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Vatican Weekend for February 18th, 2017 features a review of Pope Francis’ General Audience, a look at how Michelangelo and Bernini left their mark on St. Peter’s Basilica, that coincides with the anniversary of the former’s death, and as February is the month where the Church celebrates events to help reinforce the institution of marriage, we find out about a program that helps couples whose marriage is heading for the rocks.

Listen to this program produced and presented by Susy Hodges:  

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Vatican Weekend for February 19th, 2017 features our weekly reflection on the Sunday Gospel reading prepared by British priest, Father Sean Crawley, a profile on the background and character of the Prince of the Apostles to coincide with the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter and our resident Vatican watcher Joan Lewis reviews the past week’s events in the Vatican.

Listen to this program produced and presented by Susy Hodges: 

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday visited one of Rome’s major institutions of higher education: the  Università degli studi “Roma 3”, which has an enrollment of roughly 40 thousand students.

The Holy Father fielded four questions, each one from a student at a different level of study and in a different department, from post-graduates to married professionals in continuing formation to young undergrads from the business school and the arts and sciences.

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One of the students was Nour Essa, a 31 year-old married mother and a refugee from Syria. She came to Rome with her family via Lesbos, making the last leg of her journey with Pope Francis, himself, aboard the Papal plane in 2016.

“I remember a question posed by a reporter on your plane, returning from Lesbos,” she said. “This question was on Europeans’ fear [It. la paura europea] of those coming from Syria or Iraq: do these people not threaten the Christian culture of Europe?”

In his largely off-the-cuff response, Pope Francis said, “Migrations are not a danger, but a challenge to grow.”

Pope Francis also responded to questions of European identity, of the special identity, character, and mission of the city of Rome – and of the duty of the students to the city – as well as of the need for a creative response to overcome a culture of violence, and the need to transform the global culture and become workers of intellectual charity in order to contribute to a constructive renewal of society.

The Pope said that “unity without differences” is one of the great threats in our day. “There is a risk of globalization,” he said, “that fosters uniformity,” and our culture of instant communication and constant connectedness does not allow for thoughtful consideration and could strangle profound dialogue if we are not careful to cultivate a more considerate pace and sensitivity.

Pope Francis also spoke of  the need for young people to cultivate the virtue of hope, the threats against which are many, including joblessness, the blandishments of a culture of hedonism, and the warped sense of religion that can fill the void left when concrete reasons for to hope in a better future appear to be wanting.

“The bitterness of [some young persons’] hearts,” Pope Francis said, “leads to addictions,” or even to suicide. “This lack of work leads to [some of them] to go elsewhere and enlist in a terrorist army,” he said, speculating that perhaps young people who make such a decision think, “at least that way I have something to do and [thus] I give meaning to my life.”

“Terrible,” Pope Francis said, “terrible.”

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Catholics in Pakistan have condemned the deadly 16 February terrorist attack on a Sufi shrine in southern Sindh province, which has killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 250.  A bomber blew himself up among devotees in the shrine of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in the town of Sehwan, about 200 kilometers from Karachi.  It has been the deadliest in a string of recent bombings claimed by the Islamic State, the Pakistani Taliban and other militants, with some 20 children among the victims. 

Archbishop Joseph Coutts of Karachi, head of the Pakistan Catholic bishops’ conference, has strongly condemned the attack on the shrine.  "It is sad that a Muslim shrine has been attacked in a Muslim country. We feel so helpless. The scourge of terrorism has spread like a cancer. It has long roots in our society," the archbishop said.  "The government or army alone cannot fight it alone. The whole nation should stand united, without discrimination of faith, use all peaceful methods and reject these terrorists," he told UCANEWS.  "Terrorists lie when they claim to target only government departments and spare public or religious places. Attacks on shrines is a wider problem emerging from sectarianism; terrorism has no borders," he said.

Father Qaiser Feroz, executive secretary of the Pakistani bishops' social communications commission, said "shrines are being targeted simply because they are crowded and people of all faiths visit them especially to listen to devotional songs."  "The religious fundamentalists only want bloodshed, there is no faith motivation," he explained.

Father Paulus Gill who conducted prayers for the victims Friday morning at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Hyderabad 130 kilometers from Sehwan city, told AsiaNews, “We are losing human values. What we are witnessing is the result when religion combines with politics.”  Just when government announced that the cricket final of the Pakistan Super League would be held in Lahore as things were getting better, the terrorist showed their muscle."  "Only dialogue can bring peace with religious fundamentalists,” he said explaining that extremism crept into Pakistani society especially after Islamization by General Zia ul Haq who introduced religious and gender biases in Pakistan's laws.  “Now we are drowning and it will be long before peace prevails in Pakistan,” he added.

Father Abid Habib of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Association of Major Religious Superiors fears churches will be next.   "We are getting messages and churches will be attacked now,” he said. The terrorists may be based in Afghanistan but they are being funded by Saudis. They follow Wahabi ideology which lauds the concept of jihad and urges hatred of infidels. Visiting shrines to them is idol worship," Fr. Habib said.

Sunil Kumar Founder chairman Voice of Peace (VOP), an interfaith youth forum, plans to hold a protest against the attack this weekend at Karachi Press Club.  "We are in shock seeing bloodshed every day, the extremism has reached its peak. People now await the death toll after every incident. No religion or place is safe, people are being targeted everywhere", said the Hindu activist.  "Terrorist agencies are trying to divert public attention. Our nation must wake up and use all resources to save lives. The only solution lies in understanding and respecting diverse faiths and giving equal rights to non Muslim citizens. Our rulers have to learn from their mistakes".  (Source: UCAN/AsiaNews)

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The Catholic Church of Thailand has offered to cooperate with Buddhists and believers of other religions to "build peace and stability in the nation" through "dialogue, as brothers and sisters”.   In a message to the new Supreme Patriarch of Theravada Buddhism on the occasion of his investiture on 12 Feb., Card Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovidhavanij, Archbishop of Bangkok and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand (CBCT) noted that the ultimate goal is "peaceful coexistence" so that Thailand can be "a model for other nations."  "May God grant” Taan Chao Khun Somdej "abundant wisdom and good health,” so as to "lead Buddhism to continued growth in Thailand," Card Kovidhavanij wrote.  Leading a group of bishops representing the CBCT, the cardinal paid a visit on Tuesday to Supreme Patriarch Umporn Umparow at the Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram royal temple, felicitating him and handing him the message.  It was the same site where St. John Paul II met the then Buddhist patriarch on 10 May 1984 during his apostolic trip to Asia.

On 7 February, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made official the appointment of the new Supreme Patriarch of Thai Buddhism by King Rama X.  Led by King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangku, the investiture ceremony was held on Sundayat the Phra Sri Rattana Sas-sadaram temple, the country’s “sacred place", home to the Emerald Buddha.

Card Kovidhavanij conveyed "the joy of all Catholics" for the choice of the new patriarch, who is "admired" for his "irreproachable" behaviour, and for his "humble" and "respectful" attitude, which is appreciated "even by the believers of other religions".  Thanks to the wise and loving leadership of various Thai Kings, "Christians have enjoyed for five centuries a happy life with their Buddhist brothers and sisters," the prelate noted.

Buddhism is Thailand’s main religion, about 93.6 per cent of the population, primarily centred on the Theravada school. About 4.6 per cent is Muslim, mostly in the country’s southern provinces on the border with Malaysia. Christians are just over 1 per cent.  (Source: AsiaNews)

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Vatican City, Feb 17, 2017 / 08:20 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Friday Pope Francis paid a visit to Rome’s “Roma Tre” university, stressing to students the importance of dialogue, listening and integration in putting an end to the fear that can at times be generated in the face of welcoming new migrants.   

“Migrations are not a danger, they are a challenge to grow,” the Pope said Feb. 17, adding that “it’s important to think well about the problem of migrants today, because there’s a migratory phenomenon that’s so strong.”

“How must migrants be received? How must they be welcomed?” he asked, stressing that first, they must be viewed “as human brothers and sisters. They are men and women like us.”

Second, “every country must see how many they are able to welcome,” he said, noting that while it’s true that a country shouldn’t take on more than they have the capacity to handle, each one must play their part.

However, part of welcoming, he said, means “to integrate. That is, to receive these people and try to integrate them so they can learn the language, look for a job, a house, integration.”

Pope Francis spoke to students during a morning visit to Rome’s “Roma Tre” University, which has a school for Economics and Business Studies, with departments for architecture, economics, philosophy, communications, law, engineering, language and culture, math and physics, political science, business and humanities.

After arriving and greeting the rector of the university, Professor Mario Panizza, as well as the university’s General Director and Vice Rector, the Pope listened to questions posed by four students at studying in different fields, and responded with a lengthy, off-the-cuff speech.

One of the questions was posed by Nour Essa, a Syrian refugee who fled to Lesbos with her husband and young son. After spending a month in a refugee camp, they were selected to be among the 12 refugees who flew back to Rome with Pope Francis after his April 16, 2016, visit to the island.

Now, almost a year later, Essa has learned Italian and is completing her studies in Agriculture and Microbiology. She asked the Pope how to overcome the fear that welcoming so many migrants into Europe will destroy its cultural identity.

In his response to Essa’s question, the Pope stressed the importance of accompanying new migrants in a process of integration, and pointed to the fact that within three days of arriving in Italy, the children who came back with him from Lesbos were already in school.

When three months later he invited 21 Syrian children to join him for lunch at the Vatican, they all “spoke Italian,” Francis said. “The older ones a bit less, but they all spoke it. They went to school and learned it. This is integration.”

He noted that the majority of migrants who came back that day have both a job and a person to help them integrate into the culture by providing “open doors” to find work, school and housing, voicing his desire for more organizations dedicated to helping in the process of integration.

On the point of the fear of losing one’s cultural identity by welcoming so many migrants, the Pope said he often asks himself “how many invasions has Europe had since the beginning? Europe was made from invasions, migrants...it was made like this in an artisanal way.”

Migrants, he said, bring their own culture which is “a richness for us,” but must also receive part of the culture they come to so that a real “exchange of cultures” takes place.

“Yes, there is fear, but the fear is not only of migrants,” but of those who commit crimes, he said, and, pointing to the bombing of an airport and subway in Belgium last year, noted that the persons who carried out the attacks “were Belgians, born in Belgium.”

They were the children of migrants, but migrants that had been “ghettoized,” rather than integrated, he said, explaining that fostering respect for one another can “take away” this fear of different cultures.

In addition to responding to Essa’s question, Pope Francis also took questions from three other students studying in different fields at the university.

The students were Roman-born Niccolo Romano, who asked about how universities can work maintain their “communis patria,” or “common homeland” for all; Giulia Trifilio, who asked the Pope what “medicine” is needed in order to combat violent acts in the world; and Riccardo Zucchetti, who asked how students can work to constructively build society in an increasingly changing and globalized world.

In response to Trifilio’s question on how to put an end to the violent acts humanity at times seems prone to throughout the world, the Pope spoke about the importance of language and “the tone” that’s frequently used, even in casual conversations.

Whether at home or on the street, many people today “yell,” he said, explaining that unfortunately “there is also violence” in the way people express themselves.

He also pointed to the arbitrary greetings between even family members, who in a morning rush pass by with a quick, yet meaningless “hey” while on the way out the door. Even these seemingly small things, he said, “make violence” because they make the other person “anonymous,” taking away their name.

“There’s a person in front of us with a name, but I greet you like you are a thing,” he said, noting that this starts at the interpersonal level, but “grows and grows and grows and becomes global.”

“No one can deny that we are at war. This is a third world war in pieces,” Francis said, adding that “we need to lower the tone a bit; to speak less and listen more.”

As a remedy, the Pope suggested the ability to listen and receive what the other person is saying as the first “medicine” to take, with dialogue as a second.

“Dialogue draws near, not only to the person, but hearts. It makes friendship. It makes social friendship,” he said, adding that where there is no dialogue, “there is violence.”

“I spoke of war. It’s true, we are at war, but wars don’t start there, they start in your heart, in our hearts, when I am not able to open myself to others, to respect others, to speak with others, to dialogue with others, war starts there.”

This must also be practiced at the university level, he said, explaining that a university must be a place where discussion takes place among students, professors and groups. If this doesn’t happen, “it isn’t a university.”

Pope Francis cautioned against what he termed as “university of the elite,” or the so-called “ideological universities” where students go, are taught one line of thinking, and then prepared “to make an agenda of this ideology” in society.

“That is not a university,” he said. “I go to university to learn, yes, but to learn to live the truth, to seek the truth, to seek goodness, to live beauty and seek beauty. This is done together on a university path that never finishes.”

In response to the question about building up society amid rapid changes and increasing globalization, the Pope said an important lesson that has to be learned is to “take like as it comes.”

With so many changes mean there is a great need for flexibility, he said, using the example of being ready to catch a ball from whatever direction it comes in.

He also emphasized the importance of unity, which is “totally different than uniformity.” Unity, he said, means “to be one among differences. Unity in diversity.”

Since we are living in “an age of globalization,” Francis said it would be “a mistake” to think of globalization like a ball in which each point is equally far from the center.

If organized this way, “everything is uniform” and there is no differences, he said, but stressed that “this uniformity is the destruction of unity, because it takes away the possibility of being different.”

On the rapid pace of communications in modern society, Pope Francis recognized that “an acceleration” is taking place, and pointed to the rule of the Law of Gravity, that as an object falls faster as it nears its destination.

“Today communications are like this with the danger of not having the time to stop oneself, to think, to reflect, and this is important, to get used to communicating, but without the sensation of ‘rapidity,’” he said.

At times communication goes so fast that it “can become liquid, without consistency,” so the challenge is one of “transforming this liquidity into concreteness,” Francis said, explaining that same concept also goes for the economy.

Using “concreteness” as his keyword for the point, the Pope said the “drama of today’s economy” is that there is a liquid economy, which leads to “a liquid society” with a high rate of unemployment.

Francis pointed to several European countries as examples and, without naming them, noted that specifically youth unemployment rates in several vary from 40-60 percent.

“I ask you the question: our dear mother Europe, the identity of Europe, how can one think that developed countries have youth unemployment so strong?” he said, explaining that the numbers are evidence that “this liquidity of the economy takes the concreteness of work, and takes the culture of work because one can’t work.”

In the absence of work, youth “don’t know what to do” and in the end fall into addictions or suicide, he said, adding that according to what he’s heard, “the true statistics of youth suicide are not published. The publish something, but it’s not the true statistics.”

Some youth even fall into terrorist groups, telling themselves “at least I have something to do that gives meaning to my life,” the Pope observed, adding that “it’s terrible.”

In order to solve the problems created by this type of “liquid economy,” concreteness is needed, he said, “otherwise it can’t be done.”

Universities must be the place in which this happens, he said, telling the students that “in the dialogue among you, also look for solutions to propose. The real problems against this liquid culture.”

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