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(Vatican Radio) The Vatican welcomed United Nations initiatives that provide practical resources and on-the-ground assessments focused on ensuring access to justice for people in vulnerable situations, including detainees, indigent persons, refugees, and other displaced persons.

“The rule of law is meant to fulfill a role beyond maintaining harmony and order; it is also supposed to be an exemplary teacher,” – said Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations – “In this case, it ought to be an expression of society’s capacity to lift the poor and the excluded, the infirm and the imprisoned.”

The Vatican diplomat was speaking at a UN General Assembly session on the rule of law.

“While acknowledging the fundamental roles of judges, prosecutors, attorneys, and other vital participants in the  implementation of the rule of law, my delegation is particularly concerned about the persons subject to legal action, particularly those illegally detained, those unjustly accused, those with physical and mental disabilities, and those who have no advocate, no political influence and no resources to vindicate their rights,” Archbishop Auza said.

“The Holy See is focused on whether these categories of persons find recognition within the legal system.”

The full statement can be found below

Statement by H.E. Archbishop Bernardito Auza

Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See

Seventy-first Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sixth Committee

Agenda Item 84: The Rule of Law at the National and International Levels

Mr. Chair,

I congratulate you and the other members of your Bureau on your election, and I assure you of my delegation’s continued collaboration.

The Secretary General’s report “Strengthening and coordinating United Nations rule of law activities”1 describes the efforts of the United Nations in support of national implementation of multilateral treaties. The Holy See notes with satisfaction that these efforts are ultimately aimed at “facilitating access to justice for all, including the poorest and most vulnerable.”

Thus my delegation welcomes, in particular, the initiatives that provide practical resources and on-the-ground assessments focused on ensuring access to justice for people in vulnerable situations, including detainees, indigent persons, refugees, and other displaced persons.

Concern for the neediest is not only a moral imperative; it has become the yardstick with which to measure the success or failure of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, whose primary objective is to leave no one behind. The rule of law is meant to fulfill a role beyond maintaining harmony and order; it is also supposed to be an exemplary teacher. In this case, it ought to be an expression of society’s capacity to lift the poor and the excluded, the infirm and the imprisoned.

In this respect, while acknowledging the fundamental roles of judges, prosecutors, attorneys, and other vital participants in the  implementation of the rule of law, my delegation is particularly concerned about the persons subject to legal action, particularly those illegally detained, those unjustly accused, those with physical and mental disabilities, and those who have no advocate, no political influence and no resources to vindicate their rights. The Holy See is focused on whether these categories of persons find recognition within the legal system. If one of the concerns of this Committee is to propose and evaluate rule of law indicators, then it must look beyond codifications and legal infrastructure and examine whether the least among us are in practice able to exercise their substantive and procedural rights under the law; whether they are able to understand and navigate the legal system; whether they are able to trust and rely on it; whether they find justice and compassion within it.

The Secretary General’s report, moreover, surveys many of the important steps States have taken within the last year to embrace an international framework of norms and standards on subjects such as ecology, access to justice, and the fight against transnational crime. The report also highlights capacity-building and technical-support projects undertaken by various United Nations entities. My delegation would like to recommend that such surveys be supplemented with practical reflections  on whether these accomplishments are effective, inclusive and sustainable. Rule of law does not exist in a vacuum nor does it stand or fall alone. Reflection on the rule of law, therefore, should explore the cultural and social ethos in which the law is being implemented. It should look more deeply into the intersection between law and the lively world of non-state institutions and grassroots organizations, in order to assess more meaningfully how the rule of law can better take root and flourish in a given society. After all, justice, which is the constant and perpetual will to give to each one his or her due, is learned and fostered primarily within the family, religious communities and civil society.

Mr. Chair,

The Holy See wishes to underline the connection between the rule of law and the freedom of opinion and expression, as recognized under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The imprisonment and murder of journalists, researchers or activists is often a signal that some powerful interest is trying to evade accountability, which is antithetical to the rule of law.

This Committee must therefore encourage the appropriate independence of the judiciary. Encouraging those who stress the need for responsible freedom in the exercise of their judicial function, Pope Francis stated that “lacking such freedom, a nation’s judiciary is corrupt and corrupting.”

A captive judiciary is corrupted, to use Pope Francis’ expression, because political factors are illegitimately weighed on the scales of justice; a captive judiciary is corrupting because its decisions, which lack the legitimacy of an objective and impartial application of law, infect the body of law with unsound principles, thereby jeopardizing justice and the common good. With a corrupt and corrupting judiciary, the rule of law ultimately gives way to a rule of force.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday evening presided at the Vigil of the Marian Jubilee taking place in St. Peter’s Square. The Jubilee began on Friday, which was the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and the highlight of Saturday's event was the recitation of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.

“From the earliest centuries, Mary has been invoked as Mother of Mercy,” Pope Francis said.

“The prayer of the rosary is, in many ways, the synthesis of the history of God's mercy, which becomes a history of salvation for all who let themselves be shaped by grace,” – the Holy Father continued – “Through prayer and meditation on the life of Jesus Christ, we see once more his merciful countenance, which he shows to everyone in all the many needs of life.  Mary accompanies us along this journey, pointing to her Son who radiates the very mercy of the Father.”

The full prepared text of Pope Francis for the Vigil of the Marian Jubilee is below

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

            In this Vigil we have pondered the fundamental moments of the life of Jesus in company with Mary.  In mind and heart, we have returned to the time of the fulfilment of Christ’s mission in the world.  The Resurrection, as a sign of the extreme love of the Father who restores everything to life and as a foreshadowing of our future state.  The Ascension, as a sharing in the Father’s glory, where even our humanity finds a privileged place.  Pentecost, as the expression of the Church’s mission in history until the end of time, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  In the last two mysteries, we have also contemplated the Virgin Mary in the glory of heaven.  From the earliest centuries, Mary has been invoked as Mother of Mercy.

            The prayer of the rosary is, in many ways, the synthesis of the history of God's mercy, which becomes a history of salvation for all who let themselves be shaped by grace.  The mysteries we have contemplated are concrete events by which God’s intervention on our behalf develops.  Through prayer and meditation on the life of Jesus Christ, we see once more his merciful countenance, which he shows to everyone in all the many needs of life.  Mary accompanies us along this journey, pointing to her Son who radiates the very mercy of the Father.  She is truly Hodegetria, the Mother who points to the path we are called to take in order to be true disciples of Jesus.  In each mystery of the rosary, we feel her closeness and we contemplate her as the first disciple of her Son, for she does the Father’s will (cf. Lk 8:19-21).

            Praying the rosary does not remove us from the problems of life.  On the contrary, it demands that we immerse ourselves in the history of each day, so as to grasp the signs of Christ’s presence in our midst.  Whenever we contemplate an event, a mystery of the life of Christ, we are asked to reflect on how God comes into our own lives, so as to be able to welcome him and follow him.  In this way, we discover how we can follow Christ by serving our brothers and sisters.  By accepting and making our own certain outstanding events in the life of Jesus, we share in his work of evangelization, so that God’s Kingdom can increase and spread in the world.  We are disciples, but also missionaries, bringing Christ wherever he asks us to be present.  So we cannot keep the gift of his presence within us.  On the contrary, we are called to share with everyone his love, his tenderness, his goodness and his mercy.  It is the joy of sharing that stops at nothing, for it brings a message of freedom and salvation.

            Mary helps us to understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ.  Eternally chosen to be his Mother, she learned to become his disciple.  Her first act was to listen to God.  She obeyed the message of the Angel and opened her heart to receive the mystery of divine motherhood.  She followed Jesus, listening to every word that issued from his lips (cf. Mk 3:31-35).  She kept all those things in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19) and became the living memory of the signs worked by God’s Son to awaken our faith.  But is not enough simply to listen.  That is certainly the first step, but listening then needs to be translated into concrete action.  The disciple truly puts his life at the service of the Gospel.

            So it is that the Virgin Mary went immediately to Elizabeth to help her in her pregnancy (cf. Lk 1:39-56).  In Bethlehem she gave birth to the Son of God (cf. Lk 2:1-7).  In Cana she showed her concern for two young spouses (cf. Jn 2:1-11).  At Golgotha she did not flee pain but stood beneath the cross of Jesus and, by his will, became the Mother of the Church (cf. Jn 19:25-27).  After the resurrection, she encouraged the apostles assembled in the Upper Room as they awaited the Holy Spirit who would make them fearless heralds of the Gospel (cf. Acts 1:14).  Throughout her life, Mary did everything that the Church is asked to do in perennial memory of Christ.  In her faith, we learn to open our hearts to obey God; in her self-denial, we see the importance of tending to the needs of others; in her tears, we find the strength to console those experiencing pain.  In each of these moments, Mary expresses the wealth of divine mercy that reaches out to all in their daily needs.

            This evening let us invoke our loving heavenly Mother with the oldest prayer that Christians have addressed to her, especially at times of trouble and martyrdom.  Let us invoke her, in the certainty of being aided by her maternal mercy, so that she, “glorious and blessed”, can be a protection, help and blessing for us all the days of our life:

            “We fly to your protection, holy Mother of God.  Scorn not our petitions in the hour of need.  O glorious and blessed Virgin, deliver us always from every peril”.

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(Vatican Radio) Georgians have voted in parliamentary elections to decide whether to stick with the ruling Georgian Dream party or give controversial former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s allies a second chance to rule the former Soviet nation. 

Saturday's vote was seen as a test of stability of Georgia, which is criss-crossed by strategically important oil and gas pipelines and traditionally buffeted between Russia and the West.

Listen to the report by Stefan Bos:

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili was among those who cast their ballots early in the capital Tbilisi in the post-Soviet Caucasus country's parliamentary elections. 

He even pushed a man aside as lines were seen forming here and outside several polling stations.   

Following a tough election campaign, the prime minister tried to smile to reporters with his wife and a son at his side.    

Polls suggested the ruling Georgian Dream party, funded by the country's richest man, was likely to win. But they also showed strong support for the opposition United National Movement of former president Mikheil Saakashvili. 

CHARISMATIC REFORMER 

Saakashvili, a charismatic reformer who took over in the Rose Revolution of 2003, was forced out of the country after prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for abuse of power. He now works as a regional governor in pro-Western Ukraine.

The crackdown on him and allies has prompted Western concerns that Georgia could backslide after its relative orderly transfer of power in 2012.   

Election violence already overshadowed the campaign. On Wednesday a car bombing targeted an opposition deputy in Tbilisi. And during a political rally for an independent candidate two men were shot an wounded.

Whoever takes over will be pressured to improve stability in the country. That isn't easy: A fifth of Georgian territory remains under the control of pro-Russian separatists following a short war with Russia in 2008. And the economy is slowly emerging from a deep slowdown that has eroded living standards.

Analysts have warned that if there is no clear winner, the country could face once again political turmoil. Besides the main parties, Georgia's 3.5 million eligible voters were faced with nearly three dozen other groups and blocs vying to fill the unicameral parliament's 150 seats through a mix of party lists and single-seat constituencies. 

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(Vatican Radio) More than 900 people have died, as Hurricane Matthew ravaged Haiti, with the death toll expected to rise, as more remote areas are revealed.  

Pope Francis has appealed for concrete acts of solidarity for the stricken nation.

As James Blears reports, the hurricane is now mauling South Carolina.

Listen: 

Haiti-the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, took the vicious brunt of Hurricane Matthew.  It tore into the South of the country,  destroying flimsy houses, bringing death.  

More than 80 percent of the coastal settlement of Jeremie, which is situated on a low hill, just off the beach, was wiped off the face of the map. 

More than a quarter of million people in Haiti, are today homeless. The Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal. 

Haiti`s  never fully  recovered from an earthquake in 2010, which killed thousands.

Cuba and the Bahamas were next in line for Hurricane Matthew, suffering severe damage and significant loss of life.  

Then Florida, where there are reports of four deaths.   

Now Matthew which has been downgraded from a Force four to a Force one Hurricane is closing in on Charlston, South Carolina. It`s winds which at their strongest over Haiti,  were whipping up to 230 kph... are gusting at 140 km per hour, and it`s carrying heavy belts of torrential rain, leading to severe flooding.  

The most powerful and destructive Caribbean origin Hurricane in a decade, is not yet done.

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(Vatican Radio) U.S and other officials say Russia is moving nuclear-capable missiles into Kaliningrad, the tiny Russian enclave sitting between Poland and Lithuania, from where they could potentially reach several European cities, as part of a wider standoff with the West.  

The Russian military movements also come after the United States for the first time publicly accused Russia of orchestrating a string of cyberattacks against the U.S. 

Listen to the report by Stefan Bos:

Estonian radio said Russian Iskander-M missiles are already en route from the Russian city of St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad in a civilian transport ship.

The nuclear-capable missiles rockets have a range of about 500 kilometers and could reach several several European cities, including in neighboring Poland and Lithuania. 

There was no immediate comment from Russia on the reports but Moscow had threatened to place a missile system in Kaliningrad, on the doorstep of the European Union and the NATO military alliance. 

RESUMING PRESENCE 

Additionally, Russia has confirmed that it is considering plans to resume its military presence in Vietnam and Cuba, while in Europe Finland's Defence Ministry said it had already scrambled jets at least twice in recent days to monitor suspected airspace violations by Russian fighters there. 

The announcements comes amid wider East-West tensions over Russia's role in Ukraine and Syria, especially between Washington and Moscow, most notably over an ongoing Russian-backed Syrian government offensive on the city of Aleppo that has killed hundreds of civilians. 

Besides a direct military standoff tensions are also increasing online. 

Washington says Russia's cyberattacks are targeting U.S. political organizations and prominent current and former officials in a bid "to interfere with the U.S. election process." 

Last month, Democratic Party presisidential candidate Hillary Clinton already suggested Russia's ionvolvement in a debate with her Republican rival Donald Trump.  "There’s no doubt now that Russia has used cyber attacks against all kinds of organizations in our country, and I am deeply concerned about this," she said. 

PUTIN DISCUSSION

"I know Donald’s very praiseworthy of Vladimir Putin, but Putin is playing a really tough, long game here", Clinton added.

Trump said "wrong" when she suggested he was praising the Russian leader. 

Now the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security says that it is "confident" the Russian government "directed" the hacking of e-mails of individuals and groups, including the Democratic National Committee. 

The Kremlin has  dismissed the U.S. statement as "some kind of nonsense", but the rethoric has once again raised international concerns about the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. 

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Rome, Italy, Oct 8, 2016 / 10:49 am (CNA/EWTN News).- During a special Jubilee weekend dedicated to Mary, Pope Francis said Mary was not only Christ’s mother, but also his obedient disciple and a model of concrete service to others.

“Throughout her life, Mary did everything that the Church is asked to do in perennial memory of Christ,” the Pope said Oct. 8.

With her faith, “we learn to open our hearts to obey God; in her self-denial, we see the importance of tending to the needs of others; in her tears, we find the strength to console those experiencing pain.”

In each of these moments, Mary “expresses the wealth of divine mercy that reaches out to all in their daily need.”

Pope Francis spoke to thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square to celebrate a special Oct. 7-9 Marian Jubilee, which is part of the Pope’s larger Jubilee of Mercy.

The Marian Jubilee opened Oct. 7 with Mass in the Roman Basilica of Saint Mary Major. The Mass was followed by the recitation of the rosary in Saint Peter’s Square and the Prayer to the Queen of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii.

Adoration and confessions were then available until midnight in the parishes of Santa Maria in Valicella, also called "Chiesa Nuova," and San Salvatore in Lauro.

Jubilee activities continued Saturday morning with a pilgrimage to the Holy Doors of the four Major Basilicas in Rome: St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Wall, St. John Lateran and St. Peter's.

Groups of various Marian delegations from national communities and shrines then participated in a special procession to St. Peter's Square, where Pope Francis led pilgrims in praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary before delivering his address. 

In his speech, the Pope noted how from the earliest centuries of the Church Mary has been invoked as the “Mother of Mercy,” explaining that the prayer of the rosary in many ways is a “synthesis of the history of God's mercy, which becomes a history of salvation for all who let themselves be shaped by grace.”

By reflecting on the important moments in Jesus’ life, we see how his mercy is shown to everyone from all walks and stages of life, he said, adding that Mary always accompanies us on this journey, pointing us in the direction of her Son, “who radiates the very mercy of the Father.”

Mary guides us toward the path we are called to take “in order to be true disciples of Jesus,” he said, adding that in praying the rosary, we feel her closeness in each mystery and contemplate her role as “the first disciple of her Son, for she does the Father’s will.

Francis stressed that Mary can help teach us what it means to be a disciple of Christ, because while she was “eternally chosen to be his Mother,” she also learned how to be his disciple.

“Her first act was to listen to God,” he said, noting how she then obeyed the angel’s message and followed Jesus closely, “listening to every word that issued from his lips” and keeping them in her heart.

However, the Pope stressed, “it’s not enough simply to listen.” While this is the first step, it must be followed by concrete action.

“The disciple truly puts his life at the service of the Gospel,” he said, and, recalling Mary’s own actions, pointed to how after the Annunciation, Mary immediately went to her cousin Elizabeth to help her during her pregnancy.

Not only did she then give birth to the Son of God, but she also showed her concern for the young spouses in Cana by interceding for them. When Jesus was crucified on Golgotha, Mary “did not flee pain but stood beneath the cross of Jesus and, by his will, became the Mother of the Church.”

After Jesus rose from the dead, she then “encouraged the apostles assembled in the upper room as they awaited the Holy Spirit, who would make them fearless heralds of the Gospel,” Pope Francis said.

Francis closed his homily invoking Mary’s intercession, praying that she would be “a protection, help and blessing for us all the days of our life.”

“We fly to your protection, holy Mother of God. Scorn not our petitions in the hour of need. O glorious and blessed Virgin, deliver us always from every peril.

Celebrations for the Marian Jubilee will conclude Sunday with a special Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square.

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