(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent special greetings to Lithuanian Catholics on Sunday as he recalled the Beatification, in Vilnius, of the nation’s first Soviet-era martyr.“Today in Vilnius, Bishop Teofilius Matulionis, who was murdered because of hatred towards the faith in 1962 when he was almost 90-years-old, will be Beatified” the Pope said to the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus.“Let us give thanks to the Lord for the witness of this courageous defender of the faith and of human dignity. Let us pay our respects to him and to the entire Lithuanian people with applause” he said.Bishop Matulionis was a priest and bishop who continually defied communist rule and spent much of his ministry in prison. He was declared a martyr by Pope Francis on December 16, clearing the way for his beatification.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent special greetings to Lithuanian Catholics on Sunday as he recalled the Beatification, in Vilnius, of the nation’s first Soviet-era martyr.
“Today in Vilnius, Bishop Teofilius Matulionis, who was murdered because of hatred towards the faith in 1962 when he was almost 90-years-old, will be Beatified” the Pope said to the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus.
“Let us give thanks to the Lord for the witness of this courageous defender of the faith and of human dignity. Let us pay our respects to him and to the entire Lithuanian people with applause” he said.
Bishop Matulionis was a priest and bishop who continually defied communist rule and spent much of his ministry in prison. He was declared a martyr by Pope Francis on December 16, clearing the way for his beatification.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday urged Christians not to be afraid to proclaim the Gospel message, to expect failure and even persecutions, but to always live in the knowledge that the Lord is on their side.Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: Speaking to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer, the Pope reflected on the liturgical reading of the day in which Jesus said to his disciples “Fear no one” but instructed them and prepared them to face the trials and persecutions the would suffer.“Jesus’ mission, he said, did not guarantee the disciples success, nor did it shield them from failure or suffering.”Likewise, the Pope said, Christians must consider the possibility of rejection and persecution: “this is a bit scary, but it is the truth.”In fact, he explained, the disciple is called to conform his life to Christ, who was persecuted, rejected and abandoned to die on the cross.“There is no Ch...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday urged Christians not to be afraid to proclaim the Gospel message, to expect failure and even persecutions, but to always live in the knowledge that the Lord is on their side.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni:
Speaking to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer, the Pope reflected on the liturgical reading of the day in which Jesus said to his disciples “Fear no one” but instructed them and prepared them to face the trials and persecutions the would suffer.
“Jesus’ mission, he said, did not guarantee the disciples success, nor did it shield them from failure or suffering.”
Likewise, the Pope said, Christians must consider the possibility of rejection and persecution: “this is a bit scary, but it is the truth.”
In fact, he explained, the disciple is called to conform his life to Christ, who was persecuted, rejected and abandoned to die on the cross.
“There is no Christian mission in the name of tranquility, the Pope said, difficulties and tribulations are part and package of evangelization” he said.
The Pope also explained that challenges are occasions in which “to verify the authenticity of our faith and of our relationship with Jesus” always within the knowledge that “God does not abandon his children during the storm”.
"In the difficulties of Christian witness in the world, we are never forgotten, but always assisted by the Father's thoughtful solicitude" he said.
Pope Francis also pointed out that even in our day persecution against Christians still exists.
“Let us pray for our brothers and sisters who are persecuted and praise the Lord because, in spite of this, they continue to witness their faith with courage and fidelity” he said.
Another test of faith - Francis continued - may even be the absence of hostility and tribulation.
"In addition to being ‘sheep in the midst of wolves’, the Lord also sends us forth as sentinels in the midst of people who do not want to be awakened from a worldly numbness, who ignore the truth of the Gospel message and build their own ephemeral truth" he said.
Hence, Pope Francis concluded, always heed Jesus’ encouragement not to fear those who mock and abuse, or those who ignore or appear to honor the Gospel but in reality go against it.
"Jesus does not leave us alone because we are precious to Him" he said.
After the recitation of the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis prayed for the victims of a landslide in southwestern China, he greeted the Lithuanian people who on Sunday celebrate the Blessed Theofilius Matulonius – the first Soviet-era Blessed of the nation, and he remembered the faithful of the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church who mark the 150th anniversary of the canonization of St. Josaphat.
LONDON (AP) -- Britain's government said local officials across the country Sunday should urgently submit samples of exterior panels from apartment towers after authorities found that all samples tested so far have failed fire safety standards....
LONDON (AP) -- Britain's government said local officials across the country Sunday should urgently submit samples of exterior panels from apartment towers after authorities found that all samples tested so far have failed fire safety standards....
QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (AP) -- A teenager fell about 25 feet (about 8 meters) from a stopped gondola ride at an upstate New York amusement park Saturday night, tumbling into a crowd of park guests and employees gathered below to catch her before she hit the ground....
QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (AP) -- A teenager fell about 25 feet (about 8 meters) from a stopped gondola ride at an upstate New York amusement park Saturday night, tumbling into a crowd of park guests and employees gathered below to catch her before she hit the ground....
ISTANBUL (AP) -- Activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights said they will march for LGBT pride in Istanbul on Sunday, despite a ban by the governor....
ISTANBUL (AP) -- Activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights said they will march for LGBT pride in Istanbul on Sunday, despite a ban by the governor....
DETROIT (AP) -- Drowning in a sea of lawsuits and recall costs, Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp. is expected to seek bankruptcy protection in Tokyo and the United States early Monday....
DETROIT (AP) -- Drowning in a sea of lawsuits and recall costs, Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp. is expected to seek bankruptcy protection in Tokyo and the United States early Monday....
MAO COUNTY, China (AP) -- Rescuers recovered 10 bodies and were still searching for 93 missing people on Sunday, a day after a massive landslide buried a picturesque mountain village in southwestern China....
MAO COUNTY, China (AP) -- Rescuers recovered 10 bodies and were still searching for 93 missing people on Sunday, a day after a massive landslide buried a picturesque mountain village in southwestern China....
BAHAWALPUR, Pakistan (AP) -- Alerted by an announcement over a mosque's loudspeaker that an overturned tanker truck had sprung a leak, scores of villagers raced to the scene with fuel containers Sunday to gather the oil. Then the wreck exploded, engulfing people in flames as they screamed in terror....
BAHAWALPUR, Pakistan (AP) -- Alerted by an announcement over a mosque's loudspeaker that an overturned tanker truck had sprung a leak, scores of villagers raced to the scene with fuel containers Sunday to gather the oil. Then the wreck exploded, engulfing people in flames as they screamed in terror....
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has expressed his closeness and grief for the victims of a landslide that engulfed a village in Sichuan province in south-western China.Speaking on Sunday after the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peters’ Square, the Pope said “I am close to the population of the Chinese village of Xinmo that was struck yesterday morning by a landslide caused by heavy rains”.“I pray for the dead and for the injured, he said, and for those who have lost their homes. May God comfort affected families and sustain rescuers.”Meanwhile almost 100 people remain missing after the huge landslide buried homes in Xinmo and hopes of finding survivors are fading.The bodies of fifteen people have so far been recovered, but many more are feared trapped beneath the rubble.Thousands of rescuers were deployed after some 40 homes were destroyed in Xinmo village in Maoxian county.Emergency workers have been digging through earth and rocks for a second day, w...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has expressed his closeness and grief for the victims of a landslide that engulfed a village in Sichuan province in south-western China.
Speaking on Sunday after the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peters’ Square, the Pope said “I am close to the population of the Chinese village of Xinmo that was struck yesterday morning by a landslide caused by heavy rains”.
“I pray for the dead and for the injured, he said, and for those who have lost their homes. May God comfort affected families and sustain rescuers.”
Meanwhile almost 100 people remain missing after the huge landslide buried homes in Xinmo and hopes of finding survivors are fading.
The bodies of fifteen people have so far been recovered, but many more are feared trapped beneath the rubble.
Thousands of rescuers were deployed after some 40 homes were destroyed in Xinmo village in Maoxian county.
Emergency workers have been digging through earth and rocks for a second day, with rescue dogs scouring the debris for some 93 people who remain unaccounted for.
