Tag Archives: Pope Francis

Indian priest kidnapped in deadly Yemen attack; Pope condemns world apathy

ADEN/VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Gunmen who killed at least 15 people in an old people’s home in Yemen last week also kidnapped an Indian priest, officials said on Sunday, as Pope Francis condemned the attack and the “indifference” of the world’s reaction to it.

No one has claimed responsibility for Friday’s incident in which four gunmen posing as relatives of one of the residents at the home burst inside, killing four Indian nuns, two Yemeni female staff members, eight elderly residents and a guard.

Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Twitter that an Indian national identified as Father Tom Uzhunnalil had been “abducted by terrorists in Yemen”. She said officials in neighboring Djibouti were trying to ascertain his whereabouts to secure his release.

Officials in the southern Yemeni city of Aden confirmed that the priest had been kidnapped and said authorities were investigating the attack. It sparked widespread condemnation, including from the Pope and the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which called it an act of terrorism.

Pope Francis called the nuns “today’s martyrs” because they were both victims of their killers and of global indifference.

“They do not make the front pages of the newspapers, they do not make the news. They have given their blood for the Church,” he said in his Sunday message to thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square.

“They are victims of the attack by those who killed them but also victims of indifference, of this globalization of indifference. They don’t matter,” he added, departing from his prepared text.

International aid groups have pulled most of their foreign staff from Yemen but continue to operate on a reduced basis through local employees.

Aden has been racked by lawlessness since Hadi supporters, backed by Gulf Arab military forces, drove fighters of the Iran-allied Houthi group from the city in July last year.

The Yemeni government has repeatedly promised to restore security to the city but has so far had little success.

(Reporting by Mohammed Mukhashaf in Aden and Philip Pullella in Rome, Writing by Sami Aboudi/Sylvia Westall; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

After 1,000-year split, pope and Russian patriarch embrace in Cuba

HAVANA (Reuters) – Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill embraced and kissed on Friday in a historic meeting, uniting to issue a global appeal for the protection of Christians under assault in the Middle East.

Nearly 1,000 years after the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity split apart, the meeting at an airport terminal in Cuba was the first ever between a Roman Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch.

“In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated,” they said in a joint declaration in apparent reference to violence by militant groups like Islamic State.

“Their churches are being barbarously ravaged and looted, their sacred objects profaned, their monuments destroyed.”

Cuban President Raul Castro stood to the side during the ceremony, enjoying another moment in the international limelight after receiving Francis last year and restoring diplomatic relations with the United States recently, meeting President Barack Obama in Panama in April.

The two religious leaders, guests of a Communist government, came together only a week after the encounter was announced. Such a meeting had eluded their predecessor, but Francis had issued a standing invitation to meet anytime, anywhere.

The moment came while Kirill was visiting the Caribbean island and Francis added a brief stop on his way from Rome to a long-scheduled visit to Mexico.

“Finally,” Francis said as he and Kirill entered through doors on opposite sides of a room at Havana airport to begin private talks. “We are brothers.”

Francis, dressed in white with a skullcap, and Kirill, wearing a tall, domed hat that dangled a white stole over black robes, joined arms and kissed on both cheeks.

“It is very clear that this is the will of God,” Francis said.

“Yes, things are much easier now,” Kirill said. Both men spoke through interpreters.

Their meeting carried political overtones, coming at a time of Russian disagreements with the West over Syria and Ukraine.

The Russian Orthodox Church is closely aligned with the Kremlin, which is in turn an ally of Cuba.

The Argentine pontiff helped the rapprochement between the United States and Cuba after more than five decades of estrangement.

The pope, leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, is seeking to repair a much longer rupture. Eastern Orthodoxy split with Rome in 1054.

Modern popes have met in the past with the Istanbul-based ecumenical patriarchs, the spiritual leaders of Eastern Orthodoxy.

Those patriarchs play a largely symbolic role, while the rich Russian church wields real influence because it counts some 165 million of the world’s 250 million Orthodox Christians.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta and Philip Pullella; Editing by Andrew Hay and Alistair Bell)

Pope, Russian Orthodox patriarch to hold historic meeting in Cuba

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church will meet in Cuba next week in what could be a historic step toward healing the 1,000-year-old rift between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity.

The Vatican and the Moscow Patriarchate announced on Friday that Francis will stop in Cuba on Feb. 12 his way to Mexico to hold talks with Patriarch Kirill, the first in history between a Roman Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch.

Modern popes have met in the past with the Istanbul-based ecumenical patriarchs, the spiritual leaders of Eastern Orthodoxy, which split with Rome in 1054.

Those patriarchs play a largely symbolic role, while the rich Russian church wields real influence because it counts some 165 million of the world’s 250 million Orthodox Christians.

The Vatican said the leaders would hold several hours of private talks at Havana airport, deliver public speeches and sign a joint statement.

The meeting was brokered by Cuban President Raul Castro, who hosted the pope in Cuba last year. Significantly, the Vatican helped arrange the recent rapprochement between Cuba and the United States.

Such a meeting eluded Francis’ two immediate predecessors, Benedict and John Paul, who both tried but failed to reach agreement with Kirill and previous patriarchs to hold talks on the prospects for eventual Christian unity.

Senior Orthodox cleric Metropolitan Hilarion said long-standing differences between the two churches would remain, most notably a row over the Eastern Rite church in Ukraine that is allied with Rome.

But he said they being put aside so that Kirill and Francis could work together against the persecution of Christians in the Middle East. Both Francis and Kirill have often decried their oppression and killing by Islamist militants.

The Russians had previously said outstanding differences had to be ironed out before any high-level meeting could be held.

“The situation shaping up today in the Middle East, in North and Central Africa and in some other regions where extremists are carrying out a genuine genocide of the Christian population demands urgent measures and an even closer cooperation between the Christian churches,” Hilarion said.

“We need to put aside internal disagreements at this tragic time and join efforts to save Christians in the regions where they are subject to the most atrocious persecution.”

The Russian Church has accused Catholics of trying to convert people from Orthodoxy after the break-up of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, a charge the Vatican has denied.

One particularly sore point is the fate of church properties that Soviet dictator Josef Stalin confiscated from Eastern Rite Catholics in Ukraine and gave to the Russian Orthodox there. After the call of communism, Eastern Rite Catholics took back many church properties, mostly in western Ukraine.

(Additional reporting by Dmitry Solovyov in Moscow; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

Pope asks Protestants for forgiveness for persecution

ROME (Reuters) – Pope Francis asked Protestants and other Christian Churches for forgiveness for past persecution by Catholics as the Vatican announced on Monday he would visit Sweden later in the year to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Speaking at an annual vespers service in St. Paul’s Basilica in Rome attended by representatives of other religions, he asked “forgiveness for the un-gospel like behaviour by Catholics towards Christians of other Churches”. He also asked Catholics to forgive those who had persecuted them.

The Vatican announced that on Oct. 31 Francis would go to the southern Swedish city of Lund, where the Lutheran World Federation was founded in 1947, for a joint service with Lutherans to launch Reformation commemorations that will continue throughout the world next year.

Martin Luther, a German, is credited with starting the Protestant Reformation in 1517 with writing 95 theses – said to have been nailed to a church door in Wittenberg – criticising the Catholic Church for selling forgiveness from sins for money.

It led to a violent, often political schism throughout Europe and Christianity, prompting among other things the 30 Years’ War, the destruction of English monasteries, and the burning of numerous “heretics” on both sides.

Catholic traditionalists have accused Francis of making too many concessions to Lutherans, particularly in a “common prayer” that both religions will use during the 2017 commemorations.

They say the prayer, which will be used during the pope’s visit to Lund, excessively praises Luther, who was condemned as a heretic and excommunicated.

Francis, however, has made dialogue with other religions one of the hallmarks of his papacy.

He has already visited the Lutheran church of Rome, the Waldensian protestant community in northern Italy, and Rome’s synagogue. This year he is due to become the first pope to visit the Italian capital’s mosque.

While his predecessors have visited Protestant churches, Francis has come under criticism from traditionalists who accuse him of sending confusing signals about inter-faith relations.

They have also contested guidelines issued this month for the “common prayer”.

“The Reformation and Martin Luther are repeatedly extolled, while the Counter-Reformation and the Popes and Saints of the 16th century are passed over in total silence,” the traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli said.

Theological dialogue between Roman Catholic and Lutherans began in the late 1960s after the Second Vatican Council. But Catholics and Lutherans are still officially not allowed to take communion at each other’s services.

When he visited Rome’s Lutheran church last year, traditionalists attacked Francis for suggesting in answer to a question that a Lutheran woman married to a Catholic man could decide for herself if she could take communion in her husband’s church.

(Additional reporting by Alistair Scrutton Editing by Richard Balmforth and Ralph Boulton)

Pope Address U.N. Encouraging Humanity over Politics

Just a day after his historic speech to the U.S. Congress, Pope Francis addressed the U.N. calling for world powers to stop putting political interests ahead of human suffering in the Middle East.  

“We cannot permit ourselves to postpone ‘certain agendas’ for the future. The future demands of us critical and global decisions in the face of worldwide conflicts which increase the number of the excluded and those in need.”

Pope Francis, the 5th Pope to address the U.N. in history, also stressed a call for peace and environmental justice, and blame the exploitation of natural resources on “a selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity.”

The Pope addressed issues such as the environment, weapons of mass destruction, persecution of Christians and all religious groups and the importance of remembering those who are cast off and forgotten.  

“The common home of all men and women must continue to rise on the foundations of a right understanding of universal fraternity and respect for the sacredness of every human life, of every man and every woman, the poor, the elderly, children, the infirm, the unborn, the unemployed, the abandoned, those considered disposable because they are only considered as part of a statistic.”

After concluding his speech the Pope’s next stop was an emotional visit to the 9/11 Monument. Speaking in Spanish, Pope Francis addressed the crowd,

“This is a place where we shed tears” he said. “We weep out of a sense of helplessness in the face of injustice, murder, and the failure to settle conflicts through dialogue. Here we mourn the wrongful and senseless loss of innocent lives because of the inability to find solutions which respect the common good. This flowing water reminds us of yesterday’s tears, but also of all the tears still being shed today.”

Pope Francis Gives Historic Address to Congress

In an historic two hour speech, Pope Francis, the first-ever pontiff to address a joint meeting of Congress, encouraged the United States to use its power to heal the “open wounds” of a planet torn by hatred, greed, poverty and pollution.  Using biblical and historical references, Pope Francis reminded political leaders, “All political activity must serve and promote the good of the human person and be based on respect for his or her dignity”   

Pope Francis urged the United States not to turn its back on undocumented immigrants or to reject the victimization of religious and ethnic minorities.  He also addressed what is happening with the increasing violence in our world today.  

“All of us are quite aware of, and deeply worried by, the disturbing social and political situation of the world today. Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion. We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms.”

The Pope asked lawmakers to wage a constant battle against poverty and to ensure the wealth of the world is equitably shared and used to create jobs.

Francis, who is on a six-day U.S. visit, was watched not only by a packed chamber of lawmakers but also thousands of people who gathered outside the Capitol. After his lunch with the homeless at a Catholic charity in Washington, Francis will head to New York where he will ride his popemobile through Manhattan and lead evening prayers at St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Pope Francis Visits Washington D.C., Meets with President Obama

People were lining the streets to get a glimpse of Pope Francis as he made his way to the White House to discuss politics with President Obama and 11,000 ticketed guests at the welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn.

Pope Francis directly addressed the American people on topics such as climate change, Cuba, marriage, and immigration.

The Pope praised President Obama on his work for a cleaner Earth, specifically on the initiative for reducing air pollution. The two leaders also agreed that it was time to reconcile with Cuba.

Pope Francis then went on to discuss the importance of traditional values when it came to the institution of marriage and families. He stated that American Catholics were “concerned that efforts to build a just and wisely ordered society, respect their deepest concerns and their right to religious liberty. That freedom remains one of America’s most precious possessions.”

While the Pope did briefly mention immigration, he did not address the full political issue, leaving many to believe that he may give his opinion on the issue later during his visit.

Pope Francis then addressed one of the issues that is a central theme to his papacy. He discussed how the global economy is making few people very rich, but at the expense of the many.

“I would like all men and women of goodwill in this great nation to support the efforts of the international community to protect the vulnerable in our world and to stimulate integral and inclusive models of development,” Francis said.

When the Pope first entered the White House, President Obama warmly welcomed Pope Francis to the United States.

“In your humility, your embrace of simplicity, in the gentleness of your words and the generosity of your spirit,” Obama told the pope, “we see a living example of Jesus’ teachings, a leader whose moral authority comes not just through words but also through deeds.”

The Pope’s visit to the White House is just the beginning for today’s activities. Pope Francis will also be in two parades, a midday prayer with Catholic bishops at St. Matthew’s Cathedral and the canonization of an 18th century missionary.

Pope’s Visit Brings Security Concerns, Including Police Impersonators

Law enforcement personnel are worried that the Pope’s visit to the United States could attract terrorist attacks and even go as far as impersonating police officers, EMTs, and firefighters to launch such attacks.

“The impersonators’ main goals are to further their attack plan and do harm to unsuspecting citizens as well as members of the emergency services community,” said the bulletin, titled “First Responder Impersonators: The New Terrorist Threat.”

The Pennsylvania State Police’s Criminal Intelligence Center distributed a memo to law enforcement throughout the northeast that imposters could use false identification to enter secure areas or to get away undetected from a crime scene. Pennsylvania State Police stated that the memo was not specifically meant for the Pope’s visit and officials confirmed that there were no credible threats known against Pope Francis at this time. The New York State Police Department and the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington also confirmed there were no known threats tied to Pope Francis’ visit.

FBI and Homeland Security reports based the premises for the memo, which made statements that suspects in the U.S. and abroad were in possession of police uniforms. In the past, authorities have arrested potential terrorists who were in possession of U.S. military uniforms, fake IDs, and police uniforms.

“A wide variety of products such as clothing, weapons and tactical gear can be purchased on the Internet by any consumer, regardless of a confirmed affiliation to emergency services, government or law enforcement agency,” the statement read. The document also advised that police be on high alert for theft of uniforms, credentials, and emergency vehicles.

Police officials are also warning citizens to be aware of their surroundings during the Pope’s visit, especially when in large crowded areas. The memo states that event locations and public transit are high risk areas because of the large groups of people and the amount of attention the city will have during the papal visit.

According to House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, the U.S. has stopped at least one threat against Pope Francis last week.

During the Pope’s visit, security preparations include screening checkpoints, airspace restrictions, and a ban on selfie sticks and backpacks at the events. Along the motorcade routes there will be multiple airport-style screenings and extensive street closures in every city he visits. There will also be a significant increase in the amount of first responders deployed in the cities.

Pope Relaxes Catholic Church Abortion Rules for Jubilee Year

Pope Francis has instructed priests to offer absolution to women who have obtained an abortion during the upcoming Jubilee year.

During the “Year of Mercy”, Francis has issued these instructions to priests:  “I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness.”

The Pope said while he knows some women seek abortion for selfish reasons, there are many women around the world who are forced into that situation and “bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision”.

The Pope was clear that the change is only for the Jubilee Year that begins in December 8, 2015 and runs through November 20, 2016.

Under Catholic doctrine, a woman who has an abortion commits a grave sin that can have them thrown out of the church.

The Pope has previously issued strong denunciations of abortion.

“It is horrific even to think that there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day,” he said in 2014.  “Unfortunately, what is thrown away is not only food and dispensable objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as unnecessary.”

The Pope also called for the release of prisoners around the world who have truly repented of their crimes.

“The Jubilee Year has always constituted an opportunity for great amnesty, which is intended to include the many people who, despite deserving punishment, have become conscious of the injustice they worked,” he said.

Pope: Divorce Can Be Morally Necessary

The head of the Catholic Church says that divorce can be morally necessary in certain situations.

“There are cases in which separation is inevitable. Sometimes it can become even morally necessary, precisely when it comes to subtracting the weaker spouse, or small children, from more serious injuries caused by arrogance and violence, by humiliation and exploitation, and by indifference,” the pope said according to the New York Post.

The Pope has been focusing on family issues as he prepares for an October synod (or meeting of bishops) to talk about the family.  One of the issues that will be discussed is divorced Catholics who remarry without going through the church process.

One of the points of contention is expected to revolve around giving communion to divorcees.  Currently they are banned from communion because the church says marrying another person is a sin.

The Pope also appeared to be reaching out to those in situations where a spouse or parent is abusive.

“Around us we find several families in so-called irregular — I don’t like this word — situations, and we pose ourselves many questions. How can we help them? How can we support them? How can we support them so that children do not become hostages of their father or mother?” the pope said.