To which the Pope replied: “Good evening and thank you very much for your work. Before I forget I want to say two things. Today I think it is the final flight of Roberto Bellino [Sound Engineer with the Dicastery for Communication], because he is retiring (applause). Thank you, thank you, thank you! The second thing is that today is Rino’s birthday, the ineffable Rino [Anastasio, ITA Airways coordinator of papal journeys] (applause). Now you may ask your questions.”

Following this, there were three questions from three media outlets: France Televisions, AFP, and ABC Spain.

Raphaële Schapira (France TV): Your Holiness, good evening. You began your pontificate in Lampedusa, denouncing indifference. Ten years later you are asking Europe to show solidarity. You have been repeating the same message for ten years. Does that mean you have failed?

Pope Francis: I would say no. I would say that growth has been slow. Today there is awareness of the migration problem. There is consciousness. And also, there is consciousness of how it has reached a point … like a hot potato that you don’t know how to handle.

Angela Merkel once said that it is solved by going to Africa and solving it in Africa, by raising the level of African peoples. But there have been cases that are bad. Very bad cases, where migrants, like in ping pong, have been sent back. And it is known that many times they end up in lagers; they end up worse than before.

I followed the life of a boy, Mahmoud, who was trying to get out… and in the end he hanged himself. He didn’t make it because he couldn’t stand this torture. I told you to read that book “Brother” –  “Hermanito”. The people who come are first sold. Then they take away their money. Then they make them call their family on the phone to send more money. But they are poor people. It’s a terrible life.

I heard one who at night, when boarding a boat, saw a vessel so plain, with no security he did not want to board. And, boom boom. End of story. It is the reign of terror. They suffer not only because they need to get out, but because it is the reign of terror there. They are slaves. And we cannot – without seeing things – send them back like a ping pong ball. No.

That is why I reiterate that in principle migrants must be welcomed, accompanied, promoted and integrated. If you cannot integrate him in your country, accompany and integrate them in other countries, but don’t leave them in the hands of these cruel human-traffickers.

The issue with migrants is this: that we send them back and they fall into the hands of these wretches who do so much evil. They sell them; they exploit them. People try to get flee. There are some groups of people who dedicate themselves to rescuing people with boats. I invited one of them, the head of “Mediterranea Saving Humans” to the Synod. They tell you terrible stories.

On my first trip, you recalled, I went to Lampedusa. Things have got better. They really have. There is more awareness. Back then we didn’t know. Back then they didn’t tell us the truth. I remember there was a receptionist in Santa Marta, an Ethiopian, daughter of Ethiopians. She spoke the language, and was following my journey on the TV. She saw there was someone who explained, a poor Ethiopian, who explained torture and these things. And the translator – this lady told me – he didn’t say everything; he sweetened the situation. It is difficult to trust. So much drama.

That day I was there. A doctor told me: “look at that woman. She walked among the corpses seeking a face because she was looking for her daughter. She didn’t find her.” These dramas…it is good for us to take them in hand. It will make us more human and therefore also more divine. It is a call. I wish it were like a cry. Let us be attentive. Let’s do something.

Awareness has changed. It really has. Today there is more consciousness. Not because I spoke out, but because people have become aware of the problem. So many are talking about it. It was my first trip.

I want to say one more thing. I didn’t even know where Lampedusa was, but I heard the stories: I read something, and in prayer I heard “you must go” As if the Lord was sending me there, on my first journey.

Clément Melki – Agence France-Presse (AFP): This morning you met with Emmanuel Macron after expressing your disagreement to euthanasia. The French government is preparing to pass a controversial end-of-life law. Could you kindly tell us what you told the French president about this and whether you think you can change his mind.

Pope Francis: We did not speak on this issue today, but we talked about it on the other visit when we met. I spoke clearly, when he came to the Vatican, and I spoke my opinion clearly: life is not to be played with, neither at the beginning nor at the end. We cannot play around. This is my opinion: to protect life, you know? Because then we wind up with a policy of “no pain”, of a humanistic euthanasia.

On this point, I want to cite a book again. Please read it. It’s from 1907. It’s a novel called Lord of the World, written by [Robert Hugh] Benson. It’s an apocalyptic novel that shows how things will be in the end. All differences are taken away, including all pain. Euthanasia is one of these things – a gentle death, selection before birth. It shows us how this man had foreseen some of the current conflicts.

Today we should be careful with ideological colonizations that ruin human life and go against human life. Today, for example, the lives of grandparents are erased, and when human wealth comes into play in the dialogue with grandchildren, they are erased. ‘They are old so are of no use.’ We cannot play with life.

This time I did not talk to the president [about this topic], but last time I did. When he came, I gave him my opinion that life is not something to be played with.Whether it’s the law of not letting the baby grow in the mother’s womb or the law of euthanasia in disease or old age, I’m not saying it’s an issue of faith. It’s a human issue, a human issue. There exists an ‘ugly compassion’. Science has come to turn some painful diseases into less painful events, accompanying them with many medicines. But life must not be played with.

Javier Martínez-Brocal – ABC: Holy Father, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, for this very intense and dense trip. Up to the last you spoke about the Ukraine and Cardinal Zuppi has just arrived in Beijing. Is there any progress in this mission? At least on the humanitarian issue of the return of the children? Then a somewhat harsh question: how do you personally experience the fact that this mission has not managed to obtain any concrete results so far. In an audience you spoke of frustration. Do you feel frustration? Thank you.

That is true, some frustration is felt, because the Secretariat of State is doing everything to help this, and even the “Zuppi mission” has gone there. There is something with the children that is going well, but this war makes me think that it is also somewhat affected not only by the Russian/Ukrainian problem, but also by the selling of arms, the arms trade. The Economist said a few months ago that today the investments that provide the most income are arms factories, [which are] certainly factories of death!

The Ukrainian people is a martyred people; they have a very martyred history, a history that makes them suffer. It is not the first time: at the time of Stalin, they suffered a lot, a lot; they are a martyred people. But we must not toy with the martyrdom of this people; we have to help them to resolve things in most realistic possible way.

In wars, what is realistic is what is possible, not having illusions: as if tomorrow the two leaders at war would go out to eat together. But as far as possible, where we reach the point of doing what is possible. Now I have seen that some countries are turning back, that they are not giving arms, and are starting a process where the martyr will certainly be the Ukrainian people. And that is a bad thing!

You have changed the subject, which is why I would like to go back to the first subject, the Journey. Marseille is a civilisation of many cultures, many cultures, it is a port of migrants.

At one time there were migrants to Cayenne, those condemned to prison left from there – the archbishop [of Marseille -ed.] gave me Manon Lescaut to remind me of that history. But Marseille is a culture of encounter!

Yesterday in the meeting with representatives of various confessions – they coexist: Muslims, Jews, Christians, but there is coexistence, it is a culture of assistance; Marseille is a creative mosaic; it is this culture of creativity. A port that is a message in Europe: Marseille is welcoming. It welcomes and creates a synthesis without denying the identity of peoples. We have to rethink this issue for the other parts: the capacity to welcome.

Returning to migrants, there are five countries that suffer due to so many migrants, but in some of these countries, there are empty towns. I think of a concrete case I know of, there is a town where there are fewer 20 elderly people and no more. Please let these towns make the effort to integrate.

We need labour; Europe has need of it. Well conducted migration is a richness; it is a richness. Let us consider this migration policy so that it is more fruitful and because it helps us so much.

Now comes the dinner party for Rino and Roberto’s farewell. Let’s stop here; thank you very much for your work and your questions.

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Private meeting with some economically disadvantaged individuals at the Missionaries of Charity House

On Saturday morning, before leaving the Archbishop’s Residence in Marseille, Pope Francis greeted the Vice President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, and then met with some people from various organizations committed to assisting and rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean.

Foto: Vatican Media

Ultimately, Pope Francis traveled by car to the Missionaries of Charity House in Saint Mauront, where he had a private meeting with some economically disadvantaged individuals. He then proceeded by car to the Pharo Palace to attend the closing session of the “Mediterranean Encounters,” the primary reason for his visit to France.

Closing session of the “Mediterranean Encounters” at the Palais du Pharo

At 10:05 in the morning, Pope Francis presided over the closing session of the “Mediterranean Encounters” at the Pharo Palace, an initiative promoted by the Archdiocese of Marseille from September 18 to 24.

The session was attended by bishops from France and other Mediterranean dioceses, a representation of youth from North Africa, the Balkans, Latin Europe, the Black Sea, and the Middle East, various political authorities, and associations.

Foto: Vatican Media

Upon his arrival, Pope Francis was welcomed at the entrance of the Auditorium by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife, the Archbishop of Marseille, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, and the mayor of the city. Two children presented him with a gift.

The closing session began with a welcome greeting from the Cardinal Archbishop. After a film screening and speeches by a bishop and a young person, the Pope delivered his speech.

Finally, after words of gratitude from the President of the French Episcopal Conference, Archbishop of Reims, Monsignor Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, and after greeting the Bishops of the Mediterranean, the Pope proceeded to the Maestre’s Hall at the Pharo Palace for a meeting with the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.

Meeting with the President of the French Republic at the Pharo Palace

Foto: Vatican Media

At 11:30 in the morning, the Pope had a private meeting with the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, in the Maire’s Hall of the Pharo Palace.

After the official photo, a private conversation took place, followed by the introduction of their families and the exchange of gifts. Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, there was a brief encounter between the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, and the Prime Minister of France, Mrs. Élisabeth Borne, in the presence of the Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, Monsignor Edgar Peña Parra, the Apostolic Nuncio in France, Monsignor Celestino Migliore, and a Counsellor from the Nunciature.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Holy Father returned by car to the Archbishop’s Residence, where he had a private lunch.

Transfer and arrival at the Stadium for the Mass

In the afternoon, after bidding farewell to the staff and benefactors of the Archbishop’s Residence, Pope Francis traveled to the Vélodrome Stadium. After changing cars in front of the statue of David in Marseille, the Pope made his way to the Stadium in his Popemobile, accompanied by around 100,000 people along the route. After making several rounds among the approximately 50,000 faithful and pilgrims in attendance, the Holy Father presided over the Eucharistic Celebration in French at 4:10 PM.

Foto: Vatican Media

During the Holy Mass, following the proclamation of the Gospel, the Pope delivered his homily. At the end, after the welcoming address by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Marseille, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, and before the final blessing, Pope Francis extended a final greeting and words of gratitude to the faithful and pilgrims present.

I thank you, Your Eminence, for your words and I thank you all, brothers and sisters, for your presence and for your prayers: thank you!

Having now come to the end of this Visit, I would like to express my gratitude for the warm welcome I received, as well as for all the work and preparation that went into it. I thank the President of the Republic and, through him, I extend cordial greetings to all the men and women of France. I greet the Prime Minister who came to welcome me at the airport and I also greet the authorities present, in particular the Mayor of Marseille.

I embrace the entire Church of Marseille, with its parishes and religious communities, its numerous educational institutions and its charitable organizations. This Archdiocese was the first in the world to be consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, during an outbreak of the plague in 1720. It is therefore in your hearts to be signs of God’s tender love, also in the midst of today’s “epidemic of indifference”. Thank you for your gentle and committed service, which bears witness to the closeness and compassion of the Lord!

Several of you have come here from various parts of France: merci à vous! I would like to greet the brothers and sisters from Nice, accompanied by their Bishop and Mayor. I recall the terrible attack of 14 July 2016, of which you are survivors. Let us prayerfully remember all those who lost their lives in that tragedy, as well as in all the terrorist acts that have been perpetrated in France and in every part of the world. Terrorism is cowardly. Let us not tire of praying for peace in war-torn regions, and especially for the war-torn people of Ukraine.

I send my heartfelt greetings to the sick, to children and the elderly, who are the memory of civilization. I think especially of those in difficulty and all workers in this city: Jacques Loew, France’s first worker-priest, worked at the port of Marseille. May the dignity of workers be respected, promoted and protected!

Dear brothers and sisters, I will carry the encounters of these days in my heart. May Notre Dame de la Garde watch over this city, which is a mosaic of hope, over all your families, and over each of you. Je vous bénis. S’il vous plaît, n’oubliez pas de prier pour moi. Ce travail n’est pas facile! Merci. (I bless you. Please do not forget to pray for me. This job is not easy! Thank you.)

At the conclusion of the Holy Mass, Pope Francis left the Vélodrome Stadium and traveled by car to Marseille International Airport for the farewell ceremony.

Foto: Vatican Media

Upon arrival, the Pope was welcomed by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife. Together, they proceeded to the Hélène Boucher Hall for a brief private meeting. At the end of the meeting, after greetings from the respective delegations and the local entourage, Pope and President Macron passed by the Honor Guard and bid farewell. Subsequently, Pope Francis boarded a neo/ITA Airways A320 aircraft and departed for Italy.

The plane carrying the Holy Father on his return from the Apostolic Journey to Marseille for the conclusion of the “Rencontres Méditerranéennes” took off from Marseille International Airport at 7:28 PM and landed at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome Fiumicino at 8:37 PM.

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In the afternoon of Friday the 22nd, before leaving for France, Pope Francis received around 20 women who were staying at the Dono di Maria house, run by the Missionaries of Charity, who are entrusted with their care.

Photo: Vatican Media

Shortly thereafter, at 2:45 PM, Pope Francis departed for Rome-Fiumicino International Airport to board an A320 aircraft from ITA Airways. The plane landed at Marseille International Airport at 4:03 PM.

While aboard the flight to Marseille, Pope Francis greeted the journalists accompanying him. Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, began by saying, “Good morning, Your Holiness. Today, about seventy journalists from various countries, many of them French, are traveling with you, delighted to journey alongside you. Many other members of the media are eagerly awaiting your arrival in Marseille and are happy to greet you at this moment.” Pope Francis responded:

“Good afternoon to everyone, and thank you for coming. I wish you all good work. It will be a short but eventful visit in this city, which serves as both the gateway and the window to the Mediterranean. Thank you.”

Arrival in Marseille

Upon his arrival at Marseille International Airport, Pope Francis was welcomed by the Prime Minister of the French Republic, Mrs. Élisabeth Borne, and four children dressed in traditional attire, as well as a young person who offered him flowers and presented some gifts.

Photo: Vatican Media

After the national anthems were played and the Honor Guard was presented, the respective delegations were introduced. Subsequently, Pope Francis, accompanied by the Prime Minister, proceeded to the Hélène Boucher Hall for a brief meeting.

Upon concluding this meeting, Pope Francis made his way to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde for a Marian prayer with the diocesan clergy.

Marian Prayer with the Diocesan Clergy at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde

At 5:15 PM, Pope Francis arrived at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde for a Marian prayer with the diocesan clergy.

Upon his arrival, Francis was greeted at the entrance by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Metropolitan Archbishop of Marseille, and the Rector, who presented him with the cross and holy water. After walking down the nave to the altar, accompanied by a choir’s song, he paused in silent prayer before the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Guard.

Photo: Vatican Media

Following the welcoming address by the Cardinal Archbishop of Marseille, Pope Francis delivered some words of greeting. Subsequently, the prayer to the Virgin of the Guard was recited, followed by a blessing and the final hymn. Afterward, Pope Francis proceeded to the Memorial dedicated to sailors and migrants lost at sea.

Pope and Other Religious Leaders at the Memorial for Those Lost at Sea

At 6:15 PM, Pope Francis had a moment of reflection with religious leaders near the Memorial dedicated to sailors and migrants lost at sea. Present were members of Marseille Espérance, a delegation from Stella Maris, a delegation from Caritas Gap-Briançon, a delegation from the diocesan service for migrant pastoral care, and a delegation from Associations de secours en mer for a prayer time for migrants who died at sea.

After the opening anthem and the welcome greeting by Metropolitan Archbishop of Marseille, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Pope Francis delivered his speech.

Photo: Vatican Media

Following a reading by a young migrant, the performance of a song, and prayer intentions from a member of Marseille Espérance, a member of Stella Maris, a member of Caritas Gap-Briançon, a member of the diocesan service for migrant pastoral care, and a member of Associations de secours pour les migrants, Pope Francis concluded the moment of reflection. He, along with two migrants and religious leaders, proceeded to the monument for those lost at sea, where he laid a wreath of flowers at its base. While the choir sang a song, the Holy Father greeted the religious leaders.

Subsequently, he went to the Archbishop’s Palace in Marseille, where he was received by the staff and met with a dozen members of the Brotherhood. After greeting them individually, he joined them for a brief prayer.

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On September 15th, the Cameroonian bishops were accompanied by priests from the same country, some of whom were their secretaries, support staff, or Cameroonian clergy studying in Rome. After concelebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, they accompanied their bishops to the audience with the Pope. During this encounter, the Pope had a special gesture for them: He greeted them, and then, as narrated by one of the present priests, something remarkable happened. He said, “Gather around, very close to me.” Then, knowing that the bishops couldn’t hear him, he whispered the first joke: “You all, go down now and have a beer while I’m with your bishops for 2 hours.”

The priest who shared this experience added, “Our laughter woke up the entire episcopal conference, although they never quite appreciated what we did. While some of us shook his hand and kissed his ring, he delivered joke number two: ‘Don’t eat your hands!’ And just before we left to enjoy our ‘beer,’ he reminded us of his customary request: ‘Please, don’t forget to pray for me!'”

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(ZENIT News / Managua, 09.22.2023).- Bishop Rolando Álvarez, a political prisoner of the dictatorial regime of the Ortega couple in Nicaragua, has been nominated by the European Parliament for the 2023 Sakharov Prize for Human Rights.

A total of 42 parliamentarians have supported the nomination, which also includes Ms. Vilma Núñez de Escorcia and Mahsa Amini (an Iranian activist who was killed by the police).

The 2022 edition of the Sakharov Prize was awarded to the Ukrainian people for their defense of democracy and territorial integrity.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, first awarded in 1988 to Nelson Mandela and Anatoli Marchenko, is the highest tribute paid by the European Union to work in the field of human rights. It is an expression of recognition for individuals, groups, and organizations for their extraordinary contribution to the protection of freedom of thought.

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(ZENIT News / Rome, 22.09.2023).- There were two surprises in the list of participants in the Synod on Synodality, which the Holy See Press Office published on Thursday, September 21. The first was the names of two Bishops of Continental China.

They are Monsignor Joseph Yang Yongqiang, Bishop of Zhoucun, Province of Shandong, and Monsignor Anthony Yao Shun, Bishop of Jining/Wumeng, in the autonomous region of Mongolia [in the] interior of China. The invitation to the two Bishops goes back directly to the Pope, but the surprise isn’t the invitation but the fact that the Chinese Government consented to the participation.

Both Yang Yongqiang, 53, as well as Yao Shun, 58, are Bishops in communion with the Pope, as a result of the secret Agreement between China and the Holy See on the appointment of Bishops in the Communist country. In fact, both were ordained Bishops after the Agreement, “thanks to the patience and clairvoyance of Pope Francis,” said a priest of the diocese of Beijing to FIDES Agency.

The diocese of Jining has 70,000 Catholics, 30 priests and 12 women religious. The diocese of Zhoucun has 16,000 Catholics and 12 priests.

The second surprise of the publication of the list of participants was the absence of someone who it had been anticipated would  participate, but who asked to be dispensed from doing so: the Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Luis Ladaria. The resignation is framed in the recent conclusive Report to the Center founded by the former Jesuit priest Marko Ivan Rupnik, in which it seems to suggest — for the discomfort of the victims — that the excommunication implemented was anomalous. Although the precise reason for the non-participation isn’t known, the Italian media has associated this recent event to the Cardinal’s absence.

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(ZENIT News / Washington, 09.22.2023).- In a recent report issued by the Catholic Medical Association of the United States, light has been shed on a growing concern in the field of medicine and mental health: gender reassignment surgery in minors. This detailed report has triggered a call for reflection on the direction that medical policies are taking regarding children experiencing gender dysphoria.

The association, based in Pennsylvania, has urged medical organizations to reconsider their stance on promoting gender change surgery for minors. The reason? They argue that there are “serious and lasting physical and psychological harms” that can affect these young people in adulthood.

One of the most striking aspects of the report is its reference to a follow-up study conducted in Sweden, which included 324 adults who had opted for gender transition. In comparison to a control group, the study participants showed a significantly higher mortality rate. This increase in mortality was largely due to an increase in deaths from cardiovascular diseases and suicides. Furthermore, there were more suicide attempts and stays in psychiatric units in this group.

These findings have ignited an ethical debate about the treatment of gender dysphoria in minors. The key question raised by the report is whether gender transition should be the first treatment option for these children and adolescents. Doctors argue that, from an ethical perspective, it cannot be justified to favor transition as the primary treatment option.

Gender dysphoria, as explained in the report, is a psychiatric disorder that must be treated carefully and collaboratively. Mental health professionals, in collaboration with loving parents, should play a central role in addressing this condition, providing necessary support, and evaluating all available treatment options.

Ultimately, this report sheds critical light on a complex and controversial issue in modern medicine. It raises important questions about the safety and effectiveness of gender reassignment surgery in minors and underscores the need for a more careful and thoughtful approach to treating gender dysphoria in childhood and adolescence. The medical community and society as a whole face the challenge of finding a balance between respecting each individual’s gender identity and ensuring their physical and mental well-being throughout their lives.

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***

I am happy to begin my visit by sharing this moment of prayer with you. I thank Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline for his words of welcome and I greet Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, my brother Bishops, the Rectors and all of you – priests, deacons, seminarians, and consecrated men and women – who work in this Archdiocese with generosity and dedication to build a society of encounter with God and neighbour. Thank you for your presence, your service and your prayers!

In coming to Marseille, I find myself in the company of great pilgrims: Saints Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Charles de Foucauld, and John Paul II, and so many others who came here to entrust themselves to “Notre Dame de la Garde”. We place under her mantle the fruit of the Rencontres Méditerranéennes, together with the expectations and hopes of your hearts.

Photo: Vatican Media

In the biblical reading, the prophet Zephaniah exhorted us to joy and confidence, reminding us that the Lord our God is not far away, he is here, near to us, in order to save us (cf. 3:17). In a way, this message reminds us of the history of this Basilica and what it represents. In fact, it was not founded in memory of a miracle or a particular apparition, but simply because, since the thirteenth century, the holy People of God have sought and found here, on the hill of La Garde, the presence of the Lord through the eyes of his Holy Mother. That is why, for centuries, the people of Marseille – especially those who navigate the waves of the Mediterranean – have been coming up here to pray. It was the holy and faithful People of God who – I will use the word – “anointed” this sanctuary, this place of prayer. The holy People of God who, as the Council says, are infallible in credendo.

Still today, the Bonne Mère brings about for all people a very tender “intersection of gazes”: the first is that of Jesus, to whom Mary always directs our attention and whose love is reflected in her eyes – Our Lady’s most authentic gesture is “Do what he tells you”, indicating Jesus. The other gaze is that of countless men and women of all ages and conditions. She gathers them all together and brings them to God, as we recalled at the beginning of this prayer, placing a lighted candle at Our Lady’s feet. Marseille is a veritable meeting point of peoples, and it is precisely on this intersection of gazes that I would like to reflect with you, because it seems to express well the Marian dimension of our ministry. In fact, we priests, consecrated persons and deacons are also called to help people sense the gaze of Jesus and, at the same time, to bring the gaze of our brothers and sisters to Jesus. An exchange o gazes. In the former, we are bearers of mercy, in the latter, intercessors.

Photo: Vatican Media

The first gaze: that of Jesus which tenderly caresses all men and women. He looks intently at us from head to toe, not to judge, but to lift up those who are lowly. His gaze is full of the tenderness that shines in Mary’s eyes. And we, who are called to reflect this gaze, are compelled to become humble, so that in compassion – I want to highlight this word, compassion, for we should not forget that God’s style is that of closeness, compassion and tenderness – we can make our own “the encouraging benevolence of the Good Shepherd, who does not reprove the lost sheep, but carries it on his shoulders and celebrates for its return to the fold (cf Lk 15:4-7)” (Congregation for the Clergy, Directory for the Ministry and Life of Priests, 30). I like to think that the Lord does not know how to point a finger to judge, but he knows how to extend a hand in order to lift up.

Brothers and sisters, let us learn from this gaze, let us not allow a day to pass without remembering when we ourselves have felt it rest upon us, and let us make it our own, so we can be men and women of compassion. Closeness, compassion and tenderness. Let us not forget this. Being compassionate means being close and showing tenderness. Let us open the doors, not only of churches and rectories, but especially of the heart, to show through our meekness, kindness and acceptance the face of our Lord. Whoever approaches you must not find aloofness or judgement, but the testimony of a humble joy, more fruitful than any display of ability. May people wounded by life find a safe harbour and a welcome in your gaze, encouragement in your embrace, and a caress in your hands, which is capable of wiping away their tears. Even with all the many daily concerns, I beg you, do not detract from the warmth of God’s paternal and maternal gaze.

And I would say to priests: please, in the Sacrament of Penance, forgive always, forgive! Through God’s forgiveness, many paths in life are opened. It is marvelous to generously dispense his forgiveness, that is, to always, always, loosen the chains of sin through grace and free people from those obstacles, regrets, grudges and fears against which they cannot prevail alone.

Photo: Vatican Media

It is beautiful to rediscover with wonder, at every age, in happy and sad moments, the joy of illuminating lives through the Sacraments, and of transmitting, in the name of God, unexpected hopes for his consoling presence, healing compassion, and moving tenderness. Closeness, compassion and tenderness. Be close to all, especially the frail and less fortunate, and never let those who suffer lack your attentive and discreet closeness. In this way, there will grow in them and also in you the faith that animates the present, the hope that opens to the future and the charity that lasts forever. This is the first step: bring the gaze of Jesus to your brothers and sisters. There is only one situation in life when it is permissible to look down on a person: it is when we try to take them by the hand to lift them up. In other situations it is a sin of pride. Look at those who are down and who with their hands – consciously or unconsciously – are asking you to lift them up. Take them by the hand and lift them up: this is a very beautiful gesture, one that cannot be done without tenderness.

Then, there is the second gaze: that of men and women who turn to Jesus. Like Mary, who at Cana first took on and then brought before the Lord the concerns of two young newlyweds (cf. Jn 2:3), you too are called to be a voice of intercession for others – men and women for others (cf. Rom 8:34). In this way, the recitation of the Breviary, daily meditation on the Word, the Rosary and every other prayer – I recommend especially that of adoration, for today we have lost the meaning of adoration a little bit and we need to get it back, so I recommend it to you – all these forms of prayer will be crowded with the faces of those whom Providence places on your path. You will bring with you their eyes, voices and questions to the Eucharistic Table, before the tabernacle or to the silence of your room, where the Father sees you (cf. Mt 6:6). You will be their faithful echo as intercessors, “angels on earth”, that is, messengers, who bring everything “before the glory of the Lord” (Tob 12:12).

I would like to summarize this brief meditation by drawing your attention to three images of Mary which are venerated in this basilica.

1) The first is the large image that towers over its summit; it depicts her holding the Child Jesus in the act of blessing. Like Mary, let us bring the blessing and peace of Jesus everywhere, in every family and heart. Sow peace! It is the gaze of mercy.

2) The second image is below us in the crypt: it is the “Virgin of the Bouquet”, a gift from a generous layman. She too carries the Child Jesus in one arm and shows him to us, but in the other hand, instead of a sceptre, she holds a bouquet of flowers. It makes us think of how Mary, model of the Church, while she presents her Son to us, also presents us to him, like a bouquet of flowers in which each person is unique: this is beautiful and precious in the eyes of the Father. It is the gaze of intercession. This is very important: intercession. First was Our Lady’s merciful gaze; second, her gaze of intercession.

3) Finally, the third image is the one we see here in the centre, on the altar, which is striking for the splendour it radiates. We too, dear brothers and sisters, become a living Gospel to the extent that we go out of ourselves to share it, reflecting its light and beauty with a humble, joyful life, rich in apostolic zeal. May the many missionaries who set out from this lofty place to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the whole world be a source of encouragement to us.

Dear friends, let us bring God’s gaze to our brothers and sisters, let us bring their thirst to God, let us spread the joy of the Gospel. This is our life, and despite hardships and failures and also our sins, it is incredibly beautiful. Let us pray together to Our Lady, that she may accompany us and keep us. And please, pray for me.

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(ZENIT News / Lviv, 09.22.2023).- A BISHOP in Ukraine has decried the destruction of thousands of pounds worth of humanitarian aid by a drone strike on Lviv as an attack on the most vulnerable.

Bishop Edward Kawa, Auxiliary Bishop of Lviv, told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the drone strike on the Caritas-Spes warehouse in his diocese on Tuesday (19th September) was “an attack on the poorest and most needy”.

He explained that “all the relief goods” stored in the burnt-down facility “should have gone to Kharkiv and Pavlograd in the following days”.

According to reports obtained by ACN, 300,000 kg of charitable donations – the contents of 15 lorries – sent by the Vatican and others had been stored in the warehouse.

The items destroyed in the attack included food, shoes, winter clothing and more than 100 emergency generators.

A security guard in the warehouse was killed in the attack.

Pope Francis denounced the use of conventional weapons against civilian targets in a message to Ghanian Cardinal Peter Turkson following the drone strike.

Bishop Kawa said that four lorries had left the warehouse two days before the attack to transport relief goods to Zaporizhzhia, so not all donations were lost.

He also urged ACN benefactors not to forget about Ukraine.

He said: “Winter is coming, and the war is not over. God bless you.”

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, ACN has supported the local Church with more than 350 projects worth more than £13 million (€15 million).

ACN’s relief projects in the country have provided help to those most in need, as well as enabling priests, religious Sisters and lay people to attend to the spiritual and physical needs of the faithful.

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China was the last place visited by the Pope’s envoy, which was also a diplomatic novelty given that China doesn’t have diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

Progress after this first stage seems to be the official opening of the Russian Government: in mid-September, several Russian agencies reported statements of Sergei Lavrov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, on the willingness of Putin’s Government to talk with Cardinal Zuppi about a peaceful solution to the conflict. “The Vatican’s efforts continue, whose envoy is planning to visit us again. We are ready to meet with all, to talk with all,” he said. This opened the doors to a second visit of the Pope’s envoy, which is also a new stage in the Vatican’s peace mission. Days after Lavrov’s statements, Alexander Grushko, Russian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, stressed that a “suitable strategy is underway.”

Cardinal Zuppi, the Pope’s envoy, visited Moscow from June 28-30. During this visit, he met on the 28^thwith Yuri Ushakov, adviser to the Russian President on Foreign Affairs issues, then with Maria Llova-Belova, Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights on the 29^th, with the Patriarch of Moscow [also] on the 29^thand, finally, on the 30^th, the Pope’s envoy met again with Yuri Ushakov.

This opening by Russia coincides with the statements of Dmytro Lubinets, the Commissioner of Human Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament, who said to TV2000: “I believe the Pope can be a mediator. I believe that in this war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the Holy See can play the role of mediator,” adding that “the Holy See’s peace mission is very important. We very much appreciate the work of Pope Francis’ Special Envoy for peace in Ukraine. I believe Cardinal Zuppi will be the person that in fact will create a bridge between the Ukrainians families and the deported children. We can reunite Ukrainian families with their deported children in the Russian territories.”

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