HOW HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS' YEAR IN REVIEW, LONGING FOR PEACE IN A WARRING WORLD.... (1701 hits)
For Immediate Release From Vatican News!
From the final farewell to Pope Benedict XVI to the continuous plea for peace in the world, Pope Francis enjoyed an intense 2023, during which he ceaselessly brought the proclamation and joy of the Gospel to the world.
Pope: May Those With A Stake In Conflicts Heed Their Consciences
Pope Francis prays for the thousands of lives, shattered by violence and war in 2023 across the globe and appeals to those who have a "stake“ in armed conflicts to listen to the voice of their conscience. By Linda Bordoni
The Pope’s appeal followed his sad reflection on a year blighted by violence, death, destruction and displacement.
He recalled the sad Christmas celebrations in Nigeria’s Plateau state where over 140 people were killed and scores more injured on Christmas Eve in communal violence. Nigeria and Liberia “Sadly, the celebration of Christmas in Nigeria was marked by serious violence, in Plateau state, with many victims. I pray for them and their families: May God deliver Nigeria from these horrors,” he said.
His thoughts and assurances of closeness and prayer also went to “those who lost their lives in the fuel truck explosion in Liberia,” where 52 people died after a fuel tanker crashed and exploded on Tuesday near the capital, Monrovia. Many injured people remain in hospital in critical condition.
Ukraine, Holy Land, Sudan
Never forgetting to pray for those suffering from wars, Pope Francis yet again asked for prayers for “the tormented Ukrainian people, the Palestinian and Israeli people, the Sudanese people and many others.”
“And let us not forget,” he concluded, “the martyred Rohingya.”
Nicaraguan authorities have reportedly arrested three more priests in Managua in the wake of a public prayer for Bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos, who was sentenced to 26 years in prison earlier this year.
Five priests have been detained over the past two days by the authorities in Managua, Nicaragua.
News on the situation appeared in social media reports by a lawyer in exile, adding to the concern of the United Nations.
The list of priests arrested in Nicaragua is growing, according to reports by exiled researcher and lawyer Martha Patricia Molina, who periodically updates the report titled "Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church?"
In the past 48 hours, Ms. Molina reported in a post on her social media profiles, picked up by other media, that the police in the Central American country have detained three more priests in addition to Msgr. Carlos Avilés and Father Héctor Treminio, of the Managua diocese, whose arrest was reported on Friday.
Fr. Zheplinsky: Russian Missile Attacks Have Targeted Civilians
The chief editor of the Communication Department of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church speaks to Vatican News about the latest wave of Russian missile attacks on the main cities in the country, and says that Christmas remains a source of hope and strength for Ukrainians. By Svitlana Dukhovych and Francesca Sabatinelli
“We survived, thank God we survived an attack conducted with over 100 missiles.” Father Taras Zheplinskyi, chief editor of the Communication Department of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, speaks to Vatican News’ Svitlana Dukhovych from Kyiv in the wake of the massive Russian air attack which on Thursday night hit the Ukrainian capital along with other Ukrainian cities, including Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Lviv and Dnipro.
Overall the strikes killed at least 18 people, including two children of six and eight, and injured over 100. "Most of these attacks – said Fr. Taras - were aimed at killing civilians rather than sodiers ."
The priest said the bombings targetted a maternity clinic, schools, shopping centers, buildings with flats. “People were sleeping - he explained - that's why the attack was not against the military. They are not fighting against an army, it is a war against civilians, Ukrainian civilians.”
Deaths are not statistics
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Friday that it was the largest Russian air attack in recent months, saying most of the missiles were intercepted and shot down by Ukrainian anti-aircraft units.
Ukrainian President thanks Pope for support for peace efforts in Ukraine
Pope Francis has spoken by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who thanked the Pope for his support for the Peace Formula involving more than 80 States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for his Christmas greetings to Ukraine and for supporting the Peace Formula.
This appreciation was conveyed during their latest phone conversation, details of which President Zelensky posted Thursday on the official presidential website and on his X account.
“I have just spoken with His Holiness Pope Francis to express gratitude for his Christmas greetings to Ukraine and Ukrainians, for his wishes of peace – just peace for all of us,” said President Zelensky. “We discussed our joint work on the Peace Formula – more than 80 states are already involved at the level of their representatives. There will be more. I am grateful to the Vatican for supporting our work.”
Pope Francis meets with editorial staff of Osservatore di Strada
Pope Francis meets with the editorial staff of the "Osservatore di Strada", a monthly publication of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, which offers a platform for people living on the margins of society. By Marina Tomarro
On Friday, the entire editorial staff of the Osservatore di Strada met with Pope Francis, along with several writers and artists who face hardship and contribute to the magazine.
Published by L’Osservatore Romano, the Osservatore di Strada features people living in poverty and makes them the protagonists of the monthly publication.
They include several homeless people who sleep rough near St. Peter’s Square.
Friendly encounter
According to Piero Di Domenicantonio, the magazine’s coordinator, the staff and writers thanked the Pope for his encouragement and his expressions of closeness to people in need.”
"At this special audience with the Pope,” he said, “we wanted not only the friends with whom we form the editorial staff, but also those writers, authors, and artists with whom we try to cultivate this culture of encounter, just as Pope Francis himself invites us to do. Great and small talents to give flavor to this newspaper.”
Also present at the audience were the director of the Osservatore Romano, Andrea Monda, and the prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini.
The Pope did not give any speech, but preferred to meet and personally greet all the participants in the meeting.
“It was very beautiful,” continued Mr. Di Domenicantonio. “Each of us was able to approach him, greet him, and speak to him for a few minutes, but above all, we were able to tell him that we love him and that we pray for him.”
Cardinal Krajewski: May the world bow down to God so peace can flourish. By Cardinal Konrad Krajewski
Upon his return from his mission to the Holy Land at the request of Pope Francis, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, reflects on his experience near the war in Gaza, noting that suffering and conflict arise when humanity seeks its own path without considering God's desires for us.
I travelled to the Holy Land with faith and prayer, to these places where war rages, where there is hatred, and vengeance, where one kills the other, where there is a lack of water, food, and electricity. Even during Christmas, the holiest of days for us, they did not stop fighting and killing - in Ukraine as in the Gaza Strip.
I arrived in this land with the most sophisticated weapons in the world: faith and prayer, which can move mountains and end conflicts... But why isn't it so?
I went to all the places where Jesus lived. I went to Nazareth, to Bethlehem, to the place where He was crucified, was killed, and rose again. Thus, I asked: "Lord, why is there no peace? You want peace." I have always reflected on this prayer: "Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day." So why don't you grant peace in our days?
I have thought a lot about how, when we enter the Holy Sepulchre, we must bow down, almost breaking our backs to enter. In many churches, even in Bethlehem, we must bow down, bow down before the mystery.
So, I think that perhaps the world has stopped bowing down to God and has stopped living according to the logic of the Gospel because it has become accustomed to the logic of the world.
Perhaps we humans have put ourselves in God’s place and want to command and condemn, but we do so without mercy, without love. Maybe that's why there is no peace—because we no longer bow down to God, before the mystery.
Wednesday was the feast of St. John the Apostle; he approached Jesus' tomb, bowed down to enter, to see that His body was no longer there, that He had risen.
But today we no longer bow down, even though the doors here in the Holy Land tell us that we must do so to understand the mystery of God, to understand His love and His mercy, to live according to the logic of Jesus' teachings, according to the logic of the Gospel.
I thank the Lord for having lived these days in the Holy Land and for beginning to understand the mystery of God. The prayer of Our Father, the prayer that Jesus taught us, says, "Thy will be done, Lord," not mine, because where there is my will, there are wars, there are many deaths.
"Thy kingdom come," not ours, ours is the kingdom of destruction. "Hallowed be Thy name," not mine; when my name is hallowed, I am dangerous to others.
Pope Francis meets with young singers of the Pueri Cantores International Federation.
“Singing and music can touch hearts, give beauty, and restore zest and hope."
“Singing and music can touch hearts, give beauty, and restore zest and hope”.
Pope Francis offered that reflection on Saturday as he met with members of the International Federation of Pueri Cantores.
The group was founded in 1950 in France by Father Fernand Maillet, and later grew into a federation of children’s and youth choirs, boasting over 1,000 members from 25 countries. The Federation brings children together from around the world each year to sing for peace, praise the Lord, and have fun making music together, according to its website.
In his address, the Pope praised their beautiful choral singing which had welcomed him to the hall in the Vatican.
He also thanked them for their efforts to help people to pray and open their hearts to the Lord.
Joyful harmony
Pope Francis reflected on three key words: joy, prayer, and humility.
“Singing is joy, especially when it is done in choir,” he noted, adding that countless other children and adults have sung the same notes, handing down their own joy of singing.
