‘Enkindle in every heart the warmth and tenderness of Christmas.’
Pope Francis gave this encouragement today in the Vatican to the artists, promoters, and organizers of the Vatican Christmas Concert, which will take place tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 15, in the Paul VI Hall, promoted by the Congregation for Catholic Education.
The proceeds of the event will be donated to the Pontifical Scholas Occurrentes Foundation, and the Salesian Missioni Don Bosco Foundation.
The Pope recalled that we are preparing for the celebration of Christmas, and that the event of the birth of Jesus, 2000 years ago, occurs in a precise cultural context. Today, Francis observed, Christmas is celebrated in all parts of the world and is manifested according to the most diverse customs and traditions, generating multiple representations.
«Christmas is always new, as it invites us to be reborn in faith, to open ourselves to hope, to rekindle charity. This year, in particular, it calls us to reflect on the situation of many men, women and children of our time,» many who, he lamented, have had to leave everything and face the unknown and suffer.
«Jesus too,» the Holy Father reminded, «came ‘from another place.’ He dwelt in God the Father, with the Holy Spirit, in a communion of wisdom, light and love, which He wanted to bring us with His coming into the world. He came to dwell among us, in the midst of our limits and our sins, to give us the love of the Most Holy Trinity.»
And as a man, he added, «Jesus showed us the “way” of love: namely, service, with humility, to give life.»
The Pope stressed to those in front of him to be charitable, help those in need, and repeated three times about creating and networking with education, which he explained would help in various ways, and in integration. He thanked the Missioni Don Bosco project in Uganda and that of Scholas Occurrentes in Iraq, because they have heeded «this call to ‘network with education,’ cooperating in the transmission of the message of hope for Christmas.»
«The Church’s mission,» the Holy Father said, «has always manifested itself through the creativity and genius of artists, because they, with their works, are able to reach the most intimate aspects of the conscience of men and women of every age.»
«For this, to you here present, I thank you and encourage you to continue in your work, to enkindle in every heart the warmth and tenderness of Christmas. Thank you, and I wish you a good concert!»
***
On ZENIT’s Web page:
Here is the Holy Father’s address: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-address-to-artists-of-vaticans-christmas-concert/
Pope Francis gave this encouragement today in the Vatican to the artists, promoters, and organizers of the Vatican Christmas Concert, which will take place tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 15, in the Paul VI Hall, promoted by the Congregation for Catholic Education.
The proceeds of the event will be donated to the Pontifical Scholas Occurrentes Foundation, and the Salesian Missioni Don Bosco Foundation.
The Pope recalled that we are preparing for the celebration of Christmas, and that the event of the birth of Jesus, 2000 years ago, occurs in a precise cultural context. Today, Francis observed, Christmas is celebrated in all parts of the world and is manifested according to the most diverse customs and traditions, generating multiple representations.
«Christmas is always new, as it invites us to be reborn in faith, to open ourselves to hope, to rekindle charity. This year, in particular, it calls us to reflect on the situation of many men, women and children of our time,» many who, he lamented, have had to leave everything and face the unknown and suffer.
«Jesus too,» the Holy Father reminded, «came ‘from another place.’ He dwelt in God the Father, with the Holy Spirit, in a communion of wisdom, light and love, which He wanted to bring us with His coming into the world. He came to dwell among us, in the midst of our limits and our sins, to give us the love of the Most Holy Trinity.»
And as a man, he added, «Jesus showed us the “way” of love: namely, service, with humility, to give life.»
The Pope stressed to those in front of him to be charitable, help those in need, and repeated three times about creating and networking with education, which he explained would help in various ways, and in integration. He thanked the Missioni Don Bosco project in Uganda and that of Scholas Occurrentes in Iraq, because they have heeded «this call to ‘network with education,’ cooperating in the transmission of the message of hope for Christmas.»
«The Church’s mission,» the Holy Father said, «has always manifested itself through the creativity and genius of artists, because they, with their works, are able to reach the most intimate aspects of the conscience of men and women of every age.»
«For this, to you here present, I thank you and encourage you to continue in your work, to enkindle in every heart the warmth and tenderness of Christmas. Thank you, and I wish you a good concert!»
***
On ZENIT’s Web page:
Here is the Holy Father’s address: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-address-to-artists-of-vaticans-christmas-concert/
