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(Vatican Radio) Meeting national authorities and members of the diplomatic corps in Tbilisi, Georgia Friday, Pope Francis described the Caucasus nation as a “blessed land, a place of encounter and vital exchange among cultures and civilizations” which, since the 4th century, “discovered in Christianity its deepest identity and the solid foundation of its values.”The Pope was speaking at the Presidential palace shortly after his arrival in the Georgian capital. In his address, he recalled his meeting in the Vatican last year with President Giorgi Margvelashvili and thanked him for the invitation to visit his country whose values, expressed “in culture, language and traditions,” he said, place it fully “within the bedrock of European civilization.”Georgia, a bridge between Europe and AsiaDescribing Georgia as a “natural bridge between Europe and Asia,” that for centuries has facilitated “communication and ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is currently on an Apostolic journey to Georgia. He flew into the nation's capital Tbilisi on Friday 30th of September and his third and last appointment of the day took place at the Chaldean Catholic Church of Simon 'Bar Sabbae', dedicated to a tenth century Coptic Saint. There he met with representatives of the Assyrian Chaldean community.Listen to a report by Veronica Scarisbrick: Upon his arrival at the Church the Pope was greeted by the Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and the local parish priest. Together they entered the Church in procession, making their way towards the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament therein. .Among those present were around three hundred faithful from the Assyrian Chaldean 'Diaspora'. Not just from the nation's capital but also from nearby towns and villages. For the record the Catholic Assyrian Chaldean mission in Georgia was instituted in 1995 under Vatican jurisdict...
(Vatican Radio) In a video message to the people of Argentina, Pope Francis spoke of his regret at not being able to visit his homeland this year or in 2017, saying he already has planned trips to Asia and Africa next year.Watch the Pope's video message: The Pope assured his compatriots that he continues to be an Argentinian who feels close to his people and revealed that he "still travels with an Argentine passport." In the message which he described as a monologue but wished it were a chat, Pope Francis urged the people of Argentina to help promote "a culture of encounter" in which people can live “with dignity and express themselves peacefully without being insulted, condemned, attacked or cast to one side.”Noting that this year there were two important events for the Church in Argentina, the beatification in August of Mama Antula (an 18th century Catholic laywoman) and the canonization in October of Cura Brochero (the 19th centur...
(Vatican Radio) One of the highlights of the Holy Father’s first day in Georgia was his meeting with the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, and with the Members of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church.In his address during the meeting, Pope Francis focused on the love of Christ as a basis for building up the bonds of unity between the Catholic Church and the Georgian Orthodox Church.In his address to the leaders of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Pope Francis recalled Patriarch Ilia’s visit to Rome in 1980, the first visit ever of a Georgian Patriarch to the Vatican. He also recalled the visit of Pope John Paul II to Georgia on the eve of the Jubilee Year of 2000.Pope Francis’ visit to Georgia likewise comes during the celebration of a Jubilee, the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.On the occasion of this new meeting, the Pope noted the ties that exist between the Georgian Church, founded on the preaching of St Andrew; and the Church of Rome, buil...
Catholics in Ethiopia have celebrated ‘Meskel,’ the feast that commemorates the discovery of the True Cross. The faithful from the different Parishes of Addis Ababa gathered at the Parish of Our Lady of Zion to celebrate the feast. They lit a Bonfire to symbolise the light and peace that comes from Christ.On the occasion, Fr. Tesfay Woldemariam, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Addis Ababa said the Cross is the light of the world and the foundation of the Church. “In our Church, we always remember the passion of the Cross; we begin everything with the sign of the Cross in the name of the Holy Trinity. We are called to reflect on the mystery of the Holy Trinity and our Baptism and imitate the Mercifulness of the Holy Trinity in our lives,” he said.He said Catholics celebrate the feast because the Cross is the emblem for Christians; it gives us love, peace and strength to answer our calling. “As Our Lord carried his Cross, we also have to ca...
Warsaw, Poland, Sep 30, 2016 / 06:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Magdalena Korzekwa-Kaliszuk, director of campaigns for CitizenGo in Poland, has pointed to last week's progress of a bill in the Polish parliament banning abortion as a “triple victory,” saying, “our generation can stop abortion.”On Sept. 23, with a 267-154 vote in favor, Polish lawmakers sent a bill that seeks the total ban of abortion in the country to committee for further consideration.Abortion is currently allowed in the case of rape or incest, grave risk to the health of the mother, and serious deformities in the baby in the womb. At most, 2,000 legal abortions are procured annually in Poland, though it is estimated that there may be 10,000 performed illegally, according to the BBC.The legislative proposal will be debated for an unlimited time until a final draft is written, which will finally be submitted to a vote by all members of parliament, which is ruled by the Law and Justice Party.It ...
Tbilisi, Georgia, Sep 30, 2016 / 06:25 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis landed in Georgia Friday, telling leaders of the former Soviet republic that peace is urgent in today’s troubled world, and can only be achieved by the pursuit of justice and mutual respect for the sovereign rights of every nation.After landing in Georgia Sept. 30, the Pope insisted that peaceful coexistence among all peoples and states in the region “is the indispensable and prior condition” for an “authentic and enduring progress.”“This requires increasing mutual esteem and consideration, which can never lay aside respect for the sovereign rights of every country within the framework of international law,” Francis said.He noted that in far too many places in the world, there seems to be “a dominant way of thinking which hinders keeping legitimate differences and disagreements – which can always arise – within a climate of civilized dialogue.”Pr...
Tbilisi, Georgia, Sep 30, 2016 / 08:42 am (CNA/EWTN News).- God's love and our unity in Christ are what enable us to overcome conflict and disagreement, and to spread the Gospel – which is what bears spiritual and artistic fruit, Pope Francis said in Georgia on Friday.“Truly, the love of the Lord raises us up, because it enables us to rise above the misunderstandings of the past, above the calculations of the present and fears for the future,” the Pope said in a meeting with the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, which is one of the 14 autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Churches.Unity between the Georgian Orthodox Church and Catholic Church, joined with a firm faith in Christ, the Pope said, is necessary so that “the Gospel may bear fruit in our day,” just as saints “put the Gospel before all else.”Pope Francis met with Ilia II, Catholicos and Patriarch of All Georgia, at the Patriarchal Palace in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi Sept. 30....
IMAGE: CNS/Paul HaringBy Cindy WoodenTBILISI, Georgia (CNS) -- Subtly acknowledging Georgia'songoing territorial dispute with Russia, Pope Francis urged greater efforts tosow peace throughout the Caucasus region.Shortly after arriving in Tbilisi at the start of his 16thforeign trip, the pope met privately with Georgian President GiorgiMargvelashvili Sept. 30 and, with the president, he addressed a small gatheringof civic leaders and members of the diplomatic corps outside the presidentialpalace.In a nation where more than 230,000 people are stilldisplaced by the ongoing Georgian-Russian dispute over control of SouthOssetia, the pope said it was time to find a way for the displaced to return totheir homes and for respect for the "sovereign rights" of eachnation. Only Russia and a handful of other nations recognize the supposedindependence of South Ossetia.The theme the government and local church chose for thepope's visit Sept. 30-Oct. 1 was "pax vobis," "peace be withyou."Margvelas...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Earnie Grafton, ReutersBy SANDIEGO (CNS) -- Bishop Robert W.McElroy of San Diego askedpeople to pray for calm and called on police to be "as transparent aspossible" in their investigation following the shooting of unarmed man ina San Diego suburb.The bishop saidthe Catholic community was saddened by the shooting death of Alfred Olango of El Cajonduring a confrontation with police officers Sept. 27."Weunderstand the pain the community feels. We pray for calm during this wrenchingtime and stand ready to work together to achieve true justice and peace forall," Bishop McElroy said in a brief statement released by the dioceseSept. 29.The bishop saidhe acknowledged the personal risk police officers face, but called fortransparency as they worked to piece together details of the incident.Since theshooting, protesters have marched in the streets of El Cajon.Authoritiessaid two men were arrested late Sept. 29 after violence broke out during aprotest involving 50 to 75 people...
