jesus responds to the woman’s act he doesn't give an explicit answer, but instead her conversion takes place “in front of everyone's eyes and shows that in (Jesus) shines the power of the merciful God, capable of transforming hearts.”

The sinful woman “teaches us the link between faith, love and gratitude,” the Pope said, noting that even Simon had to admit that the one he loves most is the one who has been forgiven more.

“God has locked up everyone in the same mystery of mercy; and from this love, which always precedes us, we all learn to love.”

Pope Francis closed his audience by encouraging pilgrims to give thanks to God for his “great and unmerited love,” and urged them to allow the love of Christ “to be poured into us: it is from this love that the disciple draws and on which he is based; from this love each one can be fed and nourished.”

Following his address Francis offered a special greeting to all those affected by Saturday’s deadly earthquake in Ecuador, which has so far killed an estimated 413 people and injured more than 2,500, according to CNN.

Speaking to Spanish-language pilgrims, the Pope offered assured their “brothers in Ecuador” of “our closeness and our prayer in this moment of suffering.”

He also made special mention of the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, which has been “forgotten by many,” and reminded faithful of a special collection that will take place in churches throughout Europe this Sunday, April 24, which will be used to meet the needs of the “humanitarian emergency” that has resulted from the conflict.

Pope Francis' visit to Greece shows a shared Christian concern for refugees

Pope Francis’ visit on Saturday with refugees in Greece will show solidarity with those in need and demonstrate a shared Christian commitment to helping them, according to the Vatican spokesman.

Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, said the April 16 visit to the island of Lesbos is “fundamentally humanitarian” in purpose. It is “rooted in Pope Francis’ concern for migrants, a concern that the Pope shares with the Greek Orthodox Church and with Patriarch Bartholomew.”

The Pope will meet with refugees and lunch with them. Then he will sign a joint declaration with two Eastern Orthodox archbishops: Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and Ieronymos II of Athens.

Lesbos is often labeled as the “Lampedusa of Greece.” Lampedusa is the Italian island which represent a waypoint for thousands of refugees and migrants fleeing Africa and aiming for Europe. Pope Francis visited that small island in his first trip as Roman Pontiff, in July 2013.

Greece is a route by refugees arriving from Syria, seeking safety in Europe.

Just as Lampedusa is closer to Africa than to Italy, Lesbos is closer to Turkey than to the Greek mainland: it is separated from Turkey by the Mytilini Strait, which at its narrowest is fewer than four miles wide.

Fr. Lombardi also noted that the shores of Turkey can be seen from Lesbos. It is this proximity is why thousands of refugees head there.

Fr. Lombardi presented the program of the papal visit to Lesbos at an April 14 press conference.

Pope Francis will arrive in Greece at 10:20 a.m. local time on Saturday. He will be received by the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Ieronymos, and Bishop Franghiskos Papamanolis, Bishop Emeritus of Syros and president of the Greek Bishops’ Conference.

After a private meeting with the Tsipras, the Pope will move by bus to Moria Refugee Camp with the Eastern Orthodox bishops. The camp houses some 2,500 asylum seekers.

The three religious leaders will be welcomed at the camp by about 150 youths. They will pass through the central courtyard where refugees are registered and arrive at a tent. There, they will greet about 250 asylum seekers.

After this private meeting, the three religious leaders will each deliver a speech. Afterwards, they will sign a joint declaration.

Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew, and Archbishop Ieronymos will have lunch with some refugees.

After lunch, they will move by bus to the port of Mitylene, the capital of the island, where they wil meet with local citizens and with the Catholic community.

After a ceremony in memory of those migrants who have been victims or lost their lives en route, Pope Francis will deliver a speech.

Each of the three religious leaders will say a prayer, and will all observe a moment of silence. Then each of the three leaders will receive a laurel crown each from children, launching the wreaths into the sea.

The Pope will then travel to the airport. Before he leaves, he will have three separate private meetings: with Archbishop Ieronymos, with Patriarch Bartholomew, and again with the Tsipras.

During the visit, several Vatican leaders will accompany the Pope. These include Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, and the deputy of the Vatican Secretariat of State, Archbishop Angelo Becciu.

Michel Roy, general secretary of Caritas Internationalis, told CNA March 2 that the pressure of refugees on Greece is “enormous.”

“If the refugees get to the small Greek island and cannot move toward Bulgaria or Macedonia, there is huge pressure on Greece, very hardly manageable,” he said.

An estimated 100,000 refugees are expected to arrive at Lesbos within the year. The island itself has only 90,000 inhabitants.


The European Union and Turkey have reached an agreement on refugees. Both the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees and Doctors Without Borders have left the refugee facilities there.

Under the agreement, the detained refugees will be sent back to Turkey. Turkey will receive additional E.U. financial aid and will take part in an E.U. resettlement program for refugees.

Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegliò, president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants, expressed “perplexities” over the agreement in an April 6 interview with Vatican Radio.

He commented: “the poor refugees are not postage things … they are people! I think that a state should behave with a very human approach, because we are talking about people.”

Mary's 'yes' to God changed history, Pope Francis says

Pope Francis marked the Feast of the Annunciation on Monday by reflecting on the power of Mary’s “yes” to God.

“Mary’s ‘yes’ opens the door to Jesus’ ‘yes’: I have come to do Your will, this is the ‘yes’ that Jesus carries with him throughout his life, until the cross,” he said in his April 4 homily.

The Pope celebrated Mass at the Casa Santa Martha residence Monday morning, Vatican Radio reports.

Through Mary’s affirmation, God “becomes one of us and takes on our flesh,” he said.

“Today is the celebration of ‘yes’,” the Pope continued. “It is God’s ‘yes’ that sanctifies us and keeps us alive in Jesus Christ.”

The Feast of the Annunciation marks the visit of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, when he told her that God had chosen her to be the mother of Jesus Christ. Mary responded “Let it be done to me according to your will,” according to the Gospel of Luke.

The Pope reflected on major figures from the Bible – such as Abraham and Moses – who “said ‘yes’ to hope offered by the Lord.” Other figures, like Isaiah or Jeremiah, initially refused or hesitated before saying “yes” to God.

The Pope noted the presence of priests in the congregation who were celebrating the 50th anniversary of their priesthood. He also recognized the Sisters of Santa Martha who renewed their vows in silence at the Mass.

He encouraged each person in the congregation to reflect on whether he or she says “yes” or “no” to God.

“Or am I a man or woman who looks away, so as not to respond?” he asked.

The Pope prayed that God “grant us the grace to take this path of men and women who knew how to say ‘yes’.”  

Centuries of religious freedom at risk with Virginia veto, Catholic bishops warn

The veto of a religious freedom bill means faith-based groups that support marriage as a union of a man and a woman won’t have needed protections, the state’s Catholic bishops said.

“The Virginia Catholic Conference is deeply dismayed by the governor’s action,” the conference said March 30. “This veto risks the destruction of Virginia’s long tradition of upholding the religious freedom of faith communities which dates back to Thomas Jefferson.”

The bill would have forbidden the state of Virginia from punishing religious groups that follow their sincerely held beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman. The bill passed the House of Delegates by a vote of 59-38 and the Senate by 21-19.

Virginia’s Catholic conference said the bill would ensure “that clergy and religious organizations are not penalized by the government.” The bill would also protect these individuals and organizations from civil liability.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, vetoed the bill on live radio Wednesday. He claimed that signing the bill would be “making Virginia unwelcome to same-sex couples, while artificially engendering a sense of fear and persecution among our religious communities.”

He also cited corporation leaders’ opposition to the bill, charging that it was “bad for business.”

“They don't want headaches coming from the state,” he said.

LGBT activist groups also opposed the bill.

The Catholic conference said that the bill does not apply to businesses, but “simply affirms the right of religious organizations to follow their religious beliefs.” The conference charged that Gov. McAuliffe’s veto “marginalizes religious believers who hold to the timeless truth about marriage.”

The legislation would have preserved “fair access to state resources” for clergy and religious organizations, including charities and schools, the conference said.

“Marriage is the first institution, written in natural law and existing before any government or religion, and is between one man and one woman,” the conference added. “Recognizing and honoring this institution is not discrimination, but counting people’s faith against them most certainly is.”

Sen. Charles W. Carrico Sr. (R-Grayson) sponsored the bill. He told the Washington Post he believes there will be lawsuits against churches.

“I think you see a trend around the country right now to promote homosexual beliefs, and I think you see that trend happening on a wide-scale basis,” he said.

The Virginia legislature could override the veto, but that is considered very unlikely, the Associated Press reports.

Other bills to protect religious freedom have drawn significant opposition in recent years. In Georgia on Monday, Republican Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed another proposed religious freedom protection bill.

In some states and the District of Columbia, new laws and funding decisions have shut down Catholic adoption agencies on the grounds they do not place children with same-sex couples. Some Catholic schools have also become the targets of lawsuits from employees fired for violating morals standards on sexual morality.

Wealthy funders like the Ford Foundation, the Arcus Foundation and the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund have poured millions of dollars into legal groups, law school projects and activist groups to counter religious freedom protections.

Photo credit: Joseph Sohm via www.shutterstock.com

Francis announces special collection for victims of Ukraine conflict

On Sunday Pope Francis announced that a special collection will be taken up in all Catholic churches in Europe April 24, the funds of which will go toward relief for all suffering due to ongoing violence in Ukraine.

After celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis led pilgrims in praying the Regina Caeli, telling them beforehand that “on this day, which is like the heart of the Holy Year of Mercy, my thoughts go to all peoples who are thirsty for peace and reconciliation.”

“I think, in particular here in Europe, of the plight of those who suffer the consequences of violence in Ukraine,” he said, and pointed to the thousands who have either died, or continue to suffer due to a serious humanitarian crisis in the conflict areas.

Additionally, the Pope noted that so far “more than a million” people have been forced to leave their homes due to the severity of the situation, the majority of whom “are elderly and children.”

Francis assured his closeness and prayer to those suffering, and announced his decision “to promote a humanitarian support in their favor.”

“To this end, a special collection will take place in all of the Catholic Churches in Europe April 24,” he said, and invited faithful to participate with a “generous contribution.”

In addition to alleviating the material suffering of those effected by the conflict, the act serves as an expression of the Pope’s closeness and solidarity, as well as that of the entire Greek Catholic Church, Francis said.

“I fervently hope that this will, without further delay, help to promote peace and respect of rights in that land which is so tried.”

Conflict erupted in Ukraine in November 2013, when the former government refused to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union, leading to months of violent protests.

Tensions deepened in February 2014, when the country’s former president was ousted following the protests, and a new government appointed. In March of that year, Ukraine’s eastern peninsula of Crimea was annexed by Russia and pro-Russian separatist rebels have since taken control of eastern portions of Ukraine, around Donetsk and Luhansk.

More than 6,500 people, including civilians, have died in the fighting between Ukraine's military and pro-Russian separatists. Roughly a million others have been forced to flee due to violence and a lack of basic humanitarian necessities.

Rebels have been supported by both Russian arms and troops, according to both Ukraine and Western nations. A ceasefire was brokered and officially began at midnight Feb. 15, 2015, however there have been constant and ongoing violations.

The announcement of Pope Francis’ special collection was made nearly a month after his March 7 meeting with leaders of the Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC), who were gathered in Rome for their annual synod of bishops.

In his appeal, the Pope also noted how April 4 marks the World Day against Landmines, and prayed that a renewed commitment would be made to free the world from “these terrible weapons.”

Mercy is an open book – and it's our task to write it, Pope says

On Divine Mercy Sunday Pope Francis said the “Gospel of Mercy” begun by Jesus and the apostles is still unfinished, and is an open book that each person is called to write through their words and actions.

“The Gospel is the book of God’s mercy, to be read and reread, because everything that Jesus said and did is an expression of the Father’s mercy,” the Pope said April 3.

He noted how at the end of the day’s Gospel reading from John, the evangelist expressed that while Jesus carried out many signs in the presence of his disciples, not all of them were written down.

Because of this, “the Gospel of mercy remains an open book, in which the signs of Christ’s disciples, which are concrete acts of love and the best witness to mercy, continue to be written,” he said.

“We are all called to become living writers of the Gospel,” Francis continued, explaining that this is done by practicing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, “which are the hallmarks of the Christian life.”

“By means of these simple yet powerful gestures, even when unseen, we can accompany the needy, bringing God’s tenderness and consolation.”

Pope Francis spoke to a full St. Peter’s Square during his Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, a feast instituted by St. John Paul II and which takes place every year the second Sunday after Easter.

In his homily, the Pope focused on the healings carried out by the disciples in the day’s first reading from Acts, as well as Jesus’ appearance to them in the upper room in the Gospel passage from John.

He noted that in addition to speaking of the signs that Jesus did, the Gospel also presents a contrast between the fear of the disciples, who “gathered behind closed doors,” and the mission of Jesus, “who sends them into the world to proclaim the message of forgiveness.”

This contrast between “a closed heart and the call of love to open doors closed by sin” exists in the heart of many people today, Francis observed, explaining that Jesus’ call is one “that frees us to go out of ourselves.”

“Jesus, who by his resurrection has overcome the fear and dread which imprison us, wishes to throw open our closed doors and send us out,” he said, noting that much of humanity today is wounded, fearful, and marked by pain and uncertainty.

However, every infirmity finds healing in God’s mercy, the Pope said, adding that this mercy isn’t far off, but seeks to be close to those effected by poverty and to free the world from all types of slavery.

To be an apostle, he said, means “touching and soothing the wounds that today afflict the bodies and souls of many of our brothers and sisters.”

When we cure the wounds of our suffering brothers and sisters, “we profess Jesus” and make him alive and present in the world, Francis observed, adding that “this is the mission that he entrusts to us.”

Pope Francis then pointed to Jesus’ appearance to his disciples in the Gospel, noting how he greeted them with the words “peace be with you.”

The peace that Jesus offered is the same one which “awaits men and women of our own day,” he said, explaining that it isn’t “a negotiated peace” absent of conflict, but one that comes from the heart of God, uniting us and making us feel loved.

To be bearers of this peace is the mission that was entrusted to the Church on Easter day, the Pope said, adding that this peace is constantly renewed by God’s forgiveness.

Francis closed his homily by encouraging faithful to give thanks for God’s great love, “which we find impossible to grasp,” and which never abandons us.

He prayed that all would receive the grace “to never grow tired of drawing from the well of the Father’s mercy and bringing it to the world,” and asked that “we too may be merciful, to spread the power of the Gospel everywhere, and to write those pages of the Gospel which John the Apostle did not write.”

After Mass Pope Francis led pilgrims in praying the traditional Regina Caeli prayer, calling to mind all countries affected by war and violence, particularly the Ukraine. 

You can’t receive mercy without sharing it, Pope says

Receiving God’s mercy ignites in us the drive to become “instruments of mercy,” especially to the weakest and the marginalized, Pope Francis said Saturday at a vigil for the feast of Divine Mercy.

“The more we receive, the more we are called to share it with others; it cannot be kept hidden or kept only for ourselves,” he said, addressing those gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica.

“It is something which burns within our hearts, driving us to love, thus recognizing the face of Jesus Christ, above all in those who are most distant, weak, alone, confused and marginalized."

Falling each year on the first Sunday after Easter, the feast of Divine Mercy was instituted by St. John Paul II in 2000 during the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska, the Polish mystic whose apparitions of Jesus inspired devotion to the Divine Mercy.

This year’s feast falls within the Jubilee Year of Mercy, which Pope Francis publicly proclaimed during the 2014 vigil for the feast of Divine Mercy. The Jubilee began Dec. 8, 2014, and will conclude Nov. 20.

“Mercy seeks out the lost sheep, and when one is found, a contagious joy overflows.  Mercy knows how to look into the eyes of every person; each one is precious, for each one is unique,” the Pope said during his address.

Francis delivered his vigil address following a series of testimonies and readings from Scripture, all on the theme of mercy.

The expressions of God’s mercy in His encounters with us are “numerous,” he said; “it is impossible to describe them all, for the mercy of God continually increases.” 

“God never tires of showing us mercy and we should never take for granted the opportunity to receive, seek and desire this mercy,” he said. 

“It is something always new, which inspires awe and wonder as we see God’s immense creativity in the ways he comes to meet us.”

Throughout Scripture, God has frequently revealed himself as mercy, the Pope observed.

“How great and infinite is the nature of God, so great and infinite his mercy, to the point that it is greatly challenging to describe it in all its entirety.”

Francis cited a passage from the prophet Isaiah, and its “extremely evocative” image of God holding each of us to his cheek.

He had this passage in mind for the image of the Jubilee, he said: “I led them with cords of compassion, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them” (Isaiah 11:4). 

“How much tenderness and love is expressed here!” the Pope said. “Jesus not only carries humanity on his shoulders, but his face is so closely joined to Adam’s face that it gives the impression they are one.”

Francis reflected on God’s capability of “understanding and sharing our weaknesses” through Christ’s Incarnation.

“Precisely because of his mercy God became one of us,” he said. By being touched by God’s mercy in Jesus, moreover, we are in turn “inspired to become instruments of his mercy,” the Pope continued. 

“It is easy to speak of mercy, yet more difficult to become its witness.” He spoke of the many ways in which mercy comes to us: “closeness and tenderness,” “compassion and solidarity,” “consolation and forgiveness” – and this in turn compels us to share mercy with others, he said.

Francis also reflected on how Christ’s love “makes us restless” and “impels us to embrace, welcome and include those who need mercy, so that all may be reconciled with the Father.” 

“We ought not to fear for it is a love which comes to us and involves us to such an extent that we go beyond ourselves, enabling us to see his face in our brothers and sisters,” he said. 

“Let us allow ourselves to be humbly guided by this love; then we will become merciful as the Father is merciful.”

In off-the-cuff remarks, Francis referenced the Gospel reading which recounts the Apostle Thomas' initial disbelief, and his need to place his fingers into Jesus' wounded side in order to be convinced of his resurrection.

A faith that does not allow us to put our fingers into the wounds of Jesus' side "is not faith," the Pope said.

"It is not a faith that is capable of being merciful.""It is not faith. It is an idea. It is ideology. Our faith is incarnate, in a God who was made flesh," he said, "who was wounded for us."

If we want to believe "with seriousness," the Pope said, "we must come close to and touch the wounds, caress the wounds," while bowing our heads to allow others to "caress our wounds."

The Pope concluded by urging faithful to remain open to being transformed by the Holy Spirit, who is the love and “mercy that is poured into our hearts.”

“May we not place obstacles to his life-giving work but with docility follow the path he shows us,” he said.

“Let us open our hearts so that the Spirit can transform us; thus forgiven and reconciled, we will become witnesses to the joy that brims over on finding the risen Lord, alive among us.”

Funeral marks Mother Angelica's life as a 'faithful bride' to Jesus

Mother Angelica’s life must be viewed in reference to Jesus, the homilist at her funeral Mass said on Friday.

“We cannot understand Mother Angelica without reference the One that she loved with the passion of a bride, Jesus, the Eternal Word Who became man and dwelt among us,” said Fr. Joseph Mary Wolfe, MVFA, in his homily at the funeral Mass for Mother Angelica, foundress of EWTN and Abbess Emerita at Our Lady of the Angels monastery in Hanceville, Alabama.

“Her legacy is a legacy of His work in her,” Fr. Joseph Mary added.

An estimated 2,000 mourners attended Mother Angelica’s funeral Mass at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, 45 miles north of Birmingham.

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia said the Mass, joined by the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, as well as Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix, Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, Bishop Robert Baker of Birmingham, and his predecessor, Bishop David Foley, Mother’s long-time bishop.

Archbishop Vigano read aloud a message from Pope Francis at the end of the Mass.

“His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the death of Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, and extends heartfelt condolences to the Poor Clares of the Perpetual Adoration of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, and to the EWTN community,” he said.

Pope Francis showed his “gratitude for mother Angelica’s service to the Gospel through social communications and through a life of prayer,” he continued. “The Holy Father commends her soul to the merciful love of Almighty God.”

Fr. Joseph Mary reflected that Christ, Mother Angelica's “bridegroom”, prompted her work at EWTN. She defended Church teaching because “she would defend the One she was wed to.”

Pointing to her healing as a teenager, he quoted her as saying she had previously been a “lukewarm” Catholic, but afterward “had a whole different attitude,” saying that “all I wanted to do after that healing was to give myself to Jesus.”

She carried this love with her for the rest of her life, especially in her work at EWTN, he noted.

“What was it that prompted the transformation of a garage into a television studio? The divinity of Jesus must be upheld,” he said. “He is the Eternal Word, the Divine Son of God. He is the bridegroom of the Church, and thus hers [Mother’s].”

“As a faithful bride she would defend the One she was wed to,” he added. “It was love for Jesus that impelled her.”

“Do we love Jesus enough to defend Him?” he asked.

He noted Mother’s love for the Eucharist, lived out in her daily adoration and reception of Holy Communion. She was “able to give life,” he said, “because [Jesus] gave life to her.”

Another legacy of Mother Angelica was her message of the “call to holiness being attainable for everyone,” Fr. Joseph Mary pointed out. She “cared deeply about the ordinary person,” and “hers was a practical spirituality for the man in the pew.”

“I think everyone here wants to be a saint,” he said. “Mother helped us to believe that it is attainable.”

He quoted from Sister Mary Michael, who came to Alabama with Mother Angelica in 1962. Mother had a “wealth of spiritual knowledge” combined with “experience” and “common sense,” he said, and she had a gift for seeing the “root of the problem.”

She even had a “yelling theology” she used if there was no other way to reach a person who wasn’t listening, he quipped. But “she never crushed you,” he added: she let you know afterward she still loved you.

Mother had to live through many illnesses and difficulties, but she never got discouraged, Fr. Joseph Mary said. She saw setbacks as an “opportunity to look for a solution,” and through trust in God “what seemed to be setbacks” would turn into “something better,” he noted.

“No pity parties allowed,” he said, explaining Mother’s outlook.

“Her only fear was not to do God’s will.”

Padre Pio inspires help for homeless veterans in Maryland

St. Padre Pio’s spiritual life inspired many veterans of the Second World War – and now, his example has helped inspire support for homeless veterans in Maryland.

“Wherever there is suffering in the healing process, Padre Pio has been known to bring relief,” Luciano Lamonarca, president and CEO of the Saint Pio Foundation, told CNA March 30.

“Because we know that veterans suffer as much as other people, we decided to establish a kind of annual grant that would help the veterans in having some relief,” he said.

The effort also recognizes their service to their country.

The New York-based Saint Pio Foundation promotes the charism of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, colloquially known as “Padre Pio.” The Franciscan Capuchin priest was a stigmatist, a mystic and a miracle-worker. He ministered in the Italian city of San Giovanni Rotondo from 1916 until his death in 1968.

The foundation has made its first donation of $20,000 to the homeless veterans program of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Maryland Health Care System. Another $10,000 grant is planned for this year.

The donation aims to provide homeless veterans with transportation assistance, meals, clothing, and household supplies when they get apartments. The donation will also support the clothing room, the kitchen and the laundry facility at the VA Maryland Health Care System’s Community Resource & Referral Center, which supports homeless veterans.

Lamonarca said some of the homeless veterans are very poor and sometimes cannot afford to travel to the facility to eat or to spend the night. The foundation acts in Padre Pio’s name “to bring any relief to suffering” and to give food and shelter to those who live on the street.

“We like to bring Padre Pio out to the people,” he said.

The foundation cited Padre Pio’s service in the Italian army’s medical corps during World War I. He befriended many military personnel during World War II, including American servicemen.

Lamonarca said Padre Pio had a “very strong” relationship with many American servicemen.

“Many people do not know that Padre Pio got to be known in the United States after the Second World War because all the G.I.s returning to this country were speaking about him. Many of them actually returned to San Giovanni Rotondo to live close to Padre Pio while he was alive. Some of them even became priests.”

VA officials welcomed the support.

“We’re grateful that the Saint Pio Foundation has recognized our efforts to serve homeless veterans,” Dr. Adam M. Robinson, director of the VA Maryland Health Care System said March 24.

The foundation’s other supported projects include the Home for the Relief of Suffering and Padre Pio’s Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy; the Archdiocese for Military Services; and the Path to Peace Foundation, which complements the work of the Holy See’s mission to the United Nations.

Lamonarca has a special devotion to Padre Pio, a devotion which strengthened when he immigrated to America.

“He has touched so many lives and converted many people,” he said. “He touched my life through his motto ‘pray, hope and don’t worry’.”

He said he hopes that the foundation’s support will help veterans learn more about Padre Pio’s life and encourage them “to pray to Padre Pio daily, to ask Padre Pio to help them carry on through their pain and their suffering and to hope in Jesus, with the intercession of Padre Pio.”

“Padre Pio has been known internationally. I like to say he’s not just a saint that belongs to the Catholic Church. He belongs to any kind of people of faith.”

The foundation will hold its second annual award ceremony on May 27 at the Naval Heritage Center in Washington, D.C. Honorees include veterans’ advocates like actor Gary Sinise and Jim Nicholson, former U.S. Secretary for Veterans Affairs and past U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See.

Guests at the dinner include Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington and Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the apostolic nuncio of the Holy See heading the permanent observer mission to the United Nations and to the Organization of American States.

The 'boast' of Mother Angelica was in Christ, not herself

Memorial Mass for Mother Angelica at Our Lady of the Angels Chapel on March 30, 2016. Credit: EWTN.

The life of EWTN foundress Mother Angelica was a testament to St. Paul’s teaching that “God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,” preached the celebrant of vespers at a prayer vigil offered for her repose.
“How we do need to interpret” Mother Angelica’s life, Fr. Anthony Mary, MFVA, preached, “is if we’re going to boast in anything, the boast of Mother Angelica was not herself. The boast of Mother Angelica was always Jesus Christ.”
Fr. Anthony Mary preached at Thursday evening’s solemn vespers for Mother Angelica, foundress of EWTN and abbess emerita of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, as she lay in repose in the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama. Mother Angelica passed away Easter Sunday, March 27.
The vespers were followed by a prayer vigil for Mother Angelica celebrated by Bishop Robert Joseph Baker of Birmingham.
The reading for the vespers was 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, where St. Paul writes that “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no man might boast before God.”
Mother Angelica lived this reading, Fr. Anthony Mary said, because she, like the Apostles, was “weak” and “lowly” yet served God faithfully when chosen by Him. “Our Lord didn’t call the perfect” to spread the Gospel, he noted, but men who were “old” and “weak.”
“How deeply she loved them,” he said of Mother Angelica and the Apostles, because “she rejoiced in the weakness of those men” because they were like us, and not perfect.
She came from a “humble” and “challenging background,” Fr. Anthony Mary said, and then chose a “life of humility” by responding to her vocation as a cloistered nun. Mother Angelica also dealt with back pain and used crutches for years and had severe asthma. She suffered a stroke in 2001 that forced her off the air. After that she lived a “hidden life” where she was “frail” and “weak,” he said.
“Pain is my constant companion,” Fr. Anthony Mary quoted Mother Angelica, saying it was her “constant reminder” of her “union with Our Suffering Lord.” This helped her to be in tune with the promptings of the Holy Spirit, he said.
Her operation, EWTN, had a humble nature, he added. It started in a garage and the main campus in Irondale is still “not really anything much to look at,” he said. It’s “not CNN” and “certainly not ESPN,” he added to chuckles in the audience. Yet it “carries out the mission that Mother founded” and has done great work, he noted.
Like the Apostles who were instructed by Christ in the Gospel to cast their nets over the side of the boat, the nets were tearing at the size of the catch, Fr. Anthony Mary said. It was Jesus and the Father Who did this, not the Apostles, he emphasized. They simply “followed the command of the Lord.”
Mother Angelica taught that when we preach the Gospel, “we have to cast the nets” and respond to God’s call, he explained. She lived this by obedience to God and trusting in His call, he said, and God produced the fruits.
Preaching at the prayer vigil later on Thursday, Fr. Miguel Marie Soeherman, MFVA, admonished those in attendance to heed the words of Mother Angelica on death and judgment.
“Death indeed is the reality that everyone will face,” he said, noting that Mother called it “the beautiful moment of our life.”
“We will be judged on love,” he said, on the choices we made “for God or for ourselves.”
“Make your choice now,” he quoted Mother Angelica. “Wherever you land, wherever you go, it’s forever. So make it a good destination.”

India's bishops push government to help find Fr Tom

After the circulation of rumors claiming Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil was tortured and crucified on Good Friday, the Indian bishops have written to the government urging greater effort in locating the priest.

“A lot of rumors are being spread in the social media that Fr. Tom was subjected to cruel torture and then crucified on Good Friday,” the Indian bishops wrote in a March 28 letter addressed to India’s Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj.

The wide circulation of the “gruesome news” both at home and abroad is upsetting, and “brings agony to the relatives” and arouses concern in everyone, they said.

“It will be in the best interest of our country to step up the efforts to verify the veracity of this disturbing rumor.”

Bishop Paul Hinder, the Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia (whose territory serves Catholics in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen) told CNA on Monday that he has “strong indications that Fr. Tom is still alive in the hands of the kidnappers,” but could not give further information, in order to protect the life of the priest.

While voicing their appreciation for previous efforts the government of India has made in securing the release of abducted citizens from the hands of terrorists, most recently Fr. Alexis Prem Kumar, India's bishops said more ought to be done in the case of Fr. Tom.

On March 4, four gunmen attacked a Missionaries of Charity-run retirement home in Aden, Yemen, killing 16 people, including four Missionary of Charity sisters. Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil was kidnapped by the gunmen during the attacks, which are thought to have been perpetrated by Islamist terrorists, though no group has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Since then several blogs and media outlets have reported that Fr. Tom was crucified by Islamic State militants on Good Friday. However, there has been no confirmation of the event by friends, family, or Fr. Uzhunnalil’s community.

In their letter, the Indian bishops said they immediately requested the help of the government in tracing and rescuing Fr. Tom after hearing the “sad and shocking news” of his abduction.

Messages were sent to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh, and the Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, “soliciting their urgent intervention to ensure the safety of Fr. Tom.”

The bishops said they have been in constant contact with the Indian government on the matter, and voiced their gratitude for the efforts they have already made in monitoring the process of both finding and rescuing Fr. Uzhunnalil.

However, in spite of the efforts, the bishops stressed that so far there is “no definite answer” regarding the whereabouts of the abducted priest or the motive of his kidnappers.

The bishops noted that the Vatican has upped its own efforts to find Fr. Tom through their diplomatic channels, and requested that Swaraj “leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety and the quick release of Fr. Tom from the hands of the abductors.”

In a March 29 press statement the bishops noted that officials of India’s Ministry of External Affairs have assured them they are “closely looking into all the aspects” of the case and of a safe release for Fr. Tom.

A senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs assured the bishops that Swaraj would receive them personally at her earliest convenience to share “the available and pertinent details” on Fr. Tom’s release.