Jesus Is Praying for You and Me, Pope Says in Morning Homily... from ZENIT of Roswell, Georgia, United States for Friday, 28 October 2016Like
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Jesus Is Praying for You and Me, Pope Says in Morning Homily by ZENIT Staff
We pray to Jesus, but the key thing is that Jesus is praying for us, Pope Francis said in his morning homily today.At Mass in the Casa Santa Marta today, the Holy Father focused on Jesus’ prayer, Vatican Radio reported.
“‘Jesus went up to the mountain to pray and he spent the night in prayer to God.’ And then the rest followed, the crowds, the choosing of his disciples, the healings, the casting out of demons… Yes, the cornerstone is Jesus but Jesus who prays,” the Pope said. “Jesus is praying. He prayed and he continues to pray for the Church. The cornerstone of the Church is our Lord in front of the Father who intercedes on our behalf, who is praying for us. We pray to Him but the key thing is that He is praying for us.”
Pope Francis went on to describe how Jesus always prayed for his followers, as we see at the Last Supper or before his miracles, such as when he prayed to the Father before raising Lazarus from the dead.
“Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives, on the Cross, he ended praying: his life ended in prayer. And this is our security, this is our foundation, this is our cornerstone: Jesus who is praying for us! Jesus who is praying for me! And each of us can say this: I am certain that Jesus is praying for me; that he is in front of the Father and naming me. This is the cornerstone of the Church: Jesus in prayer.”
Another example of Jesus praying for his followers, said the Pope, came before his Passion when Jesus told Peter he had been praying for him to withstand Satan’s temptation and for his faith to hold firm.
“And what Jesus tells Peter, he tells you and you and me, everybody: ‘I have prayed for you, I am praying for you, I am now praying for you’ and when He comes onto the altar, He comes to intercede, to pray for us. As he did on the Cross. And this gives us a great sense of security. I belong to this community that’s solid because Jesus is its cornerstone, Jesus who is praying for me, who is praying for us. Today we’d do well to reflect on the Church, reflect on this mystery of the Church. We are all like a building but its foundation is Jesus, Jesus who is praying for us, Jesus who is praying for me.”
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Readings provided by the US bishops’ conference:
Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Reading 1 EPH 2:19-22
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm PS 19:2-3, 4-5
R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Alleluia – See Te Deum
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 6:12-16
Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
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Pope Francis Gives Interview Ahead of Trip to Sweden by ZENIT Staff
[From Vatican Radio]Pope Francis has called making war in the name of religion “satanic” and a “blasphemy.” His words came in an interview with the Jesuit Catholic journal La Civiltà Cattolica ahead of his ecumenical Apostolic Trip to Sweden this Monday and Tuesday. The interview was conducted by Father Ulf Jonsson S.J., the director of the Swedish cultural journal of the Jesuits, Signum. Pope Francis mentioned the recent interreligious meeting for peace in Assisi, which he called “very important.”
Working translation of the interview here: http://www.laciviltacattolica.it/articoli_download/extra/Interview_with_PF.pdf
“All of us talked of peace and we asked for peace,” – the Pope said – “ We together said strong words for peace, what the religions truly want.”
When asked about the suffering of the Christians in the Middle East, Pope Francis called the region “a land of martyrs.”
“I believe that the Lord does not leave his people on their own,” – the Holy Father said – “He will not abandon them. When we read of the hard trials of the people of Israel in the Bible or remember the trials of the martyrs, we see how the Lord always comes to the aid of his people.”
The purpose of the trip to Sweden is to mark the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, and much of the discussion in the interview covered ecumenical affairs. Speaking about the mutual enrichment possible between Christian communities, the Pope was asked what Catholics could learn from Lutherans.
“Two words come to my mind: ‘reform’ and ‘Scripture’,” – Pope Francis said – “I will try to explain. The first is the word ‘reform’. At the beginning, Luther’s was a gesture of reform in a difficult time for the Church. Luther wanted to remedy a complex situation.
Then this gesture also because of the political situations, we think also of the cuius regio eius religio (whose realm, his religion) — became a ‘state’ of separation, and not a process of reform of the whole Church, which is fundamental, because the Church is semper reformanda (always reforming).”
“The second word is ‘Scripture’, the Word of God,” – the Pope continued – “Luther took a great step by putting the Word of God into the hands of the people. Reform and Scripture are two things that we can deepen by looking at the Lutheran tradition. The General Congregations before the Conclave comes to mind and how the request for a reform was alive in our discussions.”
The Holy Father was later asked about how the Ecumenical movement can move forward. He responded by saying “theological dialogue must continue,” and pointed to the Joint Declaration on Justification as an important point, but added “it will not be easy to go forward because of the different ways of understanding some theological questions.”
“Personally, I believe that enthusiasm must shift towards common prayer and the works of mercy — work done together to help the sick, the poor, and the imprisoned,” – Pope Francis said – “To do something together is a high and effective form of dialogue. I also think about education. It is important to work together and not in a sectarian way. There is a policy we should have clear in every case: to proselytize in the ecclesial field is a sin.”
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/28/pope_francis_gives_interview_ahead_of_trip_to_sweden/1268511
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Brothers in Christ: Interview With Dean of Ambrosian Library on Pope’s Trip to Sweden by Federico Cenci
This forthcoming October 31 will mark 500 years since the splintering of Christianity represented by the Lutheran Reformation. On the same date, however, 17 years will have passed from what Monsignor Franco Buzzi, Prefect of the Ambrosian Library of Milan, and one of the founders of the Academy of Lutheran Studies in Italy (Asli), defines as “a milestone in the ecumenical dialogue.” On October 31, 1999, at Augusta, Germany, leaders of the Catholic Church and of the Lutheran World Federation signed a “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.” Fruit of long labor carried out by a Mixed Theological Commission, this important document forms the background of ZENIT’s interview with Monsignor Buzzi a few days before Pope Francis’ visit to Sweden for the anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation.* * *
ZENIT: Monsignor Buzzi, does that document disentangle the controversy par excellence between Catholics and Lutherans?
Monsignor Buzzi: The value of that document is extremely important; it is a milestone in ecumenical dialogue. For the first time, after 500 years, Catholics and Lutherans were in agreement with Saint Paul in the third chapter of the Letter to the Romans: “Now, instead, independently of the law, God’s justice was manifested, witnessed by the law and by the prophets; justice of God through faith in Jesus Christ, for all those who believe.” Our redemption is not the fruit of our commitment, but pure grace of God; it is a gift of His mercy: it depends solely on the work carried out for us by Jesus Christ; it depends on His Death and Resurrection for us, to which we adhere with faith. The gift of faith, namely of adhering with joy and industriousness to God who speaks to us, is always accompanied with the proclamation of the Gospel. In fact, the Gospel “is the power of God for the salvation of every one who has faith (Romans 1:17) and “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
ZENIT: In light of the steps forward in the dialogue between the two Churches, is it still licit to accuse the Protestants of heresy?
Monsignor Buzzi: The same document of 1999 specifies that differences remain in the way of understanding the thesis of justification by faith. For instance, in Luther there is talk of the permanence of sin, which, although no longer computed as sin, still remains in one who is justified, while Catholics affirm that original sin is removed through Baptism and that what remains of concupiscence in the baptized <person>, namely the evil will to go against God’s law, of itself does not constitute sin, when this temptation, which remains, is not consented to by one who has this painful experience. As can be seen, it is about theological finesses, which can be well understood and admitted without falling into contradiction on the content of the main thesis. That is to say: the differences that remain in the two Confessions regarding justification by faith are not such as to compromise the unity of the same faith on this point. Therefore the differences do not allow the believers of the two different Confessions to accuse one another of heresy.
ZENIT: The monk of Wittenberg, who accused the Catholic Church of being secularized, found shore however in the worldly German Princes. The Lutheran Reformation had political implications: did it subject spiritual authority to temporal power?
Monsignor Buzzi: The worldliness of the Catholic Church of Luther’s time was well described by historians and certainly represented, also for Luther, one of the reasons for his energetic taking of a position. However, in his original intention, there wasn’t the desire to create another Church in respect of that of Jesus Christ. The incomprehension and total barrage experienced by the Reformer induced him progressively to take ever more peremptory positions that detached him from Rome. Inserted in all this also is the play of German Princes who saw in him the occasion to detach themselves from Rome, to subtract themselves from the economic burdens that Rome imposed on Germany cradling at the same time the idea of a national German Church. In any case, Luther did everything to guarantee room in the new organization of the Church in Germany for spiritual freedom generated by the rediscovery of the Gospel. Testimony of this is his doctrine of the dual kingdom, in which the powers and limits of the civil authority are specified in regard to the freedom that flows from the Gospel.
ZENIT: What geopolitical implications did the Lutheran Reformation arouse in the Europe of the ‘500?
Monsignor Buzzi: The Reformation caused, effectively, a great political upheaval in the order of Germany itself, but also in the whole of Europe for at least two centuries, the 16th and the 17th. Suffice it to think of the great number of principalities and small political territorial circumscriptions in which Germany was divided, also seconding the faith embraced by individual Princes, in keeping with the famous principle of tolerance which states “Cuius regio eius et religio”: the individual’s religion depended on his belonging to a particular territory. The peasants’ social revolt, which spread to many States of Europe, was crossed in fact with the so-called fight and wars of religion between Protestant and Catholic Princes, be it at the time of the Emperor Charles V, be it after him, at least until the end of the Thirty Years War, with the peace of Westphalia (1648).Obviously, in all this labor the difference of religious Confession was simply a pretext or screen to hide important political interests that referred to the aspirations of power and prestige of the reigning Princes.
ZENIT: Despite everything, distrust remains: Pope Francis’ choice to take part in this commemoration in Sweden has created perplexity among some Catholics …
Monsignor Buzzi: It’s not about celebrating the division but, on the contrary, of putting at the center of our common interest all that up to now unites us, in the communion of Christ. One can certainly understand the resistance on the part of some Catholics formed in the school of confessional opposition, fueled by the controversial and apologetic theology which dominated the scene of catechesis and of the institutes of theological culture for close to five consecutive centuries. The last fifty years, in which grosso modo the ecumenical work has intensified, they have not yet been able to awaken the interest and adherence of all to that prospect of passing from conflict to communion.
ZENIT: Considering that the variegated Protestant world does not have a unanimous magisterium, do current subjects exist on which Catholics and Lutherans can speak to the world with one voice?
Monsignor Buzzi: Yes, certainly, First of all we must be united in the desire to proclaim together to the whole world that only in Jesus’ name is salvation offered by God to all human beings (cf. Acts 4:12). There is no greater urgency than this. In the second place, be it for one as for others, true faith in Christ cannot but be manifested in works of love (cf.Galatians 5:6). It is on this terrain that initiatives of collaboration must grow to meet the effective needs of todays’ suffering humanity. In sum, we propose to celebrate a feast for Jesus Christ together, rendering credible to the world this common testimony with works of love.[Translation by ZENIT]
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3rd Meeting of ‘Popular Movements’ to Be Held in Rome by ZENIT Staff
Today a press conference was held at the Vatican to present the Third World Meeting of Popular Movements, to be held in Rome from 3 to 5 November 2016.The speakers were Archbishop Silvano Maria Tomasi, Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations and delegate secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and Juan Grabois, consulter to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and co-founder of the Movement of Excluded Workers of the Conference of the Popular Economy.
Following the meetings in Rome 2014 and Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, in 2015, next week around 200 members will meet, representing 92 popular movements from 65 countries. The themes to be considered in the third meeting will again be “ las tres T: Trabajo, Techo, Tierra ”; (“The three Ls: Labour, Lodgings and Land”); care for nature; and migrants and refugees.
Read the Pope’s addresses here:
June 2015: https://zenit.org/articles/pope-s-address-to-popular-movements-2/
October 2014: https://zenit.org/articles/pope-s-address-to-popular-movements/
The meeting will take place at the Pontifical International Maria Mater Ecclesiae College from 2 to 4 November. Then, on 5 November, the Holy Father Francis will receive the participants in audience. The attendees will include Don Luigi Ciotti, founder of the Abel group which fights against abuse by the Mafia throughout Italy; Vandana Shiva, Indian philosopher and environmentalist; and Pepe Mujica, president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015.
The “popular movements” are grassroots organizations established by those whose inalienable rights to decent work, decent housing and fertile land are undermined, threatened or denied outright. In the main, these movements represent three increasingly excluded social sectors: (a) workers who are at risk or lack job security, in the informal sector or self-employed, migrants, day- labourers and all those unprotected by labour rights or trade unions; (b) landless farmers, family farmers, indigenous people and those at risk of being driven out of the countryside by agro-speculation and violence; (c) the marginalized and forgotten, including squatters and inhabitants of peripheral neighbourhoods or informal settlements, without adequate urban infrastructure. Also taking part in the meeting will be trade unions and social and human rights organisations which are close to these movements
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For further information, see:
http://www.iustitiaetpax.va
http://movimientospopulares.org/
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Pope’s Address to Episcopal Vicars, Delegates for Consecrated Life by ZENIT Staff
Pope Francis today received in audience participants in the International Congress for Episcopal Vicars and Delegates for Consecrated Life, underway in Rome at the Pontifical University Antonianum from today until October 30.Here is a translation of the Pope’s address:
* * *
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I greet you warmly and thank you for having come to this first International Congress of Episcopal Vicars and Delegates for Consecrated Life. Through you, I wish to greet all your Bishops and to express my appreciation for the attention they give to consecrated life in its different expressions. I thank Cardinal Braz de Aviz for the words with which he introduced our meeting.
You, dear brothers, are called to help the Bishop in all that concerns consecrated life (cf. CIC, 479 §2). Today I would like to share with you three brief reflections.
Consecrated life in the particular Church. Consecrated life is a gift to the Church, it is born in the Church, it grows in the Church <and> is altogether oriented to the Church” (Apostolic Letter To All the Consecrated on the occasion of the Year of Consecrated Life, 5). This is a principle that cannot be forgotten either by the Pastors or by the consecrated. In fact, consecrated life “expresses emblematically” and with altogether particular force “the contribution of a charismatic gift to the baptismal priesthood and to the ministerial priesthood” and, “as such, is placed in the charismatic dimension of the Church” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter Iuvenescit Ecclesia,May 15, 2016, 22c.) It is for the Bishops to receive it “with joy and gratitude” (cf. Ibid., 8), showing to it benevolence, paternity and solicitous love.
Consecrated life is “a spiritual capital that contributes to the good of the whole Body of Christ (cf. Lumen Gentium, 43) and not only of Religious Families” (Apostolic Letter To All the Consecrated on the occasion of the Year of Consecrated Life, III, 5). For this reason, I have asked and ask also today the Pastors and you, Vicars and Delegates of Consecrated Life, receive it “warmly and joyfully” (Ibid.) as a reality that “is in the very heart of the Church” and “as decisive element of her mission,” in as much as it “belongs irrevocably to her life and to her holiness” (Ibid.). Therefore, I encourage the Pastors, and you with them, to manifest a special solicitude in promoting in your Churches the various charisms, be they old or new; to be close to the consecrated, with tenderness and love, and to teach the People of God the value of consecrated life.
I remind the consecrated that a just autonomy and exemption cannot be confused with isolation and independence. Today more than ever it is necessary to live a just autonomy and exemption, in the Institutes that provide them, in close relation with insertion, in such a way that the charismatic freedom and the catholicity of consecrated life are also expressed in the context of the particular Church. The latter would not respond fully to what Jesus desired for His Church, if it were deprived of consecrated life, which is part of her essential structure, in the same way as the laity or the ordained ministry. It is for this reason that, in the light of Vatican Council II, we speak today of the co-essentialness of the hierarchical gifts and of the charismatic gifts (cf. Lumen Gentium, 4), which flow from the one Spirit of God and nourish the life of the Church and her missionary action. All these gifts are destined to contribute in different ways, to the building of the Church, and in harmonious and complementary relation between them. Pastors are called to respect, without manipulating, “the multi-dimensionality that constitutes the Church and through which the Church manifests herself.” On their part, the consecrated must remember that they are not “a closed patrimony,” but “an integrated facet in the body of the Church, attracted to the center, that is Christ” (J.M. Bergoglio, Address to the Synod on Consecrated Life and Its Mission in the Church and in the World, XVI, General Congregation, October 13, 1994).
Erection of new Institutes of Consecrated Life. Both before and after Vatican II, several Institutes of Consecrated Life arose and continue to arise. The Spirit does not cease to blow where it wills and when it wills (cf. John 3:8). It being the responsibility of the diocesan Bishop to discern and recognize the authenticity of charismatic gifts and to erect in the diocese Institutes of Consecrated Life, this cannot be done without a serene and appropriate discernment that, in addition to the criteria pointed out in the Apostolic Letter Iuvenescit Ecclesia in n. 18, takes account of the originality of the charism, of its prophetic dimension, of its insertion in the life of the particular Church, of the affective and effective communion with it and with the universal Church, of the commitment for evangelization, also in its social dimension; as well as verifying that the founder has shown proven ecclesial maturity, with a life that does not contradict the action of the Holy Spirit, author of the charisms, and that these charisms harmonize adequately in the ecclesial communion (cf. Ibid., 17). Finally, I remind you of the obligation to always consult previously the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, as I recently established in giving a clarification on canon 579.
At the moment of erecting a new Institute one cannot think only of its usefulness for the particular Church. The Bishops, their Vicars and Delegates, as well as the Congregation itself for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, cannot be simplistic when they exercise this grave responsibility. The Pastors must consider that, in erecting a new Institute, they are certainly exercising a right proper to them but that at the same time they are assuming a responsibility in the name of the universal Church, from the moment that such an Institute is destined to grow and to come out of the confines of the Diocese that saw its birth. And, moreover, it is necessary to consider prudently the duty to provide appropriate formation to the candidates. Because it is a delicate decision, it is good that the Bishops allow themselves to be helped by all those that have experience of consecrated life, and you can also be among these, dear brothers.
Mutual relations. You play an important role in the mutual relationsbetween the Pastors and the consecrated. I know that this subject will be studied during the present Congress, but in the Synod of ’94 it was requested to look again at the Instruction Mutuae relationes: we are somewhat late! At present it is the object of a specific study of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic life and of the Congregation for Bishops, whom I have asked to re-elaborate the document Mutuae relationes.
In addition to the updating of the norms that must govern mutual relations between the Bishops and all forms of consecrated life, masculine and feminine, it is about reflecting further on the value of reciprocity, which commits Pastors and the consecrated. Mutual relations do not exist where some command and others submit themselves, out of fear or convenience. Instead, there are mutual relations where dialogue, respectful listening, and reciprocal hospitality, encounter and knowledge, shared quest for the truth, the desire of fraternal collaboration for the good of the Church, which is “house of communion,” are cultivated. All this is the responsibility both of the Pastors and of the consecrated. In this connection, we are all called to be ‘pontiffs,” builders of bridges. Our time requires communion in respect of diversities. We are not afraid of diversity, which comes from the Spirit.
Finally, I would like to ask you to give special attention to the contemplative Sisters. As I affirmed in the recent Apostolic ConstitutionVultum Dei Quaerere, this way of following Christ, rooted “in the silence of the cloister,” represents in the Church and for the Church the “praying heart, custodian of gratuitousness and of rich apostolic fecundity,” which generates “precious fruits of grace and mercy” and of “many-sided holiness” (n. 5). The Church, also the particular Church, is in need of these “lighthouses that indicate the route to reach the port,” of these “torches that accompany the path of men and women in the dark night of time,” of these “watchmen of the morning that herald the rising of the sun” (Ibid., 6). Accompany them with fraternal affection, treating them always as adult women, respecting their own competencies, without undue interferences. Accompany them by giving them help in all that refers to the essential elements of their life, as they are presented in the mentioned Apostolic Constitution (cf . nn. 12ff), and taking into account the Instruction that the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life will produce (cf. Ibid., 14 §1). Focusing all your attention on one element, as important as it might be, such as the case of cloister or that of autonomy, could lead to a vital imbalance that would have sad consequences for the life of these Sisters.
Dear brothers, love consecrated life and to this end proceed so as to know it in depth. Build mutual relations from the ecclesiology of communion, from the principle of co-essentiality, from the just autonomy that corresponds to the consecrated. Greet your Bishops and all the consecrated of your dioceses on my behalf.
I assure you of my prayer and you, please, do not forget to pray for me. Thanks you and have a good Congress!
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]
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The Grace of an Encounter by Archbishop Francesco Follo
Roman riteWis 11.22 – 12.2; Ps 145; 2 Thess 1.11 to 2.2; Lk 19,1-10
Ambrosian Rite
Is 25,6-10a; Ps 35; Rm 4.18 to 25; Mt 22,1-14
Second Sunday after the Dedication of the Cathedral.
People’s participation to salvation
1) A matter of glances.
In the journey of Jesus toward Jerusalem that, as I said before, does not follow the logic of geography but that of merciful redemption, today we accompany him to Jericho. As we pass with Him through this town, we encounter not only the people but also Zacchaeus, the tax collector-chief of the customs of Jericho, border area of the Roman province. At first glance, this seems like a “difficult case” not only because this man, for his work, was considered a public sinner to avoid as legally impure, but also because he was a cheater and a collaborator with the enemy, the Roman occupant for whom he collected taxes. He is also a rich man, and a short time before, Jesus had said to a rich young man: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Luke 18:25). Fortunately, the mercy of the Redeemer does not stop in front of difficult cases. Today, we are given the example of the encounter of the Savior with Zacchaeus, whose conversion demonstrates that no human condition is incompatible with salvation: “Today salvation has come to this house”. There He has taken home to rest.
Only Jesus, true man and true God, could do this: enter the house of an excommunicated sinner to rest, and save him. In the Greek text there is the word cataluo that is the same as cataluma which is used twice in the Gospel of Luke: at Jesus’ birth, where the cave is indicated by the word of this passage of the Gospel, and at the Last Supper. Also in this third event the word indicates, as a resting place, the Last Supper, where Christ will celebrate the Eucharist. Today’s text explains very well the meaning and the aim of the Savior’s life from his birth to his death, the Eucharist where he is to be fed to all sinners. He becomes our life if we, repentant sinners, welcome him.
Let’s follow the example of this converted man. Zacchaeus knows that he is a sinner needing God’s forgiveness. With this man, small in stature, let’s climb up the tree to see Jesus. The Redeemer will lift his gaze to each of us and to us too He will say: “’Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house. ’And he came down quickly and received him with joy” (Lk 19: 5-6).
It all starts with an exchange of glances. Zacchaeus (each of us) wants to see Jesus, and this desire corresponds to the need for Jesus to stop and dwell in the house of a sinner that then changes his life, beginning with giving half of his possessions to the poor.
2) Searching for Mercy.
However, it important to note that, as in the case of Zacchaeus, the initiative belongs to Christ and is free. Of course, it is embedded in man’s availability. The encounter with God is always at the same time a gift and the completion of a search. It is the fulfillment of a wish. Not only Zacchaeus was looking for Jesus, but also Jesus was looking for Zacchaeus. The initiative of God precedes that of men, who open their homes God. An English painter painted a Jesus who knocks behind a closed door, while the storm rages. He is in the midst of weeds and brambles. Since the handle is only from the inside, it is not possible to enter until someone opens. It is a beautiful image of God and us! Only we can open the door to Christ. We are the only one who can reverse the way to the source of life, the only ones that can let be welcome by the One who” has mercy on all for the sake of repentance” ( Sap.11,23)
The first step of this journey of conversion- according to today’s Gospel- is the “desire to see”. Zacchaeus wants to see “who Jesus was.” However, I do not think Zacchaeus had left home because he wanted to convert. Certainly in his heart and in his mind there was something: a desire for truth and goodness that urged him. Probably it was curiosity, a desire to know a person of whom many people were talking about. In any case, this curious research is bound to the wanting to see. It is the meeting of the eyes and the acceptance of his invitation, or better, of his self-invitation to stop in our house to dwell with us. Who would have imagined that God “must” abide in each of us? For God this is the “duty” of love that climbs the tree (the cross of life) in our place and save us.
The second step to change life is the “call” of Jesus, who always wants to save the sinner. Jesus invites or rather invites himself, but this self-invitation had already begun in Bethlehem in a cave.
The third step is that Zacchaeus (each of us) “answers”, filled with joy, to the call. The human life is thus a joyful response to the Love that heals and saves. We must let ourselves be surprised by joy because who could imagine that the answer is to host God asking to rest in our house, in our fragile love? With love healed and strengthened by Love, each of us accepts God in the house of his heart, where Christ is resting because he is welcomed and loved. Elsewhere, the Son of God is on the Cross.
Finally, the fourth and fifth step of the conversion are the atonement of sin (“If I stole it, restore it fourfold”) and sharing (“Here’s the half of my goods to the poor”).
The decision for these steps is the answer to salvation that went to Lazarus in Christ. He is the Son of God who came to seek and save what is lost. Let’s remember the parable of the shepherd who says “Come with me! Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.” Jesus is the Son of Man that has come to seek man. It is God who became man to meet every lost man, and so he really is God. He is love, then man becomes again man to be loved and to love and being in the image and likeness of the creator. This is the most beautiful scene of the gospel. It is a scene that refers to the previous passage of today’s Gospel that speaks of the blind man who comes to the light. This is the first little man that comes to light, the very light of God.
Zacchaeus, “sought” and “saved” without conditions, sees his heart now turned into a free source of love despite the “murmurings” and the “scandal” that always an unforeseen conversion causes. Freed from himself, he gives himself without reserve to his brothers, “poor” like him.
Accepting “today” Christ who invites himself into our home through the Church that teaches us with the Word and the sacraments, we can live fully each day. It was “necessary and appropriate”, as stated in the original Greek text, that Christ has “stopped” at the house of Zacchaeus, as “today” in our lives. It was “convenient” for those who are close to us, to whom we can finally give back “four times as much” what we have unjustly taken away. It was “convenient” for the world to which every risen Zacchaeus can proclaim the love he was entitled to, multiplied by the mercy of God.
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Patristic reading
Golden Chain
on Lc 19: 1-10
AMBROSE; Zacchaeus in the sycamore, the blind man by the way side: upon the one our Lord waits to show mercy, upon the other He confers the great glory of abiding in his house.
The chief among the Publicans is here fitly introduced. For who will hereafter despair of himself, now that he attains to grace who gained his living by fraud. And he too moreover a rich man, that we may know that not all rich men are covetous.
CYRIL; But Zacchaeus made no delay in what he did, and so was accounted worthy of the favor of God, which gives sight to the blind, and calls them who are afar off.
TIT. BOST. The seed of salvation had begun to spring up in him, for he desired to see Jesus, having never seen Him. For if he had seen Him, he would long since have given up the Publican’s wicked life. No one that sees Jesus can remain any longer in wickedness. But there were two obstacles to his seeing Him. The multitude not so much of men as of his sins prevented him, for he was little of stature.
AMBROSE; What means the Evangelist by describing his stature, and that of none other? It is perhaps because he was young in wickedness, or as yet weak in the faith. For he was not yet prostrate in sin who could climb up. He had not yet seen Christ.
TIT. BOST. But he discovered a good device; running before he climbed up into a sycamore, and saw Him whom he had long wished for, i.e. Jesus, passing by. Now Zacchaeus desired no more than to see, but He who is able to do more than v e ask for, granted to Him far above what he expected; as it follows,
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him. He saw the soul of the man striving earnestly to live a holy life, and converts him to godliness.
AMBROSE; Uninvited he invites Himself to his house; as it follows, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down, &c. for He knew how richly He would reward his hospitality. And though He had not yet heard the word of invitation, He had already seen the will.
BEDE; See here, the camel disencumbered of his hunch passes through the eye of a needle, that is, the rich man and the publican abandoning his love of riches, and loathing his dishonest gains, receives the blessing of his Lord’s company. It follows, And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
AMBROSE; Let the rich learn that guilt attaches not to the goods themselves, but to those who know not how to use them. For riches, as they are hindrances to virtue in the unworthy, so are they means of advancing it in the good.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. Observe the gracious kindness of the Savior. The innocent associates with the guilty, the fountain of justice with covetousness, which is the source of injustice. Having entered the publican’s house, He suffers no stain from the mists of avarice, but disperses them by the bright beam of His righteousness. But those who deal with biting words and reproaches, try to cast a slur upon the things which were done by Him; for it follows, And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
But He, though accused of being a wine-bibber and a friend of publicans, regarded it not, so long as He could accomplish His end. As a physician sometimes can not save his patients from their diseases without the defilement of blood. kind so it happened here, for the publican was converted, and lived a better life. Zacchaeus stood, and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any man, I restore him fourfold. Behold here is a marvel: without learning he obeys. And as the sun pouring its rays into a house enlightens it not by word, but by work, so the Savior by the rays of righteousness put to flight the darkness of sin; for the light shines in darkness. Now every thing united is strong, but divided, weak, therefore Zacchaeus divides into two parts his substance. But we must be careful to observe, that his wealth was not made up from unjust gains, but from his patrimony, else how could he restore fourfold what he had unjustly extorted. He knew that the law ordered what was wrongly taken away to be restored fourfold, that if the law deterred not, a man’s losses might soften him. Zacchaeus waits not for the judgment of the law, but makes himself his own judge.
THEOPHYL. If we examine more closely, we shall see that nothing was left of his own property. For having given half of his goods to the poor, out of the remainder he restored fourfold to those whom he had injured. He not only promised this, but did it. For he says not, “I will give the half, and I will restore fourfold, but, I give, and I restore. To such Christ announces salvation; Jesus said to him, This day is salvation come to this house, signifying that Zacchaeus had attained to salvation, meaning by the house the inhabitant thereof. And it follows, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For He would not have given the name of a son of Abraham to a lifeless building.
BEDE; Zacchaeus is called the son of Abraham, not because he was born of Abraham’s seed, but because he imitates his faith, that as Abraham left his country and his father’s house, so he abandoned all his goods in giving them to the poor. And He well says, “He also,” to declare that not only those who had lived justly, but those who are raised up from a life of injustice, belong to the sons of promise.
THEOPHYL. He said not that he “was” a son of Abraham, but that he now is. For before when he was the chief among the publicans, and bore no likeness to the righteous Abraham, he was not his son. But because some murmured that he tarried with a man who was a sinner, he adds in order to restrain them, For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. Why do you accuse me if I bring sinners to righteousness? So far am I from hating them, that for their sakes I came. For I came to heal, not to judge, therefore am I the constant guest of those that are sick, and I suffer their noisomeness that I may supply remedies. But some one may ask, how does Paul bid us, If we have a brother that is a fornicator or covetous man, with such not even to take food; whereas Christ was the guest of publicans? They were not as yet so far advanced as to be brethren, and besides, St. Paul bids us avoid our brethren only when they persist in evil, but these were converted.
BEDE; Mystically, Zacchaeus, which is by interpretation “justified,” signifies the Gentile believers, who were depressed and brought very low by their worldly occupations, but sanctified by God. And he was desirous to see our Savior entering Jericho, inasmuch as he sought to share in that faith which Christ brought into the world.
CYRIL; The crowd is the tumultuous state of an ignorant multitude, which cannot see the lofty top of wisdom. Zacchaeus therefore, while he was in the crowd, saw not Christ, but having advanced beyond the vulgar ignorance, was thought worthy to entertain Him whom he desired to look upon.
BEDE; Or the crowd that is, the general habit of vice, which rebuked the blind man crying out, lest he should seek the light, also impedes Zacchaeus looking up, that he might not see Jesus; that as by crying out the more the blind man overcame the crowd, so the man weak in the faith by forsaking earthly things, and climbing the tree of the Cross, surmounts the opposing multitude. The sycamore, which is a tree resembling the mulberry in foliage, but exceeding it in height, whence by the Latins it is called “lofty,” is called the “foolish fig-tree,” and so the Cross of our Lord sustains believers, as the fig-tree figs, and is mocked by unbelievers as foolishness. This tree Zacchaeus, who was little in stature, climbed up, that he might be raised together with Christ; for every one who is humble, and conscious of his own weakness, cries out, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
AMBROSE; He has well added, that our Lord was to pass that way, either where the sycamore-tree was, or where he was who was about to believe, that so He might preserve the mystery, and sow the seeds of grace. For He had so come as that through the Jews He came to the Gentiles. He sees then Zacchaeus above, for already the excellence of his faith shone forth amidst the fruits of good works, and the loftiness of the fruitful tree; but Zacchaeus stands out above the tree, as one who is above the law.
BEDE; The Lord as He journeyed came to the place where Zacchaeus had climbed the sycamore, for having sent His preachers throughout the world in whom He Himself spoke and went, He comes to the Gentile people, who were already raised up on high through faith in His Passion, and whom when He looked up He saw, for He chose them through grace. Now our Lord once abode in the house of the chief of the Pharisees, but when He did works such as none but God could do, they railed at Him Wherefore hating their deeds He departed, saying, Your house shall be left to you desolate; but now He must needs stay at the house of the weak Zacchaeus, that is, by the grace of the new law brightly shining, He must take rest in the hearts of tile lowly nations. But that Zacchaeus is bid to come down from the sycamore tree, and prepare an abode for Christ, this is what the Apostle says, Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more. And again elsewhere, For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives by the power of God. It is plain that the Jews always hated the salvation Of the Gentiles; but salvation, which formerly filled the houses of the Jews, has this day shone upon the Gentiles, forasmuch as this people also by believing on God is a son of Abraham.
THEOPHYL. It is easy to turn this to a moral use. For whoever surpasses many in wickedness is small in spiritual growth, and cannot see Jesus for the crowd. For disturbed by passion and worldly things, he beholds not Jesus walking, that is, working in us, not recognizing His operation. But he climbs up to the top of a sycamore-tree, in that he rises above the sweetness of pleasure, which is signified by a fig, and subduing it, and so becoming more exalted, he sees and is seen by Christ.
GREG. Or because the sycamore is from its name called the foolish fig, the little Zacchaeus gets up into the sycamore and sees the Lord, for they who humbly choose the foolish things of this world are those who contemplate most closely the wisdom of God. For what is more foolish in this world than not to seek for what is lost, to give our possessions to robbers, to return not injury for injury? However, by this wise foolishness, the wisdom of God is seen, not yet really as it is, but by the light of contemplation.
THEOPHYL. The Lord said to him, Make haste and come down, that is, “you have ascended by penitence to a place too high for you, come down by humility, lest your exaltation cause you to sky. I must abide in the house of a humble man. We have two kinds of goods in us, bodily, and spiritual; the just man gives up all his bodily goods to the poor, but he forsakes not his spiritual goods, but if he has extorted any thing from any one, he restores to him fourfold; signifying thereby that if a man by repentance walks in the Opposite path to his former perverseness, he by the manifold practice of virtue heals all his old offenses, and so merits salvation, and is called the son of Abraham, because he went out from his own kindred, that is, from his ancient wickedness.
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Apostolic Vicar Named for Puerto Princesa, Philippines by ZENIT Staff
Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Socrates Mesiona, M.S.P., as apostolic vicar of Puerto Princesa, Philippines.Socrates Mesiona was born in 1963 in Tagbilaran, Philippines, and was ordained a priest in 1989. He holds a licentiate in missiology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and has served in a number of roles. He also was member of the council and subsequently superior general of the Mission Society of the Philippines. He is currently national director of the Pontifical Missionary Works.
He succeeds Bishop Pedro D. Arigo, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same apostolic vicariate was accepted by the Holy Father.
The Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa has a population of some 606,000 with about 413,000 Catholics . They are served by about 50 priests and the same number of religious.
An apostolic vicariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Latin Church, established in mission regions where the hierarchy of the Latin rite is not yet fully organized.
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Pope’s Address to John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family by ZENIT Staff
On Thursday, Pope Francis received in audience members of the Academic Community of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family, on the occasion of the opening of the new Academic Year.Here is a ZENIT working translation of the Pope’s address.
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Most Reverend Excellency,
Monsignor Principal,
Gentlemen Professors,
Dear Students,
I am especially happy to open together with you this new Academic Year of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute, the thirty-fifth of its foundation. I thank the Grand Chancellor, His Excellency Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia, and the Principal, Monsignor Pierangelo Sequeri for their words and I extend my gratitude also to all those who have headed the Institute.
The farsighted intuition of Saint john Paul II, who greatly desired this academic institution, can be even better recognized and appreciated today in its fruitfulness and timeliness. His wise discernment of the signs of the times restored with vigor the attention of the Church and of human society itself, to the profundity and delicacy of the bonds that are generated from the conjugal alliance of man and woman. The development that the Institute has had in the five Continents confirms the validity and meaning of the “catholic” form of its program. The vitality of this project, which has generated an institution of such high profile, encourages the further development of initiatives of colloquium and exchange with all academic institutions, also those belonging to different religious and cultural areas, which are committed today to reflecting on this most delicate frontier of the human.
In the present circumstances, the conjugal and family bonds are put to the test in many ways. The affirmation of a culture that exalts narcissistic individualism, a conception of freedom disengaged from responsibility for the other, the growth of indifference to the common good, the imposition of ideologies that attack the family project directly, as well as the growth of poverty that threatens the future of so many families, are all the more reasons for the crisis of the contemporary family. Then there are the open questions of the development of new technologies, which render possible practices which at times are in conflict with the true dignity of human life. The complexity of these new horizons recommends a tighter bond between the John Paul II Institute and the Pontifical Academy for Life. I exhort you to frequent courageously these new and delicate implications with all the necessary rigor, without falling “into the temptation of varnishing them, of perfuming them, of adjusting them somewhat and of domesticating them” (Letter of the Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Argentine Catholic University, March 3, 2015).
The uncertainty and disorientation that touch the fundamental affections of the person and of life destabilize all the bonds, those of the family and the social, having the “I” prevail increasingly over the “we,” the individual over society. It is a success that contradicts the plan of God, who entrusted the world and history to the alliance of man and woman (Genesis 1:28-31). This alliance — by its very nature — implies cooperation and respect, generous dedication and shared responsibility, ability to recognize difference as richness and promise, not as motive for subjection and malfeasance.
The recognition of the dignity of man and of woman implies a just appreciation of their mutual relationship. How can we know in depth the concrete humanity of which we are made without learning it through this difference? And this happens when man and woman speak to each other and question one another, love one another and act together, with mutual respect and benevolence. It is impossible to deny the contribution of modern culture to the rediscovery of the dignity of the sexual difference. Therefore, it is also very disconcerting to see that now this culture seems to be blocked by a tendency to cancel the difference instead of resolving the problems that mortify it.
The family is the irreplaceable womb of the initiation of the creaturely alliance of man and woman. This bond, sustained by the grace of God the Creator and Savior, is destined to be realized in the many ways of their relationship, which are reflected in the different communal and social bonds. The profound correlation between family figures and the social forms of this alliance – in religion and in ethics, in work, in the economy and in politics, in the care of life and in the relationship between the generations – is now global evidence. In fact, when things go well between man and woman, the world and history also go well. In the opposite case, the world becomes inhospitable and history stops.
The testimony of humanity and of the beauty of the Christian experience of the family must therefore be inspired again more in depth. The Church dispenses God’s love for the family in view of its mission of love for all the families of the world. The Church – which recognizes herself as family people – sees in the family the icon of the God’s covenant with the whole human family. And, in reference to Christ and to the Church, the Apostle affirms that this is a great mystery (cf. Ephesians 5:32). Therefore, the charity of the Church commits us to develop – on the doctrinal and pastoral plane – our capacity to read and interpret, for our time, the truth and the beauty of God’s creative plan. The radiation of this divine project, in the complexity of the human condition, calls for a special intelligence of love. And also a strong evangelical dedication, animated by great compassion and mercy for the vulnerability and fallibility of the love between human beings.
It is necessary to apply oneself with greater enthusiasm to the rescue – I would almost say to the rehabilitation – of this extraordinary “invention” of divine creation. This rescue must be taken seriously, be it in the doctrinal sense as well as the practical, pastoral and testimonial sense. The dynamics of the relationship between God, man and woman, and their children, are the golden key to understand the world and history, with all that they contain. And, finally, to understand something of the profound, which is found in the love of God Himself. Can we succeed in thinking thus “greatly”? Are we convinced of the power of life that this plan of God bears in the love of the world? Are we able to snatch the new generations from resignation and re-conquer them to the audacity of this plan?
We are certainly very aware of the fact that we also bear this treasure in “earthen vessels” (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:7). Grace exists, as does sin. Therefore, we must learn not to be resigned to human failure, but let us sustain the rescue of the creative plan at all costs. It is right, in fact, to recognize that at times “we have presented a theological ideal of marriage that is too abstract, almost artificially constructed, far from the concrete situation and of effective possibilities of families as they are. This excessive idealization, especially when we have not reawakened confidence in grace, has not made marriage more desirable and attractive, but all the contrary” (Post-Synodal Apostolic ExhortationAmoris Laetitia, 36). God’s justice shines in fidelity to His promise. And this splendor, as we learned from Jesus’ revelation, is His mercy (cf.Romans 9:21-23).
The twofold Synodal appointment of the Bishops of the world, cum Petro e sub Petro, has manifested concordantly the necessity to extend the Church’s understanding and care for this mystery of human love, in which the love of God gains ground for all. The Apostolic ExhortationAmoris Laetitia makes a treasure of this extension and solicits the entire people of God to render the Church’s family dimension more visible and effective. The families that make up the people of God and build the Lord’s Body with their love, are called to be more aware of the gift of grace that they themselves bear, and to become proud to be able to put it at the disposition of all the poor and the abandoned that despair of being able to find or re-find it. Today’s pastoral topic is not only that of the “distance” of many from the ideal and practice of the Christian truth of marriage and the family; more decisive yet is the topic of the Church’s “closeness”: closeness to the new generations of spouses, so that the blessing of their bond convinces them increasingly and accompanies them, and closeness to the situations of human weakness, so that grace can rescue them, give them new courage and heal them. The Church’s indissoluble bond with her children is the most transparent sign of God’s faithful and merciful love.
The new horizon of this commitment certainly sees your Institute convoked, in an altogether special way, to sustain the necessary opening of the intelligence of the faith at the service of the pastoral solicitude of the Successor of Peter. The fruitfulness of this task of further reflection and study, in favor of the whole Church, is entrusted to the impetus of your mind and your heart. Let us not forget that “good theologians also, as good Pastors, smell of the people and of the street and, with their reflection, pour oil and wine on men’s wounds” (March 3, 2015). Theology and pastoral <care> go together. A theological doctrine that does not let itself be guided and molded by the evangelizing end and by the pastoral care of the Church is all the more unthinkable than a pastoral of the Church that is unable to make a treasure of the revelation and of her tradition in view of a better intelligence and transmission of the faith.
This task calls for being rooted in the joy of the faith and in the humility of joyful service to the Church. Of the Church that exists, not of a Church thought in one’s image and likeness. The living Church in which we live, the beautiful Church to which we belong, the Church of the one Lord and one Spirit, to whom we give ourselves as “unworthy servants” (Luke17:10), who offer their best gifts. The Church we love, so that all can love her. The Church in which we feel loved beyond our merits, and for which we are ready to make sacrifices, in perfect joy. May God accompany us in this path of communion that we undertake together. And may He bless from now on the generosity with which you are about to sow the furrow entrusted to you.
Thank you!
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]
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Pope Greets Members of Group He Established to Fight Human Trafficking... from ZENIT of Roswell, Georgia, United States for Thursday, 17 October 2016Like
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Pope Greets Members of Group He Established to Fight Human Trafficking by ZENIT Staff
Pope Francis today received around a hundred members of the “Santa Marta Group” on the occasion of the third Conference of this international organisation against human trafficking.Launched in 2014 by Pope Francis and chaired by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, the Santa Marta Group is composed of police chiefs, bishops, religious sisters and representatives from civil society, and aims to forge relationships of trust between police and the Church, especially religious sisters, enabling this crime to be defeated and the victims to be accompanied, assisted, and ultimately reintegrated into society.
Since 2014 the Santa Marta Group has held conferences in England and Spain, and along with the Holy See permanent observer jointly organised a conference at the United Nations. It has also held regional meetings in Latin America, Africa and Asia, as well as a conference in Ireland to focus on the maritime industry.
The Holy Father cordially greeted the members of the Group and emphasised that human trafficking represents one of the greatest challenges of our time.
“The Santa Marta Group, which brings together ecclesiastical and civil authorities, is making an important contribution to combating the social scourge of human trafficking, linked to new forms of slavery, whose victims are men and women, often minors, exploited on account of their poverty and marginalisation. As I wrote to you a year ago on the occasion of your meeting at El Escorial, what is needed is a concerted, active and consistent effort both to eliminate the causes of this complex phenomenon, and to encounter, assist and accompany those who fall into the snares of trafficking. Unfortunately, the number of these victims, according to international organisations, is growing year by year. They are the most defenceless, who are robbed of their dignity, their physical and psychological integrity, and even their life”.
“Dear friends, I thank you and I encourage you to continue in your efforts. The Lord will know how to compensate for what is done to the least in today’s society. He said, ‘I was hungry, I was thirsty’, and you helped me; today He could also say, ‘I was abused, exploited, enslaved, and you came to my aid.’
“I continue to accompany you with my closeness and my prayer. And you too, please, pray for me,” Francis concluded.
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Pope Francis Says John Paul II’s Intuition Seen Even More Clearly Today by ZENIT Staff
Pope John Paul II’s “far-sighted intuition” in establishing the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family is ever more clear today, Pope Francis says.The Pope said this when he received today in the Vatican some 400 people representing these academic institutions.
The Polish Pontiff “vigorously restored to the attention of the Church, and to human society itself, the depth and delicate nature of the bonds that are generated from the conjugal alliance between man and woman,” Francis said.
The Pope emphasised that the development of the Institute on all five continents confirms the validity and meaning of the “Catholic” form of its program, while he added that further initiatives can be developed to foster discussion with people of different religions and cultures.
“At the current moment, conjugal and family bonds are challenged in many ways,” he said, including:
- a culture that exalts narcissistic individualism,
- a concept of freedom detached from responsibility for the other,
- the growth of indifference with regard to the common good,
- the imposition of ideologies that directly attack the family project, and
- the growth of the poverty that threatens the future of many families
- open questions on the development of new technologies, which make possible practices that are at times contrary to the true dignity of human life. …
“The Church sees in the family the icon of God’s alliance with the entire human family. … The charity of the Church therefore endeavours to develop, at doctrinal and pastoral level, our capacity to read and interpret, for our time, the truth and the beauty of God’s creative design. The irradiation of this divine plan … requires a special intelligence of love, and also strong evangelical dedication, inspired by great compassion and mercy for the vulnerability and fallibility of love between human beings.”
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Archbishop Remains Hopeful: ‘There Will Always Be Christians in Iraq!’ by ZENIT Staff
Iraqi Christians, stranded in Kurdish Iraq, have some reason for hope now that the battle for Mosul and the Nineveh Plane has begun. However, the Chaldean archbishop who, for two years now, has played a pivotal role in taking care of the humanitarian and spiritual needs of the exiled community, urges caution in painting too rosy a picture for Iraq’s embattled minorities.“Iran, Turkey and the Kurds all have a stake in Mosul” and the surrounding area, Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, the Kurdish capital, told international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need; even after Mosul is retaken from ISIS—and odds are that will happen before the end of the year—a bitter power struggle would likely put Christians seeking to return to their abandoned homes in harm’s way.
For now, the prelate stressed, no concrete plan is in place to protect the Christians and other minorities upon their return to Mosul and the Nineveh Plain. He predicted that it would at least take close to a year before a significant degree of homecoming would be possible.
Meanwhile, the archbishop—who was in New York as the guest of Cardinal Timothy Dolan—continues to care for the flock in Erbil and surroundings, which means drumming up considerable funding to ensure that IDP families can pay their rent, that homes can be heated, that there will be food on the table, and that schools are functioning. For the past two years, the Archdiocese of Erbil has received more than $31 M in funding from Aid to the Church in Need, in addition to support from 16 other Catholic organizations from around the world.
Contrary to some reports, the archbishop insists that 80 percent of the people under his care wish to remain in Iraq. But he adds that “even if the number drops to 10,000 families” or some 60,000 people—down from the current estimated total of 250,000 Christians, including those living in Baghdad—“there will always be Christians in Iraq.”
Archbishop Warda stressed that the Christians bound to stay are not just those who cannot afford to leave—on the contrary, he cites a good number of affluent families who are determined to remain in Iraq, be it in Kurdistan or Iraq proper. A good number of them have already started successful businesses in Erbil. A clear sign of confidence in this future for the local Church, the archbishop has established the Catholic University of Erbil and fundraising for the institution brought him to the US.
Leaving aside the intractable enmity between Shiites and Sunnis—and the growing tensions between Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia—Archbishop Warda said the biggest obstacle in the way of long-term security for Christians and other minorities is Islamic radicalism. “Islam needs reform and, unlike Christian violence that was committed in misinterpretation of Scripture,” he said, “there is a call to violence in the Koran—and that needs addressing.”
It will be a task for courageous Muslim leaders, he continued, and “maybe, just maybe, Christians can lend them a hand.” Surely, the study of the Koran and Islamic tradition will figure prominently at the new Catholic University of Erbil.
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Aid to the Church in Need is an international Catholic charity under the guidance of the Holy See, providing assistance to the suffering and persecuted Church in more than 140 countries. www.churchinneed.org (USA); www.acnuk.org (UK); www.aidtochurch.org (AUS); www.acnireland.org (IRL); www.acn-aed-ca.org (CAN)www.acnmalta.org (Malta)
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Cardinal Koch: Pope’s Visit to Sweden Emphasizes 3 Aspects by ZENIT Staff
[From Vatican Radio] Pope Francis’ visit to Sweden for a joint ecumenical commemoration of the Reformation is a big step forward because Catholics and Lutherans are “no longer defining themselves in opposition to each other,” but in communion with one another. Those were the words of the director of the Holy See press office, Greg Burke, to journalists at a briefing on Wednesday ahead of the Pope’s departure for southern Sweden on Monday, October 31st. Pope Francis and the heads of the Lutheran World Federation will be jointly presiding at an ecumenical prayer service in Lund cathedral, followed by a public witness event in the nearby city of Malmö. On the following morning, All Saints Day, the Pope will also celebrate Mass in Malmö for Sweden’s tiny Catholic community.
Also addressing journalists in the Vatican press office about the significance of this unprecedented ecumenical event was the General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, Rev Martin Junge, and the head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch.
The Cardinal and the Lutheran leader looked relaxed and upbeat as they explained the importance of the Pope’s presence in Sweden for this 500th anniversary commemoration. The event comes as the culmination of years of theological progress, from the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in 1999, to the publication of a shared history of the Reformation in the 2013 document ‘From Conflict to Communion’.
From the impossible to the possible
A few years ago, Rev. Junge stressed, the idea of Catholics and Lutheran marking together such a historically divisive event would have seemed simply impossible, yet today it’s a powerful sign of Christian witness to our suffering and fragmented world.
“We are working on the last details of what we truly believe is a historic commemoration….. We do this a year ahead of the 500th anniversary, thereby hoping to give a very strong ecumenical signal, that we understand because of our dialogues, because of the trust that has grown among us, because also we have been able to remove some of the obstacles of doctrinal differences among us, that the time is mature, is ripe, to move ‘from conflict to communion’. And this is what we’ll do publically, this is for what we’ll be praying, for God to be with us, this is what we want to encourage our communities, to live out that commitment”.
Three aspects of commemoration
- Asked about those Catholics who question the idea of celebrating the Reformation, Cardinal Koch pointed to the three aspects of the common commemoration: gratitude for the past 50 years of progress, common witness as a sign of hope for the future, but also repentance for the terrible religious conflicts which transformed Europe into “a sea of blood” in the 16th and 17th centuries.
- Reassessing Luther’s life and legacy
- Questioned about the possibility of lifting Luther’s excommunication, the cardinal said that’s not something the Church can actually do, but he pointed to the very many positive statements that recent popes have made in reassessing Luther’s contribution to the understanding of our common Christian faith.
Longing for Eucharistic sharing
While theological differences around ministry, the Church and the Eucharist remain, the Cardinal and the Lutheran leader said they hope the events in Sweden will give impetus to new understanding and even new agreements on sharing at the Eucharistic table.
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On the Net:
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Lutheran Federation: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html
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Religious Leaders of South Sudan Meet With Pope by ZENIT Staff
Today Pope Francis received in audience the principal Christian religious leaders of South Sudan: Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro of Juba, Rev. Daniel Deng Bul Yak, Archbishop of the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan & Sudan, and Rev. Peter Gai Lual Marrow, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan.In the context of the tensions that divide the population to the detriment of coexistence in the country, during the meeting with the Holy Father it was acknowledged that good and fruitful collaboration exists among the Christian Churches, who wish primarily to offer their contribution to promoting the common good, protecting the dignity of the person, protecting the helpless and implementing initiatives for dialogue and reconciliation.
In the light of the Year of Mercy in progress in the Catholic Church, it was underlined that the fundamental experience of forgiveness and acceptance of the other is the privileged path to building peace and to human and social development. In this regard, it was confirmed that the various Christian Churches are committed, in a spirit of communion and unity, to service to the population, promoting the spread of a culture of encounter and sharing.
Finally, all parties reiterated their willingness to journey together and to work with renewed hope and mutual trust, in the conviction that, drawing from the positive values inherent in their respective religious traditions, they may show the way to respond effectively to the deepest aspirations of the population, which keenly thirsts for a secure life and a better future.
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Pope’s Address to Santa Marta Group by ZENIT Staff
Today, Pope Francis received in audience members of the Santa Marta Group, on the occasion of the conference promoted by this international organism against the traffic of human beings (October 26-27, 2016).Here is a translation of the Pope’s words of greeting to those present at the audience.
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Dear Brother Bishops,
Distinguished Gentlemen and Ladies,
I meet you with great pleasure on the occasion of this conference, which develops your collaboration against the traffic of human beings and in support of the victims. I thank Cardinal Nichols for his words and for his commitment to this cause, which constitutes one of the major challenges of our time.
The Santa Marta Group, which brings together ecclesiastical and civil Authorities, is making an important contribution to oppose the social plague of human trafficking, linked to new forms of slavery, with victims who are men and women, often minors, exploited, taken advantage of in their poverty and marginalization. As I wrote you a year ago, on the occasion of your meeting at the Escorial, what is useful is a concerted commitment, active and constant, be it to eliminate the causes of this complex phenomenon, be it to meet, assist and accompany individuals who fall into the snares of trafficking. The number of these victims – international organizations tell us – grows, unfortunately, every year. They are the most vulnerable, whose dignity, physical and psychic integrity and even life is robbed.
Dear friends, I thank you and encourage you to continue in this commitment. The Lord will know how to recompense all that is done for these little ones of today’s society. He has said: “I was hungry … I was thirsty …” and you helped me. Today He could also say: “I was abused, exploited, enslaved …” and you rescued me.
I continue to accompany you with my closeness and my prayer. You too, please, pray for me. Thank you.
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]
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Survivors of Trafficking Give Their Testimonies at Santa Marta Group Conference by ZENIT Staff
Today at a press conference at the Vatican, two survivors of human trafficking gave their testimony, along with Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster. The cardinal chairs the Santa Marta Group, which is having its third Conference. The international group was launched in 2014 by Pope Francis to combat human trafficking.Here are the testimonies, as provided by the Vatican:
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1. Testimony of Al Bangura
Al Bangura was born and raised in Sierra Leone but now lives in London with his wife and young children. He is a professional footballer who has played for Watford Football Club in the UK’s Premier League. Al is also a survivor of human trafficking. This is his story…
I was like any ordinary young boy growing up. I loved to run around, laugh and play with my friends. My bare feet were a permanent shade of orange, coloured by the hours spent kicking a ball around on the dusty ground near my home.
I grew up with my two younger sisters, my mother and my father, who at the time was head of a secret society. I was just a one-year old when he died but by the time I turned 15 I was put under lots of pressure to take on my father’s position. During this time, Sierra Leone had experienced a brutal civil war and fearing for my life and family, I was sent to Guinea.
I was desperate to protect and provide for my mother and sisters but I was in a strange country and didn’t know who to turn to. It was here that I met a Frenchman who promised the world – the opportunity many young men and I in particular had dreamt of – the chance to play professional football. I began to trust this man but it was here my nightmare truly began.
I was taken to Paris on the promise that I would play for a European football team. From there though I was taken to London. It quickly became clear that something wasn’t right. I was taken to a hotel and left there, alone. Very soon, older men began to turn up and tried to get close to, then touch and then rape me. Scared and afraid I didn’t know what was happening, couldn’t speak English and had no one to turn to for help. I felt trapped. However, against all odds, and I still don’t know how, I managed to escape.
I found someone who spoke my language and he paid for my bus ticket to the UK’s Home Office. They couldn’t verify my age, as I didn’t have any identification. I was put into a home in Chertsey in the South East of England and it was there that I started to play football. Amazingly a scout for Watford Football Club spotted me and I was signed to play for the team. I was able to help get them promoted to the Premier League and ended up playing in front of thousands of people at some of the most famous stadiums in the world.
I realised how lucky I was to have got away. Sadly so many others in my position don’t. In countries all over the world, trafficking not only exists but is thriving. In West Africa, my story is not uncommon. Thousands of young boys, many aspiring to be footballers, are sold a dream, which ends in a nightmare. In fact I still hear stories like mine from back home.
The truth is, slavery doesn’t just happen in far away countries. It happens in our cities, towns, and neighbourhoods. It is happening now and it has to stop. Its perpetrators need to be brought to justice…for me, for other victims, for you. Traffickers need to go to prison so they can’t continue their criminal activity.
Football is my passion and it has given me everything I have. Most importantly it gave me freedom. What happened still affects my everyday life. I find it hard, for example, to trust football agents who claim to represent my best interests and I’ve struggled to make the most of my talents. It has sometimes impacted my ability to provide for my family in these latter days of my career. However, when I play football I still feel free. I find my confidence. I start to smile.
I am now proud to now be an ambassador for Sport for Freedom, a charity that uses the positive power of sport to raise awareness about human trafficking and help rehabilitate its survivors.
Just a week ago I spoke at Football for Freedom, an International U16’s Tournament hosted by our charity in partnership with the Premier League. It brings together young academy players from the UK as well as international teams. I shared the stage with Kevin Hyland, the UK’s fantastic Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner who has already achieved a great deal in his first year, and I was able to educate and tell my story to the young boys who are at the start of their footballing careers.
I was also truly honoured to speak at a service to commemorate the work of William Wilberforce and the UK’s current fight against modern slavery. The British Prime Minister, Theresa May, who has been an inspirational champion for this important cause, was also in attendance and spoke passionately about the need to combat trafficking and modern slavery. She spoke to me privately and thanked me for the work I am doing.
Being here today though and having the opportunity to share my story with all of you and meeting His Holiness is one of the most special moments of my life.
I will continue to represent Sport for Freedom and use the power of sport to educate others about this awful crime. It is amazing to see how even an hour of sport or physical activity can bring some relief to survivors who have experienced real terror. It can help build trust, hope and confidence again. Sport can rebuild lives and it can bring communities together. That’s how I’ve chosen to help and I hope you can all find it in your hearts to do whatever you can. I’m confident that by working together we can help end human trafficking and modern day slavery.
2. Testimony of Princess Inyang
My name is Princess Inyang, I was a victim of trafficking.
The traffickers brought me from Nigeria through London and France in 1999. They promise to give me a good job in Europe as a cook because I was a cook in my country.
But when I arrived in Italy the traffickers carried me to one Madam and she forced me to prostitution and also forced me to pay a debt of € 45,000,00. However I paid more than this, because the house rent was more than the main debt.
Life on the street was so difficult untill I found my savior Mossino Alberto who gave me a hand, Mr Piero Vercelli that after became my manager and Don Gallo the priest of Caritas in Asti.
I escaped from the traffickers and then I founded PIAM Onlus with the idea of helping victims of prostitution, because I had felt as they feel. I am a living testimony of the dangers and atrocities to which many Nigerian women are subjected. My heart blead for joy whenever I can help one.
PIAM was founded between 1999 and 2000 with the help of the people mentioned before. We started with outreach street team to recognize the victims on the road and let them come to our office to give them basic information on health and the contacts of other offices in their profits.
Moreover, PIAM assist victims, asking for a residence permit in accordance with Italian law, and we guarantee to the victim a shelter, education and vocational training.
This serves to educate and train and helps them to integrate into the italian culture and social life, by giving them job opportunities,
Between 2004 2009, we worked in Nigeria against trafficking in collaboration with some local NGOs and we also set up a clinic for the control and treatment for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
This was a way of creating opportunities to reach the girls in Edo State and discourage them to join the traffickers and this network has worked to reduce the number of victims in Italy in those years.
But we can see that traffickers continue their work more than ever, although NGOs did their best to assist the victims, but there are three things worthy of note with which we could help to reduce the number of victims.
1) more international projects in the country of origin, not only a collaboration with leading NGOs in Edo State, but focused in local areas to create skills and scholarships for young girls, because this might convince them not to come in Europe with traffickers.
2) the international law enforcement agencies should work strongly together to track down traffickers operating in Nigeria, Niger and Libya to reduce the sex trade and criminal events.
3) in conclusion, more shelters should be granted in Europe for victims of trafficking and more funds for protection programs for the numerous victims that are seeking for help.
3. Testimony of Crystal (she did not give her testimony at the conference but it is presented here as it was given to the Pope)
Past situation:
My name is Crystal and I was trafficked from the Caribbean to work in domestic servitude. I was trying to escape from a violent marriage but ended up working 18 hours a day/ seven days a week for a middle-class Nigerian family. I knew no one in this country; therefore I relied totally on my traffickers. I was not allowed to speak to the neighbours/anyone. When I was trafficked to London the ages of my four children were (13, 10, 7 and 4).
Even today what baffles me the most is that my traffickers held very high positions in the church where they fellowshipped. I had a friend (or so I thought) whom I had confided in whilst I was back home in the Caribbean. This lady had travelled to the UK before, unbeknown to me, this lady also worked as a recruiter for the traffickers. After I had confided in her that I wanted to leave to my abusive husband, she then explained to me that unless I left the Caribbean it will be useless, especially since our island was a very tiny place. Because I had tried running away from my abusive husband in the past and it only resulted in him finding me, beating me and taking me back home like a piece of property, I trusted this lady.
Prior to travelling to the UK, I had never travelled outside of my country, far less heard about anything about human trafficking. Therefore I had no reason to doubt her. When she stated that she would assist me to make all of the necessary arrangement, I didn’t expect her to put me in the situation from which I ended up in.
The Lady told me about a Christian family she’d been in contact with in the UK, she then introduced me to the wife over the phone. The wife would then call me on a regular basis and eventually I started opening up to her more and more. She then explained to me that she herself experienced domestic violence from a previous relationship, she knew what I was going through. Once again, I was told that the only way to escape this vicious cycle was to leave my country and travel to the UK. I was assured that they (the Christian family) will also help get my kids over, once I had settled in. I looked at this as a lifeline. Oh my God, is this really happening to me? Is this the end of life of pain? I felt as though a saviour had come to my rescue. I called her my guardian angel. I was very naïve. The thing with traffickers is they are predators; they definitely sort out their preys.
Current situation:
After a long seven year ordeal to have my case settled with Home Office, I am happy to state that my two youngest children, who are now 19 and 16 respectively, migrated to the UK last year and they have settled in exceedingly well. My first born is currently here on a six week vacation. (I haven’t seen her in over a decade!!) and life is going great.
Also, I have been able to successfully gain and sustain full-time employment as an administrator/employment advisor for a welfare/back to work charity in South East London.
Although my dream job would be to work with victims/saviours of Human Trafficking some time in the future.
(1) Because the traffickers are well organised, they normally moved us around quite a bit. The traffickers moved me around a few times. Initially I was moved to St. Albans, then to Reading and lastly to Dartford.
(2) I spent a period of 4 years living as a domestic servitude for three different families
(3) I was arrested at the last family home, in Dartford. The lone female immigration officer asked me how did I come to be living at that address and after I told her my story she then advised me to once I got to the station, after being booked in I should ask to speak to a First Response Human Trafficking Officer. I was very grateful for this advice because it was only after that initial meeting then I actually started to understand why the immigration officer advised me on that.
(4) Firstly, after securing my bail, the police then handed me in the care of Migrant Helpline. A few other organisations then came to my aid, such as: Medaille Trust, Refugee and Migrant Justice, The Poppy Project, The Helen Bamber Foundation, Women and Girls Network, The Human Trafficking Foundation, HERA (Women Entrepreneurs Against Trafficking), Refugee Council (to name a few).
(5) Some of the main challenges after I had escaped my traffickers, were as follows:
-Being believed by Home Office. Even though they acknowledged that I was a credible witness. It still took them 5 years for my Refugee Status to final be successful
-Due to lack of proper training when dealing with victims of human trafficking, some of my experience with the police was quite horrendous to say the least
-Lack of effective communication amongst main stakeholders (such as Home Office, NGO’s, the Police and victims) caused a massive delay
-The NRM conclusive decision for my case was a total waste by the time it was actually delivered. It took them over 3 years; they finally came back with a negative decision. Even though that decision should have been made within 45 days of a reasonable grounds decision
-Due to the lengthy delay in my human trafficking case, the CPS advised that my traffickers would not be prosecuted. However they were both arrested
-Throughout the duration of 5 years whilst I was awaiting a decision from Home Office, I was moved around over 11 times (which included supported accommodation and NASS accommodation)
From this experience I have learnt that the Lord is more than able to take us through any circumstances or situation. My spiritual walk with Christ has definitely grown a lot stronger because I was able to rely on my inner strength; something I didn’t even knew I had.
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Deliver Us From Evil by Bishop James Conley
Here is the latest column from Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, reprinted from the Southern Nebraska Register.__
Each time we pray as Jesus taught us, we ask God to “deliver us from evil.”
Evil is real. Evil is not only an abstract idea or the absence of good. Evil is a person, Satan: the Evil One. Satan is the angel who opposes God and who desires to disrupt the power of God in our lives. Satan, the father of all lies, wants to trap us in evil in order to prevent God’s plan from being accomplished in our lives, to keep us from doing good in the world, and to keep us from eternal intimacy with God in heaven.
Evil can keep us from living as God made us to live; evil can keep us from becoming the saints God wants us to be, evil can make us slaves, and ultimately, evil can lead us to final separation from God in eternal damnation. But the Lord conquers all evil. And St. Paul taught that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Through the power of God, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, evil can be conquered, and we can be set free.
When Christ became a man, and when he died and conquered death in his resurrection, he assured us that we can be delivered from evil through his victory. He assured us that we can conquer even the great evil of death, because he conquered it, and by his grace, we share in that victory.
We are delivered from evil through baptism and confirmation, through confession, through the most Holy Eucharist. But our lives can be entangled with the evil of sin, and that evil can bind us. The evil of anger, of self-doubt, of fear, of pride, or shame, or mistrust, or laxity, or scrupulosity can work its way into our lives and prevent us from living in the real freedom God has planned for us. Christ can cast out these spirits and each time we pray the Lord’s prayer; we can be delivered from evil.
Satan works most often in ways that are subtle, that begin almost unnoticed, and that grow and fester over time into serious problems. Satan wants his work to be unnoticed in our lives. In The Screwtape Letters, the Christian apologist CS Lewis says that Satan wants to tempt us with “the safest road to Hell… the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”
To be sure, there are those who encounter Satan in more dramatic ways, in the manifestations of demonic possession. Those occurrences are addressed, through the power of Jesus Christ, by a priest who is properly trained to identify them, understand them, and rebuke them. But Satan usually works through less apparent pathways: through whispered temptations, which can lodge themselves in our hearts in subtle and unnoticed ways.
To be sure, God wants to us to be free of the influence of evil in our lives. He wants to deliver us from all evil. And praying for deliverance, as a specific intention and with confidence in God’s power, can transform our lives.
In the Diocese of Lincoln, many Catholics have experienced the grace of freedom, of deliverance from entanglements with evil, through the ministry of Unbound teams. Unbound is a ministry which helps Catholics to pray for deliverance from the influence of evil in specific ways.
Through Unbound ministry, Catholics repent and seek freedom from their sins. They renounce the specific ways in which Satan’s lies have impacted them in the authority of Jesus, and then seek the blessing of God the Father through the prayers of other faithful Catholics. The ministry of Unbound is not a ministry of exorcism; it is instead an exercise of prayer—of entrusting all things to the power of Jesus Christ, and asking him for true and lasting freedom.
Evil is real. But grace is also real. And the power of God’s grace conquers all evil—and can conquer the evils present in our own lives. St. Paul says that the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” God desires to bring those spirits into our lives, and to deliver us, and set us free, from everything that keeps us from him. Oh Lord, deliver us from evil.
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Holy See to UN: Extreme Poverty Is a Troubling Reality Not an Inevitable Statistic by ZENIT Staff
Here is the statement given Monday by Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See, at the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Agriculture development, food security and nutrition.—
Mr. Chair,
The Secretary General’s report (A/71/283) on agricultural development, food security and nutrition provides both a timely and candid account of progress being made on the two fundamental global concerns of ending hunger and eliminating malnutrition for all.
The Secretary General’s report serves as a stark reminder of the magnitude of the challenges that still lie ahead if we are to end hunger, improve nutrition, and achieve food security by 2030. Despite progress made since 1990 in reducing hunger, nearly 800 million people are still undernourished, at a time when global challenges to reducing malnutrition are becoming increasingly more complex. An equally troubling fact is that more than two billion suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, among whom are some of the most vulnerable members of the world’s population, including more than 200 million children under the age of five years, who are either stunted or wasted.[1]
The challenges to increase agricultural productivity, to address the effects of climate changes, and to reduce food losses are compounded by mass migrations of peoples, both within and between countries, and by war and violence that have uprooted large populations from productive areas. Consequently, as the Secretary General’s report observes, it is already clear that without a “firm political and societal commitment, large segments of the world’s population will remain undernourished by 2030.”
This “political and societal commitment” is fundamental if we are to reach the second sustainable development goal “to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture” by 2030.
In his June 2016 Address to the World Food Programme in Rome, Pope Francis warned of the dangers of seeing hunger and poverty purely as statistics and of slowly becoming immune to other people’s tragedies, viewing them almost as something “natural” and thus inevitable in the world in which we live. We must thus “denaturalize” extreme poverty by seeing it as a troubling reality and not as an inevitable statistic, “because” – as the Pope affirmed – “poverty has a face: it has the face of a child; it has the face of a family; it has the face of people, young and old; it has the face of widespread unemployment; it has the face of forced migrations, and of empty and destroyed homes.”
The Pope also asked to “debureaucratize” hunger. In his Address to the Second International Conference on Nutrition of the Food and Agricultural Administration in November 2015, Pope Francis spoke of the paradox that, while there is more than enough food for everyone, yet not all can eat, even as we witness “waste, excessive consumption and the use of food for other purposes.” The “bureaucratization” of hunger also finds expression in the paradox that whereas various forms of aid and development projects are obstructed by political decisions and policies, by skewed ideologies and by impenetrable customs’ barriers, the trade in weaponry is not. The Pope lamented the fact that “it makes no difference where arms come from; they circulate with brazen and virtually absolute freedom in many parts of the world. As a result, wars are fed, not persons. In some cases, hunger itself is used as a weapon of war.”
In closing, my delegation reiterates its commitment to the goal of ending hunger and eliminating malnutrition for all by 2030. For it to become a reality, however, we will need not only increased food production and better food distribution: we must also summon the finest human qualities of peace, social justice, solidarity, compassion and empathy, so that we may be aware of the hungry and thirsty around us and around the world.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
1. Stunted: Low height for their age;Wasted: Low weight for their height.
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