Monthly Archives: April 2017

“With Mercy violence and rancour have no sense” – Pope Francis

  • In his Angelus address in a sunny St Peter’s Square, Pope France recalled the Church tradition of calling the first Sunday after Easter “in albis”, an expression he said, meant to recall the rite of those who had received baptism in white on the Easter Vigil.

    The Pope went on to say that  in the Jubilee of Year of 2000, St John Paul II established that this particular Sunday was to be dedicated to Divine Mercy…

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What is Divine Mercy Sunday?

  • Il‑festa tal‑Ħniena Divina tniżżlet fil‑kalendarju tal‑Knisja grazzi għall-Papa Ġwanni Pawlu II, li fl‑1992 ddeċieda li dil‑festa tibda tiġi ċċelebrata fl‑ewwel Ħadd ta’ wara l‑Għid, l‑hekk imsejħa “Domenica in albis”.

    X’inhi l‑orġini ta’ din il‑festa?

    Ġesù, skont id‑dehriet li Suor Fawstina kellha tiegħu fl‑1931 u li kitbthom fid‑djaru tagħha, qasam magħha x‑xewqa li l‑Knisja tfakkar din il‑festa: “Jien nixtieq li jkun hawn il‑festa tal‑Ħniena Divina…

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Pope Francis: “martyrs are the living blood of the Church”

  • Pope Francis on Saturday paid tribute to modern day martyrs whom he said “are the living blood of the Church”.

    The Pope was presiding over a Liturgy of the Word at the Church of St. Bartholomew on the Tiber, a shrine to the martyrs of the 20th and 21st centuries.

    Speaking during his homily, the Pope had words of closeness for the many Christian communities being persecuted today “because of the hatred of the spirit of this world”…

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“What are we building our lives on? Is our hope still in the Lord?” – Archbishop

Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna celebrates mass on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the Holy Trinity Church, Marsa

  • On Wednesday, 19th April 2017, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna celebrated mass on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the Holy Trinity Church, Marsa.

  • Homily by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna
  • Holy Trinity Church, Marsa

    19th April 2017

    Dan l-Evanġelju (Lq 24, 13-35) li għadna kemm smajna joqgħod tant tajjeb għall-okkażjoni li qegħdin niċċelebraw illejla…

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Jesuit priest kidnapped in Nigeria

  •   Patri Samuel Okwuidegbe, Ġiżwita Niġerjan ta’ 50 sena, nhar it-Tlieta li għadda, 18 ta’ April, inħataf minn grupp ta’ nies mhux magħrufa.   Il-ħtif sar fit-triq li tgħaqqad Benin City ma’ Onitsha. Skont il-ġurnal “La Croix”, Patri Okwuidegbe kien sejjer imexxi rtir, 150 kilometru ‘il bogħod minn fejn jgħix ma’ 3 patrijiet oħra. Il-karozza tiegħu nstabet abbandunata mill-pulizija.   Is-Segretarju Reġjonali tal-Ġiżwiti fl-Afrika u l-Madagascar, Patri Rigobert Kyungu Musenge, qal li “sa issa m’għandhomx dettalji dwar l-għejbien…
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The Duty to Commemorate

A message on the occasion of the 5th centenary of the Protestant reformation

  • This week, on two separate evenings, the Otto Philharmonic Orchestra of Berlin, will be commemorating the fifth centenary of the Protestant Reformation. It was 31st October 1517 when the Augustinian friar, Martin Luther, nailed a list of ninety-five grievances to the door of the church of Wittenberg Castle in Germany. That was the beginning of a long series of events which unfortunately lead to separation and bitterness among Christians, wars – in particular the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48) – and hate-filled suspicion…

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Pope to canonize Fatima visionaries during May visit

  • Francisco u Giacinta Marto, iż-żewġ aħwa ta’ Fatima, se jiġu ddikjarati qaddisin nhar it-13 ta’ Mejju li ġej.

    Dan ifisser li l-kanonizzazzjoni tal-aħwa Portugiżi se ssir waqt il-vjaġġ apostoliku li l-Papa Franġisku se jkun qed jagħmel ġo Fatima fit-12 u t-13 ta’ Mejju, fl-okkażjoni tal-100 sena mid-dehriet tal-Verġni Marija.

    L-aħwa Marto kienu mietu ftit snin wara d-dehriet mirakolużi tal-Madonna, meta Franġisku kellu 11-il sena u Giacinta għalqet l-10 snin…

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St Gregory’s traditional pilgrimage held in Żejtun

  • Dalgħodu, l-Arċisqof Charles J. Scicluna mexxa l-pellegrinaġġ tradizzjonali tal-festa ta’ San Girgor fiż-Żejtun, li jsir l-ewwel Erbgħa ta’ wara l-Għid. Il-pellegrinaġġ beda mill-kappella ta’ San Klement, waqaf ftit fil-knisja parrokkjali u ntemm fil-kappella ta’ San Girgor stess.   Din it-tradizzjoni ilha ssir sa mis-selu 16, bħala ringrazzjament lill-Mulej talli ħeles lill-Maltin mill-marda tal-pesta.  
  • Click here to view more photos of the pilgrimage of St Gregory in Żejtun…
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“The Risen Christ is the hope of Christians” – Pope Francis

  • Pope Francis held his weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, continuing his catechesis on Christian hope.

    Reflecting on 1Cor 15, the Holy Father said the Risen Christ is the hope of Christians, since his resurrection is the event that grounds our faith.

    Please find below the official English summary of the Pope’s catechesis:

    Dear Brothers and Sisters:  In these joyful days of Easter, our continuing catechesis on Christian hope looks to the Risen Jesus.  Saint Paul tells the Corinthians that Jesus himself is our hope.  His resurrection is the event that grounds our faith; without our confident belief in its historical reality, the Christian faith would be a mere human philosophy, and Jesus himself simply another great religious figure.  Our belief is based on the testimony of those who encountered the Risen Christ, from Saint Peter and the group of the Twelve to Saint Paul, who was converted by his dramatic meeting with the Lord on the road to Damascus.  Encountering Christ in faith is always a surprise; it is a grace given to those whose hearts are open.  It overturns our comfortable existence and opens us to an unexpected future, sowing life and light in place of death and sorrow.  This is the reason for our Easter joy: in the risen Jesus, who dwells in our midst, we encounter the power of God’s love, which triumphs over death and brings ever new life and undying hope…

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“Through confession Lord gives us a new beginning, every time” – Archbishop

Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna celebrates mass with the Missionaries of Charity

  • On Monday, 17th April 2017, the day after Easter Sunday, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna celebrated mass with the Missionaries of Charity and their volunteers in Cospicua.  
  • Homily by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna
  • Missionaries of Charity Sisters, Cospicua

    19th April 2017

    I would like to share a very short reflection inspired by today’s prayer and readings…

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