Pope celebrates Santa Marta daily liturgy with new Armenian Catholic Patriarch

Pope celebrates Santa Marta Mass with Armenian Patriarch

2015-09-07 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis’ morning Mass in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence on Monday was an extraordinary occasion: it saw the recently-elected Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians, His Beatitude Gregory Peter XX Ghabroyan, concelebrate the liturgy with the Holy Father, and exchange with the Pope the concrete sign of ecclesial communion par excellence.

A statement from the Armenian Patriarchate describes the scene during the Liturgy: “[At the Rite of Communion], the Holy Father ... elevates the paten with the Body of Christ and offers it to the Patriarch. The two hold the Host high with their four hands. The Holy Father then raises the chalice with the Blood of Christ, offers it to the Patriarch, and they with their four hands keep it elevated. After a moment of silence, the Holy Father offers the Body of Christ, and together they communicate. The Holy Father takes the Blood of Christ from the chalice, then offers it to the Patriarch.”

“‘Communion’ is a concept held in great honor in the early Church and also today,” the statement explains. “[I]t does not mean some vague sentiment, but an organic reality, which requires a legal form and that is at the same time animated by charity.

The statement goes on to say, “The Ecclesiastica communio, which the Holy Father Francis granted to His Beatitude Gregory Peter XX with Letter of July 25, now finds expression in the exchange of the Sacred Species, which confirms the Eucharistic communion between the Bishop and the Church of Rome, who presides in charity, and the Patriarchal Church of Cilicia of the Armenians, through its Pater et Caput.(from Vatican Radio)

Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Aram I congratulates new Armenian Catholic Patriarch-elect Gregory Petros XX

His Holiness Personally Congratulates New Armenian Catholic Patriarch-elect Gregory Petros XX

31 July 2015




27 July 2015. On Monday evening His Holiness Aram I went to the Bzommar Monastery to congratulate Bishop Gregory Petros XX Ghabroyan on his election as Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church. The Catholicos was accompanied by the Prelate of Lebanon, Bishop Shahé Panossian, the Peria (Syria) Archbishop, Shahan Sarkissian, the director of the Printing House, Bishop Norayr Ashekian and the director of Ecumenical Relationships, Very Rev. Housig Mardirossian.
The Catholicos and his delegation were met at the entrance of the Monastery by Bishop Gregory, who led them in procession first to the Church then to the Hall of the Monastery. During the exchange of greetings, His Holiness Aram I congratulated the newly elected patriarch and the Armenian Catholic community, and he spoke of the need to cooperate in the face of the current difficulties and new challenges in the Middle East. In his response Patriarch-elect Gregory Petros XX said that under the current circumstances it is necessary for him to learn from His Holiness Aram I’s 20-year-long experience of spiritual and pontifical leadership.

Pope asks all European parishes to take in a refugee family

Pope asks all European parishes to take in a refugee family

2015-09-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has called on European parishes and religious communities to offer shelter to a migrant family.

The Pope’s appeal came during the Sunday Angelus.
Report by Christopher Wells:

"May Every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary of Europe, take in one family" Pope Francis appealed.

To the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope said the faithful are called to offer a concrete gesture of hope as indicated in the Gospel.

“Before the tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing death in conflict and hunger and are on a journey of hope, the Gospel – he said - calls us to be close to the smallest and to those who have been abandoned”.

Reminding the faithful of the upcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Pope said that offering shelter to the needy is a “concrete act of preparation” for the Holy Year.

And turning specifically to his European brother bishops, the Pope asked them to support his appeal and said that in the coming days two Vatican parishes will each be taking in a family of refugees.

Meanwhile, Francis’ catechesis found inspiration in the miracle of the healing by Jesus of a deaf and mute man – symbol of non-believers.

“… His deafness – Pope Francis said – symbolizes his incapacity to listen and to understand not only the words of men, but also the Word of God”.

Jesus healed the man and – the Pope said – “unblocked" his capacity to enter into communication with others and with God. This story – he explained – speaks of us because we too are often inaccessible and closed within ourselves.

And urging families, and couples, and communities and parishes not to be closed but to be open to the great family of the Church, the Pope said we must listen to God who speaks to us and communicate his Word to those who do not know it or who have forgotten it.

Pope Francis also prayed for a fruitful encounter of the bishops of Venezuela and Colombia who are currently meeting to talk about the critical situation between the two nations following the economic crisis triggered by Venezuelan closure of borders.

(from Vatican Radio)

Blessed Feast of the Piercing {Transverberation!} of St Teresa of Avila's Heart!!! - 26 Aug. 2015

From:
https://carmelourladysdovecote.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/b-n-w-st-t-of-a-transverb.jpeg


From:
http://www.scuolaecclesiamater.org/2014/08/festa-della-transverberazione-di-s.html

Pope Francis: letter to Hebrew-speaking Catholic community

Pope Francis: letter to Hebrew-speaking Catholic community
2015-08-26 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has written a letter to Fr. David Neuhaus, SJ, who heads the St. James Vicariate for Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel, on the occasion of the 60thanniversary of the founding of the Vicariate as the Work of St. James – so named after the Apostle who led the Church at Jerusalem in the founding generation. Signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, the letters states, “The Holy Father was pleased to learn of the celebrations marking the sixtieth anniversary of the Apostolate of Saint James and he sends cordial good wishes to you and the priests, religious and Hebrew speaking Catholics of the Saint James Vicariate.”

The letter goes on to promise prayers for the continued and constant spiritual renewal of the Vicariate and its members. “In this way, not only will the Vicariate community be strengthened,” the letter reads, “it will also become an ever more effective instrument of dialogue and peace within broader society and a sign of Christ’s love for those most in need.”

Please find the text of the letter in Enlgish, below

"The Holy Father was pleased to learn of the celebrations marking the sixtieth anniversary of the Apostolate of Saint James and he sends cordial good wishes to you and the priests, religious and Hebrew speaking Catholics of the Saint James Vicariate. As you reflect on the many graces bestowed by God upon the Apostolate and Vicariate throughout these years, His Holiness prays that all of you may be renewed in your joyful witness to the Gospel, “not only with words, but above all by lives transfigured by God’s presence” (Evangelii Gaudium, 259). In this way, not only will the Vicariate community be strengthened, it will also become an ever more effective instrument of dialogue and peace within broader society and a sign of Christ’s love for those most in need. Commending the Saint James Vicariate to the maternal intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, Pope Francis willingly imparts his Apostolic Blessing as pledge of peace and joy in the Lord.”(from Vatican Radio)

Les catholiques hébréophones de Terre Sainte

Les vœux du Pape pour les catholiques hébréophones de Terre Sainte
2015-08-26 Radio Vatican

(RV) Le Pape François a présenté ses vœux au Vicariat Saint Jacques, pour les catholiques d’expression hébraïque en Israël, qui a célébré début août ses soixante ans d’existence. Dans une courte lettre adressée au père David Neuhaus, vicaire patriarcal pour les fidèles hébréophones, et signée par le cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secrétaire d’État du Saint-Siège, le Saint-Père souhaite que le Vicariat devienne « un instrument plus efficace de dialogue et de paix au sein de la société ». Il assure les fidèles et les responsables du Vicariat de ses prières et leur accorde sa bénédiction apostolique.

Il dit prier pour tous puissent être renouvelés dans leur témoignage joyeux de l'Évangile, « pas seulement avec des mots, mais surtout par des vies transfigurées par la présence de Dieu », citant l'exhortation apostolique Evangelii Gaudium.

Il a dit souhaiter que que la petite communauté du vicariat puisse devenir « un instrument plus efficace de dialogue et de paix pour la société, et un signe de l'amour du Christ pour tous ceux qui en ont le plus besoin. » La communauté est notamment très active auprès des migrants africains, nombreux en Israël.

Une place originale dans la communauté chrétienne de Terre Sainte

L’Œuvre Saint-Jacques, approuvé par le Patriarche Alberto Gori le 11 février 1955, a été fondée dans le souci de répondre aux besoins pastoraux des fidèles catholiques d’expression hébraïque, juifs et non juifs.

Selon le site du Patriarcat latin de Jérusalem, les trois missions principales de ce Vicariat sont :

1. Créer et développer en Israël des communautés catholiques hébréophones, composées de croyants juifs et non juifs bien intégrés dans la société israélienne.

2. Servir de pont entre l’Église et le peuple d’Israël en renforçant les liens d’amitié entre juifs et chrétiens.

3. Dans un contexte de violence et de conflit armé, témoigner des valeurs chrétiennes de paix et de justice, de pardon et de réconciliation.

Aujourd’hui, il existe des communautés d’expression hébraïque dans quatre grandes villes : Jérusalem, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Haïfa et Beersheva. Le Vicariat comprend en outre deux communautés russophones dont les membres sont insérés dans la société israélienne.



(Tratto dall'archivio della Radio Vaticana)

Rome declares Syriac Catholic Bp. Flavian-Michel Malké a martyr

Rome declares Bp. Flavian-Michel Malké a martyr

(Christian Today) - Thousands of Syrian and Iraqi Christians who have fled the atrocities of Islamic State are expected to attend the beatification of a Syriac Catholic bishop later this month.

The celebration comes after Pope Francis authorised a decree declaring Bishop Flavien-Michel Malké to be a martyr. The beatification will take place in Lebanon exactly a century after Bishop Malké was killed in Turkey on 29 August 1915, victim to the Ottoman Empire's attempt to exterminate Christian minorities.

The beatification liturgy will be celebrated by Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, at the Our Lady of Deliverance convent.

Patriarch Younan said: "In these painful times experienced by Christians, especially the Syriac communities in Iraq and Syria, the news of the beatification of one of their martyrs, will surely bring encouragement and consolation to face the today's trials of appalling dimension.

"Blessed Martyr Michael, intercede for us, and protect especially the Christians in the Orient and all the world in these hard and painful days."

Bishop Malké was born in 1858 in Kalat'ül Mara, a village in what is now Turkey but was then part of the Ottoman Empire. He was martyred in Gazireh, Turkey. He originally joined a monastery of the Syrian Orthodox church but then converted to the Syriac Catholic church. Both churches use the same West Syrian rite.

Read more »

Posted by Josephus Flavius

Chinese faithful: "You can’t remove the cross in our hearts."

Chinese faithful: "You can’t remove the cross in our hearts."

Christian Martyrs of the Boxer Rebellion

(UCANews) - More Christian and Catholic groups and bishops, both inside and outside China, are protesting the Chinese government's cross-removal campaign in Zhejiang province.

On July 31, two separate groups of priests who graduated from the Central and Southern Seminary in Wuchang and the Sheshan Seminary in Shanghai condemned the campaign in public statements circulated on the Internet, with one group comparing it to the persecution that occurred during the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution.

One of the priests, who identified himself as Father Ambrose, told ucanews.com that he and 20 classmates from the 2001 class at Central and Southern Seminary lobbied their respective bishops to protest the campaign.

“The prelates may need more time to think over and consider the timing of their remarks. In order to not pressure them, we decided to speak out in the name of our graduate class,” Fr. Ambrose said.

In a separate statement, nine priests who graduated from Sheshan Seminary in 2000 compared the cross-removal campaign to the killings of scholars during the Qin Dynasty, 221-206 B.C., and the widespread persecution that occurred during the Cultural Revolution.

Three underground bishops who are not recognized by the government — John Wang Ruowang of Tianshui, Joseph Wei Jingyi of Qiqihar and Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou — have also spoken out, joining the voices of several government-approved bishops, who spoke in protest of the campaign in late July.

In Hong Kong, the diocesan Justice and Peace Commission and several Protestant churches held a prayer service outside the central government’s Liaison Office Aug. 3, saying the cross-removal campaign was persecuting Christians.

Participants displayed crosses and banners that read “can’t remove the cross in our hearts.”

“It is unprecedented to see more and more Catholic groups and dioceses in China speaking out against the cross-removal campaign, as they used to be very low-key,” Or Yan-yan, commission project officer, told ucanews.com.

“Since the campaign began, the Wenzhou authorities pressured the Church economically to remain silent. Today, some protesters face threats and being arrested on political charges, yet the faithful still choose to speak out. You can imagine how grave the situation is for them,” she said.

Posted by Josephus Flavius
FROM: http://byztex.blogspot.ca/2015/08/chinese-faithful-you-cant-remove-cross.html

Pope to Youth: Do Not Conform to a Mediocre Life

Pope to Youth: Do Not Conform to a Mediocre Life
Sends Message to European Meeting of Youth in Ávila, Spain

Rome, August 10, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Junno Arocho Esteves | 1517 hits

In a letter to young people participating at the 2015 European Meeting of Youth (EEJ2015), Pope Francis encouraged them "not to conform themselves to a mediocre life without aspirations."

The Holy Father's message was read at the closing Mass of the EEJ2015, which gathered an estimated 6,000 youth from Europe this week in Ávila, the birthplace of St. Teresa of Jesus. The letter was sent on the Pope's behalf by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, and read at the end of the celebration by Fr. José María Gil Tamayo, Secretary General of the Spanish Bishops Conference.

In the message, the 78-year-old Pontiff greeted the participants and organizers who are also celebrating the V Centenary of the Birth of St. Teresa.

"Saint Teresa’s expression, 'in hard times, strong friends of God,' has special resonance when it refers to young people and their yearning for truth, goodness and beauty," the letter stated.

"Therefore, the Holy Father encourages all not to conform themselves to a mediocre life without aspirations, and to force themselves instead to grow in a profound life of friendship with Christ, to become every day more aware of the immense gift received in Baptism and in Confirmation, which spurs us to love Christ in our brothers."

The message concluded with the Holy Father's reminder to the youth to "grow always in love for the Church and for the brothers." He also imparted his Apostolic Blessing to those gathered.

The Closing Mass of the youth gathering was presided by Cardinal Ricardo Blázquez, Archbishop of Valladolid and President of the Spanish Bishops Conference, as well as concelebrated by 30 bishops and 52 priests.
(August 10, 2015) © Innovative Media Inc.

Le Pape s'est adressé aux jeunes rassemblés à Avila

Le Pape s'est adressé aux jeunes rassemblés à Avila, en Espagne

2015-08-10 Radio Vatican

(RV) Le Pape François a envoyé un message, signé par le cardinal Parolin, secrétaire d'État du Saint-Siège, aux jeunes qui ont participé à la rencontre européenne organisée à Avila, en Espagne, du 5 au 9 août dernier, en cette année du cinquième centenaire de la naissance de Sainte Thérèse.

Le Pape y salue cordialement les organisateurs et les participants à la rencontre qui se déroule à Avila, pour croître, approfondir et donner témoignage de leur foi et de leur amour envers l'Église, suivant l'exemple de Sainte Thérèse de Jésus.

« L'expression de Sainte Thérèse, "dans les temps durs, des amis forts de Dieu", a une résonance spéciale quand elle s'adresse aux jeunes et à leur désir de vérité, de bonté et de beauté. » Pour cela, le Saint-Père les encourage à « ne pas se conformer à une vie médiocre et sans aspirations, et à s'efforcer, au contraire, pour grandir dans une vie profonde d'amitié avec le Christ, à prendre chaque jour de plus en plus conscience du don immense reçu dans le baptême et dans la confirmation, qui nous pousse à porter l'amour du Christ à nos frères. »

En rappelant la nécessité de croître toujours dans l'amour pour l'Église et pour les frères, demande de prier pour lui, et les confie tous à la protection de la Vierge Marie, tout en leur offrant de tout coeur la bénédiction apostolique.

(Tratto dall'archivio della Radio Vaticana)