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(Vatican Radio) The important work of ministering to migrants and refugees was at the heart of Pope Francis’ address on Saturday to members of the European Confederation and World Union of Jesuit Alumni and Alumnae.

The Jesuit group had been participating in a 14-16 September conference in Rome entitled “Global Migration and Refugee Crisis: Time to Contemplate and Act”.

Please find the official translation of Pope Francis’ address below:

Address of His Holiness Pope Francis

To Members of the European Confederation

And World Union of Jesuit Alumni and Alumnae

Saturday 17 September 2016

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Members of the European Confederation and of the

World Union of Jesuit Alumni and Alumnae,

I am pleased to receive you today as part of your conference on migration and the refugee crisis.  Graduates of Jesuit schools, you have come to Rome as “men and women for others” to  explore on this occasion the roots of forced migration, to contemplate your responsibility in response to the current situation and to be sent forth as promoters of change in your home communities.

Tragically, more than sixty-five million persons are forcibly displaced around the globe.  This unprecedented number is beyond all imagination.  The displaced population of today’s world is now larger than the entire population of Italy!  If we move beyond mere statistics, however, we will discover that refugees are women and men, boys and girls who are no different than our own family members and friends.  Each of them has a name, a face, and a story, as well as an inalienable right to live in peace and to aspire to a better future for their sons and daughters.

You have dedicated your world association to the memory and example of Father Pedro Arrupe, who was also the founder of the Jesuit Refugee Service, the organization that has been accompanying you during this past week in Rome.  More than thirty-five years ago, Father Arrupe was moved to act in response to the plight of the South Vietnamese boat people who were exposed to pirate attacks and storms in the South China Sea, while trying desperately to flee from violence in their homeland.  Sadly, the world today still finds itself embroiled in countless conflicts.  The terrible war in Syria, as well as civil conflicts in South Sudan and elsewhere throughout the world, can seem irresolvable.  This is precisely why your gathering “to contemplate and act” on the issue of refugees is so important.

More than ever today, as war rages across God’s creation, as record numbers of refugees die trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea, and refugees spend years and years languishing in camps, the Church needs you to draw on the bravery and example of Father Pedro Arrupe.  Through your Jesuit education, you have been invited to become “companions of Jesus” and, with Saint Ignatius Loyola as your guide, you have been sent into the world to be women and men for and with others.  At this place and time in history, there is great need for men and women who hear the cry of the poor and respond with mercy and generosity.

At the close of World Youth Day in Krakow a few weeks ago, I told the youth gathered there to be brave.  As graduates of Jesuit schools, you also must know how be brave in responding to the needs of today’s refugees.  It will help you to recall your Ignatian roots as you address the problems experienced by refugees.  You must offer the Lord “all your liberty, your memory, your understanding and your entire will” as you continue to understand the causes of forced migration and serve refugees in your countries.

Throughout this Year of Mercy, the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica has remained open as a reminder that God’s mercy is offered to all those in need, now and always.  Millions of the faithful have made the pilgrimage to the Holy Door here and in churches throughout the world, recalling that God’s mercy lasts forever and reaches out to all.  Also with your help, the Church will be able to respond more fully to the human tragedy of refugees through acts of mercy that promote their integration into the European context and beyond.  And so, I encourage you to welcome refugees into your homes and communities, so that their first experience of Europe is not the traumatic experience of sleeping cold on the streets, but one of warm human welcome.  Remember that authentic hospitality is a profound gospel value that nurtures love and is our greatest security against hateful acts of terrorism.

I urge you to draw on the joys and successes that your Jesuit education has given you by supporting the education of refugees throughout the world.  It is a disturbing truth that less than fifty percent of child refugees have access to primary education.  Unfortunately, that number drops to twenty-two percent for adolescents enrolled in secondary schools and less than one percent who have access to a university education.  Together with the Jesuit Refugee Service, put your mercy in motion and help transform this educational reality.  In doing so, you will build a stronger Europe and a brighter future for refugees.

Sometimes we can feel that we are alone as we try to put mercy into action. Know, however, that you join your work with that of many ecclesial organizations which work for humanitarian causes and which dedicate themselves to the excluded and marginalized.  Yet more important, remember that the love of God accompanies you in this work. You are God’s eyes, mouth, hands and heart in this world. 

I thank you for stepping into the difficult issues involved in welcoming refugees.  Many doors have been opened for you through your Jesuit education while refugees find many doors closed to them. You have learned much from the refugees you have met.  As you leave Rome and return home, I urge you to help transform your communities into places of welcome where all God’s children have the opportunity not simply to survive, but to grow, flourish and bear fruit.

And as you persevere in this faithful work of providing welcome and education for refugees, think of the Holy Family — Mary, Joseph, and the Child Jesus — on their long journey to Egypt as refugees, fleeing violence and finding refuge among strangers.  Remember as well the words of Jesus: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35).  Take these words and gestures with you today.  May they bring you encouragement and consolation.  As for me, assuring you of my prayers, I ask you also, please, do not forget to pray for me.

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(Vatican Radio) Refugees and migrants are more than statistics, Pope Francis told members of the European Confederation and World Union of Jesuit Alumni and Alumnae; they are no different than our own family and friends.

The Jesuit group had been participating in a conference in Rome this week entitled “Global Migration and Refugee Crisis: Time to Contemplate and Act”.

Ann Schneible reports:

In the face of tens of thousands of persons forcibly displaced worldwide, the Pope stressed that it is important to move beyond the statistics, and realize that migrants and refugees “are no different than our own family members and friends.”

“Each of them has a name, a face, and a story,” the Holy Father said,” as well as an inalienable right to live in peace and to aspire to a better future for their sons and daughters.”

The Pope challenged those present to be guided by Jesuit founder, St Ignatius of Loyola, in addressing the challenges which refugees face.

“At this place and time in history, there is great need for men and women who hear the cry of the poor and respond with mercy and generosity.”

The Holy Father said responses to the refugee crisis should be “through acts of mercy that promote their integration into the European context and beyond.”

“Remember that authentic hospitality is a profound gospel value that nurtures love and is our greatest security against hateful acts of terrorism.”

Jesuits also have the important role of providing education for refugee children, many of whom grow up without access to schools, Pope Francis said.  

By helping to “transform this educational reality,” he said, the conference participants can “build a stronger Europe and a brighter future for refugees.”

Finally, the Holy Father urged those present to transform their communities “into places of welcome where all God’s children have the opportunity not simply to survive, but to grow, flourish and bear fruit.”

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged his representatives across the globe to keep a vigilant and lucid gaze on the Church and on the world.

The Pope was addressing Papal Nuncios in the Vatican Clementine Hall on Saturday morning as they concluded a 3-day meeting especially convened during the Holy Year of Mercy.

106 out of the 108 Papal representatives currently in service attended the event – only two were unable to travel to Rome. Among the 108 Papal representatives in service, 103 are Apostolic Nuncios with episcopal rank, and 5 are prelates who perform the mission of Permanent Observer at various international bodies.

During the long and multi-faceted speech to his men on the ground, Pope Francis said “you are the link between the Successor of Peter and the various local Churches” which are vital nourishment for the life of the Church and for the proclamation of God’s message.

And pointing out that without humility no service is possible or fruitful, the Pope said that the humility of a Nuncio passes through his love for the country and for the Church in which he is called to serve.

Pope Francis said that watching, analyzing and reporting back are all necessary tasks, but he said, they are not sufficient in the life of a Nuncio who must also “meet, listen, talk, share, propose and work together, showing sincere love, sympathy and empathy with the people and with the local Church”.

He exhorted them not “to point fingers at” or criticize those whose opinions differ from their own, this – he said - is a miserable tactic of today's political and cultural wars and must not be a method adopted by the Church. 

“Our gaze must be far-reaching and deep” – he said- and the formation of consciences is a primary duty that requires delicacy and perseverance.

And acknowledging that there are many threats in the world that attack the flock, confusing it, disrupting it, dispersing and even destroying it, Pope Francis told the Nuncios they must be aware of the faces of danger that threaten their flocks; and he pointed to the situation of so many Christians in the Middle East who are threatened with eradication thanks also to the complicit silence of many.

“To be ready and happy to spend (sometimes even lose) time with bishops, priests, religious, parishes, cultural and social institutions, is ultimately “the job of a Nuncio” he said.

The Pope also exhorted those present to make sure the Apostolic Nunciature truly is the “Pope’s home”: a place in which the entire ecclesial body can find support and advice, and in which public authorities may find a constant reference point - and not only for diplomatic functions. 

“Make sure, he said, that your Nunciature never becomes a refuge for ‘friends and friends of friends’. Flee from gossip and careerists” he said.

Pope Francis then encouraged the Nuncios not to be afraid of facing complex and difficult issues and situations, but warned them against endorsing political or ideological battles “because the Church's permanence is not based on the consent of parlors or squares, but on loyalty towards the Lord”.

And pointing out that the Church’s true power flows from God’s mercy, the Pope said “We have no right to deprive the world, the diplomatic forum and large areas of international discussion of this wealth that no one else can provide”.

This awareness – he said - encourages us to enter into dialogue with everyone, to be the prophetic voice of the marginalized: “May their cry become our cry and together we can break the barrier of indifference that often reigns to hide hypocrisy and selfishness”.

The Pope then told the Nuncios that “to accompany, you have to move”. He invited them to visit dioceses, religious institutes, parishes and seminaries to understand how God’s people live, what they think and which are the questions they ask.

He told them to be “a true expression of an outgoing Church, or a ‘field hospital’ which is capable of being part of the local Church, of the country or of the institution” to which they have been sent. 

“May your diplomatic service be the attentive and clear gaze of the Successor of Peter upon the Church and the world!” he said.

Acknowledging that the speed of our times demands constant and permanent updating and training, Pope Francis said the challenges we face today are great ones and he said papal diplomacy is called to be involved and to make “mercy palpable in this wounded and broken world”.

He said that while the Church must not underestimate current problematics, it is called to look ahead and not be obsessed with the need for immediate results

The Pope told the nuncios not to be afraid to speak with confidence to people and to public institutions certain of the fact that clarity and mercy never confuse or detract from the beauty and the power of truth. 

The world, Pope Francis said: “is afraid and is spreading fear.  Often this is the key it adopts in its reading of reality and chooses – as its strategy - to build a world founded on walls and moats”.

“We can understand the reasons of that fear, but we must not embrace it, ‘for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control’(2 Tim 1, 7)”.

Draw from this spirit – Pope Francis said - and go: “open doors, build bridges, create ties, make friendships, promote unity. Be men of prayer: never neglect this, especially silent adoration, the true source of your work”.

Fear – he concluded - lives permanently in the darkness of the past and is provisional: “The future is ours because it belongs to Christ!”

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Edmonton, Canada, Sep 17, 2016 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Divorced Catholics who have remarried civilly are welcome to seek reconciliation with the Church, but they need to be sure they're following the right path, some Catholic bishops of Canada have said in new guidelines.

“It may happen that, through media, friends, or family, couples have been led to understand that there has been a change in practice by the Church, such that now the reception of Holy Communion at Mass by persons who are divorced and civilly remarried is possible if they simply have a conversation with a priest,” said guidelines from the Catholic bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

“This view is erroneous,” they said.

Couples who express this view “should be welcomed to meet with a priest so that they hear proposed anew 'God's plan (pertaining to marriage) in all its grandeur' and thus be helped to understand the correct path to follow toward full reconciliation with the Church,” the bishops said.

The guidelines concern aspects of Pope Francis' recent apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia.” They were signed by six Canadian bishops, including Archbishops Richard W. Smith of Edmonton and Gerard Pettipas of Grouard-McLennan.

The guidelines are intended to direct “authentic and effective pastoral accompaniment” of men and women who have divorced and remarried without a formal annulment of their first union, the bishops explained.

“We pray that these brothers and sisters of ours will open their hearts to the Father's merciful love, revealed in Christ, and find healing and reconciliation within the Church,” they said.

“Our Catholic parish communities should welcome with generosity and love men and women who are divorced and remarried. Pastors in particular will take great care to ensure that these couples know they have not placed themselves beyond the embrace of the Church.”

Discovery of couples in such a situation “should not be met with awkward silence but with a warm communication of openness and readiness to accompany them in the journey of faith,” the bishops advised pastors.

The guidelines remind pastors that divorced and civilly remarried couples seeking to reconcile with the Church should always be directed to the Interdiocesan Marriage Tribunal for an investigation into their case. The bishops noted that Pope Francis recently reformed canon law to make these tribunals more efficient.

“At the same time, the pastor supports the couple by helping them examine their conscience,” the guidelines continued.

The bishops provided some questions to help pastors and couples discern the situation, such as whether a couple recognize the consequences of their divorces or adulterous behavior on their community with God and the Church. Couples and the pastor should ask whether the people in the couple’s lives have been dismissive of the Church or dismissive of the couple. They should consider whether a couple’s faith is formed more by Christ in the Gospels or by “principles, culture or theories.”

“Do they understand who it is that is waiting with the living waters of mercy?” reads another question for discernment.

The bishops' guidelines recounted Catholic teaching that reception of Holy Communion is a visible expression of a Christian’s participation in the “new covenant” established by Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, any serious rupture of this union, such as adultery, must be healed prior to the reception of Holy Communion,” the bishops added. They said all Catholics must confess all serious sins before receiving Holy Communion.

For the Canadian bishops, Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation “lifts up the beauty and dignity of marriage and family life.” The Pope “calls upon all members of the Church to embrace with mercy, love and inclusion any families that are encountering difficulty.”

The guidelines took effect Sept. 14.

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Vatican City, Sep 17, 2016 / 05:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a world marked by increasing war and conflict, Pope Francis said a generous and merciful response to those fleeing violence is needed in order to combat hatred and foster a greater sense of fraternity and solidarity.

“At this place and time in history, there is great need for men and women who hear the cry of the poor and respond with mercy and generosity,” the Pope told a group of Jesuit alumni Sept. 17.

He noted how there are “tragically more than 65 million” forcibly displaced persons around the globe, calling the number “unprecedented” and “beyond all imagination.”

“The displaced population of today’s world is now larger than the entire population of Italy,” he said, but cautioned that beyond the statistics, each refugee is no different from our own families, and has “an inalienable right to live in peace and to aspire to a better future for their sons and daughters.”

Pope Francis spoke to members of the European Confederation and World Union of Jesuit Alumni and Alumnae present in Rome for a Sept. 14-16 conference titled “Global Migration and Refugee Crisis: Time to Contemplate and Act.”

Throughout their conference, the group was accompanied by the Jesuit Refugee Service, which was founded in 1980 by Fr. Pedro Arrupe, superior general of the Jesuits while Pope Francis was a young priest.

In his speech, the Pope noted how more than 35 years ago Fr Arrupe intervened on behalf of Vietnamese boat people in the South China Sea who were suffering from pirate attacks and violence in their homeland.

“Sadly the world today still finds itself embroiled in countless conflicts,” he noted, adding that “the terrible war in Syria, as well as civil conflicts in South Sudan and elsewhere throughout the world, can seem irresolvable.”

Meanwhile, as war “rages” throughout the world and record numbers of refugees continue to die trying cross the Mediterranean or spend years “languishing” in camps, the Church, Francis told the group, “needs you to draw on the bravery and example of Father Pedro Arrupe.”

He urged them to go back to their Ignatian roots as they face the problems experienced by refugees, offering the Lord “all your liberty, your memory, your understanding and your entire will” in serving refugees and understanding the root causes of forced migration in each of their own countries.

“I urge you to draw on the joys and successes that your Jesuit education has given you by supporting the education of refugees throughout the world,” the Pope said, pointing to the “disturbing truth” that less than 50 percent of child refugees have access to primary education.

Further, Pope Francis noted that only 22 percent of adolescents are enrolled in secondary school, while less than 1 percent of refugees have access to a university education.

Francis urged the Jesuit alumni to “put your mercy in motion and help transform this educational reality” in order to build “a stronger Europe and a brighter future for refugees.”

Pointing to the Holy Year of Mercy, the Pope stressed that together with the Church, the group would be able to better respond to the “human tragedy” of refugees through concrete acts of mercy which promote their integration not only into Europe, but any culture they move to.  

“So, I encourage you to welcome refugees into your homes and communities, so that their first experience of Europe is not the traumatic experience of sleeping cold on the streets, but one of warm human welcome.”

Although it can at times seem like we’re alone when it comes to putting mercy into action, Francis assured the group that they have the support of the various ecclesial organizations and humanitarian causes dedicated to serving the marginalized and excluded.

“Yet more important, remember that the love of God accompanies you in this work. You are God’s eyes, mouth, hands and heart in this world.”

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