Vatican City, Jan 24, 2016 / 06:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis centered his Angelus address this Sunday on what it means to evangelize the poor, and how this is the mission of the Church.“Evangelize the poor: this is the mission of Jesus; this is also the mission of the Church, and of all the baptized in the Church,” the Pope said Jan. 24 to the crowds in Saint Peter's Square. “To be a Christian and to be a missionary is the same thing.”“What does it mean to evangelize the poor? It means to be close to them, to serve them, to free them from oppression, and all this in the name and with the Spirit of Christ, because he is the Gospel of God, he is the mercy of God, and he is the liberation of God.”“It is he who has made himself poor to enrich us with his poverty,” the pontiff said.Speaking from the Papal Palace to the crowds in Saint Peter's Square, Pope Francis centered his pre-Angelus reflection on the day's Gospel re...
Vatican City, Jan 24, 2016 / 06:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis centered his Angelus address this Sunday on what it means to evangelize the poor, and how this is the mission of the Church.
“Evangelize the poor: this is the mission of Jesus; this is also the mission of the Church, and of all the baptized in the Church,” the Pope said Jan. 24 to the crowds in Saint Peter's Square. “To be a Christian and to be a missionary is the same thing.”
“What does it mean to evangelize the poor? It means to be close to them, to serve them, to free them from oppression, and all this in the name and with the Spirit of Christ, because he is the Gospel of God, he is the mercy of God, and he is the liberation of God.”
“It is he who has made himself poor to enrich us with his poverty,” the pontiff said.
Speaking from the Papal Palace to the crowds in Saint Peter's Square, Pope Francis centered his pre-Angelus reflection on the day's Gospel reading which recounts Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth.
The pontiff noted how Luke's account first summarized Jesus' “work of evangelization” before his return to Nazareth.
The Pope noted how Jesus is unlike other teachers of the time. Rather than opening “a school for the study of the Law,” he instead “goes around preaching and teaching everywhere.”
He also noted how John the Baptist preached God's judgment, “whereas Jesus announced the forgiveness of the Father.”
Pope Francis then recounted the scene in which Jesus enters the synagogue and reads a passage from the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” After a moment of silence, Jesus declares: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
Drawing attention to the need to evangelize the poor, the Pope said the proclamation of the Gospel, by word and life, “is the main purpose of the Christian community and all of its members.”
“Jesus directs the Good News to everyone without exception, rather favoring those furthest away, the suffering the sick, the discarded by society.”
The pontiff went on to observe how in Jesus' time, the marginalized, prisoners, and oppressed were probably not “at the center of the community of faith.”
“And we ask ourselves: Today, in our parish communities, associations, movements, are we faithful to God's plan? The evangelization of the poor, bringing them the good news: is this the priority?”
Pope Francis warned that such service to the poor goes beyond social work, not to mention political activity.
Rather, it entails “offering the strength of the Gospel of God, which converts hearts, heals wounds, transforms human and social relationships according to the logic of love. The poor, in fact, are the center of the Gospel.”
Before leading the crowds in the recitation of the Angelus prayer, the Pope called on Mary, “Mother of evangelizers,” to “help us feel strongly the hunger and thirst of the Gospel in the world, especially in the hearts and flesh of the poor.”
He appealed to Mary to make “every Christian community concretely witness the mercy which Christ has given us.”
JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- A South African mayor has awarded college scholarships to 16 young women for remaining virgins to encourage others to be "pure and focus on school," her spokesman said Sunday....
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CAIRO (AP) -- King Tut hasn't been around for a few thousand years, but his power remains: after a botched repair job of the famed pharaoh's beard left scratches on his burial mask, Egyptian prosecutors have ordered eight museum workers to a disciplinary court for "gross negligence."...
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CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- More than five decades since a backcountry hut for hikers was last built in New Hampshire's White Mountains, a plan to put one less than 2 miles into the woods has stirred passions among some outdoor lovers who say the mountains are already overrun by wealthy out-of-staters who are trampling on a fragile part of the world and undermining the outdoor experience....
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- More than five decades since a backcountry hut for hikers was last built in New Hampshire's White Mountains, a plan to put one less than 2 miles into the woods has stirred passions among some outdoor lovers who say the mountains are already overrun by wealthy out-of-staters who are trampling on a fragile part of the world and undermining the outdoor experience....
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Only a week remains before the Iowa caucuses, the first contest in a tumultuous presidential campaign that has challenged long-held political assumptions....
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Four of America's wealthiest businessmen laid the foundation for Ted Cruz's now-surging Republican presidential campaign and have redefined the role of political donors....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Four of America's wealthiest businessmen laid the foundation for Ted Cruz's now-surging Republican presidential campaign and have redefined the role of political donors....
From West Virginia to southern Maine, millions of people are digging out following a massive storm that dumped up to 3 feet of snow in the Washington D.C. region, halted most travel in New York City and flooded some coastal areas in New Jersey....
From West Virginia to southern Maine, millions of people are digging out following a massive storm that dumped up to 3 feet of snow in the Washington D.C. region, halted most travel in New York City and flooded some coastal areas in New Jersey....
NEW YORK (AP) -- Millions of Americans began digging out Sunday from a mammoth blizzard that set a new single-day snowfall record in Washington and New York City. The hurricane-force winds and whiteout conditions gave way to blinding sunshine and temperatures slightly above freezing, promising a gentle thawing-out....
NEW YORK (AP) -- Millions of Americans began digging out Sunday from a mammoth blizzard that set a new single-day snowfall record in Washington and New York City. The hurricane-force winds and whiteout conditions gave way to blinding sunshine and temperatures slightly above freezing, promising a gentle thawing-out....
WASHINGTON-Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York called on everyone "concerned about the tragedy of abortion" to recommit to a "vision of life and love, a vision that excludes no one" on January 14. His statement marks the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Cardinal Dolan chairs the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops."Most Americans oppose a policy allowing legal abortion for virtually any reason - though many still do not realize that this is what the Supreme Court gave us," wrote Cardinal Dolan. "Most want to protect unborn children at later stages of pregnancy, to regulate or limit the practice of abortion, and to stop the use of taxpayer dollars for the destruction of unborn children. Yet many who support important goals of the pro-life movement do not identify as 'pro-life,' a fact which should lead us to examine how we present our pro-life vision to others.""Even as Americans rema...
WASHINGTON-Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York called on everyone "concerned about the tragedy of abortion" to recommit to a "vision of life and love, a vision that excludes no one" on January 14. His statement marks the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Cardinal Dolan chairs the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"Most Americans oppose a policy allowing legal abortion for virtually any reason - though many still do not realize that this is what the Supreme Court gave us," wrote Cardinal Dolan. "Most want to protect unborn children at later stages of pregnancy, to regulate or limit the practice of abortion, and to stop the use of taxpayer dollars for the destruction of unborn children. Yet many who support important goals of the pro-life movement do not identify as 'pro-life,' a fact which should lead us to examine how we present our pro-life vision to others."
"Even as Americans remain troubled by abortion," wrote Cardinal Dolan, a powerful and well-funded lobby holds "that abortion must be celebrated as a positive good for women and society, and those who cannot in conscience provide it are to be condemned for practicing substandard medicine and waging a 'war on women'." He said this trend was seen recently when President Obama and other Democratic leaders prevented passage of the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, "a modest measure to provide for effective enforcement" of conscience laws.
"While this is disturbing," said Cardinal Dolan, "it is also an opportunity." Pro-life Americans should reach out to "the great majority of Americans" who are "open to hearing a message of reverence for life." He added that "we who present the pro-life message must always strive to be better messengers. A cause that teaches the inexpressibly great value of each and every human being cannot show disdain or disrespect for any fellow human being." He encouraged Catholics to take part, through prayer and action, in the upcoming "9 Days for Life" campaign, January 16-24. More information on the campaign is available online: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxJwfcefUiU
He also cited the Year of Mercy called by Pope Francis as a time for women and men to find healing through the Church's Project Rachel post-abortion ministry.
The full text of Cardinal Dolan's message is available online. --- Keywords: Roe v. Wade, anniversary, Pro-Life, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, 9 Days for Life, USCCB, U.S. bishops, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Year of Mercy, Project Rachel, Pope Francis # # # MEDIA CONTACT Don Clemmer O: 202-541-3206
(Vatican Radio) The Philippines is making final preparations for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) which opens January 24th in the city of Cebu. Thousands of delegates from the Philippines and from over 70 countries around the world are expected to attend the event.The theme for the Congress is "Christ in you, our hope of glory," which is taken from the letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians.During the gathering there will be a Theological Symposium and there will also be speakers over the course of the week including, Cardinal Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, and Cardinal Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York.The Congress will open on Sunday with a Eucharistic celebration held at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City.The choice of the Asian nation was announced by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI during a video message at the conclusion of the previous Eucharistic Congress held in Dublin in June 2012.The organizer of that event was the Bishop o...
(Vatican Radio) The Philippines is making final preparations for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) which opens January 24th in the city of Cebu. Thousands of delegates from the Philippines and from over 70 countries around the world are expected to attend the event.
The theme for the Congress is "Christ in you, our hope of glory," which is taken from the letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians.
During the gathering there will be a Theological Symposium and there will also be speakers over the course of the week including, Cardinal Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, and Cardinal Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York.
The Congress will open on Sunday with a Eucharistic celebration held at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City.
The choice of the Asian nation was announced by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI during a video message at the conclusion of the previous Eucharistic Congress held in Dublin in June 2012.
The organizer of that event was the Bishop of Elphin in the northwest of Ireland, Kevin Doran. He is also leading a pilgrimage group to Cebu.
The Bishop shared his memories of the 50th Congress in Dublin and spoke of his hopes for this year’s event.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin.
“The theme of the congress in Cebu, “Christ in you are hope of glory” is a way of reminding us that each one of us because of Christ in us carries hope, not just for ourselves but for others…”, he said.
So what advice did he have for the organizers of the Philippines event? “Trust in God that the congress is going to be good, they’ve done the work and that they should now enjoy, obviously, they still have to keep their eye on the ball, but they should enjoy celebrating the presence of so many people both Filipinos and people of other nationalities, with them in the city of Cebu and make it a celebration of thanksgiving for them, for God’s blessings over the last hundreds of years in the Philippines.”
The 51st International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu runs from January 24th to 31st.
