Pope: Mass is an encounter with Jesus, not a 'social event'

Pope's Reform Plans, Bigger than Expected

Assisi prepares to welcome Pope Francis

(Vatican Radio) The feast of Saint Francis is one of the most important days of the year in Assisi – so important that preparations begin more than a week in advance, with special prayers and liturgies throughout the week to get ready for the big day.

The major events, however, got underway Thursday with a Solemn Mass at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, the church that encloses both the Portiuncula (the spiritual ‘home’ of the Franciscan family) and the Chapel of the ‘Transitus,’ the small building where Saint Francis passed from this world to the next. The Mass of the Transitus was celebrated by the Provincial Minister, Father Bruno Ottavi, and was attended by religious and civil leaders, as well as pilgrims from around the world.

At the end of the Mass, some of the city’s leaders, dressed in traditional costumes, goes into procession to the little Chapel of the Transitus to offer symbolic gifts: the winding cloth for the Saint’s death, wax candles and incense, as well as local sweets Francis had requested on his death bed. The offerings recall the gifts brought by one of the Saint’s close female followers, Lady Jacopa dei Settesoli, (Francis referred to her as ‘Brother’ Jacopa) to the Saint Francis on his death bed.

Later in the day, as the sun sets behind the Umbrian hills, the people gather again at Santa Maria to celebrate First Vespers for the Feast of Saint Francis. Vespers was celebrated by Archbishop Gualtiero Bassetti of Perugia-Città della Pieve.

While Vespers was yet echoing through the Basilica, last minute preparations were going on around Assisi. At the Basilica of Saint Francis, the Papal Master of Ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini, was leading a practice for tomorrow’s Solemn Mass with the Pope, as workers and technicians continued to make sure all was ready for the big day.

As night falls in Assisi, a prayer vigil, “With lighted lamps” is held in anticipation of Pope Francis’ arrival in the morning.

Awaiting Pope Francis in Assisi, I'm Christoper Wells.

Assisi: waiting for Pope Francis

(Vatican Radio) The streets of Assisi are already decked with white and yellow flags in anticipation of Pope Francis’ pastoral visit on Friday to the home of Saint Francis.

At the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, first Vespers marked the beginning of the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi.

The residents of Assisi have been busy all week preparing for the arrival of Pope Francis—the first Bishop of Rome to take the name of Assisi’s most famous son.


Pope Francis is only the most recent pontiff to visit this medieval city. Just over a year after the death of Francis, Pope Gregory, who had been a close friend and confident of the saint, came here to canonize the “Little Poor Man” of Assisi.

More recently, both Blessed John Paul the Second and Pope Benedict XVI have journeyed to Assisi. During the last papal visit, in 2011, Benedict spoke about the role of religion, and of a lack of religion, in the common efforts of mankind to find peace and freedom.

Those are themes that have also echoed in Pope Francis’ papacy – especially in his call to non-believers to find areas of agreement and communion with non-believers. The Holy Father’s visit to Assisi on Friday is expected to have a very devotional aspect, as he visits all of the most important sites of Saint Francis’ life. In keeping with the social justice themes that have characterized his papacy thus far, the Pope will also have a number of opportunities to meet with the sick and the poor, and others who find themselves on the “peripheries” of society.

In the meantime, as the sounds of Vespers are fading, the people anxiously await the arrival of Pope Francis. 

Reform of the Curia will be "substantial"

(Vatican Radio) A new Apostolic Constitution will probably be written to replace Pastor Bonus, which will emphasize the Curia’s service to the universal Church and local churches. The Council of Cardinals appointed by Pope Francis to assist him in his governance of the Church and reform of the Curia has been meeting at the Vatican since Tuesday.

In a briefing, the head of the Vatican Press Office Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, said we can “expect a new Constitution.” He said changes will not be a "simple upgrade" nor "marginal", but will be "substantial". He said an important reorientation will be with the Secretariat of State, which should be in all respects a “Secretary of the Pope,” and that this will be part of the guidelines he gives the next Secretary of State, who takes office on October 15th.

In addition, a separate figure acting as a “Moderator of the Curia” could be appointed to coordinate relations between the Pope and the heads of the various Departments and offices.

The Council also spoke about the role of the laity in the Church, and how this role may be more appropriately and effectively recognized and followed in the government of the Church.

The Cardinals also continued their discussion from Tuesday on the Synod of Bishops, as Pope Francis prepares to decide its theme and implementation.

Father Lombardi said the Council briefly touched on the issues surrounding financial institutions, but will wait until the various committees established by the Pope issue their reports before discussing the matter thoroughly.

The date of the next meeting of the Council of Cardinals has not been decided by Pope Francis, but it is expected early next year.

Here is an English translation by the Vatican Information Service of the full text of Father Lombardi's briefing:
THE COUNCIL OF CARDINALS: A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR THE CURIA
The reform of the Curia and the attribution of a more incisive role to the laity were among the principal themes considered yesterday afternoon and this morning in the meeting of the Council of Cardinals, instituted by the Pope to assist him in the governance of the Church, said the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., in a briefing with journalists.
Before commenting on the issues discussed by the cardinals, Fr. Lombardi referred to the words of the Pope at the end of the audience with participants in the meeting held to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of John XXIII's encyclical, “Pacem in terris”, in which he recalled the victims, currently numbered at 90, of the shipwreck this morning near the Italian island of Lampedusa. “In the light of this new tragedy”, he said, “we understand more clearly the value and meaning of the first trip of Francis' pontificate”.
Moving on to the work of the Council of Cardinals, he stated that the Pope was present yesterday in the afternoon session, held between 4 and 7 p.m. “The Holy Father goes to pray at the Chapel at seven o'clock, and that is the end of their collaboration, although the cardinals may join him together, if they see fit. This morning he was not present as he received in audience the participants in the meeting organised by the Pontifical Council 'Justice and Peace'”.
The cardinals worked principally on the reform of the Curia. “The direction of their work would not indicate an updating of the apostolic Constitution 'Pastor Bonus', with retouches and marginal modifications”, explained Lombardi, “but rather, a new constitution with significant new aspects. It will be necessary to wait a reasonable amount of time following this Council, but the idea is this. The cardinals have made it clear that they do not intend to make cosmetic retouches or minor modifications to 'Pastor bonus'”.
The intention of the cardinals is to emphasize the nature of the service on the part of the Curia and the universal and local church “in terms of subsidiarity, rather than the exercise of centralised power. The intended direction would be to put this into practice in the service of the Church in all her dimensions”.
Another important theme was the nature and functions of the Secretariat of State, which “should be the secretariat of the Pope; the word State should not give rise to doubt. This body serves the Pope in the governance of the universal Church. The meeting of the Council is very useful at the moment, in view of the directions the Pope will give to the new Secretary of State, who will assume his role shortly, on 15 October”.
Again in relation to the Curia, the Council will address the matter of relations between the heads of the dicasteries and the Pope, and co-ordination between the various bodies. “In this context, mention was made of the role of a 'Moderator Curiae' (moderator for the Curia), and the functions of such a figure. The issue was touched upon but no decision has been made as to whether it will form part of the new constitution; however, it is in fact one of the hypotheses suggested by the Council”.
With regard to a possible reorganization of the administration of temporal goods, the cardinals touched upon this matter but without exploring the theme in depth, since they are awaiting the “reports of the referring commissions on the matter, who will communicate the results of their work [to the Council]”.
The question of the laity merited “significant attention” from Council members, as they had received many suggestions and questions on this subject from their various areas of origin. “When dealing with the reform of the curia and its institutions, the Council also plans to give more specific attention to issues relating to the laity, so that this dimension of the life of the Church is properly and effectively recognized and followed by the governance of the Church. Now there is a Pontifical Council for the Laity, but it is still possible to think of ways of strengthening this aspect”.
This morning, in view of the preparations for the next Synod, debate on the matter was reopened.

Finally, Lombardi said that yesterday no date had been set for the next meeting of the Council, although mention was made of a meeting in spring next year, of an informal nature. “The intention”, he concluded, “is to continue, without waiting for too long. Also, it would be incorrect to assume that nothing happens between one meeting and another; the cardinals and the Pope continue to exchange opinions and messages, even in the absence of a plenary meeting of the Council”.

Pope Francis: Pacem in Terris a guide for a better, peaceful world

(Vatican Radio) Blessed Pope John XXIII’s Cold War era Encyclical Pacem in Terris or “Peace on Earth,” remains “extremely contemporary” and can act as a guide to peace-building in today’s world. That’s what Pope Francis told participants of a three day Vatican conference celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the 1963 Encyclical Letter. Tracey McClure reports:
Experts from Catholic universities and institutions, and from the UN, the Council of Europe, the African Union, and the Organization of American States have gathered in Rome at the request of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace to discuss the relevance of Pacem in Terris in the promotion today of a more peaceful world.
In his remarks Thursday, the second day of the conference, Pope Francis recalled John XXIII’s 1962 radio message calling for ‘peace, peace!’ as world powers came to the brink of nuclear war. And later, Blessed Pope John Paul II’s efforts at the time of the Iron Curtain which led to “an opening of spaces of freedom and dialogue.” John XXIII’s seeds of peace brought fruits, the Pope said, but despite “the fall of walls and barriers, the world continues to need peace” and Pacem in Terris remains extremely relevant.
The Encyclical, Pope Francis said, reminds us that the basis of peace-making exists in mankind’s “divine origin” and thus everyone, from individuals and families to society and States are called to “build peace, on the example of Jesus Christ… by promoting and practicing justice with truth and love…(and) contributing…to integral human development” through solidarity. And that means an end to “egotism, individualism, and group interests at every level.”
But has today’s world learned any lessons from Pacem in Terris? the Pope asked: “Are the words justice and solidarity” found “solely in our dictionary or are we all working to realize them?”
Pacem in Terris reminds us that “there can be no real peace and harmony if we fail to work for a more just” and jointly supportive society, the Pope said.
And if man, and indeed, society and authorities themselves share a common divine origin, then every human being shares a common dignity “to promote, respect and safeguard always.”
Priority national and international action, said the Pope, must work towards a world where everyone is able “to effectively access food, water, shelter , health care, education and (be given) the possibility to form and support a family.” Lasting peace for all depends on it.
It is not the Church’s job to indicate solutions to complex social issues which should be “left to free discussion,” Pope Francis said, noting that John XXIII’s call for peace in 1962 was an attempt to “orient the international debate” according to the virtues of “dialogue, listening, patience, respect of the other, sincerity and even an openness to reconsidering one’s own opinion.”
The Pope urged participants to seek guidance from Pacem in Terris as they discuss the challenges to peace today: what he described as an “educational emergency,” “the impact of the mass media on consciences, access to the earth’s resources,” the ethical use of biological research, “the arms race and national and international security measures.” The current world economic crisis, which the Pope called “a grave symptom of the disrespect for man and for truth with which Governments and citizens make decisions” is just another example of what needs to be fixed in an equitable way for lasting world peace to succeed.
Are we prepared to meet the challenge posed by Pacem in Terris? He wondered.
As if in answer to his own question, Pope Francis described the world economic crisis as “inhuman” and expressed his deep sorrow for the latest maritime tragedy off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa in which many refugees lost their lives. Calling today’s tragedy “shameful”, he asked everyone to renew “our efforts to ensure that such tragedies are not repeated.”

Fr Lombardi SJ briefs on Council of Cardinals

(Vatican Radio) The group of eight prelates constituting Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals continued their meetings on Wednesday. There was a morning session that ran from roughly 9 AM until 12:30 PM and an afternoon session scheduled to run between 4 PM and 7 PM Rome time, during which organization of the Synod of Bishops and the theme of the upcoming Synod Assembly were on the agenda. Listen:

The Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Fr. Federico Lombardi SJ, briefed journalists on the progress of the sessions early Wednesday afternoon, during which he told them that Pope Francis is taking an active part in the meetings, which have shifted venue from the Apostolic Palace to a conference room in the Domus Sanctae Marthae residence in the Vatican. In his opening remarks, Fr. Lombardi SJ offered a significant terminological clarification: the members of the Council were chosen by Pope Francis on the basis of their experience and their knowledge of the situation of the Church and society in their respective geographical areas, but are not properly speaking continental “delegates”.

During the question and answer session, significant attention was paid to the lengthy interview published in the Tuesday edition of the Italian daily La Repubblica. Fr. Lombardi SJ explained that the text, like that of the interview published recently in La Civiltà Cattolica and America magazine (among other Jesuit reviews of affairs around the world), represents a “conversational” or “colloquial” form of communication. “It is not,” he explained, “a magisterial document.”

Fr. Lombardi SJ also explained that the Council of Cardinals is conducting business in Italian. He reported that the sessions opened with a broad and general reflection on the ecclesiology of Vatican Council II. He said that the pastoral care of families will be a major focal point of discussion. The group of eight Cardinals celebrated Mass with the Holy Father in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae residence again on Wednesday morning, and are scheduled to do so again on Thursday.

Francis: what’s in a name?

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is scheduled to travel to Assisi on Friday, October 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi.
During his one-day pilgrimage to the city where St. Francis was born, the Pope will follow in his footsteps stopping to pray in Churches, Chapels and other places that were meaningful in the life and conversion of the beloved Saint. Amongst these is the Sanctuary of St. Damiano where Francis heard God asking him to go out and rebuild his Church, the magnificent upper Basilica of St. Francis with Giotto’s paintings of his life, the tiny “tugurio” - or hut - where Francis and his companions lived in total poverty, the “Eremo delle Carceri” where Francis prayed and made penance in close contact with nature, the tiny Portiuncula Chapel where Francis began his journey of faith and where he died on October 3 1226, his place of burial in the lower Basilica of St. Francis.
The Pope will also meet with the poor, the disabled and the sick, and he will lunch at the Caritas soup kitchen with dozens of poor people who go there every day for assistance and care.
Assisi of course is home to a large Franciscan family, all of whom all looking with joy and with expectation to Pope Francis’s visit to the city of St. Francis.
Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni chatted to Franciscan friar Joseph Rozansky, International Director of the Franciscan office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation. She began by asking him what his reaction was when the newly nominated Cardinal Bergoglio announced he had chosen Francis as his name.



Fr. Rozansky recalls the episode that saw Cardinal Hummes turning to Bergoglio during the conclave and saying: “remember the poor when you are Pope”. But regardless of that – Fr. Rozanky points out – “his way, his manner, during his first public statements, showed why he chose the name”. And he points out: “Francis is very popular because of the way he always “grabs the bull by the horn” in many ways; he was always very willing to say what the truth of the matter was”. So for me – says Fr Rozansky – “from the beginning that was part of the reason he chose the name. Little by little the other details are coming out like the issue of how we treat poor people, of what’s happening in their lives – or people in general for that matter – the whole pastoral approach of who we are and what we do, the whole ecological issue - environmental justice”.

Fr. Rozansky points out that next year is the 35^th anniversary of Francis being named patron of ecology “so what we are trying to do is prepare a reading of what that means for today, because obviously Francis wasn’t an ecologist or an environmentalist, but at the same time he loved creation because that spoke of God’s hand, and it seems to me that is the approach that Pope Francis is taking”. Father Rozansky also speaks of his happiness with the way the Pope “is living up to the name, getting people involved and working on a lot of the issues that for us, Franciscans, are important, and were important to him when he was in Argentina”.

How are Franciscans looking forward to the visit?

“Obviously for us Assisi and its environs are important. But for many different reasons: many people see Assisi as a place of pilgrimage and it depends a lot on how we understand pilgrimage. I’m hoping – just as he did not long ago when he went to visit a center for refugees in Rome, he had some very pointed things to say to religious in general, he asked “what are you doing with your empty convents” he said “you shouldn’t be turning them into hotels” – for me that was great because we had just been doing a reflection on the ethical use of resources. So I think, getting back to Assisi, he could really throw a challenge to us, I hope he does…(…) because it could be for nostalgic reasons that you want to go places like the “carcere” or walk in the steps of St. Francis, but it seems to me we need to retrieve the meaning of those places, what they meant for Francis and what they meant for his life. So for me: when I see the Pope going to Assisi, I hope he will be like his namesake, what he does will challenge us to think more about the gospel, the gospel values and what we are called to do… you need to see and you need to act…”.

“For me, looking to Assisi and to what the Pope will be doing there, I would really like this to be a moment for us to step back and say: “how well are we living the values that we proclaim, our vows, etc., because they are really a call to know the world that we live in and take up the challenges that we see around us today”.

And Father Rozansky continues: “What is it about Francis that after 800 years he is still so popular?” Speaking of a reflection on the subject he was asked to do a while ago, Father Rozansky reveals “I came up with the three “P”s: that he was Polite, he was Persistent and he was Practical. Polite – you could use courteous too; persistence: Francis didn’t give up on things; most of all he was practical: concrete – when God told him “you have to change your life, Francis left his house, left his city and embraced the lepers, literally! When he was praying before the crucifix of St. Damiano and he heard God tell him to rebuild his Church, Francis went out and got building materials and began by repairing the Portiuncula Chapel. And again, in his testament he talks about the Lord telling him to use the greeting of peace: “May the peace of the Lord be with you”. He does and he tells his brothers to do the same thing. And he really goes out, talks to people about the need for peace: Francis address the issue in concrete ways. (…) He was saying: “I know the conflict that you face in your life, we have it in all levels of our society and I challenge you to change that, to live in a different way so that you can find ways to be peaceful”.