org. Every part of the Church, and many others outside of her – believers or non-believers – have received Pope Francis` clear and hope-filled words. They are also words that motivate us to assume the responsibility we all have to build a world in accordance to the Will of God, in the strength of the Spirit and through the way of Christ. Cardinals and bishops, priests, men and women religious, novices and seminarians, families, the youth and elderly, communities and institutes have received this challenge to go out “onto the street” to take – not a utopian hope – but concrete deeds in living evangelization projects to all men and women wherever they may be. And if they are on the “outskirts” then we have to go there, with all the risks and dangers it may include. He repeats to us constantly: I prefer an injured church, because she goes out to serve, to a Church that is sick because of her self-absorption. Testimony to this can be found in the section of Schoenstatt.org where on a weekly basis texts are selected which motivate us on our own pilgrimage toward the 2014 Jubilee. Undoubtedly, because we are the Church, these words are also directed to us. How happy must our Father not be with this missionary impetus which is given to us from the very heart of the Church! (Fr. José María García)
I thank all those who are courageously helping our brothers and sisters in Iraq.
Tweet 13.08.2014
In the voice of Jesus telling him: “Come!”, he recognizes the echo of the first meeting on the shore of this same lake, and immediately, yet again, leaves the boat and goes towards the Master. And he walks on water! The faithful and immediate response to the call of the Lord always does extraordinary things. Jesus himself would say that we are capable of doing miracles with our faith, faith in Him, faith in His word, faith in His voice! Instead, Peter begins to sink in the moment in which he looks away from Jesus and is swept by the adversities that surround him. But the Lord is always there, and when Peter calls on Him, Jesus saves him from danger. In the person of Peter, with his impulses and his weaknesses, our faith is described: always fragile and poor, restless and yet victorious, Christian faith walks to meet the risen Lord, in the midst of storms and the dangers of the world.
Angelus, 10 August (Translation: Zenit)
Our people are not confused and they adore God alone; God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; Adore God! But in adoring God, they also know that Jesus left us our Mother to look after us. Our people do not adore the Virgin Mary; they love her, they honour her, as we all love and honour our moms, they know that she cares for us, they know that she in heaven and our people — adoring God who is the only one to be adored, adoring Jesus Christ who is the only one to be adored — also allow themselves to be cared for by the mother, our people are not orphans, our people have a Mother. Devotion to the Blessed Mother is one of the most beautiful things, but it is not adoration, it is the love of children for their mother, and the people come together to adore God and to remember his mother, this is the centre of popular piety in Latin America, a child without a mother has a mutilated soul; the tenderness that only a mother can give…If one cannot feel these two elements of popular piety: adore God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and we adore him alone, and the love and respect, venerate – which is not the same as to adore – our Mother, because we are not orphans, we have a mom.
Interview with Radio de Campo Gallo
The road is the image for the Church, the Church is a pilgrim. Jesus founded a Church on the road, a pilgrim Church. When the Church is silent, its stops being the Church and becomes a civil society group. Our Church is a Church that goes out, goes out in two ways: firstly, it goes towards God, adoring God and praying; and secondly, it goes out to its brothers to help them, accompany them; carry out the deeds of mercy that Jesus taught us, and can be found in chapter 25 of [the Gospel] of Matthew. A pilgrim who visits a temple for the Glory of God and to adore God, to venerate and honour Mary, this pilgrim also underscores the Church’s vocation to walk. Our Church does not tire of walking because it is on the road that we encounter the meaning that God wants from his people, a people on the road. When a Christian community is silent, it experiences the same thing as water that is still; stagnant water is the first to be corrupted. When a community does not go on pilgrimage, not only on foot but with the heart, when it does not have a pilgrim heart that always goes beyond itself to adore God, to help its brothers, this Church is half-dead and must be resuscitated quickly.
Therefore, for those who are building a house for God, may it be a place of pilgrimage, know that this is the symbol of the Church that walks, and this annual pilgrimage to it needs to happen every day in daily life, a pilgrimage towards God to adore him, a pilgrimage to our Mother, the Virgin to remember her and love her. And a pilgrimage to the neediest men and women among our people.
Interview with Radio de Campo Gallo
I would tell the communities the same thing that Jesus did. Pray that God will send labourers into the vineyard, that is, pray that God sends pastors. God’s heart is not indifferent to the prayers of his people, pray for the Lord to send pastors. And I would say to young people that if you ever felt the call of Jesus, do not be afraid, may you see all the good that you can do, may you see all the advice you can give, the Christian message you can transmit, do not be afraid. Life is about taking risks, not preserving it. Jesus says: he who cares too much about his life, will lose it, life is to be given and this is how one can be fruitful. If someone feels that God is asking you to give your life to the priesthood, do not be afraid, bank on the big things and not the miniscule things. And if you feel that God is calling you to family life, may you be a strong, Christian, beautiful family with many children who will carry on the faith…I simply say this: Jesus is very good. Jesus cares for us. God loves us, God is always waiting for us. God does not tire of forgiving us, he only asks that we are humble and ask for forgiveness to carry on. God made us to be happy and he accompanies us. When we go through difficult times, moments of the cross, moments of pain, He experienced these first and he understands the heart. I ask that Lord to bless all of you who are listening, may He give you strength, give you the will to live and strive, the courage not to allow “anyone to steal your hope,” and above all, may he give you tenderness and make you smile. And that the blessing of God, the all powerful Father, Son and Holy Spirit comes down on all of you and on each one of you and remain with you always.
Interview with Radio de Campo Gallo
All the disciples are on the boat, united by the experience of weakness, of doubt, of fear, of “little faith”. But when Jesus goes back on the boat, the weather changes immediately: all feel united in the faith in Him. All little and frightened, become great in the moment in which they throw themselves on their knees and recognize in their master the Son of God. How many times, even to us, the same thing happens? Without Jesus, far from Jesus, we feel afraid, inadequate to the point of thinking that we cannot do it anymore. Faith is lacking! But Jesus is always with us: perhaps hidden but present and ready to support us.
This is an effective image of the Church: a boat that must confront the storms and which sometimes seems to be on the verge of being overwhelmed. What saves it is not the quality and courage of its men, but the faith that allows them to walk in the darkness, in the midst of difficulties.
Angelus 10 August (Translation: Zenit)
It is with a heavy and anguished heart that I have been following the dramatic events of these past few days in Northern Iraq where Christians and other religious minorities have been forced to flee from their homes and witness the destruction of their places of worship and religious patrimony. Moved by their plight, I have asked His Eminence Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, who served as the Representative of my predecessors, Pope St John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, to the people in Iraq, to manifest my spiritual closeness and to express my concern, and that of the entire Catholic Church, for the intolerable suffering of those who only wish to live in peace, harmony and freedom in the land of their forefathers.
In the same spirit, I write to you, Mr Secretary-General, and place before you the tears, the suffering and the heartfelt cries of despair of Christians and other religious minorities of the beloved land of Iraq. In renewing my urgent appeal to the international community to take action to end the humanitarian tragedy now underway, I encourage all the competent organs of the United Nations, in particular those responsible for security, peace, humanitarian law and assistance to refugees, to continue their efforts in accordance with the Preamble and relevant Articles of the United Nations Charter.
The violent attacks that are sweeping across Northern Iraq cannot but awaken the consciences of all men and women of goodwill to concrete acts of solidarity by protecting those affected or threatened by violence and assuring the necessary and urgent assistance for the many displaced people as well as their safe return to their cities and their homes. The tragic experiences of the Twentieth Century, and the most basic understanding of human dignity, compels the international community, particularly through the norms and mechanisms of international law, to do all that it can to stop and to prevent further systematic violence against ethnic and religious minorities.
Confident that my appeal, which I unite with those of the Oriental Patriarchs and other religious leaders, will meet with a positive reply, I take this opportunity to renew to your Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration.
Letter to Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary General, 9 August
