Morning Homily: Pope Contrasts Restlessness Made by Holy Spirit and Anxiety Caused by Unclean Conscience... from ZENIT of Roswell, Georgia, United States for Thursday, 22 September 2016

Morning Homily: Pope Contrasts Restlessness Made by Holy Spirit and Anxiety Caused by Unclean Conscience... from ZENIT of Roswell, Georgia, United States for Thursday, 22 September 2016
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Morning Homily: Pope Contrasts Restlessness Made by Holy Spirit and Anxiety Caused by Unclean Conscience by ZENIT Staff

There is a restlessness in the soul that comes from the Holy Spirit and another that comes from an unclean conscience, Pope Francis said today at morning Mass in the Casa Santa Marta.
According to Vatican Radio, the Pope spoke of this good and bad anxiety, drawing from the account of Herod’s state after he killed John the Baptist:
The Gospel of the day describes King Herod (Antipas) as being perplexed or anxious because, having had John the Baptist killed, he now felt threatened by Jesus. He was worried just as his father, Herod the Great, was troubled after the visit of the Magi. There can be two different kinds of anxiety in the soul, the Holy Father said, a “good” anxiety, which “the Holy Spirit gives us” and which “makes the soul restless to do good things”; and a “bad” anxiety, “that which is born from a dirty conscience.” The two Herods tried to resolve their anxiety by killing, going forward over “the bodies of the people”:
These people who had done such evil, who do evil and have a dirty conscience and cannot live in peace, because they live with a continual itch, with a continual rash that does not leave them in peace… These people have done evil, but evil always has the same root, any evil: greed, vanity, and pride. And all three do not leave the conscience in peace; all three do not allow the healthy restlessness of the Holy Spirit to enter, but bring you to live like this: anxiously, with fear. Greed, vanity, and pride are the roots of all evils.
Vanity, the osteoporosis of the soul
The day’s first Reading, taken from Ecclesiastes, speaks about vanity:
The vanity that makes us swell up. The vanity that does not have long life, because it is like a soap bubble. The vanity that does not give us true gain. What profit comes to the person for all the effort he puts into worrying? He is anxious to appear, to pretend, to seem. This is vanity. If we want to speak simply: vanity is covering up real life. And this makes the soul sick. Because in the end, if they cover up their real life in order to appear or to seem a certain way, all the things they do to pretend… What is gained? Vanity is like an osteoporosis of the soul: the bones seem good on the outside, but within they are totally ruined. Vanity makes us a fraud.
A face like an image in a picture, but the truth is otherwise
It’s like con men who “mark the cards” in order to win, the Pope continued. But “this victory is a fiction, it’s not true. This is vanity: living to pretend, living to seem, living to appear. And this makes the soul restless.” Pope Francis recalled the strong words Saint Bernard had for the vain: “Think of what you will be: food for worms.” Following on the saint’s thought, the Pope said, “All this ‘putting make-up’ on life is a lie, because the worms will eat you and you will be nothing.” What power does vanity have? he asked. Driven by pride to wickedness, it does not allow you to see your mistakes, “it covers everything, everything is covered”:
How many people do we know that appear one way: ‘What a good person! He goes to Mass every Sunday. He makes great donations to the Church.’ This is how they appear, but the osteoporosis is the corruption they have within. There are people like this – but there are also holy people! – who do this. This is vanity: You try to appear with a face like a pretty picture, and yet your truth is otherwise. And where is our strength and security, our refuge? We read it in the psalm between the readings: ‘Lord, you have been our refuge from generation to generation.’ And before the Gospel we recalled the words of Jesus: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ This is the truth, not the cosmetics of vanity. May the Lord free us from these three roots of all evil: greed, vanity, and pride. But especially from vanity, that makes us so bad.[From Vatican Radio]
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Readings provided by the US bishops’ conference:
Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 452
Reading 1 ECCL 1:2-11
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
What profit has man from all the labor
which he toils at under the sun?
One generation passes and another comes,
but the world forever stays.
The sun rises and the sun goes down;
then it presses on to the place where it rises.
Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north,
the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.
All rivers go to the sea,
yet never does the sea become full.
To the place where they go,
the rivers keep on going.
All speech is labored;
there is nothing one can say.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing
nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.What has been, that will be;
what has been done, that will be done.
Nothing is new under the sun.
Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!”
has already existed in the ages that preceded us.
There is no remembrance of the men of old;
nor of those to come will there be any remembrance
among those who come after them.
Responsorial Psalm PS 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 AND 17BC
R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Alleluia JN 14:6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 9:7-9
Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.
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Pope’s Address to Italian Journalists by ZENIT Staff

Pope Francis received in audience today the National Council of the Order of Journalists. After an address by the Prefect of the Secretariat for Communication, Monsignor Dario E. Vigano and of the President of the Order, Enzo Iacopino, the Pope delivered the following address to those present.
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Distinguished Gentlemen and Ladies,
I thank you for your visit. In particular, I thank the President for the words with which he introduced our meeting. I also thank the Prefect of the Secretariat for Communication for his words.
There are few professions that have so much influence on society as journalism does. The journalist has a role of great importance and, at the same time, of great responsibility. In some way you write the “first draft of history,” constructing the agenda of the news and introducing persons to the interpretation of events. And this is so important. The times change and the way of working of the journalist also changes. Though the printed paper or television lose relevance in respect to the new media of the digital world – especially among young people – when journalists have professionalism, they remain an important pillar, a fundamental element for the vitality of a free and pluralist society. In face of the changes in the world of media, the Holy See has also lived and is living a process of renewal of the communicative system, of which you also should benefit; and the Secretariat for Communication will be the natural reference point for your valuable work.
Today I would like to share with you a reflection on some aspects of the journalistic profession, and how it can serve for the betterment of the society in which we live. It is indispensable for all of us to pause to reflect on what we are doing and on how we are doing it. In the spiritual life, this often assumes the form of a day of retreat, of deeper interior reflection. I think that in the professional life there is also need of this, of a bit of time to pause and reflect. This is certainly not easy in the journalistic realm, a profession that lives with constant “delivery times” and “expiration dates.” But at least for a brief moment, we will try to reflect a bit on the reality of journalism.
I will pause on three elements: to love the truth, something essential for all, but especially for journalists; to live with professionalism, something that goes well beyond laws and regulations; and to respect human dignity, which is much more difficult that one might think at first sight.
To love the truth does not only mean to affirm it but to live it, to witness it with one’s work — to live and work, therefore, with coherence in regard to the words that one uses for a newspaper article or a television service. The question here is not to be or not be a believer. The question here is to be or not to be honest with oneself and with others. Relationship is the heart of every communication. This is all the more true for one who makes of communication his metier. And no relation can stand and last in time if it rests on dishonesty. I realize that in today’s journalism – an uninterrupted flow of facts and events reported 24 hours a day, and seven days a week – it is not always easy to arrive at the truth, or at least to come close to it. In life not all is white or black. In journalism also, it is necessary to be able to discern between the shades of grey of the events that one is called to report. The political debates, and even many conflicts, are rarely the outcome of clear, distinctive dynamics, where we recognize clearly and unequivocally who is wrong and who is right. The confrontations are sometimes clashes; at bottom, they are born in fact from the difficulties of synthesis among the different positions. This is the work, we can also say the mission – at the same time difficult and necessary – of the journalist: to come as close as possible to the truth of the facts and never say or write something that one knows, in conscience, is not true.
Second element: to live with professionalism means first of all – beyond what we can find written in deontological codes – to understand, to interiorize the profound meaning of one’s work. From here stems the need not to subject one’s profession to the logics of partisan interests, whether economic or political. A task of journalism, I dare say its vocation is, therefore – through attention, care in seeking the truth – to have man’s social dimension grow, to foster the building of true citizenship. In this perspective of a wide horizon, therefore, to operate with professionalism means not only to respond to the concerns, though legitimate, of a category but to have at heart one of the architraves of the structure of a democratic society. It must always make us reflect that, in the course of history, dictatorships – of whatever orientation or “color” – have always sought not only to control the means of communication, but also to impose new rules on the journalistic profession.
And third: to respect human dignity is important in every profession, and in a particular way in journalism, because behind the simple reporting of an event there are also sentiments, emotions, and, in short, the life of individuals. I have often spoken of gossip as “terrorism,” about how one can kill a person with the tongue. If this is true for individual persons, in the family or at work, it is all the more true for journalists, because their voice can reach all, and this is a very powerful weapon. Journalism must always respect a person’s dignity. An article is published today and, tomorrow, it will be replaced by another, but the life of a person unjustly defamed can be destroyed forever. Criticism is certainly legitimate, and I will say more, necessary, as is the denunciation of evil, but this must always be done respecting the other, his life, his affections. Journalism cannot become a “weapon of destruction” of persons and even of peoples. Nor must it fuel fear in face of the changes and phenomenons such as migrations forced by war and famine.
I hope that increasingly and everywhere journalism is an instrument of construction, a factor of common good, an accelerator of processes of reconciliation, which is able to reject the temptation to foment clashes, with a language that blows on the fire of divisions, and, instead, that it foster the culture of encounter. You journalists can remind all every day that there is no conflict that cannot be resolved by women and men of good will.
I thank you for this meeting. I wish you every good for your work. May the Lord bless you. I accompany you with my prayer and my sympathy, and I ask you, please, to pray for me. Thank you.
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]
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UN Groups Host Those Who Protest Church Teaching on Sexuality; Catholic Scholars Respond by ZENIT Staff

United Nations groups on Tuesday hosted a presentation by scholars who are trying to undermine Church teaching on sexuality and Humanae Vitae. A much larger group of Catholic scholars immediately responded.
The dissident Wijngaards Institute released a statement with the presentation at the UN, held in the context of the 50th anniversary of Humanae Vitae, which will be in 2018.
Immediately afterward, the Catholic scholars presented their own statement, which can be read here: http://trs.cua.edu/humanae-vitae/
A video of the release of the Catholic scholars’ statement can be viewed here: http://livestream.com/accounts/21588401/events/6377650
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Some Muslims a Real Threat, So Education and Dialogue Even More Important, Says Archbishop by ZENIT Staff

“No one should dismiss the real threats that some Muslims who embrace a radical ideology, such as the members of the Islamic State, present to people of all faiths. That is why it is now even more important to promote ongoing encounter, dialogue and education between our two great faith traditions.”
This is the assertion made by Archbishop Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, Catholic co-chairman of the National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue, in a statement issued Wednesday.
The statement regards the report Danger & Dialogue: American Catholic Public Opinion and Portrayals of Islam, recently published by Georgetown University’s Center for Muslim – Christian Understanding.
The full statement follows.
A Statement from Archbishop Blase J. Cupich
Catholic Co-Chairman of the National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue
The report “Danger & Dialogue: American Catholic Public Opinion and Portrayals of Islam,” recently published by the Bridge Initiative, a research project on Islamophobia based in Georgetown University’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim – Christian Understanding, raises serious questions about how Catholics view their Muslim brothers and sisters.
The findings demonstrate the urgent need to cultivate positive dialogue with members of other faith traditions, something that was strongly advocated by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council in their document Nostra Aetate.
Experience has shown that when people of different faith traditions build personal relationships and engage in dialogue to learn about one another; they develop the capacity to work together; and they come to appreciate the positive elements in one another’s traditions.
Conversely, when there is no attempt to learn more about one another, we see an increase in the tendency to be negative about those who are different from ourselves.
This diminishes all of us, as we face increasing incidents of religious intolerance across the globe.
No one should dismiss the real threats that some Muslims who embrace a radical ideology, such as the members of the Islamic State, present to people of all faiths.
That is why it is now even more important to promote ongoing encounter, dialogue and education between our two great faith traditions.
It is incumbent upon Catholics to recognize and raise up the positive voices from the Muslim world who clearly reject violence by practicing and teaching an Islam of peace, compassion and mercy. As Nostra Aetate teaches, with them we should “make common cause of safeguarding and fostering social justice, moral values, peace and freedom.”
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Vatican Backs Those Concerned About Antibiotic Resistance by ZENIT Staff

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, addressedWednesday a high-level meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance at the UN headquarters in New York during the General Assembly.
He spoke about an increasing resistance to antibiotics and current medical methods and reminded world leaders of the need to leave no one behind in regard to universal health care access.
Here is the full address:
21 September 2016
Mr. President,
The Holy See shares the deep concern repeatedly expressed by the United Nations General Assembly and by the governing bodies of the relevant Specialized Agencies with regard to the prevalence and impact of antimicrobial resistance in all parts of the world. With tens of thousands of health care centers and institutions of higher medical education in many parts of the world, the Catholic Church is deeply and extensively engaged in health care and in preventive health education.
Thus the Holy See is keenly aware of the catastrophic situation that could develop if effective measures to control this global health threat are not adequately taken by the international community, and thus calls for the enhancement of infection prevention and control, including good sanitation and hygiene both in health care settings and in communities. Experts have pointed to the interrelated causes of this complex public health challenge. These causes include inappropriate use of antimicrobial medicines in human, animal, food, agriculture and aquaculture sectors; lack of access to health care services, including diagnostics and laboratory tests; and the contamination of soil, water and crops with antimicrobial residues.
In this regard, Pope Francis has warned that “the degree of human intervention, often in the service of business interests and consumerism, is actually making our earth less rich and beautiful, ever more limited and grey, even as technological advances and consumer goods continue to abound limitlessly.” [1] The Political Declaration rightfully points out that antimicrobial resistance makes it more difficult to safeguard the health and well-being of people most vulnerable to life-threatening infections, especially women giving birth, newborns, patients with certain chronic diseases, and those undergoing chemotherapy or surgery. Insufficient attention seems to be paid, however, to those who are socially and economically deprived, including the poor, marginalized and minority populations, refugees, migrants, and those internally displaced. Their lack of access to quality health care drives them to buy medicines on informal markets, where they are vulnerable to being sold false or counterfeit products.
Mr President,
My Delegation earnestly hopes that public health measures, medical research and diagnostic development will provide accessible and equitable solutions leading to, as Pope Francis has emphasized, “a genuine service… to care for our common home and the integral development of persons, especially those in greatest need”. [2]
On behalf of these hundreds of millions of people who have no access to health care and are most susceptible to diseases related to antimicrobial resistance, the Holy See appeals to the International Community to take their concerns and basic needs into greater consideration, without viewing them as burdens supported merely out of duty, or as problems raised as an afterthought. [3] Leaving no one behind means giving greater attention to these persons who are left farthest behind.
Thank you, Mr. President.
[1] Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, 34.
[2] Pope Francis, Address during Visit to the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya, 26 November 2015. [3] Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, 49.
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Bishops: Let’s Not Forget SE Asia in Talk of Refugee Crisis by ZENIT Staff

As the United Nations General Assembly holds its refugee summit in New York, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Migration & Refugee Services has released a report assessing the refugee crisis in Southeast Asia.
While the Syrian and Central American migration situations have recently been in the spotlight, Burma /Myanmar’s decades-long refugee crisis prompted a trip to the region also including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia. The USCCB Migration & Refugee Services delegation met with unaccompanied children, refugees, victims of human trafficking, local governments, Catholic and faith-based non-governmental organizations, and community leaders to better understand the humanitarian crisis and what can be done.
Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, auxiliary bishop of Seattle and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, who led the delegation said, “This trip was eye-opening for me. I join my brother bishops in the Burma region and elsewhere to pray for peace and continued reform and rebuilding in the country. I pray for continued protection, humanitarian assistance, and pursuit of durable solutions for all those who are displaced.”
The report comes at an important time for Burma, after six decades of being ruled by a military regime. Burma now has a democratically elected government. Some of the findings throughout the region include:
– A special focus is needed on the Rohingya refugees challenge. Most of them suffer the vulnerabilities of being forcibly displaced, being stateless and thus targets of human rights violations and discrimination, and being victims of human smuggling or trafficking. Yet their plight is not addressed by either the national election or by the ethnic negotiations with the government.
– There is a disturbing pattern of human trafficking of refugees and migrant workers throughout the region. In the last three years, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over 170,000 people –Bangladeshis and Rakhine State Muslims from Bangladesh and Myanmar– have resorted to dangerous sea journeys across the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea at the hands of human smugglers and traffickers.
– Those seeking refuge in temporary shelters in Thailand continue to experience a reduction in humanitarian support, including reduced food rations. Urban refugees in Malaysia also have serious humanitarian and protection concerns.
– Increased numbers of Pakistani Christians seeking refuge in Thailand and Malaysia, who now constitute some 40 percent of all UNHCR refugees in Bangkok, are also in dire need of protection and durable solutions, as are Montagnard Christians from Vietnam who have fled to Thailand. Syrians, Iraqis, and Iranians who have fled to Malaysia are additionally experiencing difficulty finding protection and building new lives. And Indonesia has become a collection area for refugees who were turned away from seeking refuge in Australia.
The U.N. General Assembly and the U.S. co-sponsored Leaders’ Refugee Summit take place September 19-20. The report and the summits are focusing on the need for shared responsibility by the international community to address this unprecedented crisis and the hope for all refugees to someday return to their homelands.
The group’s findings and recommendations are detailed in Moment of Decision: Seeking Durable Solutions in Southeast Asia, which can be found at: www.usccb.org/about/migration-policy/fact-finding-mission-reports/upload/Moment-of-Decision.pdf.
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Bishop Named Coadjutor of Alexandria, Louisiana by ZENIT Staff

Pope Francis has named Bishop David P. Talley, auxiliary of Atlanta, as coadjutor of Alexandria, Louisiana.
The Diocese of Alexandria has a population of some 380,000 with about 37,000 Catholics. They are served by around 75 priests, 20 permanent deacons and 40 religious.
David P. Talley was born in Columbus, Georgia, on September 11, 1950. He pursued seminary studies at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Indiana and was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 1989.
He pursued post-graduate studies, 1993-1998, at the Gregorian University in Rome, where he was awarded a doctorate in canon law in 1998. In 2001, Pope John Paul II named him a prelate of honor with the title of monsignor.
Bishop Talley was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta on January 3, 2013, and was ordained a bishop on April 2, 2013.
The appointment as coadjutor bishop confers on Bishop Talley, 66, the right to succession of Bishop Ronald P. Herzog, current bishop of Alexandria. Bishop Herzog is 74.
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The Holy Father also named Archbishop Kurian Mathew Vayalunkal, apostolic nuncio in Papua New Guinea, as apostolic nuncio in the Solomon Islands.
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Church Mourns Chinese Prelate Who Spent Decades Under Arrest by ZENIT Staff

On 7 September, at the age of 88, Bishop Vincent Zhu Weifang of Wenzhou (Yongjia) in the province of Zhejiang, continental China, returned to the house of the Father.
The prelate was born on 10 December 1927 in the village of Yang’ao, district of Yongjia. In 1939, at the age of twelve, he entered the minor seminary of St. Vincent in the diocese of Ningbo, after which he continued his formation in the major seminaries of Ningbo, Jiaxing, Fuzhou and Shanghai. He was ordained a priest on 6 October 1954 n the Church of Xujiahui in Shanghai by Msgr. Ignatius Gong Pinmei, S.J.
In July 1955 he began to exercise his ministry in the parish of Qianku in Wenzhou. Some months after he was arrested and sentenced to sixteen years of re-education through labour. Following his liberation in 1971 he was arrested and underwent checks on several occasions on account of his faith. From 1988 he was able to work openly in the parishes of Cangnan and Pingyang in Wenzhou, building up the faithful with his witness. He also paid attention to the female diocesan Congregation of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. During the period of detention, he had contributed to the work of evangelisation, offering the Lord all the effort of forced labour “as a fragrant sacrifice”.
In November 2007 he was appointed as bishop of Wenzhou. He was ordained on 10 January 2009 but was unable to take possession of the diocese until 23 December 2010. From that moment, despite his advanced age, he assumed his important pastoral responsibility by working with great passion. As a bishop, he spared no effort in safeguarding the rights and interests of the Church, earning great esteem among all the faithful.
The diocese of Wenzhou (Yongjia) has more than 140,000 Catholics; it has around 50 priests, mostly young, and more than 100 women religious, active in care for the sick, the elderly and families, and in the work of evangelisation.
Bishop Zhu’s funeral was held on 13 September.
In accordance with canon law, Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin, coadjutor of the same diocese, succeeds the deceased prelate.
However, according to AsiaNews, Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin was arrested and taken out of the diocese in early September.
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24th Marian International Congress Concludes in Fatima by William A. Thomas

The 24th Mariological Marian International Congress was held at the Blessed Pope Paul VI Pastoral Centre in Fatima from the 6th to the 11th of September 2016 under the theme The Fatima event a hundred years later. History, message and relevance, and presided by the Special Envoy of the Holy Father, His Eminence Cardinal Jose Antonio Saraiva Martins, Prefect emeritus of the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. The Congress was to integrate the initiatives promoted by the Shrine of Fatima in order to celebrate the first centennial of the apparitions of Fatima 1917-2017.
The Pontifical Marian International Academy (PAMI) in unison with the Sanctuary of Fatima invited the 500 delegates made up of specialists, and scholars in Mariology from around the world to study the series of apparitions which occurred in Fatima and to see the results of the rigorous and critical updated study of the inherent documentation of the events.
The Pontifical Academy along with the Sanctuary of Fatima have just published a selection of the critical documentation of Fatima from 1917 to 1930.
The congress through its major speakers attempted to delineate some of the consequent signs in order to deepen the message because of its dense contents, and which represents a “prophecy” full of hope for the Church, for humanity and the contemporary world. This intense work of interpretation, confrontation and updating is conducted in the light and based on the reports presented by several specialists during the general sessions as well as on the concepts proposed during the group works, divided by their various language groups. Bishop Antonio Marto who also attended the Congress summed up the proceedings saying, The relationship that Fatima has with world, history, the Church and political history “allows for Fatima to be spoken of as a major and dramatic event in the Church and world. Naturally the apparitions of our Lady of Fatima cannot be viewed as a fifth Gospel equal to the four Gospels. … They are an echo of the Gospels which helps the faith and maintain hope in the Church and world in these dramatic times; which is part of the function of private revelation. Above all they are … a light shining on world history, in order that we do not despair.
A total of 7 major conferences were given, the first by Professor Marco Daniel Duarte, the historian and director of the study and the diffusion department of the Sanctuary of Fatima. He sought to present the epistemology of Fatima, by listening, telling, reading and interpreting Fatima in the course of a century. The second conference was given by Father Luciano Coelho Cristino who presented the Critical Edition of the Fatima Documentation 1917-1930. Professor Cristina Sobral of the Faculty of Letters at the University of Lisbon presented her paper on the critical study of the ‘Memoirs of Sister Lucia.’ The fourth conference was presented by the Japanese religious Sister Luca Maria Ritsuko Oka, on the Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in response to the call of Our Lady in Fatima in 1917. Father Franco Manzi gave the penultimate conference on the Theological Content of the message of Fatima and its authentic interpretation. Father Antonio Escudero, Professor of Mariology at the Pontifical Salesian University of Rome presented the last of the major conferences on the “Aspects of Mariology emerging from the sources of Fatima”
A total of 117 minor papers were presented at the various afternoon workshops in 10 different languages. At the conclusion of which a round table forum was chaired by Father Salvatore Perrella OSM, President of the Pontifical Marianum in Rome and by Father Vincent Battaglia OFM, President of PAMI.
Each day a special sung mass was celebrated by the many bishops who attended the congress and by more than 100 priests. At the conclusion of the Congress, all participants were consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the rosary basilica.
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Council of Europe Rejects Surrogacy Resolution by ZENIT Staff

The Committee on Social Affairs, Health, and Sustainable Development of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, meeting in Paris, voted on Wednesday to reject a proposal authored by Belgian Senator Dr. Petra De Sutter which called for the facilitation of surrogacy agreements.
“Surrogacy places the desires of adults above the needs of children and is an inherently exploitive practice,” said Alliance Defending Freedom International Director of EU Advocacy Sophia Kuby. “There is clear support among parliamentarians for a full ban on this multi-billion Euro, cross-border business.”
De Sutter’s report called for measures which would have required states to give effect to private surrogacy arrangements. Surrogacy is a practice whereby children are transferred from their birth mother to other parties, often in exchange for large sums of money. The practice has been criticized by many human rights organisations and was condemned in a 2011 resolution of the European Parliament as an “exploitation of the female body and her reproductive organs” that treats “women and children…as commodities on the international reproductive market…. [T]hese new reproductive arrangements, such as surrogacy, augment the trafficking of women and children and illegal adoption across national boarders.”
De Sutter’s proposals have been highly controversial. Many members of the committee have raised concerns about a conflict of interest given De Sutter’s connection with surrogacy clinics in India and regular comments to the media in favor of surrogacy.
“I was very disappointed that Dr. De Sutter’s report failed to criticize the human rights abuses involved in surrogacy,” said Sir Jeffery Donaldson MP, a member of the United Kingdom delegation, who participated in the debate in Paris. “The report was largely silent on the dangers of surrogacy; therefore, the committee was right to reject her resolution. Surrogacy is never in the best interests of either children or women.”
Referring to the next full meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in October, he continued, “When we meet in Strasbourg, I and my committee colleagues will seek to persuade representatives from across Europe that the best way to protect women and children from exploitation is a full ban on all forms of surrogacy.”
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is composed of 324 parliamentarians in 47 delegations from the national parliaments of each of the Council of Europe’s member states. The Council of Europe, based in Strasbourg, France, is an international organization, formed in 1949 with the purpose of upholding human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. The Council of Europe oversees the European Court of Human Rights.
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Statute for Communications Secretariat Published Today by ZENIT Staff

The Statute of the Secretariat for Communication, instituted by Pope Francis with the Motu Proprio “The current context of communications” of 27 June 2015, was published today.
The Statute, signed in the Vatican on 6 September, will enter into force this coming 1 October.
For the Italian text of the document, please consult:
http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2016/09/22/0665/01499.html
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Pope Francis Gives 2 Verbs of Mercy at General Audience... from ZENIT of Roswell, Georgia, United States for Wednesday, 21 September 2016
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Pope Francis Gives 2 Verbs of Mercy at General Audience by Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Francis has given faithful the two verbs of mercy, stressing that for fulfillment in life, we are called to forgive and give.
During this morning’s General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, while reflecting on Luke’s Gospel (6: 36-38) on mercy which inspired the Jubilee Year’s motto: ‘Be merciful as your father is merciful,’ Francis stressed this is “not a slogan for effect, but a life commitment.”
Francis recalled that in the Sermon on the Mount, which opens with the Beatitudes, the Lord teaches that perfection consists in love, and reminded those present that St. Luke explicitly explains that perfection is the merciful love: ‘to be perfect means to be merciful.’
“A person who is not merciful is perfect?” the Pope asked. “No!”
“A person who is not merciful is good? No!” he continued, clarifying that goodness and perfection are always rooted in mercy.
Realistic for Us?
“Of course, God is perfect.” the Pope said, noting that even if we humans are not capable of reaching absolute perfection, our being merciful is all that God expects from us. “He urges us to be as He is, full of love, compassion, mercy.”
“But I wonder: Are the words of Jesus realistic? Is it really possible to love as God loves and be merciful like Him?”
The Jesuit Pope noted that if we look at the history of salvation, we see that the whole revelation of God is a ceaseless and untiring love for mankind, and that Jesus’ death on the Cross is the culmination of the love story between God and man.
Francis admitted that only God can accomplish a love so great, and that, “It is clear that, compared to this love that has no measure, our love will always be at fault.”
“But when Jesus calls us to be merciful as the Father,” Francis continued, “He does not think the amount! He asks his disciples to become sign, channels, witnesses of his mercy.”
Jesus, the Pope explained, wishes that His Church is a sacrament of God’s mercy in the world, at any time and for all mankind.
“Every Christian, therefore, is called to be a witness of mercy, and this happens in the path of holiness,” Francis said, urging: “Think of how many saints have become merciful, for they are left to fill the heart of the divine mercy.”
2 Verbs of Mercy
The Pope then said that we do ought to ask ourselves: ‘What it means for the disciples to be merciful?’ He responded that Jesus has already given us the answer, that lies in living out two verbs: forgiving and giving.
Mercy is expressed, first of all, in the forgiveness: “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.”(v. 37)
“Jesus does not intend to pervert the course of human justice, however, He reminded His disciples that to have fraternal relations, one must suspend judgments and sentences. Forgiveness,” he noted, “is the pillar that holds up the life of the Christian community, because it shows the gratuitousness with which God has loved us first.”
“The Christian must forgive! But why? Why he was forgiven. All of us who are here today, in the square, we have been forgiven. None of us, in life, had no need of God’s forgiveness. And because we have been forgiven, we must forgive.”
Judging and condemning the brother who sins, the Pope said, is wrong. “Not because I do not want to recognize sin, but because in condemning the sinner, the bond of fraternity with him breaks.’
“We have the power to condemn our erring brother, [but] we are not above him: we have rather a duty to recover the dignity of a child of the Father and accompany him on his journey of conversion.”
‘The Measure’
The Pope then discussed how Jesus has given us a second pillar: ‘giving.’ Francis reminded them of Jesus’ advice: “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. (v. 38)”
Noting how God gives far beyond our merits, Francis noted that He will be even more generous to those on earth who were generous to others.
“Jesus does not say what will happen to those who do not donate, but the image of the “measure” is a warning: with the measure that we take, we can determine how we will be judged…’
Merciful love, Pope Francis underscored, is the only way forward.
“We must forgive, be merciful, live our life in love. This love enables Jesus’ disciples not to lose the identity received from Him, and to recognize themselves as sons of the same Father. But do not forget this: mercy and blessing; forgiveness and gift. In this way, the heart enlarges, it widens in love. Instead selfishness, anger, make the little heart, which hardens like a stone.”
“What do you prefer?” Pope Francis concluded asking. “A heart of stone and a heart full of love? If you prefer a heart full of love, be merciful!”
‘Remember’ Those With Alzheimers
Following his catechesis and his greetings in various languages, the Holy Father recalled the XXII World Alzheimer Day, which takes place today, on the theme “Remember me,” and urged all faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square to remember those who are affected by the disease and their families.
Pope Francis prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus, for their care and tenderness, in making those with Alzheimers feel the closeness of all those praying for them.
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full text of general audience: https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-be-perfect-merciful-as-your-heavenly-father-is-perfect-merciful/
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General Audience: Be Perfect (Merciful) as Your Heavenly Father Is Perfect (Merciful) by ZENIT Staff

Here is a ZENIT translation of Pope Francis’ address at this morning’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!
We heard the passage of Luke’s Gospel (6:36-38) from which the motto of this Extraordinary Holy Year is taken: Merciful as the Father. The complete expression is: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (v. 36). It is not a slogan for effect, but a commitment of life. To understand this expression well, we can compare it with the parallel one in Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus says: “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:48). In the so-called Sermon on the Mount, which opens with the Beatitudes, the Lord teaches that perfection consists in love, fulfillment of all the precepts of the Law. In this same perspective, Saint Luke specifies that perfection is merciful love: to be perfect means to be merciful. Is a person who is not merciful perfect? No! Goodness and perfection are rooted in mercy. God is certainly perfect. However, if we consider Him in that way, it becomes impossible for men to strive to that absolute perfection. Instead, having Him before our eyes as merciful enables us to understand better in what His perfection consists and it spurs us to be like Him, full of love, of understanding and of mercy.
But I wonder: are Jesus’ words realistic? Is it really possible to love as God loves and to be merciful as He is?
If we look at the history of salvation, we see that the whole of God’s revelation is an incessant and tireless love for men: God is like a father or a mother who loves with unfathomable love and pours it out abundantly on every creature. Jesus’ death on the cross is the summit of God’s history of love for man. A love that is so great that only God can realize it. It is evident that, compared to this love that has no measure, our love will always be defective. However, when Jesus asks us to be merciful as the Father, He does not think of the quantity! He asks His disciples to become sign, channels, and witnesses of His mercy.
And the Church cannot but be the sacrament of mercy of God in the world, at all times and towards the whole of humanity. Hence, every Christian is called to be a witness of mercy, and this happens on the path of holiness. We think of the many Saints that became merciful because they let their heart be filled by divine mercy. They gave flesh to the Lord’s love, pouring it out on the many needs of suffering humanity. In this flowering of so many forms of charity it is possible to perceive the reflections of the merciful face of Christ.
We ask ourselves: What does it mean for disciples to be merciful? Jesus explains it with two verbs: “forgive” (v. 37) and ‘give” (v. 38).
Mercy is expressed, first of all, in forgiveness: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven” (v.37). Jesus does not intend to subvert the course of human justice, however, He reminds the disciples that to have fraternal relations it is necessary to suspend judgments and condemnations. Forgiveness, in fact, is the pillar that governs the life of the Christian community, because in it is shown the gratuitousness of the love with which God loved us first. A Christian must forgive! — but why? Because he has been forgiven. All of us who are here, today, in the Square, have been forgiven. No one, in his life, has not been in need of God’s forgiveness. And because we have been forgiven, we must forgive. We recite it every day in the Our Father: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,” that is, forgive the offenses, forgive many things, because we have been forgiven so many offenses, so many sins. And so it is easy to forgive: if God has forgiven me, why should I not forgive others? Am I greater than God? This pillar of forgiveness shows us the gratuitousness of the love of God, who loved us first. It is a mistake to judge and condemn a brother that sins, not because one does not want to recognize the sin, but because to condemn the sinner breaks the bond of fraternity with him and scorns God’s mercy, who, instead, does not want to give up on any of His children. We do not have the power to condemn our brother who errs; we are not above him: instead we have the duty to restore him to the dignity of a child of the Father and to accompany him on his journey of conversion.
To His Church, to us, Jesus indicates a second pillar: “give.” To forgive is the first pillar; to give is the second pillar. “Give, and it will be given to you […] For the measure you give will be the measure you get back” (v. 38). God gives well beyond our merits, but He will be even more generous with all those who on earth were generous. Jesus does not say what will happen to those that do not give, but the image of the “measure” constitutes an admonition: with the measure of love we give, it is we ourselves who decide how we will be judged, how we will be loved. If we look well there is a coherent logic: in the measure that one receives from God, one gives to a brother, and in the measure in which one gives to a brother, one receives from God!
Therefore, merciful love is the only way to go. How much need we all have of being more merciful, of not running down others, of not judging, of not “plucking” others with criticisms, envies and jealousies. We must forgive, be merciful, live our life in love. This love enables Jesus’ disciples to not lose the identity received from Him, and to recognize themselves as children of the same Father. Thus, in the love they practice in life, that Mercy is reverberated that will have no end (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:1-12). But do not forget this: mercy and gift; forgiveness and gift, thus the heart widens, it widens in love. Instead, egoism and anger render the heart small, which hardens like a stone. What do you prefer, a heart of stone or a heart full of love? If you prefer a heart full of love, be merciful![Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]
In Italian
I give a warm welcome to the Italian-speaking pilgrims. I am happy to receive the faithful of the Dioceses of Asqui, Grosseto, Nola, Sessa Aurunca and Tortona, accompanied by their respective Bishops, and the Major Inter-Diocesan Seminary of Udine, Trieste and Gorizia, accompanied by the Archbishop, Monsignor Mazzocato: I hope that the Jubilee pilgrimage and the crossing of the Holy Door will nourish faith in you, give new impetus to hope and render charity fruitful with ever more earnest attention to the needs of needy brothers.
I greet the participants in the course promoted by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross; the Municipal Council of Taranto with the Archbishop, Monsignor Santoro; the directors of the Houses of Divine Providence of Italy and the Montfort Missionaries, observing the third centenary of the birth in Heaven of their founder, Saint Louis Marie de Montfort. May the visit to the Tombs of the Apostles foster in all the sense of belonging to the ecclesial family.
A special greeting goes to young people, the sick and newlyweds. Today is the feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist. May his conversion be an example to you, dear young people, to live life with the criteria of the faith; may his meekness sustain you, dear sick, when your suffering seems unbearable; and may his following of the Savior remind you, dear newlyweds, of the importance of prayer in the matrimonial itinerary you have undertaken.[Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]
The Holy Father’s Appeal
Observed today is the 23rd World Alzheimer’s Day, whose theme is “Remember Me.” I invite all those present to “remember” with Mary’s solicitude and the merciful Jesus’ tenderness all those who are affected by this disease and their families, to have them feel our closeness. We also pray for persons who are at the side of the sick, able to take up their needs, including the most imperceptible, because they are seen with eyes full of love.[Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]
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Bishop Barron Reports From ‘Baby Bishop School’ by Bishop Robert Barron

For the past week, I have been sequestered at the Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum in Rome, an institution about five miles west of St. Peter’s Basilica. I’m here for the Formation for New Bishops’ program, more colloquially known as “Baby Bishop School.” My colleagues are about 150 other bishops from around the world who have been appointed in the last twelve months.
The accommodations are fairly Spartan: my room reminds me of my quarters in the college seminary, the bed is about two and a half feet wide, and there is no air conditioning. The meals, however, are tasty, and the conversations even tastier. In the course of the week, I’ve interacted with bishops from France, Canada, Venezuela, Iceland, Australia, Ireland, England, Mexico, Ghana, Tanzania, and Guatemala. And I’ve been compelled to use all my linguistic skills—which are only okay—moving from English to decent French to mediocre Spanish to terrible Italian.
The typical day begins with a combined Mass and Morning Prayer, beautifully sung by a choir of seminarians. The principal celebrant and preacher at the Liturgy is a prominent Archbishop or Cardinal from the Roman Curia. We were graced by the presence of Cardinal Oullet (head of the Congregation for Bishops), Cardinal Parolin (the Vatican Secretary of State), Archbishop Fisichella (head of the dicastery for the New Evangelization), and Cardinal Amato (prefect of the Congregation for Saints), among others. After breakfast, we gather in the auditorium for a formal presentation on some aspect of episcopal ministry. For example, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, the Archbishop of Bordeaux, gave a lively talk on the bishop as father, brother, and friend to his priests; Monsignor Lucio Ruiz, from the Secretariat for Communications, offered his reflections on the new media in relation to evangelization; and Fr. Franco Imoda, former rector of the Gregorian University shared his thoughts on the rapport between psychological development and spiritual commitment. There were also talks on administration, canon law, and the reform of the Roman Curia under Pope Francis. I tried my best to follow the lecture in whatever language it was offered, but I usually got a bit tired and resorted to the simultaneous translation in English. (There was an indefatigable team of translators working around the clock in a special booth in the back of the auditorium).
After the formal talks, we would repair for a half-hour break and then move into what the Italians call circoli minori (small groups), arranged according to language. This gave me a chance to mingle with my fellow American bishops, men from Brooklyn, Dallas, Boston, Tulsa, Washington, D.C., Metuchen, and Superior, Wisconsin—as well as bishops from India, Canada, and Ireland. During these discussions, we applied the theory to our particular situations, and to be honest, had a lot of laughs too. After a little siesta—a lovely tradition that should be adopted immediately in the United States—we would pray evening prayer and then settle in for another talk and discussion. This would be followed by dinner and then, commencing at 9:15 PM, a final session. It made for a long day.
On Wednesday, it was announced that the late evening session would involve short talks from representative bishops from every corner of the world. I confess that I thought, “Oh, those poor men who have to give a talk on such short notice” and that I had more or less resolved to skip that segment. Showing that God has a sense of humor, Cardinal Ouellet approached me at the 5:00 PM break and asked me to give the presentation on the Church in America! Well, it turned out to be a very stimulating event. Besides myself, seven other bishops spoke, and they told us about churches struggling against secularist ideology, churches growing by leaps and bounds, churches under dire persecution, and churches struggling to be born. It was an extraordinarily vivid demonstration of the universality and catholicity of the Church born from the wounded side of Jesus and perduring across vast expanses of space and time. You know it theoretically, but it’s wonderful when you can see it, and hear it, and touch it.
I think it’s fair to say that, for all of us, the highlight of the week was our audience with Pope Francis. We gathered in the beautiful, but very warm, Sala Clementina and heard a substantial, thirty-minute discourse from the Pope. His theme was simple and compelling: remember how you were caught, “fished out” was his word, by the mercy of God and then share that mercy with everyone you meet. What really surprised and impressed me was the amount of time the Pope spent with each bishop after the talk. Keep in mind that there were 157 of us and the man is almost eighty years old. But we all got a smile, a handshake, and usually an encouraging word. When I came forward with my brothers from Los Angeles, who were ordained with me a year ago, he grinned and greeted us as “triplets.” He then showed that he was well aware of my work in media and preaching. It was a deeply moving and unforgettable encounter with the successor of Peter.
By way of conclusion, I’ll share a liturgical moment that has stayed with me. The seminarian choir here would sing songs for Mass from a variety of cultures and in an array of languages. On Thursday morning, for the post-communion meditation, they broke into “Here I Am, Lord.” Now I’ve heard “Here I Am, Lord” about ten thousand times, and if I were planning a liturgy in the United States, I would probably steer clear of it, but as the voices of the bishops took up the tune, and the whole place was filled with the words and music, I admit I was deeply moved. All I could think of were the innumerable times I sang that song in college, in the seminary, in all of my different parish and teaching assignments—and I realized that I had “heard him calling in the night,” and that I had managed, often despite myself, to say, “Here I am, Lord,” and that following the mysterious voice had led me to this room, surrounded by bishops from all across the world, who had heard and followed the same voice.
That moment alone made baby bishop school worth it.
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Pope Prays for Alzheimer’s Patients by ZENIT Staff

At the end of today’s general audience, Pope Francis turned his thoughts to those who suffer from Alzheimer’s.
“Today is the 23rd World Alzheimer’s Day, which this year focuses on the theme ‘Remember me,'” he noted.
“I invite all those present to ‘remember’ with Mary’s solicitude and the merciful Jesus’ tenderness all those who are affected by this disease and their families, to have them feel our closeness,” the Pope said. “We also pray for persons who are at the side of the sick, able to take up their needs, including the most imperceptible, because they are seen with eyes full of love.”
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full text of general audience: https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-be-perfect-merciful-as-your-heavenly-father-is-perfect-merciful/
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Pope Invites Youth to Live by ‘Criteria of Faith’ and Married Couples to Pray by ZENIT Staff

At the end of today’s general audience, Pope Francis gave his traditional greetings to the sick, youth and newlyweds. He noted today’s feast of St. Matthew the Evangelist.
He drew three qualities from the saint’s testimony: his conversion to live by faith; his meekness; and his dedication to Christ.
“May his conversion be an example to you, dear young people, to live life by the criteria of faith,” the Pope invited.
For the ill and newlyweds, the Pope prayed that Matthew’s “meekness support you, the infirm, when your suffering seems unbearable; and may his following of the Saviour remind you, dear newlyweds, of the importance of prayer in the matrimonial story you have undertaken.”
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Nearly 80 Years a Priest: At Least 4 Priests Around the World Have This Grace by ZENIT Staff

Imagine being able to beckon Christ to the altar day after day for nearly eight decades. That is the grace and blessing enjoyed by Monsignor Vincent Foy of the Archdiocese of Toronto, who has sent us this listing of priests around the world who, like him, have been priests for almost 80 years.
Related: Read about Monsignor Foy, a staunch defender of Humanae Vitae: https://zenit.org/articles/monsignor-vincent-foy-celebrates-75th-anniversary-of-priesthood-at-age-99/
and
https://zenit.org/articles/monsignor-foy-of-toronto-remembers-his-75-years-of-priesthood/
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Glory to God that I celebrated my 77th Ordination Anniversary on June 3, 2016, and my 101st birthday on August 14, 2016! Life is eternal. As I am perched on the precipice of eternity, I am pondering some historical records in the temporal realm.
Longest Ordained Diocesan Priest in the Archdiocese of Toronto
I found out that I hold the record as the longest ordained and the oldest diocesan priest in the history of the Archdiocese of Toronto (Source: “A Calendar of the Deceased Bishops, Priests and Deacons of the Archdiocese of Toronto”).
Longest Ordained Diocesan Priests in Canada
I contacted the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, but the Archivist said that they do not compile any statistics on the years of ordination or ages of priests in Canada. The CCCB suggested contacting the archivists in every diocese to obtain records. This was attempted by email.
I could only find one other diocesan priest in the history of Canada who was ordained for longer than I; but he is in a different category (French Canadian and Francophone) and is now deceased, as noted below. If I live until about December 29, 2017, I will surpass his record.
Therefore, according to records sought and obtained from nationwide diocesan archives, as far as I know, I hold the record for the most years of ordination of Anglophone and currently living diocesan priests in the history of the Church in Canada. I am also the oldest living diocesan priest in Canada.
Longest Ordained Diocesan Priests Worldwide
Besides the priests listed below that were discovered only through an online search, there may be other priests worldwide with more years of ordination.

[Msgr. Vincent Topper]
Ordination date: June 6, 1936. As of June 6, 2016 ordained for 80 years.
Birthdate: July 28, 1912. Currently living as of August 2016 and is 104 years of age.
Diocese of Harrisburg, PA, USA
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/oldest-priest-in-the-us-tells-his-story/

[Fr. Jacques Clemens]
Ordination date: July 5, 1936. As of July 5, 2016 has been ordained for 80 years.
Birthdate: July 11, 1909. As of July 11, 2016 is currently living and is 107 years of age.
BELGIUM
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-life-belgium-priest-idUSKCN0ZQ0FU
[Bishop Albert Malbois]
Ordination date: June 29, 1938. As of June 29, 2016 has been ordained for 78 years.
Birthdate: November 17, 1915. Currently living as of August 2016 and is 100 years of age.
FRANCE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_Catholic_bishops
http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmalbois.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Malbois
[Pere Roger Dorval (French-speaking category, French-Canadian)]Ordination date: February 7, 1926 (died with 78 years, 6 months, 26 days)
Birthdate: February 16, 1900
Deceased: September 2, 2004 at 104 and six months old.
Archdiocèse de Québec, Canada
[Rev. Msgr. Vincent Foy (Canon Lawyer)]
Ordination date: June 3, 1939. As of September 14, 2016, I have been ordained for 77 years and 3 months.
Birthdate: August 14, 1915. Celebrated my 101st birthday on August 14, 2016.
Archdiocese of Toronto, ON, CANADA
www.msgrfoy.com
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English Summary of Pope’s General Audience by ZENIT

Here is the Vatican-provided English-language summary of Pope Francis’ General Audience this morning in St. Peter’s Square:
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Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our Gospel passage this morning, we are reminded of our call to be merciful even as our heavenly Father is merciful (cf. Lk 6:36). When we look at salvation history, we see that God’s whole revelation is his untiring love for humanity which culminates in Jesus’ death on the Cross. So great a love can be expressed only by God. Jesus’ call to humanity to be as merciful as the Father, however, is not a question of quantity. Instead it is a summons to be signs, channels and witnesses to his mercy. This is the Church’s mission, to be God’s sacrament of mercy in every place and time. As Christians, therefore, God asks us to be his witnesses, first by opening our own hearts to his divine mercy, and then by sharing that mercy towards all people, especially those who suffer. In this way, our works of mercy and charity will offer to the world a glimpse of the face of Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus explains that we especially show the Father’s mercy when we pardon one another, for we express the free gift of God’s love, and help one another on the way of conversion. Jesus invites us also to give freely, for all we have has been freely given to us by God, and we will receive only in the measure that we freely give to others. Merciful love is the only path, for by it we are able to make known the Father’s mercy that has no end.[Original text: English] [Vatican-provided text]
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