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(Vatican Radio) On the 20th of November 2016 Pope Francis is set to close the 'Holy Door'  of Saint Peter’s Basilica with its 16 bronze panels depicting the story of Jesus in his mercy seeking his lost sheep. A symbolic gesture  to mark the end of the 'Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy' which began just under a year ago. One which represents the passage to salvation, the 'Gateway to God’s Mercy'.

In this programme you can join Veronica Scarisbrick at the ‘Fonderia Artistica Marinelli’ where this ‘Holy Door’ was cast for the Jubilee Year of 1950.

Listen to Ferdinando Marinelli giving Veronica Scarisbrick a tour of the ‘Fonderia Artistica Marinelli’:

It was 1949, when on the eve of the Jubilee Year of 1950, the Pope of the time Pius XII, entrusted the creation of the masterpiece to Italian artist, Vico Consorti, selecting this foundry owned by Ferdinando Marinelli. His grandson, by the same name, invited Veronica Scarisbrick to visit the family foundry.

She met him in Florence at his window on the world, an enchanting gallery on the banks of the River Arno seething with a myriad of bronze statues from different eras. Among them the impressive 'Giambologna Neptune', who seems to greet you as you enter.

And it was by this towering statue that Ferdinando Marinelli greeted her, ready to drive across the Tuscan countryside to his foundry which lies on the way to Siena, Vico Consorti’s city.

She was eager to visit his foundry and aware it was not the one where the Holy Door was cast by his grandfather but another more recent one. She knew too that Ferdinando Marinelli was sure to treasure that age old rapport of his foundry with the Vatican despite the more modern outreach he now enjoys right across the world. No surprise as for centuries the Church and the world of art have enjoyed an extremely prolific love affair.

Click here to catch a glimpse of Veronica Scarisbrick's tour at the foundry http://www.fonderiamarinelli.it/

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(Vatican Radio) The Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica will close this Sunday marking the end of the Jubilee of Mercy.

Over the past year dioceses around the world have organised initiatives and here in Rome there have been various Jubilee events including, the Jubilee for Prisoners, the disabled and the homeless.

The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization was charged with organizing the Holy Year of Mercy and its English language official Fr Eugene Silva spoke to Lydia O’Kane about some of the highlights and its legacy.

Listen: 

Fr Sylva says that as a priest, one of the most inspiring things about this Extraordinary Year has been, “the number of people who’ve returned home to the Sacrament of God’s mercy, to the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.” Another inspiration of this year for him has been the numbers of volunteers who have worked tirelessly to make the Jubilee a spiritual journey for pilgrims in Rome.

The closing Jubilee events in these last weeks included the Jubilee for prisoners, and the homeless which saw Pope Francis invite prisoners and those sleeping rough into St Peter’s Basilica to take part in Holy Mass.  “Those last two events that we have had”, says Fr Eugene, "have resonated all around the world.” … He adds that, these people were able to serve at the Mass and the fullness of their dignity was so evident.

The Year of Mercy maybe coming to a close but Fr Sylva says that , “if we place it in the context of the whole process and pastoral plan of the New Evangelization, I think that this is an important step that we need to continue on in the path of the New Evangelization.”

Pope Francis, recalls Fr Eugene, called this Jubilee of Mercy because “of the world being riddled with such violence today, that in the face of such violence, we as Christians need to confront it with mercy and with love.”

The Extraordinary Holy Year of  Mercy will close on Nov 20th, the Feast of Christ the King.

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis appealed for God to grant believers the courage to embrace Christian poverty, saying people cannot forgive a priest who is attached to money. His remarks came during his Mass celebrated on Friday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence. 

Taking his inspiration from the day’s Gospel reading where Jesus drove out the traders from the temple, accusing them of transforming it into a den of thieves, the Pope’s homily was a reflection on the power and allure of money. He said Jesus’s action helps us to understand where the seed of the antichrist is contained, the seed of the enemy that ruins his Kingdom: attachment to money.

“Our Lord God, the house of our Lord God is a house of prayer. Our encounter with the Lord (is) with the God of love. And the money-lord that enters into the house of God, is constantly seeking to enter inside. And those people who were changing money or selling things, they were renting their places, right? – from the priests… the priests were renting out those places and then received money. This is the lord that can ruin our life and can lead us to end our life in a bad way, without happiness, without the joy of serving the true Lord who is the only one capable of giving us that true joy.”

Noting it’s a personal choice, Pope Francis then asked his listeners: “How is your attachment to money?  Are you attached to money?”

“The people of God have a great flair for accepting, for canonizing as well as condemning – because the people of God are capable of condemning – for forgiving so many weaknesses, so many sins by priests but they cannot forgive two of them: attachment to money, because when they see a priest attached to money, they do not forgive him, and mistreating people, because when a priest mistreats the faithful: the people of God can’t accept this and they do not forgive him. The other things, the other weaknesses, the other sins ….. yes ok, it’s not right but the poor man is alone, it’s this…. And they seek to justify (his sins).  But their condemnation is not as strong or as definitive: the people of God could understand this. Following the lord of money leads a priest to be the head of a firm or be a prince or we can go even higher…”

The Pope went on to recall the teraphims, the idols that Jacob’s wife Rachel kept hidden, as an example of this attachment to material goods.

“It’s sad to see a priest who’s at the end of his life, he’s in agony, he’s in a coma and his relatives are there like vultures, looking to see what they can take away. Let us grant this pleasure to the Lord, a true examination of our conscience. ‘Lord, are you my Lord or is it – like Rachel – these teraphims hidden in my heart, this idol of money?’ And be courageous: be courageous. Make a choice. Sufficient money like that of an honest worker, sufficient savings like those of an honest worker. But all these financial interests are not permissible, this is idolatry. May the Lord grant us all the grace of Christian poverty.”

“May the Lord,” concluded the Pope, “give us the grace of the poverty of working people, those who work and earn a fair wage and who do not seek any more.” 

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(Vatican Radio) Papua New Guinea’s first ever Cardinal, Sir John Ribat, is preparing to receive the red hat from Pope Francis with the humbleness and simplicity that befit truly special people. 

The news of the Archbishop of Port Moresby’s appointment spread like wildfire through the Pacific region where Ribat serves as the President of the Federation of Catholic Bishops of Oceania.

Visiting Vatican Radio just two days before the Consistory, Cardinal elect Ribat (who by the way was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II this year) said that although Papua New Guinea is geographically as far as you can get from the See of Peter, Pope Francis’ appointment makes him feel very close…

Listen to the interview:

“It gives me a great feeling of closeness, in the sense that when we have issues or things that need to be attended to we will have someone who will be our voice representing the Church in PNG, Solomon Islands and the neighbouring countries as well” Cardinal Ribat says.  

Speaking with passion of the work he spearheads – as Chairman of the ecumenical movement in Papua New Guinea - to promote ecumenical dialogue in a region where a large percentage of the faithful belong to protestant denominations, the Cardinal said they too “share this feeling of closeness”.  

Cardinal Ribat also talks about his personal, very deep, experience of dialogue and sharing with other communions as he comes from a family where many of his relatives are from the Methodist tradition.

He speaks of the pain both Catholics and Protestants have to live with as they cannot share Holy Communion during Mass but says that for the moment this is what they all have to live with as they push towards full Christian Unity, a pathway that leads to lasting peace and friendship especially at this moment in history which is seeing so many divisions and conflicts.

Cardinal Ribat concedes that perhaps his ecumenical commitment is one of the reasons Pope Francis chose him to be part of the College of Cardinals.

“While we are saying that the Catholic Church is the mother church, then we have to be true to our name and embrace all” he says.

Regarding other issues that he feels are particular challenges he is called to address, the Cardinal speaks of the relationship his Bishops’ Conference has with Muslims – who are a minority in his geographical area – but whom have been invited to share their concerns with representatives of other faiths in this very difficult time.

“To go this way together means the building of peace, the building of unity, and that extends to all aspects of our life”, so this relationship, he says, is something I really value.

Cardinal Ribat also speaks of the need to give the right kind of spiritual and moral guidance to the people of a small nation that are dealing with exploitation and human trafficking.

He says that possibly in a moment in which the Pacific region is suffering first-hand the devastating effects of climate change, with rising sea levels that force island populations to abandon their homes in search of new environment to settle down, the Cardinal thinks that the experience of the Church in PNG can provide a precious contribution to Pope Francis’ call to “care for our common home”.

He also links this issue to the current migration issue that is affecting the entire globe and calls on the United Nations to redefine refugees and consider those being deeply affected by climate change on a par with those fleeing persecution and conflict. 

Commenting on the fact that Francis has “sort of broken the protocol” of the way Cardinals are appointed by reaching so far out to small countries across the globe (countries that are not seen as world players when it comes to taking significant decisions and making investments), Cardinal Ribat said this speaks not only of the Pope’s will to promote inclusion for all, but also shows how the Church today is shifting its focus from the center to the peripheries.

And he says, developed nations have much to learn from smaller, underdeveloped nations regarding lifestyle and the protection of the environment.

Asked what he is going to say to Pope Francis when he meets him for the first time, Cardinal Ribat said he brings the greetings and the invitation to visit Papua New Guinea not only from the Catholics of the nation, but of all of its inhabitants!
 
Sir Cardinal Ribat, is 59-years-old. He was ordained in the Congregation of the Sacred Heart Missionaries in 1985. He was appointed as the auxiliary Bishop of Bereina in PNG in 2000 and became the bishop there in 2002. He became Archbishop of Port Moresby in 2008. 

Not only is he the first Cardinal from Papua New Guinea, his appointment marks a first for the religious order of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
      

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The Catholic Diocese of Gokwe in Zimbabwe recently celebrated its silver jubilee amid pomp and funfair with hundreds of people from all over the country joining the local Church to mark the historic event.

Held at St. John Cathedral, the celebrations were meant to commemorate the diocese’s achievements in twenty-five years of its existence.

The Papal Nuncio to Zimbabwe, Archbishop Marek Zalewski, in the company of Bishops and priests, celebrated Holy Mass to bless the diocese and to thank God for the realistic milestones the diocese has accomplished.

“From two primary schools, the diocese now has 20 primary, secondary and high schools and the diocese runs some hospitals and clinics,” said the local ordinary of Gokwe, Bishop Angel Floro, during the occasion.

Bishop Floro thanked Bishop Bhasera for laying the foundation of the diocese from humble beginnings.

He narrated, “Apart from the four missions and two more created in 1991, there was nothing else except people. He (Bishop Bashera) did not even have a house to live in. I was privileged to work with him since 1992. I accompanied him when I doubled as Vicar General and Financial Administrator during those years, so I know pretty well the hardships and challenges he encountered and his enthusiasm and commitment to developing the diocese, to open new missions and put up the infrastructure required for the diocese to operate properly.”

Bishop Floro went on to say, “It was not only about physical infrastructure but also to shape and strengthen the local community of Gokwe Diocese with the creation of the Presbyteral and Diocesan Pastoral Council, the Pastoral Plan and Annual Pastoral Priorities. To me, working with him was a marvellous school where I learned how to run the diocese.”

At the moment, Gokwe Diocese is home to a plethora of homegrown vocations with over 150 vocations to religious and priestly life.

The Diocese was created on 19 October 1991 by Pope St. John Paul II at the request of the late Bishop Ignatius Prieto. Bishop Michael Bhasera was the first bishop to govern the diocese before he was appointed to take charge of Masvingo Diocese in 1999.

The first mission in the diocese was Kana, which was opened in 1954. It was followed by Chireya Mission began in 1962. Nembudziya and Uganda Martyrs were inaugurated in 1966 and 1970 respectively.

Since 1970, Gokwe was one of Hwange Diocese’s deaneries with four missions run by eight priests, some brothers and a group of sisters as the bishop of Gokwe, Angel Floro, puts it. At the creation of the diocese ten priests, 15 sisters and three brothers were working in the then Gokwe deanery.

Gokwe diocese has tremendously grown since 1991 from six to seventeen missions in a period of 25 years, from ten to thirty-six priests and from two diocesan priests in 1991 to thirty. The diocese has immensely contributed to people’s right to education and health.

At its creation, Gokwe diocese was typically rural with little hope of growth, but now the place has become into probably the fastest growing diocese in the country, a growth that is pointing to a city with hopes of industrial expansion and economic boom.

(Br. Alfonce Kugwa in Zimbabwe, CANAA)

Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va

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Baltimore, Md., Nov 18, 2016 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In the wake of the presidential election Catholics must remember that immigration is a global issue involving real families, the new vice president of the U.S. bishops’ conference says.

“The important thing is, in the United States, we find the way to have immigration reform,” Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles told CNA in an interview on Tuesday.

“I think it’s important for us as the leading country in the world is to find a solution to allow people to move, respecting the right of every country to protect their borders,” he continued. “Movements of people are happening all over the world.”

The archbishop spoke with CNA just after he was elected vice president of the U.S. bishops’ conference at their fall general assembly in Baltimore Nov. 15. He received 61 percent of the total bishops’ vote in the third round of votes.

As Archbishop of Los Angeles, Gomez oversees the largest archdiocese in the U.S. and a large immigrant population. He headed the bishops’ migration committee before his election as vice president.

Speaking at an interreligious prayer service after the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, Archbishop Gomez called for prayer and peace, insisting he would continue to stand with undocumented immigrants fearful of being deported.

“Men and women are worried and anxious, thinking about where they can run and hide. This is happening tonight, in America,” he stated. “We need to be people of peace, people of compassion. Tonight we promise our brothers and sisters who are undocumented – we will never leave you alone.”

Catholics must better understand the plight of immigrant families, he said on Tuesday.

“These people that move from one country to another are like us. They are fathers and mothers, children, brothers and sisters,” he said.

“People move because they want to improve their lives, and especially the lives of their children. Any parent will do that,” he continued, noting the recent increase in the numbers of child migrants from Central America coming to the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Immigration is families. And family is the foundation of society,” he said. “So Catholics need to understand that. And of course, the history of the Catholic Church, starting with the Holy Family; they migrated because they were in a very challenging situation.”

The archbishop reinforced his post-election call for peace on Tuesday, asking Catholics to pray and to serve others.

“Obviously the first and most important things are prayers. We have to pray for our country. We pray for our government, the elected officials,” he said.

Catholics must also remember that “we have a beautiful understanding of the human person, who we are as created by God,” he added.

“Once I understand that I am a child of God, and I understand that my goal is to serve my brothers and sisters, then we can make a big contribution for everybody in our country to strive for unity and respect for the human person.”

He also thanked his brother bishops upon his election “for trusting me and allowing me to serve them and the people of our country through the conference of bishops.”

When asked how he envisioned the Church’s future as vice president of the conference, he focused on the bishops’ strategic plan for 2017-20, particularly the first goal: evangelization.

“So I think that’s what also Pope Francis is asking us to do, that we all become missionary disciples,” he said.”

“I think we have a big challenge in our lives and in the United States because we need many more saints. In order to evangelize, we all need to be saints,” he insisted.

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