Pope Francis on Sunday reiterated his plea for peace in Syria appealing to all parties involved in the conflict to respect the cessation of hostilities and commit to dialogue. Speaking after the Regina Coeli prayer in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope said he is deeply pained by the dramatic news of the spiral of violence in Syria which, he said, “continues to aggravate the already desperate humanitarian situation in the country”…
The Archbishop celebrates Mass with the National Council of Women
01/05/2016
Nhar is-Sibt 30 ta’ April 2016, l-Arċisqof Charles J. Scicluna ħa sehem f’pellegrinaġġ għall-Bieb tal-Ħniena fil-Katidral tal-Imdina u ċċelebra Quddiesa mal-membri tal-Kunsill Nazzjonali tan-Nisa.
Homily by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna
Katidral tal-Imdina30 ta’ April 2016 Is-silta’ li għadna kemm smajna hija meħuda minn mument partikolari ħafna li fih il-Mulej Ġesù jaqsam magħna l-intimità l-iżjed profonda tiegħu nnifsu…
"Research requires unwavering attention to moral issues if it is to be an instrument which safeguards human life and the dignity of the person"
29/04/2016
Pope Francis on Friday addressed participants of an International Conference on the Progress of Regenerative Medicine and its Cultural Impact. The Conference is being sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Stem for Life Foundation, and the STOQ Foundation. The 2016 conference focused on pediatric cancers and rare diseases, as well as diseases that occur with aging. It featured talks and discussions with leading cell therapy scientists, physicians, patient advocates, ethicists, philanthropists, leaders of faith and government officials…
There is always resistance to the surprises of the Spirit, but it’s the Spirit who continues to lead the Church forward. That was Pope Francis’ message at Mass on Thursday at the Santa Marta chapel as he reflected on the reading about division and resistance within the early Church in Jerusalem. Commenting on today’s reading from Acts about the Council of Jerusalem, Pope Francis said the protagonist in the Church is always the Holy Spirit…
Being deprived of the possibility of conscientious objection is another type of persecution, says the Pope.
28/04/2016
Pope Francis on Tuesday said that, “persecution is the Church’s daily bread”. Speaking during morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta, the Pope recalled the first Christian martyr, St Stephen and said that “still today so many Christians are killed or persecuted for their faith in Christ”. Pope Francis said “there are bloody persecutions, like being torn to pieces by wild beasts to the delight of the audience in the stands or being blown up by a bomb at the end of Mass” and there are “velvet-gloved” persecutions that are “cloaked in politeness”: the ones that marginalize you, take your job away if you fail to adapt to laws that “go against God the Creator.” The story of the martyrdom of Stephen, described in the Acts of the Apostles in the liturgy of the day, led the Pope to remark on how persecution is a reality that has been part of the history of Christian faith for 2000 years…
On Wednesday 27th April 2016, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna received the new Ambassador for the United States of America, H.E. G. Kathleen Hill, during a courtesy visit at the Archbishop’s Curia, Floriana. Photo: Curia Communications Office
The story of the Good Samaritan and its lesson of “love thy neighbour” were at the heart of Pope Francis’ catechesis during the General Audience on Wednesday 27th April. Message by Pope Francis Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our catechesis for this Holy Year of Mercy, we now turn to the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus had taught the great commandment of love for God and neighbour. In reply to the question: “Who is my neighbour?”, he recounts the story of the priest and the levite who pass by a man in need at the side of the road. Their religiosity is ultimately inauthentic, for it does not find expression in service to others. Love, the Lord tells us, is never abstract or distant; it “sees” and it responds. The compassion shown by the Samaritan is an image of the infinite mercy of God, who always sees our needs and draws near to us in love.
The command to love God and neighbour, then, is supremely practical; it entails caring for others even to the point of personal sacrifice. By the end of the parable, we see that the “neighbour” is not so much the man in need, but rather the one who responded to that need with compassion. Jesus tells all of us to be neighbours in this sense: “Go and do likewise”. He himself is the model of the Good Samaritan; by imitating his love and compassion, we show ourselves truly to be his followers…
Pope Francis said Tuesday that the clergy should serve lay people and not make use of them and spoke out against clericalism, calling it one of the greatest distortions affecting the Church in Latin America. His comments came in a wide-ranging letter reflecting on the role of the laity that was addressed to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. The Pope’s letter was a follow-up to the commission’s recent Plenary Assembly whose theme was “the indispensable role of the lay faithful in the public life of Latin American countries.” In his letter, Pope Francis explained that he wished to follow-up the discussions and reflections that emerged during the Plenary Assembly in order to prevent them “from not bearing fruit.” He urged the clergy to look closely at the people and lives of the lay faithful and avoid falling into the trap of adopting certain slogans on their behalf that seem well-meaning but in practice don’t succeed in supporting the lives of our communities…
During his Regina Coeli address on Sunday, Pope Francis prayed for the release of those priests and religious held hostage in Syria saying, “may the merciful God touch the hearts of the kidnappers”. He also remembered young martyrs killed during the Spanish Civil War who were beatified in Burgos, Spain on Saturday. The Message by Pope Francis At the end of this Jubilee celebration, my thoughts turn in a particular to you, dear boys and girls…
Fl-1 ta’ Mejju ser issir l-aħħar laqgħa minn sensiela ta’ Missjonijiet li saru f’diversi lokalitajiet madwar Malta. Hawn il-knisja ħarġet ixxandar l-aħbar tajba f’dan iż-żmien tal-Għid. Nhar il-Ħadd li ġej, fil-lokalitajiet tal-Ħamrun, G’Mangia u Msida, il-Mixja Neo Katekuminali ser tagħmel laqgħa li tinkludi katekeżi fuq il-knisja u l-esperjenza tiegħek fil-knisja. Il-Mixja qiegħda wkoll tistieden lil kull min jixtieq ikun parti minn komunita’ Nisranija biex jiġi jisma’…
