Pope: contemplation, compassion indispensable for integral ecology - Vatican News https://t.co/hAsjXYZddF via @GoogleNews— JACK WOLF (@JackWolf57) September 13, 2020
#PopeFrancis sends a letter to mark the 25th anniversary of Saint #JohnPaulII’s encyclical “Ut unum sint”, and calls for a renewed commitment to ecumenism.https://t.co/L7z7Lxzi0r— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 25, 2020
As #PopeFrancis invites everyone to pray the #Rosary throughout May, we explore the dedication of various Popes through the centuries to this ancient devotion. https://t.co/PcU9NrSnub— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 26, 2020
One is reminded of Augustine’s famous phrase “You created us for you [Lord], and our heart is restless until it rests in you” (Confessions, I, 1). One can say that the same impulse to scientific research stems from nostalgia for God which lives in the human heart: after all, the men of science tend, often unconsciously, to reach for that truth which gives meaning to life.
Tourism, together with vacations and free time, is a privileged occasion for physical and spiritual renewal; it facilitates the coming together of people from different cultural backgrounds and offers the opportunity of drawing close to nature and hence opening the way to listening and contemplation, tolerance and peace, dialogue and harmony in the midst of diversity.
Attention should be paid to the various types of websites, applications and social networks which can help people today to find time for reflection and authentic questioning, as well as making space for silence and occasions for prayer, meditation or sharing of the word of God.
[Muslims] praised the pope for confirming through the meeting that Islam was now a part of German society and pointing towards new and expanded cooperation between Catholics and Muslims. But they said their loyalty to the [German] constitution, a main point in his speech, was never in question.Read the entire post to learn how the pope expressed his thoughts about the constitution and for more context from Mr. Heneghan.
A Chinese tale tells of some men sent to harm a young girl who, upon seeing her beauty, become her protectors rather than her violators. That's how I felt seeing the Earth for the first time. I could not help but love and cherish her. [Source]
Pope Benedict articulated what Payload Specialist Wang and earlier astronauts and cosmonauts, who beheld the earth as a globe, marveled about it. Not "to cherish" the Earth leads to the sadness of harming it and humans. The pope to the entire International Space Station crew:From space, "I think it must be obvious to you that we all live together on this earth and how absurd it is that we fight and kill," said Benedict, speaking from the Vatican to the International Space Station, where the space shuttle Endeavour docked Wednesday during its final mission. "I know that Mark Kelly's wife was the victim of a serious attack, and I hope that her health continues to improve."Read the Houston Chronicle post here. The Mother Nature Network [MNN] post includes a video [the call was a conversation] as well other reporting of last Saturday's historic communication.
Who issued this call?
I would like then to invite Christians, confidently and with an informed and responsible creativity, to join the network of relationships which the digital era has made possible. This is not simply to satisfy the desire to be present, but because this network is an integral part of human life.
It is part of Pope Benedict's call to the social network. Human living is in need of gospel witnesses in person as well as on the web. His 2011 "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age" is the 45th World Communications Day Message.
The National Catholic Register editors, commenting on Pope Benedict's 2011 message, entitled their editorial, "The Pope 'Gets' Facebook."
Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.pontifical council [it will be the 12th one], with the specific task of promoting a renewed evangelization in countries where the first proclamation of the faith already resounded, and where Churches are present of ancient foundation, but which are going through a progressive secularization of society and a sort of "eclipse of the sense of God."In addition to the CNS story about the papal announcement, ZENIT has already translated his homily into English.
I know that your parish is young. In fact, it began its pastoral activity in 1989, for a period of 12 years in a provisory location, and then in the new parish complex. Now that you have a new sacred edifice, my visit aims to encourage you to realize more and more that Church of living stones that you are. ......I call on you to continue in this direction with courage but also to dedicate yourselves to bring all of these realities together into a unified pastoral project. I was happy to hear that your community wishes to promote, in regard to the vocations and the role of consecrated persons and the laity, the co-responsibility of all the members of the People of God. As I already noted, this demands a change in mentality, above all with regard to the laity, “moving from considering them ‘collaborators’ of the clergy to recognizing them as truly ‘co-responsible’ for the being and action of the Church, promoting a mature and dedicated laity in this way” (cf. “Address a the Opening of the Pastoral Conference of the Diocese of Rome,” May 26, 2009).
The video of the pope's arrival at the parish and the mass may be viewed in Italian with Italian commentary (posted by the Vatican on its website).
Not all Catholics have been responding positively to Pope Benedict or to his predecessor, John Paul II, who began to raise awareness that ecology has a theological dimension. After all, stewardship of creation is part of the human vocation.
Synods always constitute an intense ecclesial experience, an experience of pastoral collegial responsibility in regard to a specific aspect of the life of the Church, or rather, as in this case, of a part of the Christian people determined on the basis of a geographic area. The Pope and his closest coworkers join together with the designated members of the assembly, with the experts and auditors, to reflect on the chosen theme. It is important to emphasize that it is not a matter of a study group, nor a programmatic assembly. Communications and speeches are heard in the hall, there is discussion in groups, but we all know that we are not the protagonists: it is the Lord, his Holy Spirit, who guides the Church. The most important thing, for everyone, is listening: listening to each other and, everyone, listening to what the Lord wants to tell us. Thus the Synod takes place in a climate of faith and prayer, in religious obedience to the Word of God. It is the place of the Successor of Peter to convoke and guide the synodal assembly, gather together what emerges from the work and then offer the opportune pastoral instructions. [Zenit translation]The pope reminds that synods are guided by Jesus' Spirit, whom he gave to his church to be with it always. Synod members read the signs of the times; they prepare well in advance in order to exercise their "pastoral collegial responsibility in regard to a specific aspect of the life of the Church, or...a part of the Christian people determined on the basis of a geographic area."
We can expect Pope Benedict to continue to include the care creation in his remarks. "Indeed, the pronouncements on the protection of the environment, on the safeguarding of creation, are more frequent and -- we can say -- almost continuous," commented Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See's press office.48. Today the subject of development is also closely related to the duties arising from our relationship to the natural environment. The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole. When nature, including the human being, is viewed as the result of mere chance or evolutionary determinism, our sense of responsibility wanes. In nature, the believer recognizes the wonderful result of God's creative activity, which we may use responsibly to satisfy our legitimate needs, material or otherwise, while respecting the intrinsic balance of creation. If this vision is lost, we end up either considering nature an untouchable taboo or, on the contrary, abusing it. Neither attitude is consonant with the Christian vision of nature as the fruit of God's creation.Given this "Christian vision of nature," Pope Benedict's "pronouncements on the protection of the environment, on the safeguarding of creation," will continue with frequency. Christian theology and catechesis, of course, grows out of Christian worship of lavishly generous and constantly creating Triune God.[Hear and watch Fr. E. J. Tyler read both paragraphs 48 and 49.]
It is a significant event, even of ecumenical importance "that has as its theme this year 'air,' an indispensable element for life. ...His last sentence repeated his last sentence from his earlier Wednesday general audience.Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I has been in the forefront of safeguarding the environment. People around the world are taking notice. The Worldwatch Institute, with its Vision for a Sustainable World, is spreading the word.
I call everyone to a greater commitment to the safeguarding of creation, gift of God.
