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Mes

mayo, 2013

* * *

Dear brothers and sisters,

This feast of faith, which began yesterday with the vigil and culminated this morning with the Eucharist, is about to conclude, a renewed Pentecost that transformed St. Peter’s Square in a cenacle opened to heaven. We relived the experience of the nascent Church, united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus (cf. Acts 1:14). We too, in the variety of charisms, have experienced the beauty of unity, of being one. And this is the work of the Holy Spirit, who continually creates the unity of the Church.

I would like to thank the movements, the associations, the communities, the ecclesial groups. You are a gift and part of the riches of the Church! This is what you are! I thank in a special way all of you who have come from Rome and from many corners of the globe. Bring the power of the Gospel wherever you go! Do not be afraid! Always rejoice and be passionate about the communion of the Church! May the risen Lord always be with you and Our Lady protect you! Let us remember in prayer the people of the Region of Emilia Romagna in Italy who experienced an earthquake last year on May 20. I also pray for the Italian Federation of Oncology Volunteer Associations.

[After reciting the ReginaCaeli with those present the Holy Father concluded with these words:]

Brothers and sisters, thank you so much for your love for the Church! Have a goodSunday, happy Feast of Pentecost and have a good lunch!

[Translation by Joseph Trabbic]

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Pope Francis and Catholic Health Care in the USA

Pope Francis has set the tone for his papacy and for the whole Church in the years ahead with three concise points in his homily on March 14, 2013: “Journeying, building, professing.”[1] I would suggest there is a clear takeaway for institutions whose mission and identity are bound up with Catholic Christian charity: Do not let worldly concerns transform you into mere social assistance programs or utility-driven “service providers.” It is an echo of Benedict XVI’s affirmation in Deus Caritas Est, no. 31, which he repeated and emphasized in the introduction to his motu proprio On the Service of Charity: “The Church’s charitable activity at all levels must avoid the risk of becoming just another form of organized social assistance.” As one of the most predominant forms of the Church’s charitable works in the United States, Catholic health care surely has ears to hear this message.