ZENIT in Roswell, Georgia, United States "Pope Decries Turkey Attack During Angelus..." for Wednesday, 29 June 2016

ZENIT in Roswell, Georgia, United States "Pope Decries Turkey Attack During Angelus..." for Wednesday, 29 June 2016
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Pope Decries Turkey Attack During Angelus by Deborah Castellano Lubov

“May the hearts of the violent be converted.”
Pope Francis said this to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square today during his Angelus address, as he reflected on the horrific terrorist attack yesterday in Turkey’s main international airport.
Prior to the address, the Pope celebrated the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul during a Mass held in St. Peter’s Basilica, where he invested the pallium on 25 metropolitan archbishops from around the world.
“Last night, in Istanbul, a brutal terrorist attack was committed, which killed and injured many people,” he said. “We pray for the victims, for their families and for the dear Turkish people,” he said, calling for those present to join him in saying a Hail Mary.
“May the Lord convert the hearts of violent and sustain us in the way of peace,” he prayed.
When suicide bombers struck the Ataturk Airport yesterday, at least 41 people were killed and about 239 people wounded. According to officials, it is believed Islamic State militants are behind the attack.
After making this plea, Francis recalled an international conference on responsible investment with a social impact, entitled: “Making the Year of Mercy a Year of Impact for the Poor.”
The three-day Impact Investing Conference, June 26-28, concluded yesterday in Rome. It was hosted by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, in conjunction with Catholic Relief Services, and welcomed business and Catholic leaders from around the world to discuss how to harness the power of impact capital to sustain the Catholic Church’s social mission.
“May private investment, together with public, may help overcome poverty of so many marginalized people,” he prayed.
The Bishop of Rome then turned his attention to the city’s patrons: “My greeting now goes mainly to the faithful of Rome, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Patrons of the City!”
For this anniversary of Rome, he noted that the the “Pro Loco” organization has promoted the traditional Flower Festival, created by several artists and volunteers of the Civil Service.
“Thank you for this initiative and for the beautiful floral representations! And I want to remember also a fireworks show that takes place tonight in Piazza del Popolo, with proceeds going to support charitable works in the Holy Land and in Middle Eastern countries.”
As is customary, Pope Francis concluded wishing everyone good lunch, a happy feast day, and telling them to not to forget to pray for him.
***
On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full Angelus Address: https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-the-feast-of-saints-peter-and-paul/
Pope Speaks on Prayer’s Transforming Powers on Feast of Saints Peter and Paul by Deborah Castellano Lubov

Prayer enables grace to open a way out from closure to openness, from fear to courage, from sadness to joy. Moreover, when we pray, God hears us and works even through the ‘small openings.’
Pope Francis stressed this to the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica to celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul this morning. He presided over the Mass, which was present the Delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Holy Father also invested the pallium on 25 Metropolitan archbishops, including American Monsignor Bernard Anthony Hebda, Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, present at the celebration. The pallium, a woolen cloak that is a sign of their office, is made from the wool of lambs blessed by the Pope on the Feast of St. Agnes.
During his homily, Pope Francis greeted the delegation sent by the Ecumenical Patriarch, whom he met with yesterday in an audience at the Apostolic Palace. After welcoming the delegation, the Holy Father reflected on today’s readings, which recalled Peter’s release from prison by an angel.
The Jesuit Pope observed that the Word of God in today’s liturgy presents a clear central contrast between closing and opening. The reading from the Acts of the Apostles (12:1-11), he noted, shows three examples of “closing:” Peter being cast into prison; the community gathering behind closed doors in prayer; and Peter knocking at the closed door of the house of Mary, the mother of John called Mark, after being set free.
Prayer as ‘Key’ of Liberation
In all three, Francis noted, prayer appears as the main ‘way out.’
“It is a way out for the community, which risks closing in on itself out of persecution and fear.” It is a way out for Peter who, at the very beginning of the mission, was cast into prison by Herod and risks execution. Noting how the Church “prayed fervently to God for him” (Acts 12:5), the Lord responds to that prayer and sends his angel to liberate Peter.
“Prayer, as humble entrustment to God and his holy will, is always the way out of our becoming “closed”, as individuals and as a community,” Francis said.
The Pontiff recalled that Paul too, when writing to Timothy, speaks of his experience of liberation, specifically of finding a way out of his own impending execution. Paul, Francis noted, affirms that the Lord stood by him and gave him strength to carry out the work of evangelizing the nations.
*We can see the whole life of the Apostle,” the Pope said, “in terms of “going out” in service to the Gospel. Paul’s life was utterly projected forward, in bringing Christ to those who did not know him, and then in rushing, as it were, into Christ’s arms, to be “saved for his heavenly kingdom” (v. 18).
Then the Pope return to discussing Peter and stressed that Jesus shows us that his life, “– like the life of each of us – opens, opens up fully, when it receives from God the Father the grace of faith.”
While Simon, fisherman of Galilee sets out on his long and difficult journey, he is led to “go out of himself, leaving all his human supports behind, especially his pride tinged with courage and generous selflessness.”
Francis recalled Jesus’ decisive prayer for Simon: “I have prayed for you , that your own faith may not fail” (Lk 22:32), and His likewise compassionate gaze after Peter had denied him three times.
“At that moment,” he said, “Simon Peter was set free from the prison of his selfish pride and fear, and overcame the temptation of closing his heart to Jesus’s call to follow him along the way of the Cross.”
Detail Worthy of Consideration
Francis then pointed out to those gathered that, in the continuation of the passage from the Acts of the Apostles, there is a detail “worthy of consideration (cf. 12:12-17),” specifically when Peter finds himself miraculously freed from Herod’s prison, goes to the home of the mother of John called Mark, but the servant who is in disbelief hearing his knock, runs to tell her mistress, instead of opening the door to him.
“The account, which can seem comical,” he noted, “makes us perceive the climate of fear that led the Christian community to stay behind closed doors, but also closed to God’s surprises.
This detail, he also said, “speaks to us of a constant temptation for the Church, that of closing in on herself in the face of danger. But we also see the small openings through which God can work.”
Saint Luke tells us that in that house “many had gathered and were praying” (v. 12). Prayer enable grace to open a way out from closure to openness, from fear to courage, from sadness to joy. And we can add: from division to unity.
Francis also acknowledged how today is also a celebration of communion for the whole Church, evidenced by the presence of the metropolitan archbishops who have come for the blessing of the pallia, which they will receive from the Pontiff’s representatives in their respective sees.
Concluding his homily, Pope Francis prayed, “May Saints Peter and Paul intercede for us, so that we can joyfully advance on this journey, experience the liberating action of God, and bear witness to it before the world.”
***
On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full Text of Pope’s Homily: http://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-homily-for-the-feast-of-saints-peter-and-paul-2
Pope Francis’ Homily for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul by ZENIT Staff

Here is the Vatican provided translation of the Pope’s homily during the Mass of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, which was celebrated at St. Peter’s Basilica this morning.
* * *
The word of God in today’s liturgy presents a clear central contrast between closing and opening. Together with this image we can consider the symbol of the keys that Jesus promises to Simon Peter so that he can open the entrance to the kingdom of heaven, and not close it before people, like some of the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees whom Jesus reproached (cf. Mt 23:13).
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles (12:1-11) shows us three examples of “closing”: Peter is cast into prison; the community gathers behind closed doors in prayer; and – in the continuation of our reading – Peter knocks at the closed door of the house of Mary, the mother of John called Mark, after being set free.
In these three examples of “closing”, prayer appears as the main way out. It is a way out for the community, which risks closing in on itself out of persecution and fear. It is a way out for Peter who, at the very beginning of the mission given him by the Lord, is cast into prison by Herod and risks execution. While Peter was in prison, “the church prayed fervently to God for him” (Acts 12:5). The Lord responds to that prayer and sends his angel to liberate Peter, “rescuing him from the hand of Herod” (cf. v. 11). Prayer, as humble entrustment to God and his holy will, is always the way out of our becoming “closed”, as individuals and as a community.
Paul too, writing to Timothy, speaks of his experience of liberation, of finding a way out of his own impending execution. He tells us that the Lord stood by him and gave him strength to carry out the work of evangelizing the nations (cf. 2 Tim 4:17). But Paul speaks too of a much greater “opening”, towards an infinitely more vast horizon. It is the horizon of eternal life, which awaits him at the end of his earthly “race”. We can see the whole life of the Apostle in terms of “going out” in service to the Gospel. Paul’s life was utterly projected forward, in bringing Christ to those who did not know him, and then in rushing, as it were, into Christ’s arms, to be “saved for his heavenly kingdom” (v. 18).
Let us return to Peter. The Gospel account (Mt 16:13-19) of his confession of faith and the mission entrusted to him by Jesus shows us that the life of Simon, the fishermen of Galilee – like the life of each of us – opens, opens up fully, when it receives from God the Father the grace of faith. Simon sets out on the journey – a long and difficult journey – that will lead him to go out of himself, leaving all his human supports behind, especially his pride tinged with courage and generous selflessness. In this, his process of liberation, the prayer of Jesus is decisive: “I have prayed for you [Simon], that your own faith may not fail” (Lk 22:32). Likewise decisive is the compassionate gaze of the Lord after Peter had denied him three times: a gaze that pierces the heart and brings tears of repentance (cf. Lk 22:61-62). At that moment, Simon Peter was set free from the prison of his selfish pride and fear, and overcame the temptation of closing his heart to Jesus’s call to follow him along the way of the Cross.
I mentioned that, in the continuation of the passage from the Acts of the Apostles, there is a detail worthy of consideration (cf. 12:12-17). When Peter finds himself miraculously freed from Herod’s prison, he goes to the home of the mother of John called Mark. He knocks on the closed door and a servant by the name of Rhoda comes. Recognizing Peter’s voice, in disbelief and joy, instead of opening the door, she runs to tell her mistress. The account, which can seem comical, makes us perceive the climate of fear that led the Christian community to stay behind closed doors, but also closed to God’s surprises. This detail speaks to us of a constant temptation for the Church, that of closing in on herself in the face of danger. But we also see the small openings through which God can work. Saint Luke tells us that in that house “many had gathered and were praying” (v. 12). Prayer enable grace to open a way out from closure to openness, from fear to courage, from sadness to joy. And we can add: from division to unity. Yes, we say this today with confidence, together with our brothers from the Delegation sent by the beloved Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to take part in the celebration of the Holy Patrons of Rome. Today is also a celebration of communion for the whole Church, as seen by the presence of the metropolitan archbishops who have come for the blessing of the pallia, which they will receive from my representatives in their respective sees.
May Saints Peter and Paul intercede for us, so that we can joyfully advance on this journey, experience the liberating action of God, and bear witness to it before the world.[Original text: Italian] [Vatican-provided translation]
How Strange Is the Cross by Bishop Robert Barron

Fleming Rutledge’s The Crucifixion is one of the most stimulating and thought-provoking books of theology that I have read in the past 10 years. Both an academic and a well-regarded preacher in the Episcopal tradition, Rutledge has an extraordinary knack of cutting to the heart of the matter. Her book on the central reality of the Christian faith is supremely illuminating, a delight for the inquiring mind – and man, will it ever preach. There is so much of value in this text that I have decided to dedicate a number of articles to analyzing it. For the purposes of this initial interpretive foray, allow me to focus simply on two themes that run through the entire book and that ought to shape any Christian’s understanding of the cross: the sheer strangeness of the crucifixion and the weight of sin.
Rutledge indicates a New Testament text that most Christians pass over without noticing how deeply peculiar it is, namely, Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for the Jew first and then Greek.” It would be hard to imagine the Buddha or Mohammed or Confucius implying that his doctrine is something that might appear shameful to people. But this is precisely what the Apostle Paul insinuates about what he calls his gospel (good news). Why would anyone think that good news might be a matter of shame? Well, because this good news centers around someone who had been put to death on a Roman cross – and it would be difficult to imagine anything in the ancient Mediterranean world that was more horrific than dying in such a manner.
The problem, of course, is that we are the inheritors of centuries of artwork and piety that present the cross as a moving, or even saccharine, religious symbol. We wear it as jewelry, and we hang it on the walls of our homes as a harmless decoration. But for the men and women of Jesus’ time, death by crucifixion was not only painful; it was brutally de-humanizing, humiliating, and shaming. A person condemned to this manner of execution would be stripped naked (the loin cloths on most depictions of the crucified Jesus are not historically accurate), nailed or tied to a cross-bar fitted into a stake, and then left for hours, or in many cases days, to suffer the excruciating (ex cruce, literally from the cross) pain of very slowly asphyxiating while rocking up and down on wounded hands and feet in order to respirate. The mocking of the crucified, which is frankly described in the Gospels, was part and parcel of the execution. The pathetic figure pinioned to his instrument of torture and exposed in the most brutal and demeaning manner; he was meant to be insulted. When at long last the tortured criminal died, his body was allowed to remain on the cross for days, permitting animals to pick over his remains. Jesus’ rapid burial was exceptional, a favor specially offered to Joseph of Arimathea, a high-ranking Jewish official. We can clearly see why Cicero referred to crucifixion, with admirable laconicism, as the summum suplicium (the unsurpassable punishment).
To be sure, the Gospel proclaimed by the first Christians involves the glorious resurrection, but those initial evangelists never let their hearers forget that the one who had been raised was none other than the one who had been crucified. Paul goes so far as to tell the Corinthians, who had perhaps given in to too much realized eschatology, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” So the question was – and remains – why would God’s salvation of the human race have to include something as horrifying as crucifixion? Why would the Son of God have to endure not only death, but as Paul eloquently specifies, “death on a cross”?
The question neatly conduces to the second of Rutledge’s points that I should like to explore, namely, the seriousness of sin. We live in a time when the human predicament is regularly denied, explained away, or ignored. “I’m okay and you’re okay,” we tell one another, and we bask in the culture’s reassurance that “I am beautiful in every single way.” Despite the massive counter-evidence from the moral disasters of the last century, we are still beguiled by the myth of progress: With just enough technical advancement, psychological insight, and personal liberation, we will solve our problems. On such a reading of the human condition, all we need is a good teacher, a guru with brilliant spiritual insights, or a stirring moral exemplar to stir us to self-actualization. And if things go wrong, a blithe word of forgiveness should set them right.
But with this sort of stupidity and superficiality the Bible has no truck. The Scriptural authors understand sin not so much as a series of acts, but as a condition in which we are stuck, something akin to an addiction or a contagious disease. No amount of merely human effort could possibly solve the problem. Rather, some power has to come from outside of us in order to clean up the mess; something awful has to be done on our behalf in order to offset the awfulness of sin.
With this Biblical realism in mind, we can begin to comprehend why the crucifixion of the Son of God was necessary. The just rapport between God and human beings could not be re-established either through our moral effort or with simply a word of forgiveness. Something had to be done – and God alone could do it. With this line of thought, Rutledge comes close to the much maligned speculation of St. Anselm of Canterbury, and I should like to make her brilliant recovery of Anselm the subject of my next article. In the meantime, I can’t urge you more strongly to pick up her book and read it with care.
Bishop Robert Barron is an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.
Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Case of Pharmacists Who Don’t Want to Sell Abortion Pills by Kathleen Naab

Just after striking down part of a Texas law to protect women’s health during abortion procedures, the US Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear a case brought by pharmacists in Washington who do not want to sell morning-after and week-after abortion pills.
The Washington law mandates pharmacy owners and pharmacists to sell the abortifacients, rather than allowing them to refer customers to nearby pharmacies.
Senior Counsel Kristen Waggoner of Alliance Defending Freedom protested the Court decision.
“All Americans should be free to peacefully live and work consistent with their faith without fear of unjust punishment, and no one should be forced to participate in the taking of human life,” she said. “We had hoped that the U.S. Supreme Court would take this opportunity to reaffirm these long-held principles. The state of Washington allows pharmacists to refer customers for just about any reason—except reasons of conscience.
“Singling out people of faith and denying them the same freedom to refer is a violation of federal law. All 49 other states allow conscience-based referrals, which are fully supported by the American Pharmacists Association, the Washington Pharmacy Association, and 36 other pharmacy associations. Not one customer in Washington has been denied timely access to any drug due to a religious objection. As the trial court found, the government designed its law for the ‘primary—if not sole—purpose’ of targeting religious health care providers. We are disappointed that the high court didn’t take this case and uphold the trial court’s finding.”
Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Clarence Thomas, dissented from the denial and would have agreed to hear the case.
Excerpt from the dissent:
“This case is an ominous sign. At issue are Washington State regulations that are likely to make a pharmacist unemployable if he or she objects on religious grounds to dispensing certain prescription medications. There are strong reasons to doubt whether the regulations were adopted for—or that they actually serve—any legitimate purpose. And there is much evidence that the impetus for the adoption of the regulations was hostility to pharmacists whose religious beliefs regarding abortion and contraception are out of step with prevailing opinion in the State. Yet the Ninth Circuit held that the regulations do not violate the First Amendment, and this Court does not deem the case worthy of our time. If this is a sign of how religious liberty claims will be treated in the years ahead, those who value religious freedom have cause for great concern…. Ralph’s has raised more than ‘slight suspicion’ that the rules challenged here reflect antipathy toward religious beliefs that do not accord with the views of those holding the levers of government power. I would grant certiorari to ensure that Washington’s novel and concededly unnecessary burden on religious objectors does not trample on fundamental rights.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.
Canada’s Euthanasia Law Said to Show Government’s, Society’s ‘Utter Failure’ to Care for the Vulnerable by Kathleen Naab

As euthanasia became legal across Canada this month, the leader of the nation’s bishops released Monday a statement in response to the decision.
Bishop Douglas Crosby of Hamilton said the legislation shows forth the “utter failure of government, and indeed all society, to care truly, authentically and humanely for the suffering and vulnerable in our midst,” and this in a society that faces high suicide rates in some communities.
“Declaring physician-assisted suicide a ‘right’ is not true caring and not humane in the least,” he affirmed. “It is ultimately a false act of mercy, a distortion of kindness to our fellow man/woman.”
Here is the full statement:
The recent approval of Bill C-14, which legalizes euthanasia and assisted suicide in our country, stands as an appalling landmark decision to the utter failure of government, and indeed all society, to care truly, authentically and humanely for the suffering and vulnerable in our midst.
We live in a country where the vast majority of the dying cannot access quality palliative or home care, where rates of suicide in many Indigenous communities are staggeringly high, and where it is suggested that the lives of vulnerable, chronically ill and disabled persons are not worth living. Paradoxically, and most unfortunately, our society has now enshrined in law that killing is a respectable way to end suffering. Our country’s growing inability to recognize the sanctity of human life is staggering and deeply troubling.
No institution, person, ideology or legislation is entitled to threaten or undermine the sacredness of both the dignity of each individual person and the very gift of life itself. We are called, as a community of compassionate individuals, to respect and protect the continuum of life from conception to natural death, honouring a vision of the human person in his/her present earthly existence as well as life beyond the grave. Catholics and indeed all people of good will have a moral and societal obligation to protect the vulnerable, comfort the suffering, and accompany the dying. The Bishops of Canada hope and pray that with all our Catholic brothers and sisters and our fellow Canadians, each of us and our society may experience a greater conversion of heart so as to recognize the image of God so profoundly imprinted on every human life, whatever that person’s state, level of comfort or degree of productivity and societal contribution.
The intentional taking of any human life – be it an elderly person, a child, a vulnerable adult, an embryo, a dying person – is truly a grave and morally unjustifiable act. Our society needs to reject all offenses against life itself: murder, genocide, suicide, abortion, euthanasia, and physician-assisted dying. The purposeful termination of human life via a direct intervention is not a humane action whatsoever. We ought to look instead to minimizing the pain and suffering of the dying and those who are tempted to end their lives, not eradicate their existence. Let us strive to help the sick and incapacitated find meaning in their lives, even and especially in the midst of their suffering. Let us comfort those facing terminal illness or chronic conditions through our genuine presence, human love and medical assistance. Let us, as a society and as individuals, choose to walk with them, in their suffering, not contribute to eliminating the gift of life.
Declaring physician-assisted suicide a “right” is not true caring and not humane in the least. It is ultimately a false act of mercy, a distortion of kindness to our fellow man/woman. The new legislation seems to insinuate that a human being, a person, ceases to be a person and loses his/her very dignity simply because of a loss or diminishment of a number of physical and mental capacities. It is untrue. What is true is that our own humanity is weakened when we fail to care for the weak and dying, and when we purposefully fall short of considering them, with all their ailments and limitations, as persons worthy of life. True human compassion invites us to share the other’s pain, the other’s journey – it is not meant to do away with the person. Physician-assisted suicide is an affront to what is most noble, most precious in the human endeavour and a grave injustice and violation of the dignity of every human person whose natural and inherent inclination is indeed the preservation of life. We ought to surround our sick and dying, our vulnerable and disabled, with love and attention, with care and true life-giving compassion. This is why palliative care continues to be undeniably the only moral, effective and much needed alternative, the only compassionate choice, now that our country has embarked upon this perilous road.
Saint Joseph, patron of Canada and patron of a good death, pray for us.
(Most Rev.) Douglas Crosby, OMI
Bishop of Hamilton
President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
June 27, 2016
Bishops Appointed for Malang and Hiroshima by ZENIT Staff

Pope Francis has appointed Carmelite Fr. Henricus Pidyarto Gunawan as bishop of Malang, Indonesia.
The 60-year-old was born in Malang, Indonesia, in 1955, gave his religious vows in 1981 and was ordained a priest in 1982.
He holds a licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblicum Institute, Rome, and a degree in biblical theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome.
He succeeds Bishop Joseph Sahadat Pandoyoputro, O. Carm., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
The Diocese of Malang has a population of some 16.3 million people, with around 83,000 Catholics. They are served by some 145 priests and 1,200 religious.
Japan
The Pope also appointed Fr. Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama of the Society of Priests of St. Sulpice as bishop of Hiroshima, Japan.
The 54-year-old was born in Kamigoto, Japan, in 1962 and was ordained a priest in 1990. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Keio University of Tokyo, Japan, and a licentiate in liturgy from the Institut Catholique de Paris, France. He is currently rector of the National Catholic Seminary of Japan in Fukuoka.
The Diocese of Hiroshima has a population of some 7.6 million with about 21,000 Catholics. They are served by some 60 priests and 245 religious.
Church Leaders in Texas Denounce Court’s Abortion Decision by ZENIT Staff

Leaders of the Church in Texas spoke out this week regarding Monday’sSupreme Court ruling striking down a Texas law that aimed to protect women seeking abortion.
The Texas Catholic Conference noted the support of Texans for the law. “Its main purpose is to secure surgical center, health and safety standards for women seeking an abortion,” a report on the conference web site noted. ” Their lives are as precious as those of their children.”
“Surgical abortion is an invasive procedure that poses numerous and serious medical complications. The state has a legitimate interest in ensuring the maximum level of safety for the woman subjected to the procedure and that viable emergency care is available if complications such as hemorrhage, infection, uterine perforation, blood clots, cervical tears, or allergic reactions occur. It is irresponsible for physicians to perform this procedure without being able to provide follow-up treatment for the associated complications.
“This ruling allows abortion doctors to continue to provide abortion in Texas without providing the needed safety provisions at clinics or follow-up care in hospitals. The Catholic Church in Texas, in communion with millions of Catholics across America and the world, will continue its efforts to protect life and human dignity from conception to natural death.”
Meanwhile, the archbishop of Houston, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, said the Court ruling “is putting the lives of women at great risk.”
“The Church has long been aware that abortion has significant deleterious effects on women. Psychological damage resulting from loss of a child to abortion is a frequent occurrence, having long-term adverse consequences not only for mothers but for entire families. There can be no serious argument that these complications –physical, psychological and spiritual – do not occur,” he said.
“We as a Church remain dedicated to providing women with options reflecting the true human dignity of both herself and her child and to shepherding those women and men who suffer following abortion. We will continue to work towards the affirmation of each human life in our society and our world.”
ANGELUS ADDRESS: On the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul by ZENIT Staff

Here is a ZENIT translation of Pope Francis’ address before and after the recitation of the Angelus, to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
* * *
BEFORE THE ANGELUS
Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!
Today we celebrate the feast of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, praising God for their preaching and their testimony. The Church of Rome is founded on the faith of these two Apostles, which has always venerated them as Patrons. However, it is the whole universal Church that looks at them with admiration, considering them two columns and two great lights that shine not only in the sky of Rome, but in the heart of believers of the East and West.
In the account of the mission of the Apostles, the Gospel tells us that Jesus sent them two by two (cf. Matthew 10:1; Luke 10:1). In a certain sense, Peter and Paul were also sent from the Holy Land to Rome to preach the Gospel. They were two men who were very different from one another: Peter a “humble fisherman,” <and> Paul a “teacher and doctor,” as today’s Liturgy states. However, if we know Jesus here at Rome, and if the Christian faith is a living and fundamental part of the spiritual patrimony and of the culture of this territory, it is due to the apostolic courage of these two sons of the Near East. Out of love for Christ, they left their homeland and, heedless of the difficulties of the long trip and of the risks and diffidence that they would meet, they came to Rome. Here they made themselves heralds and witnesses of the Gospel among the people, and they sealed their mission of faith and charity with martyrdom.
Today Peter and Paul return ideally among us, they go over the streets of this city, knock on the door of our homes, but especially of our hearts. Once again they want to bring Jesus, His merciful love, His consolation <and> His peace. Let us receive their message! Let us make a treasure of their testimony! The pure and solid faith of Peter, the great and universal heart of Paul will help us to be joyful Christians, faithful to the Gospel and open to an encounter with all.
This morning, during the Holy Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica, I blessed the pallia of the Metropolitan Archbishops from different countries, appointed this past year. I renew my greeting and best wishes to them, their relatives and all those who accompanied them on this pilgrimage; and I encourage them to continue joyfully their mission at the service of the Gospel, in communion with the whole Church and, especially, with the See of Peter, as in fact the sign of the pallium expresses.
In the same celebration, I received with joy and affection the members of the Delegation that came to Rome in the name of the Ecumenical Patriarch, most beloved brother Bartholomew. This presence is also a sign of the existing fraternal bonds between our Churches. We pray that the bonds of communion and common witness may be increasingly reinforced.
To the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani, we entrust today the whole world and, in particular, this city of Rome, that it may always find in the spiritual and moral values of which it is rich, the foundation of its social life and of its mission in Italy, in Europe and in the world.[Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]
AFTER THE ANGELUS
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Last night, a brutal terrorist attack was carried out at Istanbul, which killed and wounded many persons. We pray for the victims, for their relatives and for the dear Turkish people. May the Lord convert the hearts of the violent and support our steps on the path of peace.
Ave Maria …
The International Conference on responsible investments with a social impact, entitled “Make of the Year of Mercy a Year of Impact for the Poor,” concluded a short time ago. May private investments in unison with public <investments>, foster the overcoming of the poverty of so many marginalized persons.
A warm greeting goes to you all, families, parish groups, Associations and individual faithful from Italy and from many parts of the world, especially from Spain, Ukraine and China. I greet the students of the Catholic schools of London and of the United States of America, and the Sisters of USMI of Lombardy.
My greeting today goes above all to the faithful of Rome, on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Patrons of the city! For this occasion the “Pro Loco” of Rome has promoted the traditional <Floral Embellishment>, made by several artists and by volunteers of the Civil Service. Thank you for this initiative and for the beautiful floral representations! And I wish to remember also the pyrotechnic show that will take place this evening at Piazza del Popolo, the proceeds of which will go to support works of charity in the Holy land and in countries of the Middle East.
I wish everyone a happy feast. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and see you soon![Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]
Msgr. Vigano Speaks on Progress of, Vision for Vatican Communications Reform by ZENIT Staff

The Prefect of the Secretariat for Vatican Communications, Monsignor Dario Eduardo Viganò, has given a run-down of the work accomplished in the past 12 months and looks ahead to a new vision.
In an interview with Vatican Radio’s Alessandro Gisotti, one year after the publication of the “Motu Proprio” with which Pope Francis established the new Vatican Secretariat for Communication charged with reforming Vatican media, the prefect stressed that the Pope himself and Council of Cardinals is very interested in the progress of the communications’ reforms.
The media reform involves all the Vatican media outlets including the daily newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, Vatican Radio, CTV, the LEV publishing house, and the Vatican Press Office.
Discussing the progress made this year, Msgr. Viganò noted it has been an intense, but “fascinating” time that has seen some 400 people involved in over 140 meetings in an effort to understand the existing potential and to draw up new projects. He explained that some of these have resulted in investing in professional training or permitted other staff members to pursue master degrees in business administration and communications.
The Pope himself and the Council of Cardinals, the so-called ‘C9’, the prefect commented, were extremely interested in their last meeting at the beginning of June to be updated on how the reform is proceeding. He noted they spoke about the numbers, given that “the Cardinals will have to take responsibility for some of the decisions” to be made.
In the interview, Msgr. Viganò made an observation following the Secretariat’s in-depth analysis of the organizations that make up Vatican media.
“It’s like a motor that has everything and yet does not work efficiently; instead of producing energy it produces only heat and ends up overheating and stalling. Here we have a motor; we want it to function properly so that it can go fast, so that it can put on the breaks, so that it can overtake when needed,” he said.
Discussing the unification of Vatican Radio and CTV, Msgr. Viganò noted that an imminent reality will be a ‘repositioning’ and an ‘empowerment’ of the Radio’s “105 Live” local radio broadcasts because it is important for the radio dimension to remain and for people to be able to continue to listen to Vatican Radio in Italian.
However he says it will possibly feature news broadcasts in other languages as well.
“As Fr. Lombardi mentioned on the occasion of the Radio’s 80th anniversary, Vatican Radio is no longer a radio station” he said.
The different language programs, Msgr. Viganò explained, will be the ‘beating heart’, the protagonists of the ‘hub content’ of the new portal with a slew of multi-linguistic and multi-cultural programs with text content and audio that will be offered via podcasts.
During the Q & A, the Italian monsignor stressed that there are clear indications in the Pope’s “Motu Proprio,” that place the current digital culture at the center of the reform and change the perspective into a “User first” one that challenges us.
He also highlighted that some 85% of the population use mobile devices to connect to media. The Pope’s “Motu Proprio”, he says, is “an invitation to leave behind the arrogance of a unidirectional mode of communication” and to realize that we are called to bring the message of the Gospel to men and women of today who are immersed in new media.
Regarding the technical aspects of the reform and the presentation of the new multi-media internet portal, Msgr. Viganò pointed out that “it’s all very well to have a new portal with better software, more options, etc., but the real reform takes place behind the scenes”. He described the portal as the tip of an iceberg of a system in which everything will be produced by a concerted team effort.
“We must learn to put our personal experience aside and put ourselves humbly in the position of learning because humility is the necessary way to approach the reform.”
The new portal itself will feature videos, podcasts, images, print articles and live radio, which he said will provide advantages for those who listen, watch, or read us, namely that “they will no longer be confused or ‘cannibalized’ by turning to us.”
Claiming that “we have been inexistent for the public”, he lamented that when Francis was elected Pope most people consulted Wikipedia to discover who Jorge Mario Bergoglio was and says there is much work to be done regarding web reputation and positioning.
“We must become ‘the source’ for Vatican and Papal news – not the official source (that’s the Press Office) but an important source,” Msgr. Viganò said.
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