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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday greeted members of the Pontifical Romanian College or Collegio Pio Romeno on the occasion of its 80th anniversary. 

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This Roman Pontifical College has been training seminarians from all over the world for eight decades in the Eternal City and on Friday the Pope on this auspicious occasion had two wishes for those present.

The first was to preserve memory and the second, to cultivate hope.

Speaking about the former, the Holy Father said that by tuning into ones ecclesial memory which he added, lives through the events that each era presents us with, “you will be helped to overcome dangerous temptations that may arise, such as settling for mediocrity, settling for a normal life; where one jealously guards their own time and their own well-being.

The Pope described their College as a place where seminarians train as if they were “in a gym” in order to give their lives for the good of others.

On the theme of cultivating hope, Pope Francis said that there was, “so much need to nourish Christian hope, that hope that gives a new outlook, capable of discovering and seeing good, even when it is obscured by evil”.

Concluding his address the Pope had a special greeting for those present from the Pontifical College of St. Ephrem, which provides lodgings for those student priests of the Arabic language from all of the Oriental Catholic Churches and who are welcomed by the Pontifical Romanian College (Pio Romeno).

The Pope said that, “by meeting you I think of the situation in which there are so many faithful in your lands, many families who are forced to leave their homes in the face of waves of violence and suffering. I want to embrace these brothers and sisters in a special way, together with their Patriarchs and Bishops.”

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the President of the Swiss Confederation, Doris Leuthard, on Saturday morning in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican.

A communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See says the Pope and the President held cordial discussions, during which the parties emphasized the mutual wish to strengthen the already good relations between the Holy See and Switzerland, and to intensify cooperation between the Catholic Church and the State.

The statement from the Press Office goes on to say Pope Francis and President Leuthard discussed various themes of common interest, including the reception of migrants, the challenge of the world of work for the young, the fight against terrorism and commitment to the protection of the environment, as well as the future of Europe.

The visit of the President of the Swiss Confederation coincided with the swearing-in of new soldiers of the Pontifical Swiss Guard.

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The Association of Catholic Journalists (ACJ) a grouping of professional Catholic Journalists in Malawi last weekend held their first ever Annual General Meeting in the Lakeshore district of Salima where a new national executive committee was elected to stir the operations of the organisation in the next three years.

During the elections, Augustine Mulomole became the new President for the association replacing Deogratias Mmana.

 Others that were elected included Esther Nyanja (Vice President), Grace Kapatuka (Secretary General), Martin Mlelemba (Vice Secretary General), Thomas Psyata (Treasurer General), Bathrenew Boaz (Publicity Secretary) and committee members; Jaqueline Zulu, Anord Namanja, Tereza Ndanga and Moses Kamanga.

In his acceptance speech as the new President, Mulomole said he along with his committee strive to work for the good of the association and at the same time make it vibrant.

“We are committed to work for our mother Church through our various skills. We will work with the Episcopal Conference of Malawi and of course seek guidance wherever necessary,” said Mulomole.

Taking his turn, out-going President, Mmana said he was delighted to hand over the mantle of Presidency for the new executive committee describing it as a team full of experience journalists which take the association to the greater heights.

Meanwhile, the association’s executive committee has lined up a number of activities for carry out from now.

In a communique released by the associations General Secretary, Kapatuka, the executive committee plans to meet the national Communications Team in a week beginning 8th May 2017 to brief them on ACJ Action Plan.

“The executive committee will develop a communications strategy for implementation of the action plan. A budget for the action plan to be developed. All the regional chapters have until end May to hold elections,” reads part of the communique posted on Malawi Catholic Journalists WhatsApp forum.

The communique further states that registration of members will start immediately after the elections with payment of K5,000 as membership fees hence all the membership fees to be deposited into the ACJ national account

“Regional Chapters are to be paying subscription fees to the national committee of K5,000 per quarter or K20,000 per year. All regional chapters should be working very closely with Diocesan Communications Secretaries,” said Kapatuka.

National Social Communications and Research Commission’s Secretary, Fr. Godino Phokoso has pledged his support toward the new executive and the association as a whole.

Among the objectives of the association include; collecting information for the Catholic church as required by the Episcopal Conference of Malawi and also monitor developments and problems facing the church in evangelization; strengthening ties among Catholic journalists and disseminate information through constant debate and dialogue.

BY PRINCE HENDERSON, Episcopal Conference of Malawi Communications Officer

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Fatima, Portugal, May 6, 2017 / 06:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Over the past 10 years the Fatima shrine has seen an uptick in the number of pilgrims who visit from all over the world, particularly from Asia.

The increase is credited to the relevance of Our Lady’s message as the centenary of her apparitions approaches.

“The last few years the number of pilgrims has increased,” Dr. Pedro Valinho Gomes, director of pilgrim services at the Fatima shrine, told CNA in an interview.

While there has been an additional spike in the past 3-4 years as preparations have been underway for the celebration of the centenary of the Fatima apparitions, the number of visitors to the shrine was already steadily increasing for some time, he said.

Valinho said they have hosted “some 5-6 million pilgrims” a year – an estimate that comes from the number of people who participate in the different activities the shrine offers, although there are many who pass through without registering or attending any formal celebrations.

Although the reasons for the increase are many, he said it can be seen as a response to not only the centenary anniversary, but also the relevance of Our Lady’s message in light of the various crises the world is facing.

While the majority of pilgrims come from Portugal and neighboring Spain, Valinho said a large number come from Europe, particularly Poland and Italy.  

“We believe there is a strong connection with Poland to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima through the presence of John Paul II,” he said, while adding that a large number also come from the Americas, especially the United States and Brazil.

However, he noted the number of groups and pilgrims from Asia has been climbing noticeably amid the general increase in pilgrimages, “which is something rather new that has started in the past 10 years.”

“They have really increased the number to the point of being in our top ten groups,” he said, explaining that the number of pilgrims from South Korea is among the highest, with at least one group coming on almost a weekly basis.

One group of South Korean pilgrims, after visiting the Fatima shrine, decided to build their own shine to Our Lady of Fatima along the border with North Korea in a bid to end the division between the two countries.

The gesture is particularly meaningful given the warning Our Lady gave in one of her “secrets” about the loss of faith and the resulting rise of Soviet Communism, as well as the fact that the Fatima shrine is home to a piece of the Berlin Wall.

But in addition to South Korea, pilgrims from the Philippines and India have also increased, and there are even groups coming from China, Valinho said, noting that these are “different destinations that were not so usual 10 years ago, (but) have started to be a significant presence in Fatima.”

“We have the whole world present here.”

Pope Francis has himself paid special attention to Asia, particularly in regard to the rapid growth of Christianity on the continent.

Although his wish be a missionary in Japan as a young Jesuit was never fulfilled, Francis visited Asia twice in less than two years after his election, traveling to South Korea in August 2014, and to Sri Lanka and the Philippines in January 2015.

In terms of numbers for the Pope’s May 12-13 visit to Fatima, Valinho said they haven’t made any official predictions, though other sources at the shrine have said they expect some 800,000 pilgrims for the Pope’s Mass and vigil the night before.

Many groups have already signed up, he said, adding that “we have felt from the first months of 2017 an exponential increment of groups registered in the Shrine in January, February and continuing, so we do expect that May will be a wonderful day with many pilgrims in Fatima.”

While in Fatima, Pope Francis will preside over the official celebrations for the centenary of the Fatima apparitions, and will canonize visionaries Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

Francisco, 11, and Jacinta, 10, became the youngest non-martyr children in the history of the Church to be beatified, on May 13, 2000, the 83rd anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima.

The brother and sister, who tended to their family’s sheep with their cousin Lucia Santo, witnessed the apparitions of Mary now commonly known as Our Lady of Fatima.

During the first apparition, which took place May 13, 1917, Our Lady asked the three children to pray the Rosary and make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. The children did this and were known to pray often and care for others, giving their lunch to beggars and going without food themselves.

In addition to the regular opportunities available to pilgrims to go to Mass, to pray the rosary and the Liturgy of Hours, and to go to Confession, a special service will be offered to pilgrims who arrive on foot.

The ministry, called the “service of the washing of the feet,” is carried out entirely by volunteers throughout the year.

When the tired and often haggard pilgrims arrive after having walked long distances, they will be welcomed by volunteers who will wash their feet and give them whatever treatment they might need after their journey.

There are many volunteers that have already signed up to “offer some time of their lives to do this service to the pilgrims, the washing of the feet, in the likeness of Jesus who had this gesture in the middle of the Last Supper,” Valinho said.

“So it’s a gesture that actually says a lot about the life of the Shrine and what the Shrine is all about: in the sequence of the message of Fatima, proposing a life that is a life of service to others, a life of selflessness and dedication to the needs of others.”

Each year roughly 3-4,000 pilgrims have their feet washed, he said, explaining that there are typically some 40-50 volunteers who dedicate themselves entirely to this ministry. Combined with those who work in other areas, some 4-5,000 volunteers serve at the shrine in the annually.

In addition to the Pope’s visit and activities surrounding the May 12-13 centenary celebrations, there are several other events scheduled to take place throughout the year, Valinho said.

These activities will include “cultural events, musical theater or dancing; different arts that will express something of the message of Fatima,” he said, noting that “this has already been done and it will still be done.”

As a wrap-up of the centenary celebrations, a large concert with James MacMillan will take place at the shrine in October to mark the final apparition of Our Lady to the shepherd children.

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Vatican City, May 6, 2017 / 09:05 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a lengthy, off-the-cuff Q&A session with students, Pope Francis said a “culture of destruction” has spread throughout the world, but there is still good in the world, although it often go unnoticed.

There are many good things and good people in the world, “but the world is at war,” the Pope said May 6. “The world is at war…this bomb falls here, on a hospital, on a school; there are sick people, children, but it doesn’t matter. They bomb.”

Francis then said he is “ashamed of the name of a bomb: ‘the mother of all bombs’.”

The name refers to a massive bomb dropped by the U.S. on ISIS targets in Afghanistan April 13. Nicknamed “the mother of all bombs,” it is one of the United States’ largest non-nuclear bombs, and prior to April had never been used as a weapon.

“A mother gives life, and this destroys!” Pope Francis said, explaining that when the word “mother” is used in this context, he asks himself “what can be happening? The answer is it’s true, we are at war.”

Pope Francis spoke during a May 6 audience with students of the National Coordination of Local Governments for peace and human rights.

In the course of the meeting, the Pope took questions from five people, three men and two women, who asked about modern world crisis and the response – or lack thereof – to these important topics. 

The first question was posed by a young woman named Maria, who asked “what is happening?” in the world given the many modern crisis, and “why is it so hard to learn how to love?”

In his response, Francis explained that when God created the world, he made it “to grow, to go forward,” but at a certain point, “a culture of destruction began.”

“This culture of destruction started from the beginning, from the jealously of Cain for his brother Abel...he destroyed him, he killed him,” the Pope said, adding that even today “there is a lot of cruelty.”

History has seen various periods of violence and destruction, he said, but today “we are living a new massacre” of men, women and children who suffer and die due to war and migration, or who are exploited for personal interests. 

While in the past we only saw glimpses of this destruction in photos or newspapers, today we see it live on TV, he said, but noted that somehow, it’s only the negative things that make the news. 

“We see these things on TV, because the good things that there are aren’t ‘news’,” he said, explaining that often media outlets go for stories that “have a bit of flavor,” but “always on this destruction, because it sells.” 

On the contrary, “God created us to build, to give life, to go forward, to make community, to live in peace,” he said, telling the students that while he doesn’t want to “tranquilize” them to the problems of the world, “good things are happening” too. 

“There are many people who give their lives for others, who spend time with others, who seek to do good for others. You don’t see this,” he said, and recalled meeting an 84-year-old nun during his visit to the Central African Republic in 2016 who had been serving as a missionary there since she was 24. 

“No one knows this, you don’t see it on TV. But there are people who give their lives for others, to help against this massacre of destruction,” he said. 

But at the same time that we recognize the good, we must also “denounce these terrible things, so that the world goes forward on the path of making visible the people who right now are hidden.”

The second question was posed by a young man named Michele, who asked why authorities in countries at war seem eager to do something, but in reality do nothing, and what can be done to intervene. 

Pope Francis responded to Michele’s query saying the question is a “strong” one, and that the answer lay in the fact that God created man and woman to be the center of creation, but instead, “the god of money” has become the focal point. 

Then, “you can’t do anything because there are affairs,” beginning with the trafficking of arms, he said, returning to a point he has often spoken out against. 

“If we want peace, why do we make arms, but many more than are necessary to defend ourselves?” he asked, noting that there are countries who sell weapons to both opposing sides in a war to keep their profits up.

He also pointed to the drug trade, “which destroys the minds of youth,” and the various ways in which people are exploited, primarily through work. There are children who work from age 7 with no education, and people who are are paid very little for a day’s labor, he said. 

Francis told the students that while it’s easy to be dismissive or think these things only happen in other, faraway countries, this isn’t true, because it happens “here, here in Europe, here in Italy!”

He pointed to the frequent cases in which people are paid “in black,” meaning paid under the table with no official contract, or who are given brief contracts for 8-10 months at a time, but nothing permanent. 

“This is called destruction. This we Catholics call a mortal sin, exploitation,” the Pope said, and encouraged the youth to rise to the challenge and “fight against this. Work hard. Help others. Don’t be afraid.”

In his response to the third question, posed by a youth named Luca who asked how the switch from violence to non-violence can be made, Francis pointed to the virtue of “meekness.”

Violence is everywhere, and not just in wars, he said, noting that words can also harm people, and can even lead some to kill. 

Using a phrase he has on several previous occasions, the Pope said the “terrorism of gossip” is the most dangerous in this regard, and told the youth that “if you are tempted to say something about someone, to gossip about another, bite your tongue.”

This also goes for insults, which at times seem to be a first impulse toward someone, he said. “It’s enough to go on the street in rush hour, when traffic is full and a motor bike come here, or a car comes from there, and immediately, instead of saying sorry,” expletives come out. 

The remedy for this, he said, is meekness, which “doesn’t mean to be stupid, it means to act in peace, with tranquility, to say things in a way that doesn’t hurt.”

“We need to re-learn this, to find it again in our lives. Always with meekness, always with that meek attitude that is opposite of violence.”

The answer also bled into another question asked by Aluizio, a teacher who asked the Pope what can be done to educate youth in becoming artisans of peace. 

Francis said the answer is much the same as the previous, and consists of teaching youth how to be meek and listen to others, but also fostering continuity between the different levels of society. 

“We must remake the educative pact between the family, society, school, everyone at the service of youth so that they grow well. But everyone united,” he said, because otherwise, “the child will grow poorly.”

The final question was posed by a young woman named Costanza, who asked about his encyclical “Laudato Si,” and what can be done to meet the challenges of caring for creation, especially when world leaders don’t seem to be as committed as they say in achieving the latest set of Sustainable Development Goals. 

Pope Francis told Costanza that he appreciated her question, because “we are destroying the most precious gift that God gave us: creation.”

Consumerism is the primary cause of this destruction, he said, but also pointed to litter, the exploitation of resources and the use of certain pesticides or chemicals used to modify food products. 

“This is to mistreat creation,” he said, stressing that we must never resign to leaving our planet in ruin, but must move forward in caring for it as God’s gift. 

Francis closed by leading the youth in praying a Hail Mary before asking for prayers and telling them to “go forward with courage.”
 

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