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Pope Francis: ‘Of all vices, pride is the great queen’

Pope Francis appeared in a wheelchair at his general audience on Feb. 28, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Mar 6, 2024 / 11:40 am (CNA).

Pope Francis this week used his general audience to focus on the vice of pride, with the Holy Father for the second consecutive week relying on an aide to read his remarks.

“Today’s catechesis will be read by a monsignor,” the pope said on Wednesday, “because I still have a cold and can’t read well.”

The pope delivered the Angelus address from the window of the Apostolic Palace the prior two Sundays. He has relied on aides to read his public addresses since the Vatican announced he was suffering from “mild flu” symptoms in late February.

The pope’s catechesis on Wednesday focused on the vice of pride, which the Holy Father argued was the “great queen” of all the vices.

“Those who give in to this vice are far from God, and the correction of this evil requires time and effort, more than any other battle to which the Christian is called.”

Pope Francis related the vice of pride to that of vainglory, the topic of last week’s general audience, cautioning: “If vainglory is a disease of the human self, it is still a childish disease when compared to the havoc pride is capable of.” 

Pride is “evil,” the Holy Father said, and is of a greater magnitude than vainglory, as it arises from “the absurd claim to be like God.” 

Referencing the monastic tradition of antiquity and Dante Alighieri’s epic “The Divine Comedy,” the pope noted that there is a “sequence of evils,” or hierarchy, of vices, starting with gluttony and culminating in pride. 

Highlighting the effects of pride in everyday life, the pope noted it “ruins human relationships” and foments division instead of promoting fraternal solidarity.

The pope profiled the “proud man” as one who has an inflated sense of self and his place in the world, adding that he is “one who frets about being recognized as greater than others, always wants to see his own merits recognized, and despises others, deeming them inferior to himself.” 

Building upon this characterization, Pope Francis outlined what he saw as the characteristics of the person who has succumbed to pride, noting that the prideful person is “stiff,” or inflexible, and one who is “easily led to scornful judgment.” 

“With no reason, he passes irrevocable judgments on others, who seem to him hopelessly inept and incapable. In his haughtiness, he forgets that Jesus in the Gospels assigned us very few moral precepts, but on one of them he was uncompromising: never judge,” the pope observed. 

“There is little one can do with a person suffering from pride. It is impossible to talk to them, much less correct them, because ultimately they are no longer present to themself. One just has to be patient with them, because one day their edifice will collapse,” the pope continued. 

At the end of his address, the Holy Father urged the faithful to “take advantage of this Lent to fight against our pride,” adding “salvation comes through humility, the true remedy for every act of pride.” 

Francis himself read the appeal at the end of the address in which he renewed his call for peace in war-torn regions, imploring: “Let us ask the Lord for the gift of peace.”

Anonymous Cardinal ‘Demos II’ proposes agenda for next pope 

White smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on March 13, 2013, signaling that the College of Cardinals has elected a new pope. / Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 5, 2024 / 19:30 pm (CNA).

In March 2022, the late Cardinal George Pell published an at the time anonymous critique of Pope Francis’ pontificate under the pseudonym “Demos.”

Now another cardinal, who identifies himself as “Demos II,” has published another anonymous screed. This one, however, is more forward-looking in nature and offers seven suggested tasks for the next successor of St. Peter.

The anonymous cardinal published his text, titled “The Vatican Tomorrow,” in six languages on the Italian “Bussola Quotidiana” (“Daily Compass”) website.

“In March 2022, an anonymous text appeared — signed under the pseudonym ‘Demos’ and titled ‘The Vatican Today’ — that raised a series of serious questions and criticisms about the pontificate of Pope Francis. Conditions in the Church since that text appeared have not materially changed, much less improved,” the document begins.

Demos II observes that there are aspects of the current pontificate that are positive, such as the concern Pope Francis has for the weakest and poorest, along with environmental issues, but that “its shortcomings are equally obvious.”

Those shortcomings include “an autocratic, at times seemingly vindictive, style of governance; a carelessness in matters of law; an intolerance for even respectful disagreement; and — most seriously — a pattern of ambiguity in matters of faith and morals causing confusion among the faithful.”

Demos II recommends recovering essential truths

The anonymous author calls on the next pope to work to recover and reestablish the following truths that he says have been “obscured or lost among many Christians”:

1) No one is saved except through, and only through, Jesus Christ, as he himself made clear.

2) God is merciful but also just and is intimately concerned with every human life. He forgives but he also holds us accountable; he is both Savior and Judge. 

3) Man is God’s creature, not a self-invention, a creature not merely of emotion and appetites but also of intellect, free will, and an eternal destiny. 

4) Unchanging objective truths about the world and human nature exist and are knowable through divine revelation and the exercise of reason.

5) God’s word, recorded in Scripture, is reliable and has permanent force.

6) Sin is real and its effects are lethal.

7) His Church has both the authority and the duty to “make disciples of all nations.” 

Demos II expounds upon recommendations for next pope

1) Regarding the authority of the pope

“The pope is a successor of Peter and the guarantor of Church unity. But he is not an autocrat. He cannot change Church doctrine, and he must not invent or alter the Church’s discipline arbitrarily,” Demos II declares.

“He governs the Church collegially with his brother bishops in local dioceses. And he does so always in faithful continuity with the Word of God and Church teaching. ‘New paradigms’ and ‘unexplored new paths’ that deviate from either are not of God,” the author points out.

Demos II goes on to call on the next pope to “restore the hermeneutic of continuity in Catholic life and reassert Vatican II’s understanding of the papacy’s proper role.”

The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) is considered one of the most important events in the contemporary history of the Church. The documents that emerged from it aimed to promote the Catholic faith in the world, renew Christian life, adapt the liturgy, and encourage the action of the laity in the Church.

2) The Church is not a democracy.

“Just as the Church is not an autocracy, neither is she a democracy,” Demos II states. “The Church belongs to Jesus Christ. She is his Church. She is Christ’s mystical body, made up of many members. We have no authority to refashion her teachings to fit more comfortably with the world.”

“Moreover,” the author continues, “the Catholic ‘sensus fidelium’ is not a matter of opinion surveys nor even the view of a baptized majority.”

3) Ambiguity is neither evangelical nor welcoming. 

“Ambiguity is neither evangelical nor welcoming. Rather, it breeds doubt and feeds schismatic impulses,” Demos II writes, adding that doctrinal issues ”are vital to living a Christian life authentically, because they deal with applications of the truth, and the truth demands clarity.”

“The dismantling and repurposing of Rome’s John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family and the marginalizing of texts like Veritatis Splendor suggest an elevation of ‘compassion’ and emotion at the expense of reason, justice, and truth. For a creedal community, this is both unhealthy and profoundly dangerous,” Demos II points out.

In 2019, new statutes for the John Paul II Institute were established along with a series of changes in the academic program such as the elimination of the chair on fundamental moral theology, which have posed “a danger to maintaining the heritage” of the Polish saint on studies on marriage and the family, as a prominent priest noted at the time.

The encyclical Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth) was published by St. John Paul II in 1993 and explained, among other things, that there are acts that are always “intrinsically evil,” a teaching that some try to refute.

4) Canon law

“Among the marks of the current pontificate are its excessive reliance on the motu proprio as a tool for governance and a general carelessness and distaste for canonical detail,” Demos II observes.

“Again, as with ambiguity of doctrine, disregard for canon law and proper canonical procedure undermines confidence in the purity of the Church’s mission,” the author states, noting that “Canon law orders Church life, harmonizes its institutions and procedures, and guarantees the rights of believers.”

5) Theology of the body

After noting that the Church is “mother and teacher,” the alleged cardinal author of the text stresses that “she can never be reduced to a system of flexible ethics or sociological analysis and remodeling to fit the instincts and appetites (and sexual confusions) of an age.”

“One of the key flaws in the current pontificate,” Demos II maintains, “is its retreat from a convincing ‘theology of the body’ and its lack of a compelling Christian anthropology ... precisely at a time when attacks on human nature and identity, from transgenderism to transhumanism, are mounting.”

The theology of the body is a compilation of the catechesis that St. John Paul II gave during the Wednesday general audiences from 1979 to 1984 in response to the results of the sexual revolution of the late 1960s.

6) Papal duties, travel

“Global travel served a pastor like Pope John Paul II so well,” Demos II notes, “because of his unique personal gifts and the nature of the times. But the times and circumstances have changed.”

“The Vatican itself urgently needs a renewal of its morale, a cleansing of its institutions, procedures, and personnel, and a thorough reform of its finances to prepare for a more challenging future,” the author indicates.

“These are not small things. They demand the presence, direct attention, and personal engagement of any new pope,” Demos II emphasizes.

7) College of Cardinals

“The College of Cardinals exists to provide senior counsel to the pope and to elect his successor upon his death. That service requires men of clean character, strong theological formation, mature leadership experience, and personal holiness,” the anonymous author declares.

“It also requires a pope,” he continues, “willing to seek advice and then to listen.”

“The current pontificate has placed an emphasis on diversifying the college, but it has failed to bring cardinals together in regular consistories designed to foster genuine collegiality and trust among brothers. As a result, many of the voting electors in the next conclave will not really know each other, and thus may be more vulnerable to manipulation,” the supposed cardinal warns.

Why did Demos II write anonymously?

“The answer should be evident from the tenor of today’s Roman environment: Candor is not welcome, and its consequences can be unpleasant,” the author explains.

Demos II points out that “the current pontificate’s heavy dependence on the Society of Jesus, the recent problematic work by the DDF’s [Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith] Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, and the emergence of a small oligarchy of confidants with excessive influence within the Vatican — all despite synodality’s decentralizing claims, among other things” — are real issues.

Argentine Cardinal Fernández is the current prefect of the DDF and is responsible for the December 2023 declaration Fiducia Supplicans, which has sparked controversy throughout the world for its authorization of nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples and those in “irregular situations.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Vatican on France’s abortion amendment: There cannot be a ‘right’ to take a human life

Pope Francis meets with members of the Pontifical Academy for Life on Feb. 12, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Mar 5, 2024 / 12:15 pm (CNA).

On Monday France became the first country in the world to enshrine the right to abortion in its basic law, a move that has been staunchly opposed by the French bishops and by the Vatican. 

“The Pontifical Academy for Life reiterates that precisely in the era of universal human rights, there cannot be a ‘right’ to take a human life,” the academy wrote in a March 4 statement released by the Bishops’ Conference of France following the historic vote. 

The Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV) went on to appeal to “all governments and all religious traditions to do their best so that in this phase of history, the protection of life becomes an absolute priority, with concrete steps in favor of peace and social justice, with effective measures for universal access to resources, education, and health.” 

While noting that “the protection of human life is humanity’s first objective,” the Vatican academy acknowledged the myriad socioeconomic and personal difficulties that some families and women face. These “life situations and difficult and dramatic contexts of our time” must be addressed by governments and civil society but in a way that is “at the service of the human person and of brotherhood” and protects “the weakest and most vulnerable,” the PAV’s statement continued. 

Ahead of Monday’s vote, the bishop of Versailles, Luc Crepy, joined the Bishops’ Conference of France in expressing his “sadness” and “deep opposition to this development.” 

The French prelate repeated the call for respect for life “from its conception to its natural death,” which, he added, “should be recognized as part of the common foundation on which our society is based.”

“I want to encourage the parliamentarians gathered in Versailles … to resist any media or political pressure, to vote conscientiously and with seriousness, and to show courage as some — whom I thank — have already done,” the bishop continued in his March 2 statement. 

France has a bicameral legislature composed of a lower house, the National Assembly, and the upper house, the Senate. In January, the National Assembly voted to introduce the constitutional amendment on “the freedom of women to have recourse to an abortion, which is guaranteed. ” The Senate voted for a similar measure on March 1. 

On Monday, March 4, a joint session of Parliament passed the bill 780-72, which was followed by a drawn-out standing ovation. 

Later that evening the Eiffel Tower was illuminated with the words “my body, my choice” as jubilant onlookers celebrated, a scene that was repeated all over the country. 

The amendment was championed by President Emmanuel Macron in 2023 and reflected a broader consensus among the French public. 

According to a poll conducted by YouGov at the end of February, 66% of French people supported a constitutional amendment for abortion protection, with the largest cohort of support coming from those who are 18-34 (76%) and from women (71%). 

While some have suggested that Macron’s support for the amendment was motivated by political reasons, others have expressed that the vote passed due to a shared sense of “panic” by French women, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision to repeal Roe v. Wade as an example. 

“We imported a debate that is not French since the United States was first to remove that from law with the repeal of Roe v. Wade … There was an effect of panic from feminist movements, which wished to engrave this on the marble of the constitution,” said Pascale Moriniere, president of the Association of Catholic Families. 

Mathilde Panot, head of the left-wing political party France Unbowed and a major force behind the bill, shared this sentiment in a statement to Politico.

“It’s impossible to tell if abortion rights won’t come into question in the future in France,” she said. “It’s important to capitalize when we have the public on our side.”

France decriminalized abortion in 1975 and in 2022 the gestational stage limit for abortion was extended to 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Pope Francis has long been a vocal opponent of abortion, calling it “murder” and saying that it is equivalent to “hiring a hitman.” In the PAV’s March 4 letter, the body cited the pope’s words from a March 25, 2020, general audience, noting: “The defense of life is not an ideology; it is a reality, a human reality that involves all Christians, precisely because they are Christian and because they are human.” 

While France has long had the epithet of “the eldest daughter of the Church,” the faith has been in steep decline over the past decades. 

According to a poll by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies of France, only 29% of French people aged 18-59 identified as Catholic, while among believers an estimated 8% attend Mass regularly.

Pope Francis appoints American priest to role in Vatican’s highest court

The Holy See Press Office announced on March 5, 2024, that Monsignor Shane L. Kirby has been named the Substitute Promoter of Justice of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. / Credit: Diocese of Scranton

Vatican City, Mar 5, 2024 / 11:40 am (CNA).

Pope Francis has appointed a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, as an officer of the Vatican’s highest court.

The Holy See Press Office announced on March 5 that Monsignor Shane L. Kirby has been named the substitute promoter of justice of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, established in the 15th century, is one of three courts within the Holy See and functions as a sort of Supreme Court, hearing appeals coming from the two other tribunals. The pope is the Holy See’s supreme judge.

Kirby has been based in Rome since 2017 serving as an official in the Dicastery for the Clergy. Raised in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, Kirby converted from the Pentecostal tradition while in high school and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Scranton in 2004. 

The 50-year-old monsignor holds a licentiate in patristic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and a licentiate in canon law from the Catholic University of America in Washington.

The current prefect of the supreme tribunal is Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, who has served in the position since 2015, following Cardinal Raymond Burke, who was prefect of the court for six years. 

Other officers of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura include Secretary Bishop Andrea Ripa from Rimini, Italy; Promoter of Justice Monsignor Pawel Malecha from Poznan, Poland; and Defender of the Bond Father Nikolaus Schoch, OFM, from Innsbruck, Austria, in addition to the court’s cardinal members and bishops.

Kirby replaces German Father Matthias Ambros, 44, who had served as the substitute promoter of justice since January 2023 and was recently appointed as the undersecretary for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education.

The announcement of Kirby’s appointment comes days after Pope Francis issued a new motu proprio, Munus Tribunalis, which amended the law of the Supreme Tribunal first promulgated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 to bring it in line with the language found in the constitution governing the Roman Curia, Praedicate Evangelium, published by Pope Francis in 2021.

Pope Francis urges ‘an immediate cease-fire in Gaza’ that frees hostages, grants aid 

Speaking in his Angelus address on March 3, 2024, about the Israel-Hamas war, Pope Francis made an emotional plea for negotiations to reach a deal that both frees the hostages immediately and grants civilians access to humanitarian aid. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Mar 3, 2024 / 09:25 am (CNA).

“Enough!” “Stop!” Pope Francis repeated from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Sunday as he called for Israel and Palestine to reach an agreement for “an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.” 

Speaking in his Angelus address on March 3, the pope made an emotional plea for negotiations to reach a deal that both frees the hostages immediately and grants civilians access to humanitarian aid.

“I carry daily in my heart, with sorrow, the suffering of the peoples in Palestine and Israel due to the ongoing hostilities,” the pope said, reflecting on five months of war in Gaza.

“The thousands of dead, the wounded, the displaced, the immense destruction, causes pain, and this with tremendous consequences on the little ones and the defenseless who see their future compromised. I wonder: Do you really think you are going to build a better world this way? Do you really think you are going to achieve peace? Enough, please! Let us all say: Stop! Please stop!”

Speaking in his Angelus address on March 3, 2024, about the Israel-Hamas war, Pope Francis made an emotional plea for negotiations to reach a deal that both frees the hostages immediately and grants civilians access to humanitarian aid. Credit: Vatican Media
Speaking in his Angelus address on March 3, 2024, about the Israel-Hamas war, Pope Francis made an emotional plea for negotiations to reach a deal that both frees the hostages immediately and grants civilians access to humanitarian aid. Credit: Vatican Media

The pope made his appeal as negotiations are underway for a weekslong cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. President Joe Biden said last week that he believed that a cease-fire could go into effect as early as March 4.

The Associated Press reported that Israel has essentially agreed to a six-week cease-fire framework that would include Hamas releasing some of the most vulnerable of the roughly 130 hostages being held in Gaza, citing a senior U.S. official. A response from Hamas is expected as talks resume in Cairo on March 3.

Pope Francis said: “I encourage the continuation of negotiations for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and throughout the region, so that hostages can be freed immediately and return to their anxiously awaiting loved ones, and the civilian population can have safe access to due and urgent humanitarian aid.”

People gather in St. Peter's Square for Pope Francis' March 3, 2024, Angelus address. Credit: Vatican Media
People gather in St. Peter's Square for Pope Francis' March 3, 2024, Angelus address. Credit: Vatican Media

The pope also urged people not to forget “battered Ukraine where so many people are dying every day.”

Francis gave a shoutout to some young Ukrainians in the crowd gathered below in St. Peter’s Square, thanking them for their commitment to helping those who are suffering due to the war. 

The Ukrainians took part in a meeting in Rome organized by the Catholic community of Sant’Egidio with the theme “Overcome Evil with Good.”

During his Angelus remarks March 3, 2024, Pope Francis gave a shoutout to some young Ukrainians in the crowd gathered below in St. Peter’s Square, thanking them for their commitment to helping those who are suffering due to the war. The Ukrainians took part in a meeting in Rome organized by the Catholic community of Sant’Egidio with the theme “Overcome Evil with Good.” Credit: Vatican Media
During his Angelus remarks March 3, 2024, Pope Francis gave a shoutout to some young Ukrainians in the crowd gathered below in St. Peter’s Square, thanking them for their commitment to helping those who are suffering due to the war. The Ukrainians took part in a meeting in Rome organized by the Catholic community of Sant’Egidio with the theme “Overcome Evil with Good.” Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis also made an appeal for disarmament, calling it “a moral duty” for the international community.

“How many resources are wasted on military expenditures, which, because of the current situation, sadly continue to increase,” he said, noting that March 5 will mark the second International Disarmament and Nonproliferation Awareness Day. 

“I sincerely hope that the international community understands that disarmament is first and foremost a duty; disarmament is a moral duty,” he added. “This requires courage on the part of all members of the great family of nations to move from the balance of fear to the balance of trust.”

“Enough!” “Stop!” Pope Francis repeated from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Sunday, March 3, 2024, as he called for Israel and Palestine to reach an agreement for “an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.” Credit: Vatican Media
“Enough!” “Stop!” Pope Francis repeated from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Sunday, March 3, 2024, as he called for Israel and Palestine to reach an agreement for “an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.” Credit: Vatican Media

In his reflection on Sunday’s Gospel, Pope Francis spoke about Jesus driving the merchants out of the Temple. The pope focused on the difference between “the house of God” and a marketplace.

One goes to “the house of God” to encounter the Lord and to be close to him, whereas in a market prices are negotiated and “one seeks one’s own interests.”

“The invitation today, also for our Lenten journey, is to build a greater sense of home and less of a sense of ‘a market’ in ourselves and around us,” Pope Francis said.

“First of all, toward God. How? By praying a lot, like children who knock confidently at the Father’s door without getting tired, and not like greedy and distrustful merchants. And then by spreading fraternity. There is a great need for it.”

Pope Francis opens Vatican’s Judicial Year, has aide read speech due to ‘bronchitis’

Pope Francis engages with a youngster at the inauguration of the 95th Judicial Year of the Vatican City State on Saturday, March 2, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Mar 2, 2024 / 10:42 am (CNA).

Pope Francis presided over the inauguration of the 95th Judicial Year of the Vatican City State on Saturday morning, however he delegated the task of reading the speech to an aide due to bronchitis. 

“I thank you all. I have prepared a speech, but you can hear I am unable to read it because of bronchitis,” a visibly fatigued and hoarse-sounding Francis said to the Vatican’s magistrates gathered in the Hall of Blessings. 

The 87-year-old pontiff canceled his public engagements last Saturday and Monday due to a “mild flu.” After his remarks at the general audience on Wednesday, which were also read by Monsignor Filippo Ciampanelli, the pope went to Rome’s Gemelli Isola Tiberina Hospital for “diagnostic tests.” 

On Saturday, however, the pope maintained a full schedule, including several meetings with curial officials and a private audience with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. 

The pope’s remarks to the Vatican magistrates highlighted the virtue of courage, which he observed was at the very center of justice. He said that when “combined with fortitude, [courage] ensures constancy in the search for good and makes one capable of facing trials.” 

Observing that “in well-organized, well-regulated, and institutionally supported societies, it always remains that personal courage is needed to face different situations,” the pope stressed that courage is underscored by a “healthy audacity.”

In the absence of this, the pope warned, “we risk giving in to resignation and ending up overlooking many small and large abuses.”

Expanding on this reflection, the Holy Father noted that courage is a core virtue that allows people to confront difficult inner and external trials.

“Let us think of the victims of wars, or of those who are subjected to continuous violations of human rights, including the numerous persecuted Christians. In the face of these injustices, the Spirit gives us the strength not to give up, it inspires indignation and courage in us: indignation in the face of these unacceptable realities and the courage to try to change them.”

“Courage,” the pope continued, “contains a humble strength, which is based on faith and the closeness of God and is expressed in a particular way in the ability to act with patience and perseverance, rejecting the internal and external conditioning that hinders the accomplishment of good. This courage disorientates the corrupt and puts them, so to speak, in a corner, with their hearts closed and hardened.”

The pope also noted that courage is not an isolated virtue but exists in tandem with “prudence and justice,” both of which are underscored by charity. The nexus of these virtues, the pope observed, form the basis for exercising sound judgment.

“The administration of justice,” the pope added, “[is] demonstrated by the serenity of judgment, the independence and impartiality of those who are called upon to judge at the various stages of the process. The best response is industrious silence and serious commitment to work, which allow our courts to administer justice with authority and impartiality, guaranteeing due process, in compliance with the peculiarities of the Vatican system.”

Pope Francis to the world’s children: ‘If we really want to be happy, we need to pray’

Pope Francis poses with a woman and three children during a lunch in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall for over 1,000 poor and economically disadvantaged people on Nov. 19, 2023. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Mar 2, 2024 / 10:16 am (CNA).

Pope Francis has issued a message to the world’s children in anticipation of the Church’s first-ever World Children’s Day, which will take place in Rome from May 25–26, reminding them that the key to happiness lies in cultivating a prayer life and personal relationship with Christ, which in turn forms the basis of broader social action. 

“If we really want to be happy, we need to pray, to pray a lot, to pray every day, because prayer connects us directly to God. Prayer fills our hearts with light and warmth; it helps us to do everything with confidence and peace of mind,” the pope wrote in his March 2 letter addressed to the world’s children. 

The pope followed up this reflection by asking children to pray the Lord’s Prayer “every morning and every evening, in your families too, together with your parents, brothers, sisters, and grandparents.” But the pope urged children to not merely recite the words but to reflect on their meaning and on Jesus’ ministry. 

“He is calling us and he wants us to join actively with him, on this World Children’s Day, to become builders of a new, more humane, just, and peaceful world. Jesus, who offered himself on the cross to gather all of us together in love, who conquered death and reconciled us with the Father, wants to continue his work in the Church through us,” the pope continued

Pope Francis announced the creation of World Children’s Day last December, saying that it will be an event to bring children from all around the world together to reflect on the question of “What kind of world do we wish to pass on to the children who are growing up?” The Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education is sponsoring the initiative. 

In his March 2 letter, the pope explained the theme for the World Day of Children is taken from Jesus’ words in the Book of Revelation: “Behold, I make all things new.” The pope noted these words “invite us to become as clever as children in grasping the new realities stirred up by the Spirit, both within us and around us.” 

Reflecting on the importance of children for families, the pope noted that they are a sign “of every person’s desire to grow and flourish” and a “source of joy,” a recognition that helps foster an intergenerational link “from the past to the future.” 

The pope’s message also touched upon the need for social action, asking young people to always remember “other children and young people who are already battling illness and hardship.” 

Highlighting the examples of those who are facing poverty and hunger, “victims of war and violence,” or those “forced to be soldiers or to flee as refugees, separated from their parents,” Pope Francis pleaded that “we need to hear those voices, for amid their sufferings they remind us of reality, with their tearful eyes and with that tenacious yearning for goodness that endures in the hearts of those who have truly seen the horror of evil.” 

The pope encouraged children that action starts on the local level through small acts of kindness.  

“Our world will change if we all begin with these little things, without being ashamed to take small steps, one at a time,” the pope expressed. 

Pope Francis meets FSSP head, confirms right to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass 

The superior general of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), Father Andrzej Komorowski, met with Pope Francis on Feb. 29, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Pater Stefan Reiner, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Mar 1, 2024 / 13:45 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis met with the superior general of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) on Thursday, confirming that restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass don’t apply to the order.

The private meeting between the pope and Father Andrzej Komorowski, who was accompanied by two priests from his order, came at the invitation of Pope Francis and followed a request from the FSSP.

According to a press release from the FSSP, the meeting was an opportunity to showcase “deep gratitude to the Holy Father” and to discuss the “liturgical specificity of the Fraternity of St. Peter.” 

The FSSP was established on July 18, 1988, as a society of apostolic life of pontifical right by the Holy See, a canonical status that was granted by Pope John Paul II.

At the heart of the FSSP’s charism is the celebration of the Mass and the sacraments according to the extraordinary form of the Roman rite, also known as the Tridentine Mass, Traditional Latin Mass, or “Usus Antiquior.” 

The FSSP’s statement noted that the priests shared with the pope “the difficulties encountered” in applying the pope’s Feb. 11, 2022, decree addressed to the fraternity,” in which he confirmed the right of the order to celebrate the Mass “according to the typical editions of the liturgical books, namely the Missal, the Ritual, the Pontifical, and the Roman Breviary, in force in the year 1962.” 

“The pope was very understanding and invited the Fraternity of St. Peter to continue to build up ecclesial communion ever more fully through its own proper charism,” the statement said. 

Priests celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass at FSSP’s parish in Rome, Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini. Credit: Matthew Santucci
Priests celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass at FSSP’s parish in Rome, Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini. Credit: Matthew Santucci

The FSSP was founded by 12 priests and 20 seminarians who were formerly part of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), a canonically irregular traditionalist priestly society established by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970. Lefebvre, one of the most influential leaders in the traditionalist movement, was excommunicated by Pope John Paul II in 1988 when he ordained four bishops for the SPPX, which was against the expressed prohibition of the Holy See.

The Feb. 29 meeting came amid a broad crackdown on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass following Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes. 

The papal decree severely curtailed the permission granted to priests for the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. Pope Benedict XVI, in his 2007 apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum, had previously allowed all priests to say Mass using the Roman Missal of 1962 without having to seek their bishop’s permission.

Traditionis Custodes reversed course and explicitly stated that it was the “exclusive competence” of the bishop to authorize Traditional Latin Masses in his diocese.

The Feb. 29 meeting between the FSSP and the pope is their second such encounter in recent years and comes after news broke that Cardinal Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, canceled the celebration of the Easter Triduum according to the old rite. 

At the first private audience, held on Feb. 4, 2022, the FSSP asked for clarification regarding the implementation of Traditionis Custodes with respect to the Ecclesia Dei communities. In a press release, the fraternity noted that during the “very cordial meeting,” Pope Francis “expressed that he was very impressed by the approach taken by its founders, their desire to remain faithful to the Roman Pontiff, and their trust in the Church.” 

“In the course of the audience, the pope made it clear that institutes such as the Fraternity of St. Peter are not affected by the general provisions of the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, since the use of the ancient liturgical books was at the origin of their existence and is provided for in their constitutions,” the communique continued.

Since its foundation in 1988, the FSSP has grown to become the largest of the Ecclesia Dei communities. According to internal 2023 figures, the FSSP currently has 368 priests, 22 deacons, and 179 seminarians. The average age of their members is 39.

The FSSP is present in 146 dioceses, celebrates Mass in 246 locations, and counts 48 personal parishes. One of their most active parishes is Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini in Rome, which is one of the main sites for the annual Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage.   

The FSSP currently operates two international seminaries. Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary located in Denton, Nebraska, is for English-speaking seminarians, while the seminary of St. Peter in Wigratzbad-Opfenbach, Germany, is divided into two sections for German- and French-speaking seminarians. 

As a pontifical right society, the FSSP answers to the pope. The FSSP formerly operated within the framework of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, established by Pope John Paul II. However, in 2019, Pope Francis suppressed the commission and put the fraternity under the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.  

Vatican unveils the Holy Lance: a solemn tribute to soldier of faith St. Longinus

A canon of Saint Peter elevates the relic of the Holy Lance one last time before returning it to its chapel on Feb. 24, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican

Vatican City, Mar 1, 2024 / 12:37 pm (CNA).

The Holy Lance, also known as the Lance of Longinus, holds a significant place in Christian tradition as the weapon believed to have pierced the side of Jesus during his crucifixion. Tradition holds that the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica has the jealous custody of a relic that is part of the Holy Lance. 

The Gospel of John provides the sole biblical reference to this event, recounting that a Roman soldier named Longinus, on the eve of the Sabbath, ensured Jesus’ death by piercing him in the side with a lance. This act, as described in John 19:34, has sparked centuries of reverence and fascination across Europe and inside the Vatican.

Ministers process to the high altar, with the statue of St. Longinus in the background, on Feb. 24, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican
Ministers process to the high altar, with the statue of St. Longinus in the background, on Feb. 24, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican

A soldier of faith

The story of St. Longinus has evolved into various local legends, contributing to the rich tapestry of Christianity. The city of Lanciano in the Abruzzo region asserts itself as his birthplace, claiming that his martyrdom occurred there. Conversely, Mantua in Lombardy contends that Longinus preached in the area, was martyred there, and brought relics of the Lord’s precious blood and the sponge used during the Passion to the city’s Basilica of St. Andrew. 

The diverse narratives surrounding St. Longinus highlight the widespread devotion and the impact of his acts recorded in the Gospel of St. John and in legends that go beyond the scriptural tradition.

Liturgical commemoration

The feast of St. Longinus was historically celebrated on March 15. The Roman Martyrology, however, mentions the saint on Oct. 16 without any mention of martyrdom. The entry states: “At Jerusalem, the commemoration of St. Longinus, who is venerated as the soldier opening the side of the crucified Lord with a lance.”

Statue of St. Longinus by Bernini, completed in the year 1638, is housed in St. Peter's Basilica. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican
Statue of St. Longinus by Bernini, completed in the year 1638, is housed in St. Peter's Basilica. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican

Inside the Vatican

The statue of St. Longinus, sculpted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and housed in St. Peter’s Basilica, stands as a testament to his role in Christian history. The statue is one of four statues standing in the pillars’ niches supporting Michelangelo’s dome. 

In the Vatican, a special ceremony takes place in St. Peter’s Basilica during the first week of Lent. On the eve of the second Sunday of Lent — this year on Feb. 24 — the canons of St. Peter’s Basilica gather with the archpriest of the basilica, presently Monsignor Mauro Gambetti, and with concelebrating priests and the other ministers. They process to the high altar, presently under restoration, which marks the tomb of St. Peter. At the foot of the altar they meet the faithful, who are waiting for the liturgy to begin.

The celebrant begins with the opening prayer and incenses the procession cross, which bears the corpus of Christ. The choir sings the Litany of the Saints until the intonation of “St. Peter, pray for us” — sung three times in honor of the “station,” which is kept on this day in Lent. (Each day during Lent, the local Church of Rome pilgrimages to a different tomb of a martyr, called the Roman Station Church pilgrim itinerary.)

All gather at the foot of the high altar to start the liturgy. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican
All gather at the foot of the high altar to start the liturgy. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican

After the third intonation to St. Peter, the altar servers behind the crossbearer lead the procession. They are followed by the concelebrating priests, the canons, and the celebrant. The procession goes down the nave of the basilica. Those present, the nuns and faithful alike, join in the procession, continuing to sing the Litany of the Saints. The procession continues through the basilica, culminating in the area of the altar of the chair for the holy Mass.

The crossbearer leads the procession while all sing the Litany of the Saints passing Bernini’s statue of St. Longinus. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican
The crossbearer leads the procession while all sing the Litany of the Saints passing Bernini’s statue of St. Longinus. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican
The consecration and elevation of the Host during the Mass on Feb. 24, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican
The consecration and elevation of the Host during the Mass on Feb. 24, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican

Another procession

After the Mass, a special moment unfolds as the ministers and servers process around the high altar as the choir sings the “Stabat Mater.” The following antiphon is also sung in Latin: “Unus militum lancea latus eius aperuit et continuo exivit sanguis et aqua,” the translation of which is: “One of the soldiers opened his side with a spear, and immediately there flowed out blood and water.”

Due to the work on the baldacchino of St. Peter’s, the procession this year continues around the canopy of the altar and pauses in front of the statue of St. Andrew. The clerics take off their head coverings, miters and birettas, and face the chapel above the statue of St. Veronica. A prayer is said by the canon who is about to expose the relic of the Holy Lance. He then goes to fetch the relic accompanied by two additional canons. 

The bells begin to ring. Slowly, three canons exit the chapel onto the loggia, and one with red gloves carries the relic of the lance of St. Longinus. The canon, accompanied by the other two, proceeds to show the relic in all directions for the veneration of those present while the thurifer incenses the relic from down below.

The relic is shown from the center of the loggia, then to its left and its right, and back to the center to elevate the relic especially for one last glimpse.

It is silent in the Basilica of St. Peter as all look up to glimpse the relic of the Holy Lance. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican
It is silent in the Basilica of St. Peter as all look up to glimpse the relic of the Holy Lance. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican

The bells sound one more time as the relic is processed back into its chapel — finally, the ministers of the Mass process to the sacristy of the basilica. Thus, the station liturgy is done. 

A Lenten example

According to tradition, Longinus not only witnessed the crucifixion but also was healed of a malady of the eyes by the blood that flowed from Jesus’ side. He is also said to be the centurion who said: “Truly, this man was the Son of God” (Mt 27:54).

In the intricate tapestry of Roman tradition, the Holy Lance and the figure of St. Longinus stand as symbols of devotion, sacrifice, and healing. The biblical reference in the Gospel of John, coupled with centuries of veneration, has woven a narrative that forms the very fabric of the Lenten experience in the local Church of the Diocese of Rome and the spirituality of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

The Holy Lance continues to captivate hearts and minds, inviting believers to contemplate the profound significance of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and to say with St. Longinus: “Truly, this man was the Son of God.”

The relic is shown from the center of the loggia, then to its left and its right, and back to the center to elevate the relic especially for one last glimpse on Feb. 24, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican
The relic is shown from the center of the loggia, then to its left and its right, and back to the center to elevate the relic especially for one last glimpse on Feb. 24, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN Vatican

This article was originally published at EWTN Vatican, a partner of CNA.

Pope Francis: ‘Today the ugliest danger is gender ideology’

Pope Francis meets with members of the French-based academic organization Research and Anthropology of Vocations Institute on March 1, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Mar 1, 2024 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Friday morning gave an address on the importance of building a culture that protects human and Christians vocations, things he suggested were at risk due to contemporary cultural challenges including gender ideology. 

“It is very important that there is this meeting, this meeting between men and women, because today the ugliest danger is gender ideology, which cancels out differences,” the pope said during an audience with members of the French-based academic organization Research and Anthropology of Vocations Institute (CRAV).

Gender ideology, which seeks to blur differences between men and women through movements such as transgenderism, “makes everything the same,” Francis said.

“Erasing differences is erasing humanity. Man and woman, however, are in a fruitful ‘tension,’” Francis told the assembly, which is gathered in Rome for a two-day international conference titled “Man, Woman, Image of God: For an Anthropology of Vocations.” 

The pope did not read the full address, instead delegating the task to Monsignor Filippo Ciampanelli. “I still have a cold and it’s tiring to read for a while,” the pope said to the participants assembled at the Vatican.

Pope Francis meets with members of the French-based academic organization Research and Anthropology of Vocations Institute on March 1, 2024, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Francis meets with members of the French-based academic organization Research and Anthropology of Vocations Institute on March 1, 2024, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media

Focusing the Friday morning address on the “anthropological crisis and the necessary promotion of human and Christian vocations,” Pope Francis said this task is challenged by myriad social challenges arising from the cultural zeitgeist, including gender ideology.

Highlighting the anthropological angle of the conference, the pope pointed to “an elementary and fundamental truth, which today we need to rediscover in all its beauty: The life of the human being is a vocation.”

The pope emphasized that this is a foundational element “which underlies every call within the community” and “has to do with an essential characteristic of the human being as such.” 

“This discovery,” the pope added, “brings us out of the isolation of a self-referential ego and makes us look at ourselves as an identity in relation.” 

The Holy Father emphasized that it is imperative to understand this “anthropological truth,” as it “fully responds to the desire for human fulfillment and happiness that lives in our hearts.” 

“We sometimes tend to forget or obscure this reality,” the pope said, which carries the risk of “reducing the human being to his sole material needs or primary needs, as if he were an object without conscience and without will, simply dragged by life as part of a mechanical gear.” 

To counteract this trend, the pope stressed that there needs to be a broad recondition that “the life of the human being is a vocation” and that “man and woman are created by God and are the image of the Creator.” 

The pope buttressed this remark by highlighting that human beings must cultivate a relationship with “he who generated me, to the reality that transcends me, to others and to the world around me,” as a way to express the universal call we each face “to embrace a specific and personal mission with joy and responsibility.” 

The conference includes 15 different sessions and will run from March 1–2. It features a line of speakers including Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who will evaluate the subjects of the conference through a pastoral lens as well through a study of philosophical and theological anthropology. 

Participants will attend Mass on Friday and Saturday, celebrated by Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, respectively.