News

Health and safety in schools remains a main priority

Statement by the Secretariat for Catholic Education

18/09/2020

Church Schools have been working relentlessly to welcome students and educators in the safest environment possible. In order for this to be done, a lot of work has been carried out and a lot of expenses have been incurred. Church Schools have been holding discussions with the Ministry for Education and Employment, and the Malta Union of Teachers.

The health and safety of all students, staff, their families, and the community at large, remains a priority for Church Schools. The increased community transmission of COVID-19 in recent days is of serious concern. Unfortunately, these circumstances may be precluding the safe physical opening of schools… Read more »

Pope Francis thanks elderly and sick priests for their faithful witness

18/09/2020

In the message addressed to “brother priests,” the Pope thanks the Episcopal Conference of Lombardy, which for six years has organized the Day of Prayer and Fraternity with elderly and sick clergy.

“It is beautiful,” Pope Francis says, the attention that is shown to those priests who are physically more fragile.

The Pope expresses his delight that elderly and sick priests were able to travel with their Bishops to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Caravaggio, despite restrictions due to the coronavirus… Read more »

Bishop Mario Grech appointed as the General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops

16/09/2020

Il-Q.T. il-Papa Franġisku ħatar uffiċjalment lill-E.T. Mons. Mario Grech, Isqof emeritu ta’ Għawdex, bħala Segretarju Ġenerali tas-Sinodu tal-Isqfijiet. L-aħbar ġiet imxandra fil-Bullettin tas-Sala Stampa tal-Vatikan illum f’12.00pm.

Huwa qed jissuċċiedi lil-Em.T. il-Kardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, li serva f’din il-kariga sa mill-21 ta’ Settembru 2013 u fi żmienu nżammu erba’ Sinodi, li tlieta minnhom ħa sehem fihom l-Isqof Grech bħala Isqof ta’ Għawdex u President tal-Konferenza Episkopali Maltija… Read more »

“A monument of mercy” – The Archbishop on the 55th anniversary of id-Dar tal-Providenza

13/09/2020   Id-Dar tal-Providenza, Siġġiewi

During a Thanksgiving Mass on the occasion of the 55th Anniversary of the founding of Dar tal-Providenza, Archbishop Charles Scicluna decribed the Siġġiewi Home as a “monument of mercy”. He added that its founder, Dun Mikiel Azzopardi, greeted the first residents at the home mercifully not because they were pitiful but because he wanted the loving care for the residents to mirror the loving care that God has for mankind… Read more »

How much suffering and wars could be avoided if forgiveness and mercy were our lifestyle – Pope Francis during the Angelus

13/09/2020   Saint Peter's Square, the Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good day!

In the parable in today’s Gospel reading, that of the merciful King (see Mt 18:21-35), twice we find this plea: “Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full” (vv. 26, 29). The first time it is pronounced by the servant who owes his master ten thousand talents, an enormous sum… Read more »

Compassion and contemplation are indispensable for integral ecology – Pope Francis

Address of his Holiness to the participants in the meeting of the Laudato Si' communities

12/09/2020   Paul VI Audience Hall, the Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters!

I welcome you, and in greeting you I wish to reach all the members of the Laudato si’ Communities in Italy and throughout the world. You have placed the integral ecology proposed by the Encyclical Laudato Si’ as the driving force behind all your initiatives. Integral, because we are all creatures and everything in creation is related; everything is related… Read more »

Woman told to abort refuses; gives birth to twins who become priests

11/09/2020   Chile

The mother, Rosa Silva, with her twin sons

What would you do if you were told you were pregnant with a child with two heads and extra limbs? What if the doctors told you that you should have an abortion because such a difficult pregnancy could put you in danger?

Rosa Silva faced this situation in Chile in 1984; she decided to reject abortion and accept “whatever God sends me.” The diocese of Valparaíso, Chile, owes two of its priests to that decision — twin brothers Fr Paulo and Fr Felipe Lizama… Read more »

Pope Francis: Confront Covid with unbounded love

09/09/2020

At the General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis says it is “time to improve our social love.”

Pope Francis focused his attention on the concept of the “common good” in his catechesis at Wednesday’s General Audience.

Seeking the common good together

Continuing his reflections on “Healing the World,” Pope Francis said we can emerge from the coronavirus crisis better than before “if we all seek the common good together.” At the same time, he lamented that we are beginning to see “partisan interests emerging,” with some people seeking to take advantage of the crisis for selfish purposes… Read more »