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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with the directors of the ‘Gruppo Vodafone’ in a private audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Wednesday, telling them to ‘be constructive’ and make religious text available to more people.The Fondazione Vodafone is promoting an initiative called ‘Instant Schools for Africa’, which aims to provide online educative resources to young people on the African continent.Pope Francis expressed his appreciation of the initiative and said it promotes “a more inclusive and familial world capable of offering development opportunities to people in social groups at risk of exclusion”.He suggested such initiatives should take care “to supply young people also with some notions of method, so that they learn not only to use instruments but to use them as instruments, becoming capable of using them more freely and critically”.The Pope also expressed his desire that “among the res...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday reflected on his just ended Apostolic Visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan and spoke about the importance of Christian Unity and dialogue.Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the General Audience, the Pope expressed his gratitude for having been able visit the neighboring Caucasian countries, both of which are celebrating 25 years of independence having been part of the Soviet Union for much of the 20th century.Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: Pope Francis had a special thank you for the Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, and for the Sheikh of the Muslims of the Caucasus with whom he was able to push forward ecumenism and interreligious dialogue and - as he put it - promote the good of the human person.He described the visit as complementary to his visit to Armenia last June and said that by visiting all three nations of the Caucasus which are facing many challenges, he was able to confirm the Catholic commu...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday gave a special greeting to the Association “Vivere da Sportivi” [Living a Sporting Life] during his weekly General Audience.The Association is holding a “School of Fair Play” activity this week in Rome (4-6 October), which brings together secondary school students from all over Italy for a film festival showing student-made video projects exploring themes of integration and fair play, solidarity, and the Olympic spirit.Twelve films have made the finals, selected from hundreds created across the country.The region that is most represented is the northern region of Veneto with four movies, followed by Campania, Sicily and Marche, with two each.
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican’s representative to the United Nations in New York on Tuesday spoke about the importance of integral human development.The centrality of the human person and the promotion of the dignity and worth of all persons without distinction are fundamental in order to avoid a reductionist approach that views the human person as an obstacle to development or, even worse, as the cause of his or her own underdevelopment and neediness, said Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.“An integral human development model must be able to address the spiritual, social, environmental and physical needs of people,” – Archbishop Auza continued – “It is a model that cannot be imposed from the outside; rather it must be built from within communities and societies that invest in and provide the structures necessary to allow their members adequately to satisfy their basic needs such as food, housing,...
(Vatican Radio) The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby joined the head of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch and other ecumenical experts on Wednesday for a Symposium at Rome’s Gregorian University marking half a century of progress in Anglican-Catholic relations.The Symposium, entitled ‘50 Years of Walking Together in Faith’ explored not only the theological progress made through the documents of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), but also the ways in which communities are working to incorporate those developments into the life of the local churches. Taking part in the Symposium were pairs of Anglican and Catholic bishops from countries around the world who are spending a week together in Canterbury and Rome, sharing pastoral challenges and best practices for closer practical collaboration.Later on Wednesday evening, Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby were scheduled to preside together at Vespers in the Ro...
(Vatican Radio) The Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, on Wednesday said it is a “basic right of every individual to remain in peace and enjoy the security that provides the foundation and stability needed for lasting social development.”“In too many corners of our world, children and youth are raised under the rules of war, rather than the rule of law,” the Vatican diplomat said.“Lingering political and ethnic strife, persecution and mass atrocities, extreme poverty and rising inequalities force many to become refugees and migrants, displace countless individuals and destroy homes and properties,” – Archbishop Auza continued –“For the victims, there is no peace and security, no human rights and development and, in many cases, no one to turn to for help.”He said it is “crucial” to address the needs of those forced to migrate.“Pope Francis does not cease ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday greeted participants of Sport at the Service of Humanity's First Global Conference on Sport and Faith, which is being held in the Vatican this week. The event is being organized by the Pontifical Council for Culture, the United Nations, and the International Olympic Committee.“Sport is a human activity of great value, able to enrich people’s lives; it is enjoyed by men and women of every nation, ethnic group and religious belonging,” Pope Francis said.“Our religious traditions share the commitment to ensure the respect for the dignity of every human being,” – the Pope continued – “So it is good to know that the world’s sporting institutions have taken so courageously to heart the value of inclusion. The Paralympic movement and other sporting associations sustaining those with disabilities, such as the Special Olympics, have had a decisive role in helping the public recogni...
As Pope Francis met with the directors of the Vodafone Foundation Wednesday, in a private audience, he gave a thumbs-up to the group’s initiative - Instant Schools For Africa. Pope Francis, however, encouraged Vodafone to consider offering Africa “digital access to the sacred texts of various religions” in local languages. “I really like what I’ve heard [about this project] – it’s constructive – and nowadays there is a need to be constructive, to do things which promote human advancement...“ said Pope Francis.What exactly is the Vodafone Instant schools for Africa initiative?According to Vodafone, this is the group’s largest philanthropic programme in the Foundation’s 25-year history. The Instant Schools For Africa initiative aims at providing millions of young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania with free access to online learning materials developed...
Vatican City, Oct 5, 2016 / 06:05 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Wednesday Pope Francis gave a recap of his recent trip to Georgia and Azerbaijan, noting how this year both nations will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their independence from the Soviet regime.“Both of these countries have very ancient historic, cultural and religious roots, but at the same time are living a new phase,” the Pope said Oct. 5, noting that for “a good part of the 20th century” they were both under the Soviet regime.However, although both have been independent for 25 years, “at this stage these countries meet various difficulties in different spheres of social life,” he said, explaining that the Church “is called to be present and to be close, especially in the name of charity and human promotion.”Pope Francis spoke during his weekly general audience, just days after returning from his Sept. 30-Oct. 2 papal visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan. The trip was seen as a...
Farmville, Va., Oct 5, 2016 / 09:20 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The topic of abortion made an appearance at the vice presidential debate last night, as both candidates discussed the role of faith in their lives, and how it aligns with their political views.Democratic candidate Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.) insisted he was personally opposed to abortion but would not, as a public official, infringe upon a woman’s choice to have an abortion.“We support Roe v. Wade. We support the constitutional right of American women to consult their own conscience” and “make their own decision about pregnancy,” he said.People of faith should be “convincing each other, dialoguing with each other about important moral issues of the day,” he added, “but on fundamental issues of morality, we should let women make their own decisions.”His words met harsh criticism from Republican Mike Pence, governor of Indiana, who reiterated his support for the pro-life cause and n...
