Pope’s Prayer for Peace at Assyrian-Chaldean Church... from ZENIT of Roswell, Georgia, United States for Friday, 30 September 2016

Pope’s Prayer for Peace at Assyrian-Chaldean Church... from ZENIT of Roswell, Georgia, United States for Friday, 30 September 2016
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Pope’s Prayer for Peace at Assyrian-Chaldean Church by ZENIT Staff

The final official stop on Pope Francis’ first day in Georgia was a visit to the Church of St. Shemon Bar Sabbae to meet with the Assyrian-Chaldean community. He was welcomed by the Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, Raphael Louis Sako, and the parish priest Father Benny Beth Yadegar.
The Holy Father proceeded in procession to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament among the faithful of the Assyrian-Chaldean diaspora. After a song and a prayer in Aramaic, the Pope recited a Prayer for Peace. Here is a Vatican translation of his prayer:
Lord Jesus,
we adore your cross
which frees us from sin, the origin of every division and evil;
we proclaim your resurrection,
which ransoms man from the slavery of failure and death;
we await your coming in glory,
which will bring to fulfilment your kingdom of justice, joy and peace.
Lord Jesus,
by your glorious passion,
conquer the hardness of our hearts, imprisoned by hatred and selfishness;
by the power of your resurrection,
save the victims of injustice and maltreatment from their suffering;
by the fidelity of your coming,
confound the culture of death and make the triumph of life shine forth.
Lord Jesus,
unite to your cross the sufferings of the many innocent victims:
the children, the elderly, and the persecuted Christians;
envelop in paschal light those who are deeply wounded:
abused persons, deprived of freedom and dignity;
let those who live in uncertainty experience the enduring constancy of your kingdom:
the exiles, refugees, and those who have lost the joy of living.
Lord Jesus,
cast forth the shadow of your cross over peoples at war;
may they learn the way of reconciliation, dialogue and forgiveness;
let the peoples so wearied by bombing experience the joy of your resurrection:
raise up Iraq and Syria from devastation;
reunite your dispersed children under your gentle kingship:
sustain Christians in the Diaspora and grant them the unity of faith and love.
O Virgin Mary, Queen of peace,
you who stood at the foot of the cross,
obtain from your Son pardon for our sins;
you who never doubted the victory of his resurrection,
sustain our faith and our hope;
you who are enthroned as Queen in glory,
teach us the royal road of service and the glory of love.
Amen.
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Differences Can’t Give Rise to Violence, Pope Says in Georgia by ZENIT Staff

Pope Francis arrived shortly after 3 p.m. local time in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia, for the first stage of his trip to the Caucasus on the theme “Pax vobis”, an invocation of peace for the region.
In the airport, after a four-hour flight, the Pope was welcomed by the president of the Republic Giorgi Margvelashvili and his wife, accompanied by the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II. Two children in traditional costume offered him a basket of grapes in the presence of state authorities and representatives of civil society.
The capital of Georgia has the highest concentration of Catholics, along with the southern area where entirely Catholic villages exist. The Catholics of the country are predominantly of Latin and Armenian rite, with a small community of Assyrian Chaldean rite as well as a group of immigrants, predominantly American, European and Indian. In Tbilisi there are two Catholic churches of Latin rite: the Cathedral of the Assumption in the historic centre and the parish church of Sts. Peter and Paul, where a mission of the Neocatechumenal Way made up of priests, missionary families and laypeople has been present since 1991.
Georgia is mainly Orthodox Christian (official) 83.9%, but has a significant Muslim minority, 9.9%.
After a brief discussion with President Margvelashvili, his wife and the Patriarch in a small room at the airport, the Holy Father transferred by car to the presidential palace in Tbilisi where he pronounced his first discourse of his visit to Georgia, before the country’s political and religious leaders, the members of the diplomatic corps and representatives from the world of culture.
“I thank Almighty God for granting me the opportunity to visit this blessed land, a place of encounter and vital exchange among cultures and civilisations, which, since the preaching of St. Nino at the beginning of the fourth century, discovered in Christianity its deepest identity and the solid foundation of its values”, began the Pope. “As St. John Paul II observed when visiting your country: ‘Christianity became the seed of successive flowerings of Georgian culture’, and this seed continues to bear fruit. Recalling with gratitude our meeting in the Vatican last year and the good relations which Georgia has always maintained with the Holy See, I sincerely thank you, Mr President, for your gracious invitation and for your cordial words of welcome in the name of the Authorities of the State and all the Georgian people”.
“The centuries-old history of your country shows that it is rooted in the values expressed in its culture, language and traditions. This places your country fully and in a particular way within the bedrock of European civilisation; at the same time, as is evident from your geographical location, Georgia is to a great extent a natural bridge between Europe and Asia, a link that facilitates communication and relations between peoples. Through the centuries this has facilitated commercial ties as well as dialogue and the exchange of ideas and experiences between diverse cultures. As your national anthem proudly proclaims: ‘My icon is my homeland… bright mountains and valleys are shared with God’. The country is an icon expressing its identity and tracing its features and history; its mountains, rising freely towards heaven, far from being insurmountable walls, give splendour to the valleys; they distinguish them, connect them, make each one unique yet all open to the one sky, which covers them and offers them protection”.
He went on to address the president, noting that 25 years have passed since Georgia’s independence was proclaimed. “During this period when Georgia regained its full liberty, it built and strengthened its democratic institutions and sought ways to guarantee the most inclusive and authentic development possible. All of this was not without great sacrifice, which the people faced courageously in order to ensure their longed-for freedom. I hope that the path of peace and development will advance with the consolidated commitment of all sectors of society, so as to create conditions for stability, justice and respect for the rule of law, hence promoting growth and greater opportunities for all”.
“The peaceful coexistence among all peoples and states in the region is the indispensable and prior condition for such authentic and enduring progress”, he emphasised. “This requires increasing mutual esteem and consideration, which can never lay aside respect for the sovereign rights of every country within the framework of international law. So as to forge paths leading to lasting peace and true cooperation, we must recall that the relevant principles for a just and stable relationship between states are at the service of a practical, ordered and peaceful coexistence among nations. Indeed, in far too many areas of the world, there seems to be a dominant way of thinking which hinders keeping legitimate differences and disagreements – which can always arise – within a climate of civilised dialogue where reason, moderation and responsibility can prevail. This is all the more necessary in the present historical moment, with no shortage of violent extremism that manipulates and distorts civic and religious principles, and subjugates them to the dark designs of domination and death”.
Therefore, he added, “We should wholeheartedly give priority to human beings in their actual circumstances and pursue every attempt to prevent differences from giving rise to violence that can cause ruinous calamity for people and for society. Far from being exploited as grounds for turning discord into conflict and conflict into interminable tragedy, distinctions along ethnic, linguistic, political or religious lines can and must be for everyone a source of mutual enrichment in favour of the common good. This requires that everyone make full use of their particular identity, having the possibility, above all else, to coexist peacefully in their homeland, or freely to return to that land, if for some reason they have been forced to leave it. I hope that civil authorities will continue to show concern for the situation of these persons, and that they will fully commit themselves to seeking tangible solutions, in spite of any unresolved political questions. It takes far-sightedness and courage to recognise the authentic good of peoples, and to pursue this good with determination and prudence. In this regard, it is essential to keep before our eyes the suffering of others, in order to proceed with conviction along the path which, though slow and laborious, is also captivating and freeing, and leads us towards peace”.
“The Catholic Church, which has been present for centuries in this country and has distinguished itself in a particular way for its commitment to human promotion and to charitable works, shares the joys and concerns of the Georgian people, and is resolved to offer its contribution for the well-being and peace of the nation, by actively cooperating with the authorities and civil society. It is my ardent desire that the Catholic Church may continue to make its own authentic contribution to the growth of Georgian society, thanks to the common witness to the Christian tradition which unites us, its commitment to those most in need, and the renewed and strengthened dialogue with the ancient Georgian Orthodox Church and the other religious communities of the country. May God bless Georgia and give her peace and prosperity!”
This afternoon in the Orthodox Patriarchate of Georgia, the Pope met with the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, and then had an encounter with the Assyrian-Chaldean community in the church of St. Shemon Bar Sabbae.
The logo for the apostolic trip in Georgian territory is the cross typical of the country, with curved arms, framed on one side in red, the colour of the Georgian flag, and on the other in yellow, that of the Vatican flag.
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Power of Faith Is Power of Love by Archbishop Francesco Follo

Roman rite
Hab 1, 2-3; 2, 2-4; Ps 95; 2 Tim 1, 6-8.13-14; Lk 17.5 -10
Ambrosian Rite
Is 56.1 – 7; Ps 118; Rm 15.2 to 7; Lk 6.27 – 38
Fifth Sunday after the martyrdom of St. John the Precursor
1) Faith is not a question of quantity
Why in today’s Gospel the disciples ask Christ “Increase our faith” (Lk 17: 5)? Because the request to leave everything to follow Him (Lk 16, 13) and to forgive without measure (Lk 17: 3-4), made them understand how small their faith was.
They had long recognized in Christ the Son of God, the merciful and faithful Love. Today, they ask to have an ever greater trust in the merciful and faithful love of God.
In fact, only a tenacious and complete faith allows to put their lives under the sign of mercy and devotion.
The disciples of that time make it clear to us, disciples of today, that we are called to trust in the divine loyalty, that is the total and perseverant commitment with which God has entrusted himself to humanity, once and for all in his Word. To believe the Word is not a question of quantity. It is to give word to the Word and to engage fully with the One who has committed himself to us with no regret.
To make them understand that it is not a question of having a faith quantitatively big, but qualitatively authentic and tenacious, Christ uses a very convincing comparison: the mulberry tree is firmly clinging to the earth and the storms are unable to eradicate it, however, a bit of faith as small as a grain of mustard can eradicate it. Faith is to humbly and totally rely on God. It is the acceptance of a project calculated on the possibilities of God and not on our own. The chances of success are not due to the size of our ability, but to the magnitude of God’s love toward us and in which we believe.
An example comes to us from Saint Teresa of Calcutta, who certainly did not do striking gestures, but with a great and active faith has shown how the power of love flows from the power of faith. This Saint has done much more than to transplant mulberry trees into the sea. Beginning with dealing with the dying in Calcutta, she cured and saved an innumerable crowd of poor thanks to the thousands of nuns who have followed and still follow her. Through her eyes –as pure as those of the angels-Mother Teresa was able to recognize Christ in the various Lazarus she met in the world and, thanks to faith that is the source of love, has been able to treat the poorest of the poor with holy and clean hands for which touching the wounds of a sick person was like touching those of Christ. The “quality” of the faith of the Mother of the Poor has triggered a stream of totally free and unselfish love that still speaks many languages and is going to last long.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta showed that in the Church there is the ministry of charity because the Church must not only proclaim the Word, but live the Word which is charity.
Mother Teresa’s strong faith allowed her to live in total abandonment to Christ and in loving trust in Him, for whom she had “simply” made room becoming his holy abode. This faith is well expressed in her prayer: “Lord, give me the faith that moves mountains, but with love. Teach me the love that feels joy in the truth, always ready to forgive, to believe, to hope and to endure. Finally, when all these finite things will be dissolved and everything will be clear, may I have been the weak but steady reflection of your perfect love. “
This prayer will help us grow into faith active in charity.
2) Service and gratuity.
After teaching about the power of faith (it only takes a small seed to uproot a tree), today’s Gospel continues with a short parable in which Jesus does not intend to describe the behavior of God toward man, but to indicate the one of the believer toward God: a behavior of total availability, without calculation and demands.
Service and gratuity are the key features of the disciple who-as everyone in this world is in it with scandal and sin, but lives in it with mercy and forgiveness. For this reason, it is needed a steady increase of faith, namely of the knowledge of the love of God for us. We must live in service and gratuity because charity and justice are not only social volunteering, but spiritual action performed with the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Saints – and Saint Teresa is the latest example – have experienced a profound unity of life between prayer and action, between love for God and love for the neighbor.
This Saint woman became Missionary of Charity because she, with a faith so strong to resist aridity and lack of spiritual consolations, not only believed that Jesus is the greatest manifestation of God’s love, but that he is also the one to whom we are joined in order to believe. Faith for her was not only to look to Jesus, but look from the perspective of Jesus. Faith was for her, as it should be for us, a participation in the way of Christ to look at life.
As taught by Pope Francis, “Faith is hearing and vision, and is transmitted as word and as light” (Lumen fidei, 37). The most difficult task of our believing is not to accept the doctrines, but to accept faith as a vital fact that speaks and illuminates life, and gives sense and meaning to life.
In short, faith is not purely an intellectual attitude, like the mere acceptance of certain truths. Faith is a matter of living and not only of professing. It requires courageous testimony and free service. Those who declare to believe and abide in him, ought to walk as he walked (1 John 2: 6). This concept is also reiterated by the Apostle James in his letter: faith without works (charity) is vain and nonexistent (James 2, 26).
An example of this free service that becomes testimony, is given by the consecrated virgins in the world , who with the total gift of themselves to Christ show that faith is the reasonable surrender into the arms of the Beloved. These women show in an exemplary way that we all are called to trust not a hostile but a loving mystery and to follow not illogical commands but a law of freedom given by a God who makes free.
The God revealed by the Bible is the God
who asks for trust
who has walked in the desert and suffered,
who has accompanied and illuminated some Bedouin tribes making them become people of hope,
who has enlighten the kings of Israel,
who has taken men from the pasture and from the earth to make them prophets
who is the Word made flesh, and asks to be welcomed not only with the ears but with the heart.
These consecrated women have become brides of this God who especially from the Cross onwards has shown millions of times how painfully and passionately he loves us.
With their dedication, these women testify that the mustard seed, the grain of faith, is
– to believe in the love of a God who loves us infinitely and that never fails;
– to love concretely by serving the others and not using them.
– to trust and rely on the Word, the power of love that is and gives life.
Therefore, the power of faith is first and foremost the power of the love, so amazing for man and for every man, that God has manifested in His Son, and that makes the believer able to love.
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Patristic Reading
Golden Chain
THEOPHYL. The disciples hearing our Lord discoursing of certain arduous duties, such as poverty, and avoiding offenses, entreat Him to increase their faith, that so they might be able to follow poverty, (for nothing so prompts to a life of poverty as faith and hope in the Lord,) and through faith to guard against giving offenses. Therefore it is said, And the Apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith.
GREG. That is, that the faith which has already been received in its beginning, might go on increasing more and more to perfection.
AUG. We may indeed understand that they asked for the increase of that faith by which men believe in the things which they see not; but there is further signified a faith in things, whereby not with the words only, but the things themselves present, we believe. And this shall be, when the Wisdom of God, by whom all things were made, shall reveal Himself openly to His saints face to face.
THEOPHYL. But our Lord told them that they asked well, and that they ought to believe steadfastly, forasmuch as faith could do many things; and hence it follows, And the Lord; said, you had faith as a grain. of mustard seed, & c. Two mighty acts are here brought together in the same sentence; the transplanting of that which was rooted in the earth, and the planting thereof in the sea, (for what is ever planted in the waves?) by which two things He declares the power of faith.
CHRYS. He mentions the mustard seed, because, though small in size, it is mightier in power than all the others. He implies then that the least part of faith can do great things. But though the Apostles did not transplant the mulberry tree, do not you accuse them; for our Lord said not, You shall transplant, but, You shall be able to transplant. But they did not, because there was no need, seeing that they did greater things. But some one will ask, How does Christ say, that it is the least part of faith which can transplant a mulberry tree or a mountain, whereas Paul says that it is all faith which moves mountains? We must then answer, that the Apostle imputes the moving of mountains to all faith, not as though only the whole of faith could do this, but because this seemed a great thing to carnal men on account of the vastness of the body.
BEDE; Or our Lord here compares perfect faith to a grain of mustard seed, because it is lowly in appearance, but fervid in heart. But mystically by the mulberry tree, (whose fruit and branches are red with a blood-red color,) is represented the Gospel of the cross, which, through the faith of the Apostles being uprooted by the word of preaching from the Jewish nation, in which it was kept as it were in the lineal stock, was removed and planted in the sea of the Gentiles.
AMBROSE; Or this is said because faith keeps out the unclean spirit, especially since the nature of the tree falls in with this meaning. For the fruit of the mulberry is at first white in the blossom, and being formed from thence grows red, and blackens as it gets ripe. The devil also having by transgression fallen from the white flower of the angelic nature and the bright beams of his power, grows terrible in the black odor of sin.
CHRYS. The mulberry may be also compared to the devil, for as by the leaves of the mulberry tree certain worms are fed, so the devil, by the imaginations which proceed from him, is feeding for us a never dying worm; but this mulberry tree faith is able to pluck out of our souls, and plunge it into the deep.
THEOPHYL. Because faith makes its possessor a keeper of God’s commandments, and adorns him with wonderful works; it would seem from thence that a man might thereby fall into the sin of pride. Our Lord therefore forewarned His Apostles by a fit example, not to boast themselves in their virtues, saying, But which of you having a servant plowing, &c.
AUG. Or else; To the many who understand not this faith in the truth already present, our Lord might seem not to have answered the petitions of His disciples. And there appears a difficulty in the connection here, unless we suppose He meant the change from faith to faith, from that faith, namely, by which we serve God, to that whereby we enjoy Him. For then will our faith be increased when we first believe the word preached, next the reality present. But that joyful contemplation possesses perfect peace, which is given to us in the everlasting kingdom of God. And that perfect peace is the reward of those righteous labors, which are performed in the administration of the Church. Be then the servant in the field ploughing, or feeding, that is, in this life either following his worldly business, or serving foolish men, as it were cattle, he must after his labors return home, that is, be united to the Church.
BEDE; Or the servant departs from the field when giving up for a time his work of preaching, the teacher retires into his own conscience, pondering his own words or deeds within himself. To whom our Lord does not at once say, Go from this mortal life, and sit down to meat, that is, refresh yourself in the everlasting resting-place of a blessed life.
AMBROSE; For we know that no one sits down before he has first passed over. Moses indeed also passed over, that he might see a great sight. Since then you not only say to your servant, Sit down to meat, but require from him another service, so in this life the Lord does not put up with the performance of one work and labor, because as long as we live we ought always to work. Therefore it follows, And will not rather say, Make ready wherewith I may sup.
BEDE; He bids make ready wherewith he may sup, that is, after the labors of public discourse, He bids him humble himself in self-examination. With such a supper our Lord desires to be fed. But to gird one’s self is to collect the mind which has been enfolded in the base coil of fluctuating thoughts, whereby its steps in the cause of good works are wont to be entangled. For he who girds up his garments does so, that in walking he may not be tripped up. But to minister to God, is to acknowledge that we have no strength without the help of His grace.
AUG. While His servants also are ministering, that is, preaching the Gospel, our Lord is eating and drinking the faith and confession of the Gentiles.
It follows, And afterward you shall eat and drink. As if He says, After that I have been delighted with the work of your preaching, and refreshed myself with the choice food of your compunction, then at length shall you go, and feast yourself everlastingly with the eternal banquet of wisdom.
CYRIL; Our Lord teaches us that it is no more than the just and proper right of a master to require, as their bounder duty, subjection from servants, adding, Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. Here then is the disease of pride cut away. Why boast you yourself? Do you know that if you pay not your debt, danger is at hand, but if you pay, you do nothing thank-worthy? As St. Paul says, For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of, for necessity is laid upon me, yea woe is to me if I preach not the Gospel (1Co 9,16).
Observe then that they who have rule among us, do not thank their subjects, when they perform their appointed service, but by kindness gaining the affections of their people, breed in them a greater eagerness to serve them. So likewise God requires from us that we should wait upon Him as His servants, but because He is merciful, and of great goodness, He promises reward to them that work, and the greatness of His loving-kindness far exceeds the labors of His servants.
AMBROSE; Boast not yourself then that you have been a good servant. You have done what you ought to have done. The sun obeys, the moon submits herself, the angels are subject; let us not then seek praise from ourselves. Therefore He adds in conclusion, So likewise you, when you have done all good things, say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which it was our duty to do.
BEDE; Servants, I say, because bought with a price; unprofitable, for the Lord needs not our good things, or because the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us. Herein then is the perfect faith of men, when having done all things which were commanded them, they acknowledge themselves to be imperfect.
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Pope’s Address at Meeting with His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos and Patriarch of All Georgia by ZENIT Staff

Below is the Vatican-provided text of Pope Francis’ prepared discourse during his meeting with His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos and Patriarch of All Georgia, at the Patriarchal Palace:
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I thank Your Holiness. I am deeply moved on hearing the Ave Maria which Your Holiness yourself composed. Only from a heart that loves the Holy Mother of God so much, from the heart of a son and indeed a child, can issue something so beautiful.
It is a great joy and a special grace to be with you Your Holiness and Beatitude, and with the Venerable Metropolitans, Archbishops and Bishops, members of the Holy Synod. I greet the Prime Minister and all the distinguished representatives of the academic and cultural world.
With the first historic visit of a Georgian Patriarch to the Vatican, Your Holiness opened a new chapter in relations between the Orthodox Church of Georgia and the Catholic Church. On that occasion, you exchanged with the Bishop of Rome a kiss of peace and a pledge to pray for one other. In this way, there has been a strengthening of the meaningful ties that have existed between our communities since the first centuries of Christianity. These bonds have been consolidated and are characterized by cordiality and respect, evident in the warm welcome given here to my envoys and representatives. Our ties are also manifest in the study and research projects being pursued in the Vatican Archives and at the Pontifical Universities by members of the faithful of the Orthodox Church of Georgia. So too, they are seen in the presence in Rome of a Georgian community who have received hospitality at a church in my own diocese; and in the cooperation with the local Catholic community, especially on a cultural level. As a pilgrim and a friend, I have come to this blessed land as the Jubilee Year of Mercy for Catholics approaches its conclusion. Saint John Paul II also visited here, the first among the Successors of Peter to do so in a moment of great importance on the threshold of the Jubilee of 2000: he came to reinforce the “deep and strong bonds” with the See of Rome (Address at the Welcome Ceremony, Tbilisi, 8 November 1999) and to recall how necessary, on the verge of the Third Christian Millennium, was “the contribution of Georgia, this ancient crossroads of culture and tradition, to the building… of a new civilization of love” (Address, Meeting with the Catholicos-Patriarch and the Holy Synod, Tbilisi, 8 November 1999).
Now, Divine Providence allows us to meet again and, faced with a world thirsting for mercy, unity and peace, asks us to ardently renew our commitment to the bonds which exist between us, of which our kiss of peace and our fraternal embrace are already an eloquent sign. The Orthodox Church of Georgia, rooted in the preaching of the Apostles, in particular that of the Apostle Andrew, and the Church of Rome, founded on the martyrdom of the Apostle Peter, are given the grace to renew today, in the name of Christ and to his glory, the beauty of apostolic fraternity. Peter and Andrew were indeed brothers: the Lord Jesus called them to leave their nets and to become, together, fishers of men (cf. Mk 1:16-17). Dear Brother, let us allow the Lord Jesus to look upon us anew, let us once again experience the attraction of his call to leave everything that prevents us from proclaiming together his presence.
We are sustained in this by the love that transformed the Apostles’ lives. It is a love without equal, a love which the Lord incarnated: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). The Lord has given this love to us, so that we can love each other as he has loved us (cf. Jn 15:12). In this regard, it is as if the great poet of this land, Shota Rustaveli, is speaking to us with some of his renowned words: “Have you read how the Apostles write about love, how they speak, how they praise it? Know this love, and turn your mind to these words: love raises us up” (The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin, verse 791). Truly, the love of the Lord raises us up, because it enables us to rise above the misunderstandings of the past, above the calculations of the present and fears for the future.
The Georgian people, over the centuries, have testified to the greatness of this love. In it they have found the strength to rise up again after countless trials; it is in this love that they have reached the heights of extraordinary artistic beauty as another of your great poets has written: Without love, “no sun rules in the dome of the heavens” and for men “there is no beauty nor immortality” (Galaktion Tabidze, Without Love). Within love itself lies the raison d’être of the immortal beauty of your cultural patrimony expressed in so many different ways, such as in music, painting, architecture and dance. You, dear Brother, have given worthy expression to your culture in a special way through your distinguished compositions of sacred hymns, some even in Latin and greatly cherished in the Catholic tradition. They enrich your treasury of faith and culture, which are a unique gift to Christianity and to humanity; this gift deserves to be known and appreciated by all.
The glorious history of the Gospel lived in this land is owed in a special way to Saint Nino, who is considered equal to the Apostles: she spread the faith with a particular form of the cross made of vine branches. This cross is not bare, because the image of the vine, besides being the most abundant fruit in this land, represents the Lord Jesus. He is, indeed, “the true vine”, who asked his Apostles to remain firmly grafted onto him, just as shoots are, in order to bear fruit (cf. Jn 15:1-8). So that the Gospel may bear fruit in our day too, we are asked, dear Brother, to remain yet more firmly in the Lord and united among ourselves. The multitude of saints, whom this country counts, encourages us to put the Gospel before all else and to evangelize as in the past, even more so, free from the restraints of prejudice and open to the perennial newness of God. May difficulties not be an obstacle, but rather a stimulus to know each other better, to share the vital sap of the faith, to intensify our prayers for each other and to cooperate with apostolic charity in our common witness, to the glory of God in heaven and in the service of peace on earth.
The Georgian people love to celebrate, toasting with the fruit of the vine their most precious values. Joined to their exaltation of love, friendship is given a special place. The poet reminds us: “Whoever does not look for a friend is an enemy to himself” (Rustaveli, The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin, verse 854). I want to be a genuine friend to this land and its beloved people, who do not forget the good they have received and whose unique hospitality is intimately united to a way of living that is full of true hope, even though there is no shortage of difficulties. This positive attitude, too, finds its roots in the faith, the faith which leads Georgians, when gathered around their tables, to invoke peace for all, and to remember even one’s enemies.
By means of peace and forgiveness we are called to overcome our true enemies, who are not of flesh and blood, but rather the evil spirits from without and from within ourselves (cf. Eph 6:12). This blessed land is rich in courageous heroes, in keeping with the Gospel, who like Saint George knew how to defeat evil. I think of many monks, and especially of numerous martyrs, whose lives triumphed “with faith and patience” (Ioane Sabanisze, The Martyrdom of Abo, III): they have passed through the winepress of pain, remaining united with the Lord and have thus brought Paschal fruit to Georgia, watering this land with their blood, poured out of love. May their intercession bring relief to the many Christians who even today suffer persecution and slander, and may they strengthen in us the noble aspiration to be fraternally united in proclaiming the Gospel of peace.[After the exchange of gifts]
Thank you, Holiness. May God bless Your Holiness and the Orthodox Church of Georgia. Thank you, Holiness. And may you always be able to advance along the path of freedom.
Thank you Holiness for your welcome and for your words. Thank you for your kindness and also for this fraternal commitment to pray for one another after our kiss of peace. Thank you.
[Original text: Italian][Vatican-provided translation]
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Pope’s Address to Georgia’s Authorities, Diplomatic Corps by ZENIT Staff

Below is the Vatican provided English translation of Pope Francis’ address to Georgia’s authorities and the diplomatic corps this afternoon:
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Mr President,
Distinguished Authorities and Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank Almighty God for granting me the opportunity to visit this blessed land, a place of encounter and vital exchange among cultures and civilizations, which, since the preaching of Saint Nino at the beginning of the fourth century, discovered in Christianity its deepest identity and the solid foundation of its values. As Saint John Paul II observed when visiting your country: “Christianity became the seed of successive flowerings of Georgian culture” (Address at the Arrival Ceremony, 8 November 1999), and this seed continues to bear fruit. Recalling with gratitude our meeting in the Vatican last year and the good relations which Georgia has always maintained with the Holy See, I sincerely thank you, Mr President, for your gracious invitation and for your cordial words of welcome in the name of the Authorities of the State and all the Georgian people.
The centuries-old history of your country shows that it is rooted in the values expressed in its culture, language and traditions. This places your country fully and in a particular way within the bedrock of European civilization; at the same time, as is evident from your geographical location, Georgia is to a great extent a natural bridge between Europe and Asia, a link that facilitates communication and relations between peoples. Through the centuries this has facilitated commercial ties as well as dialogue and the exchange of ideas and experiences between diverse cultures. As your national anthem proudly proclaims: “My icon is my homeland… bright mountains and valleys are shared with God”. The country is an icon expressing its identity and tracing its features and history; its mountains, rising freely towards heaven, far from being insurmountable walls, give splendour to the valleys; they distinguish them, connect them, make each one unique yet all open to the one sky, which covers them and offers them protection.
Mr President, twenty-five years have passed since Georgia’s independence was proclaimed. During this period when Georgia regained its full liberty, it built and strengthened its democratic institutions and sought ways to guarantee the most inclusive and authentic development possible. All of this was not without great sacrifice, which the people faced courageously in order to ensure their longed-for freedom. I hope that the path of peace and development will advance with the consolidated commitment of all sectors of society, so as to create conditions for stability, justice and respect for the rule of law, hence promoting growth and greater opportunities for all.
The peaceful coexistence among all peoples and states in the region is the indispensable and prior condition for such authentic and enduring progress. This requires increasing mutual esteem and consideration, which can never lay aside respect for the sovereign rights of every country within the framework of international law. So as to forge paths leading to lasting peace and true cooperation, we must recall that the relevant principles for a just and stable relationship between states are at the service of a practical, ordered and peaceful coexistence among nations.
Indeed, in far too many areas of the world, there seems to be a dominant way of thinking which hinders keeping legitimate differences and disagreements – which can always arise – within a climate of civilized dialogue where reason, moderation and responsibility can prevail. This is all the more necessary in the present historical moment, with no shortage of violent extremism that manipulates and distorts civic and religious principles, and subjugates them to the dark designs of domination and death.
We should wholeheartedly give priority to human beings in their actual circumstances and pursue every attempt to prevent differences from giving rise to violence that can cause ruinous calamity for people and for society. Far from being exploited as grounds for turning discord into conflict and conflict into interminable tragedy, distinctions along ethnic, linguistic, political or religious lines can and must be for everyone a source of mutual enrichment in favour of the common good. This requires that everyone make full use of their particular identity, having the possibility, above all else, to coexist peacefully in their homeland, or freely to return to that land, if for some reason they have been forced to leave it. I hope that civil authorities will continue to show concern for the situation of these persons, and that they will fully commit themselves to seeking tangible solutions, in spite of any unresolved political questions. It takes far-sightedness and courage to recognize the authentic good of peoples, and to pursue this good with determination and prudence. In this regard, it is essential to keep before our eyes the suffering of others, in order to proceed with conviction along the path which, though slow and laborious, is also captivating and freeing, and leads us towards peace.
The Catholic Church, which has been present for centuries in this country and has distinguished itself in a particular way for its commitment to human promotion and to charitable works, shares the joys and concerns of the Georgian people, and is resolved to offer its contribution for the well-being and peace of the nation, by actively cooperating with the authorities and civil society. It is my ardent desire that the Catholic Church may continue to make its own authentic contribution to the growth of Georgian society, thanks to the common witness to the Christian tradition which unites us, its commitment to those most in need, and the renewed and strengthened dialogue with the ancient Georgian Orthodox Church and the other religious communities of the country.
May God bless Georgia and give her peace and prosperity![Original Test: Italian] [Vatican-provided translation]
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New Vatican Spokesman Thanks Francis for His Patience by ZENIT Staff

On the plane that took him this morning to Georgia, Pope Francis went as usual to greet the media agents accompanying him on the papal flight, letting them know that a press conference will be held as customary on Sunday’s return flight.
The Holy Father welcomed Greg Burke, the new director of the Vatican press office, on his first trip in that role.
Burke thanked the Pope especially for his “availability and patience.”
“The other day we saw you greet 400 journalists, one by one … Great patience! However, we hope that today we won’t put your patience to the test.”
The Pontiff, who turns 80 in December, noted his relief that the trip won’t be too long. “This trip will be brief, thank God: in three days we will be back home,” he said, before making his way through greeting the journalists individually.
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Pope Sends Telegrams on Way to Georgia by ZENIT Staff

Below are the texts of the telegrams Pope Francis sent to the Heads of State of the countries his plane flew over this morning while flying from Rome to Georgia for his 16th Apostolic Visit abroad, Sept. 30- Oct. 2
This Apostolic Visit marks the second stage of his extended visit to the Caucasus, which, in June, saw the Holy Father in Armenia. The plane, with the Pontiff on board (Alitalia A321), took off from the Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport around 9:15 am today and landed in the international airport of Tiblisi at 2:55 pm (12:55 pm Roman time), after an almost four-hour flight:
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Italy
To His Excellency
The Honorable Sergio Mattarella
President of the Italian Republic
The Quirinale Palace
00187 Rome
At the moment I am about to undertake my Apostolic Journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan, to foster encounter and dialogue between different cultures and religions, to reinforce the path to Christian unity and to confirm the Catholic community in the faith, I am happy to send to you, Mister President, and to the Italian nation my warm greeting, which I accompany with fervent wishes for the spiritual, civil and social progress of beloved Italy
Franciscus PP[Original Text: Italian] [ZENIT translation]
Croatia
HER EXCELLENCY KOLINDA GRABAR-KITAROVIĆ
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
ZAGREB
AS I ENTER CROATIAN AIRSPACE ON MY WAY TO GEORGIA AND AZERBAIJAN FOR A PASTORAL VISIT, I EXTEND BEST WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND TO ALL YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. UPON THE NATION I INVOKE ALMIGHTY GOD’S ABUNDANT BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
HIS EXCELLENCY BAKIR IZETBEGOVIĆ
CHAIRMAN OF THE PRESIDENCY OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
SARAJEVO
AS I FLY OVER BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA ON MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO GEORGIA AND AZERBAIJAN, I OFFER YOUR EXCELLENCY AND FELLOW CITIZENS MY BEST WISHES. WITH MEMORIES OF MY VISIT TO THE COUNTRY, I WILLINGLY INVOKE UPON YOU THE ABUNDANT BLESSINGS OF THE ALMIGHTY.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Montenegro
HIS EXCELLENCY FILIP VUJANOVIĆ
PRESIDENT OF MONTENEGRO
PODGORICA
FLYING OVER MONTENEGRO ON THE WAY TO MY PASTORAL VISIT TO GEORGIA AND AZERBAIJAN, I OFFER CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND FELLOW CITIZENS. I ASSURE YOU OF MY PRAYERS AND INVOKE UPON THE NATION ABUNDANT DIVINE BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Serbia
HIS EXCELLENCY TOMISLAV NIKOLIĆ
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
BELGRADE
UPON ENTERING SERBIAN AIRSPACE ON MY WAY TO GEORGIA AND AZERBAIJAN FOR A PASTORAL VISIT, I OFFER BEST WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. WITH THE ASSURANCE OF MY PRAYERS, I INVOKE UPON THE NATION ABUNDANT DIVINE BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Bulgaria
HIS EXCELLENCY ROSEN PLEVNELIEV
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA
SOFIA
AS I FLY OVER BULGARIA ON THE WAY TO MY PASTORAL VISIT TO GEORGIA AND AZERBAIJAN, I OFFER CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. INVOKING DIVINE BLESSINGS UPON YOU ALL, I ASSURE YOU OF MY PRAYERS FOR THE NATION.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Turkey
HIS EXCELLENCY RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĞAN
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
ANKARA
AS I FLY OVER TURKEY ON THE WAY TO MY PASTORAL VISIT TO GEORGIA AND AZERBAIJAN, I EXTEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. WITH MEMORIES OF MY VISIT TO THE COUNTRY, I ASSURE YOU OF MY PRAYERS AND INVOKE UPON YOU ALL ABUNDANT DIVINE BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS PP.[Original text: English] [Vatican-provided telegrams]
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Pope Prays at Santa Maria Maggiore Before Departing for Georgia by Deborah Castellano Lubov

This morning, Pope Francis traveled to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to pray for the success of his 16th Apostolic Visit abroad to the nations of Georgia and Azerbaijan, Sept. 30-Oct.2. The Holy Father almost always visits Rome’s Marian Basilica to pray for Mary’s protection and intercession before and after his papal trips.
According to the Holy See Press Office, the Pope prayed before the ancient image of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, and invoked the Virgin Mary’s protection on his travels and upon the people he will visit in the two countries this weekend.
After the visit, Pope Francis, his papal entourage, and journalists boarded the Alitalia plane at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, and the Pontiff has already kicked off his first day in Georgia.
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Pope’s Program for Georgia, Azerbaijan by ZENIT Staff

Pope Francis has kicked off his visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan. Below is the Vatican released program, detailing Pope Francis’ apostolic visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan, Sept. 30 – Oct. 2. It was published today by the Holy See Press Office:
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Friday, 30 September 2016
09:00 Departure from Rome’s Fiumicino airport for Tbilisi
15:00 Arrival at the International Airport of Tbilisi
Welcoming ceremony
15:30 Courtesy visit to the President of the Republic at the Presidential Palace
16:00 Meeting with the Authorities, the Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps in the Courtyard of the Presidential Palace
16:40 Meeting with His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos and Patriarch of All Georgia at the Patriarchal Palace
18:00 Meeting with the Assyrian-Chaldean Community at the Catholic Chaldean Church of St. Simon Bar Sabbae
Saturday, 1 October 2016
10:00 Holy Mass at M. Meskhi Stadium
15:45 Meeting with Priests, Men and Women Religious, Seminarians and Pastoral Agents gathered in the church of the Assumption
17:00 Meeting with people assisted and operators of the Works of Charity of the Church before the Assistance Centre of the Camillian Order
18:15 Visit to the Svietyskhoveli Patriarchal Cathedral in Mskheta
Sunday, 2 October 2016
07:55 Farewell ceremony at the International Airport of Tbilisi
08:10 Departure by plane for Baku
09:30 Arrival at “Heydar Aliyev” International Airport of Baku
Official welcome
10:30 Holy Mass at the church of the Immaculate in the Salesian Centre in Baku
12:45 Luncheon with the Salesian Community and the Papal Entourage
15:30 Welcoming Protocol Ceremony in the Square of the Presidential Palace of Ganjlik
Courtesy visit to the President of the Republic at the Presidential Palace of Ganjlik
16:30 Visit to the Memorial to those killed for Independence
17:00 Meeting with the Authorities at “Heydar Aliyev” Centre
17:45 Private meeting with the Sheikh of the Caucasus Muslims at “Heydar Aliyev” Mosque
18:00 Interreligious meeting with the Sheikh and with the Representatives of the different Religious Communities of the country
19:00 Farewell ceremony at the Airport of Baku
19:15 Departure by plane for Rome/Ciampino
22:00 Arrival at Rome/Ciampino Airport
_____________________
time zones
Rome: +2h UTC
Tbilisi: +4h UTC
Baku: +4h UTC
Bulletin of the Holy See Press Office, 12 September 2016 © Copyright – Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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Pope Praying in October for Journalists by ZENIT Staff

Pope Francis is remembering journalists in his prayers this month.
The Pope’s intentions for October were announced by the Apostleship of Prayer.
The Holy Father’s universal prayer intention for October is: “That journalists, in carrying out their work, may always be motivated by respect for truth and a strong sense of ethics”.
His intention for evangelisation is: “That World Mission Day may renew within all Christian communities the joy of the Gospel and the responsibility to announce it”.
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