Pope speaks of hope while saying Mass for All Souls Day in Rome cemetery - Rome Reports

 

 

Vatican Radio - Pope Francis prays in the Vatican Grottos

Vatican Radio - Pope offers Mass for faithful departed on All Souls' Day

Mass of the Lord's Supper - Rome 2016



Vatican Radio - Pope Francis on Thursday evening celebrated the Missa in coena Domini – the Mass of the Lord’s Supper – leading the Church of Rome into the great three-day liturgical action that culminates in the great Easter Vigil. The Holy Father celebrated the first liturgy of the Triduum at the C.A.R.A. Welcome and Hospitality Centre operated by the Auxilium cooperative.

Located a short distance outside the Rome city limits, in Castelnuovo di Porto, the Centre currently provides temporary lodging and services to 892 asylum seekers from 25 different countries.

In his homily, Pope Francis renewed his condemnation of those who – like Judas Iscariot – sow discord for gain and trade in arms, selling the tools of bloodshed for profit. “Each of us has a story, each of you has a story you carry with you. Many crosses, many sorrows: but also an open heart that wants brotherhood.

The Holy Father also spoke of the communicative power of concrete actions, saying that gestures of fraternity, concord and peace among people of different religion and cultural tradition who truly desire peace and resolve to live as brothers and sisters is a powerful witness to a world sorely in need of such signs. “Let each, in his religious language,” concluded Pope Francis, “pray the Lord that this brotherhood be contagious in the world, that there be no 30 pieces of silver to purchase a brother’s murder, that there be always brotherhood and goodness.”

Pope Francis: gestures of fraternity defeat hatred and greed (text of Pope Francis homily)

Missa in coena Domini: Pope calls for acts of fraternity

Pope's gesture to refugees seen as vital sign of welcome

Chrism Mass 2016 - Rome

On the morning of Holy Thursday, Pope Francis celebrated the Mass of Chrism at St Peter’s Basilica.

During the Holy Mass, the Holy Father blessed the sacred oils (Chrism, the oil of catechumens, and the oil of the sick), which will be used during the Easter Vigil, and in liturgical celebrations throughout the year.

In his homily during the Mass, Pope Francis once again on the theme of mercy, speaking especially of two areas in which the Lord shows “an excess of mercy”: in encounter, and in forgiveness.

Full text of Pope Francis homily at the Chrism Mass here.

Chrism Mass 2016 - Limerick

The Chrism Mass was held last night in St. John's Cathedral, Limerick at which the Oil of Baptism, Oil of the Sick and Chrism Oil are consecrated for the Diocese for 2016 and where the priests renew their promises.  The particular focus of this year's Chrism Mass was the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in this Year of Mercy. 

Bishop Brendan Leahy and Bishop Donal Murray

In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, Bishop Brendan extended a particularly welcome to those who give witness to what we refer to as the spiritual and corporal works of mercy in their personal and professional life. For instance, those working in the community/social service area along with the disability sector and those who assist others with acts by which we help our neighbours with their material, physical, moral and spiritual needs. Essentially those who help and are helped within our community.

As Bishop Brendan Leahy reminded us "when people met Jesus, they met mercy."  Bishop Brendan continued: "The highest form of love is mercy. Mercy isn’t just about forgiveness. We live in merciful love when we see, love and serve Jesus in one another." 

Pilgrims who regularly attend the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes bringing up the Oil of the Sick

Bishop Brendan again reminded us that merciful love is the only response to terrorism and fear:

"The corporal and spiritual works of mercy really matter. When we think of the terrorism we have seen in recent days, and the many conflicts of our world, the plight of the poor and the new forms of slavery around us, the situation of refugees and the destruction of the environment, we realise that our world will not be saved if the love that is merciful does not spread in our hearts, minds and lives. 

The instinct right after the horrific attacks in Brussels might, understandably, be to pull back and close in on ourselves out of fear. But that would merely give in to people behind such attacks, people who merely want separation, mistrust and fear. If anything now is the time to increase our corporal and spiritual works of mercy, opening up in a new way to people, not least to the migrants whose culture we don’t know."

The full text of Bishop Brendan's homily is well worth reading and is available HERE.

The Chrism Mass was a signed Mass and accessible to the Deaf Community. The Hands in Harmony Deaf Community Choir whose Facebook page is available HERE gave a special performance at the end of the Chrism Mass, which again is well worth a look. The video of the Chrism Mass is available HERE. 

"By Humbling Himself, Jesus Invites Us To Walk On His Path" - Homily of Pope Francis for Palm Sunday

From Vatican Radio:

Listen to Christopher Wells report for Vatican Radio here.

Pope Francis on Sunday presided at the Procession and Mass for Palm Sunday, as the Church enters into the celebration of Holy Week. Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem one week before His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. 

Pope Francis' homily focused on the redemptive Passion of Jesus, who emptied Himself, dying on the Cross for our sake. Even "at the height of His annihilation, He reveals the true face of God, which is mercy."

"If the mystery of evil is unfathomable," the Pope continued, "then the reality of Love poured out through Him is infinite, reaching even to the tomb and to hell.  He takes upon Himself all our pain that He may redeem it, bringing light to darkness, life to death, love to hatred."
God's way of acting, Pope Francis said, may seem very different from our own; nonetheless, we are called to "we are called to choose His way: the way of service, of giving, of forgetfulness of ourselves." Jesus, he concluded, "invites us to walk on his path. Let us turn our faces to Him, let us ask for the grace to understand something of the mystery of His obliteration for our sake; and then, in silence, let us contemplate the mystery of this Week."

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HOMILY OF POPE FRANCIS
PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD
ST PETER'S SQUARE
20 MARCH 2016
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (cf. Lk 19:38), the crowd of Jerusalem exclaimed joyfully as they welcomed Jesus. We have made that enthusiasm our own: by waving our olive and palm branches we have expressed our praise and our joy, our desire to receive Jesus who comes to us. Just as he entered Jerusalem, so he desires to enter our cities and our lives. As he did in the Gospel, riding on a donkey, so too he comes to us in humility; he comes “in the name of the Lord”. Through the power of his divine love he forgives our sins and reconciles us to the Father and with ourselves.

Jesus is pleased with the crowd’s showing their affection for him. When the Pharisees ask him to silence the children and the others who are acclaiming him, he responds: “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Lk 19:40). Nothing could dampen their enthusiasm for Jesus’ entry. May nothing prevent us from finding in him the source of our joy, true joy, which abides and brings peace; for it is Jesus alone who saves us from the snares of sin, death, fear and sadness.

Mother Teresa’s canonization date expected on March 15 - Vatican Radio

Pope Francis will hold an ordinary public consistory of cardinals in the Vatican March 15, during which he will sign the decree for the canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata and four others.  The dates and venue  of their sainthood ceremony are expected to be declared at the consistory.  Pope Francis had officially cleared Blessed Mother Teresa for sainthood on Dec. 17, 2015, recognizing the miraculous healing through her intercession of a Brazilian man with multiple brain abscesses.   Mother Teresa was conferred the title Blessed in Rome, Italy, on October 19, 2003, after Pope St. John Paul II recognized  the miraculous healing of an Indian woman with a tumour in her abdomen.

Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu‎ of Albanian parents on ‎August 26, 1910, in Skopje, in what ‎is ‎Macedonia today, Mother Teresa died in Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, on September 5, ‎‎1997.  ‎Affectionately known as the "saint of the gutter" for her unconditional ‎love ‎for the poor, abandoned and the marginalized, she earned several international honours, including ‎the ‎Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Pope and Patriarch call for an end to terrorism and persecution of Christians - UPDATED

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis and the Russian Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill on Friday concluded a historic encounter in the Cuban capital with an urgent appeal for an end to conflict and the persecution of Christians across the Middle East.

The appeal came in a Joint Declaration which the two leaders signed at the end of a two hour private conversation at Havana airport, signaling the start of a new era of relations between Catholics and the Russian Orthodox Church.

Listen to Philippa Hitchen's report for Vatican Radio HERE.

(Vatican Radio) On board the papal plane following the meeting with Patriarch Kirill, Pope Francis told journalists that “it was a conversation between brothers.”

Speaking en route to Mexico the Pope said that he and the Patriarch spoke about their respective Churches, the situation in the world, wars, orthodoxy and also the next pan-orthodox Synod. He added that he really felt, “an inner joy that came from the Lord”.

The Pope reaffirmed the freedom that was felt during the meeting which included the presence of Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Metropolitan Hilarion and two interpreters.

Pope Francis also said that “possible activities in common” has been talked about, adding that “unity is a walk together.”

Commenting on the joint declaration signed after the encounter, the Holy Father stressed “it was a pastoral and not a sociological declaration.” The Pope said it was “pastoral" in the sense that it was “two bishops meeting about pastoral concerns.”.

UPDATES
Pope Francis: The Return of Ostpolitik
The Pope and the Patriarch: Something More Than Politics
Francis and Kirill: Who Played Whom? – Adam A.J. DeVille, The Catholic World Report
The Vatican Did Everything to Accommodate Patriarch Kirill, Received Little – Fr. Mark DrewHis Beatitude Sviatoslav Unhappy in Joint Declaration; Vatican Is “Weaker Team” – C.E. OlsonPope Francis: The Return of Ostpolitik – Andrea Gagliarducci, Monday Vatican
The Pope, the Patriarch, and the Pan-Orthodox Council – Edward Pentin, N.C. Register
Five Insights About Today’s Pope Francis-Patriarch Kirill Meeting – Victor Gaetan, RegisterCorrecting N.P.R. on the Differences Between Catholics and Eastern Orthodox – Trent HornEastern Orthodox Cacophony in America – Peter Berger, The American InterestThe Byzantine Rite, Jesus, Zacchaeus & Mercy – Kevin Bezner, The Christian Review
Seven Thoughts on the "Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill" - Catholic World Report
The Havana Declaration - First Things

A Papal roundup for Ash Wednesday

In a break with papal tradition, Pope Francis celebrated Mass and received the imposition of the ashes for Ash Wednesday in St Peter's Basilica in Rome today. Rather than going to Santa Sabina to celebrate Mass, Pope Francis commissioned hundreds of “Missionaries of Mercy” during Mass on Ash Wednesday at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In his Bull announcing the Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Holy Father said the Missionaries of Mercy “would be a sign of the Church’s maternal solicitude for the People of God, enabling them to enter the profound richness of this mystery so fundamental to the faith.” Priests chosen to be Missionaries of Mercy have also been given the authority to pardon “even those sins reserved to the Holy See.” Above all, the Pope said, they will be “living signs of the Father’s readiness to welcome those in search of his pardon.”

During Ash Wednesday Mass, the Pope focused on the theme of mercy as we begin the season of Lent.

Vatican Radio report of the Mass including the Pope's homily is available here

 

 



“If the Jubilee does not touch the pocket, it is not a true jubilee”. At the General Audience on Ash Wednesday morning, the Holy Father stated, without mincing words, that the Holy Year must serve “to combat poverty”. To the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square on 10 February, Francis offered a historical reflection on the biblical roots of the Jubilee as an occasion for fostering justice and sharing. Vatican Radio has a translation of the Pope’s catechesis, which he delivered in Italian here.



Vatican Radio follows SS102fm to a story.........

Of interest on Vatican Radio this morning is an interview with Cathal Barry of the Irish Catholic newspaper about the study guide written by Fr Eamon Conway and himself to help people work through the papal encyclical "Laudato Si". We kindly refer you to SS102fm interview with Fr Eamonn Conway here.

Pope leads liturgy for Day of Prayer for Care of Creation

 

Pope Francis on Tuesday marked his first World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in Saint Peter’s Basilica with the celebration of a Liturgy of the Word.

Listen to Christopher Wells' report and read the full report from Vatican Radio HERE.

Vatican Radio - Pope marks first World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation 

NCR - Contemplate, give thanks, protect: Pope Francis prays for creation

Cardinal Turkson Discusses the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Huffington Post - Pope Francis Urges The Rich And Powerful To ‘Care’ For The Planet

‘Protect every life to prepare for a better future’ says Pope on World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Vatican Radio - Corpus Christi: a musical meditation

To mark the Solemnity of Corpus Christi Vatican Radio share a musical meditation which focuses on the Fifth Mystery of Light: 'The Institution of the Eucharist'. Among the many Eucharistic texts set to music chosen for this meditation by their music historian Monsignor Philip Whitmore is ‘O Sacrum Convivium’. 

Listen to a musical meditation which focuses on the V Mystery of Light presented by Monsignor Philip Whitmore and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick:  

Corpus Christi in Rome - "The Eucharist is not a prize for the strong" - Pope Francis

Outside the Anglophone world, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is still marked on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday (60 days after Easter) so yesterday it was celebrated in Rome. The Pope presided at Mass in the basilica of St. John Lateran, then traveled by car across the city of Rome to the basilica of St. Mary Major to greet the Eucharistic procession there and join in adoration and Benediction.

In his homily at the Mass, the Pope said that the Eucharist is “the viaticum that allows us to go forward and move along.”

2015-06-05 L’Osservatore Romano

“The Eucharist is not a prize for the good, but is strength for the weak, for sinners”, the only true antidote capable of freeing mankind from corruption. Late in the afternoon on Thursday, 4 June, celebrating the Mass for Corpus Domini on the parvis of the Basilica of St John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome, before the Eucharistic procession to the Church of St Mary Major, Pope Francis once again gave a stern admonition against the danger of corruption.

In his usual fashion, the Pontiff enhanced his prepared text with several off-the-cuff remarks, cautioning against a twofold threat, summarized by the words “to have no part in Him” and “to despair”. Regarding the first phrase, he emphasized that we have no part in Jesus “when we do not live in fraternity among ourselves, when we compete to be in first place” and “when we do not find the courage to be witnesses of charity”. On the contrary, “the Eucharist keeps us from having no part in him”. Through the Eucharist, “being nourished of him, we are included in a journey which admits no division”. Because, Pope Francis explained, Christ “commands that the power of love overcome every laceration, and at the same time that it also become communion with the poorest, support for the weak, fraternal attention to those who struggle to bear the weight of daily life, and are at risk of losing their faith”.

With regard to the second term, the Pope highlighted that it means “to water down our Christian dignity”, in other words “allowing ourselves to be undermined by the idolatries of our time: appearances, consumption, egocentrism; but also competitiveness, arrogance”, and “never admitting to mistakes or to being in need”. All this, he said, “leads us to despair, making us mediocre, lukewarm, bland, pagan Christians”. From here came the exhortation that we drink at the font of the Blood of Christ in order “to be shielded from the risk of corruption. Thus we will feel the grace of transformation: we will always be poor sinners, but the Blood of Christ will free us from our sins and restore our dignity”.

Audio report from Vatican Radio here.

CNA - Pope leads Rome's Corpus Christi procession on behalf of persecuted Christians

Below a Vatican Radio translation of Pope Francis' Homily for the feast of Corpus Domini:

In the Last Supper, Jesus gives His Body and his Blood by means of the bread and the wine, to leave us the memorial of His sacrifice of infinite love. With this viaticum full to overflowing with grace, the disciples have everything they need for their long journey through history, to extend the kingdom of God to everyone. Light and strength will be for them the gift that Jesus made of Himself, sacrificing Himself voluntarily on the Cross. This Bread of Life has come down to us! 

The Church is in unending awe before this reality – an awe that endlessly nourishes contemplation, adoration, memory. This is seen in a beautiful text of today’s Liturgy, the Responsory of the second reading of the Office of Readings, which says: “See in this bread the body of Christ which hung upon the cross, and in this cup the blood which flowed from His side. Take His body, then, and eat it; take His blood and drink it, and you will become His members. The body of Christ is the bond which unites you to him: eat it, or you will have no part in him. The blood is the price he paid for your redemption: drink it, lest you despair of your sinfulness.” 

We ask ourselves what it means today, to be torn from Him, to despair – as cowards – of our sinfulness [what is this cowardliness – svilirci – of which Christ speaks to us through the Church at prayer]? 

We are torn from Him when we are not obedient to the Word of the Lord, when we do not live brotherhood between us, when we race to occupy the first places, when we find the courage to witness to charity, when we are unable to offer hope. The Eucharist allows us to be not torn from Him, for it is the bond of communion, is the fulfillment of the Covenant, a living sign of the love of Christ who humbled and annihilated Himself for us, that we might remain united. By participating in the Eucharist and by feeding on it, we are inserted into a way that does not admit divisions. The Christ present in our midst, in the signs of bread and wine, requires that the power of love exceed every laceration, and at the same time that it become communion with the poor, support for the weak, fraternal attention to those who are struggling to carry the weight of everyday life. 

And what it means for us today “svilirci” – to be cowardly, to despair of our sinfulness, that is, to let our Christian dignity be watered down, [or to adulterate it ourselves]? It means to let ourselves be affected by the idolatries of our time: appearance, consumption, the self at the center of everything; but also being competitive, arrogance as the winning attitude, the idea that one never need admit to a mistake or to find oneself in need. All this demeans us, makes us mediocre, lukewarm, insipid Christians. 

Jesus shed his blood as a ransom and as a lavacrum – a cleansing agent, that we might be purified of all sins:  in order that we fall not into cowardice, despair of sinfulness, that we not become weak, let us look to him, let us drink deep draughts from His source, that we might be preserved from the risk of corruption. Then shall we experience the grace of a transformation: we will remain always poor sinners, but the Blood of Christ will deliver us from our sins and give us back our dignity. Without merit of our own, with sincere humility, we can bring to our brethren the love of our Lord and Savior. We will be His eyes that go in search of Zacchaeus and of the Magdalene; we will be His hand who helps the sick in body and spirit; we will be His heart that loves those in need of reconciliation and understanding. 

Thus does the Eucharist make present the Covenant that sanctifies us, purifies us and unites us in marvelous communion with God. 

Today, the feast of Corpus Domini, we have the joy not only of celebrating this mystery, but also of praising Him and singing in the streets of our city. May the procession we will make at the end of the Mass, express our gratitude for all the journey that God has allowed us to make through  the desert of our poverty, to take us out of slavery, by nourishing us with His love through the Sacrament of his Body and the Blood. 

In a little while we shall walk along the way, let us perceive ourselves in communion with our many brothers and sisters who do not have the freedom to express their faith in the Lord Jesus. Let us feel ourselves united with them, let us sing with them, praise with them, adore with them. And we venerate in our hearts those brothers and sisters from whom the sacrifice of their lives has been required for fidelity to Christ: let their blood, united to that of the Lord, be a pledge of peace and reconciliation for the whole world.

Children's train arrives in Vatican for meeting with Pope Francis - “Never stop dreaming … You can fly with your dreams, and dreaming opens the doors to happiness”

“Never stop dreaming … You can fly with your dreams, and dreaming opens the doors to happiness”; said Pope Francis to the six hundred children on the “Children's Train”, an initiative of the Courtyard of the Gentiles in support of children who live in difficult situations. This year it was dedicated to the children of detainees in the Italian penitentiaries of Roma, Civitavecchia, Latina, Bari and Trani, on the theme “Flight”.

The train, on which two-hundred children travelled from Bari and Trani, arrived at the Vatican railway station, where they joined those already present from the other three provinces. Upon arrival they were welcomed by Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture and Michele Mario Elia, director of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane SpA, the Italian rail network infrastructure company.


The Holy Father met with the passengers of the train in the Paul VI Hall, and spoke with them on the theme of flight, inviting them to fly with their imagination to be with their families and to fulfil their dreams.

Pope Francis presents Bull of Indiction of Jubilee of Mercy

In a ceremony in the nathrax (porch area) of St Peter's Basilica this evening, before First Vespers for the Feast of Divine Mercy, Pope Francis officially convoked the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy with the publication of the Bull of Indiction, “Misericordiae vultus”. 

The Jubilee Bull, aside from indicating the duration, opening and closing dates, and the main ways in which the Holy Year will unfold, constitutes the basic document for understanding the spirit in which it was convoked, as well as Pope Francis' intentions and the fruit he hopes the Year will bear.

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(Vatican Radio) - Pope Francis on Saturday afternoon proceeded with the presentation of the official Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, set to begin December 8.

The bull is the fundamental document for the Holy Year that outlines the overall spirit and intentions for the Jubilee, as well as the spiritual fruits that are hoped for.

In the document, Pope Francis says the Holy Year is “dedicated to living out in our daily lives the mercy” which God “constantly extends to all of us.”

He explains the year will begin on December 8 to commemorate both the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council, which called the Church to proclaim the Gospel to the world in new ways, bringing God’s mercy to everyone.

After the Holy Door of St Peter’s is open on December 8, the Holy Doors of the other papal basilicas will be opened in subsequent days. As well, as a sign of communion of the whole Church, the pope has requested that every diocese in the world open a similar “Door of Mercy” for the local celebrations of the Jubilee.

The document develops three main themes.

First, Pope Francis elaborates the theological understanding of God’s mercy, explaining the role of mercy in the life of people and of the Church, who are both the beneficiaries and the witnesses to God’s mercy in the world.

“The mercy of God is not an abstract idea, but a concrete reality through which he reveals his love as that of a father or a mother, moved to the very depths out of love for their child,” the Pope writes.

“Mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life,” he continues. “The Church’s very credibility is seen in how she shows merciful and compassionate love.”

He recalls that the motto of the Holy Year is “Merciful like the Father.”

“Wherever the Church is present, the mercy of the Father must be evident,” he writes. “Wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy.”

As  a second theme, the Pope offers practical ways to live well the Holy Year: go on pilgrimage as an “impetus to conversion”; do not judge or condemn but forgive and give, avoiding gossip, envy and jealousy; have a heart open to the fringes of society and bring consolation, mercy and solidarity to people who live in precarious situations; take up the corporal and spiritual acts of mercy with joy; and observe the “24 Hours for the Lord” initiative, which encourages prayer and the sacrament of reconciliation, in every diocese during Lent.

He also addresses confessors, encouraging them to be “authentic signs of the Father’s mercy.” And, during Lent of the Holy Year, the Pope says he will send out “Missionaries of Mercy”–priests to whom he will grant “the authority to pardon even those sins reserved to the Holy See.” They will be “living signs of the Father’s readiness to welcome those in search of his pardon,” he writes.

As a third theme, the Pope issues particular calls for justice and conversion. He asks members of criminal organizations and those involved in corruption to change their lives and to embrace God’s mercy.

He also notes that both Judaism and Islam “consider mercy to be one of God’s most important attributes.” And he expresses “trust that this Jubilee… will foster an encounter” with these and other religions that will “open us to even more fervent dialogue” toward greater knowledge and understanding, “eliminate every form of closed-mindedness and disrespect and drive out every form of violence and discrimination.”

He also recalls the relationship between justice and mercy as “two dimensions of a single reality that…culminates in the fullness of love.”

“God does not deny justice,” he continues. “He rather envelopes it and surpasses it with an even greater event (mercy) in which we experience love as the foundation of true justice.”

The pope concludes the bull with an invocation to Mary, witness to God’s mercy and recalls saint who dedicated their lives to making God’s mercy known, namely the Polish St Faustina Kowalska.

After excerpts from the document were read on Saturday evening, Pope Francis gave a copy of the bull to the cardinal archpriests of each of the four papal basilicas in Rome, as well as to cardinals from the different continents, representing the Church throughout the world. 

As with all Jubilees, a plenary indulgence is granted during the Holy Year of Mercy for those who fulfill all of the usual requirements.

The Holy Year will conclude on November 20, 2016, on the feast of Christ the King. 

• You can read about the ceremony details from Vatican Radio - The Pope to officially convoke the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
• What is a Holy Year and what are the Holy Doors? Catholic News Service looks at Proclaiming the Holy Year at the Holy Door
• Vatican Radio also looks at what is a Jubilee Year, what are the Holy Doors and traditions surrounding them - Jubilee rituals down the centuries: Holy Doors and Hammers

Good Friday 2015 in Rome with Pope Francis - Updated

Pope Francis commemorates the Lord's Passion

Pope Francis presided over the liturgy of Our Lord's Passion in St Peter's Basilica on Good Friday. The celebration, recalling the events leading up to Jesus' Crucifixion and death on the Cross, included reflections given by the preacher of the Papal Household, Father Raniero Cantalamessa.

The Pope lays on the floor of St. Peter's Basilica to pray before the ceremony of the Passion of Christ. The gesture takes place on Good Friday as a sign of penance and adoration of the Cross.

The Good Friday homily delivered today in St. Peter's Basilica by Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the Pontifical Household. - Zenit

Pope Francis attends Stations of the Cross in the Colosseum

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Good Friday was scheduled to lead the traditional torch-lit Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession at Rome’s Colosseum. The meditations for the 14 Stations of the Cross have been written this year by Renato Corti, Bishop Emeritus of Novara in Italy and are intended to guide the faithful in an exercise of imagining what Jesus was thinking and feeling as he carried the Cross along Jerusalem’s Via Dolorosa.

The theme for the meditations is the Cross as the radiant culmination of God’s protective love and in his introduction Bishop Corti said his writings refer constantly to the gift of our being protected by this love. He said we, in turn, have the task of being loving protectors of all creation, of every person, especially the poor.

Bishop Corti explained that the meditations also consider some of those challenging situations, which, for better or worse, are typical of our own time including the crucified of today and those who crucify others.

At the second station where Jesus takes up his cross, the meditations include a prayer for the fundamental right of religious freedom using an excerpt from the words of a modern-day martyr, Shahbaz Bhatti. He was a Catholic and the minister for religious minorities in Pakistan who was murdered in 2011 for his work on behalf of religious minorities.

At the 10th station where Jesus is stripped of his garments, the meditations underline the evil of child abuse as it looks at the appalling realities of human trafficking, child soldiers and slave labour.

Click here for the full English translation of the meditations

Holy Thursday with Pope Francis in Rome 2015

Chrism Mass in Rome - Pope Francis to priests: Christ is our strength in ministry

From Vatican Radio - Pope Francis celebrated the Chrism Mass on Thursday morning in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Chrism Mass is the liturgy in which the oils – of the infirm, of the catechumens, and the sacred chrism – are blessed for use in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick, throughout the year. It is also an occasion on which bishops traditionally reflect on the nature of priestly ministry, with the priests of their diocese.

ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty
Pope Francis blows in an amphora containing holy oil
during a Chrism mass for Holy Thursday
on April 2, 2015 at St Peter's basilica

In his homily, Pope Francis focused on three particular forms of weariness that can affect priests, especially, in their lives: the weariness of the crowd, which the Holy Father described as, “[A] good and healthy tiredness,” which is “the exhaustion of the priest who wears the smell of the sheep… but also smiles the smile of a father rejoicing in his children or grandchildren.” ; the weariness of enemies – a particular danger, since, “The evil one is far more astute than we are, and he is able to demolish in a moment what it took us years of patience to build up, so that priests must take heart in the words of the Lord, “Have courage!  I have overcome the world! (Jn. 16:33)”; and, weariness of oneself, which arises when the priest loses sight of the truth that his work is – first and last – a labour of love, for which Pope Francis counsels, “Only love gives true rest,” adding, “what is not loved becomes tiresome, and in time, brings about a harmful weariness.”

The Holy Father concluded his reflection with a reminder that priests, too, are disciples of Christ with a special vocation within the Church, saying that, when priests remember that Christ loved all of us first, and loved us to the end, “Our discipleship itself is cleansed by Jesus, so that we can rightly feel ‘joyful’, ‘fulfilled’, ‘free of fear and guilt’, and impelled to go out ‘even to the ends of the earth, to every periphery.’  In this way we can bring the good news to the most abandoned, knowing that ‘he is with us always, even to the end of the world.’”

You can read the full homily HERE.

Pope Francis celebrates In Coena Domini Mass at Rebibbia prison

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday evening celebrated the Mass of the Lord's Supper at Rome's Rebibbia prison.  The Mass was also attended by inmates at a nearby women's detention centre.  During the Mass Pope Francis washed the feet of 6 men and 6 women, including one mother holding her small child in her lap.

During his off-the-cuff homily, Pope Francis focused on the passage of the Gospel reading which said "He loved His own in the world, and He loved them until the end."

"He loves us without limits, until the end," Pope Francis said.  "He never tires of loving....He loves all of us, so that he would even give his own life for us." Pope Francis pointed at individual inmates and said, Jesus gave his life "for you, for you, for you, for me...for everyone, first name and last name. His love is like this...so personal."

The Holy Father told them God "never tires of loving, as he never tires of embracing us." Quoting Isaiah, Pope Francis said: "God's love has no limits – 'Even if a mom forgets her child, I won't forget you.' That's God's love for us."

During the Rite of the Washing of the Feet, several of the inmates cried as the Pope washed their feet.  One woman detainee from Africa was holding her young child, and the Pope washed his feet, too.

Earlier in his homily, the Pope has said in the time of Jesus, washing feet was the work of a slave. "Jesus is so loving, that he became a slave to serve us, to heal us, to cleanse us," said Pope Francis. "I also need to be cleansed by the Lord," he said. "And for this, pray during this Mass, so that the Lord also washes my sins and stains, too, so that I become more slave-like in the service of people as Jesus did."

Pope Francis homily from Zenit.

Pope Francis calls an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy

In a surprise move during penitential service to mark "24 hours for the Lord" in Rome, Pope Francis has indicated his intention to call an extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy from December 8th 2015 to 30th November 2016.

• Text of Pope Francis' homily with announcement of Year of Mercy
• Rocco's report - A "Jubilee of Mercy" – On 2nd Anniversary, Pope Calls Extraordinary Holy Year of "God's Forgiveness"
• Crux - In a surprise move, Pope Francis declares a Holy Year of Mercy
• NCR - Francis announces new global jubilee, the Holy Year of Mercy

But what is a Jubilee Year (the last one was the Great Jubilee of 2000) and why is Pope Francis calling an extraordinary one?

From Vatican Radio: 

In St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis announced today, March 13, 2015, the celebration of an “extraordinary Holy Year”. This “Jubilee of Mercy” will commence with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 2015, and will conclude on November 20, 2016 with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. 

At the start of the new year, the Holy Father had stated: “This is the time of mercy. It is important that the lay faithful live it and bring it into different social environments. Go forth!”
The Jubilee announcement had been made on the second anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, during his homily for the penitential liturgy with which the Holy Father opened the “24 Hours for the Lord”. This initiative, proposed by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, promotes throughout the world the opening of churches for an extended period of time for the purpose of inviting people to the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The theme for this year has been taken from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, “God rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4). 

The opening of this next Jubilee will take place on the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council in 1965. This is of great significance, for it impels the Church to continue the work begun at Vatican II. 

During the Jubilee, the Sunday readings for Ordinary Time will be taken from the Gospel of Luke, the one referred to as “the evangelist of mercy”. Dante Alighieri describes him as “scriba mansuetudinis Christi”, “narrator of the meekness of Christ”. There are many well-known parables of mercy presented in the Gospel of Luke: the lost sheep, the lost coin, the merciful father.

The Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica
(CNS photo/Paul Haring)

The official and solemn announcement of the Holy Year will take place with the public proclamation of the Bolla [papal bull] in front of the Holy Door on Divine Mercy Sunday, the Feast instituted by Saint John Paul II and celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. 

In the ancient Hebrew tradition, the Jubilee Year, which was celebrated every 50 years, was meant to restore equality among all of the children of Israel, offering new possibilities to families which had lost their property and even their personal freedom. In addition, the Jubilee Year was a reminder to the rich that a time would come when their Israelite slaves would once again become their equals and would be able to reclaim their rights. “Justice, according to the Law of Israel, consisted above all in the protection of the weak” (St. John Paul II, Tertio millenio adveniente 13). 

The Catholic tradition of the Holy Year began with Pope Boniface VIII in 1300. Boniface VIII had envisioned a Jubilee every century. From 1475 onwards – in order to allow each generation to experience at least one Holy Year – the ordinary Jubilee was to be celebrated every 25 years. However, an extraordinary Jubilee may be announced on the occasion of an event of particular importance. 

Until present, there have been 26 ordinary Holy Year celebrations, the last of which was the Jubilee of 2000. The custom of calling extraordinary Jubilees dates back to the XVI century. The last extraordinary Holy Years, which were celebrated during the previous century, were those in 1933, proclaimed by Pius XI to celebrate XIX hundred years of Redemption and in 1983, proclaimed by John Paul II on the occasion of the 1950 years of Redemption. 

The Catholic Church has given to the Hebrew Jubilee a more spiritual significance. It consists in a general pardon, an indulgence open to all, and the possibility to renew one’s relationship with God and neighbor. Thus, the Holy Year is always an opportunity to deepen one’s faith and to live with a renewed commitment to Christian witness. 

With the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis focuses attention upon the merciful God who invites all men and women to return to Him. The encounter with God inspires in one the virtue of mercy. 

The initial rite of the Jubilee is the opening of the Holy Door. This door is one which is only opened during the Holy Year and which remains closed during all other years. Each of the four major basilicas of Rome has a Holy Door: Saint Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. Mary Major. This rite of the opening of the Holy Door illustrates symbolically the idea that, during the Jubilee, the faithful are offered an “extraordinary pathway” towards salvation. 

The Holy Doors of the other Basilicas will be opened after the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

Mercy is a theme very dear to Pope Francis, as is expressed in the episcopal motto he had chosen: “miserando atque eligendo”. This citation is taken from the homily of Saint Bede the Venerable during which he commented on the Gospel passage of the calling of Saint Matthew: “Vidit ergo lesus publicanum et quia miserando atque eligendo vidit, ait illi Sequere me” (Jesus therefore sees the tax collector, and since he sees by having mercy and by choosing, he says to him, ‘follow me’). This homily is a tribute to divine mercy. One possible translation of this motto is “With eyes of mercy”. 

During the first Angelus after his elections, the Holy Father stated: “Feeling mercy, that this word changes everything. This is the best thing we can feel: it changes the world. A little mercy makes the world less cold and more just. We need to understand properly this mercy of God, this merciful Father who is so patient” (Angelus, March 17, 2013). 

In his Angelus on January 11, 2015, he stated: “There is so much need of mercy today, and it is important that the lay faithful live it and bring it into different social environments. Go forth! We are living in the age of mercy, this is the age of mercy”. Then, in his 2015 Lenten Message, the Holy Father expressed: “How greatly I desire that all those places where the Church is present, especially our parishes and our communities, may become islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference!” 

In the English edition of the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium the term mercy appears 32 times. 

Pope Francis has entrusted the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization with the organization of the Jubilee of Mercy.

'Vatican Weekend’ for February 22, 2015

(Vatican Radio) 'Vatican Weekend’ for February 22, 2015 features a reflection on the Sunday Gospel for our series,‘There’s More in the Sunday Gospel than Meets the Eye’ presented by Jill Bevilacqua, and ‘Joan Knows...’ in which EWTN's bureau chief here in Rome, Joan Lewis takes a look at the past week’s events in the Vatican.

A programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick can be listened to HERE.

Novena for Peace in Nigeria - Vatican News

Diocese starts novena for peace in Nigeria following Boko Haram attacks and killing of 2,000 people: Pray with us!

The Diocese of Maiduguri led by its Bishop, Oliver Dashe Doeme has started a nine day novena of prayer for peace. The novena will end and coincide with Nigeria’s presidential and general elections scheduled for14 February, 2015. Maiduguri Diocese Director of Communications, Fr. Gideon Obasogie has made a passionate appeal calling on all Nigerians and well-wishers all over the world to pray for peace in Nigeria,

“The Diocese of Maiduguri has suffered greatly from terrorist activities of the radical Islamist sect, Boko Haram. From the waves of recent attacks, we have seen for ourselves, a group of miscreants, successfully snowball into a sophisticated and ferocious terrorist network capable of pulling down nations. We have come to witness a culture of savagery and bloodletting over the years perpetrated by Boko Haram,” said Fr. Obasogie. He continues to say that the Northeastern part of Nigeria is still experiencing unrelenting large-scale slaughter of innocent civilians. “The mayhem inflicted on helpless citizens is unprecedented and irreparable. Lives have been lost and thousands are now internally displaced or have crossed the border as refugees, while opportunity for growth and progress have been truncated,” Fr. Obasogie explained.

Acccording to Fr. Obasogie the Diocese of Maiduguri is currently faced with the challenge of caring for IDPs. He concluded, “Pray with us!”

(e-mail: engafrica@vatiradio.va)

BELOW IS THE OFFICIAL PRAYER FOR PEACE IN NIGERIA

God the Father our creator, God the Son our Redeemer, God the Holy Spirit our Sanctifier! 

We praise and thank you for the precious gift of Nigeria, which was and still remains a cosmopolitan, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic as well as multi-religious society. Your gift of tolerance, moderation, accommodation and Love for one another were the traits that made great this people and this society. 

Sadly though, in recent times, they have been plagued by political, ethnic and religious crises and have suffered the destruction of lives and property. We humbly ask for the gift of reconciliation, that we forgive each other. Heal the wounds with the radiance of your love and mercy. Teach us to live in peace and harmony. 

May their leaders be instruments of love, peace, tolerance, social and economic development. Help them to be selfless in service and to lead their people in the path of dialogue and reconciliation, so that they can truly be one family, working for the common good. May dissenting views be a source of harmony and peaceful coexistence! Bless and provide for their youth and help them to be peace loving. 

Lord may the weapons of evil, hatred and violence be silenced by love. May we enjoy unity and stability as your children who live, move and have our being in you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

O Jesus prince of peace: be merciful, restore permanent peace to the world and, these days especially, to Nigeria, from north to south. 

Our Lady Queen of Peace: Obtain for us peace in our hearts, peace in our families, peace in our countries.
Amen