UEFA-EURO-2012-LOGO

Benedict XVI is inviting players, fans and all of society to live the European Soccer Championship that began today with a spirit of peace and joy.

The Pope sent a message to Archbishop Józef Michalik, president of the Polish episcopal conference, on the occasion of the UEFA EURO 2012 being held in Poland and Ukraine.

The Holy Father’s message recalled the words of his predecessor John Paul II, who said that sport is important for the integral development of the person, and that the sense of brotherhood, generosity, honesty and respect for the body that comes from sports helps to build a society where conflict is replaced by healthy competition… Read more »

Pope during prayers

Benedict XVI is dedicating the month of June to pray that believers may recognize the living presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

The Apostleship of Prayer announced the intentions chosen by the Pope for this month. His general intention is: “That believers may recognize in the Eucharist the living presence of the Risen One who accompanies them in daily life.”

The Pontiff’s apostolic intention for June is: “That Christians in Europe may rediscover their true identity and participate with greater enthusiasm in the proclamation of and participate with more enthusiasm in the Gospel”

VATICAN CITY, May 31, 2012 (Zenit.org) Read more »

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World Families Meeting

Hereunder are details in Italian of statistics revealed after the seventh World Meeting of the Families in Milan, Italy.

Nella Sala Conferenze della Curia Arcivescovile di Milano si è tenuta la conferenza stampa conclusiva del VII Incontro mondiale delle famiglie. Sono intervenuti il cardinale Angelo Scola, Arcivescovo di Milano; il cardinale Ennio Antonelli, Presidente del Pontificio Consiglio per la Famiglia; il dottor Salvatore Martinez,  Presidente nazionale del Rinnovamento nello Spirito Santo e monsignor Erminio De Scalzi, Presidente della Fondazione Milano Famiglie 2012… Read more »

The family

At an open-air Mass at Bresso Park in Milan, Italy, for the closure of the seventh World Meeting of Families, the Pope said:

“The liturgical Solemnity of the Holy Trinity that we are celebrating today … urges us to commit ourselves to live our communion with God and with one another according to the model of Trinitarian communion… Read more »

Paolo Gabriele

Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, held a meeting with journalist to answer questions on the publication of reserved Vatican documents, an act for which the Pope’s personal assistant has been arrested.

Regarding the questions on the pope’s possible resignation, a hypothesis maintained by various media outlets, Fr. Lombardi affirmed that those were baseless creations of some journalists, which have no foundation in reality… Read more »

World Meeting of Families logo

Families from five continents are meeting in Milan for the 7th World Meeting. It will be these same families that will welcome Benedict XVI on Friday afternoon, 1 June, upon his arrival in the capital of Lombardia.

The participating families – coming from 100 countries including Guinea Bissau, one of the poorest countries, and even Australia from the other side of the world – are not only enlivening the Pastoral Theological Congress’ work at MiCo (Fieramilanocity) and in several places in the city and  various neighbouring dioceses in Lombardia, but are actively participating in all initiatives, such as the “Congress of children”, uniting the youngest participants… Read more »

Pope Benedict XVI met with Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P. and with Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mercieca, together with some of the Maltese priests who work at the Holy See.  These are (from left) Mons Alfred Xuereb, the Pope’s Secretary; Mons Charles J. Scicluna, Promoter of Justice at the Congregation of the Faith; Mons Frans Bonnici, Director at the Pontifical Office for Priestly Vocations; Fr Patrick Incorvaja, from the Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura… Read more »