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Herald Malaysia
22-05-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Pope Leo XIV: 'Christ is our Saviour, and in Him, we are one family'
Pope Leo XIV praises the important global efforts of the Pontifical Mission Societies, marveling that they are "effectively the 'primary means' of awakening missionary responsibility among all the baptized and supporting ecclesial communities in areas where the Church is young. May 22, 2025 Pope Leo receives Pontifical Mission Societies in the Vatican (@Vatican Media) By Deborah Castellano Lubov"Today, as in the days after Pentecost, the Church, led by the Holy Spirit, pursues Her journey through history with trust, joy and courage as She proclaims the name of Jesus and the salvation born of faith in the saving truth of the Gospel. The Pontifical Mission Societies are an important part of this great effort." Pope Leo XIV gave this encouragement to the Societies on Thursday morning in the Vatican on the occasion of their General Assembly. "In their work of coordinating missionary formation and animating a missionary spirit on the local level," he urged, "I would ask the National Directors to give priority to visiting dioceses, parishes and communities, and in this way to help the faithful to recognize the fundamental importance of the missions and supporting our brothers and sisters in those areas of our world where the Church is young and growing." Speaking in English, the Holy Father, who remembered his own time as a missionary, commended those representing more than 120 countries before him for their meaningful work for the Church in the world. 'I can personally attest' "I begin by expressing my gratitude to you and your associates for your dedicated service, which is indispensable to the Church's mission of evangelization, as I can personally attest from my years of pastoral ministry in Peru." "The Pontifical Mission Societies are effectively the 'primary means,'' he stated, of "awakening missionary responsibility among all the baptized and supporting ecclesial communities in areas where the Church is young." In this context, the Pope drew attention to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, "which provides aid for pastoral and catechetical programmes, the building of new churches, healthcare, and educational needs in mission territories" and the Society of the Holy Childhood, which provides support for Christian formation programmes for children, in addition to caring for their basic needs and protection. Likewise, he cited the Society of Saint Peter the Apostle to "help cultivate missionary vocations, priestly and religious," and the Missionary Union "committed to forming priests, religious men and women, and all the people of God for the Church's missionary work." Our world needs to hear Gospel message of God's love The promotion of apostolic zeal among the People of God, Pope Leo underscored, "remains an essential aspect of the Church's renewal as envisioned by the Second Vatican Council, and is all the more urgent in our own day." "Our world, wounded by war, violence, and injustice," he insisted, "needs to hear the Gospel message of God's love and to experience the reconciling power of Christ's grace." 'Our world, wounded by war, violence and injustice needs to hear the Gospel message of God's love and to experience the reconciling power of Christ's grace.' In this sense, the Church herself, the Holy Father reaffirmed, is increasingly called to be 'a missionary Church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the Word … and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity.' Urgency to bring Christ to all people Given this, Pope Leo XIV said, "We are to bring to all peoples, indeed to all creatures, the Gospel promise of true and lasting peace, which is possible because, in the words of Pope Francis, 'the Lord has overcome the world and its constant conflict 'by making peace through the blood of His Cross.'' Hence, he suggested, "we see the importance of fostering a spirit of missionary discipleship in all the baptized and a sense of the urgency of bringing Christ to all people." The Pope expressed his gratitude to them and their associates for their efforts each year in promoting World Mission Sunday on the second-to-last Sunday of October, "which is of immense help to me in my solicitude for the Churches in areas under the care of the Dicastery for Evangelization." In Christ, we are one family of God Before concluding his remarks, the Pope chose to reflect on two distinctive elements of the Societies' identity, namely communion and universality. "As Societies committed to sharing in the missionary mandate of the Pope and the College of Bishops," he explained, "you are called to cultivate and further promote within your members the vision of the Church as the communion of believers, enlivened by the Holy Spirit, who enables us to enter into the perfect communion and harmony of the blessed Trinity." "Indeed," he marveled, "it is in the Trinity that all things find their unity." With this sentiment, Pope Leo said, "This dimension of our Christian life and mission is close to my heart, and is reflected in the words of Saint Augustine that I chose for my episcopal service and for my papal ministry: In Illo uno unum . Christ is our Saviour and in Him we are one, a family of God, beyond the rich variety of our languages, cultures and experiences." 'This dimension of our Christian life and mission is close to my heart, and is reflected in the words of Saint Augustine that I chose for my episcopal service and for my papal ministry...' The richness that comes from knowing Jesus Christ The appreciation of our communion as members of the Body of Christ, the Holy Father explained, naturally "opens us to the universal dimension of the Church's mission of evangelization," and "inspires us to transcend the confines of our individual parishes, dioceses and nations, in order to share with every nation and people the surpassing richness of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. " Finally, Pope Leo concluded by reminding them that the Holy Year challenges all of us to be 'pilgrims of hope,' and thus, before entrusting them, their benefactors, and "their important work" to the Blessed Mother, encouraged them to be 'missionaries of hope among all peoples.' --Vatican News
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Conclave: Inside the world's most secret ballot
This must be the most secretive election in the world. When 133 Catholic cardinals are shut into the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to choose a successor to Pope Francis, each one will have sworn an oath on the gospels to keep the details under wraps for life. The same goes for every person inside the Vatican during the conclave: from the two doctors on hand for any emergency, to the dining-room staff who feed the cardinals. All vow to observe "absolute and perpetual secrecy". Just to be sure, the chapel and the two guesthouses will be swept for microphones and bugs. "There are electronic jammers to make sure that phone and wi-fi signals are not getting in or out," said John Allen, the editor of Crux news site. "The Vatican takes the idea of isolation extremely seriously." The lockdown isn't only about keeping the voting process secret. It is also intended to stop "nefarious forces" from hacking information or disrupting proceedings, and to ensure those voting are not influenced by the outside world on what will perhaps be one of the biggest decisions of their lives. Catholics will tell you the election is guided by God, not politics. But the hierarchy takes no chances. On entering the conclave, everyone is obliged to surrender all electronic devices including phones, tablets and smart watches. The Vatican has its own police to enforce the rules. "The logic is trust but verify," John Allen said. "There are no televisions, newspapers or radio at the guesthouse for the conclave – nothing," said Monsignor Paolo de Nicolo, who was head of the Papal household for three decades. "You can't even open the windows because many rooms have windows to the exterior world." Everyone working behind the high Vatican walls for the conclave has been heavily vetted. Even so, they are barred from communicating with electors. "The cardinals are completely incommunicado," said Ines San Martin of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the US. "There will just be walkie-talkies for some specific circumstances like, 'we need a medic,' or 'Hey, the Pope has been elected, can someone let the bell-ringers in the Basilica know.'" So what if someone breaks the rules? "There is an oath, and those who do not observe it risk ex-communication," Msgr De Nicolo says, meaning exclusion from the church. "No one dares to do this." It's a different matter in the run-up to the conclave. Officially, the cardinals are banned from commenting even now. But from the moment Pope Francis was buried, parts of the Italian press and many visitors turned cardinal-hunters, trying to suss out his most likely successor. They've been scouring establishments around the Vatican, ready to speculate on any sightings and possible alliances. "Wine and Rigatoni: the Cardinals' Last Suppers", was one headline in La Repubblica which described the "princes of the church" enjoying "good Roman lunches" before lockdown. Reporters have then been grilling waiters on what they might have overheard. "Nothing," one of the servers at Roberto's, a couple of streets back from St Peter's, told me this week. "They always go quiet whenever we get close." The other prime spot to catch a cardinal is beside the basilica itself, next to the curve of columns that embraces the main square. Each morning there's a huddle of cameras and reporters on the lookout for the men in lace and scarlet robes. There are now close to 250 cardinals in the city, called here from all over the world, although those aged 80 or over are not eligible to vote. As they head into the Vatican for their daily congregations to discuss the election, each one is surrounded and bombarded with questions on progress. They've given away little in response beyond the "need for unity" or assurances that the conclave will be short. "The whole idea is for this to be a religious decision, not a political one," Ines San Martin explains. "We say the Holy Spirit guides the conversation and the vote." But the Pope heads a huge, wealthy institution with significant moral authority and global sway on everything from conflict resolution to sexual politics. So the man chosen – and his vision and priorities – matter far beyond the Vatican. Certain Catholic monarchs had a veto on the election up until 1907. Today, voices from all quarters try to influence the debate – most obviously through the media. At one point, Rome's Il Messaggero chided a presumed front-runner, Italian Cardinal Parolin, for "a sort of self-candidacy". Then there was a video clip of Filipino Cardinal Tagle singing John Lennon's Imagine, apparently released to dent his popularity. It went viral instead. Meanwhile, a glossy book highlighting some potential contenders is doing the rounds, lauding conservatives like Cardinal Sarah of Guinea for condemning the "contemporary evils" of abortion and the "same-sex agenda". "There are groups in town who are trying to bang the drum on issues of interest to them," John Allen says. "The cardinals are aware of this kind of thing, they read the papers. But they will do everything they can to block it out." "Are there lobbies going on? Yes, like in every election," Ines San Martin agrees. "But it's not as loud as I thought it would be." She argues that is partly because Pope Francis appointed so many new cardinals, including from new places. "Fifty or sixty percent of them don't even know one another. So even if you were an outside group, trying to have an agenda, it's very hard even to pick your cardinals to begin with." By Wednesday morning, all the electors should be in place inside the Vatican – stripped of their phones and sealed off from the rest of the world. John Allen believes personal preference will dominate over politics, 'liberal' or 'conservative' factions or the "rattle and hum of public debate". "I really think the cardinals' discussions among themselves right now is key," said Ines San Martin. "A lot have been speaking up for the first time. You never know just how inspiring one of them might be." Custom fireworks and standby firefighters: How the Vatican makes its smoke signal Who will be the next pope? Key candidates in an unpredictable process
BBC News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Conclave: Inside the world's most secret ballot
This must be the most secretive election in the 133 Catholic cardinals are shut into the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to choose a successor to Pope Francis, each one will have sworn an oath on the gospels to keep the details under wraps for same goes for every person inside the Vatican during the conclave: from the two doctors on hand for any emergency, to the dining-room staff who feed the cardinals. All vow to observe "absolute and perpetual secrecy".Just to be sure, the chapel and the two guesthouses will be swept for microphones and bugs."There are electronic jammers to make sure that phone and wi-fi signals are not getting in or out," said John Allen, the editor of Crux news site."The Vatican takes the idea of isolation extremely seriously." Total lockdown The lockdown isn't only about keeping the voting process secret. It is also intended to stop "nefarious forces" from hacking information or disrupting proceedings, and to ensure those voting are not influenced by the outside world on what will perhaps be one of the biggest decisions of their will tell you the election is guided by God, not politics. But the hierarchy takes no entering the conclave, everyone is obliged to surrender all electronic devices including phones, tablets and smart watches. The Vatican has its own police to enforce the rules."The logic is trust but verify," John Allen said."There are no televisions, newspapers or radio at the guesthouse for the conclave – nothing," said Monsignor Paolo de Nicolo, who was head of the Papal household for three decades."You can't even open the windows because many rooms have windows to the exterior world." Everyone working behind the high Vatican walls for the conclave has been heavily vetted. Even so, they are barred from communicating with electors."The cardinals are completely incommunicado," said Ines San Martin of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the US."There will just be walkie-talkies for some specific circumstances like, 'we need a medic,' or 'Hey, the Pope has been elected, can someone let the bell-ringers in the Basilica know.'"So what if someone breaks the rules?"There is an oath, and those who do not observe it risk ex-communication," Msgr De Nicolo says, meaning exclusion from the church. "No one dares to do this." Cardinal hunting It's a different matter in the run-up to the the cardinals are banned from commenting even now. But from the moment Pope Francis was buried, parts of the Italian press and many visitors turned cardinal-hunters, trying to suss out his most likely been scouring establishments around the Vatican, ready to speculate on any sightings and possible alliances."Wine and Rigatoni: the Cardinals' Last Suppers", was one headline in La Repubblica which described the "princes of the church" enjoying "good Roman lunches" before have then been grilling waiters on what they might have overheard."Nothing," one of the servers at Roberto's, a couple of streets back from St Peter's, told me this week."They always go quiet whenever we get close." The other prime spot to catch a cardinal is beside the basilica itself, next to the curve of columns that embraces the main square. Each morning there's a huddle of cameras and reporters on the lookout for the men in lace and scarlet are now close to 250 cardinals in the city, called here from all over the world, although those aged 80 or over are not eligible to they head into the Vatican for their daily congregations to discuss the election, each one is surrounded and bombarded with questions on given away little in response beyond the "need for unity" or assurances that the conclave will be short. The outside world "The whole idea is for this to be a religious decision, not a political one," Ines San Martin explains. "We say the Holy Spirit guides the conversation and the vote."But the Pope heads a huge, wealthy institution with significant moral authority and global sway on everything from conflict resolution to sexual the man chosen – and his vision and priorities – matter far beyond the Catholic monarchs had a veto on the election up until 1907. Today, voices from all quarters try to influence the debate – most obviously through the one point, Rome's Il Messaggero chided a presumed front-runner, Italian Cardinal Parolin, for "a sort of self-candidacy".Then there was a video clip of Filipino Cardinal Tagle singing John Lennon's Imagine, apparently released to dent his popularity. It went viral instead. Meanwhile, a glossy book highlighting some potential contenders is doing the rounds, lauding conservatives like Cardinal Sarah of Guinea for condemning the "contemporary evils" of abortion and the "same-sex agenda"."There are groups in town who are trying to bang the drum on issues of interest to them," John Allen says. "The cardinals are aware of this kind of thing, they read the papers. But they will do everything they can to block it out.""Are there lobbies going on? Yes, like in every election," Ines San Martin agrees. "But it's not as loud as I thought it would be."She argues that is partly because Pope Francis appointed so many new cardinals, including from new places."Fifty or sixty percent of them don't even know one another. So even if you were an outside group, trying to have an agenda, it's very hard even to pick your cardinals to begin with." Shutting out the noise By Wednesday morning, all the electors should be in place inside the Vatican – stripped of their phones and sealed off from the rest of the Allen believes personal preference will dominate over politics, 'liberal' or 'conservative' factions or the "rattle and hum of public debate"."I really think the cardinals' discussions among themselves right now is key," said Ines San Martin. "A lot have been speaking up for the first time. You never know just how inspiring one of them might be."
Boston Globe
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Italians once ruled the Catholic Church. Will they lead it again?
Advertisement Italians this time are hopeful but guarded, knowing full well that a church growing fastest in the developing world may see another Italian pope as an ill-advised step backward. On the other hand, Italy has more voting cardinals than any other country, and its contenders, some seen as skillful diplomats, tick boxes that their international peers may see as vital in unstable times, when wars are raging in the Middle East and Europe, and nationalism is reawakening in the West. It is often said that he who enters a conclave as pope, leaves a cardinal. But Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's powerful secretary of state, and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Francis's emissary to Russia and Ukraine as well as the archbishop of Bologna, nevertheless rank among the most talked-about contenders. Parolin is viewed as a moderate while Zuppi is seen as more progressive. Advertisement A third contender, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, has not shied from wading into politics in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. An Italian pope makes some practical sense. Italian remains the lingua franca of Vatican City, serving as the language of documents and official meetings. The pope is also officially the bishop of Rome, and traditionally addresses his local flock in their native tongue. The lack of Italian fluency has been cited as a mark against some rumored contenders - including Congo's Fridolin Ambongo. Yet when the overwhelmed Benedict became the first pope in 600 years to retire, Italians were seen as central to the Vatican's problems. Corruption allegations and scandals swirled in the heavily Italian papal staff and Roman Curia, the Vatican's byzantine bureaucracy. The Italian cardinals were also divided by bitter rivalries. That dynamic is somewhat less prevalent today. 'Surely there was a problem at the time at the end of Benedict because of the scandals in the Roman Curia, but I think this problem is now overcome, it is not so important, and a good pope could come from anywhere, also, of course, from Italy,' Italian Archbishop Bruno Forte said in an interview with The Washington Post. Italians dominated the papacy from 1523 to 1978, when Pope John Paul II from Poland began a streak of non-Italians that included Benedict, a German, and Francis, the first from Latin America. Italian popes rank among both the most cherished and chastised in history. In the mid-20th Century, John XXIII, for instance, combated antisemitism and sought to calm tensions during the Cuban missile crisis. The 16th-century Pope Leo X, meanwhile, was a spoiled Medici who fueled his Protestant critics by selling papal indulgences - while also indulging himself in a lavish lifestyle. Advertisement Inés San Martín, vice president of communications for the Pontifical Mission Societies - a missionary network under the pope - said the selection of an Italian pope would signal a parochial turn. 'For a lot of cardinals, who are not from Europe, an Italian would be too insular, would be once again confusing the fact of the Holy See being the church," she said. 'But you can't reduce the Catholic Church to the Vatican.' The energy of the church is not in Italy, she said. 'The strength if you look in numbers is Asia and Africa. If you look at money it's not Italy, it's the U.S. and Germany. For the rest of the world, an Italian pope wouldn't necessarily be good.' The Italians beg to differ. Media outlets in Italy have been cautiously heralding the chances of the Italian contenders. 'The party of Italians at the Conclave: Parolin and Zuppi remain the most prominent names. But the historic internal divisions among our cardinals weigh heavily,' declared the Quotidiano Nazionale news website. 'After three pontificates, the [solution] could indeed come from our country,' promised La Stampa newspaper. Cardinal Camillo Ruini, 94, told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera that the next pope 'may come from anywhere in the world [but] usually Italians have the advantage of being less influenced by their origins, they are more universalists.' Some argue that the Italian candidates lack the charisma of Francis, or even other contenders now, such as Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, a social media sensation who has gone viral in one video singing verses of John Lennon's 'Imagine.' But Ruini, a critic of Francis, argued that the Argentine suffered from an excess of personality, and had focused too much on those on the peripheries of the faith. Advertisement 'Francis seemed to favor those who were distant, to the detriment of those who were close,' Ruini told the newspaper. The Italian cardinals will not be nearly as dominant in the coming conclave as they once were. But they will still make up the largest single national group with a total of 19 voting members, including 17 national cardinals and the two Italian cardinals serving abroad. That doesn't mean they form a united bloc. During the 2013 conclave, Cardinal Scola's prospects were said to have been undone in part by his bitter rivalry with another Italian, Tarcisio Bertone, who was later prosecuted by the Vatican for corruption. This time, Parolin and Zuppi are said to be on warm terms. The 19 Italian cardinal electors are split between reformists, moderates and traditionalists, with Vatican watchers saying they are likely to put their religious leanings before their nationalities. 'They will be as scattered as they've always been since October 1978,' said Giovanni Maria Vian, former editor of the Vatican's newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, referring to the conclave that elected John Paul II.
