Catholic News 2
BEIRUT (AP) -- Syrian government warplanes and helicopter gunships launched new airstrikes Saturday on insurgent-held neighborhoods in the northern city of Aleppo. The fresh violence comes as the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that the intensification of fighting brings millions of people closer to a humanitarian disaster....
(Vatican Radio) Nearly 9,000 Rotary members attended the Jubilee Audience in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday at the invitation of Pope Francis. A delegation greeted the Pope at the end of the Audience.Rotary, which brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian issues, kicked off the Rotarian Jubilee on Friday afternoon, with a conference on the challenges refugees are facing worldwide.The conference organized by the Jesuit Refugee Service - in partnership with Rotary, UNHCR and WFP - and entitled “Helping Refugees to Start Over”, focused on the work that can be done to give millions of refugees dignity and quality education – the best possible tool for them to be able to shape their lives, not lose hope, dream of a future. Linda Bordoni spoke to Ravi Ravindran, President of Rotary International about the Jubilee Audience with the Pope and about Rotary’s commitment to ...
(Vatican Radio) Nearly 9,000 Rotary members attended the Jubilee Audience in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday at the invitation of Pope Francis. A delegation greeted the Pope at the end of the Audience.
Rotary, which brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian issues, kicked off the Rotarian Jubilee on Friday afternoon, with a conference on the challenges refugees are facing worldwide.
The conference organized by the Jesuit Refugee Service - in partnership with Rotary, UNHCR and WFP - and entitled “Helping Refugees to Start Over”, focused on the work that can be done to give millions of refugees dignity and quality education – the best possible tool for them to be able to shape their lives, not lose hope, dream of a future.
Linda Bordoni spoke to Ravi Ravindran, President of Rotary International about the Jubilee Audience with the Pope and about Rotary’s commitment to improving the lives of refugees.
Listen to the full interview:
Mr. Ravindran called Pope Francis a model for Rotarians, saying "he is doing exactly what every Rotarian should be doing. So we see a great synergy of thought with this Pope, and being here, receiving his blessing, I think is something quite wonderful for us."
"We are all very excited; we are passionate about this. We have Rotarians who have come from 80 countries to be present, so you can imagine the excitement."
Mr. Ravindran compared the conference on giving refugees a new start to lighting a candle in the darkness. "I realize that trying to take on this whole problem is beyond us. I have to be honest and say that Rotary cannot solve this problem, but rather than cursing the darkness, we can light a candle. I definitely know of many, many Rotary Clubs who in their own small way are doing what they can to give refuge, to educate, to take care, to nurse refugees. So if many of us do what we are doing, then to a large extent the problem gets alleviated."
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday held an extraordinary Jubilee Audience in St. Peter’s Square for thousands of eager pilgrims. The Audience also celebrated the Jubilee for members of the police and armed forces.The Holy Father focused in his catechesis on a very important point of mercy: reconciliation, taking the apostle St. Paul’s words in the second letter to the Corinthians 5:20-21 as his guide: “So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.”Listen to Devin Watkins' report: Pope Francis said St. Paul’s words ‘be reconciled to God’ are an invitation for all Christians, especially in this Jubilee Year of Mercy. He said God constantly offers us his forgiveness, and our sins can never keep us from God’s mercy.“Often ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday held an extraordinary Jubilee Audience in St. Peter’s Square for thousands of eager pilgrims. The Audience also celebrated the Jubilee for members of the police and armed forces.
The Holy Father focused in his catechesis on a very important point of mercy: reconciliation, taking the apostle St. Paul’s words in the second letter to the Corinthians 5:20-21 as his guide: “So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.”
Listen to Devin Watkins' report:
Pope Francis said St. Paul’s words ‘be reconciled to God’ are an invitation for all Christians, especially in this Jubilee Year of Mercy. He said God constantly offers us his forgiveness, and our sins can never keep us from God’s mercy.
“Often we believe our sins push God away from us: in reality, by sinning we push ourselves away from Him, but He, seeing us in danger, keeps searching for us. God never accepts the possibility that someone could remain estranged from His love, as long as He finds in that person some sign of contrition for the evil committed.”
The Holy Father went on to say that, in our sinfulness, we can only return to God by freely accepting his grace. For this, he has given us his Son Jesus, whose cross is a bridge leading us back to the Father.
“The sinner sees only himself and thus pretends to be self-sufficient; for this reason, sin distances us ever more from God, and this can become a barrier. However, Jesus comes to look for us like a good shepherd who is not content until he has not found the lost sheep (cf. Luke 15:4-6). He rebuilds the bridge which connects us to the Father and allows us to rediscover our dignity as sons and daughters. With the offer of his life, he has reconciled us to the Father and given us the gift of eternal life (cf. John 10:15). ‘Be reconciled to God!”
Reconciliation brings peace and contributes to society
He said this Holy Year of Mercy is a time for each of us to accept this offer of reconciliation and, in our communities, to bring it to the world around us. Being reconciled with God not only brings inner healing and peace, but also impels us to work for reconciliation within society at every level, and thus contribute to the building of a global culture of peace, justice and solidarity.
“Let us accept, therefore, the invitation to be reconciled to God to become new creatures and to be able to radiate His mercy among our brothers and sisters.”
After the audience Pope Francis offered a special welcome to the members of the armed forces and police from throughout the world, especially those present at the audience from Canada, Kenya, Korea, the Philippines, and the United States of America.
Pope Francis on Saturday has appointed His Excellency, Monsignor Francis Assisi Chullikatt, Titular Archbishop of Ostra , the new Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Mons. Francis Chullikatt was born in Bolghatty, Kochi, India, on 20th March 1953. He was ordained a priest for Verapoly diocese on June 3, 1978. Was appointed Titular Archbishop of Ostra and the Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan and Iraq on 29 April 2006. On July 17, 2010 he was appointed the Permanent Observer to United Nation, the office he held till July 1, 2014.A priest for 37 years and a bishop for 9 years Archbishop Chullikatt a native of Kerala, India, as an archbishop chose his motto as Fidei in Virtute", "By the power of faith".
Pope Francis on Saturday has appointed His Excellency, Monsignor Francis Assisi Chullikatt, Titular Archbishop of Ostra , the new Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
Mons. Francis Chullikatt was born in Bolghatty, Kochi, India, on 20th March 1953. He was ordained a priest for Verapoly diocese on June 3, 1978. Was appointed Titular Archbishop of Ostra and the Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan and Iraq on 29 April 2006. On July 17, 2010 he was appointed the Permanent Observer to United Nation, the office he held till July 1, 2014.
A priest for 37 years and a bishop for 9 years Archbishop Chullikatt a native of Kerala, India, as an archbishop chose his motto as Fidei in Virtute", "By the power of faith".
Vatican City, Apr 30, 2016 / 04:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Reconciliation is an essential aspect of God’s mercy, Pope Francis said Saturday, explaining that when we distance ourselves from the Lord through sin, it takes much more than our own effort to get back to him.Referencing St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, Pope Francis urged all members of the Church April 30 to “let yourselves be reconciled with God.”“The cry of the apostle Paul addressed to the first Christians of Corinth is valid for us today, with the same strength and conviction,” he said, explaining that the ongoing Jubilee of Mercy is a time of reconciliation for everyone."God never considers the possibility that a person remains estranged from his love, provided, however, that he finds in them some sign of repentance for the harm done," he said, adding that "we can't reconcile with God with our own efforts."Many people would like to reconcile with God...
Vatican City, Apr 30, 2016 / 04:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Reconciliation is an essential aspect of God’s mercy, Pope Francis said Saturday, explaining that when we distance ourselves from the Lord through sin, it takes much more than our own effort to get back to him.
Referencing St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, Pope Francis urged all members of the Church April 30 to “let yourselves be reconciled with God.”
“The cry of the apostle Paul addressed to the first Christians of Corinth is valid for us today, with the same strength and conviction,” he said, explaining that the ongoing Jubilee of Mercy is a time of reconciliation for everyone.
"God never considers the possibility that a person remains estranged from his love, provided, however, that he finds in them some sign of repentance for the harm done," he said, adding that "we can't reconcile with God with our own efforts."
Many people would like to reconcile with God, but either don’t know how, don’t feel worthy or “don’t want to admit it even to themselves,” he said, but affirmed that the Christian community “can and must support the sincere return to God of those who feel his nostalgia.”
Pope Francis spoke to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square during his Jubilee general audience, which he decided to hold once a month on a Saturday for the duration of the Jubilee.
The audience also marked a special day jubilee for military, police and firefighters, who were present in the square alongside their families.
Today #PopeFrancis celebrated special #jubilee for members of the military, armed forces & firefighters #Vatican pic.twitter.com/dnu0CJwAQj
— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) April 30, 2016
At Francis’ invitation, roughly 8,000 members of the international humanitarian organization Rotary were also present. A delegation of members, including Rotary President K.R. Ravindran and General secretary John Hewko, greeted the Pope after the audience had finished.
The Pope continued is catechesis on mercy as understood in scripture, focusing his speech on the topic of reconciliation, which he said is “an important aspect of mercy.”
“Often times we believe that our sins distance the Lord from us: in reality, in sinning, we distance ourselves from him,” Francis said, explaining that it is out of God’s mercy that he comes in search of us when he sees that we are in danger.
He stressed that reconciling with God is impossible with our efforts alone, since sin “is truly an expression of rejecting his love, with the consequence of closing in on ourselves, deceiving ourselves in the search of greater freedom and autonomy.”
“In being far from God we no longer have a goal, and from pilgrims in this world we become wanderers,” he said, explaining that to sin is like turning one’s back on God.
“The sinner sees only themselves and pretends in this way to be self-sufficient. Because of this, sin always widens the distance between us and God, and this can become an abyss,” Francis said.
However, as the Good Shepherd, Jesus always comes in search of his lost sheep. He rebuilds the bridge that reunites us to the Father and allows us rediscover the dignity of being his children, the Pope added.
Pope Francis then spoke about the importance of confession and the need to reconcile with God through the sacrament, stressing that “a confessor must be a father” and help penitents to walk along the path of reconciliation.
He also prayed that no one would remain distant from God due to obstacles put in their way by others, and asked that “please, don’t put obstacles in the way of people who want to reconcile with God.”
To experience reconciliation with God also allows a person to rediscover the need for reconciliation in other relationships, such as within our families, in interpersonal relationships, in ecclesial communities, and in social and international relationships, he said.
“Reconciliation in fact is also a service for peace, for the recognition of the fundamental rights of people, of solidarity and of welcome for all.”
Pope Francis closed his address by urging attendees to accept St. Paul’s invitation “to be reconciled with God, to become new creations and to be able to radiate his mercy in the midst of our brothers, in the midst of the people.”
After the audience, he offered special comments to members of the military, the police force and firefighters present, saying they are “instruments of reconciliation and builders of peace.”
He told that that in their roles, “you are responsible for preventing, managing and ending conflicts, but also to contributing to the building of an order founded on freedom, justice, love and liberty.”
As a two-month-old cease-fire collapses and peace talks stall, the northern city of Aleppo is once again a main battlefield in Syria's devastating civil war. More than 200 people have been killed in the last nine days in airstrikes and shelling on contested neighborhoods of the city....
BAGHDAD (AP) -- The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a bombing Saturday east of Baghdad, according to a statement posted on an IS-affiliated website. The attack killed at least 21 people and wounded at least 42 others, according to Iraqi police and hospital officials. The IS statement described the attack as a three-ton truck bombing....
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's moderate-reformist bloc secured more than 30 additional seats in parliamentary runoff elections, according to a Saturday report on state TV....
BEIJING (AP) -- China laid out firm conditions Saturday for improved ties with Japan, telling Tokyo's visiting foreign minister that there could be "no ambiguity or vacillation" in meeting Beijing's demands over historical interpretation, relations with Taiwan and other key matters....
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Police in Nairobi say that seven people have been confirmed dead in the collapse of a residential building in a low-income area of the capital....
