Pope Francis’ appeal for an exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine and his assurance the Holy See stands ready to facilitate in this regard, come at a time of concern about the treatment endured by thousands of detained soldiers.
By Stefan J. Bos
Officials say nearly 3,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been released from Russia in prisoner exchanges since Moscow launched its full-scale military invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.
However, more than 10,000 remain in Russian custody, some of whom have endured two years of conditions that a United Nations expert described as horrific.
There have also been reports about some abuses by Ukrainian forces against Russian troops, including beatings.
Yet, Ukrainian authorities have been more open towards international groups and media to visit centers where they are held, perhaps limiting the number of abuses.
However, critics say the Ukrainian government’s rehabilitation program, which usually involves two months in a sanitarium and a month at home, is inadequate.
Experts point out that the traumas suffered by Ukrainian prisoners are growing with the length and severity of the abuse they are being subjected to as the war drags on.
The United Nations has well documented Russia’s torture of prisoners of war. Former inmates have spoken about relentless beatings, electric shocks, rape, sexual violence, and mock executions, seen by U.N. investigators as so a systematic, state-endorsed policy.
Many detainees have also reported lingering symptoms like blackouts and fainting spells stemming from repeated blows to the head that were severe enough to cause concussions.
And more prisoners of war are expected as Russia moves on toward Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city in the northeast of the country.
Shocked residents, including a woman, were lying on the ground as an apparent drone fired by Russia hit Kharkiv, footage showed. Several drones and missiles have hit apartment blocks and industrial areas, though Moscow claims it is targeting strategic military sites.
Outside Kharkiv, Russian forces continued their advance across northeastern Ukraine on Sunday, seizing several small settlements along the border. They reportedly forced Ukrainian troops to retreat from some positions if they weren’t captured or killed.
Aid workers confirmed that Russian troops had advanced deeper inside Ukrainian territory and were now threatening several small towns on the outskirts of Kharkiv.
However, Russian officials say at least five people were killed and nine wounded since Saturday in three separate Ukrainian counter-attacks involving drone and artillery strikes on the Russian border provinces of Belgorod and Kursk and the Ukrainian city of Donetsk, which Russia claims to have annexed.
It has underscored growing concerns about the escalation of the war since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with hundreds of thousands of people being killed and injured.
Listen to the report by Stefan Bos
A ban on London selling arms to Israel would strengthen Hamas, according to Britain’s Foreign Secretary.
By Nathan Morley
The British Foreign Secretary, Lord David Cameron, says restricting arms deliveries to Israel because of its war in Gaza would strengthen Hamas.
Cameron also said it would make a deal to free Israeli hostages less likely. ‘Just to simply announce today that we will change our approach on arms exports, it would make Hamas stronger, and it would make a hostage deal less likely,’ Cameron told Britain’s BBC.
Meanwhile, Israel launched further airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning. According to reports, two doctors were killed.
The Israeli military says it has ‘eliminated terrorists’ in the north of Gaza, and says at least 100,000 Palestinians will have to be evacuated in the north following mass evacuation orders in the south.
According to the Israeli army, around 300,000 people in Rafah recently obeyed a request to leave the city towards a ‘humanitarian zone’.
Since Monday, people have been ‘making their way to the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi,’ the Israeli army said on Saturday.
The Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7th.
Hamas operatives invaded Israeli towns and committed atrocities against civilians. They kidnapped around 250 people; 128 hostages are still held by Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups.
Listen to the report by Nathan Morley
Pope Francis telephones the Archbishop of flood-stricken Porto Alegre in Brazil to express his solidarity and closeness to those affected by the disaster in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, where at least 137 people have died and over 600 thousand are displaced.
By Vatican News
The death toll from the heavy rains that have been lashing southern Brazil since the end of April has risen to 137. The number of displaced people has exceeded 600,000. The most dramatic situation is in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, on the border with Argentina and Uruguay, where the intensity of the precipitation continues to increase and is expected to worsen in the coming hours.
Pope Francis expressed his closeness in a telephone call to all those who are suffering from this disaster, which mainly affects the poorest people. He made the call on Saturday, May 11, to Archbishop Jaime Spengler of Porto Alegre, and president of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil. The Archbishop, who expressed his emotion for the Pope’s paternal gesture, said he was surprised to receive the call during which the Pope expressed words of comfort for the population of Rio Grande do Sul. “I express my solidarity,” said the Pontiff, “to all those who are suffering from this disaster. I am close to you and I pray for you.”
The Pope had already expressed his solidarity with the people affected by the heavy rains at the end of the Regina Caeli on Sunday, May 5. “I want to assure you,” he had said, “of my prayers for the population of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, which has been hit by major floods. May the Lord receive the dead and comfort their families and those who have had to leave their homes.”
Archbishop Spengler confirmed that this closeness is accompanied by a tangible gesture of help as announced by the Apostolic Nunciature in Brazil that said a substantial sum was allocated by the Holy Father to help those in need.
Pope Francis marks World Day of Social Communications inviting humanity to foster a genuinely humane communication.
By Linda Bordoni
Pope Francis on Sunday marked the 58th World Day of Social Communications reminding us, in a world increasingly permeated by artificial intelligence, to never lose sight of the “wisdom of the heart.”
Speaking during the Regina Caeli on Ascension Sunday, he said: “Only by recuperating a wisdom of the heart can we interpret the demands of our time and rediscover the path to fully human communication.”
His words echoed the Message he released for this occasion entitled “Artificial Intelligence and the Wisdom of the Heart: Towards a Fully Human Communication.”
And he did not forget to thank all those who work in the communications field for their work.
The Pope also marked Mother’s Day, which, he said, is celebrated “today in many countries.”
“Let us think with gratitude of all mothers, and pray for the mothers who have gone to Heaven,” he said, before entrusting mothers to the protection of Mary, our heavenly mother, and asking for a big round of applause for all moms.
Pope Francis renews his appeal for an exchange of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war, assuring the Holy See’s readiness to facilitate efforts in this regard.
By Linda Bordoni
Pope Francis has again appealed for a “general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine.”
Speaking during the Regina Caeli on Ascension Sunday, the Pope noted that his appeal falls on the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Risen Lord “who wants us to be free, and who sets us free.”
He went on to assure all parties involved that the Holy See remains ready to facilitate every effort in this regard, especially for those who are seriously wounded and sick.”
And he renewed his constant appeal for prayers for peace: “Let us continue to pray for peace, in Ukraine, in Palestine, in Israel, in Myanmar… let us pray for peace!” he said.
So far, Russia and Ukraine have conducted over 50 prisoner exchanges since the beginning of the war, involving several thousand prisoners whom both sides have released.
Last January, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that some 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been liberated following these agreements.
As Pope Francis himself said, he has raised an appeal to this effect on many and various occasions.
During his “Urbi et Orbi” address this Easter, on March 31st: ” My thoughts go especially to the victims of the many conflicts worldwide, beginning with those in Israel and Palestine, and in Ukraine. May the risen Christ open a path of peace for the war-torn peoples of those regions. In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for the sake of all”!
Just last month during his General Audience on April 17th, he said: ” And our thoughts, at this moment, [the thoughts] of all of us, go to the peoples at war. Let us think of the Holy Land, of Palestine, of Israel. We think of Ukraine, martyred Ukraine. Let us think of the prisoners of war… May the Lord move wills so they may all be freed. And speaking of prisoners, those who are tortured come to mind. The torture of prisoners is a horrible thing. It is not human. Let us think of so many kinds of torture that wound the dignity of the person, and of so many tortured people… May the Lord help everyone and bless everyone.”
And during a meeting with Jesuits in September 2022 when he travelled to Kazakhstan, the Holy Father spoke about his commitment towards the liberation of prisoners saying: “Some Ukrainian envoys came to me. Among them, the vice-rector of the Catholic University of Ukraine, accompanied by the advisor for religious affairs of the President, an evangelical. We talked, discussed. A military leader who deals with prisoner exchanges also came, always with the religious advisor of President Zelensky. This time they brought me a list of over 300 prisoners. They asked me to do something to facilitate an exchange. I immediately called the Russian ambassador to see if something could be done, if a prisoner exchange could be expedited.”
Pope Francis has also entrusted Cardinal Matteo Zuppi with undertaking humanitarian missions to war-torn nations and tasked him, amongst other responsibilities, with focusing on the exchange of prisoners and the repatriation of Ukrainian children from Russia.
The just-proclaimed Bull of Indiction of the 2025 Jubilee contains an urgent call to provide hope to those who live in difficult conditions: “During the Holy Year, we are called to be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind. I think of prisoners who, deprived of their freedom, daily feel the harshness of detention and its restrictions, lack of affection and, in more than a few cases, lack of respect for their persons. I propose that in this Jubilee Year governments undertake initiatives aimed at restoring hope; forms of amnesty or pardon (…) In every part of the world, believers, and their Pastors in particular, should be one in demanding dignified conditions for those in prison, respect for their human rights…“
In his message for Easter according to the Julian calendar, celebrated on 5 May, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, reiterated the Pope’s appeal: “The words of Pope Francis regarding the exchange of all for all, expressed during the Latin rite Easter, have left a deep mark in the hearts of Christians both in Ukraine and in Russia. Today, more than ever, we not only want to hear the words and the appeal of Pope Francis, but we want his words on the ‘all for all’ exchange to become for us an imperative, a call to concrete actions.”
In particular, the Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Galicia requested the release of three categories of prisoners of war: military women, healthcare workers, and also captured priests. He recalled that currently about eight thousand military personnel and around 1,600 Ukrainian civilians are detained in Russia.
Oluwakemi Akinleye fsp
“Artificial Intelligence and the Wisdom of the Heart: Towards a Fully Human Communication” is the theme of the Message of Pope Francis for the 58th World Day of Social Communications.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), described in simple terms as “technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities,” has come to be part of our lives in the digital era. The various applications for Artificial Intelligence are increasing daily and they are gifts to our generation that must be harnessed wisely.
In a world filled with God’s bounty and the constant progress of human inventions, not excluding the reality of the growing disparity between the digital haves and have-nots, artificial intelligence comes as an invaluable tool to enhance our lives and without doubt, perhaps, to also create more inequalities too. As many of us are still grappling with trying to understand what Artificial Intelligence is and what it fully offers, Pope Francis shares in our perplexity, as he exhorts us, “The rapid spread of astonishing innovations, whose workings and potential are beyond the ability of most of us to understand and appreciate, has proven both exciting and disorienting.”
The creative use of Artificial intelligence in various fields such as science and medicine, have shown that it can perform tasks, on its own or combined with other technologies like robotics, sensors and geolocation, that would otherwise require human intelligence. The generative AI tools, digital assistants and GPS guidance that we now use daily are some of the amazing innovations of Artificial Intelligence. Yet as Pope Francis says, it is “at this time in history, which risks becoming rich in technology and poor in humanity,” that “our reflections must begin with the human heart.”
Illustration photo
Why do we need the wisdom of the heart to guide our use of artificial intelligence or machine learning? Pope Francis reminds us that the, “Wisdom of the heart is the virtue that enables us to integrate the whole and its parts, our decisions and their consequences, our nobility and our vulnerability, our past and our future, our individuality and our membership within a larger community. It is a fact that machines are made to “possess a limitlessly greater capacity than human beings for storing and correlating data, but human beings alone are capable of making sense of that data,” the Pope says. Therefore, God’s light and wisdom to humans in making more fruitful and life-giving use, than harm, of technology is always necessary.
In relation to media, the use of artificial intelligence can greatly make a positive contribution to the work of media professionals, communicators, and users. This can be achieved by upholding the “values the professionalism of communication, making every communicator more aware of his or her responsibilities, and enabling all people to be, as they should, discerning participants in the work of communication.”
Illustration photo
As we celebrate the World Communications Day this year, we remember and accompany with our prayers all who work with the media, especially those working in difficult places and those who have lost their lives while on duty due to wars, insecurity and natural disasters. May their efforts and sacrifices yield fruits of hope and peace.
Addressing the crowds gathered in Saint Peter’s Square for the Regina Caeli prayer on Ascension Sunday, Pope Francis recalls how Jesus’ return to the Father opens the way to Heaven for us.
By Lisa Zengarini
At the Regina Caeli prayer from the Apostolic Library this Sunday, marking the Ascension of the Lord in Italy and many other countries around the world, Pope Francis reflected on the meaning for us of Jesus rising into Heaven and sitting at the right hand of God (Mk 16:19).
The Pope explained that Christ’s ascension opens the way for us. “Jesus’ return to the Father appears to us not as a separation, but rather as an anticipation of our final destination,” he said. As a “climbing partner” when we climb towards the summit of a mountain, He drags the Church, His body, to Heaven where he has ascended.
“We too, His limbs,” the Pope continued, “rise joyfully together with Him, our head, knowing that the step of one is a step for all and that no one must get lost or be left behind because we are one body.”
“We too rise joyfully with Him.”
“Step by step, Jesus shows us the way,” the Pope explained, recalling that today’s Gospel tells us the steps we have to undertake which consist of carrying out God’s works of love: “giving life, bringing hope, keeping away from all malice and meanness, responding to evil with good, becoming close to those who suffer.”
“The more we do this,” Pope Francis said, “the more we let ourselves be transformed by His Spirit, the more we follow His example, as in the mountains, we feel the air around us become light and clean”.
Pope Francis therefore invited the faithful to ask themselves if they are following His steps: “Is the desire for God alive in me, for his infinite love, for his life which is eternal life? Or am I flattened and tied to transient things things, to money, to success, to pleasures? And does my desire for Heaven isolate me or does it lead me to love my brothers to feel them as companions in the journey towards Paradise?”
Concluding, the Pope asked the Virgin Mary to help us “to walk together with joy towards the glory of Heaven.”
The “Children’s Table” was a joyful and spontaneous moment at the World Meeting on Human Fraternity. Children responded enthusiastically to the Pope on the definition of happiness, peace, and friendship, before the he signed the “Children’s Declaration on Fraternity.”
By Jean-Charles Putzolu
After the moderator of the “Future Generation” roundtable announced the entry of the “scientists” to the Holy Father, dozens of children crowned with laurels flooded the synod hall.
Each of them glued a green leaf to the branches of an old dry tree in the middle of the room to give it life again and thus revive hope.
All this happened under the smiling gaze of the Pope, who found himself quickly surrounded by all these children. A bit of patience was required before they were seated.
Once silence had been restored, Francis engaged in a game of question and answer, asking, “What does happiness mean?”
The bravest attempted to answer: “For me, it’s being all united, one family, God’s family,” said one; “peace,” said another.
“I love you, Pope Francis,” two children ventured.
Francis, increasingly amused, continued, “Where can happiness be bought?” “Happiness cannot be bought,” confidently exclaimed a young girl. “We can be happy if we are in contact with God,” replied another.
Seizing the opportunity, the Pope asked, “How can we get in touch with God?” “By praying,” the children chorused, “and by praying, we can find peace,” another young girl added.
The female voices dominated over the boys’, but all provided pertinent answers to the Successor of Peter’s questions.
Against war, they proposed unity, friendship, and sharing. At this point, it is useful to specify that they had worked on the subject by drafting, on behalf of the “children of the whole world,” the “Children’s Declaration on Fraternity” which Francis signed in front of them after they read it aloud.
The “Children’s Table” was part of the preparation for the upcoming World Children’s Day on May 25 and 26 in Rome. According to organizers, around 72,000 participants are expected.
Participants in the “Children’s Table”
The text of the declaration is two pages long, adopting the language and spontaneity of children. Here is a full translation:
“What does it really mean to live as brothers and sisters? First of all, to understand that we are like the roots of an ancient tree: we embrace each other underground, without even realizing it, in a silent alliance of life, supporting each other against the storms of time.
And what would a tree be without its roots? The roots of our humanity sink into the fertile soil of solidarity, grow in the garden of encounter, flourish in the peace of creation, and require constant care, constant attention, and constant work in which we must all discover ourselves as attentive gardeners.
Our roots remind us that, despite the diversity of branches, we share the same life, the same dream, that of a world where love is the only fruit that can truly make us happy because, as the Argentine poet Bernardéz wrote, “what the tree has in bloom, lives from what it has buried.”
That is why we invite every adult and every child to plant seeds of hope, to make actions of tenderness sprout; let’s synchronize our hearts to the rhythm of the world because we are travelers on the same path, seekers of the same truth, we are one human family, and together we can build a planet where love knocks down all barriers and where fraternity is the mother tongue of all.
We truly believe in dreams: when we are children, we dream of a world where everyone, but really everyone, can have a place where we feel at home. A place where we can be ourselves, be seen, loved, welcomed, and supported.
We dream of a world where every child, everywhere, can live in peace, where it is possible to grow, study, play, be free, and happy.
A world where differences are not a reason for confrontation or war, but where they are accepted because everyone is different, and that makes the world more beautiful. A world where the weakest are supported, without being judged; where those who have the most difficulty keeping up are awaited and accompanied, and where those who are more advanced are ready to wait and help; where those with greater possibilities help those in difficulty.
But alone, we can’t achieve this!
It also depends on you: we want to see adults with positive and serene relationships, based on acceptance, inclusion, dialogue, respect, forgiveness, and solidarity.
We want to see that you are capable of free friendship, the kind that helps to climb the mountains of fear, sadness, difficulties, and loneliness.
Show us that sincere friendship allows us to overcome oppression, isolation, and the fear of feeling inadequate.
Show us that you are truly “brothersand sisters to everyone,” without distinction of birth, economic status, religious belief, education, or ethnic background. We are ready to be friends to everybody, everybody, everybody, as Jesus – the most special Friend – taught us.
Help us realize our dreams in a better world, where we have the opportunity to have a future, without the future gradually destroying all our dreams.
Let us walk together, with you, adults, who accompany us, on this path of peace and understanding, of fraternity and growth, of welcome and hope.
Only in this way, when together we have hands dirty with earth and hearts full of heaven, will we discover ourselves happy, will we discover ourselves truly human, brothers to all and guardians of our common home.”
The Israeli military has ordered more residents of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip to leave neighbourhoods east of the city.
By Nathan Morley
On Saturday, residents were instructed to head to al-Mawasi, a zone between the west of Rafah and Khan Younis. The UN says more than 80,000 people have taken flight from Rafah this week, after Israel cautioned people to evacuate ahead of a planned major offensive.
Sam Rose from the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees says the area has no running water or proper sanitation. He said the latest evacuation is ‘extremely concerning’.
Rafah, crammed with more than a million evacuated Palestinians, has been facing a dreadful humanitarian crisis due to the lack of basic supplies, including water, food, electricity, and medicines.
On Friday, United Nations agencies highlighted the severe crisis in Gaza and stressed the urgent need for humanitarian assistance. The organization urged all parties involved to guarantee civilian crossings and the flow of necessary goods for the civilian population.
In a separate development, the UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution supporting the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member.
The resolution was accepted with 143 votes in favour and nine against, including the United States and Israel, while 25 countries refrained from voting.
Listen to Nathan Morley’s report
As the Church marks the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Jenny Kraska offers her thoughts on the day’s liturgical readings under the theme: “Go and Proclaim”.
By Jenny Kraska
This Sunday nearly every diocese in the United States will celebrate the feast of the Ascension. The Ascension marks the culmination of Christ’s earthly ministry; it is evidence of His victory over sin and death, as well as His promise to be with us always.
The Gospel captures Jesus’s final instructions to His disciples before His Ascension. He commands them to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” (Mk 16: 15)
This command is a call to action, not only for the disciples, but for all believers. We are called to be ambassadors of Christ’s love and salvation, proclaiming the good news to anyone who will listen.
The Ascension and Jesus’ command are a reminder of our own responsibility as followers of Christ to continue His work in the world.
We are each called to share His message of hope, redemption, and reconciliation with a broken and hurting world. Each of us have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to be instruments of God’s grace, bringing light into the darkness and healing to the wounded.
This Sunday, we also celebrate Mother’s Day, which adds an additional layer of significance to the solemnity of the Ascension.
Mother’s Day provides us with a special opportunity to honor and appreciate the women who have guided, nurtured, and loved us unconditionally. Mothers play an irreplaceable role in shaping our lives. Their love reflects the love of God who cares for each one of us with boundless tenderness and affection.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the faith and love of Christ’s own mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. In Mary’s witness, we find inspiration to embrace the promise of Christ’s resurrection and the hope of eternal life.
Whether biological, adoptive, or spiritual, mothers leave an indelible imprint on our hearts, teaching us invaluable lessons of faith, resilience, and unconditional love. This Mother’s Day, let us give thanks for the gift of maternal love and the countless ways mothers enrich our lives.
As we celebrate the feast of the Ascension and Mother’s Day, let us reflect on the interconnectedness of these occasions and the profound truths they convey.
The Ascension reminds us of Christ’s victory over sin and death and His promise to be with us always. Mother’s Day honors the women who embody divine love and nurture the seeds of faith in their children’s hearts.
St. John Paul II, in his 1979 Ascension homily, remarks on the joy Mary experienced knowing that her Son was in heaven and encourages us to find strength in the love of Christ and to share that love with others.
“Realize that the strength of Christ is greater than our weakness, greater than the weakness of the whole world. Try to understand and share the joy that Mary experienced in knowing that her Son had taken His place with His Father, whom He loved infinitely. And renew your faith today in the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has gone to prepare a place for us, so that He can come back again and take us to Himself.”
Saturday afternoon sees Pope Francis joining the Round Table “Children: Future Generation” in the new Synod Hall in the Vatican. Ten other Round Tables” take place during the day that concludes with a concert in the portico of St. Peter’s Basilica.
By Michele Raviart
“Wars mainly affect children, those who die, those who lose everything and those who are forever scarred by memories. Let us hold them, embrace them and do something for them.” With these words, the Fratelli Tutti Foundation presents the “Children: Generation Future” round table which will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, May 11, in the new Synod Hall, as part of #BeHuman, the second meeting on Human Fraternity. The event, which will be streamed on the Vatican News website starting at 4 p.m. CET, will also be attended by Pope Francis at 5 p.m., who will again reflect on the future of the new generations after yesterday’s intervention at the “General States of Natality” event and in view of the upcoming First World Children’s Day.
In total, on Saturday afternoon, there will be eleven “tables” making up the second day of the #BeHuman event, in which eminent personalities from the scientific, academic, entrepreneurial, institutional, and sports worlds will discuss their respective topics from a perspective of fraternity inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti. Fifty influencers, including the Italian Mattia Stanga, along with experts such as Monsignor Lucio Ruiz, Secretary of the Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See, will try to find a “vocabulary of fraternity” during the table dedicated to social media that takes place in Rome’s “Palazzo della Cancelleria.” Their vocabulary will strive to build bridges of humanity in a world that struggles to love itself. The event can be followed starting at 4 p.m. CET in Italian and English.
The Mayor of New York Leroy Adams, the Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri, and about fifty young Italian mayors under 40, will focus on Public Administration at the Round Table “Urban Community.” It proposes fraternity as a compass for administrators in their political and social choices. (link in Italian and English). The CCO of the digital advertising agency Dentsu Gordon Bowen, Gilles Gressani from SciencesPo in Paris, and the director of the “Quotidiano Nazionale” newspaper, Agnese Pini, will be among the facilitators, at the Vatican’s “Palazzo della Canonica” at the Round Table on Information: “The Right to Transparency”. It aims to explore ” how information can use the new tools – social media, web, video, reels – to ensure a quality collective service that is not superficial but rather educational.” (link in Italian and English) Luca Pancalli, President of the Italian Paralympic Committee, and Luciano Spalletti, coach of the Italian National Football Team, will speak in the Hall of Honor at Coni, at the Round Table on Sport: “Competing in Mutual Esteem”. They will focus on “Falling down and getting up again, the value of relationships, teamwork, friendship and sense of belonging.” (link in Italian and English). The other round tables will be on “Sustainability and Business: Being Good Pays Off”; “Fraternal Cooperation, Paths of Peace, Social Economy”; “Education: How to Reconstruct the World (links in Italian and English); “Health: Of and For Everyone” and “Labour: Dignity, Community, and Participation” (link in Italian and English).
In the morning of Saturday the participants were received by Pope Francis in the Vatican. Among them were the Nobel laureates who took part in the “Table for Peace,” held on Friday at Rome’s Palazzo della Cancelleria. The event was opened by Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, who reiterated that war is “always a failure of all humanity and not just of the individual parties involved” and that “while reaffirming the inalienable right to self-defense,” he said “God created men to live in peace and to preserve Creation, not to destroy it.”
Among the Nobel laureates present were Rigoberta Menchù Tum from Guatemala, Dmitrij Muratov from Russia, Tawakkol Karman from Yemen, all of whom were also received by the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella.
The Second World Meeting on Human Fraternity concludes at 9:30 p.m. CET, in the portico of St. Peter’s Basilica with a concert featuring composer Giovanni Allevi, singer-songwriter Roberto Vecchioni, and American country singer Garth Brooks.
Addressing some 350 participants in the second World Meeting on Human Fraternity, Pope Francis encourages them to persevere in their efforts to promote human fraternity in a broken world, reiterating that war is a defeat and also a deception.
By Lisa Zengarini
Participants in the second World Meeting on human fraternity met with Pope Francis on Saturday, marking the second and final day of the event organized by the “Fratelli Tutti Foundation”.
Under the banner #BeHuman, scientists, economists, businessmen, athletes, and ordinary citizens hailing from various parts of the world are gathered in Rome for two days of discussions to seek alternatives to war and poverty, inspired by the principle of fraternity.
The meeting kicked off on Friday with a “Peace roundtable” gathering 30 Peace Nobel laureats, which was opened by the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, and will be followed today by 12 thematic panels of discussion addressing several topics related to peace.
Welcoming the panellists in the Clementine Hall, the Pope warmly thanked them for gathering in Rome to reiterate their ‘no’ to war and ‘yes’ to peace, “testifying to the humanity that unites us and makes us recognize each other as brothers, in the mutual gift of our respective cultural differences.”
“In a planet on fire, you have gathered with the intention of reiterating your “no” to war and “yes” to peace, testifying to the humanity that unites us and makes us recognize brothers, in the mutual gift of our respective cultural differences.”
Recalling Martin Luther King’s memorable words on the occasion of his awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 (“We have learned to fly like birds, to swim like fish, but we have not yet learned the simple art of living together as brothers”), Pope Francis again pointed to the Good Samaritan’s compassion recounted in Jesus’ parable, as a key to recover “the art of coexistence that is truly human.”
The Samaritan and the wounded Jew on the street, he noted , “have different and conflicting stories, but one becomes the other’s brother the moment he lets himself be guided by the compassion he feels for him.”
As participants prepare to meet in their 12 thematic roundtables on Saturday afternoon, Pope Francis encouraged them to move forward in their work of “silent sowing.”
“I invite you not to be discouraged, because ‘perseverant and courageous dialogue does not make the news like clashes and conflicts, yet it discreetly helps the world live better, much more than we can realize.’”
The Pope particularly acknowledged the Nobel Prize laureats, thanking them for their contribution to the Declaration on Human Fraternity released on the occasion of their first Meeting in Rome in June 2023,and paid tribute to their new “Charter of Humanity” they have drafted outlining the “grammar” of choices and behaviours to build fraternal coexistence in this time of uncertainty and fear.
He urged them to continue to cultivate this spirituality of fraternity and to promote multilateralism with their diplomatic action, reaffirming, once again, that “war is a defeat” and “a deception”, as is the idea of international security based on the deterrent of fear.”
“To guarantee lasting peace we need to return to recognizing ourselves in common humanity and placing fraternity at the centre of the life of peoples,” he said. “Only in this way will we be able to develop a model of coexistence capable of giving a future to the human family.”
“Political peace needs peace of hearts, so that people meet in the trust that life always wins over every form of death.”
Referring to the roundtable with children he will join this evening, marking the second main event of the Meeting, Pope Francis concluded by inviting the attendees to learn from children: “Let us look at them, let us learn from them, as the Gospel teaches us,”, he said.
The roundtable on “Children: Future Generation,” will take place in the New Synod Hall at 5.00 pm.
The meeting will conclude with a concert in St Peter’s Square at 9.30 pm.
Rains in Brazil have driven thousands from their homes and cut off supplies of electricity and water. Amidst the devastation, churches, community centres, religious communities and volunteers come together to provide support and assistance to those in need.
By Sr. Francine-Marie Cooper, ISSM
Several days of heavy rains have caused floods in more than 400 cities and forced over 408,100 people to leave their homes in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The flooding is considered the worst climatic crisis in the state’s history, and has killed at least 116 people since it began two weeks ago, with another 140 people missing.
Much of the state capital, Porto Alegre, has been plunged into darkness by the flood, which has damaged power and water treatment plants, also leaving most residents without drinking water.
In an interview with the news website Crux, the Bishop of Bagé, Cleonir Paulo Dalbosco OFM, said that churches had been collecting food and hygiene kits for the most affected communities. “There’s an overspread feeling of solidarity, and volunteers are helping in every form the people in need,” he said.
Now, churches all over the state are operating as centers of distribution of donations and as shelters for displaced people, Dalbosco said.
“There’s an overspread feeling of solidarity and volunteers are helping in every form the people in need.”
“Parishes and dioceses from other parts of Brazil have been promoting campaigns and sending funds to our state as well,” he added.
Bento Gonçalves was one of the cities heavily affected by the floods. After a dam broke due to the high volume of water, an entire district was inundated, causing deaths and devastating farms.
In several parts of Rio Grande do Sul, grocery stores have been announcing they are lacking basic food items, especially fresh vegetables, due to the devastation of farms and roads. That’s the case in Caxias do Sul, the second largest city in the state, with more than 460,000 people.
Father Leonardo Inácio Pereira, from the Parish of São Pelegrino in Caxias do Sul told Crux: “We’re giving shelter to a group of 25 senior citizens who lived at a nursing home.”
Parishioners have been helping to rescue people from inundated areas with quadricycles and boats. Volunteers take food to people whose houses are surrounded by water.
“Our diocesan seminary became a center of distribution of donations. Yesterday, at least 500 people went there to help organize the kits,” Pereira said.
Now, 85 percent of the residents in Porto Alegre – which has a population of 1.5 million people – are lacking water. It may take several days for the normalization of the situation in the city, according to the authorities.
(Source: Crux, BBC)
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin opens the Vatican’s ‘Table for Peace’ in Rome, which has gathered around 30 Nobel Prize winners for a discussion on the subject.
By Paolo Ondarza
“While I reaffirm the inalienable right to self-defense, war is always a failure of humanity as a whole and not just of the individual parties involved.”
All wars are in contradiction with human dignity and “are not destined by their nature to solve problems, but rather to exacerbate them.”
The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, opened Rome’s ‘Peace Table’ in Rome with these considerations.
With him this morning, May 10th, were about 30 Nobel Peace Prize laureates including Rigoberta Menchù Tum from Guatemala, Dmitrij Muratov from Russia, Tawakkol Karman from Yemen, as well as figures like Machel Mandela, widow of Nelson Mandela, and NASA administrator Bill Nelson.
The event kicks off the #BeHuman campaign, the second World Meeting on Human Fraternity, organized today and tomorrow by the “Fratelli Tutti Foundation”: twelve thematic tables open to the public and some streamed live, with the participation of scientists, economists, doctors, managers, athletes, and ordinary citizens. All coming together to seek alternatives to wars and poverty inspired by the principle of fraternity.
“God created men to live in peace and to protect Creation, not to destroy it.”
War, Parolin emphasises, in striking against human dignity and positioning itself diametrically opposed to Creation, “not only attacks the dignity of others, but also one’s own dignity.”
According to the Secretary of State, today the very concept of “just war” needs to be questioned, as it “originated in an era when conflicts had relatively limited scope. In the contemporary era, with the advent of nuclear and mass destruction weapons, this theory presents itself as highly problematic.”
The conference
In his greeting address, the cardinal referred to the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee promulgated yesterday by Pope Francis, and emphasizes how without dialogue, not only is peace not built, but war is triggered, replacing the voice of diplomacy with that of arms.
The Cardinal then mentioned the three areas of commitment identified by the Pontiff: addressing the causes of injustices, rectifying inequitable and insurmountable debts, and satisfying the hungry.
“Liberation from injustice promotes freedom and human dignity,” and it is fundamental, according to the Cardinal, to protect “social justice, especially in the current context where the value of the person is seriously threatened by the widespread tendency to rely exclusively on the criteria of utility and possession.”
The absence of social justice, Cardinal Parolin stresses, is the premise of poverty, “one of the greatest injustices of the contemporary world” where “those who possess much are relatively few and those who possess almost nothing are many.”
This leads to a “lack of education, which often leads to adhering to extremism and fundamentalism.”
In addition to the poverty of individuals, Cardinal Parolin mentioned that of countries that “cannot keep pace with foreign debt”.
“While reaffirming the principle that contracted debt must be honored,” according to Parolin, it is necessary “not to compromise the fundamental right of peoples to subsistence and progress,” rediscovering fraternity among nations.
Pope Francis will visit Rome’s Capitol on June 10th, confirms the Holy See Press Office. This will mark his second time at the Campidoglio after he participated in the Community of Sant’Egidio’s Prayer for Peace amid the pandemic in October 2020.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
Pope Francis will visit Rome’s Capitol, often referred to simply as the Campidoglio, on June 10th.
The news was confirmed by the Holy See Press Office following an announcement earlier in the day by the chaplain of the local Police of the City of Rome, Father Massimo Cocci.
During the visit, Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri will welcome Pope Francis at 9 am.
Pope Francis received the Roman Mayor in the Vatican on January 4, as it is the tradition for the Bishop of Rome to receive the Eternal City’s Mayor at the start of the year.
After the encounter, Gualtieri called the encounter “profoundly inspiring” and called the Bishop of Rome a model of “solidarity, brotherhood, and peace.”
Pope Francis went to the Campidoglio in October 2020 to participate in the Community of Sant’Egidio’s annual Prayer Meeting for Peace.
After interventions by Sant’Egidio’s founder, Professor Andrea Riccardi, Italy’s President, Sergio Mattarella, and religious leaders present, the Holy Father gave his address, before all observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the pandemic, wars, terrorism and violence, worldwide.
Subsequently, an appeal for peace was read, and, in keeping with the annual event’s tradition, some children, who received the text of the appeal from the religious leaders, passed it on to ambassadors and political leaders present.
Building on last year’s first World Meeting on Human Fraternity, the Vatican’s Fratelli Tutti Foundation hosts second event with the title “Be Human,” bringing together 30 Nobel Prize winners and leading figures from international organisations for a dialogue on peace.
By Alessandro De Carolis
A round table for peace, with those who have built a piece of it in our recent history, challenging the powers that would muzzle and manipulate the truth; fighting the spread of ordinance such as landmines; fighting for the rights of indigenous people, women and more. And a children’s table, in which Pope Francis will take part, because the world has not yet learned to live the fraternity of which they are the hope.
These will be two of the main moments that will characterise #BeHuman, the second World Meeting on Human Fraternity (WMHF), organised by the Fratelli Tutti Foundation, taking place in Rome on Friday and Saturday, 10-11 May.
Twelve round tables, each focused on a different theme, will engage 30 Nobel Peace Laureates in dialogue with scientists, economists, doctors, businessmen, workers, athletes, and ordinary citizens from various parts of the world. The meetings – all open to the public and some of which will be streamed live – have been set up in various locations throughout the city of Rome.
The goal of the discussions, according to the presentation of the event, is “to look for alternatives to wars and poverty,” with proposals aimed at “understanding where the principle of fraternity is already present in social life and discern the parameters needed to evaluate it.”
Pope Francis will be personally present for the round table with children. Entitled “Children: Future Generation,” the event takes place on Saturday, 11 May, at 5 p.m. and will be streamed live on the various platforms of Vatican Media.
The children’s panel will be the highlight of the various round tables that will have fraternity as their key for reflecting on the environment and businesses, sport and volunteers, information and work, health and digital media, education, local government, and food safety.
The opening of the event, which was also live streamed on Vatican News, saw Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, presenting a speech at the Peace table, surrounded by top representatives of the major international organisations as well as Nobel Prize winners including Dmitrji Muratov, Jody Williams, Tawakkol Karman, Maria Ressa, Leymah Gbowee, Rigoberta Menchù Tum and Muhammad Yunus.
All of them will be received in audience by Pope Francis on Saturday morning, before meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella later in the day.
The World Meeting on Human Fraternity will conclude with a concert on Saturday evening in St Peter’s Square. US country-music icon Garth Brooks, composer Giovanni Allevi, and singers Roberto Vecchioni and Nek will cap off the event with an evening of beauty and music, highlighting the goals set forth by Pope Francis in Fratelli tutti.
In an interview with Vatican News, the Head of NASA, Administrator Bill Nelson, reveals Holy See-US Space collaboration, commends the Vatican’s Observatory for shedding light on the heavens, and shares how space travel teaches valuable lessons about human fraternity.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
“I’m very glad the Vatican is so involved in matters of space, with its Observatory, which says a lot about exploring the heavens.”
In an interview with Vatican News, this was the sentiment expressed by the Head of NASA, Administrator Bill Nelson, who discussed the ongoing collaboration between the US and Holy See in space cooperation, how space exploration contributes to human fraternity, and how Pope Francis’ teachings have set a powerful example for the world.
The world-renowned space expert, who led and trained space missions, also revealed why he is in town to participate in the Vatican’s Human Fraternity #BeHuman meetings this weekend, and how space, offers a valuable lesson for human fraternity.
Administrator Nelson, a former Senator, also traveled to Italy this week as part of NASA’s efforts to strengthen space relationships throughout the world and to support the peaceful exploration of space.
He met with the President of the Italian Space Agency to discuss current and future collaborations, which include the Artemis Campaign to return to the Moon, the International Space Station, the exploration of Mars and Venus, and earth science missions to study our own planet.
***
Q: Administrator Nelson, many may not be aware of the long-standing cooperation between the US and Holy See in space exploration. Could you shed light on the valuable collaboration between the two?
I certainly will. Most people don’t even know about the Vatican Observatory and its interest in space, which goes back to the time of Copernicus and Galileo and then the advancement of science ever since.
Interestingly enough, one of the scientists at the Vatican Observatory is a participant with us at NASA, in our sample return from an asteroid. While the mission is called OSIRIS-REx, we actually returned a sample of an asteroid called Bennu, and that sample, is now at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. It is starting to be examined by the scientists, and one of those scientists, is right here, at the Vatican.
The fact that the Vatican has an Observatory says a lot about exploring the heavens. I remember in Genesis, the first line that was repeated by our astronauts when they orbited the moon for the very first time. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
That was Apollo 8, when they came around the back side of the moon and suddenly saw Earth, and with those words, they spoke back to the people on Earth on Christmas Day in 1968. I’m very glad the Vatican is so involved with its Observatory on matters of space.
Q: You are also in Rome for the Human Fraternity #BeHuman meetings on May 11. Why is this encounter, in your opinion, significant, and why has it attracted your attention and participation?
At the outset, they kindly invited me to make a presentation to the participants, mostly Nobel Peace Prize laureates, about the Earth, and how one perceives it, from space, namely the fact that the Earth is so beautiful, so colorful, and, at the same time, looks so fragile, suspended, in the nothingness of space.
I also observed to them from the matter as an elected official, when I flew in space 38 years ago, that I observed, as I orbited the Earth every 90 minutes, I did not see racial division. I did not see religious division. I did not see political division. When you look back at Earth, you see Earth from the perspective that we are all citizens of planet Earth.
And as they discuss matters of peace, of reconciliation, of human rights in this encounter, they invited me to make some opening comments, which I was glad to do from the perspective of seeing Earth from space.
Q: From your vast experience, which ranges from having trained and flew with the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia, mission STS-61C, the 24th flight of the Space Shuttle, which orbited Earth 98 times over six days, to being the congressional leader for the US space program, advocating to combat climate change, and being a proponent for career training and education programs in science and technology, has there been something in Pope Francis’ teachings that has struck you?
Well, Pope Francis, walks his talk. The two great commands given by Jesus of Nazareth are to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and the second one of the great Commandments is to love your neighbor as yourself. And I think that’s what Pope Francis preaches all the time. He walks his talk.
Q: Administrator Nelson, you have had a busy week. Can you share what has been drawing your attention…
This is the first stop of going on to another country, Saudi Arabia, which has participated with the United States in our space program. As a matter of fact, when I flew on the space shuttle 38 years ago, a Saudi astronaut, Prince Sultan, had flown on the mission just before me. I hope to see him when I’m in Saudi.
Most recently, two Saudi astronauts were flown to the International Space Station, and I will be meeting them as well. But, I wish to encourage the Saudi officials, including their space agency, to continue their cooperation because we are in this unique position where we can bring people together in the civilian space program, together as friends, as colleagues, as partners, in a way that, many times, governments have difficulty, often unable to relate to one another.
Yet we can do this so easily through our civilian space program. It’s illustrative that on the International Space Station, 15 nations participate and are involved with astronauts running, and performing science experiments on the space station. That is an important message I carry.
Under the slogan “Strengthening collaboration for peace and the advocacy of justice in the countries of IMBISA (Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa), delegates from the member conferences met recently in Pretoria, South Africa.
Anastacio Sasembele – Luanda.
In their meeting, the IMBISA Justice and Peace delegates expressed wish to strengthen collaboration between the region’s countries in defending social justice.
Representatives resolved to strengthen justice and peace advocacy in their countries and in the region. They pledged to strengthen relationships between the Church and other regional agencies. In the future, Justice and Peace Commissions would also seek to better approach issues that involve the state and the Church in modern democracies. Strategies and the impact of the Justice and Peace Commissions were shared and discussed.
IMBISA justice and peace delegates
One issue that arose was the need for the Commissions to be preemptive in preventing electoral violence.
President of the IMBISA Episcopal Commissions for Justice and Peace and Bishop of Pemba, Mozambique, António Juliasse Sandramo, expressed concern about the state of democracies in the region and re-echoed his concern about recurring electoral violence in the member countries.
As the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel commemorates its 40th anniversary, Pope Francis urges the Church foster peace and development throughout the West Africa region.
By Sr. Francine-Marie Cooper, ISSM
In a letter sent on Friday to Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Pope Francis extended his greetings to “the representatives of International and National Institutions, and to all the participants commemorating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel.”
The John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel was established by Pope St. John Paul II in 1984, after his first Apostolic Journey to Africa, where he personally saw the tragedy of the populations put to the test by drought and desertification.
“The John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel was established and erected by the saintly Pope, so that his appeal remains an effective sign of the Church’s love for her sons and daughters in West Africa,” Pope Francis wrote.
He reassured that the Holy See “follows with particular interest the Foundation through the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.”
Quoting his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis emphasized that, “external deserts can reflect internal deserts, and ‘the way in which man treats the environment influences the way he treats himself and vice versa’.”
The Holy Father wrote that our every “action of solidarity and responsibility stems from our faith in God the creator and our love for our neighbour.”
“How can we contribute to eliminating or at least alleviating their marginalization and suffering?” he asked.
“The people of God must be at the forefront, always and everywhere, to respond to the silent cry of the countless poor around the world, especially in the Sahel, to give them a voice, to defend them, and to stand in solidarity with them in the face of so much hypocrisy and so many unfulfilled promises.”
Pope Francis called to mind that some countries in the region of West Africa are still suffering various crises that threaten peace and stability, security and development.
“These phenomena related to terrorism, economic precariousness, climate change, and intercommunal strife exacerbate the vulnerability of states and the poverty of citizens, resulting in the migration of youth,” he added.
“This context makes the Foundation’s task increasingly difficult but also increasingly indispensable.”
The Pope reiterated the appeal of his predecessor, Pope St. John Paul II, and asked that all people of good will throughout the world “work for security, justice, and peace in the Sahel!”
And he emphasized: “It is no longer time to wait, action must be taken!”
Every human being has the fundamental right to live in dignity and to fully flourish, Pope Francis recalled.
He concluded the letter by expressing his hope that the “commemoration of the establishment of the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel will identify, promote, and implement, with determination, all the necessary initiatives for the construction of justice and peace for integral and sustainable human development of all the populations of the Sahel.”
Addressing the President and Trustees of the American Merrimack College, Pope Francis stresses the importance of educating young people to build the future in a spirit of solidarity.
By Lisa Zengarini
One of the fundamental aims of education should be to help young people face challenges so they can grow in solidarity, Pope Francis said on Friday.
It is important that young people “be taught to face challenges together” so that every crisis in life “can be transformed into an opportunity for growth,” the Pope said as he welcomedin the Clementine Hall the President and Trustees of the Augustinian-run Merrimack College, Massachusetts.
The Augustinians founded the college in 1947 at the invitation of the then Archbishop of Boston Richard Cushing, as a direct response to the needs and aspirations of local soldiers returning home from the Second World War.
Recalling that since then the college has sought to educate students by drawing inspiration from the Augustinian principle of “cultivating knowledge in order to attain wisdom, as reflected in its motto: “Per scientiam ad sapientiam”, in his address Pope Francis offered a brief reflection on two interrelated aspects of its mission: educating young people to face challenges in order to grow in solidarity.
He noted that its first students had experienced the trauma and the brutality of war and therefore needed “more than academic instruction alone”: “It was necessary to restore in them a sense of meaning, hope and confidence for the future, to enrich their minds, but also to warm their hearts and restore hope for a brighter future.”
“In a word, it was necessary to offer them, through their studies and their life in the College community, a path to a new start,” the Pope said.
“All education passes from the mind to the heart and from the heart to the hands. They are the three languages: the language of the mind, the language of the heart and the language of the hand. Let us think what we feel and do; that you feel what you think and do; let us do what we feel and think.”
Similarly, Pope Francis continued, young people today, faced with new multiple crises, need to be taught to address these challenges together, “not letting themselves be overwhelmed, but rather responding in such a way that every crisis, even when it involves suffering, can be transformed into an opportunity for growth.”
Pope Francis went on to highlight that this personal growth is closely connected to solidarity: “There is a need to train new generations to view difficulties as opportunities, and to aim for a future, not so much of wealth and success, as of love, building a humanism grounded in a spirit of solidarity,” he said.
In this regard the Pope further remarked the importance, in every aspect of education, to guide students “toward the capacity for discernment and decision” in the face of the present process of globalization, which has its negative aspects, “such as isolation, marginalization and the ‘throwaway culture’”, but also positive ones, including its “potential to increase solidarity and to promote equality “
“It is important, in every aspect of education, to reach all those places where education can generate solidarity, sharing, communion.”
“This this is your responsibility, and it is a great one”, Pope Francis concluded, entrusting the Trustees of the Merrimack College to the intercession of the Virgin Mary and Saint Augustine.
At an audience for members of the International Network for Societies for Catholic Theology (INSeCT), Pope Francis proposes three guidelines for contemporary theology: creative fidelity to tradition, a cross-disciplinary approach, and collegiality.
By Christopher Wells
“Theology is indeed a significant and necessary ecclesial ministry,” Pope Francis said on Friday as he met with members of the International Network for Societies for Catholic Theology (INSeCT).
Composed of some thirty member societies and affiliated groups, INSeCT aims at “fostering academic theology and theological research” around the world.
“Theology is indeed a significant and necessary ecclesial ministry.”
In his prepared remarks, Pope Francis noted three reasons why theology is important today.
First, he said, “it is part of our Catholic faith to explain the reason for our hope to all who ask.” The Pope noted that this hope is not an emotion, but the very Person of Jesus Christ.
Then, the “epochal changes” faced by an increasingly pluralistic society must be “critically assessed” in order to foster human fraternity and care for creation.
And third, the rapid progress of science and technology—he offered the example of artificial intelligence—requires us to work toward “a common understanding of what it means to be human.”
The Holy Father went on to suggest three guidelines for theology, beginning with “creative fidelity to tradition.”
“Theology is living,” he insisted, and so must continue to grow and “incarnate the Gospel in every land and in all cultures.”
This requires “a cross-disciplinary” approach, the second guideline, which is not a “fad” but a demand of theology that requires listening to the results of human sciences, and, in return, offering Christian wisdom for their proper development.
The necessary collaboration within theology and among the other sciences is a responsibility that “necessarily calls for “collegiality and synodality.”
Finally, Pope Francis noted that the “service” of theology “cannot be carried out without the recovery of “the sapiential character of theology.” He explained that knowledge must be pursued in the light of wisdom, “uniting faith and virtue, critical reasoning and love.”
“A sapiential theology is thus a theology of love.”
He concluded, “A sapiential theology is thus a theology of love, because ‘whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
Pope Francis receives liturgists from Spain and encourages them in their sanctifying work to bring God’s closeness to all through the sacred Liturgy.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
The sacred liturgy is a personal and communal encounter with God, Pope Francis marveled as he received professors and students of the Athenaeum University of Saint Pacian of Barcelona in the Vatican on Friday.
In his remarks, the Holy Father underscored the incredible value of the liturgy, and recalled his having declared this year ahead of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope as a Year of Prayer.
“It is important,” the Pope stressed, “that in your studies, you reflect on the need to seek this union with the Lord, and on the means that He, through the Church, has given us to achieve it.”
“The liturgy also reminds us,” he underscored, “that this encounter around God belongs to all.”
The Pope went on to underline the importance of the connection between God and man in liturgy.
“Man is for the liturgy because he is for God; but a liturgy, without this union of man with God,” he warned, “is an aberration.” He gave an example: “an abherration, would be a liturgy enslaved to rubricism, which is not conducive to union with God.”
In this context, the Holy Father called on those before him to always epitomize fraternal love and humility, and to embrace the Cross.
Moreover, the Pope stressed the need “to allow ourselves to be shaped by God and touching the open wound of the Lord in the members of his Mystical Body,” before asking them “to work to make our daily liturgy alive, so that it may express, question, and nurture this relationship.”
“In this way,” the Holy Father concluded, “our communities will be tabernacles of God among men.”
Speaking at a conference in Rome on boosting birth rates, Pope Francis says that “The problem is not how many of us there are in this world, but rather what kind of world we’re building.”
By Joseph Tulloch
Pope Francis on Friday addressed the General States of Natality, an annual conference in Rome organised by the Italian government to discuss the country’s declining birth rate.
This year’s meeting had the title “Being there: More youth, more future.”
Pope Francis began his address to the conference by noting that, in the past, there was “no shortage of studies” warning of the dangers of overpopulation.
“I was always struck”, the Pope said, “by how these theses, which are now outdated, talked about human beings as if they were problems.”
Pollution and world hunger, the Pope emphasised, are not caused by the birth of children, but rather by “the choices of those who only think about themselves, the delirium of an unbridled, blind and rampant materialism, and of consumerism.”
“The problem”, Pope Francis noted, “is not how many of us there are in this world, but rather what kind of world we’re building.”
He went on to note that, in Italy – which has one of the lowest birthrates in Europe – the average age is now 47 years old. The Pope warned that the country, like the rest of Europe, is “slowly losing its hope in tomorrow”.
“The Old Continent,” Pope Francis said, “is becoming an elderly continent.”
Pope Francis with participants in the conference
The Pope recommended two solutions to the crisis, one institutional and the other social.
“At the institutional level,” he said, “there is an urgent need for effective policies, courageous, concrete and long-term choices, to sow today so that children can reap tomorrow. A greater commitment is needed from all governments, so that the younger generations are put in a position to realise their legitimate dreams.”
It is also important, the Pope added, to promote “a culture of generosity and intergenerational solidarity”.
This would involve, he said, “reconsidering habits and lifestyles” and “renouncing what is superfluous”, in order to “give the youngest hope for tomorrow.”
The Pope then moved on to consider the topic of hope, addressing his words on the subject to young people in particular.
“I know that for many of you,” he said, “the future may seem ominous, and that amidst the collapse in the birth rate, wars, pandemics and climate change it is not easy to keep hope alive.”
“But do not give up,” the Pope urged them, “have faith, because tomorrow is not something inescapable: we build it together.”
Towards the end of his speech, the Pope laid his prepared remarks to one side and spoke off-the-cuff on the subject of society’s treatment of the elderly.
“Lonely grandparents, discarded grandparents: this is cultural suicide”, he said.
“The future is built by the young and the old, together,” the Pope continued. “Please, when talking about the birth rate, which is the future, let us also talk about grandparents, who are not the past, but help the future.”
“Have children, lots of them,” Pope Francis concluded, “but also look after your grandparents.”
Pope Francis with participants in the conference
In this week’s news from the Eastern Churches, produced in collaboration with L’Œuvre d’Orient, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Sacred Fire Ceremony in Jerusalem, Europeans hold an ecumenical prayer service, and Islamic extremists attack two villages in Egypt.
This week’s News from the Orient:
On Holy Saturday evening according to the Julian calendar, as every year, Orthodox Christians celebrated the Sacred Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
No pilgrims were present at this year’s celebration, however, due to tensions in the region.
For two millennia, on the occasion of Orthodox Easter, a flame miraculously ignites on the tomb of Christ.
This fire is then spread among the faithful present and transmitted to various churches around the world, such as in Iraq where the flame arrived at the Monastery of Mar Mattai.
Sunday, May 5, marked the Seventh Day of Eastern Christians.
Dozens of celebrations took place in Poland, Switzerland, England, Belgium, Monaco, and France.
At St. Sulpice Church in Paris, Mass was celebrated by Bishop Rafic Nahra, auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Each year since 2018, at the initiative of the Œuvre d’Orient, the 6th Sunday after Easter marks a day of prayer, encounter, and communion between Eastern Christians and Latin Christians.
On April 23 and 26, hundreds of Islamic extremists attacked the villages of Al-Kouhm Al-Ahmar and Al Fawakher, in southern Egypt.
They sought to prevent the construction of evangelical Christian religious buildings.
Houses were looted and burned and several Christians were beaten.
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