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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis spoke to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Primates of the Anglican Communion in a Vatican audience on Thursday.The Holy Father recalled the historic meeting between Blessed Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey 50 years ago, which has led to a gradual rapprochement based on theological dialogue.He then reflected with them on the three themes of ‘prayer, witness, and mission’ as a basis for ‘our continuing common journey’.Below is the official English text of Pope Francis’ address:Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates of the Anglican CommunionThursday, 6 October 2016Your Grace,Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,Thank you for your presence. It is a beautiful sign of fraternity to see the Primates of so many Provinces of the Anglican Communion joining you here in Rome. We have solemnly celebrated the fiftieth anniversary ...
The Second Indonesian Day (IYD2) taking place in the North Sulawesi provincial capital of Manado, entered day 5 on Wednesday with participants dedicating themselves to catechesis and matters of faith and morals in order to live and witness to the Gospel with joy. The theme of the Oct. 1-6 event, “The Joy of Gospel Amidst a Plural Society in Indonesia”, intends to stress the need to live in harmony and brotherhood with other people and the created world. After the initial 3-day live-in programme in families followed by Tuesday’s colourful IYD2 inaugural ceremony, the nearly 2,500 young people and their guides representing their counterparts in the nation’s 37 dioceses, listened on Oct. 5 to some 30 catechesis and talks by bishops, priests, lay people, leaders, politicians and experts, conducted in 15 centres in and around the Pineleng zone, on the outskirts of Manado city. The broad range of talks included issues such as the envi...
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican on Wednesday told the United Nations General Assembly there are “no ideological, political, philosophical, racial, ethnic, or religious reasons to justify or excuse” terrorism.Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, was speaking at a UN General Assembly session discussing Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism.“As terror knows no border, the international community as a whole must deny terrorists access to cyber technologies to recruit new adherents from many parts of the world, finance their activities and coordinate terror attacks,” said the Vatican diplomat.“No one should be permitted to finance or to provide arms and ammunitions to terrorists,” – Archbishop Auza continued – “Those who abet violent extremism or shelter members of terrorist groups must be held accountable before a court of law. Similarly, all violations of international human...
(Vatican Radio) The theme chosen by Pope Francis for the XV General Assembly of the Ordinary Synod of Bishops taking place in October 2018 will be “Young people, faith and vocational discernment.” A press release from the Vatican on Thursday said the Pope made the choice after consulting, as normal, with Bishops Conferences, the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris and the Union of Superior Generals, in addition to having listened to the suggestions of the Synod Fathers from the last Synod and the opinion of the XIV Ordinary Council.Describing the theme "as an expression of the Church’s pastoral concern for the young," the statement said the chosen topic follows on from the findings of the recent Synods on the family and the conclusions contained in the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia. It said by discussing this theme, "the Synod wishes to accompany young people along their existential journey towards maturity so that,...
(Vatican Radio) The Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic on Wednesday addressed the Executive Committee Meeting of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.The Vatican diplomat said the international community “must not lose [its] resolve” in the face of the “seemingly insurmountable challenges” of 65.3 million forcibly displaced people around the world.“We have an urgent social, political and ethical duty to address these issues and their root causes in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity,” Archbishop Jurkovic said.“The Holy See, while assuring its firm commitment to work with all interested parties to assist the needs of refugees and migrants, wishes to reiterate a strong appeal for the implementation of the existing provisions contained in the Refugee Convention,” – he continued – “From its inception, the UNHCR has been actively involved in...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday received in audience the Archbishop of Louisville and the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Joseph Kurtz.Archbishop Kurtz was meeting the Holy Father in this Jubilee Year of Mercy and while the US Church has been heeding the Pope’s call to go out into the periphery and put the works of mercy into practice.As part of the year Holy Doors around the world have been a primary focus for pilgrims and the Archdiocese of Louisville has been no exception, giving the faithful no less than 20 Holy Doors to pass through in a number its' parishes.Lydia O’Kane spoke to Archbishop Kurtz to find out more about how his diocese has been entering into the spirit of the year and how young Americans have been inspired by it.Listen: The Archbishop said the feedback he has been getting from his priests has been incredibly positive, especially with regards to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a key theme of the Jub...
Agatha Thapa a Catholic woman has been recognized for decades of work promoting early child development in Nepal, at an event held in Kathmandu on Oct. 5.Nepal's former prime minister Khadga Prasad Oli presented Agatha Thapa with the award at the Child Nepal event in the suburb of Chahabil.The award honored Thapa's work performed through Seto Guras, an early child development center, which she founded in 1979. Thapa said it was her Catholic faith that guided her to help Nepal's children."My faith directed me to work for the children of lowest classes and poorest sections of Nepal's population," said Thapa at the event."Christ did all his good work and suffered via crucifixion, but I have just done small work and have been awarded, I am embarrassed in front of Him [Christ]," she said.Thapa said that she believes that early childhood is the foundation of overall human development.Among the 300 people that attended the event were local lawmakers, N...
(Vatican Radio) True doctrine is not a rigid attachment to the Law, which bewitches like ideologies, but is rather the revelation of God, that allows itself to be discovered more and more fully each day by those who are open to the Holy Spirit. That was the message of Pope Francis at the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta.The readings of the day speak of the Holy Spirit, the “great gift of the Father,” the power that allows the Church to go forth courageously even to the ends of the earth. The Spirit, Pope Francis said, “is the protagonist of this ‘going forward’ of the Church.” Without the Spirit, the Church would be shut up within itself, fearful.The Pope pointed out three “attitudes” that we can have with regard to the Spirit. The first is that which Saint Paul rebuked in the Galatians: the belief that one can be justified through the Law, and not by Jesus, “who makes sense of the Law.” And so they were “too ri...
Maiduguri, Nigeria, Oct 6, 2016 / 03:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Amid the apparent decline of the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, a Nigerian bishop who had a vision of Christ has repeated his belief that praying the rosary will bring victory over the group.Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri said his vision of Christ encouraged the people of his diocese to believe “that the rosary would ultimately give us victory over this evil.“Boko Haram is evil, ISIS is evil,” he told the U.K. newspaper the Catholic Herald. “So as long as we go to a place with His Mother, especially by praying the rosary, which is the most pronounced form of Marian devotion, we will be victorious.”According to the bishop, “Boko Haram will soon fizzle out, mostly because of the prayers of the people.”“Before, Boko Haram members were everywhere. But now they are not everywhere,” he continued. “They have been pushed to the forests.”Bishop Doeme head...
Vatican City, Oct 6, 2016 / 04:20 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis and Anglican Primate Archbishop Welby have signed a joint-declaration emphasizing that while topics such as homosexuality and the ordination of women still constitute points of division, they are committed to working together in their pursuit of full unity.“The declaration is a forward-looking commitment to doing everything we can together, and continuing to struggle without fear, but with determination for the things that divide us,” Archbishop Welby told CNA Oct. 5.He said he doesn’t know if Catholics and Anglicans are closer to full unity than they were 50 years ago, but stated simply that “we are where we are.”One thing that is certain, he said, is that “we serve the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, which means we are always full of hope.”The archbishop and Pope Francis met to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the landmark encounter between Bl. Paul VI and Mi...
