Price € 1,00. Back issues € 2,00 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO WEEKLY EDITION IN ENGLISH Unicuique suum Forty-seventh year, number 45 (2370) Non praevalebunt Vatican City Friday, 7 November 2014 To participants in a course organized by the Roman Rota A matter of justice Ten thousand dollars for an annulment? In a brief greeting addressed to the participants in a course on marriage organized by the Roman Rota, Pope Francis spoke of the need for streamlining procedures “for reasons of justice”. The Pontiff met with them briefly on Wednesday morning, 5 November, in the Paul VI Hall. The following is a translation of the Holy Father’s address which was delivered in Italian. I have not prepared a speech, I would like simply to greet you. In the Extraordinary Synod, the procedures, the processes were discussed, and there is a concern for streamlining the procedures for reasons of justice. Justice, so they may be just, and justice for the people who are waiting, as His Excellency the Dean has just said. Justice: how many people wait years for a ruling. And for this reason, even before the Synod, I constituted a Commission to help prepare various possibilities along this line: a line of justice, and also of charity, because there are so many people who need a word from the Church on their marital situation, for a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’, but that it be just. Some procedures are so long or so onerous that they do not facilitate them, and the people leave. For example, take the Interdiocesan Tribunal of Buenos Aires, I don’t recall but I think, in the first instance, it has 15 dioceses; I believe the furthest is 240 km away…. One cannot, it is impossible to imagine simple, common people going to the Tribunal: they have to travel, they have to lose work days, also the bonus … so many things…. They say: “God understands me, and thus I go ahead, with this weight on my soul”. And Mother Church must do justice and say: “Yes, it’s true, your marriage is annulled — No, your marriage is valid”. But justice has to say it. This way they can move forward without this doubt, this darkness in their spirit. It is important to hold these courses, and I sincerely thank the Dean for what he has been doing. And I also thank him because he himself presides over this Commission to find guidance for streamlining procedures. Always forward. It is the Mother Church who goes and seeks out her children so as to do justice. And we must also be very careful that the procedures are not in the context of business deals: and I’m not speaking about something out of the ordinary. There have even been public scandals. I had to dismiss a person from the Tribunal, some time ago, who said “10,000 dollars and I’ll handle the two procedures for you, civil and ecclesiastic”. Please, not this! In the Synod a few proposals came up which dis- cussed that they be gratis, we shall have to see…. But when spiritual and economic interests are handled together, this is not God’s way! Mother Church is so generous, that justice may be given free of charge, as we were absolved by Jesus Christ freely. This is an important point: two separate issues. Thank you for coming to this course: one has to study and has to go forward and always seek the salus animarum, which is not necessarily found outside of justice, but rather, with justice. Thank you very much, and I ask you to please pray for me. Thank you. Land, a home and work for all Last to the world but first to God At the General Audience what it means to be a bishop United in service The Pope spoke about the role of bishops at the General Audience on 5 November: This ministry “is not sought, not requested, not bought, but accepted in obedience, not to elevate but to lower oneself”. He also announced that he will visit Turin on 21 June to venerate the Holy Shroud and honour St John Bosco on the bicentenary of his birth. To Popular Movements Solemnity of All Saints PAGE 8/9 To Charismatics Breathing with the Spirit PAGE 3 On resignation of diocesan bishops and officials of the Roman Curia PAGES 4 AND 5 With the publication of L’Osservatore Romano on 5 November, new norms regarding the resignation of diocesan ordinaries and officials of the Roman Curia came into effect. The Rescriptum reaffirming the presentation and acceptance of letters of resignation were approved by Pope Francis on 3 November. With it Francis resumes much of what was in effect under Paul VI between 1966 and 1975 in response to the recommendations of the Council and what was later approved by the Codex iuris canonici of 1983 and by Pastor bonus of 1988. PAGE 7 The art of ‘memento mori’ Death through art C. LONGHURST ON PAGE 10 Venerable Zacharias of St Theresa Apostle of reconciliation AUGUSTINE MULLO OR ON PAGE 15 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 2 Friday, 7 November 2014, number 45 VATICAN BULLETIN AUDIENCES Friday, 31 October Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, SJ, titular Archbishop of Thibica, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Archbishop Martin Krebs, titular Archbishop of Taborenta, Apostolic Nuncio in New Zealand, Fiji, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Palau, Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Vanuatu, Tonga; Apostolic Delegate in the Pacific Ocean Archbishop Sérgio da Rocha, Archbishop of Brasília, Brazil H.E. Mr Bruno Nève de Mévergnies, Ambassador of Belgium, for the presentation of his Letters of Credence CHANGES IN EPISCOPATE The Holy Father appointed Bishop Jean Mbarga as Archbishop of Yaoundé, Cameroon. Until now he has been Bishop of Ebolowa, Cameroon, and Apostolic Administrator of the said Archdiocese (31 O ct.). Archbishop Mbarga, 58, was born in Ebolmedzo, Cameroon. He was ordained a priest on 5 December 1981. He was ordained a bishop on 5 December 2004, subsequent to his appointment as titular Bishop of Ebolowa and Apostolic Administrator of Yaoundé. The Holy Father appointed Bishop José Javier Travieso Martín, CMF, titular Bishop of Tubusuptu, as Apostolic Vicar of San José del The President of the European Parliament Amazonas, Peru. Until now he has been Auxiliary Bishop of Trujillo, Peru (1 Nov.). Bishop Travieso Martín, 62, was born in Don Benito, Plasencia, Spain. He was ordained a priest on 26 June 1976. He was ordained a bishop on 25 March 2009, subsequent to his appointment as titular Bishop of Tubusuptu. The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop Jesús Moliné Labarta of Chiclayo, Peru. It was presented in accord with can. 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law (3 Nov.). The Holy Father appointed Fr Robert Francis Prevost, OSA, as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, at the same time raising him to the dignity of bishop and assigning him the titular episcopal see of Sufar. Until now he has been Director of formation at the Convent of St Augustine, Chicago, and First Counsellor and Provincial Vicar of the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel (3 Nov.). Bishop-elect Prevost, 59, was born in Chicago, USA. He made his solemn vows on 29 August 1981. He was ordained a priest on 19 June 1982. He holds a degree in canon law and a licence in theology. He has served in parish ministry in Peru, and as chancellor for the Diocese of Chulucanas. In the States he served as promoter of the vocations apostolate and director of missions in the Province of Chicago. On his return to Peru, he served as director and teacher of canon law at the St Augustine Seminary in Trujillo; prefect and judge at the regional eccle- siastical tribunal; member of the College of Consultors in Trujillo. He was elected Superior of the Order for the Province of Chicago, and Prior General of the Augustinians. The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop Matthias Ssekamanya of Lugazi, Uganda. It was presented in accord with can. 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law (4 Nov.). The Holy Father appointed Bishop Christopher Kakooza as Bishop of Lugazi. Until now he has been titular Bishop of Casae in Numidia and Auxiliary of Kampala (4 Nov.). Bishop Kakooza, 61, was born in Lusaze, Uganda. He was ordained a priest on 3 June 1983. He was ordained a bishop on 17 April 1999, subsequent to his appointment as titular Bishop of Casae in Numidia and Auxiliary of Kampala. The Holy Father appointed Fr Carlos Enrique Trinidad Gómez from the clergy of Santiago de Guatemala, as Bishop of San Marcos, Guatemala. Until now he has been parish priest of La Immaculada Concepción, Villa Nueva, and episcopal vicar for the south area of Santiago de Guatemala (4 Nov.). Bishop-elect Trinidad Gómez, 59, was born in Guatemala City. He was ordained a priest on 22 December 1984. He holds a licence in theology and liturgy. He has served in parish ministry and as: responsible for propaedeutic course at the Interdiocesan Major Seminary; treasurer and rector of the Major Seminary; member of the College of Consultors; The Ambassador of Belgium presents his credentials A little less than a month until the Pope’s next visit to Strasbourg on 25 November, the Holy Father received the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, in audience on Thursday, 30 October. H.E. Mr Bruno Nève de Mévergnies, 63, was born in Liegi. He is married and has four children. He holds a law degree and a specialization in international law. In 1978 he began his diplomatic service and served as attaché in Bonn (1979); functionary at the Ministry for Foreign On Friday morning, 31 October, Pope Francis received H.E. Mr Affairs (1979–80); atBruno Nève de Mévergnies, Ambassador of Belgium, for the taché in Kinshasa presentation of Letters accrediting him to the Holy See (1980–84); first secretary in Washington (1984–88); first secretary to the Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels (1988–89); secretary to Queen Fabiola (1989–96); minister counsellor in Bonn (1996–99). He served at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (1999–2002; 2006–09). He has also served as ambassador in Warsaw (2002–06); ambassador in Cairo (2009–2012); deputy head of the Cabinet of the King and Royal Family communications advisor (2012-2013). From 2012-2014 he served at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO GIOVANNI MARIA VIAN WEEKLY EDITION Unicuique suum IN ENGLISH Non praevalebunt Editor-in-Chief Mary M. Nolan Editor Vatican City ed.english@ossrom.va www.osservatoreromano.va Editorial office via del Pellegrino, 00120 Vatican City telephone +390669899300, fax +390669883675 TIPO GRAFIA VATICANA EDITRICE L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO don Sergio Pellini S.D.B. Director General Photo Service photo@ossrom.va www.photo.va Advertising Agency Il Sole 24 Ore S.p.A. System Comunicazione Pubblicitaria Via Monte Rosa 91, 20149 Milano segreteriadirezionesystem@ilsole24ore.com delegate for the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. The Holy Father appointed Bishop Adolfo Armando Uriona, FDP, as Bishop of the Diocese of Villa de la Concepción del Río Cuarto, Argentina. Until now he has been Bishop of Añatuya (4 Nov.). Bishop Uriona, 59, was born in Mar del Plata, Argentina. He made his perpetual profession for the Congregation of Don Orione and was ordained a priest on 28 June 1980. He was ordained a bishop on 8 May 2004, subsequent to his appointment as Bishop of Añatuya. The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop Michael Patrick Driscoll of Boise City, USA. It was presented in accord with can. 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law (4 Nov.). The Holy Father appointed Bishop Peter Forsyth Christensen as Bishop of Boise City, USA. Until now he has been Bishop of Superior, USA (4 Nov.). Bishop Christensen, 61, was born in Pasadena, USA. He was ordained a priest on 25 May 1985. He was ordained a bishop on 14 September 2007, subsequent to his appointed as Bishop of Superior. The Holy Father appointed Bishop Milton Kenan Júnior as Bishop of CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 ‘Cor Unum’ mission in Syria From 28 to 31 October the Secretary of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, Msgr Giampietro Dal Toso, visited Damascus in order to attend the meeting of the assembly of Catholic bishops in Syria. This was announced in a statement by the dicastery, which described how the prelate also met with various institutions, especially Catholic, that are currently involved in humanitarian aid activities in the country. In these meetings, special appreciation was expressed for the commitment of the Holy Father and the Holy See to supporting the Christian communities and the population as a whole, who suffer as a result of the conflict, and for encouraging dialogue and reconciliation among the various parties. Emphasis was also placed on the important role of Catholic aid organisms, who benefit all of the Syrian population. Through the generous contribution of the international community, in the face of growing need, this assistance will have to be intensified in the future. Subscription rates: Italy - Vatican: € 58.00; Europe: € 100.00 - US$ 148.00 £ 80.00; Latin America, Africa, Asia: € 110.00 - US$ 160.00 - £ 88.00; Oceania, North America: € 162.00 - US$ 240.00 - £ 130.00. 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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Our Sunday Visitor, 200 Noll Plaza, Huntington, IN 46750 number 45, Friday, 7 November 2014 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 3 At the General Audience the Pontiff speaks of Holy Mother Church as hierarchy United in service Accepting episcopal ministry is to lower oneself The bishop’s is a ministry that “is not sought, not requested, not bought, but accepted in obedience, not to elevate oneself but to lower oneself”. The Pope said as much at the General Audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday morning, 5 November, stressing the importance that bishops and the pope express a true collegiality and seek to be “ever better servants of the faithful, better servants in the Church”. The following is a translation of the Pope’s catechesis which was delivered in Italian. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning, We have listened to what the Apostle Paul says to Bishop Tito. How many virtues do we bishops have? We heard everything, did we not? It’s not easy, it’s not easy, because we are sinners. But we entrust ourselves to your prayers, so that we may at least come closer to these things that the Apostle Paul advises all bishops. Do you agree? Will you pray for us? We have already had the occasion to stress, in preceding catecheses, how the Holy Spirit is always abundantly filling the Church with his gifts. Now, by the power and grace of His Spirit, Christ does not fail to set up ministries in order to build up Christian communities as his Body. Among these ministries, one can distinguish that of the episcopate. In the bishop, assisted by priests and deacons, it is Christ himself who makes himself present and who continues to care for his Church, by ensuring his protection and his guidance. 1. In the presence and in the ministry of the bishops, of the priests and deacons, we can recognize the true face of the Church: it is the Hierarchical Holy Mother Church. And truly, through these brothers chosen by the Lord and consecrated through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the Church exercises her motherhood: she gives birth to us in Baptism as Christians, giving us a new birth in Christ; she watches over our growth in the faith; she accompanies us into the arms of the Father, to receive his forgiveness; she prepares the Eucharistic table for us, where she nourishes us with the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Jesus; she invokes upon us the blessing of God and the power of his Spirit, sustaining us throughout the course of our life and enveloping us with her tenderness and warmth, especially in those most delicate moments of trial, of suffering and of death. 2. This motherhood of the Church is expressed in particular in the person of the bishop and in his ministry. In fact, as Jesus chose the Apostles and sent them out to proclaim the Gospel and to tend his flock, so bishops, his successors, are set at the head of Christian communities, as guarantors of the faith and as living signs of the presence of the Lord among them. We understand, then, that this is not a position of prestige, an honorary title. The episcopate is not an honour, it’s a service. This is how Jesus wanted it. There should be no place in the Church for a worldly mentality. The worldly mentality says: “This man took the ecclesiastical career path, he became a bishop”. No, no, in the Church there must be no place for this mindset. The episcopate is a service, not an honour to boast about. Being a bishop means keeping before one’s eyes the example of Jesus who, as the Good Shepherd, came not to be served, but to serve (cf. Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45) and to give his life for his sheep (cf. Jn 10:11). Holy bishops — and there are many in the history of the Church, many holy bishops — show us that this ministry is not sought, is not requested, is not bought, but is accepted in obedience, not in order to elevate oneself, but to lower oneself, as Jesus did who “humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). It is sad when one sees a man who seeks this office and who does so much just to get there; and when he gets there, he does not serve, he Marco da struts around, he lives only for his own vanity. 3. There is another precious element that deserves to be pointed out. When Jesus chose and called the Apostles, He did not think of them as separate from one another, each one on his own, but together, because they were to stay with Him, united, like a single family. Furthermore, bishops also constitute one single College, gathered around the Pope, who is the guardian and guarantor of this profound communion that was so close to Jesus’ heart and to his Apostles’ too. How beautiful it is, then, when bishops, with the Pope, express this collegiality and always seek to be better servants to the faithful, better servants in the Church! We recently experienced it in the Assembly of the Synod on the Family. Just think of all the bishops spread around the world who, despite living in widely different places, cultures, sensibilities and traditions — one bishop said to me the other day that it takes him more than 30 hours by plane to come to Rome — they each feel part of the other and they become an expression of the intimate bond, in Christ, between their communities. And in the common prayer of the Church, all bishops place themselves together in listening to the Lord and to the Holy Spirit, paying profound attention to man and to the signs of the Faenza, “Study of the figure of a bishop” (16th c.) times (cf. Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, n. 4). Dear friends, all this makes us understand that Christian communities recognize in the bishop a great gift, and are called to nourish a sincere and profound communion with him, beginning with the priests and deacons. No Church is healthy if the faithful, the deacons and the priests are not united to the bishop. This Church, that is not united to the bishop, is a sick Church. Jesus wanted this union of all the faithful with the bishop, including the deacons and priests. And this they do aware that it is precisely in the bishop that the bond is made visible with each Church, with the Apostles and with all other communities, united to their bishops and the Pope in the one Church of the Lord Jesus, that is our Hierarchical Holy Mother Church. Thank you. SPECIAL GREETINGS I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including the various groups from England, Malta, Denmark, Japan and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all! A warm welcome to Italian-speaking pilgrims! In this audience we connected via the maxi screen with our sick brothers and sisters because, as there was a chance of rain, they are in the Paul VI Hall. I greet especially Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin as well as Mayor Piero Fassino. I am delighted to announce that, God willing, on 21 June I will make a pilgrimage to Turin to venerate the Holy Shroud and to honour St John Bosco, on the occasion of the bicentenary of his birth. Lastly, I turn my thoughts to young people, to the sick and to newlyweds. Yesterday we celebrated the memory of St Charles Borromeo, the fearless Pastor of Milan. May his spiritual vigour stimulate you, dear young people, to take the faith seriously in your lives; may his faith in Christ the Saviour sustain you, dear sick people, in moments of great difficulty; and may his apostolic dedication remind you, dear newlyweds, of the importance of Christian education in your family home. page 4 Pope Francis met with participants in the World Meeting of Popular Movements sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Among those present at the audience on Tuesday morning, 28 October, in the Old Synod Hall in the Vatican, were Bishop Sánchez Sorondo, several prelates, and approximately 150 people from 80 countries, representing the five continents. At the beginning, Cardinal Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, addressed a brief greeting to the Pontiff, underlining that the purpose of the meeting was “to strengthen the network of popular organizations, to promote reciprocal recognition and to foster cooperation between them and the local Churches” for the advancement and protection “of the dignity and rights of the human person”. The following is a translation of the Holy Father’s address which was delivered in Spanish. Good morning once again, I am happy to be among you. I shall also tell you in confidence that: this is the first time I have come down here, I have never come here before. As I was saying, I am feeling great joy and I welcome you warmly. Thank you for accepting this invitation to discuss the many serious social problems that afflict the world of today, you who suffer inequality and exclusion in the first person. I thank Cardinal Turkson for his welcome, thank you, Your Eminence, for your work and your words. This meeting of Popular Movements is a sign, a great sign: you have come to place before God, the Church, peoples, a reality which is often passed in silence. The poor are not only suffering injustice but are also fighting against it! They are not content with false promises, excuses or alibis. Neither are they waiting, arms crossed, for NGO assistance, for welfare planning or solutions that never arrive or, should they arrive, are handled in such a way to serve either in order to anaesthetize or to domesticate. This is rather dangerous. You feel that the poor are tired of waiting and they want to act; they are getting organized, studying, working, making demands and, above all, practicing that very special solidarity that exists among those who are suffering, among the poor, and whom our culture seems to have forgotten, or rather, wants to forget. Solidarity is a word that is not always pleasing; I would say that a few times we have transformed it into a bad word, it cannot be said; it is a word that means much more than a few sporadic acts of generosity. It is thinking and acting in terms of the community, of the priority of the life of all not of the appropriation of goods by a few. It is also fighting against the structural causes of poverty, inequality, unemployment, the lack of land and home, the denial of social and labour rights. It is facing up to the destructive effects of the dominion of money: forced displacement, agonizing emigration, human trafficking, drugs, war, violence and all of the situations that many of you endure and that all of us are called to change. Solidarity, understood in its deepest sense, is a way of making L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 7 November 2014, number 45 Pope Francis meets with Popular Movements Land, a home and employment rights for all history and this is what popular movements are doing. This meeting of ours does not correspond to an ideology. You do not work with ideas, you work with realities like those I have mentioned and many others that you have told me about. You are on the ground, working among the people. You associate with the neighbourhood, the people, the struggle! It is my plan that your voice, which is seldom listened to, may be heard. Perhaps because your cry disturbs, perhaps because it is annoying, perhaps because one fears the change that you are demanding, but without your presence, without truly going out to the peripheries, the good recommendations and proposals we often hear about at international conferences remain in the realm of ideas. The scandal of poverty cannot be addressed by promoting strategies of containment that only tranquillize and transform the poor into tamed and harmless people. How sad it is to see that, behind supposedly altruistic acts, the other is reduced to passivity, is denied, or worse still, that business or personal aims are hidden: Jesus would define this as hypocritical. How beautiful it is when instead we see more poor and young people above all taking part in popular movements. So yes, one feels the wind of promise that revives hope in a better world. May this wind turn into a whirlwind of hope. This is my wish. Our meeting responds to a more concrete yearning, something that any father, any mother, wants for their children; a yearning that should be within everyone’s reach, but which today, sadly, we see increasingly receding from the majority of the population: land, home and employment. It is curious, but if one speaks about this, according to some, the Pope is a communist. They do not understand that love for the poor is central to the Gospel. Land, home and employment, which you are fighting for, are sacred rights. To demand this is not unusu- al at all, it is the social doctrine of the Church. I shall pause a bit on each word because you have chosen them as the motto for this meeting. Land. At the beginning of Creation, God created man as guardian of his work, entrusting him with the task of cultivating it and protecting it. I see that there are dozens of men and women farmers here and I want to congratulate them because they protect the land, they cultivate it and they do so in community. I am concerned about the eradication of so many brother and sister farmers who are suffering on account of this and not because of war or natural disasters. Land and water grabbing, deforestation, inadequate pesticides, are a few of the evils that are tearing man from his native land. This painful separation is not only physical but also existential and spiritual, because the rural community and its relationship with the land and its particular lifestyle are threatened with decline and even the danger of extinction. The other dimension of the already global precess is hunger. When financial speculation influences food prices, treating them as any merchandise, millions of people suffer and die of hunger. On the other hand, tons of food are thrown away. This constitutes a true scandal. Hunger is criminal, food is an inalienable right. I know that some of you are asking for agrarian reform to resolve some of these problems and, allow me to say that in certain countries, and here I am quoting the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, “agrarian reform therefore becomes a moral obligation more than a political necessity” (n. 300). I am not the only one to say this, it is written in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Please, continue to fight for the dignity of the rural family, for water, for life and so that all can benefit from the produce of the earth. Second, Home. I have said it before and I repeat it: a home for every family. It must never be forgotten that Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room for them at the inn, that his family had to abandon their home and flee to Egypt, persecuted by Herod. Today there are many homeless families, either because they have never had one or because they have lost it for various reasons. Family and home go hand in hand! A roof, however, because it is a house, must also have a community dimension: the neighbourhood. And it is precisely in the neighbourhood that one begins to build this great family of humanity, starting with what is even more paramount, from coexisting with neighbours. Today we live in immense cities which are modern, proud and even vain. Cities which offer countless pleasures and wellbeing for a happy minority but denies a home to thousands of our neighbours and brothers, even children, and we call them, elegantly, “people with no fixed abode”. It is curious how euphemisms justify a world of injustices. Words are not said with exactitude, and reality is expressed by a euphemism. A person, a person segregated, a person cast aside, a person who is suffering from poverty, from hunger, is a person without a fixed abode; an elegant expression, is it not? Always check; I could be wrong in some cases, but in general, behind a euphemism there is a crime. We live in cities that build towers, shopping centres, engage in real estate business but leave a section of the people on the margins, in the peripheries. How painful it is to hear that poor settlements are marginalized or, even worse, they want to eradicate them! Cruel are the images of forced displacement, of cranes demolishing hovels, images so similar to those of war. And this is seen today. You know that values which endure in working class neighbourhoods where many of you live, have been forgotten in the wealthy areas. These settlements are blessed with a rich popular culture, there the public area is not merely a transit point but an extension of one’s home, a place where neighbourhood bonds are generated. How beautiful the cities are which overcome unhealthy mistrust and which integrate those who are different and make of this integration a new factor of development! How beautiful the cities are which, even in their architectural design, are full of spaces that connect, relate, promote recognition of the other! For this reason, neither eradication nor marginalization: it is essential to promote urban integration! This word must completely replace the word eradication, now, but also those projects that seek to give the poor neighbourhoods a lift, to beau- number 45, Friday, 7 November 2014 Mino Cerezo Barredo, “The Beatitudes” (detail) tify the peripheries and “put makeup” on social wounds instead of treating them and fostering genuine and respectful integration. It is a type of architectural façade, is it not? And it goes in this direction. Let us continue working so that all families have a home and that all neighbourhoods have an appropriate infrastructure, such as: drainage systems, electricity, gas, paved roads, and I continue: schools, hospitals, first aid, sports clubs and all the things that create bonds and unify, access to healthcare — I already said that — to education and to secure tenure. Third, Employment. There is no worse form of material poverty — I want to stress this — than that which prevents one from earning one’s bread and deprives one of the dignity of employment. Youth unemployment, the informality and the lack of labour rights are not inevitable, they are the result of a previous social option, of an economic system that places benefits before man, if the benefit is economic, before humanity or before man, they are the effects of a throwaway culture in which human beings themselves are considered consumer goods which can be used and thrown away. Today added to the phenomena of exploitation and oppression, there is a new dimension with harsh, graphic undertones of social injustice; those who fail to integrate are excluded are rejected, like “refuse”. This is the throwaway culture, and to this point I would like to add something that I have not written down, but which now comes to mind. This happens when money and not man, the human being, is at the centre of an economic system. Yes, at the centre of every social or economic system there must be the person, the image of God, as the universal denominator. When the person is displaced and the god of money arrives, it produces this inversion of values. And to illustrate it graphically, I recall a lesson from about the year 1200. A Jewish rabbi was explaining to his faithful the story of the Tower L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO of Babel and he recounted that, in order to build that Tower of Babel, a great effort was required, bricks needed to be made, and to make bricks, it was necessary to make mud, bring straw, then mix it with the straw, then cut it into cubes, then dry them, then bake them, and when the bricks had been fired and cooled, the were carried up to build the tower. If a brick fell — it was very costly, with all that work — it was practically a national tragedy. The one who dropped it was punished or dismissed, or I don’t know what they did to him, but if a worker fell, nothing happened. This happens when people are at the service of money; and a Jewish rabbi recounted this in the year 1200, explaining these terrible things. With regard to those thrown away, let us also pay more attention to what is happening in our society. I am repeating things that I have said and that are in Evangelii Gaudium. Today children are disposed of, since the birth rate in many countries on the earth has diminished; or children are discarded due to lack of food or are killed before being born; children are thrown away. The elderly are thrown away because they are not useful, they do not produce; neither children nor the elderly produce, thus, with more or less sophisticated systems they are gradually rejected, and now, since it is necessary to recover a certain balance in this crisis, we are witnessing a third very painful waste: the exclusion of young people. Millions of young people — I will not say the number because I do not know it precisely and what I have read seems somewhat exaggerated to me — work excludes millions of young people, through unemployment. In Europe, and these statistics are very clear, here in Italy, slightly over 40 percent of young people are unemployed; do you know what 40 percent of young people means, it means an entire generation, cancelling out an entire generation in order to maintain balance. In another country in Europe, it is more than 50 percent, and in that same country of 50 percent, it is 60 percent in the south. These figures clearly indicate how many are excluded. The waste of children, the waste of the elderly, who do not produce, and we have to sacrifice a generation of young people, the waste of the young, in order to maintain and re-balance a system at the centre of which is the god of money, and not the human being. Despite this throwaway culture, this culture of exclusion, many of you, redundant workers, a surplus due to this system, have invented your work with things that seemed no longer useful, but you your craftsmanship, which God gave you, through your research, through your solidarity, with your community work, with your popular economy, you have succeeded and you are succeeding.... And, allow me to say, this, more than work, it is poetry! Thank you. Now every worker, whether or not part of the formal system of paid employment, has a right to appropriate remuneration, to social security and to retirement coverage. Here are the cartoneros, recyclers, street venders, tailors, artisans, fishermen, farmers, masons, miners, workers in recovered companies, members of every type of cooperative and people who exercise more common trades, who are excluded from workers’ rights, who are denied the possibility to have a trade union, who do not have adequate and permanent revenue. Today I want to join my voice to theirs and accompany them in their struggle. At this meeting you have also spoken about Peace and Ecology. It is logical: there can be no land, there can be no home, there can be no employment if we do not have peace and if we destroy the planet. These are such important issues that peoples and their grassroots organizations cannot but address them. They cannot remain solely in the hands of political leaders. All peoples of the earth, all men and women of good will, all of us must raise our voices in defence of these two precious gifts: peace and nature. Sister Mother Earth, as St Francis of Assisi called her. I said a short time ago, and I repeat it, that we are experiencing the third world war, but piecemeal. There are economic systems which must make war in order to survive. Thus, weapons are manufactured and sold and, in this way, the economic budgets which sacrifice man at the feet of the idol of money are passed. And it does not consider the children starving in refugee camps, it does not consider the forced dis- page 5 the members of Vía Campesina, the Cartoneros Federation and the many other brothers and sisters for the letter they sent me on this subject. We speak about land, employment, the home. We talk about working for peace and taking care of nature. So why, then, are we accustomed to seeing that dignified employment is wiped out, so many families are evicted, farmers are driven away, war is waged and nature is misused? Because man, the human being, has been removed from the centre of this system and replaced with something else. Because idolatrous worship is rendered to money. Because indifference has become globalized! Indifference is globalized: what do I care about what happens to others so long as I can defend what is mine? Because the world has forgotten God, who is the Father; it has become orphaned because it has set God aside. Some of you have said: we can no longer stand for this system. We must change it, we must place human dignity at the centre again, and we must build the alternative social structures on that framework. It must be done with courage, but also with intelligence. With tenacity, but without fanaticism. With passion, but without violence. And everyone together, confronting conflicts without getting trapped within them, always seeking to resolve tensions in order to reach a higher level of unity, of peace and of justice. We Christians have something very beautiful, a line of action, a plan we could call revolutionary. I strongly recommend you read the Beatitudes which are con“Creation is a gift, it’s a present, a tained in Chapter 5 of St Matthew and Chapter 6 magnificent endowment that God has of St Luke (cf. Mt 5:3 given us so that we may care for it and and Lk 6:20), and to read the passage in Matthew use it for the benefit of all, and always 25. I said this to the with respect and gratitude” young people in Rio de Janeiro, they have a plan placements, it does not consider the of action in these two things. destroyed homes, nor does it even I know that there are people consider the many lives torn apart. among you of different religions, So much suffering, so much destruc- trades, ideas, cultures, countries and tion, so much distress! Today, dear continents. Today, here, you are exsisters and dear brothers, in every ercising the culture of encounter, so part of the earth, in every nation, in different from the xenophobia, from every heart and in the popular the discrimination and from the inmovements, the cry for peace is tolerance that we see so often. rising up: No more war! Among the excluded this culture of An economic system based on the encounter forms, where the whole god of money also needs to plunder does not annul the individual. This nature in order to sustain its own is why I like the image of the polyfrenzied pace of consumption. The hedron, a multi-faceted geometrical devastating effects of climate figure. The polyhedron reflects the change, the loss of biodiversity, de- confluence of all the facets, which forestation are already showing their retain their originality within it. devastating effects in the great cata- Nothing is dissolved, nothing is desnothing dominates, strophes we see happening, and you troyed, suffer the most, the humble, you everything integrates, all is integwho live near the coasts in precari- rated. Today you are also seeking a ous dwellings or who are so finan- synthesis between the local and the cially vulnerable, you stand to lose global. I know that you are working everything in the case of natural dis- every day on close and concrete aster. Brothers and sisters: Creation things on your territory, in your is not a possession that we can dis- neighbourhood, in your workplace: pose of as we please; and it is even I invite you to continue to seek this less a possession of just the few. Cre- broader perspective; may your ation is a gift, it’s a present, a mag- dreams fly high and embrace nificent endowment that God has everything. given us so that we may care for it For this reason the proposal that and use it for the benefit of all, and several of you spoke of to me seems always with respect and gratitude. important to me: that these moveYou may know that I am preparing ments, these experiences of solidaran Encyclical on Ecology: you can ity which grow from below, from the be certain that your concerns will subsoil of the planet, converge, befigure in it. I thank, and I would CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 like to take the opportunity to thank L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 6 Friday, 7 November 2014, number 45 Pope to celebrate Mass on 12 December in St Peter’s The Feast of Virgin of Guadalupe On 12 December, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope Francis will preside at a Eucharistic concelebration in St Peter’s Basilica in honour of the Patroness of Latin America, entrusting to her intercession evangelization and promoting humanity to the peoples of the continent, who will invoke peace, justice and unity. This announcement was made by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, underlining that the day of Marian prayer will join together the centre of catholicity in the Basilica in Mexico City to all the places which are devoted to the Virgin of Guadalupe from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. The Mass will be begin at 6 pm, however at 4:45 pm there will be a procession of the flags of all countries on the continent in tribute to the Patroness, then the Rosary of Our Lady of Guadalupe an Advent prayer will be recited, accompanied by traditional Latin American hymns. The celebration will also include hymns from Misa Criolla composed by the Argentine composer Ariel Ramírez. The performance will be directed by his son Facundo Ramírez, with his Argentine musical group, as well as the Roman choir Musica Nuova. It was exactly 50 years ago that Ariel Ramírez presented Paul VI this piece which he had just Fr Lombardi to receive an honorary degree To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Faculty of Social Communications at the Salesian Pontifical University, founded in 1989, organized a conference entitled “Rethinking Communication: Theories, Techniques, Teachings” which will be held on 14-15 November in Rome. The two-day conference will examine the future of communications in the quickly evolving world. On Friday, 14 November, the Faculty will award Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Director General of Vatican Radio and Director of the Holy See Press Office, an honorary degree in Social Communications Science. completed. Misa Criolla is a synthesis of sacred, popular and folk music, which dates back to 1963. Fascinated by gaucho and Creole music, Ramírez strived to amalgamate both religious and folkloristic elements, communicating the joy of prayer of a particular culture without indulging in exoticism but maintaining originality. Benedict XVI also commemorated this feast with a Eucharistic celebration in the Vatican Basilica. For his part, Pope Francis has always demonstrated a deep devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Pontifical Commission for Latin America has organized a day dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe on 13 December, the day after the Mass, in the auditorium of the Augustinianum. This day will be dedicated to studying in depth the apparitions and the meaning of the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the history of the peoples of America who are facing the challenges of today’s world. Fr Eduardo Chàvez, Director of the Graduate Institute of Guadalupano Studies will open the meeting which will include videos, hymns, conferences, dialogues, prayers. Various superiors and officials from the Roman Curia , as well as government officials, member of the diplomatic corps of various countries of the contin- ent, priests, the men and women religious from Latin America who are serving or studying in Rome. Immigrants who have moved to Rome for reasons of family or work will also attend the meetings. Mass attendance is not reserved only for Latin Americans but is open to the public. Tickets may be requested before-hand from the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household. The celebration will be broadcast in numerous countries in Latin America. It took 30 specialists 18 years The Bible in Farsi The first Bible translated into modern Persian (also known as Farsi) was recently presented in London. The Bible is the courageous project and an extraordinary witness of faith. The editors Elam Ministries and Wycliffe Bible Translators worked for 18 years on the Michaelian Project, named in honour of the Presbyterian pastor Tateos Michaelian, President of the Council of Protestant Ministers in Iran and wellknown translator of numerous Christian books in Persian, who was killed in 1994. The complete Bible (the New Testament already came out in July 2003) is currently available in the United Kingdom, Turkey, as well as other countries. They hope to print 300,000 copies within the next three years and thus reach many Iranian Christians in their homeland and abroad. A very conservative estimate of the number of Christians (both As- Land, a home and employment rights for all CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 come more coordinated, meet each other, as you have done in these days. Be mindful, it is never good to enclose the movement within a rigid structure, this is why I said meet each other; and it is even less good to try to absorb it, to manage it or to dominate it; free movements have their own dynamic, but yes, we have to try to walk together. We are in this hall, which is the Old Synod Hall, now there is a new one, and synod means precisely “to walk together”: may this be a symbol of the process you have started and which you are carrying forward! Popular movements express the urgent need to revitalize our democracies, so often diverted by count- less factors. It is impossible to imagine a future for society without the the great majorities participating in key roles, and this pivotal role transcending the logical procedures of formal democracy. The prospect of a world of lasting peace and justice calls us to overcome paternalistic welfarism. It requires us to create new forms of participation which include popular movements and give life to local, national and international government structures with that torrent of moral energy that comes from involving the excluded in the construction of a common future. And doing so with a constructive spirit, without resentment and with love. I wholeheartedly accompany you on this journey. Let us say together from the heart: no family without a home, no farmer without land, no worker without rights, no person without the dignity that employment provides. Dear brothers and sisters: continue your struggle, you do us all good. It is like a blessing for humanity. I give you as a memento, as a gift and with my blessing, some rosary beads that were made by artisans, cartoneros and workers in the popular economy of Latin America. And in accompanying you, I pray for you, I pray with you and I would like to ask God the Father to accompany you and to bless you, to fill you with his love and to accompany you on the path, giving you in abundance that strength which keeps us standing: the power of hope, the hope which does not disappoint. Thank you. syrians and Armenians) in Iran hovers around 100,00, however, the generally-accepted estimate is about 370,000. While others even claim there are double that number. Whatever the current number, Christians have dramatically increased since 1979 during the Islamic revolution when there were no more than 500. Today, despite the difficulties, it is a growing and vibrant community. “When a country receives a new translation of the Bible, the Church is always strengthened”, explained Sam Yeghnazar, founder and director of Elam on 29 September, underlining that “the Word of God is not bound but remains eternal” and that “no one can stop the Holy Spirit’s action”. The Coordinator and Chief Editor of the new Bible translation Mehrdad Fatehi said: “This project is like raising a child. It has been 18 years of hard work but worth it for such an exciting day”. At the inauguration of the Bible Mr Fatehi applauded the work of the team of more than 30 translators, exegetes and specialists who examined every single verse in order to ensure that the text was faithful to the original Hebrew and Greek. Precision, clarity and elegance were the principle criteria used for this Bible, which contains for the first time punctuation, headings, a glossary of difficult words and cross references. The last edition dated back to more than a century ago and modern Iranians found the text difficult to understand. The new Bible will also serve as the starting point for its translations into the various languages spoken in Iran. (Giovanni Zavatta) number 45, Friday, 7 November 2014 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 7 Pope Francis invites Charismatics to work for unity Breathing with the Spirit “When we inhale, by prayer, we receive the fresh air of the Holy Spirit. When exhaling this air, we announce Jesus Christ risen by the same Spirit”. With these words the Holy Father invited the members of the Catholic Fraternity of the Charismatic Renewal, on 31 October in the Paul VI Hall, to accept with joyful recognition “the various gifts which the Holy Spirit gives to each one and the placing of these gifts at the service of all members of the Church”. The following is the English text of the Pope’s address. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Welcome! I thank you for your warm welcome and I greet you all with affection. I know that the Catholic Fraternity has already met with the executive and the council and that this afternoon you will open the 16th International Conference with our beloved Fr Raniero. You have been kind enough to provide me with a programme and I see that each meeting begins with the words which I addressed to the Charismatic Renewal on the occasion of our meeting at the Olympic Stadium last June. I wish first of all to congratulate each of you for having embarked upon something which was expressed as a desire at that meeting. For the last two months the Catholic Fraternity and the ICCRS (International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services) have worked together and shared office space in the Palazzo San Calisto, “Noah’s Ark”. I am aware that it may not have been easy to make this decision and I thank you sincerely for this witness to unity and grace which you offer to the entire world. I would like now to reflect upon some themes which I consider important. The first is unity in diversity. Uniformity is not Catholic, it is not Christian. Rather, unity in diversity. Catholic unity is different but it is one: this is curious! The cause of diversity is also the cause of unity: the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does two things: he creates unity in diversity. Unity does not imply uniformity; it does not necessarily mean doing everything together or thinking in the same way. Nor does it signify a loss of identity. Unity in diversity is actually the opposite: it involves the joyful recognition and acceptance of the various gifts which the Holy Spirit gives to each one and the placing of these gifts at the service of all members of the Church. It means knowing how to listen, to accept differences, and having the freedom to think differently and express oneself with complete respect towards the other who is my brother or sister. Do not be afraid of differences! As I wrote in Evangelii Gaudium: “Our model is not the sphere, which is no greater than its parts, where every point is equidistant from the centre, and there are no differences between them. Instead, it is the polyhedron, which reflects the convergence of all its parts, each of which preserves its distinctiveness” (n. 236), but they form a unity. I can see from the programme, where the names of the Communities are mentioned, that at the introduction you have inserted the phrase, “... to share the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the whole Church”. The Church needs the Holy Spirit, how could it be otherwise! Every Christian in his or her life requires a heart open to the sanctifying action of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, promised by the Father, is he who reveals Jesus Christ to us, who gives us the possibility of saying: Jesus! Without the Holy Spirit we cannot say this. The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus Christ, he leads us to a personal encounter with him, and in so doing, changes our life. A question for you: is this your experience? Share it with others! In order to share this experience, you must live it and witness to it! The theme which you have chosen for the Congress is “Praise and Worship for a New Evangelization”. Fr Raniero, a masterful guide in the ways of prayer, will speak on this theme. Praise is the “breath” which gives us life, because it is intimacy with God, an intimacy that grows through daily praise. Some time ago I heard an example of this which seems very appropriate: the way that people breathe. Breathing is made up of two stages: inhaling, the intake of air, and exhaling, the letting out of this air. The spiritual life is fed, nourished, by prayer and is expressed outwardly through mission: inhaling — prayer — and then exhaling. When we inhale, by prayer, we receive the fresh air of the Holy Spirit. When exhaling this air, we announce Jesus Christ risen by the same Spirit. No one can live without breathing. It is the same for the Christian: without praise and mission there is no Christian life. Praise, adoration are needed. When speaking of adoration, little is said. What do we do when praying? We ask something from God, we thank him, we intercede. But adoration, adoring God is part of a Christian’s breathing: praise and adoration. The Charismatic Renewal has reminded the Church of the necessity and importance of the prayer of praise. When we speak of the prayer of praise in the Church, Charismatics come to mind. When I spoke of the prayer of praise during a homily at Mass in Santa Marta, I said it is not only the prayer of Charismatics but of the entire Church! It is the recognition of the Lordship of God over us and over all creation expressed through dance, music and song. I would like to revisit with you a few passages from that homily: “The prayer of praise is a Christian prayer, for all of us. In the Mass, every day, when we sing the ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’, this is a prayer of praise: we praise God for his greatness because he is great. And we address him with beautiful words because it pleases us to do this. The prayer of praise bears fruit in us. Sarah danced as she celebrated her fertility — at the age of 90! This fruitfulness gives praise to God. Men and women who praise the Lord, who pray praising the Lord — and who are happy to do so — rejoice in singing the Sanctus at Mass and they bear fruit. Let us consider how beautiful it is to offer the prayer of praise to God. This should be our prayer and, as we offer it up to God, we ought to say to ourselves, “Arise, O heart, because you are standing before the King of Glory” (Holy Mass at Domus Sanctae Marthae, 28 January 2014). Together with the prayer of praise, the prayer of intercession is, in these days, a cry to the Father for our Christian brothers and sisters who are persecuted and murdered, and for the cause of peace in our turbulent world. Praise the Lord at all times, never cease to do so, praise him more and more, unceasingly. I have been told of Charismatic prayer groups in which they pray the Rosary. Prayer to the Mother of God must never be excluded, never! But when you assemble for prayer, praise the Lord! I see that you have among you a very dear friend, Pastor Giovanni Traettino, whom I visited recently. Catholic Fraternity, do not forget your origins, do not forget that the Charismatic Renewal is, by its very nature, ecumenical. Blessed Paul VI commented on this in the magnificent Apostolic Exhortation on evangelization which is highly relevant in our own day: “The power of evangelization will find itself considerably diminished if those who proclaim the Gospel are divided among themselves in all sorts of ways. Is this not perhaps one of the great sicknesses of evangelization today? The Lord’s spiritual testament tells Ambrogio Fumagalli “Veni Sancte Spiritus” (1974) us that unity among his followers is not only the proof that we are his but also the proof that he is sent by the Father. It is the test of the credibility of Christians and of Christ himself. Yes, the destiny of evangelization is certainly bound up with the witness of unity given by the Church. This is a source of responsibility and also of comfort” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, n. 77). These words are of Blessed Paul VI. Spiritual ecumenism is praying and proclaiming together that Jesus is Lord, and coming together to help the poor in all their poverty. This must be done while never forgetting in our day that the blood of Jesus, poured out by many Christian martyrs in various parts of the world, calls us and compels us towards the goal of unity. For persecutors, we are not divided, we are not Lutherans, Orthodox, Evangelicals, Catholics... No! We are one in their eyes! For persecutors we are Christians! They are not interested in anything else. This is the ecumenism of blood that we experience today. Remember: seek the unity which is the work of the Holy Spirit and do not be afraid of diversity. The breathing of Christians draws in the new air of the Holy Spirit and then exhales it upon the world: it is the prayer of praise and missionary outreach. Share baptism in the Holy Spirit with everyone in the Church. Spiritual ecumenism and the ecumenism of blood. The unity of the Body of Christ. Prepare the Bride for the Bridegroom who comes! One Bride only! All. (Rev 22:17). Finally, in addition to my thanks, I would especially like to mention these young musicians from northern Brazil who have played at the beginning; I hope they play a little more. They have welcomed me with much affection, singing “Long live Jesus my Saviour”. I know that you have prepared something else and so I invite everyone to listen to them before I say farewell. Thank you! L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO number 45, Friday, 7 November 2014 page 8/9 Pope Francis celebrates Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints at the Verano cemetery in Rome Creation has been destroyed by man “Man takes control of everything, he believes he is God, he believes he is king” and this destroys all of Creation. Pope Francis underlined this in his homily at Mass on Saturday afternoon, 1 November, at the Verano cemetery in Rome for the Solemnity of All Saints. Who pays for this?, the Pontiff asked, “the young, the poor, those who are discarded. And this is not ancient history: it is happening today”. The following is a translation of the Holy Father’s homily which was given in Italian. When in the First Reading we heard this voice of the Angel crying a loud to the four Angels who were given power to damage the earth and the sea, “Do not harm earth or sea or the trees” (Rev 7:3), this brought to mind a phrase that is not here but in everyone’s heart: “men are far more capable of doing this better than you”. We are capable of destroying the earth far better than the Angels. And this is exactly what we are doing, this is what we do: destroy creation, destroy lives, destroy cultures, destroy values, destroy hope. How greatly we need the Lord’s strength to seal us with his love and his power to stop this mad race of destruction! Destroying what He has given us, the most beautiful things that He has done for us, so that we may carry them forward, nurture them to bear fruit. When I looked at the pictures in the sacristy from 71 years ago [of the bombing of the Verano on 19 July 1943], I thought, “This was so grave, so painful. That is nothing in comparison to what is happening today”. Man takes control of everything, he believes he is God, he believes he is king. And wars, the wars that continue, they do not exactly help to sow the seed of life but to destroy. It is an industry of destruction. It is also a system, also of life, that when things cannot be fixed they are discarded: we discard children, we discard the old, we discard unemployed youth. This devastation has created the culture of waste. We discard people.... This is the first image that came to my mind as I listened to this Reading. The second image, from the same Reading: “A great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, The devastation of yesterday and today Tears, rubble, destruction. At the entrance to the Verano cemetery in Rome, in an area which serves as a sacristy, hang photographs of the bombing of San Lorenzo on 19 July 1943. These images greeted Pope Francis who, for the second consecutive year of his Pontificate, celebrated Mass in this monumental cemetery on 1 November, the Solemnity of All Saints, emulating a tradition of John Paul II from 1979 to 1993. Before Mass, the Holy Father took time to view the photographs, silent and eloquent in their tragic black and white, and referred to them later in his homily. As is customary, the altar was placed at the cemetery’s entrance at the top of an avenue leading to the Basilica of San Lorenzo, where the remains of Pope Pius IX are entombed. At that altar the Eucharist was celebrated using a chalice given to this church by the same Pope Pius, and also on the Altar, enshrined in two silver monstrances, were relics of St John XXIII and St John Paul II. At the end of the Mass, the Pontiff repeated the customary gestures of the funeral rite: ideally addressed to all the deceased whose remains are in the cemetery, he sprinkled holy water (commemorating Baptism) and then incensed (honouring the bodies which were temples of the Holy Spirit). Before leaving the presbytery, the Holy Father tenderly caressed the statue of Our Lady which was positioned at the side of the altar. from all tribes and peoples and tongues yet appear what shall be” (1 Jn 3:2), (7:9) The nations, the tribes.... Now it’s that is, hope. And this is the Lord’s starting to get cold: those poor people, blessing that we still have: hope. Hope who have to flee for their lives, from that He will have mercy on His people, their homes, from their people, from pity on those who are in great tribulatheir villages, in the desert ... and they tion and compassion for the destroyers live in tents, they feel the cold, without so that they will convert. And so, the medicine, hungry ... because the “man“How greatly we need the Lord’s strength to god” has taken control of Creation, of all that seal us with his love and his power to stop this good that God has mad race of destruction! Destroying what He done for us. But who pays for this feast? has given us, the most beautiful things that He They do! The young, has done for us, so that we may carry them the poor, those people who are discarded. forward, nurture them to bear fruit. And this is not ancient history: it is happening today. “But Father, it is far holiness of the Church goes on: with away ...”. It is here too, everywhere. It these people, with us, that we will see is happening today. I will continue: it God as He is. What should our attiseems that these people, these children tude be if we want to be part of this who are hungry, sick, do not seem to multitude journeying to the Father, in count, it’s as if they were of a different species, as if they were not even human. And this multitude is before God and asks, “Salvation, please! Peace, please! Bread, please! Work, please! Children and grandparents, please! Young people with the dignity of being able to work, please!”. Among these are also those who are persecuted for their faith; there “then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘who are these, clothed in white, and when have they come?’ ... ‘These are they who have come out of great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’” (7:1314). And today, without exaggeration, today on the Feast of All Saints I would like us to think of all these, the unknown saints. Sinners like us, worse off than us, destroyed. Of this multitude of people who are in great distress: most of the world is in tribulation. Most of the world is in tribula- this world of devastation, in this world tion. And the Lord sanctifies this of war, in this world of tribulation? people, sinners like us, but He sancti- Our attitude, as we heard in the Gosfies these people in tribulation. pel, is the attitude of the Beatitudes. Finally, there is a third image: God. That path alone will lead us to the enFirst was the devastation; second was counter with God. That path alone will the victims; the third is God. In the save us from destruction, from destroySecond Reading we heard: “Beloved, ing the earth, Creation, morality, hiswe are God’s children now; it does not tory, family, everything. That path alone. But it too will bring us through bad things! It will bring us problems, persecution. But that path alone will take us forward. And so, these people who are suffering so much today because of the selfishness of destroyers, of our brothers destroyers, these people struggle onwards with the Beatitudes, with the hope of finding God, of coming face-to-face with the Lord in the hope of becoming saints, at the moment of our final encounter with Him. May the Lord help us and give us the grace of this hope, but also the grace of courage to emerge from all this destruction, devastation, the relativism of life, the exclusion of others, exclusion of values, exclusion of all that the Lord has given us: the exclusion of peace. May he deliver us from this, and give us the grace to walk in the hope of finding ourselves one day face-to-face with Him. And this hope, brothers and sisters, does not disappoint! At the Angelus on 1 November, the Holy Father invites prayer for Jerusalem, the Holy City dear to Jews, Christians and Muslims Last to the world, but first to God On Saturday, 1 November, before going to the Verano cemetery in Rome, the Holy Father prayed the Angelus with the faithful in St Peter’s Square. There he invited all to praise God “for the countless host of saints from all ages: simple and ordinary men and women, who were at times ‘last’ for the world, but ‘first’ for God”. The following is a translation of the Holy Father’s address, which was delivered in Italian. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning! The first two days of the the month of November constitute for all of us an intense moment of faith, prayer and reflection on the “last things” of life. In fact in celebrating all the Saints and in commemorating all the faithful depar- ted, in the Liturgy, the pilgrim Church on earth lives and expresses the spiritual bond which unites her to the Church in heaven. Today we praise God for the countless host of saints from all ages: simple and ordinary men and women, who were at times “last” for the world, but “first” for God. At the same time we remember our departed loved ones by visiting the cemeteries: it is a source of great consolation to think that they are in the company of the Virgin Mary, the apostles, the martyrs and all the saints of Heaven! Today’s Solemnity thus helps us to consider a fundamental truth of the Christian faith that we profess in the “Creed”: the communion of saints. What does this mean: the communion of saints? It is the communion born from faith which unites all those who belong to Christ through Baptism. It is a spiritual union — we are all united! — that is not broken by death, but continues in the next life. Indeed, there is an unbreakable bond between us living in this world and those who have crossed the threshold of death. We, here on earth, along with those who have entered into eternity, form one great family. This familiarity endures. This wonderful communion, this wondrous union between heaven and earth takes place in the highest and most intense way in the Liturgy, and especially in the celebration of the Eucharist, which expresses and fulfills the most profound union between the members of the Church. In the Eucharist, we in fact encounter the living Jesus and His strength, and through Him we enter into communion with our brothers and sisters in the faith: those who live with us here on earth and those who have gone before us into the next life, the unending life. This reality fills us with joy: it is beautiful to have so many brothers and sisters in the faith who walk beside us, supporting us with their help, and together we travel the same road toward heaven. And it is comforting to know that there are other brothers and sisters who have already reached heaven, who await us and pray for us, so that together in eternity we can contemplate the glorious and merciful face of the Father. In the great assembly of saints, God wanted to reserve the first place for the Mother of Jesus. Mary is at the centre of the communion of saints, as the singular custodian of the bond between the universal Church and Christ, of the bond of the family. She is Mother, She is our Mother, our Mother. For those who want to follow Jesus on the path of the Gospel, she is a trusted guide because she is the first disciple. She is an attentive and caring Mother, to whom we can entrust every desire and difficulty. Let us pray together the Queen of All Saints, that she may help us to respond with generosity and faithfulness to God, who calls us to be holy as He is Holy (cf. Lev 19:2; Mt 5:48). After the Angelus Pope Francis invited those present in the Square to pray for Jerusalem. Dear brothers and sisters, today’s liturgy speaks of the glory of Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem. I invite you to pray that the Holy City, dear to Jews, Christians and Muslims, which in recent days has witnessed various tensions, may always be a sign and prelude of the peace which God desires for the whole human family. Today in Vitoria, Spain, martyr Pedro Asúa Mendía has been beatified. A humble and austere priest, he preached the Gospel with the sanctity of his life, catechesis and devotion to the poor and needy. Arrested, tortured and killed for having expressed his desire to remain faithful to the Lord and to the Church, he is an admirable example of strength in the faith and witness of love for all of us. This afternoon I will go to the Verano cemetery and will celebrate Mass in suffrage for the deceased. In visiting Rome’s main cemetery, I join in spirit those who, in these days, are visiting the graves of their dead in cemeteries throughout the world. In the joy of being part of the great family of the Saints, I wish you all a happy All Saints Day. Do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci! L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 10 Friday, 7 November 2014, number 45 On the art of ‘memento mori’ Remembering death through art destruction and life’s end while the the believer’s mind. Of all memento Victorian age took on new emphasis mori imagery no other symbol has A powerful testimony to religion’s with focus on death as rebirth into had such universal impact than the use of visual art is in remembering eternal life. In the latter visiting skull. Its visual features simultandeath. In fact one of the most per- cemeteries, tending graves, and pray- eously fascinate and repel. For obvisistent themes on the mind of the ing for dead won favour over the ous reasons this image is frequently faithful is death because according presence of macabre pictorial im- incorporated into Christian paintto Christian belief the state of the agery such as skulls with inscriptions ings to engender eschatological soul at the moment of death determ- and pictures warning against Satan themes often associated with hermits ines its place in eternity. The visual lying in wait beneath each deathbed. or penitent saints contemplating power of pictorial art is therefore a Moreover, in the Victorian era death. Caravaggio’s Saint Jerome is a popular channel for this remem- memento mori art assumed a moral fine example as are the many paintbrance and one that gives rise to the purpose insofar as it served to pre- ings on the temptation of Saint Anart of memento mori (“remember that pare for a “happy death”, that is, to thony of the Desert. While the skull is surely among you will die”). This phrase is be- die prepared to meet the Creator lieved to originate from an ancient and Judge of all or at least to die the most recognizable of memento Roman tradition in which a servant naturally at peace in one’s sleep mori imagery other popular symbols is assigned the task of walking be- knowing to have “fought the good are the hourglass, the angel of death, Grim Reaper with scythe, and hind a victorious general as he fight”. the decaying corpse in a tomb. AssoRecent research in Christian epimarches in glory through town with ciated with these are expressions like the servant whispering in his ear: graphys shows that some of the omnibus instat” (“death “mors finest displays of threatens everyone”), “debitum naturmemento mori imagery ae” (“debt of nature”), “ad patres” are from early Christian (“to the fathers”), and “deficit omne funerary art particularly quod nasciture” (“everything that is sepulchral inscriptions born passes away”), not to mention on gravestones and loculi the popular “requiescat in pace” from Roman catacombs. (“may he/she rest in peace”). An ornately sculpted Various pictorial scenes evolving sepulchre in the Church out of remembering death revolve of Santa Maria Antiqua, around other themes such as Black Rome, is a fine example, Plague, Dance of the Skeletons and its as is, of later proven- related motif Dance of Death beautiance, the Royal Mauso- fully painted in Bernt Notke’s Danse leum at Frogmore, Eng- Macabre (1463-66), and the more land, burial place of grisly personification of death as a Queen Victoria and her skeleton wearing a black (sometimes consort Prince Albert white) robe and reaping souls by shown in the dormit in wielding a scythe. Other related pace (“he/she sleeps in themes are Triumph of Death, a more peace”) pose. disturbing topic than Dance of Death Other significant ex- due to depicting death as an instruamples of memento mori ment of chaos and destruction art appear throughout whose minions sweep over Rome’s basilicas. At everything abolishing all in its path. Santa Maria del Popolo The undisputed masterpiece of this a Latin inscription on theme is Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s William-Adolphe Bouguereau, “Day of the Dead” (1859) the 1670s funeral monu- masterwork Triumph of Death (1562). ment dedicated to archiIn fact imagery reminding of “Respice post te! Hominem te esse tect Giovanni Battista Gisleni reads: death comprises some of the finest memento! Memento mori!” (“Look be- “Neque hic vivus, neque illic mortuus” paintings ever made. Philippe de hind you! Remember that you are (“Neither living here, nor dead Champaigne’s Vanitas (c. 1671) and but a man! Remember that you will there”). Its symbol, a skull, in the Frans Hals’ Youth With a Skull (c. die!”) lower part of the monument alludes 1628) are painted precisely to recall Historically the idea of memento to one of religion’s greatest interests death and remind viewers that judgmori developed with the growth of — death and the idea of afterlife and ment could come to anyone at any Christianity and became popular in the soul’s immortality. This thought time. One of the finest paintings to the Middle Ages due to emphasis on is undoubtedly in the forefront of capture the Victorian version of eschatological realities probably as a result of prevailing thought given that the plague known as Black Death descended upon Europe during that time. Various iconographic symbols were created to remember death and visual imagery on heaven, hell, and hope for the soul’s salvation in the afterlife became widespread. In fact the notion of memento mori took on a striking appeal for a painting’s subject matter. It further became associated with a genre of art which varies widely though shares the same purpose — to remind viewers of their own mortality. In the history of memento mori art medieval paintings share space with those of the Victorian era insofar as both epochs utilise a wide range of images, objects and inscriptions to remember death and commemorate the souls of the dead. The difference is that in the Middle Ages memento Bernt Notke, “Danse Macabre” mori imagery focused on death as CHRISTOPHER EVAN LONGHURST Funeral monument of Giovanni Battista Gisleni, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome memento mori is William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s Day of the Dead (1859), a painting which focuses on tending a gravesite to keep company with the dead. The purpose of such visitation is to encourage praying for the souls of the departed so that they in turn would hear the prayers of the living directed towards them. A theological truth underlies this practice. If the living remember the dead then the dead will remember the living. This confidence evolves out of Catholicism’s doctrine of Communio sanctorum (Communion of Saints), a belief espousing spiritual solidarity through the unity of the faithful on earth, holy souls in purgatory and saints in heaven. Some epitaphs even contain a request to the dead in heaven to pray for the living on earth: “Pete, or roga, ora, pro nobis, pro parentibus, pro conjuge, pro filiis, pro sorore” (“Pray for us; pray for parents, for husband or wife, for children, for sister”), and the living’s supplications for new life for the dead: “Refrigera; in Refrigcrio; Spirit um tuum Deus refrigere; Deus tibirefrigeret” (“Be refreshed; be at rest; God refresh thy spirit; God refresh thee”). Other epitaphs contain requests from the dead for the living to pray for them, for example, the tomb of Abercius of Hieropolis in Phrygia (late 2nd century) bears the inscription: “Let every friend who observes this pray for me.” Roman catacombs bear similar witness by other inscriptions such as “Mayst thou live among the saints” (3rd century); “May God refresh the soul of ...,” and the most common “Peace be with them”. The allure of death for pictorial art plays a pivotal role in religion. At this injunction two great enterprises intimately connect — religion and the arts, and in each enterprise death is no longer seen as something unpleasant to think about. On the contrary, remembering death, especially for the faithful, is not a morbid reflection on the end of life but cognizance of the moment of truth and hope in the rewards of eternal salvation. Moreover, through memento mori imagery the viewer meditates on one of the most absolute realities facing humanity and a question which theology and philosophy still seek to answer: Is there CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO number 45, Friday, 7 November 2014 page 11 Angelus on Sunday, 2 November Not the last word “Death does not have the last word on human fate, for man is destined to a life without limits, which has its roots and its fulfillment in God”. Pope Francis emphasized this as he addressed the faithful gathered for the Angelus on Sunday, 2 November, in St Peter’s Square, as he recalled the significance of remembering the faithful departed. The following is a translation of the address, which was delivered in Italian. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning, Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, and today the liturgy invites us to commemorate the faithful departed. These two recurrences are intimately linked to each other, just as joy and tears find a synthesis in Jesus Christ, who is the foundation of our faith and our hope. On the one hand, in fact, the Church, a pilgrim in history, rejoices through the intercession of the Saints and the Blessed who support her in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel; on the other, she, like Jesus, shares the tears of those who suffer separation from loved ones, and like Him and through Him echoes the thanksgiving to the Fath- er who has delivered us from the dominion of sin and death. Yesterday and today, many have been visiting cemeteries, which, as the word itself implies, is the “place of rest”, as we wait for the final awakening. It is lovely to think that it will be Jesus himself to awaken us. Jesus himself revealed that the death of the body is like a sleep from which He awakens us. With this faith we pause — even spiritually — at the graves of our loved ones, of those who loved us and did us good. But today we are called to remember everyone, even those who no one remembers. We remember the victims of war and violence; the many “little ones” of the world, crushed by hunger and poverty; we remember the anonymous who rest in the communal ossuary. We remember our brothers and sisters killed because they were Christian; and those who sacrificed their lives to serve others. We especially entrust to the Lord, those who have left us during the past year. Church Tradition has always urged prayer for the deceased, in particular by offering the Eucharistic Celebration for them: it is the best spiritual help that we can give to their souls, particularly to those who are the most forsaken. The foundation of prayer in suffrage lies in the communion of the Mystical Body. As the Second Vatican Council repeats, “fully conscious of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the pilgrim Church from the very first ages of the Christian religion has cultivated with great piety the memory of the dead” (Lumen Gentium, n. 50). Remembering the dead, caring for their graves and prayers of suffrage, are the testimony of confident hope, rooted in the certainty that death does not have the last word on human existence, for man is destined to a life without limits, which has its roots and its fulfillment in God. Let us raise this prayer to God: “God of infinite mercy, we entrust to your immense goodness all those who have left this world for eternity, where you wait for all humanity, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ your Son, who died as a ransom for our sins. Look not, O Lord, on our poverty, our suffering, our human weakness, when we appear before you to be judged for joy or for condemnation. Look upon us with mercy, born of the tenderness In suffrage for deceased cardinals and bishops Before the empty tomb During the celebration of suffrage in the Vatican Basilica on Monday morning, 3 November, Pope Francis remembered the cardinals, archbishops and bishops who died in the last year. Between 11 November 2013 and 20 August 2014, ten cardinals passed away: Domenico Bartolucci, Ricardo María Carles Gordó, José da Cruz This celebration, thanks to the Word of God, is totally illumined by faith in the Resurrection. It is a truth that had a long arduous journey through the Old Testament, and which emerges in an explicit way in the episode we have just heard, the Collect for the expiatory sacrifice for the deceased (2 Mac 12:43-46). All Divine Revelation is the fruit of the dialogue between God and his people, and even faith in the Resurrection is tied to this dialogue, which accompanies the journey of the People of God in history. It is not surprising that a mystery so great, so decisive, so superhuman as that of the Resurrection required the whole journey, all the time necessary, up to Jesus Christ. He can say: “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11:25), because in Him this mystery is not only revealed in its fullness, but takes place, happens and becomes, for the first time and forever, reality. The Gospel we have heard, linking — according to Mark’s version — the account of the death of Jesus and that of the empty tomb, represents the culmination of that entire journey. The event of the Resurrection answers the long search of the Policarpo, Emmanuel III Delly, Marco Cé, Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy, Bernard Agré, Francesco Marchisano, Edward Bede Clancy, Edmund Casimir Szoka. From 30 October 2013 to 26 October 2014, 111 archbishops and bishops also died. The following is a translation of the Pope’s homily, which was delivered in Italian. People of God, the search of every man and of the whole of humanity. Every one of us is invited to enter into this event. We are called first to stand before Jesus’ Cross, like Mary, like the women, like the centurion; to hear Jesus’ cry, and his last breath, and finally the silence — that silence that lasts throughout Holy Saturday. And then we are called to go to the tomb, to see the great stone rolled away, to hear the proclamation: “He has risen, he is not here” (Mk 16:6). The answer is there. The foundation, the rock, is there. Not in “persuasive discourses of wisCONTINUED ON PAGE 12 of your heart, and help us to walk in the ways of complete purification. Let none of your children be lost in the eternal fire, where there can be no repentance. We entrust to you, O Lord, the souls of our beloved dead, of those who have died without the comfort of the sacraments, or who have not had an opportunity to repent, even at the end of their lives. May none of them be afraid to meet You, after their earthly pilgrimage, but may they always hope to be welcomed in the embrace of your infinite mercy. May our Sister, corporal death find us always vigilant in prayer and filled with the goodness done in the course of our short or long lives. Lord, may no earthly thing ever separate us from You, but may everyone and everything support us with a burning desire to rest peacefully and eternally in You. Amen” (Fr Antonio Rungi, Passionist, Prayer for the Dead). With this faith in man’s supreme destiny, we now turn to Our Lady, who suffered the tragedy of Christ’s death beneath the Cross and took part in the joy of his Resurrection. May She, the Gate of Heaven, help us to understand more and more the value of prayer in suffrage for the souls of the dead. They are close to us! May She support us on our daily pilgrimage on earth and help us to never lose sight of life’s ultimate goal which is Heaven. And may we go forth with this hope that never disappoints! After the Angelus, the Pope said: On Sunday afternoon, 2 November, the Pope led a prayer in suffrage for Pontiffs, afterwards he paused in front of the sepulchre of the Prince of the Apostles. Then the Pope prayed in front of the tombs of his Predecessors: John Paul I, Bl. Paul VI, Pius XII, Pius XI and Benedict XV. Dear brothers and sisters, I greet the families, parish groups, associations and all the pilgrims from Rome, from Italy and from so many parts of the world. In particular, I greet the faithful from the Diocese of Seville, Spain, those from the Case Finali in Cesena and the volunteers from Oppeano and Granzette who do clown therapy in the hospitals. I see them there: continue to do this, which does the sick such good. Let us greet these good people! I wish a happy Sunday to all, in Christian remembrance of our dear departed. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch. Arrivederci! L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 12 Friday, 7 November 2014, number 45 Morning Mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae Thursday, 30 October A beautiful struggle The life of a Christian “is a military life” and it takes “strength and courage” to “withstand” the Devil’s temptations and to “proclaim” the truth. This “is a beautiful battle” because “it gives us that joy the Lord has prevailed within us”, that “great happiness”. During Thursday’s Mass at Santa Marta, reflecting on Paul’s words in the Letter to the Ephesians (6:10-20) and on his “military language”, Pope Francis referred to what theologians call “spiritual warfare”, advising that “to pursue a spiritual life, you have to fight”. It takes “strength and courage” the Pontiff explained, for it is not a “simple confrontation” but a “continuous battle” with the “Prince of D arkness”. It is this close confrontation, the Pope indicated, which is referred to in the catechism in which Raphael, “St Michael” (1504-1505) ‘Memento mori’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 an afterlife and if so then in what form? Even though contemporary onlookers may interpret symbols in memento mori imagery differently than those of earlier centuries, those symbols are ingrained into Western culture as reminders of death, and all great art which depicts this theme contains within itself, by way of a strange and natural antithesis, a refutation of all that death means. Memento mori is, therefore, an ideal theme to remember death because it celebrates remembering that you will die and this theme is, in fact, one of the most popular in art and one for which All Souls Day, 2 November, is named. While that date commemorates the holy souls of all the faithful departed, pictorial art is one of the most effective channels through which this commemoration is achieved. Recalling a passage from Chapter “they taught us that in Christian life there are three enemies: the demon, nine of the Gospel of John, in which the world and the flesh”. It’s about Jesus heals the young man whom the everyday struggle with “greed, the Pharisees did not believe was lust, gluttony, arrogance, pride, blind, Pope Francis pointed out that envy”: all vices “which are the Jesus doesn’t ask the young man “Are you glad? Are you happy? wound of original sin”. We could ask ourselves: “Is the Have you seen that I am good?”, salvation that Jesus gives us free?”. but rather: “Do you believe in the Yes, Francis answered, “but you Son of Man? Do you have faith?”. have to protect it!”. And as Paul And every day, He asks us the same writes, to do so we have to “put on inescapable question, because “if our the whole armor of God” for “one faith is weak, the Devil will defeat cannot think of a spiritual life, a us”. The shield of faith not only “proChristian life” without “withstanding temptations, without battling the tects us, but it also gives us life”. And with this, Paul says, we are able D evil”. And to think, Francis stated, they “to quench all the flaming darts of wanted us to believe “that the Devil the evil one”. The Devil, in fact, was a myth, a figure, an idea, the “doesn’t cast flowers on us” but idea of evil”. However, “the Devil “flaming, poisonous arrows”. The armour of a Christian, the exists and we have to fight against him”. St Paul recalls it, “the Word Pope continued, also includes the of God says it”, yet it seems that “helmet of salvation”, the “sword of “we aren’t quite convinced” of this the Spirit” and prayer. St Paul advises: “Pray at all times”, and the reality. How is this “armour of God” Pontiff repeated: “Pray, pray”. One made? The Apostle provides a few cannot “pursue a Christian life details: “Stand, therefore, having without vigilance”. This is why Christian life can be girded your loins with truth”. Thus, first of all, Truth is required because considered a military life. But, the “the Devil is a liar, he is the father Pope stated, it is “a beautiful struggle”, because it gives us “that of liars”; then, Paul joy that the Lord has prevailed withcontinues, one must put on “the breastplate of righteousThe principal mission of the ness”: indeed, the Bishop of Rome exChurch is evangelization, plained, “we cannot bringing the Good News to everyone. be Christians without continuously (@Pontifex on 30 October) working to be just”. And also: “having shod your feet with the equipment in us, with his freely given salvaof the gospel of peace”. In fact, “a tion”. Yet, Francis concluded, we are Christian is a man or a woman of all “a bit lazy” and “we allow peace” and if there isn’t “peace in ourselves to be led by vices, by certhe heart” then there’s something tain temptations”. But although “we wrong: it’s peace that “gives you are sinners”, we mustn’t get discourstrength for the battle”. aged “because the Lord is with us, In the end, the Letter to the Eph- who has given us everything” and esians reads: “above all taking the He will lead us “to even win today’s shield of faith”. The Pontiff paused little pass”, our everyday battle. on this detail: “One thing that would really help us would be to ask ourselves: “How is my faith? Do I Friday, 31 October believe or not? Or do I partly believe and partly not? Am I someThe law and the flesh what worldly and somewhat a believer?” When we recite the Creed, do we do so only in “words”? Are There are “two paths”, and it is Jewe aware, Francis asked, that sus himself, with his “gestures of “without faith we can’t go forward, closeness”, who tells us which direcwe can’t safeguard the salvation of tion to take. One, indeed, is the path of the “hypocrites”, who close God?”. Homily on 3 November CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 dom”, but in the living Word of the Cross and of the Resurrection of Jesus. This is what the Apostle Paul preaches: Jesus Christ crucified and risen. If He has not risen, our faith is empty and inconsistent. But because he has risen indeed, He is the Resurrection, so our faith is full of the truth and eternal life. Renewing the tradition, today we offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice in suffrage for our Brother Cardinals and Bishops who have passed away in the last 12 months. And our prayer is enhanced by emotions, memories, by gratitude for the witness of the people we knew, with whom we shared service in the Church. Many of their faces are present to us; but all, each one of them is looked upon by the Father with his merciful love. And together with the gaze of our Heavenly Father there is that of the Mother, who intercedes for her children whom she loves so much. Together with the faithful whom they served here on earth they are able to enjoy the joy of the new Jerusalem. doors by sticking to the “letter of the law”. On the other, however, is “the path of charity”, which passes “from love to the true justice that is within the law”. These were the words of Pope Francis as he celebrated Mass at Santa Marta on Friday morning. To present these two ways of living, the Pontiff referred to a passage from the Gospel according to Luke (14:1-6). One Sabbath, he recalled, “Jesus was at the home of one of the Pharisee leaders to dine with them; and they were watching him to see what he would do”. Most of all, the Pope pointed out, “they were trying to catch him in a mistake, even baiting him”. At this point, a sick man enters the scene. Jesus turns to the Pharisees and asks, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”, as if to say, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath? Or shouldn’t I?”. Jesus’ question, the Pope added, is “a simple question but, like all hypocrites, they kept quiet, they didn’t say anything”. After all, Francis said, “they always fell silent” when Jesus confronted them with the truth, they “kept their mouths shut”; and although “they then talked behind his back” and tried to bring him down. Essentially, the Pontiff stated, “these people were so attached to the law that they forgot about justice; so stuck to the law that they forgot about love”. But “not only to the law; they stuck to the words, to the letter of the law”. This is why “Jesus reproached them”, deploring their attitude: “If you, before the needs of your elderly parents, say: ‘Dear parents, I love you so much but I can’t help you because I gave everything to the temple’, which is more important? The fourth commandment or the temple?”. This very way “of living, attached to the law, distanced them from love and from justice: they were attentive to the law, they disregarded justice; they were attentive to the law, they overlooked love”. Yet “they were the models”. Jesus, however, “finds only one word” for these people: “hypocrite”. One cannot go “around the world seeking converts” and then close “the door”. The Lord found these were “closed men, men too attached to the law”, or rather, too attached “to the letter of the law”, because “the law is love”. These men “always closed the doors of hope, of love, of salvation”. They were “men who only knew how to close”. We must ask ourselves, “what is the way to be faithful to the law without overlooking justice, without neglecting love”. The answer “is the very way that comes from the opposite” side, Francis said, repeating Paul’s words in the Letter to the Philippians (1:1-11): “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless”. It is indeed “the opposite path, from love to integrity; from love to discernment; from love to the law”. Paul, in fact, prays “that your charity, your love, your works of charity bring you to knowledge and to full discernment”. This is precisely “the number 45, Friday, 7 November 2014 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO knows how to suffer, He gave his life for us”. Meanwhile, “the letter is cold”. See then, the “two paths”. The first belongs to those who say: “I stick to the letter of the law; you can’t heal on the Sabbath; I can’t help; I have to go home and I can’t help this sick person”. The second is that of those who commit to acting in a way, as Paul writes, “that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and full discernment”: this is “the path of charity, from love to the true justice that is within the law”. To help us are these very “examples of Jesus’ closeness”, which show us how to pass “from love to the fulfillment of the law”, without “ever slipping into hypocrisy”, because “a Christian hypocrite is too ugly”. path that Jesus teaches us, the exact opposite of that of the doctors of the law”. And “this path, from love to justice, leads to God”. Only “the path that goes from love to knowledge and to discernment, to complete fulfillment, leads to holiness, to salvation, to the encounter with Jesus”. “The other path”, however, “that of sticking only to the law, to the letter of the law, leads to closure, leads to selfishness”. And it leads “to the arrogance of considering ourselves just”, to that so-called “‘holiness’ of appearances”. Such that “Jesus says to these people: you like people to see you as men of prayer, of fasting”. This is only for appearances. And “this is why Jesus said to the people: do what they say, not what they do”, because “that mustn’t be done”. See then, “the two paths” that we have before us. And with “small gestures”, Jesus makes us understand which is the path that goes “from love to full knowledge and to discernment”. Luke presents one of these gestures in the Gospel passage from the day’s liturgy: “Jesus had this man before him, ill, and when the Pharisees didn’t answer, what did Jesus do?”. According to the Evangelist, “He took him by the hand and healed him, and then He let him go”. Thus, first “Jesus draws near: closeness is the very proof” that we are “on the true path”. Because that is “the path that God has chosen in order to save us: closeness. He drew close to us, he made himself man”. And indeed, “God’s flesh is the sign; God’s flesh is the sign of true justice. God who made himself a man like one of us, and we who must make ourselves like the others, like the needy, like those who need our help”. Francis also pointed out how “beautiful” is Jesus’ gesture of taking a sick person “by the hand”. He also does this with “that young man” who had died, “the widow’s son, in Nain”; just as “He does with the girl, the daughter of Jairus”; and again with “the boy, the one who had many demons, when He takes him and He gives him to his father”. Jesus always takes people “by the hand, because He draws near”. And “Jesus’ flesh, this closeness, is the bridge that brings us close to God”. This “is not the letter of the law”. Only “in the flesh of Christ”, in fact, does the law have “complete fulfillment”. Because “the flesh of Christ Monday, 3 November What is a bishop’s joy? “A bishop’s feelings” or “a bishop’s joy”. Pope Francis himself provided the ideal title for the passage from the reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Philippians (2:1-4) on Monday, 3 November. He also warned about the rivalry and conceit that undermine the life of the Church, where it is instead necessary to treasure the directions given by Jesus and Paul: not to seek one’s own interests but to humbly serve others while asking for nothing in return. This was the theme of the Holy Father’s morning Mass at Santa Marta. Paul develops this practical advice, the Pontiff explained, in a text which shows “his feelings toward the Philippians: perhaps the Church of the Philippians was the one he loved the most”. And “he begins as if asking a favour”. Indeed, he writes: “if there is any encouragement, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy”, in other words, “if you are this way, do me this favour: complete my joy”. Thus, Paul specifically asks the Philippians to “complete the bishop’s joy”. And “what is the joy of a bishop? What is the joy that Paul asks of the Church of the Philippians?”. The answer is “to have the same feeling with the same love, being in unanimous agreement”. See, “Paul, as a pastor, knows that this is the path of Jesus. And also that this is the grace that Jesus, in prayer after the Last Supper, asked of the Father: unity, harmony; that the disciples would remain unanimous in agreement with the same love and the same feeling, that is, the harmony of the Church”. “We all know”, Francis explained, “that this harmony is a grace: the Holy Spirit creates it, but we must, for our part, do everything to help the Holy Spirit in order to build this harmony in the Church”; and also “in order to help understand what He asks of the Church”. The Spirit, in fact, “gives advice, so to speak, in a negative way, that is: ‘don’t do this, don’t do that!’”. And “what mustn’t the Philippians do?”. According to Paul: “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit”. This is how, Pope Francis noted, “we can see that this isn’t only something of our time”, but “it comes from long ago”. Thus Paul recommends not to do anything out of “rivalry”, and “not to fight against one another”, or even to show off, in order to give the air of being better than others”. The Bishop of Rome noted further that so often “in our institutions, in the Church, in the parishes, for example, in the colleges, we find rivalry, showing off, conceit”. It is like “two worms eating away at the consistency of the Church, making her weak: rivalry and conceit work against this harmony, this concordance”. To avoid falling into these temptations, “what does Paul advise?”. He writes to the Philippians: “Each of you, in all humility — what must you do in humility? — consider others superior to yourself”. Paul “feels this”, such that “he qualifies himself unworthy to be called an apostle”. He defines himself “the least” and thus “he also forcefully humbles himself”. This is “his feeling: thinking that others are superior to him”. Along the same line, Francis recalled the testimony of St Martino de Porres, a humble Peruvian Dominican Brother, whose liturgical memorial falls on 3 November. “His spirituality was in service because he felt that all others, even the worst sinners, were superior to him. He truly felt this”. What’s more, “he lived this way” and with such “humility” in a time very close to our own. Thus, the Pope indicated “a bishop’s joy is this unity of the Church: humility without rivalry or conceit”. And Paul then continues: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”. It is thus necessary “to seek good” for others, “to serve others”. Because “this is the joy of a bishop when he sees his Church like this: the same feeling, the same love, being in unanimous agreement”. And “this is the air that Jesus wants in the Church. We can have different opinions, okay! But always in this air, this atmosphere of humility, love, without scorning anyone”. Paul’s clear recommendation is “not to seek your own interest” alone, but “also that of others”. Therefore, he exhorts us not to “try to take advantage for ourselves”, looking out exclusively for our own interests. And, Francis said, “it is terrible when, in institutions of the Church, of a diocese, we find in parishes people who seek their own interests, not service, not love”. And Jesus, too, “tells us in the Gospel: do not seek your own interests, do not go down the path of even exchange, of quid pro quo”. In other words, don’t say: “Yes, I did you this favour, so you do this for me”. Jesus recalls this in the Gospel of Luke (14:12-14) with the parable that tells of the dinner invitation to “those who are unable to repay: this is gratuity”. “When in a Church”, the Pontiff highlighted, “there is harmony, there is unity, we don’t seek our own interests, this is the attitude of gratuity”. This way “I do good”, I don’t “bargain with good”. There is also, on the other hand, a “tendency toward utilitarianism”; however, “the love which Paul asks for rejects util- page 13 itarianism: do good, humble toward others who in your heart your consider better than you”. Francis recommended that we think throughout the day about “what my parish is like” or “what my community is like”. And to ask ourselves whether these organizations and all of our institutions have “this spirit of feeling love, of unanimity, of harmony, without rivalry or conceit”. Do they exist “with humility” and do we “think that others are superior to us?”. Is “this spirit” truly there or is there perhaps “something to improve?”. So, he said, it’s good to ask ourselves “today, how can I improve this?”. And to follow St Paul’s advice, “in order that the bishop’s joy may be complete; in order that Jesus’ joy may be complete”. Tuesday, 4 November God’s gift is free We shouldn’t be afraid of the gratuitousness of God which upsets the order of human convenience and exchange. Pope Francis highlighted this idea during his homily at Santa Marta on Tuesday, 4 November. His reflection was inspired by a passage from the Gospel of Luke (14:15-24) which follows the one in which Jesus explained that in God’s Law, “quid pro quo doesn’t work” and in order to make the concept understandable, he advised: “when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just”. “When one of those who sat at the table” with Jesus exclaimed in response: “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!”, Being humble helps us share the burdens of others. (@Pontifex on 4 November) in other words “This would be wonderful!”, Jesus replied with “the parable of the man who gave a great banquet” and whose invitation was rejected. The Pope thus sought to explain the three responses given to the host by as many guests : “Everyone likes to go to a party, they like to be invited’ but there is something here that these three didn’t like”. The problem was: “invited to what?”. One in fact, boasting of having recently bought a field, sets his wish of “vanity”, of “pride”, of “power” first, preferring to go and check on his field, in order to “feel a little powerful” rather than “sitting as one of many at that lord’s table”. Another speaks about business — “I have bought five yoke of oxen and I go to examine them” — and thinks more about his earnings than of going “to waste time with those people”, thinking: “they will discuss many things but I won’t be at the centre, I’ll be one of many”. Last is the man who offers the excuse of having just gotten married. He could also bring his wife to the banCONTINUED ON PAGE 14 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 14 Friday, 7 November 2014, number 45 Morning Mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 quet but he wants “the attention for himself”. In this case, selfishness prevails. In the end, the Pontiff underlined, “all three have a preference for themselves” and don’t want “to share a party”. Because, in reality, “they don’t know what a party is”. The men in the parable — “who are examples of so many” — always show an “interest”, they seek an “exchange”, a “quid pro quo”. The Pope explained: “If I were the guest, for example, ‘Come, I have two or three business friends coming from another country, we could do something together’, without a doubt, no one would have excused himself”. Indeed, “what frightens them is the gratuitousness”, that “being one like the others”. It is “selfishness”, the desire “to be at the centre of everything”. When one lives in this dimension, when “one turns round himself”, he ends up without horizons “because he himself is the horizon”. And so it is “difficult to hear the voice of Jesus, the voice of God”. And, Francis added, “behind this attitude”, there is another thing, even “more profound”: there is the “fear of gratuitousness”. God’s gratuitousness, in fact, compared with so many life experiences which have caused us to suffer, “is so great that it frightens us”. Man is disoriented. The Pontiff recalled that this attitude is similar to that of the disciples on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They said to each other: “we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel”. And also: “the gift was so great that we were disappointed. And we are afraid”. The same thing happened with the “most practical” Thomas, who said to those who spoke of the Risen Jesus: “D on’t come with any stories”, because “if I don’t see, don’t touch.... I once believed, and everything collapsed! No. Never again!”. Even Thomas “was afraid of God’s gratuitousness”. In this regard, the Pope recalled a popular saying: “When the offer is so great, even the holy are suspicious”. In other words, when a gift is too large, it puts us on guard, because “gratuitousness is too much” for us. So, if “God offers us such a banquet” we think: “better not to get involved”, better to be “with ourselves”. We are indeed “more certain in our sins, within our limits”, because nevertheless “we are at home”. On the other hand, to go out “from our home at God’s invitation, to God’s house, with the others”, it “frightens” us. And “all of us Chris- tian”, the Bishop of Rome admonished, “have this fear hidden inside”, but not very much. Too often, in fact, we are Catholics but not too Catholic, “confident in the Lord, but not too much”. And this “not too much”, in the end, “diminishes” us. Pope Francis then considered, in the Gospel parable, the attitude of the host after the servant tells him of the guests’ rejection. He is “angry, because he has been scorned”. So he “sends him to bring all those who are outcast, the needy, the sick, through the streets and the lanes of the city; the poor, the maimed, the blind, the lame”. And when the servant tells him there is still room in the hall, he tells him: “Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in“, that my house may be filled”. One verb, “compel them”, which makes us think: “So many times”, the Pope highlighted, “the Lord has to do the same with us”: with proof, so much proof”, He “compels that heart, that spirit to believe that there is gratuitousness” in Him, that his gift “is free, that salvation isn’t bought: it is a great gift”. God’s love is, indeed, “the greatest gift”. Yet we, the Pontiff concluded, are frightened and “we think that we make holiness with things and in the long run we become a little Pelagi- an”. However, “salvation is free”, even if we stubbornly argue: “I don’t understand, Lord, tell me: this celebration for everyone, who pays for it? Do I have to pay for it?”. We don’t realize that, as Paul recalls in the Letter to the Philippians (2: 511), all of this “is free, because Jesus Christ, despite being in the form of God, did not retain the privilege, but “emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant. He humbled himself”. It is Jesus, the Pope recalled, who “paid for the feast, with his humiliation until death, death on the Cross”. This is the “great gratuitousness” of God. “When we look at the Crucifix, we say: ‘This is the entrance to the celebration. Yes, Lord I’m a sinner, I have many things, but I look at you and I go to the Father’s feast. I trust. I won’t be disappointed, because you have paid for everything”. Thus “the Church asks us not to fear the gratuitousness of God”, because it can seem “folly”. But Paul says: “Christ’s Cross is folly for the world: it cannot comprehend it. But it is He who has paid so that for us all is gratuitous”. We have only to “open our heart, do from our part, all that we can; but He will provide the grand feast”. VATICAN BULLETIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Barretos, Brazil. Until now he has been titular Bishop of Acque in Byzacena and Auxiliary of São Paulo (5 Nov.). Bishop Júnior, 50, was born in Taiúva, São Paulo, Brazil. He was ordained a priest on 5 September 1987. He was ordained a bishop on 27 December 2009, subsequent to his appointed as titular Bishop Acque in Byzacena and Auxiliary of São Paulo. The Holy Father appointed Bishop João José da Costa, O. Carm., as Coadjutor Bishop of Aracaju, Brazil. Until now he has been Bishop of Iguatu, Brazil (5 Nov.). Bishop da Costa, 56, was born in Lagarto, Brazil. He made his religious profession for the Carmelite Order on 19 January 1986 and was ordained a priest on 12 December 1992. He was ordained a bishop on 19 March 2009, subsequent to his appointed as Bishop of Iguatu. CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS On 31 October, the Holy Father appointed the following as Consultors to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The said Congregation is now composed of: — Fr Bernard Ardura, O. Praem., President of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences; — Msgr Alejandro Cifres Giménez, Archivist at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; — Don Paolo Carlotti, SDB., Counsellor at the Apostolic Penitentiary; — Fr Tomislav Mrkonjić, OFM. Conv., Scriptor of the Secret Archives of the Vatican; — Fr Paul Murray, OP, Head of the Institute for Spirituality at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome; — Fr Martin McKeever, CSSR, Head of the Alfonsianum Academy; — Fr Jordi-Agustí Piqué Collado, OSB, Head of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute at the Pontifical Atheneum of St Anselm in Rome; — Fr Rocco Ronzani, OSA, Deputy Head of the Patristic Institute “Augustinianum”; — Fr Pablo Santiago Zambruno, OP, Lecturer at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas; — Fr Raffaele Di Muro, OFM. Conv., former Lecturer at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of St Bonaventure; — Prof. Gabriele Zaccagnini, former Lecturer at the University of Pisa; — Prof. Angela Ales Bello, Ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Theology. CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS The Holy Father appointed Fr Corrado Maggioni, SMM, as Undersecretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Until now he has been Office Head of the said Congregation (5 Nov.). CARDINAL TAKES POSSESSION On Saturday, 1 November, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, President emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers, took possession of the Title of Santa Dorotea, Trastevere. START OF MISSION On 19 September, Archbishop Antonio Arcari, titular Archbishop of Caeciri, began his mission as Apostolic Nuncio in Costa Rica with the presentation of his Letters of Credence to H.E. Mr Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera, President of the Republic. NECROLO GY Bishop Peter Baptist Tadamaro Ishigami, OFM Cap., Bishop emeritus of Naha, Japan, at age 93 (25 Oct.). Bishop Sofron Stefan Mudry, OSBM, Bishop emeritus of Ivano-Frankivsk, Stanislaviv for Ukraines, at age 90 (31 Oct.). Msgr Fabijan Veraja dies Serving the causes for saints On 29 October, at the age of 91, Msgr Fabijan Veraja died near Rome. Msgr Veraja served as undersecretary at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints from 1981 to 1993. The Croatian prelate was born in Metković on 20 January 1923. After his studies at the seminary of Spalato and at the theological seminary of Djakovo, in 1945 he began studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained a priest in Rome on 19 July 1947 and began serving as hospital chaplain in Bormio. In 1956 he earned a degree in moral theology from the Gregorian. His thesis was on the origins of the theological controversy of census contract in the 13th century and was published in 1960. On 8 February 1961 he began working at the Congregation for Rites (which in 1969 became the Congregation for the Causes of Saints) as an aiutante di studio in the historic section. He had been there for 20 years when he was appointed undersecretary on 7 December 1981. In addition to managing the office for the causes from various countries, he personally edited several historical positiones, including those of Nicolò Stenone, Peter Friedhofen and the historical inquisitio of Bartolo Longo. He also published various historic-juridic studies which made way for the 1983 reform in legislation for the causes of the saints. He also wrote a commentary on the new legislation (1983) and a book on the causes of canonization (1992). On 13 January 1993 he concluded his service as Undersecretary and John Paul II appointed him relator ad casum to the cause of the young Croatian Ivan Merz. number 45, Friday, 7 November 2014 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 15 Venerable Zacharias of St Theresa An apostle of reconciliation work were a pure and transparent concretization of the teachings of JeBorn in Abadiano, Spain in 1887, sus. His missionary path is a springprofessed as a Discalced Teresian board for the evangelizing mission Carmelite in 1904 at Larrea, in the today. The missionary personality of Fr Province of Navarra, and ordained priest in Rome in 1912, Fr Zacharias Zacharias is a mosaic of three essenof St Teresa was a missionary in In- tial dimensions: Christian, Carmelite dia from 16 September 1912 until his and Indian. All these three elements death there on 23 May 1957. The have creatively contributed to the “positio” of his cause for canoniza- formation of a very deep and dytion was presented to the Sacred namic missionary consciousness and Congregation in 2000 and this year spirit in Fr Zacharias. In him all the (27 January 2014) Pope Francis ap- three essential moments of his proved his heroic virtues and de- earthly pilgrimage — call, consecraclared him venerable. The person of tion and mission — were coordinated Fr Zacharias is extra-ordinary, as a and integrated through his personal Christian, a Carmelite, a priest, a intimate relationship to Christ and missionary, a theologian, a teacher, a faithful commitment to his dream, formator, a scholar in Indian philo- the kingdom of God. He came all sophy and spirituality, a social work- the way from Spain to India in 1912 er and a lover of the poor. His life as a missionary and everything he in India was spent for the formation did here in India up to his death in of priests especially as part of com- 1957, on various levels, as professor, formator, vice rector, writer, preacher, social worker, organizer, spiritual father, consultor, apologist, vocation promoter, chaplain, founder, delegate superior, and so on, The Carmelite Manjummel Province in are multifarious expressions India is celebrating Fr Zacharias. At the of his missionary spirit and beginning of the year Pope Francis zeal. It flowed from his condeclared him Venerable. Thus, a Mass will scious living of Christian exbe celebrated in his honour on Sunday istence, Carmelite consecraafternoon, 9 November, at the monastery tion and Indian identity. of Discalced Carmelites in Kerala, also Fr Zacharias was a defendrecalling the anniversary of his birth on 5 er of the faith. He was catNovember. The chief concelebrants are to egorically uncompromising include, among others: H.B. Cardinal with regard to the basic tenOswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay; ets of Christian faith, above H.B. Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Major all, Christo-centrism. This atArchbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church titude is revealed both in his and CBCI President; H.B. Cardinal George life and in his teachings. Two Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syrobooks are relevant here Malanbar Church; and Archbishop Francis namely, Synopsis of Lectures Kallarakal of Verapoly. The author of this on Dogmatic Theology (1941) article will deliver the homily at Mass, and and Christianity Vindicated after a celebration of Zacharias’ life and (1944). The Christocentrism work will be held. On this occasion, the was beautifully reflected in Carmelite Province will also celebrate the his life through the attitudes fifth centenary of their founder, St Teresa of love, selflessness, service, of Avila. hard work, humility, obedience, poverty, compassion, fatherly concern, tolerance munity of St Joseph’s Pontifical and endurance in suffering. The Seminary of Alwaye, one of the apologetic speeches he has given on largest seminaries in the world, for different occasions especially in rethe promotion of missionary voca- sponse to “The Supremacy of Pope” tions and activities especially identi- written by K.N. Daniel and Parur fying himself with the cultural val- Conferences in reply to the atheistic ues of India, for the affirmation of views which were prevailing over the true faith through conferences and lives of many believers in Parur, crewritings especially in the context of ating confusion and skepticism in ideological confusions created by their minds and the famous rejointer Marxism and atheism and for the to the book of Diwan Sir C.P. involvement in social and pastoral Ramaswamy namely “World Reliissues outside the seminary. Fr gions: A Study in Synthesis” pubZacharias lived three essential as- lished as Christianity Vindicated are pects of his existence uncomprom- outstanding and exquisite testimonisingly to the full: by call he was a ies of the Christian experience and Christian, by consecration he was a Christocentric life of Fr Zacharias. Discalced Teresian Carmelite and by He believed and esteemed all these as missionary activities. mission he was an Indian. Fr Zacharias, a linguist, had As the Church is celebrating the Golden Jubilee of “Ad Gentes” of mastered Sanskrit language and thus Second Vatican Council this year, it had easily found access to the most is very relevant to remember that the important door to Indian cultural missionary path pioneered by Fr heritage namely the ancient Indian Zacharias was an authentic foreshad- Scriptures. Delving deep into the owing of the Second Vatican Concil- spiritual and philosophical traditions iar teaching and the revolutionary of India, both as a Professor of Innew path opened up in the Church dian philosophy and as a spiritual thereafter. His missionary life and person, he was never satisfied with a AUGUSTINE MULLO OR, O CD* Mass in thanksgiving superficial or mediocre knowledge, but insisted on a thorough and complete knowledge. He had thus become an authority on the subject. It is pertinent to remember at this juncture that the major part of the writings of Fr Zacharias covers the themes concerning Indian philosophy, Hindu spirituality and Indian culture with around 7 books and more than 30 scientific articles. The Carmelite charism contains missionary spirit as its essential dimension coming from the experience and teaching of St Teresa and continues through the history of the order. The present O CD constitutions synthesize this spirit in the following words: “the evangelization of the world, so intimately part of the very nature of the Church, in as much as it is to be accomplished primarily through love and prayer, has always been a priority in our O rder’s apostolic work. Our Holy Mother St Teresa passed on to the Order the ardent missionary zeal that burned within her heart and it was her wish that her friars should also undertake missionary activity. This missionary zeal should be faithfully fostered, all should have the missions very much at heart, and vocations to the missions should be encouraged throughout the Order”. Vocation to Teresian Discalced Carmel is incomparably unique and uniquely rich because it embraces and integrates in the heart of the one who responds to it daringly and enjoys it unsparingly, the drops of essences of all the diverse vocations in the Church, both contemplative and active. A Carmelite heart is full of stillness of pure contemplation, of listening empathetic silence, of the dew of compassionate love, of alert sensitivity to the other, of soft delicacy of one’s conscience, of conscious attention to the pulse of nature, of penetrating reason that delves into the depths, of enchanting poetic feelings, of healing and soothing sincere words and of dynamic positive energy for transformative actions. In the life style of Fr Zacharias we have a beautiful reflection of Jesus who climbs the mountain to go to the Father with people in his heart and descends the hill to go to people with God in his heart. In the unique personality of Fr Zacharias we have the fidelity of an authentic son of St Teresa of Jesus and the devotion of a true disciple of St John of the Cross. In fact, Fr Zacharias is the formator who instilled in the hearts of seminarians a burning zeal for mission work which in turn ignited first in some of them, later in many of them the desire to go as missionaries to North India, and even to Latin America and Africa. In this process of awakening and nourishing the missionary consciousness of Kerala clergy, he was sharing his Carmelite missionary charism which had found a very fertile ground in his life and had blossomed fully and fruitified plentifully. This fruitfulness offshooted in concrete decisions to establish the “Mission Circle” to facilitate the deepening of mission spirit among the seminarians, “Malabar Mission Seminary” that organized the formation of missionary priests, “St Joseph’s Mission Home” that channelized the surplus vocations in the dioceses of Kerala to the mission dioceses, “Malabar Missionary Union” for nurturing mission spirit among the diocesan clergy and to publish “Preshithakeralam”, the magazine that served as a news bulletin among the missionaries and as a bond of unity and “Katholikakudumbam” to promote the proper study of correct Christian doctrine. The unique and charismatic personality of Fr Zacharias challenges and inspires us in the context of inter-religiosity and inter-culturality, understood and misunderstood, interpreted and misinterpreted, being the very context of our missionary life and task not only in India and Asia but in all the continents. He was convinced about his Christian faith and therefore he was open to religions and cultures. He knew deeply the tenets of Christianity and therefore he could learn from religions and cultures. He had depthlevel experience of religiosity that became personal spirituality and therefore he could dialogue with religions and cultures. He authentically lived his faith and therefore he could daringly proclaim it. The more Fr Zacharias lived his Christianity, the more interreligious and intercultural he became. The more interreligious and intercultural Fr Zacharias was, the more Christian he became. And thus he became an authentic missionary in whom openness to diversity and fidelity to universality were harmoniously blended. * Definitor General of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Rome page 16 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 7 November 2014, number 45 Patriarch Bartholomew on the Pope’s visit to the Phanar A never-ending journey “An important sign of mutual devotion between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches”. It was in this way that the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew described Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to Istanbul, Turkey at the end of November for the Feast of St Andrew. Speaking to a group of Austrian journalists recently received at the Phanar, the Archbishop of Constantinople, according to Vatican Radio, pointed out that there will be no “fanfare” rather the “declaration will be signed at a meeting which constitutes an important step in the relations between the two Churches”. The nearly 1,000 year-old separation “cannot be overcome overnight. Less than 60 years ago they were considered as enemies rather than as brothers. But many positive things have happened in recent decades. Of course, now we need substantial progress”, said the Orthodox Patriarch. Bartholomew also described the work of the 13th Plenary Session of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and Orthodox Church which was held 15-23 September in Amman, Jordan, speaking openly on various points, especially on the issue of primacy (and therefore on the role of the Bishop of Rome in the universal Church). At the moment, he said, divergences of opinion are still insurmountable, especially within the Orthodox world. In contrast, the Archbishop of Constantinople recalled the excellent relations between himself and Pope Francis, The Phanar in Istanbul, Turkey beginning with the celebration in March 2013, which marked the start of his petrine ministry: “It was the first time since 1054 that an ecumenical patriarch participated in a ceremony of a beginning of the pontificate”, he explained. The friendship was furthered strengthened last May during the Pope’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land and then on 8 May when Bartholomew came to the Vatican for the invocation for peace with the President of Israel, Shimon Peres, and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. “I did not hesitate for a second” to accept the invitation, he said. The Patriarch also confirmed the schedule of the Pope’s visit to Turkey from 28-30 November, especially the events on Saturday, 29 November, when the Pope will go to the Hagia Sophia Museum and the Sul- L’Osservatore Romano bids farewell to its Vice-Editor “Thank you for the seven years we have spent together and I hope you continue to contribute responsibly and professionally to the future of the newspaper”. With these simple, warm words Carlo Di Cicco, ViceEditor of L’Osservatore Romano, said farewell to the newspaper on Friday morning, 31 October. The newspaper employees gathered to say goodbye to Di Cicco, who left L’Osservatore Romano on 1 November, after seven years of service, for reasons of age. Present at the farewell gathering from the Secretariat of State were Sr Toribia Rosa Flores Ruiz, Sr Maria Grzesiuk and Msgr Carlo Maria Polvani, Head of the Information and Documentation Office. Also present from the Vatican Press-Editrice L’Osservatore Romano were Fr Marek Kaczmarczyk, Sales Manager, and Antonio Pacella, Head of the Management O ffice. The Editor-in-Chief of L’Osservatore Romano thanked Di Cicco on behalf of the whole newspaper, emphasizing the constant transformation of the newspaper and he conferred to him a plaque of the Order of St Gregory the Great from Pope Francis. The Vice-Editor gave a brief and cordial address to his coworkers, recalling a truth that has guided him in his more than 40 years of journalism: “Even if in our work we use words as a service, we must remember that we are at the service of the Word”. tan Ahmet Mosque. The Holy Father will celebrate Mass in the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and then with Bartholomew will lead an ecumenical prayer in the Patriarchal Church of St George, where a private meeting between the Pope and the Patriarch will take place. Then on Sunday, 30 November, the Feast of St Andrew the Apostle, a divine liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of St George and an ecumenical blessing, and the signing of the joint declaration are scheduled. As reported by Vatican Radio, the Archbishop of Constantinople, who met with the Austrian journalists, underlined that following in the footsteps of Paul VI (in July 1967), John Paul II in November 1979 and Benedict XVI in November 2006 came to the Bosphorus. “The last two, and now Francis, made these visits a short time after the beginning of their pontificate”. They are “a clear sign”, Bartholomew said, referring to the joint traditional celebration on 30 November and to the good relations between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. The two Churches, he observed, are in dialogue: “a dialogue of love and charity. A dialogue that isn’t vague idealism but a true path which, even if at times full of difficulties, it does not stop, because love is in charge. Thus our intrapersonal relationships represent an essential dimension to our approach. If, in recent decades, the theological dialogue has been moving forward slowly; but according to God’s time, it is moving quickly”. And now “joy is great for the upcoming embrace which we will have here, in this historic see of the Ecumenical Patriarch with our beloved brother, His Holiness Pope Francis for the Feast of St Andrew this 30 November”. Fifth anniversary of Anglicanorum coetibus God’s whole Church On 4 November 2009 — with the Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus — Benedict XVI gave his consent for the establishment of a personal ordinariate for Anglicans who have entered into full communion with the Catholic Church. This constitution concerned more than 8,000 faithful in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia. For the anniversary of the document the Pope emeritus wrote a brief letter — published on the Catholic Herald website — to the Friends of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, the first of the three ordinariates which came out of the Apostolic Constitution. Established on 15 January 2011, Our Lady of Walsingham gathers 2,500 former Anglicans from England, Wales and Scotland. Then in 2012, the Apostolic See also recognized The Chair of Saint Peter on 1 January for the more than 4,550 faithful in the USA, and on 15 June Our Lady of the Southern Cross was established for 1,000 Australians. Responding to a letter sent to him by President Nicolas Ollivant, Pope Benedict was glad to hear about their progress and about how the main church of the Ordinariate is the historic chapel of the Bavarian embassy in London which “serves such an important role in the whole Church of God”. Dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption and Saint Gregory and located on Warwick Street, in Soho. The Bavarian chapel was sacked during the anti-Catholic revolts of 1780, known as the Gordon Riots. Our Lady of Walsingham
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