Pope Francis: Christians must pray for their leaders

(Vatican Radio) Humility and love are indispensable traits of those who govern, while citizens, especially if they are Catholic, cannot be indifferent to politics. That was Pope Francis’ message this morning during his daily Mass at Santa Marta, as he called for prayers for those in authority. 

The Gospel of the centurion who, with humility and confidence, asks for the healing of his servant; and the letter of Saint Paul to Timothy with the invitation to pray for those who govern, inspired the Pope to “reflect on the service of authority.” Those who govern, Pope Francis said, “have to love their people,” because “a leader who doesn’t love, cannot govern – at best they can discipline, they can give a little bit of order, but they can’t govern.” The Pope considered David, “how he loved his people,” so much that after the sin of the census he asked the Lord not to punish the people, but [to punish] him. These, then, are “the two virtues of a leader”: love for the people and humility. 

“You can’t govern without loving the people and without humility! And every man, every woman who has to take up the service of government, must ask themselves two questions: ‘Do I love my people in order to serve them better? Am I humble and do I listen to everybody, to diverse opinions in order to choose the best path.’ If you don’t ask those questions, your governance will not be good. The man or woman who governs – who loves his people is a humble man or woman.”

From another point of view, Saint Paul exhorts those who are governed to lift up prayers for those who have authority, so that they might be able to lead a calm and peaceful life. Citizens cannot be indifferent to politics: 

“None of us can say, ‘I have nothing to do with this, they govern. . . .’ No, no, I am responsible for their governance, and I have to do the best so that they govern well, and I have to do my best by participating in politics according to my ability. Politics, according to the Social Doctrine of the Church, is one of the highest forms of charity, because it serves the common good. I cannot wash my hands, eh? We all have to give something!”
There is a tendency, the Pope observed, to only speak ill of leaders, and to mutter about “things that don’t go well.” “You listen to the television and they’re beating [them] up, beating [them] up; you read the papers and their beating [them] up. . . .” He continued, “Yes, maybe the leader is a sinner, as David was, but I have to work with my opinions, with my words, even with my corrections” because we all have to participate for the common good. It is not true that Catholics should not meddle in politics:

“‘A good Catholic doesn’t meddle in politics.’ That’s not true. That is not a good path. A good Catholic meddles in politics, offering the best of himself, so that those who govern can govern. But what is the best that we can offer to those who govern? Prayer! That’s what Paul says: “Pray for all people, and for the king and for all in authority.” “But Father, that person is wicked, he should go to hell. . . .” Pray for him, pray for her, that they can govern well, that they can love their people, that they can serve their people, that they can be humble.” A Christian who does not pray for those who govern is not a good Christian! “But Father, how will I pray for that person, a person who has problems. . . .” “Pray that that person might convert!”
So, the Pope concluded, we give the best of ourselves, our ideas, suggestions, the best, but above all the best is prayer. Let us pray for our leaders, that they might govern well, that they might advance our homeland, might lead our nation and even our world forward, for the sake of peace and of the common good.

Argentianian Priest Fr Brochero beatified

(Vatican Radio) Argentinian priest José Gabriel Brochero has been beatified in the Northern Argentine City of Cordoba. James Blears reports about a devout life dedicated to the people of the pampas. 

The parish of St Albert spans 4,336kms. Back in the 19th century there were no roads, paths, postal service or telegraph. Father José Gabriel Brochero initiated them, but his tireless journeys through a then wilderness terrain encompassed so much more. 

Riding on a mule he brought the gospel, the prayer book and the image of he Virgin Mary to the most isolated communities. As he himself said: "Abandoned by everyone, but not by God."
The Gaucho Priest who was born in 1840 died of leprosy in 1914. 


Not only did he minister to the people of the pampas, he often worked side by side with them as a carpenter and a laborer. In his later years he became physically blind. 

The people of Argentina haven't and never will forget undaunted, and truly devout Father Brochero. More than 150,000 of them attended the Beatification ceremony in the City of Cordoba including several thousand gauchos, dressed in the same style poncho, he himself wore on his quest which forever continues.

Pope Angelus: Look to the mercy of God

(Vatican Radio) The mercy of God was at the heart of Pope Francis’ Angelus address on a rainy Sunday in Rome. Speaking from the papal apartments above St Peter’s Square, the Pope, taking his inspiration from the Gospel of Luke said that Chapter 15 contains three parables of mercy, those of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the story of the prodigal son.
He said that all three parables speak of the joy of God, which is the joy of forgiving. The Holy Father went on to say that this Gospel shows Christianity at work, adding that mercy is the true force that can save man and the world from the "cancer" that is the sin, evil, moral, and spiritual. 
Continuing on the theme forgiveness, Pope Francis said that Jesus “is all mercy , all love is God made man.” Each of us, he said “ is the lost sheep, the lost coin , and each of us is the son who has wasted their freedom following false idols, the illusions of happiness, and lost everything.” But God, the Holy Father underlined, “does not forget us, the Father never abandons us. God respects our freedom, but remains faithful . And when we return to Him, he welcomes us as children, into his house, because he never stops, not even for a moment, to expect us, with love.” 
But the Pope also warned against judging others and judging God because we think he should punish sinners. Instead, said Pope Francis we should forgive and show mercy. If we live according to the rule “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”, he noted we will never overcome the spiral of evil.”
Following the recitation of the Marian Prayer, the Holy Father recalled Blessed José Gabriel Brochero, who was beatified on Saturday in Argentina. Pope Francis said Bless José was a priest who was driven by the love of Christ, a man who devoted himself entirely to his flock , He was, the Pope added with the people, and at the end he was blind and the leper, but full of joy , the joy of the Good Shepherd.

Pope Francis: Approach mystery of the Cross with prayer and tears

(Vatican Radio) At the Mass for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Pope Francis said the mystery of the Cross is a great mystery for mankind, a mystery that can only be approached in prayer and in tears. 

In his homily, the Pope said that it is in the mystery of the Cross that we find the story of mankind and the story of God, synthesized by the Fathers of the Church in the comparison between the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, in Paradise, and the tree of the Cross: 

“The one tree has wrought so much evil, the other tree has brought us to salvation, to health. This is the course of the humanity’s story: a journey to find Jesus Christ the Redeemer, who gives His life for love. God, in fact, has not sent the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. This tree of the Cross save us, all of us, from the consequences of that other tree, where self-sufficiency, arrogance, the pride of us wanting to know all things according to our own mentality, according to our own criteria, and also according to that presumption of being and becoming the only judges of the world. This is the story of mankind: from one tree to the other.”

In the Cross there is the “story of God,” the Pope continued, because we can say that God has a story.” In fact, “He has chosen to take up our story and to journey with us,” becoming man, assuming the condition of a slave and making Himself obedient even to death on a Cross: 

“God takes this course for love! There’s no other explanation: love alone does this. Today we look upon the Cross, the story of mankind and the story of God. We look upon this Cross, where you can try that honey of aloe, that bitter honey, that bitter sweetness of the sacrifice of Jesus. But this mystery is so great, and we cannot by ourselves look well upon this mystery, not so much to understand – yes, to understand – but to feel deeply the salvation of this mystery. First of all the mystery of the Cross. It can only be understood, a little bit, by kneeling, in prayer, but also through tears: they are the tears that bring us close to this mystery.”
“Without weeping, heartfelt weeping,” Pope Francis emphasized, we can never understand this mystery. It is “the cry of the penitent, the cry of the brother and the sister who are looking upon so much human misery” and looking on Jesus, but “kneeling and weeping” and “never alone, never alone!”

“In order to enter into this mystery, which is not a labyrinth but resembles one a little bit, we need the Mother, the mother’s hand. That she, Mary, will make us understand how great and humble this mystery is; how sweet as honey and how bitter as aloe. That she will be the one who accompanies us on this journey, which no one can take if not ourselves. Each one of us must take it! With the mother, weeping and on our knees.”

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