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Pope’s Morning Homily: True Christians Have Cheerful Faces, Joyful Eyes and Hearts by Deborah Castellano Lubov
True Christians have cheerful faces and joy in their eyes…
According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis made this observation during his daily morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, as he reflected on the readings from yesterday and today.
In yesterday’s, the rich young man wanted to follow the Lord, but his wealth led him to follow money instead. Jesus’ words in this story worry the disciples, as he tells them it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
In today’s reading from St Mark’s Gospel, the Pope said, we see Peter asking the Lord what will happen to them as they have given up everything to follow him.
With these in mind, the Holy Father called on faithful to consider the relationship between God and money, and recalling that we cannot serve two masters.
Can’t Serve 2 Masters
The Jesuit Pope repeated the Gospel words: “there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age.”
This, Francis noted, demonstrates that the Lord “is incapable of giving less than everything,”
“When He gives us something, He gives all of himself,” he said.
However, he noted, this means entering into a different way of thinking, a different way of behaving, for Jesus gives everything of Himself, “because the fullness of God is a fullness emptied out on the Cross.”
The gift of God, the Pope insisted, is a fullness which is emptied out. And this is also the Christian’s way of being, he noted, namely “to seek and receive a fullness which is emptied out and to follow on that path, which is not easy.”
How Do We Know If We Are Following This Path… Cheerfulness
“How do we recognize that we are following this path of giving everything in order to receive everything,” Francis asked, reminding that the words of the day’s first reading tell us to “pay homage to the Lord, and do not spare your freewill gifts.
“With each contribution show a cheerful countenance, and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy”. Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your means.
“A cheerful face and eyes full of joy, the Pope said, these are the signs that we’re following this path of all and nothing, of fullness emptied out.”
Francis recalled that the face of the rich young man, not capable of receiving and welcoming this fullness emptied out, fell and he became very sad, whereas the saints and Peter were able to receive it.
“Amid all their trials and difficulties, they had cheerful faces and hearts full of joy.”
Francis concluded, recalling the Chilean saint Alberto Hurtado who worked with the poor amidst such difficulty, persecution and suffering, yet his words were ’I’m happy, Lord, I’m happy’.
“May he teach us to follow this difficult path of all and nothing, of Christ’s fullness emptied out and to be able to say at all times ’I’m happy, Lord, I’m happy’” he prayed.
Benedict XVI’s Legacy to Future Pope: ‘My Unconditional Respect and Obedience’ by Anita Bourdin
“Among you, among the College of Cardinals, is also the future Pope, to whom I promise from today my unconditional respect and obedience,” said Pope Benedict XVI on the last day of his pontificate, four years ago this February 28, 2017. His words resounded as a precious theological and spiritual legacy for the whole Church.
In two days time, in fact, will be the anniversary of the evening when, at 8:00 pm, the Pope, having renounced the See of Peter after eight years of pontificate, the period of “vacancy” would begin of the Apostolic See until the election of Pope Francis, on March 13, 2013; thereby <enabling> Pope Benedict to “institute” in some way the “retreat” of Popes, under the double sign of “respect” and “obedience” to his successor.
“Before greeting you personally, I wish to say to you that I will continue to be close to you through prayer, in particular, in the course of the coming days, so that you are fully docile to the action of the Holy Spirit for the election of the new Pope. May the Lord show you what is His will. Among you, among you in the College of Cardinals, is also the future Pope, to whom I promise from today my unconditional respect and obedience. To this end, I give you with affection and gratitude my heartfelt Apostolic Blessing,” said solemnly Pope Benedict XVI during the last meeting of his pontificate with the College of Cardinals.
He quoted these thoughts of Romano Guardini on the Church as a spiritual legacy that he entrusted to them, and that he also entrusted to every Catholic: “I would like to leave with you a simple thought, which I have very much at heart: a thought on the Church, on her ministry, which constitutes for all of us – we can say – the reason and passion of our life. To help me, I borrow an expression of Romano Guardini., written precisely the year when the Fathers of Vatican Council II approved the Constitution Lumen gentium, in his last book, with an equally personal dedication to me: it is why the words of that book are particularly dear to me.
“Romano Guardini said: The Church “is not an institution conceived and built theoretically . . . but a living reality. She lives in the course of time, becoming, as every living being, being transformed. And therefore, in her nature she remains always the same, and her heart is Christ. It’s the experience we had, it seems to me, yesterday at Saint Peter’s Square: to see that the Church is a living body, animated by the Holy Spirit, and that she really lives by the strength of God. She is in the world, but she does not belong to the world: she belongs to God, to Christ, to the Spirit. We saw it yesterday. It is why the other famous expression of Romano Guardini is also true and eloquent: “The Church awakens in souls.” The Church lives, grows and awakens in souls that – like the Virgin Mary – receive the Word of God and conceive it by the operation of the Holy Spirit; they offer to God their own flesh and, precisely in their poverty and their humility, they become capable of engendering Christ today in the world. Through the Church, the mystery of the Incarnation remains present forever. Christ continues to walk through the times and in all places.”
“Dear Brothers, exhorted today’s Pope Emeritus, let us remain united in this Mystery: in prayer, in particular in the daily Eucharist, and thus serve the Church and the whole of humanity. This is our joy, which no one can take away from us.”
From the beginning of his address, he had already insisted on the communion of the College of Cardinals – in a ”unanimous higher harmony” – saying: “It was a joy for me also to walk with you in the course of these years, in the light of the presence of the Risen Lord (. . .). During these eight years, we lived with faith very beautiful moments of radiant light on the path of the Church, as well as moments when some clouds veiled the sky. We sought to serve Christ and His Church with profound and total love, which is the soul of our ministry. We have given hope, that hope which comes to us from Christ who alone can illumine the path. Together, we can give thanks to God who made us grow in communion, and pray to Him together to help you grow again in this profound unity, so that the College of Cardinals is like an orchestra, where the diversities – expression of the universal Church –always contribute to a higher and unanimous harmony.”
“It’s Hard to Put Ourselves in ‘Others’ Shoes,’ Because We Are Slaves of Our Egoism,” Says the Pope by ZENIT Staff
“It’s very hard to put ourselves in others’ shoes, because we are often slaves of our egoism,” says Pope Francis in an interview with the Italian magazine “Scarp de’ Tenis” (‘Sneakers’), which is run by homeless people. The interview was published today, Feb. 28, 2017, in a Holy See Bulletin.
According to Vatican Radio, the publication also functions as a social project, as most of the staff is homeless, suffers difficult personal situations or forms of social exclusion. For most contributors, the magazine is an important source of income. In 2008, the periodical entered into partnership with the Italian arm of Caritas, the Vatican’s charity organization.
“To put oneself in others’ shoes,” the Pope noted in the interview, “means to have a great capacity of understanding, of understanding the moment and difficult situations. I’ll give an example: at the moment of mourning, condolences are expressed, one takes part in the funeral vigil or at the table, but it is truly few who put themselves in the shoes of that widower or widow or that orphan,” noted the Pontiff, paraphrasing the name of the monthly that interviewed him.
Francis acknowledged: “it’s not easy” to “put oneself in others’ shoes,” which means “service, humility, magnanimity, which is also the expression of a need.” He explained that he has often met persons that, after having sought comfort in a Christian, be it a layman, a priest, a sister, or a bishop, they have said to him ”Yes, he listened to me, but he didn’t understand me.”
In fact, the Holy Father comments, “often, one is lost for words. One speaks. One speaks. One gives advice.” But, according to Francis, “when there are only words or too many words there isn’t this ‘greatness’ of putting ourselves in others’ shoes.”
“One Can Look at a Homeless Individual as a Person or as a Dog,” Says Francis by ZENIT Staff
“It is good to give alms, even if the person to whom we give the money then spends it on buying himself a glass of wine,” said Pope Francis in a wide-ranging interview with the Italian magazine “Scarp de’ Tenis” (‘Sneakers’), which is run by homeless people. The interview was published today, Feb. 28, 2017, in a Holy See Bulletin.
According to Vatican Radio, the publication also functions as a social project, as most of the staff is homeless, suffers difficult personal situations or forms of social exclusion. For most contributors, the magazine is an important source of income. In 2008, “Scarp de’ tenis” entered into partnership with the Italian arm of the Vatican’s charity organization, Caritas.
In the interview, the Holy Father spoke about his relation with the homeless, saying that when he meets them, the first thing he says to them is “Good morning,” “How are you?” And he added: “Sometimes, a few words are exchanged; at other times, instead, one enters into relation and interesting stories are heard.”
Francis stressed that the homeless understand “when there is real interest on the part of the other person or when there isn’t, I don’t want to say that sentiment of compassion, but certainly of pity.” According to the Pontiff, “one can see a homeless person and look at him as a person or as if he were a dog.”
In this context, the Pope recalled that at the time of John Paul II’s pontificate, it was discovered that at Piazza Risorgimento, close to the Vatican, there was a Polish homeless man who was a priest and had studied in the Seminary with Karol Wojtyla.
The news was given to John Paul II who, hearing the name, confirmed that he was a companion of the seminary and decided to meet with him. “They embraced after 40 years, and at the end of an audience the Pope requested that his confession be heard by the priest who had been his companion,” told Francis.
The Argentine Pope also addressed the subject of alms, saying that there are so many arguments to justify oneself when one doesn’t give alms.” Such as: “But why, I give him money and he spends it to drink a glass of wine?” The Pontiff affirmed that “a glass of wine is the only happiness he has in life, it’s OK. Ask yourself, rather, what do you do in a hidden way? What ‘happiness’ do you seek in a hidden way? Or, as opposed to him, are you more fortunate, with a house, a wife and children.”
Therefore, according to the Pope, “helping is always right” even if “it’s not a good thing to throw some small change to a poor person.” “The gesture is important, to help one who asks, looking at him in the eyes and touching his hands.”
“To throw money and not look at him in the eyes isn’t a Christian gesture,” he said.
Pope Francis Will Go to Italian City of Carpi on April 2 by ZENIT Staff
The Holy See Press Office announced that Pope Francis will go to visit the Diocese of Carpi on Sunday, April 2.
Just over a week before the papal visit, on March 25, 2017, in the diocese headed by Bishop Francesco Cavina, the Cathedral of Carpi, which is dedicated to Most Holy Mary Assumed, will reopen. The sacred building was damaged after the seismic events of May 2012 in Emilia.
Having been closed for almost five years, the Cathedral will be solemnly inaugurated by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State.
INTERVIEW: ‘I Will Speak to Pope Francis About Jesus’ Humanity,’ Says Friar to Lead Francis’ Spiritual Exercises by Federico Cenci
The Spiritual Exercises, in which the Pope and the Roman Curia will take part, will be held from March 5-10 in the “Divine Teacher’s” House of Ariccia, near Rome.
Pope Francis’ choice on who would lead these Exercises fell on a Milanese Franciscan, Friar Minor, Father Giulio Michelini, Class ’63. He is Professor of New Testament Exegesis at the Theological Institute of Assisi. A profuse writer but also a passionate reader, for years he has given courses on conjugal life together with a married couple who are his friends.
Interviewed by ZENIT, Father Michelini describes the feelings he had after he learnt that he was chosen by the Pope to carry out this commitment. He speaks of the subjects that will be addressed and announces beforehand that, at the end of the Exercises, the meditations will be gathered in a book entitled “Be with Jesus, Be with Peter” (ed. Porziuncola).
* * *
ZENIT: Father Michelini, how and when did you learn you had been chosen to lead the Spiritual Exercises in which the Pope will take part?
Father Michelini: I learnt it the First Sunday of Advent. One of his collaborators called me to give me this news and to let me know that I would be called later by the Holy Father.
ZENIT: How was the call with the Pope?
Father Michelini: He was very courteous in asking me this favor. I explained that I would find it difficult to speak before the Pope and the Roman Curia; I also said I had the possibility of <finding> other persons more capable than me. The Pope answered me: “Let’s do this, Father Giulio. You continue to think that there are persons more suitable than you. But please, you come to give the Exercises.” And it seemed to me such a wise answer, so forthright … I trust the Pope.
ZENIT: Had you already had the chance to meet the Holy Father personally?
Father Michelini: In truth, I had the good fortune of being able to greet and embrace him, but not to have a conversation with him. The first time when he came to Assisi and met with the whole Franciscan Community of Saint Mary of the Angels. Then in Florence, when he met with members of the preparatory commission of the National Ecclesial Congress, of which I was part. And finally, the third and last time was last November, when together with docent colleagues of the Italian Biblical Association, we were received in audience in the Vatican.
ZENIT: What feelings did you have on these three brief but affectionate exchanges with the Pontiff?
Father Michelini: I realized that the Pope is not afraid of the look; rather, he seeks it. For me it is the look of Peter. In fact, the title of the book that I chose to gather the meditations – which will be published by Edizioni Porziuncola at the end of the Exercises – is “Be with Jesus, Be with Peter.” It is a particular experience for a Franciscan. Saint Francis called him “Lord Pope.” For me the Pope is Peter. I think of Matthew’s Gospel, which insists much on the ecclesial dimension. Hence my look is directed not only to a man like me, but also to him who is Peter.
ZENIT: You have confided that to prepare yourself better for the atmosphere of these Exercises, you retired for ten days at Capernaum in Galilee. Is it possible to summarize in an answer the spiritual relation that the physical presence in the Holy Land offers?
Father Michelini: During the Exercises I will be speaking of Jesus’ humanity. Moreover, the cross, the Passion, the Death, the burial speak of Jesus’ humanity, which we must rediscover. At Capernaum, where Jesus began His mission, one can find traces of the streets he went on, of the Lake he went across and of the house where he stayed, that of Simon. To know that my feet were in the same places traversed by Jesus was moving for me. There is then a second element – cultural: the idea that, despite the conflicts, pilgrims from all over the world go to the Holy Land. And, finally, for us Minor Franciscans, it’s an honor to be custodians of this land.
ZENIT: The meditations will focus on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, according to Saint Matthew’s Gospel. Why this choice? Is it a text (Matthew’s Gospel) which has the characteristics that are particularly adapted to the Season of Lent?
Father Michelini: The strictly technical answer is no. All the Gospels are used in the Season of Lent. I remember that in the Ambrosian liturgy John’s Gospel prevails, in the Roman, instead, we normally read all three of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). I chose Matthew, however, because it’s the Gospel I know best; it is a text in which I feel at ease. I’ve written a book on this text – “Matthew. Introduction, Translation and Comment (published by Saint Paul’s, 2013) – but what I’ll say to the Pope is completely new.
ZENIT: In addition to your reflections, you wanted one elaborated by a married couple that for years has collaborated with you, Mariateresa Zattoni and Gilberto Gillini, as well as one prepared by a Claretian cloistered Sister. Why ever this choice?
Father Michelini: Because I’ve worked for years with these persons, it was a natural choice, which I made without much reflection. I’ve written eight books with the Gillini Zattoni spouses. They are part of my way of reading the Bible, which is not only academic. I asked them for advice on that part of Matthew’s Passion, in which Pilate’s wife counsels him. It is about applying the Gospel to the concrete life of persons: my friends are experts on a couple’s relations and, therefore, they have been useful. Instead, the Claretian Sister, knowing that I would speak of the anointing at Bethany, sent me a note. Her words seemed so beautiful to me, that I will quote them as they are. Deep down, they offer a feminine, cloistered contribution, which I would not have been able to give. Hence, I am happy that together with me there are other worlds, not only the male consecrated one, but also that of the family and of a woman who lives in contemplative life.
ZENIT: In addition to evangelical passages, will you also propose reflections based on other texts?
Father Michelini: Yes, I had the good fortune to study modern literature and I have a degree in foreign literature. I read much, therefore, when I read the Word of God there often come to mine references of a literary and also theological type. An author in the theological realm that I have frequented for years is Romano Guardini, whom I will quote on several occasions. Then I will also make reference to true stories, for instance, one that struck me very much, narrated by Massimo Gramellini on the rubric he had before in La Stampa. On the strictly literary plane, I cannot fail to speak of Amos Oz, Israeli essayist who has written a very beautiful piece on Judas, one of the protagonists of the Passion. Then I will propose a story told by Emmanuel Carrere in his Il Regno [The Kingdom], which speaks of a loss of faith. These texts represent very well the drama of contemporary man. Therefore, I will also quote Franz Kafka. During meals, instead, we will read an anthology of Marian texts and the volume Un istante prima dell’alba [An Instant before Dawn] of Father Ibrahim Alsabagh, which is a live account of what happened at Aleppo during the war.
ZENIT: Are there specific prayers and readings of the Gospel with which the faithful can accompany the Holy Father in the course of these Spiritual Exercises?
Father Michelini: There will be two Readings of the Gospel for every day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon [1]. Reading them, the faithful can accompany the Pope and invoke the Holy Spirit for me and for all the participants.
ZENIT: How are you preparing for this experience?
Father Michelini: I stayed a few days on Lake Tiberias, but now I have returned to my docent’s work. Therefore, I’m preparing with my daily commitments and with constant prayer and Mass; I can’t do otherwise. But I must say that I am accompanied by a sense of peace that I never felt before, which I believe attests that many friends are praying for me and for the Pope.
* * *[1]
Titles of the Individual Meditations and Reference Passages
Sunday, March 5, in the afternoon at Vespers: General introduction to the Exercises on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus according to Matthew.
Monday, March 6, in the morning: Peter’s confession and Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem (Matthew 16:13-21).
In the afternoon: Jesus’ last words and the beginning of the Passion (Matthew 26:1-19).
Tuesday, March 7, in the morning: The Bread and Body, the Wine and Blood (Matthew 26:20-35).
In the afternoon: The prayer at Gethsemane and Jesus’ arrest (Matthew 26:36-46).
Wednesday, March 8, in the morning: Judas and the field of blood (Matthew 27:1-10).
In the afternoon: The Roman trial, Pilate’s wife and dreams of God (Matthew 27:11-26).
Thursday, March 9, in the morning: Death of the Messiah (Matthew 27:45-56).
In the afternoon: The burial and Jesus’ Sabbath (Matthew 27:57-66).
Friday, March 10, in the morning: The empty tomb and the Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-20).
Conclusion.
LITURGY Q & A: Missals on the Altar by Fr. Edward McNamara
Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university.
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Q: Many pictures are published showing the Pope preaching at his daily Mass from the ambo, presumably after the Gospel reading, but in the background it can be seen that the altar missal is already on the altar. Surely, the altar missal should not be placed on the altar until the altar is prepared at the offertory? Am I correct? Unfortunately, the tendency to place the altar missal on the altar before Mass even begins is one of the most frequent errors that I see almost everywhere I go! — B.C., Birmingham, United Kingdom
A: According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal:
“139. When the Prayer of the Faithful is completed, all sit, and the Offertory chant begins (cf. no. 74). An acolyte or other lay minister arranges the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal upon the altar.
“306. Only what is required for the celebration of the Mass may be placed on the mensa of the altar: namely, from the beginning of the celebration until the proclamation of the Gospel, the Book of the Gospels; then from thePresentation of the Gifts until the purification of the vessels, the chalice with the paten, a ciborium, if necessary,and, finally, the corporal, the purificator, the pall, and the Missal. In addition, microphones that may be needed to amplify the priest’s voice should be arranged discreetly.”
However, there is one exception to this general rule, which is for the Mass at which only one minister participates:
“256. The priest approaches the altar and, after making a profound bow along with the minister, venerates the altar with a kiss and goes to the chair. If he wishes, the priest may remain at the altar; in this case, the Missal is likewise prepared there. Then the minister or the priest says the Entrance Antiphon.”
Therefore the general norm is, I think, fairly clear. In most Masses the missal should not be upon the altar until the presentation of gifts. We must point out that the missal also presumes the presence of the necessary ministers to carry out the duties described.
At all public papal Masses these norms are followed with great precision.
The Masses in Santa Martha, however, are less formal; often there are no servers or deacon, and all the priests present concelebrate with the Holy Father. The chapel is also relatively small and was not designed with this kind of use in mind.
Furthermore, the groups who attend this Mass are different each day and arrive shortly before Mass begins. It is,therefore, not easy to arrange regular service as is done in a parish setting.
From the photos, it would appear that the Holy Father often uses two missals, one at a lectern by the chair and another upon the altar. In this way, the clear distinction between the different parts of the Mass is retained.
I would say that while it is clearly better to attempt to keep the altar free until the presentation of gifts, the concrete circumstances of this daily celebration might create something of an obstacle for doing so.
Finally, it is important to remember that the small celebrations in this chapel are not intended to provide a model for the rest of the Church. Even the Pope’s large public celebrations, which are prepared in every detail, have to take into account the reality of congregations which number from 15,000 upward. The papal masters of ceremonies, therefore, sometimes have to seek solutions not provided for in the liturgical books while respecting the sacredness of the rite.
Those who prepare liturgical celebrations in regular parish contexts should follow the guidance of the approved liturgical books and other official documents at the universal, national or local level.
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Readers may send questions to zenit.liturgy@gmail.com. Please put the word “Liturgy” in the subject field. The text should include your initials, your city and your state, province or country. Father McNamara can only answer a small selection of the great number of questions that arrive.
South Sudan’s Bishops Cry Out for Aid, Protection for Civilians by Esther Gaitan-Fuertes
The “people live in fear.” That was the thrust of an urgent pastoral appeal issued by South Sudan’s seven bishops, who charged both government troops and the armed opposition with using force against civilians as part of an ongoing civil war in the country.
A copy of the bishops’ pastoral letter was obtained by international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.
The prelates wrote: “Some towns have become ‘ghost towns’, empty except for security forces and perhaps members of one faction or tribe. Even when they have fled to our churches or to UN camps for protection, they are still harassed by security forces.”
The bishops insisted that the humanitarian crisis that grips South Sudan is mostly due to insecurity and poor economic management: “Millions of our people are affected, with large numbers displaced from their homes and many fleeing to neighboring countries, where they are facing appalling hardships in refugee camps.”
The bishops have called on Caritas South Sudan and its international partners to act urgently to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan; they also called on the international community to intervene.
The Church leaders, expressing concern that “some elements within the government appear to be suspicious of the Church,” affirmed that the Church does not take sides in the conflict. They wrote: “We are FOR all good things – peace, justice, love, forgiveness, reconciliation, dialogue, the rule of law, good governance – and we are AGAINST evil – violence, killing, rape, torture, looting, corruption, arbitrary detention, tribalism, discrimination, oppression.”
The bishops expressed their readiness to meet with any party “who we believe has the power to change our country for the better.”
The bishops called on Catholics in South Sudan to “work for justice and peace; reject violence and revenge.” They also asked for prayers that Pope Francis’ intention to visit the nation later this year will become a reality.
***
Text of the Pastoral Letter, courtesy of Aid to the Church in Need:
“A VOICE CRIES IN THE WILDERNESS”
PASTORAL MESSAGE OF THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF SOUTH SUDAN TO THE FAITHFUL AND PEOPLE OF SOUTH SUDAN
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Mark 1:3).
Preamble
These words of the prophet Isaiah, quoted by the evangelists Matthew and Mark, have been greatly on our minds. We, the Catholic Bishops of South Sudan, have frequently written pastoral messages urging change in our nation, but it seems they have had little effect. Nevertheless, the Spirit is again calling upon us to write a pastoral message, to reassure you that we are aware of your situation, to make your voice known to the world, and also to include some of the concrete steps which we intend to take.
Therefore we address this pastoral message to the faithful people of South Sudan to give you hope and courage. At our meeting in Juba from 21st – 23rd February 2017, along with the Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan and Kenya, Archbishop Charles Daniel Balvo, we “read the signs of the times” and listen to what God is saying to us through the concrete situation in which we find ourselves. We have heard disturbing reports from all seven of our dioceses spanning the whole country, and have reflected on how we should respond. God is speaking to us.
The Situation in South Sudan
Our country is not at peace. People live in fear. The civil war, which we have frequently described as having no moral justification whatsoever, continues. Despite our calls to all parties, factions and individuals to STOP THE WAR, nevertheless killing, raping, looting, displacement, attacks on churches and destruction of property continue all over the country. In some towns there is calm, but the absence of gunfire does not mean peace has come. In other towns, civilians are effectively trapped inside the town due to insecurity on the surrounding roads.
While some fighting is between government and opposition forces, we are concerned to note that much of the violence is being perpetrated by government and opposition forces against civilians. There seems to be a perception that people in certain locations or from certain ethnic groups are with the other side, and thus they are targeted by armed forces. They are killed, raped, tortured, burned, beaten, looted, harassed, detained, displaced from their homes and prevented from harvesting their crops. Some towns have become “ghost towns”, empty except for security forces and perhaps members of one faction or tribe. Even when they have fled to our churches or to UN camps for protection, they are still harassed by security forces. Many have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries for protection. While the authorities may claim that they are free to return to their homes, in practice they fear to do so. In places the destruction has been described to us as “scorched earth”; what have people got left to return to? All of this is a form of “collective punishment”, which is outlawed as a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.
The level of hatred associated with the conflict is increasing. While soldiers might be expected to kill other soldiers in battle, the killing, torturing and raping of civilians is a war crime. However, not only are they being killed, but their bodies are being mutilated and burned. People have been herded into their houses which were then set on fire to burn the occupants. Bodies have been dumped in sewage-filled septic tanks. There is a general lack of respect for human life.
The perpetrators of these crimes, the so-called “unknown gunmen” who are usually in uniform and usually known, appear to act with impunity. We are still waiting for justice for the murder of our own dear Sister Veronica, a doctor who was gunned down by soldiers while driving a clearly-marked ambulance on 16th May 2016. Her killers were arrested, but we have heard no more and we await justice.
Our country is gripped by a humanitarian crisis – famine, insecurity and economic hardship. Our people are struggling simply to survive. While there have been poor rains in many parts of the country, there is no doubt that this famine is man-made, due to insecurity and poor economic management. Hunger, in turn, creates insecurity, in a vicious circle in which the hungry man, especially if he has a gun, may resort to looting to feed himself and his family. Millions of our people are affected, with large numbers displaced from their homes and many fleeing to neighbouring countries, where they are facing appalling hardships in refugee camps.
We are concerned that some elements within the government appear to be suspicious of the Church. In some areas the Church has been able to mediate local peace deals, but these can easily be undermined if government officials are removed and replaced with hardliners who do not welcome Church efforts for peace. Priests, sisters and other personnel have been harassed. Some of the programmes on our radio network have been removed. Churches have been burned down. Less than two weeks ago, on 14th February, security officers attempted to close down our Catholic bookshop. They harassed our personnel and confiscated several books. The ecumenical church leaders’ delegation which visited Pope Francis in Rome and Archbishop Justin Welby in London has been trying to obtain a meeting with President Salva Kiir since December 2016, but has so far been unsuccessful. We hear people saying that “the Church is against the government”.
We wish to inform all of you that the Church is not for or against anyone, neither the government nor the opposition. We are FOR all good things – peace, justice, love, forgiveness, reconciliation, dialogue, the rule of law, good governance – and we are AGAINST evil – violence, killing, rape, torture, looting, corruption, arbitrary detention, tribalism, discrimination, oppression – regardless of where they are and who is practising them. We are ready to dialogue with and between the government and the opposition at any time.
The Way Forward
We issue this pastoral message to the people of South Sudan, but we copy it widely to others, including the international community. We want the world to hear the true situation in which our people find themselves.
The Holy Father Pope Francis yesterday, 22nd February 2016, made an appeal for South Sudan from the Vatican. We have instructed our Caritas South Sudan and requested our Caritas Internationalis partners to act urgently to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, and we call on the rest of the international community to do the same.
Those who have the ability to make changes for the good of our people have not taken heed of our previous pastoral messages. This time we intend to follow up more proactively. In partnership with other churches through the Action Plan for Peace (APP) of our South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC), we intend to meet face to face not only with the President but with the vice presidents, ministers, members of parliament, opposition leaders and politicians, military officers from all sides, and anyone else who we believe has the power to change our country for the better. We intend to meet with them not once, but again and again, for as long as is necessary, with the message that we need to see action, not just dialogue for the sake of dialogue. “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” (Luke 18:2-5) Like that widow, we will come continually to bother those who are responsible in our country.
Again with our partner churches in SSCC, and with our church partners in neigbouring countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan, we intend to bring the narrative of our people on the ground to the governments of those countries, so that they can understand our situation and make good choices to improve it, both bilaterally and through multilateral bodies such as IGAD and AU. Our own special contribution will include bringing in the Catholic Church in those countries, regional Catholic bodies such as AMECEA, and the Vatican at the global level. When we meet the leaders of each country, we will be accompanied by the cardinals and bishops of that country.
We reiterate our support for the SSCC Action Plan for Peace (APP) and its three pillars of Advocacy, Neutral Forum dialogues and Reconciliation. It was always intended that the APP should be implemented by the member churches, not by the SSCC Secretariat alone, so we have instructed our Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, at both national and diocesan level, to begin a dialogue with SSCC on how we can contribute to the work on the ground.
We believe that “technical” programmes are not enough. Hence we have instructed our Pastoral Comission to mobilise a national spiritual approach, as we did for the Referendum.
We ask forgiveness for anything we might have done to alienate any individual or party, and we assure you of our love and prayers.
Conclusion
You are the Church; we are the Pastors. We call upon you to remain spiritually strong, and to exercise restraint, tolerance, forgiveness and love. Work for justice and peace; reject violence and revenge. We are with you. We have heard what God is saying to us through you and through your sufferings on the ground, and by including it in our public pastoral letter to you, we are making it accessible to the world. We will continue to be “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness”. We wish to give you hope that you are not abandoned and that we are working to resolve the situation at many different levels.
Finally, with great joy, we wish to inform you that the Holy Father Pope Francis hopes to visit South Sudan later this year. The Holy Father is deeply concerned about the sufferings of the people of South Sudan. You are already in his prayers, but his coming here would be a concrete symbol of his fatherly concern and his solidarity with your suffering. It would draw the attention of the world to the situation here. We call upon you to begin a programme of prayer for this visit to go ahead. Let us use the coming months fruitfully to begin the transformation of our nation.
May God bless you.
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