(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the members of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America on Friday. Founded in 1958 to offer advice and assistance to the particular Churches in Latin America, the Commission operates under the Congregation for Bishops. Members have been in Plenary Assembly this week to discuss the theme: Educational Emergency and the Transmission of the Faith to Latin American Youth.
In remarks delivered to the members on Friday in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, Pope Francis addressed the topic under their consideration through the key of the Gospel story of Jesus and the rich young man.
The Holy Father went on to say that a welcoming disposition is prior to any act of teaching. “Christ stopped, looked with affection, with love, on [the young man],” he said, adding, “The Lord puts himself in each person’s situation, even those who reject him.” Noting the many grave difficulties that young people in Latin America often face, such as school failure , unemployment , loneliness , bitterness in broken families, Pope Francis said, “We are asked not to abandon young people,” but to help foster in them a sense of their own dignity, and help them feel loved and included.
This welcoming disposition, however, does not exclude genuine dialogue with young people. “Jesus engaged in a frank and cordial dialogue with the young man,” said Pope Francis. “He listened to his concerns and clarified them in the light of Sacred Scripture.”
Finally, Christ invites the young man to follow Him. “Go, sell all that you have…and come follow me,” said Pope Francis, quoting the words of Our Lord to the rich youth. “These words,” he added, “have not lost their timeliness.” He called on the members of the Commission to help young people become friends of Christ.
“Dear brothers,” concluded Pope Francis, “young people are counting on us. Let us not disappoint them.”
Text from Vatican Radio website
In remarks delivered to the members on Friday in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, Pope Francis addressed the topic under their consideration through the key of the Gospel story of Jesus and the rich young man.
The Holy Father went on to say that a welcoming disposition is prior to any act of teaching. “Christ stopped, looked with affection, with love, on [the young man],” he said, adding, “The Lord puts himself in each person’s situation, even those who reject him.” Noting the many grave difficulties that young people in Latin America often face, such as school failure , unemployment , loneliness , bitterness in broken families, Pope Francis said, “We are asked not to abandon young people,” but to help foster in them a sense of their own dignity, and help them feel loved and included.
This welcoming disposition, however, does not exclude genuine dialogue with young people. “Jesus engaged in a frank and cordial dialogue with the young man,” said Pope Francis. “He listened to his concerns and clarified them in the light of Sacred Scripture.”
Finally, Christ invites the young man to follow Him. “Go, sell all that you have…and come follow me,” said Pope Francis, quoting the words of Our Lord to the rich youth. “These words,” he added, “have not lost their timeliness.” He called on the members of the Commission to help young people become friends of Christ.
“Dear brothers,” concluded Pope Francis, “young people are counting on us. Let us not disappoint them.”
Text from Vatican Radio website
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT:
27 Feb 2014
27 Feb 2014
Apostolic Administrator Peter Comensoli with Cardinal Pell when ordained an auxiliary bishop at St Mary's Cathedral.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney welcomes the appointment of Bishop Peter Comensoli by Pope Francis to the position of Administrator of the Archdiocese.
Bishop Comensoli was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney in June 2011.
He will be the Apostolic Administrator for the Archdiocese, for the day-to-day running of the Archdiocese, until a new Archbishop is appointed.
This follows the decision by Pope Francis to appoint Cardinal Pell to the role of Prefect of the new Secretariat for the Economy at the Vatican.
Bishop Peter Comensoli said he was grateful for the confidence shown to him but emphasised this role was purely one of caretaker.
"My primary responsibility will be one of caretaker and by that I mean taking care of the people in the Archdiocese of Sydney with the support of those with whom I have been working for the past couple of years.
Bishop Comensoli was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney in June 2011.
He will be the Apostolic Administrator for the Archdiocese, for the day-to-day running of the Archdiocese, until a new Archbishop is appointed.
This follows the decision by Pope Francis to appoint Cardinal Pell to the role of Prefect of the new Secretariat for the Economy at the Vatican.
Bishop Peter Comensoli said he was grateful for the confidence shown to him but emphasised this role was purely one of caretaker.
"My primary responsibility will be one of caretaker and by that I mean taking care of the people in the Archdiocese of Sydney with the support of those with whom I have been working for the past couple of years.
"I would ask all to pray for our new Archbishop - whomever and whenever that may be," the 49-year old Bishop said.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
TENSIONS INCREASE IN THAILAND AND PROTESTERS ANNOUNCE MORE DEMONSTRATIONS
ASIA NEWS IT REPORT: Opposition leaders announced renewed demonstrations around ministries and Shinawatra offices. Suthep Thaugsuban proposes a televised debate and accuses the government of killing "innocent children". The government rejects the proposal. Yingluck is under investigation for "negligence" in office and risks trial.
Bangkok ( AsiaNews / Agencies) - Anti-government protesters have announced a new round of protest in front of ministries and offices linked to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, in an attempt to keep the pressure on the executive and force her to resign . Tension and violence is mounting with attacks and bombings on a daily basis, so much so that several foreign embassies - including Australia and the US - have raised the alert level for their fellow citizens. Meanwhile, the leader of the revolt has opened - albeit vaguely - to the possibility of negotiations with the government. Yesterday Suthep Thaugsuban proposed a live televised debate with the Prime Minister. However, a few hours later, during a rally, he also accused the government of being responsible (according to him) for the two bomb attacks against protesters last weekend.
The protest movement that began in November last year wants to see the ouster of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is accused of being a "puppet" in the hands of her brother Thaksin, a billionaire and former prime minister who is in exile to avoid a two-year prison sentence. The latter is disliked by many people close to the monarchy, who fear he might seek to weaken the system, which is particularly fragile at a time when King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 86, is in poor health.
After launching the idea of a televised debate, Suthep harangued the crowd blaming Prime Minister Yingluck for the deaths of "four innocent children", while daring the people of the north and north- east (mostly farmers linked to the Shinawatra family) to come to the capital and "start a civil war". "Let's see - added the opposition leader in a crescendo of threats - who can gather more supporters".
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister who is currently in Chiang Mai - northern Thailand - has responded tepidly to the possibility of a televised debate. "The talks have to have a framework, though I am not sure what that framework would look like" she said, adding; "But many parties have to be involved because I alone cannot answer on behalf of the Thai people". Even the Minister of Labour Chalerm Yoobamrung rejected the idea of a televised debate, noting that "Yingluck is the legitimate leader of the country" while just Suthep is the leader of an "illegal movement" with "arrest warrants" weighing on his shoulders.
Meanwhile yesterday, Yingluck was expected appear before the Anti-Corruption Commission , to answer charges of "negligence" in the discharge of her duties of office. The reference is to the government plan of subsidies linked to production of rice, which has left thousands of farmers with no money and almost drained the state coffers. The prime minister was formally indicted and if found guilty, faces up to five years' disqualification from public office . The lawyers have until March 14 to disprove the charges, otherwise she will be brought to court.
The anti -government protests - a mix of members of the middle class, royalists and the inhabitants of the south - are the biggest since 2010, when the kingdom was shaken by a series of riots that ended in bloodshed and death 90 civilians. According to sources in the Medical Department of Bangkok, the death toll since the crisis is at least 22 dead and over 700 injured. February 2, elections were held - boycotted by the opposition Democratic Party - which sanctioned the victory of Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party, but the vote is not yet final; some provinces of the south still have to vote , an area seen as a democratic stronghold.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
Bangkok ( AsiaNews / Agencies) - Anti-government protesters have announced a new round of protest in front of ministries and offices linked to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, in an attempt to keep the pressure on the executive and force her to resign . Tension and violence is mounting with attacks and bombings on a daily basis, so much so that several foreign embassies - including Australia and the US - have raised the alert level for their fellow citizens. Meanwhile, the leader of the revolt has opened - albeit vaguely - to the possibility of negotiations with the government. Yesterday Suthep Thaugsuban proposed a live televised debate with the Prime Minister. However, a few hours later, during a rally, he also accused the government of being responsible (according to him) for the two bomb attacks against protesters last weekend.
The protest movement that began in November last year wants to see the ouster of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is accused of being a "puppet" in the hands of her brother Thaksin, a billionaire and former prime minister who is in exile to avoid a two-year prison sentence. The latter is disliked by many people close to the monarchy, who fear he might seek to weaken the system, which is particularly fragile at a time when King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 86, is in poor health.
After launching the idea of a televised debate, Suthep harangued the crowd blaming Prime Minister Yingluck for the deaths of "four innocent children", while daring the people of the north and north- east (mostly farmers linked to the Shinawatra family) to come to the capital and "start a civil war". "Let's see - added the opposition leader in a crescendo of threats - who can gather more supporters".
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister who is currently in Chiang Mai - northern Thailand - has responded tepidly to the possibility of a televised debate. "The talks have to have a framework, though I am not sure what that framework would look like" she said, adding; "But many parties have to be involved because I alone cannot answer on behalf of the Thai people". Even the Minister of Labour Chalerm Yoobamrung rejected the idea of a televised debate, noting that "Yingluck is the legitimate leader of the country" while just Suthep is the leader of an "illegal movement" with "arrest warrants" weighing on his shoulders.
Meanwhile yesterday, Yingluck was expected appear before the Anti-Corruption Commission , to answer charges of "negligence" in the discharge of her duties of office. The reference is to the government plan of subsidies linked to production of rice, which has left thousands of farmers with no money and almost drained the state coffers. The prime minister was formally indicted and if found guilty, faces up to five years' disqualification from public office . The lawyers have until March 14 to disprove the charges, otherwise she will be brought to court.
The anti -government protests - a mix of members of the middle class, royalists and the inhabitants of the south - are the biggest since 2010, when the kingdom was shaken by a series of riots that ended in bloodshed and death 90 civilians. According to sources in the Medical Department of Bangkok, the death toll since the crisis is at least 22 dead and over 700 injured. February 2, elections were held - boycotted by the opposition Democratic Party - which sanctioned the victory of Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party, but the vote is not yet final; some provinces of the south still have to vote , an area seen as a democratic stronghold.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
POPE FRANCIS “see how beautiful love is, how beautiful marriage is, how beautiful the family is..."
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta residence in the Vatican this morning. In remarks following the readings of the day, the Holy Father focused on the beauty of marriage and warned that the Church must accompany – not condemn – those who experience failure in married life. He explained that Christ is the Bridegroom of the Church, and therefore you cannot understand one without the Other.The Holy Father also warned against giving in to the temptation to entertain “special pleading” in questions regarding marriage. The Pharisees, he noted, present Jesus with the problem of divorce. Their method, the Pope said, is always the same: “casuistry,” — “is this licit or not?”
“It is always the small case. And this is the trap, behind casuistry, behind casuistical thought, there is always a trap: against people, against us, and against God, always. ‘But is it licit to do this? To divorce his wife?’ And Jesus answered, asking them what the Law said, and explaining why Moses framed the Law as he did. But He doesn’t stop there. From [the study of the particular case], He goes to the heart of the problem, and here He goes straight to the days of Creation. That reference of the Lord is so beautiful: ‘But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh’.”
Pope Francis went on to say, “The Lord refers to the masterpiece of Creation,” which is precisely the human person, created as male and female. God said He “did not want man to be alone,” He wanted him to be with “his companion along the way.” The moment Adam meets Eve, he said, is a poetic moment: “It is the beginning of love: [a couple] going together as one flesh.” The Lord , he repeated, “always takes casuistic thought and brings it to the beginning of revelation.” On the other hand, he explained, “this masterpiece of the Lord is not finished there, in the days of Creation, because the Lord has chosen this icon to explain the love that He has for His people.” At the very point “when the people is unfaithful,” he said, God speaks to him with words of love”:
“The Lord takes this love of the masterpiece of Creation to explain the love He has for His people. And going further: when Paul needs to explain the mystery of Christ, he does it in a relationship, in reference to His Spouse: because Christ is married, Christ was married, He married the Church, His people. As the Father had married the People of Israel, Christ married His people. This is the love story, this is the history of the masterpiece of Creation – and before this path of love, this icon, casuistry falls and becomes sorrowful. When, however, this leaving one’s father and mother, and joining oneself to a woman, and going forward... when this love fails – because many times it fails – we have to feel the pain of the failure, [we must] accompany those people who have had this failure in their love. Do not condemn. Walk with them – and don’t practice casuistry on their situation.”
Pope Francis also said the Gospel episode encourages us to reflect “about this plan of love, this journey of love in Christian marriage, that God has blessed the masterpiece of His Creation,” a blessing, he said, “that has never been taken away. Not even original sin has destroyed it.” When we thinks of this, we can “see how beautiful love is, how beautiful marriage is, how beautiful the family is, how beautiful this journey is, and how much love we too [must have], how close we must be to our brothers and sisters who in life have had the misfortune of a failure in love.”
Turning again to Saint Paul, Pope Francis emphasized the beauty of “the love Christ has for His bride, the Church”:
“Here too, we must be careful that love should not fail: [it is dangerous] to speak about a bachelor-Christ (It. Cristo troppo scappolo): Christ married the Church. You can’t understand Christ without the Church, and you can’t understand the Church without Christ. This is the great mystery of the masterpiece of Creation. May the Lord give all of us the grace to understand it and also the grace to never fall into these casuistical attitudes of the Pharisees, of the teachers of the law.”
Text from Vatican Radio website
POPE FRANCIS meets with 45 Interfaith Leaders returning from Holy Land
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has met with 45 important interfaith leaders from Argentina who have just returned from the Holy Land, which the Pontiff himself is due to visit May 24-26. Thursday’s meeting in the Santa Marta guesthouse included 15 Jews, 15 Muslims and 15 Catholics. Their trip covered many of the stops which the Holy Father is expected to visit during his brief pilgrimage to Jordan , Israel and Palestine. The group met leading political and religious authorities and visited the holy sites of the three monotheistic religions.According to a report in the Vatican paper, L’Osservatore Romano, many members of the group, which included several rabbis, imams and priests, have known the Pope since he was Cardinal Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires. They had collaborated with him in inter-religious dialogue and worked with him on a number of joint social and charitable projects aimed at helping people in difficult situations.
The group said they wanted to express their friendship and spiritual closeness to the Pope by ending their pilgrimage in Rome so they could meet with the Holy Father offer him their best wishes for his ministry and for his own upcoming trip to the Holy Land.
The hour-long meeting in the Vatican was described as one of “great cordiality” and was also attended by Cardinals Kurt Koch, President of the Commission for Religious Relations with Jews , and Jean -Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue .
Text from Vatican Radio website
TODAY'S MASS ONLINE : FRI. FEB 28, 2014
Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 345
Reading 1 JAS 5:9-12
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered.
You have heard of the perseverance of Job,
and you have seen the purpose of the Lord,
because the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear,
either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath,
but let your “Yes” mean “Yes” and your “No” mean “No,”
that you may not incur condemnation.
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered.
You have heard of the perseverance of Job,
and you have seen the purpose of the Lord,
because the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear,
either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath,
but let your “Yes” mean “Yes” and your “No” mean “No,”
that you may not incur condemnation.
Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 11-12
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Gospel MK 10:1-12
Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”
TODAY'S SAINT : FEB. 28 : ST. HILARY
St. Hilary
POPE
Feast: February 28
Information:
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Elected 461; the date of his death is given as 28 Feb., 468. After the death of Leo I, an archdeacon named Hilarus, a native of Sardinia, according to the "Liber Pontificalis", was chosen to succeed him, and in all probability received consecration on 19 November, 461. Together with Julius, Bishop of Puteoli, Hilarus acted as legate of Leo I at the "Robber Synod" of Ephesus in 449. There he fought vigorously for the rights of the Roman See and opposed the condemnation of Flavian of Constantinople (see FLAVIAN, SAINT). He was therefore exposed to the violence of Dioscurus of Alexandria, and saved himself by flight. In one of his letters to the Empress Pulcheria, found in a collection of letters of Leo I ("Leonis I Epistolae", num. xlvi., in P.L., LIV, 837 sq.), Hilarus apologizes for not delivering to her the pope's letter after the synod; but owing to Dioscurus, who tried to hinder his going either to Rome or to Constantinople, he had great difficulty in making his escape in order to bring to the pontiff the news of the result of the council. His pontificate was marked by the same vigorous policy as that of his great predecessor. Church affairs in Gaul and Spain claimed his special attention. Owing to political disorganization in both countries, it was important to safeguard the hierarchy by strengthening church government. Hermes, a former archdeacon of Narbonne, had illegally acquired the bishopric of that town. Two Gallican prelates were dispatched to Rome to lay before the pope this and other matters concerning the Church in Gaul. A Roman synod held on 19 November, 462, passed judgment upon these matters, and Hilarus made known the following decisions in an Encyclical sent to the provincial bishops of Vienne, Lyons, Narbonne, and the Alps: Hermes was to remain Titular Bishop of Narbonne, but his episcopal faculties were withheld. A synod was to be convened yearly by the Bishop of Arles, for those of the provincial bishops who were able to attend; but all important matters were to be submitted to the Apostolic See. No bishop could leave his diocese without a written permission from the metropolitan; in case such permission be withheld he could appeal to the Bishop of Arles. Respecting the parishes (paroeciae) claimed by Leontius of Arles as belonging to his jurisdiction, the Gallican bishops could decide, after an investigation. Church property could not be alienated until a synod had examined into the cause of sale.
Shortly after this the pope found himself involved in another diocesan quarrel. In 463 Mamertus of Vienne had consecrated a Bishop of Die, although this Church, by a decree of Leo I, belonged to the metropolitan Diocese of Arles. When Hilarus heard of it he deputed Leontius of Arles to summon a great synod of the bishops of several provinces to investigate the matter. The synod took place and, on the strength of the report given him by Bishop Antonius, he issued an edict dated 25 February, 464, in which Bishop Veranus was commissioned to warn Mamertus that, if in the future he did not refrain from irregular ordinations, his faculties would be withdrawn. Consequently the consecration of the Bishop of Die must be sanctioned by Leontius of Arles. Thus the primatial privileges of the See of Arles were upheld as Leo I had defined them. At the same time the bishops were admonished not to overstep their boundaries, and to assemble in a yearly synod presided over by the Bishop of Arles. The metropolitan rights of the See of Embrun also over the dioceses of the Maritime Alps were protected against the encroachments of a certain Bishop Auxanius, particularly in connection with the two Churches of Nice and Cimiez.
In Spain, Silvanus, Bishop of Calahorra, had, by his episcopal ordinations, violated the church laws. Both the Metropolitan Ascanius and the bishops of the Province of Tarragona made complaint of this to the pope and asked for his decision. Before an answer came to their petition, the same bishops had recourse to the Holy See for an entirely different matter. Before his death Nundinarius, Bishop of Barcelona, expressed a wish that Irenaeus might be chosen his successor, although he had himself made Irenaeus bishop of another see. The request was granted, a Synod of Tarragona confirming the nomination of Irenaeus, after which the bishops sought the pope's approval. The Roman synod of 19 Nov., 465, took the matters up and settled them. This is the oldest Roman synod whose original records have been handed down to us. It was held in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. After an address of the pope, and the reading of the Spanish letters, the synod decided that the church laws must not be tampered with. In addition to this Hilarus sent a letter to the bishops of Tarragona, declaring that no consecration was valid without the sanction of the Metropolitan Ascanius; and no bishop was permitted to be transferred from one diocese to another, so that some one else must be chosen for Barcelona in place of Irenaeus. The bishops consecrated by Silvanus would be recognized if they had been appointed to vacant sees, and otherwise met the requirements of the Church. The "Liber Pontificalis" mentions an Encyclical that Hilarus sent to the East, to confirm the Oecumenical Councils of Nicaea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon, and the dogmatic letter of Leo I to Flavian, but the sources at our disposal furnish us no further information. In Rome Hilarus worked zealously for the integrity of the Faith. The Emperor Anthemius had a favourite named Philotheus, who was a believer in the Macedonian heresy and attended meetings in Rome for the promulgation of this doctrine, 476. On one of the emperor's visits to St. Peter's, the pope openly called him to account for his favourite's conduct, exhorting him by the grave of St. Peter to promise that he would do all in his power to check the evil. Hilarus erected several churches and other buildings in Rome. Two oratories in the baptistery of the Lateran, one in honour of St. John the Baptist, the other of St. John the Apostle, are due to him. After his flight from the "Robber Synod" of Ephesus, Hilarus had hidden himself in the crypt of St. John the Apostle, and he attributed his deliverance to the intercession of the Apostle. Over the ancient doors of the oratory this inscription is still to be seen: "To St. John the Evangelist, the liberator of Bishop Hilarus, a Servant of Christ". He also erected a chapel of the Holy Cross in the baptistery, a convent, two public baths, and libraries near the Church of St. Laurence Outside the Walls. He built another convent within the city walls. The "Liber Pontificalis" mentions many votive offerings made by Hilarus in the different churches. He died after a pontificate of six years, three months, and ten days. He was buried in the church of St. Laurence Outside the Walls. His feast day is celebrated on 17 November.
(Taken from Catholic Encyclopedia) | |||||||
POPE FRANCIS "Have the humility to ask for forgiveness"
(Vatican Radio) The incoherent Christian gives scandal, and scandal kills: those were the very strong words Pope Francis used today in his homily at Mass at the Casa Santa Marta.The Holy Father took his cue from a Confirmation administered during the Mass. The person who receives this Sacrament, Pope Francis said, “manifested the desire to be a Christian. To be Christian means to bear witness to Jesus Christ.” A Christian is a person who “thinks like a Christian, feels like a Christian and acts like a Christian. And this is coherency in the life of a Christian. Someone can be said to have faith, “but if one of these things is missing, he is not a Christian, there’s something wrong, there’s a certain incoherence. And Christians “who ordinarily, commonly live in incoherence, do so much harm”:
“We heard what the Apostle Saint James says to some incoherent people who boasted of being Christian, but took advantage of their employees. He says, ‘Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.’ The Lord strong. If one hears this, someone might think: ‘But a communist has said this!’ No, no, the Apostle James said it! It is the Word of the Lord. It’s incoherent. And when there is no Christian coherency, and you live with this incoherence, you’re giving scandal. And the Christians that are not coherent are giving scandal.”
Jesus, the Pope said, “speaks so strongly against scandal: Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me,’ even one of these brothers, these sisters that have faith, ‘it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.’” An incoherent Christian, he said, “does so much harm. Scandal kills.” He continued, “So many times we’ve heard ‘But Father, I believe in God, but not in the Church, because you Christians say one thing and do another.’ And also, ‘I believe in God, but not in you.’” This, he said, “Is because of inconsistency:
“If you find yourself in front of – imagine! - in front of an atheist and he tells you he doesn’t believe in God, you can read him a whole library, where it says that God exists and even proving that God exists, and he will not have faith. But if in the presence of this atheist you bear coherent witness of Christian life, something will begin to work in his heart. It will be your witness that that he will bring this restlessness on which the Holy Spirit works. It’s a grace that we all, the whole Church must ask for: ‘Lord, [grant] that we might be coherent.’”
And so, the Pope concludes, we must pray, because to live in a coherent Christian way, prayer is necessary; because Christian coherency is a gift from God and we must ask for it. “Lord, grant that I might be consistent! Lord, grant that I might never cause scandal, that I might be a person who thinks like a Christian, who feels like a Christian, who acts like a Christian.” And when we fall because of our weakness, let us ask for forgiveness:
“We are all sinners, all of us, but we all have the ability to ask for forgiveness. And He never gets tired of forgiving! Have the humility to ask for forgiveness: ‘Lord, I have not been consistent here. Forgive me!’ Go forward in life with Christian coherence, with the witness of one who believes in Jesus Christ, who knows that he is a sinner, but who has the courage to ask for forgiveness when he makes mistakes and who so afraid of giving scandal. May the Lord give this grace to all of us.”
Text from Vatican Radio website
TODAY'S SAINT : FEB. 27 : ST. GABRIEL OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS
St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
PASSIONIST MONK
Feast: February 27
 Information:
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On a summer day a little over a hundred years ago, a slim figure in a black cassock stood facing a gang of mercenaries in a small town in Piedmont, Italy. He had just disarmed one of the soldiers who was attacking a young girl, had faced the rest of the band fearlessly, then drove them all out of the village at the point of a gun. The young man was Francesco Possenti, whose father was lawyer for the Papal States and who had recently joined the Passionist Order, taking the name of Brother Gabriel.
He became very sick during his school years and had promised that if he got better, he would dedicate his life to God. St. Gabriel Possenti got better and forgot about it. He got sick again and made the same promise, but again got well and forgot his promise. Once, during a church procession in which a great banner of Our Lady, Help of Christians, was being carried, the eyes of Our Lady looked straight at him and he heard the words: "Keep your promise." Shaken, he remembered his promise, changed his life completely, and entered the Passionists. He hoped to be sent to the missions after his ordination to the priesthood, but at the young age of twenty-four, he died. Canonized in 1920, he is, along with St. Aloysius, one of the patrons of youth. He was very fond of his family and is particularly remembered as a remarkable young man who, at the age of twenty, threw all aside for God, determined to become a saint. From 'The Catholic One Year Bible': . . . Suddenly his face began to shine with glory, and his clothing became dazzling white, . . . a cloud covered them, blotting out the sun, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."—Mark 9:2-3, 7 |
SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/G/stgabrielofourladyofsorrows.asp#ixzz1nmiI6X9K
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