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L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
Fifty-second year, number 30 (2607)
Interview with Patti Smith
I give Pope
Francis my tears
In an exclusive interview, musician
Patti Smith discusses a wide variety
of topics including environmental
protection, Christian faith and its
influence on her writing, her love
of Pope John Paul I and her wish
to say ‘thank you’ to Pope Francis.
MASSIMO GRANIERI ON PAGE
US to resume
federal executions
On Thursday, 25 July, United
States Attorney General William
Barr directed the US Federal Gov-
ernment to resume executions of
federal death row inmates. Al-
though capital punishment is cur-
rently a legal sentence for certain
crimes in 29 of the 50 US states,
the Federal Government itself has
not carried out death sentence since
2003. As a result of Barr’s order,
five executions have been ordered
scheduled for December, although
legal challenges may be expected to
delay the process.
Angelus reflection
Hands and heart
of Lazarus’ sisters
PAGE 12
WEEKLY EDITION
Unicuique suum
Vatican City
On the responsibility of the media
6/7
One among the masses
y reflection derives from
M two episodes, one in re-
cent days, the other seven
months ago. The first was a casual
encounter with an old friend, a
former high-level manager who,
due to a judicial investigation that
made all the national headlines,
was forced out of his job, along
with all the attendant con-
sequences. However, the investiga-
tion led to nothing, but this
second fact was not highlighted
like the initial investigation. The
other episode, that of seven
months ago on 21 December 2018,
launched my adventure as editor-
in-chief of this prestigious newspa-
per. It is easy to see the two epis-
odes converge and understand the
focus of my reflection: responsibil-
ity, the enormous responsibility
that weighs upon the shoulders of
journalists and more generally of
those who work in the field of
communications.
The topic is not discussed
much, perhaps because the so-
IN ENGLISH
Non praevalebunt
called “public debate” is in fact of-
ten set by journalists who rightly
insist on the responsibility of other
ranks of society, politicians in par-
ticular, but they do not like to
place their own in the spotlight.
For 18 years I taught in a school
and there I often heard my col-
leagues talk, sometimes vehe-
mently, about the freedom of
teachers as a basic principle of
education, a right to be defended
at all costs against every possible
“attack”. On the other hand, very
rarely (or more accurately: never)
did I hear my colleagues speak
about the other principle that, in
my opinion, along with freedom,
supports the entire educational
framework: the principle of re-
sponsibility. Educators, like com-
municators, play a public role that
carries great responsibility, not
only because it has to do with the
building up of the common home,
with future society, but also be-
cause they have a direct bearing
upon concrete life, upon the flesh
Friday, 26 July 2019
and blood of human beings. A
newspaper headline can do great
harm; it can destroy. Likewise, the
absence of a headline can produce
the same effect, if you consider the
absence (or the laughable pres-
ence) of so-called “retractions”:
compared to headlines shouted
across four column on the front
page, the place where one “bashes
the monster”, retractions are often
whispered in the darkest corners
of the newspaper.
On this point I have always
found illuminating the reflection
that Benedict XVI shared in his
meditation before the statue of
Our Lady in Piazza di Spagna on
8 December 2009: “In the city in-
visible people live or survive who
every now and then hit the front
page headlines or television news
and are exploited to the very last,
as long as the news and images
are newsworthy. This is a perverse
mechanism which unfortunately
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
page 2
VATICAN
BULLETIN
CHANGES IN EPISCOPATE
The Holy Father appointed Bishop
Sérgio de Deus Borges as Bishop of
Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. Until now he
has served as titular Bishop of Ger-
gis and Auxiliary of São Paulo,
Brazil (17 July).
Bishop de Deus Borges, 52, was
born in Alfredo Wagner, Brazil. He
was ordained a priest on 6 February
1993. He was ordained a bishop on
18 August 2012, subsequent to his
appointment as titular Bishop of
Gergis and Auxiliary of São Paulo.
The Holy Father appointed Fr
Hernaldo Pinto Farias, SSS, as Bish-
op of Bonfim, Brazil (17 July).
Bishop-elect Pinto Farias, 55, was
born in Vitória da Conquista, Brazil.
He holds a licence in Dogmatic
Theology with a specialization in
Liturgy, and a licence and doctorate
in Sacred Liturgy. He made his reli-
gious profession for the Congrega-
tion of the Most Blessed Sacrament
on 25 January 1988 and was or-
dained a priest on 18 July 1992. He
has served in parish ministry and
Boris Johnson
new UK
Prime Minister
Former London Mayor Boris
Johnson was officially installed as
the United Kingdom’s new Prime
Minister on Wednesday, 24 July,
after winning 65% of the vote in
the Conservative Party leadership
election.
In his acceptance speech, John-
son reiterated his promise to de-
liver Brexit — the UK’s withdrawal
from the European Union — by
31 October, with or without a
deal, and to unite and energize
the country. Outgoing Prime
Minister Teresa May, who had
stepped down due to the 3-year
Brexit controversy, congratulated
Johnson on his victory and prom-
ised him her “full support from
the backbenches”. Johnson had
previously served as Foreign Min-
ister under May’s government be-
fore resigning in July 2018 in op-
position to her Brexit policy.
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
WEEKLY EDITION IN ENGLISH
Unicuique suum Non praevalebunt
Vatican City
ed.english@ossrom.va
www.osservatoreromano.va
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
within his Order as: formator; pro-
vincial treasurer; provincial counsel-
lor; provincial superior of various
Sacramentine communities; member
of the international finance commis-
sion at the Curia in Rome; professor
of Liturgy at various faculties, insti-
tutes, seminaries and formation cen-
tres; member of the Association of
Liturgists in Brazil; consultant to the
Episcopal Commission for the Litur-
gy of the Episcopal Conference of
Brazil.
The Holy Father appointed as Aux-
iliary Bishop of the Diocese of
Porto, Portugal, Fr Vitorino José
Pereira Soares from the clergy of the
said Diocese, assigning him the titu-
lar episcopal See of Gisipa. Until
now he has served as vicar of Pare-
des and parish priest of Castelões de
Cepeda and of Madalena (17 July).
Bishop-elect Pereira Soares, 58,
was born in Luzim, Portugal. He
was ordained a priest on 14 July
1985. He has served in parish min-
istry and as: military chaplain; pre-
fect at the Major Seminary and dir-
ector of the Diocesan Secretariat for
Youth Pastoral Care; member of the
diocesan Pastoral Council.
The Holy Father accepted the resig-
nation of Bishop Richard Edmund
Pates of Des Moines, USA (18 July).
The Holy Father appointed as Bish-
op of Des Moines Fr William Mark
Joensen from the clergy of the Dio-
cese of Dubuque, USA. Until now he
has served as professor of philo-
sophy and dean of spiritual life at
Loras College, Dubuque (18 July).
Bishop-elect Joensen, 59, was
born in Waterloo, USA. He holds a
doctorate in philosophy. He was or-
dained a priest on 24 June 1989. He
has served in parish ministry and as:
teacher at Columbus High School;
chaplain at Clarke College; spiritual
director at Saint Pius X Seminary.
The Holy Father appointed Fr José
Luis Corral, SVD, as Coadjutor Bish-
op of the Diocese of Añatuya, Ar-
gentina. Until now he has served as
superior provincial of South Argen-
tina for the Society of the Divine
Word (19 July).
Bishop-elect Corral, 50, was born
in Cordoba, Argentina. He made his
perpetual vows for the Society of
the Divine Word on 20 February
1996 and was ordained a priest on 1
March 1997. He holds a licence in
ANDREA MONDA
Editor-in-Chief
Giuseppe Fiorentino
Assistant Editor
Editorial office
via del Pellegrino, 00120 Vatican City
telephone +390669899300, fax +390669883675
Friday, 26 July 2019, number 30
The Holy Father appointed Fr
Shane Mackinlay as Bishop of Sand-
hurst. Until now he has served as
parish priest and professor at the
Catholic Theological College in
Melbourne (23 July).
religious science. He has served in
parish ministry and as: formator of
postulants; Master of Novices; pro-
Bishop-elect Mackinlay, 54, was
born in Melbourne, Australia. He
holds a degree in theology and in
vincial counsellor. physics. He was ordained a priest on
6 September 1991. He has served in
The Holy Father accepted the resig- parish ministry and as: professor at
nation of Bishop Rafael Ramón the Australian Catholic University;
Conde Alfonzo of Maracay, Venezu- member of the College of Con-
ela (19 July). sultors of Ballarat for two mandates;
The Holy Father appointed Bishop president of the Advisory Council of
Enrique Jose Parravano Marino, the Bishop of Ballarat.
SDB, as Bishop of Maracay. Until
now he has served as titular Bishop The Holy Father appointed as Bish-
of Isola and Auxiliary of Caracas, op of Wheeling-Charleston, USA,
Venezuela (19 July). Bishop Mark Edward Brennan. Un-
til now he has served as titular Bish-
Bishop Parravano Marino, 63, was op of Rusibisir and Auxiliary of Bal-
born in Turmero, Venezuela. He was timore, USA (23 July).
ordained a priest on 14 January 1984.
He was ordained a bishop on 9 July Bishop Brennan, 72, was born in
2016, subsequent to his appointment Boston, USA. He was ordained a
as titular Bishop of Isola and Auxili- priest on 15 May 1976. He was or-
ary of Caracas. dained a bishop on 19 January 2017,
subsequent to his appointment as
The Holy Father accepted the resig- titular Bishop of Rusibisir and Aux-
nation of Bishop Leslie Rogers Tom- iliary of Baltimore.
linson of Sandhurst, Australia (23
July). CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Video message for conference on abuse in Mexico
Apostolate of prevention
The abuse of minors is “a serious problem” and “everyone knows the
shame it has brought to the Church”. Pope Francis addressed this issue
in a video message recorded in Spanish and transmitted on 19 July to stu-
dents attending a course on the protocols and processes for preventing
the abuse of children and adolescents. The course, sponsored by the Cen-
ter for Interdisciplinary Research and Education for the Protection of
Minors (CEPROME), was held from 1 to 26 July at the Pontifical Uni-
versity of Mexico.
In his message the Pontiff underscores the importance of the “aposto-
late of prevention” which involves “prevention in taking care of minors”.
He recalls that Don Bosco instituted what “was called a preventive sys-
tem” regarding education. He was “highly criticized in the most en-
lightened periods of education”. Only later was it recognized, Francis
continues, that the Salesian Founder’s insight “had great value”, indeed
“a fundamental value”, because “you never know where they will abuse a
child, where they will divert a child, where they will teach him or her to
smoke drugs, which is a form of corruption”. The Pontiff also emphasizes
that we must not think “only of sexual abuse”, but of “any kind of ab-
use”.
The Pope describes the course as “important for all minors, so that no
one abuse them, no one prevent them from following Jesus”. Recalling
Christ’s words in the Gospel, Pope Francis underscores that “any person,
man or woman religious, lay person, bishop, any person who prevents a
child from reaching Jesus must be stopped in his or her attitudes, correc-
ted if we are in time, or punished if a crime is involved”.
CEPROME was instituted in accordance with a 2016 cooperation agree-
ment between the Mexican university and the Centre for Child Protec-
tion, headquartered at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and
is under the direction of psychologist Fr Daniel Portillo Trevizo. The
Centre is also organizing the first Latin American Congress on the
Prevention of the Abuse of Minors, which will be held from 6 to 8
November.
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number 30, Friday, 26 July 2019 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 3

In a letter delivered by Cardinal Turkson to the Syrian President

Pope Francis asks Assad for

concrete initiatives for the people
Interview with Secretary of State Pietro Parolin

ANDREA TORNIELLI cing many of them to flee. With concern and

great sorrow the Pope is following the tragic
The protection of civilians, an end to the hu- destiny of civilians, especially that of children
manitarian catastrophe in the area of Idlib, involved in the bloody fighting. Unfortu-
concrete initiatives for the safe return of the nately the war continues. It has not stopped.
displaced, the release of prisoners and family The bombing continues. Several healthcare
access to information regarding relatives, hu- facilities there have been destroyed. And
mane conditions for political prisoners and a many others have had to suspend everything
renewed appeal for a return to talks and ne- or partially suspend their activity.
gotiations with the involvement of the inter-
national community. These are the concerns What does the Pope ask of President Assad in
and concrete requests that Pope Francis ex- the letter that was delivered?
pressed in his letter to Syrian President
Bashar Hafez al-Assad. Dated 28 June, the Pope Francis renews his appeal for the pro-
Pope’s letter was recently delivered by Car- tection of civilian lives and for the safeguard-
dinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Prefect ing of key infrastructures such as schools, hos-
of the Dicastery for Integral Human Develop- pitals and healthcare facilities. What is hap-
ment. Cardinal Turkson, who delivered the pening is truly inhumane and cannot be ac-
English text of the letter, was accompanied by cepted. The Holy Father asks the President to
Franciscan Father Nicola Riccardi, Undersec- do everything possible to stop this humanit-
retary of the Dicastery and by Cardinal Mario arian catastrophe, to protect the defenceless
Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio in Syria. The con- population, in particular the weakest ones, in
tents and aims of the letter were discussed in respect of International Humanitarian Law.
an interview with Secretary of State Cardinal
Pietro Parolin, the Pope’s closest collaborator. From what you have said it appears that the in-
tent of this papal initiative is thus not “political”.
Is that true? Cardinal Parolin
Your Eminence, why did the Pope decide to write
to President Assad? Yes, it is. As I have explained the concern
At the root of this new initiative is the con- is humanitarian. The Pope continues to pray offers concrete examples: he cites the condi-
cern of Pope Francis and the Holy See re- for Syria, that it may once again find a cli- tions for the safe return of people living in
garding the humanitarian emergency in Syria, mate of fraternity after these long years of exile and of the internally displaced, and of
particularly in Idlib province. More than three war, and that reconciliation may prevail over all those who want to return to the country
million people live in the area, 1.3 million of division and hatred. In his letter the Holy after being forced to abandon it. And he also
whom are internally displaced, forced by the Father uses the word “reconciliation” three refers to the release of prisoners and family
protracted conflict in Syria to seek refuge in times: this is his objective for the good of that access to any information on their relatives.
that very zone which was declared demilitar- country and of its defenceless population.
ized last year. The recent military offensive The Pope encourages President Bashar al- Another tragic subject is political prisoners. Does
has added to the already extreme living con- Assad to make significant gestures in this ex- the Pope mention this?
ditions they had to endure in the field, for- tremely urgent process of reconciliation and
Yes, Pope Francis also takes particularly to
heart the conditions of political prisoners who
— he says — cannot be denied access to hu-
mane living conditions. In March 2018, the
Pope’s message as SECAM celebrates its jubilee Independent International Commission of In-
quiry on the Syrian Arab Republic published
Strengthened by the Gospel a report on this topic, speaking of tens of
thousands of people arbitrarily detained. They
Some 400 bishops and cardinals gathered in suffer various forms of torture without any
Kampala, Uganda on Sunday, 21 July, to celebrate legal assistance nor any contact with their
the 50-year Jubilee of the Symposium of the families, at times in unofficial prisons and un-
Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar known locations. The report found that many
(SECAM). In a telegram signed by Secretary of of them unfortunately die in prison, while
State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis others are summarily executed.
encouraged them to persevere in the Church’s
mission. The message was read aloud by Archbishop What then is the aim of Francis’ new initiative?
Luigi Bianco, Apostolic Nuncio in Uganda, during
The Holy See has always insisted on the
a Mass held in the Rubaga Cathedral for the
opening of the SECAM Plenary Assembly. The need to seek a practical political solution to
following is the English text of the telegram. put an end to the conflict, overcoming partis-
an interests. And this should be done with the
instruments of diplomacy, of dialogue, of ne-
His Holiness Pope Francis work over these fifty years, service to the local Churches gotiations, with the assistance of the interna-
was pleased to learn of the His Holiness prays that its throughout the entire contin- tional community. We have had to learn once
celebrations marking the members may be strengthened ent of Africa. Entrusting again that war begets war and that violence
fiftieth anniversary of the es- in missionary discipleship, for those attending the celebra- begets violence as the Pope has said many
tablishment of the Symposi- “the great work of evangeliza- tions to the intercession of times and as he also reiterates in this letter.
um of Episcopal Conferences tion consists in striving to Mary, Mother of the Church, Unfortunately, we are concerned about the
of Africa and Madagascar, make the Gospel permeate the Holy Father willingly im- impasse in the negotiation process, especially
and he asks you kindly to every aspect of our lives so parts his Apostolic Blessing that in Geneva, to find a political solution to
convey his prayerful greetings that we, in turn, can bring it as a pledge of peace and joy
to all gathered for the event. to others” (Address to Repre- the crisis. This is why in the letter sent to
in the Lord. President Assad, the Holy Father encourages
Joining you in thanking sentatives of the Symposium of
Almighty God for the many Episcopal Conferences of Africa him to show good will and to work to end a
graces received by SECAM and and Madagascar, 7 February conflict which has been ongoing for too long
Cardinal PIETRO PAROLIN
for the fraternal communion 2015). In this way, SECAM will and which has occasioned the loss of a great
that has characterized its continue to be of valuable Secretary of State number of innocent lives.
page 4 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 26 July 2019, number 30

Archbishop Military Ordinary emeritus for Spain

Cardinal José Manuel Estepa Llaurens dies

Cardinal José Manuel Estepa
Llaurens, Archbishop Military Ordi- Having received the news of the death of Cardinal José Manuel Es-
nary emeritus for Spain, died in tepa Llaurens, Archbishop Military Ordinary emeritus for Spain, I en-
Madrid early Sunday morning, 21 treat Your Excellency to kindly convey to his family members, as well
July. He was 93 years old. After as the priests and faithful of the Military Ordinariate, my condolences
learning of the Cardinal’s passing, and my spiritual closeness. As I gratefully recall the fruits of his con-
Pope Francis expressed his condol- stant and generous service to the Church, I offer suffrage for his etern-
ences in a telegram addressed to the al repose, and at the same time I warmly impart my Apostolic Bless-
current Military Ordinary, Arch- ing, as a symbol of faith and hope in the Risen Christ.
bishop Juan del Río Martín. The
following is a brief biography, ac- FRANCIS P.P.
companied by a translation of the
Holy Father’s telegram.

José Manuel Estepa Llaurens was
born in Andújar, Spain on 1
January 1926. He was ordained a
priest for the clergy of Madrid on
27 June 1954 after completing his
studies in Salamanca, Rome and
Paris. After serving in several
roles in the Archdiocese of the
Spanish capital, on 5 September
1972 Pope Paul VI appointed him
titular Bishop of Tisili and Auxil-
iary of Madrid. He was ordained
a bishop by Cardinal Vicente En-
rique y Tarancón the following 15
O ctober.
In the same period he served
for 11 years as seminar rector, in
charge of university pastoral care,
and as vicar general of the south-
ern sector. On 23 July 1991, fol-
lowing preliminary studies con-
ducted by then Bishop Estepa
Llaurens, the sector became the
new Diocese of Getafe. He was
then entrusted the pastoral care
of the so-called Guadalajara cor-
ridor, a territory which on 23 July
1991 was re-established as the
Diocese of Alcalá de Henares.
On 30 July 1983 John Paul II
appointed him Military Vicar of
Spain, and at the same time
raised him to the dignity of Arch-
bishop, assigning him the titular
See of Velebusdo. On 18 Novem-
ber 1989 he was transferred to the
titular See of Italica with the per-
sonal title of Archbishop. Follow-
ing the promulgation of the
Apostolic Constitution Spirituali
Militum Curae of 1986, which
changed the juridical regime of
military vicariates, he became
Military Ordinary for Spain. He
resigned from the titular See on 7
March 1998, and from his posi-
tion as Ordinary on 30 October
2003.
As a member of the Spanish
Episcopal Conference he served
in various roles in the sectors of
education, catechesis and the
doctrine of the faith. From 1981
to 1998 he also served as presid-
ent of the subcommission for
education, which he continued to
serve many years as counselor.
Additionally in the 1980s, for two
three-year terms, he participated
in the Episcopal Commission for
the Doctrine of the Faith.
Saints Paul VI and John Paul II
both called him to collaborate
with various dicasteries of the Ro-
man Curia and organisms of the
Holy See. In 1971 he was appoin-
ted consultor to the Congregation
for the Clergy; in 1978 he became
a member as an expert in educa-
tion and catechesis; and in 1988
he began taking part in the plen-
ary of cardinals and bishops of
the said Congregation. In 1977 he
served as special secretary of the
fourth Ordinary General As-
sembly of the Synod of Bishops
which was held in Rome on the
theme of catechesis. From 1984 to
1997, and then from 2003 to 2008,
he was a member of the Office of
Pastoral Coordination of Miltary
O rdinaries, dependent upon the
Congregation for Bishops. John
Paul II appointed him Synod
Father of the Special Assembly
for Europe of the Synod of Bish-
ops, held from 28 November to
14 December 1991.
As part of the six-bishop Com-
mission that edited the Catechism
of the Catholic Church, Cardinal
Estepa Llaurens was in charge of
the translation and editing of the
Spanish language edition and
served as a principal editor of the
General Directory for Catechesis.
He was subsequently entrusted
with the task of translating and
editing the Spanish edition of the
2005 publication of the Compendi-
um of the Catechism of the Catholic
Church.
After retiring from his position
as Military Ordinary in 2003, he
continued to collaborate with the
Holy See and the Spanish Epis-
copal Conference in the field of
catechesis and education. He au-
thored numerous works and art-
icles, in particular on pastoral
ministry for the military, and
most recently was in charge of re-
ligious assistance to military vet-
erans, and served as counselor of
the Hermandad nacional de veter-
anos of the Spanish armed ser-
vices and civil guard. He also
served as Grand Prior of the
Lieutenancy of Western Spain for
the Equestrian Order of the Holy
Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
He was created Cardinal by
Pope Benedict XVI in the Consist-
ory of 20 November 2010, taking
possession of the Title of San
Gabriele Arcangelo all’Acqua Tra-
versa on 29 November 2011. On
29 September 2013 he was among
the four cardinals who joined
Pope Francis in concelebrating
the Mass for the Day for Catech-
ists in the Year of Faith, and in
March 2014 he took part in the
Visit ad Limina of the Spanish
Bishops.
Funeral services for the late
Cardinal were celebrated on
Tuesday morning, 23 July, in
Madrid’s Cathedral Church of
the Armed Forces, where he was
laid to rest.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
few are able to resist. The city first
hides them and then exposes them
to public scrutiny, pitilessly or with
false pity. Instead, there is in every
person the desire to be accepted as a
person and considered a sacred real-
ity, for every human history is a sac-
red history and demands the utmost
respect.... The mass media always
tends to make us feel like ‘spectat-
ors’, as if evil concerned only others
and certain things could never hap-
pen to us. Instead, we are all ‘actors’
and, for better or for worse, our be-
haviour has an influence on oth-
ers.... The city has many faces but
unfortunately collective dynamics
can make us lose our in-depth per-
ception of them. We perceive every-
thing superficially. People become
bodies and these bodies lose their
soul, they become things, faceless
objects that can be exchanged and
consumed. Mary Immaculate helps
us to rediscover and defend what
One among the masses
lies within people, for in her is a
perfect transparency of the soul in
the body.... Our Lady teaches us to
be open to God’s action and to see
others as he sees them: starting with
the heart. And to look at them with
compassion, with love, with infinite
tenderness, especially those who are
lonely, despised, or exploited.... I
want to pay homage publicly to all
those who in silence, not with words
but with deeds, strive to practice this
evangelical law of love that propels
the world forward. There are so
many of them even here in Rome
and they rarely hit the headlines.
They are men and women of all
ages, who have realized that it is not
worth condemning, complaining or
accusing; that it is better to respond
to evil by doing good. This changes
things; or rather it changes people,
and hence improves society”.
The city has many faces; this is
the point. When Jesus was walking
in the cities of his time, bringing the
Good News, he always went to en-
counter people, seeking to meet
their faces (let us consider the epis-
ode of the woman with a haemor-
rhage); among the masses he sought
to create an authentic, human, per-
sonal relationship. At times the mass
media produce the opposite result:
they draw out one face from the
crowd, but in order to exploit it, “to
the very last, as long as the news
and images are newsworthy”, in or-
der to feed it to the masses.
This is the reflection that after
seven months I am processing now
that I myself am managing a news-
paper, that is, offering to readers my
view of the world, knowing the
‘power’ that I find myself wielding
in my managerial role, and I ask
myself: what is my view? Is it that of
one seeking news or seeking faces
that are not just bodies to be ex-
ploited? With what style do I inter-
pret and carry out my work: claim-
ing only my own rights and with
jaws clenched defending my own
freedom? Or do I try to have the
view of one who, feeling the weight
of responsibility, and knowing hu-
man frailty, looks at the world and
at others with eyes of truth and
mercy? Is my gaze that of Mary who
looks as her Son looks, that is, from
the heart; or does it stop at the sur-
face and, rather than serving others,
ends up serving itself?
I would like this question — which
is very secular, because it touches
the crucial nerve of the democratic
construction of our societies — to be
received by my colleagues so that we
may all speak together in a practical
way, for once, not only of the sac-
rosanct right of the freedom of com-
munication, but also of the other
face of the same coin.
ANDREA MONDA
number 30, Friday, 26 July 2019
“La Civiltà Cattolica” offers Cardinal Barreto’s reflection on the October Synod
Justice and dignity
for the Amazonian peoples
GIANLUCA BICCINI
riting in the latest issue of the
W magazine of his Jesuit confreres, La
Civiltà Cattolica (Quaderno no. 4058),
Peruvian Cardinal Pedro Ricardo
Barreto Jimeno expresses the hope that “some
governments may overcome positions of suspicion
and listen with greater attention to the feeble
voices and urgent appeals” that come from the
Amazon — as requested in the Instrumentum La-
boris of the Special Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops for the region.
On 17 June, one month after the presentation,
of the Working Document, the Vice President of
the PanAmazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM)
continued the reflection in preparation for the
October meeting in the Vatican, which has been
inaugurated by Cardinal President Cláudio
Hummes with an interview granted to editor-in-
chief Antonio Spadaro. “Synod for Amazonia and
Human Rights: Peoples, Communities and States
in Dialogue” is the theme addressed by the Arch-
bishop of Huancayo in a text that is the rework-
ing of a speech he gave at a meeting with the
Pontifical representatives and ambassadors of the
nine Amazonian nations. It is a rather incisive
analysis, which begins with the assumption that
the presence of the Church in the area “can in no
way be considered a threat to the stability or sov-
ereignty of individual countries. On the con-
trary”, writes Cardinal Barreto, “it is actually a
prism that makes it possible to identify the fragile
points in the responses by States and societies as
such, in the face of urgent situations, with regard
to which, independently of the Church, there are
concrete and historical needs that cannot be
evaded”.
Thus the objective of the Church, also through
the synodal journey, is “to create the conditions”
that will allow the peoples who live in the vast
and important territory of Amazonia “to live with
dignity and to look to the future with confidence,
always in the framework of mutual respect and re-
cognition of their differentiated and complement-
ary responsibilities as social, political and reli-
gious protagonists”. Also because, on the other
hand, the author clarifies, “to look at the identity
of these peoples and at their ability to protect
ecosystems according to their cultural traditions
and worldview” can enable “our non-Amazonian
societies to create appropriate conditions for ap-
preciating, respecting and learning from them. In
this way, says the Vice President of REPAM, one
day we hope to “overcome the misconception that
this territory is an empty or ‘backward’ space; in-
deed, we will draw useful guidelines from it to
identify the reason for our own failures as a soci-
ety with regard to caring for our ‘common
Home’”.
In this perspective, the Instrumentum Laboris
takes on strategic importance, which, according to
the Cardinal, expresses the feelings and desires of
many: “the communities that inhabit the banks of
the rivers, the Afro-descendants, the small farm-
ers, the residents of the cities”. It represents “an
unprecedented experience for a special Synod”,
and it is therefore “a good indicator of what is
happening” in the Amazon. We believe that the
expression of this wealth, the Cardinal stresses,
“can bring, beyond any suspicious position, ele-
ments for a better understanding of a reality that
is crying out for attention”.
Moreover, the Working Document is the result
of a process of direct listening, together with the
consultation of the Episcopal Conferences in-
volved, to “broaden participation by members of
the local population and people of the Church,
through assemblies, thematic forums and de-
bates”, reaching over 87,000 people: 65,000 in the
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
preparatory phase and 22,000 in events organized
by REPAM.
Pausing on the situation of “vulnerability” and
on the “importance of the region”, the Jesuit car-
dinal firstly denounces how historically, the
Amazon Basin has been “seen as a space to be
occupied and divided for the benefit of external
interests”. Amazonia, he writes, “continues to be
perceived as backward, a world cut off from the
urban centers, one that represents a demographic
void: these are connotations that allow the in-
terests of certain groups to consider it available
for development”. However, he then highlights
the region’s strategic function as “a biome [...] a
living system, which acts as a regional and global
climate stabilizer, keeping the air humid. And it
receives a third of the rainfall that nourishes the
Earth”.
This is also because Amazonia is a 7.5 million
square kilometer region shared by eight South
American States (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia,
Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela)
plus the overseas territory of French Guyana, the
Amazon is home to 20 per cent of the Earth’s un-
frozen freshwater and 34 per cent of primary
forests, which host between 30 and 40 per cent of
the world’s flora and fauna. Another characteristic
is its socio-diversity, since out of about 33 million
inhabitants, 2,800,000 are indigenous — belong-
ing to 390 peoples, 137 of whom are isolated or
without external contacts — who speak 240 lan-
guages, belonging to 49 linguistic groups.
In short, Cardinal Barreto’s basic thesis lies in
the belief that “this portion of the planet is the
biome in which life is expressed in its extraordin-
ary diversity as a gift of God to all those who in-
habit it and to all humanity”. And because “it is
an increasingly devastated and threatened territ-
ory” the Church must necessarily come to its de-
fence, drawing on the Social Doctrine which en-
dows the Christian mission with a prophetic com-
mitment to “justice, peace, the dignity of every
human being without distinction, and to the in-
tegrity of creation in response to a predominant
model of society that leads to exclusion and in-
equality”.
Recalling Pope Francis’ Magisterium, especially
his Encyclical Laudato Si’ and his discourse at the
meeting with Amazonian peoples in Puerto Mal-
donado on 19 January 2018, the Peruvian Cardin-
al warns against “the strongly neo-extractivist
model imposed” on the region today, putting at
risk the existence and identity of plurisecular cul-
tures. At the same time, he encourages the
Church’s cooperation “with all government insti-
tutions, with civil society organizations and espe-
page 5
cially with peoples themselves”, so that there may
be that “serene future” to which Pope Francis re-
ferred in convoking this Synod.
In this perspective, the Civiltà Cattolica article
goes on to examine “States, foreign companies
and the rights of peoples in Pan-Amazonia” to
highlight how “decades of pastoral experience”,
and more recently that of REPAM, make it clear
that those responsible include “not only the coun-
tries where the extractive industries are active, but
also some foreign companies and their countries
of origin”, in other words, “those that support
and encourage extractive investment, public or
private, outside their national borders, taking ad-
vantage of the wealth of the land at the cost of a
devastating impact on the Amazon environment”.
Also because, “States in this territory have signed
the main international conventions on human
rights and related instruments associated with the
rights of indigenous peoples and the care of the
environment”. And in this field, assures the Per-
uvian Archbishop, the Church desires “to be a
bridge and collaborator in order to achieve this
goal”.
Cardinal Barreto describes climate change as an
“unavoidable global ecological crisis” and points
out that “all the nations in the Amazon Basin are
signatories to the Paris Agreement”. But, Cardinal
Barreto warns, we must ask for much more, just
as “the whole of society must operate much more
effectively for this same purpose”. In fact, he
clearly states, “there are serious limits and, in
some cases, there is a lack of effective commit-
ment and explicit willingness to implement these
plans”. At the same time, he emphasizes that in-
digenous farmers and other grassroots sectors
“have developed political and organizational pro-
cesses that focus on agendas with legitimate
rights that must be recognized and respected”. Fi-
nally, after mentioning the indigenous peoples in
voluntary isolation (PIAV) — who “must be con-
sidered with the utmost care because of their high
degree of vulnerability, their specific anthropolo-
gical condition, and the need to protect them
from any process that may result in a violation of
their human rights” — the Vice-President of RE-
PAM challenges members of the Catholic Church
in the Amazon whose task is “to be living wit-
nesses to hope and cooperation” and “to continue
to provide an evangelizing service rooted in the
fertile soil where our Amazon peoples and their
cultures live”. In this sense, the Cardinal con-
cludes, “as an ecclesial event, the Synod can be
an important sign of the effective response pro-
moting justice and the defense of the dignity of
the people most affected”.
number 30, Friday, 26 July 2019
“I don’t believe in one system, except for the system of love.
And of course, that’s a commandment given to us by Jesus”
MASSIMO GRANIERI
I met Patti Smith on the occasion
of Europe’s most important music
festival, the Medimex in Taranto,
Italy. Calm and welcoming, she
awaited me in a university
classroom in Apulia, after discuss-
ing music and poetry with thou-
sands of participants in the Aula
Magna. An incredible crowd of
people politely waited outside for
the chance to greet her, to get an
autograph or take a selfie. On
the eve of her concert in a city
trying to free itself of the indus-
trial pollution that is claiming its
victims from among the popu-
lace, we discussed various topics
including environmental protec-
tion, Christian faith, the Euchar-
ist, death and young people. In
the late 1970s, as punk rock sang
the praises of chaos and nihilism
Patti Smith believed in the
power of music. She quoted
Saint Paul the Apostle on her re-
cords because words are creative
rather than destructive. It was no
coincidence that she drew from
Sacred Scripture in writing some
of rock’s most memorable songs,
such as People Have the Power
and Dancing Barefoot, in which
the references to the Book of the
Prophet Isaiah and to the narrat-
ives of the Resurrection are pat-
ently clear. The title track to her
album Wave was a tribute to
Pope Luciani. She composed
These are the Words, a song dedic-
ated to Pope Francis, for Wim
Wenders’ documentary A Man of
His Word. She has written poems
quoting Jesus. Her voice contains
the passionate tones of a prophet
urging a revolution of love. In
her hands she was holding a
little cross blessed by Pope Fran-
cis, which she proudly showed
off, saying that she never parts
with it. I thanked her and told
her that her music had saved me
in my youth. With extraordinary
modesty, she replied that I would
have been saved on my own in
any case, and that she had just
helped a little in making that
happen.
Let’s begin with the first song on
your first album “Horses”. It was
1975. In “Gloria” you sang: “Jesus
died for somebody’s sins but not
mine”. Last year, during a concert
in Rome, after performing the song
you looked heavenward, thanking
Jesus. For years you have sung that
your sins were yours alone and that
you did not feel responsible for Je-
I give Pope Francis my tears
sus’ death. What happened on stage
that night?
People think because in Gloria
I said that “Jesus died for some-
body’s sins but not mine”, that I
was not a believer, or that I was
blasphemous. But I was young,
and basically it was my declara-
tion of independence. And it was
simply, it was more a declaration
against a religious interpretation
of Christ. And also, I was young
and making lots of mistakes, and
I didn’t want him to have to
worry about and be responsible
for what I did. Because I was
sometimes doing foolish things,
and I thought, why should Jesus
have to die for what a crazy teen-
ager is doing? So, I’ve always
loved and admired him, and I ac-
tually found a way of understand-
ing him much deeper through
[director Pier Paolo] Pasolini, be-
cause when I saw his film The
Gospel of Matthew, I really saw Je-
sus as a revolutionary in the
greatest sense. And he did start a
revolution that has reverberated
2,000 years later ... so you often
see a few scriptures in my work.
I feel as I have gotten older —
I mean, I wrote these words when
I was 20. That was 52 years ago,
and I’m very conscious now of
how these words might affect
people who hear them. And
without recanting a young per-
son’s need for independence, I
also wanted to simply say “thank
you [Jesus]. Thank you for your
sacrifice; thank you for sacrificing
for the people who need you,
when they need you”. Also, I
have a sister who is very, very reli-
gious, and it makes her sad when
I do the songs, so I promised her
that I would not sing in any
place that would be painful for
people, but I also found different
ways to broaden the conversation.
To make my sister happy, and
hopefully everybody. I never sing
[Gloria] if I sing in a consecrated
church. Even when I was young I
could be very irreverent, but also
I had a sense of responsibility.
And so you have to think of all
kinds of people, and all the
people’s needs and their beliefs
and their hopes. I don’t think
there’s any particular one system.
I don’t believe in one system, ex-
cept for the system of love. And
of course, that’s a commandment
given to us by Jesus.
In the book “Devotion” you recoun-
ted a visit to the Saint-Germain-
des-Prés Benedictine Abbey in Paris
as Mass was being celebrated. In
your diary you wrote about feeling a
familiar desire to receive the Body of
Christ during that rite. What is
your relationship to the Eucharist?
I think it’s a beautiful thought.
It’s one of my favourite parts of
the Bible when he says “this is
my body, and this is my blood”. I
love this part of the Bible. And
sometimes if I go into a church —
because I go to churches a lot,
mostly to light a candle and pray
— and every once in a while
they’re having communion, and a
part of me desires to do that. But
out of respect for the laws of the
Church I don’t, because I also
know it’s only symbolic and that
he is giving us his bread, his
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
Exclusive interview with Patti Smith
body, whether we have a commu-
nion wafer or not. But I find this
ritual very beautiful.
Working at school I met young
people who were unmotivated, who
lacked a goal to fight and live for,
desperate due to the lack of work
and because they were forced to
leave Calabria, the poorest region in
Europe, in order to seek better for-
tune elsewhere. How can we awaken
the youth who have extraordinary
qualities and talents? How can we
convince them to get moving and
pursue their dreams?
I came from a very poor area
myself. There was no work, no
jobs. I worked picking blueber-
ries and getting that kind of
work; working in a factory. Then,
there was no real culture where I
was; it was very rural. And then I
went to New York. But I think
that I have always been work-
based, work and imagination-
based. And I’ve never judged or
weighed my worth according to
how much money I made, how
famous I got, how popular I am.
These are all very nice things, but
nothing compares to helping
people. Nothing compares to just
doing good work and thinking:
“I wrote a really good poem
today. I didn’t have a whole lot
to eat; I don’t have a nice dress,
but I wrote a good poem. I
helped someone. I planted a
tree”.
It’s very hard in our material
world. Our world is more materi-
al than it was in the 20th century.
It’s very hard for the young. But
if somehow they can refocus and
find a way to judge their worth
by what they have inside and not
as a consumer or as an achiever.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t try
to achieve, but not to judge their
worth by that. I think of this
young girl, Greta [Thunburg].
Really, all she did was had a sign.
She had a sign that said she’s not
going to school until the grown-
ups do something to help our
world. She’s on strike. This little
girl all by herself, — not with any
money, not with any fame, not
with any hope, she has a disabil-
ity — and now she has motivated
hundreds of thousands, if not
millions of young people. And
they all have a cause, and the
cause is a universal cause. And
the cause of Saint Francis; it’s the
cause of Papa Francesco; it’s the
cause of tending to our earth....
The Dalai Lama, all good people,
to save our earth, to save our spe-
cies. And every single young per-
son who feels they have no future
can make an impact in this fight.
They can make an impact
wherever they are. We had a
cause; my generation had a cause:
we were against war, against Viet
Nam. And it banded the poor
and banded every[one]; it gave us
a cultural voice. I think that
young people — this is the num-
ber one thing in the world that
we need for people to have a call-
ing, we need for people to work
for. And I think our young can
change the world. Tell them they
can be part of this new revolu-
tion. And again, what is the root
of this revolution? Love. Love for
our species, love for the animals
and the plants and the flowers
and our air and our water and
our fish and our birds. Love!
In “Rock N Roll Nigger” you posi-
tion yourself outside of society, taking
sides with the excluded, foreshadow-
ing a theme dear to Pope Francis:
to inhabit the existential peripheries
and to stand on the side of the poor.
What would you like to say to the
Pope?
“Thank you”. Really, thank
you. I give him my love and my
tears. Thank you. I thank him for
caring about all of us. He cares.
What are people in religious or-
ders supposed to be? An imita-
tion of Christ. And he has taken
on the mantle of Saint Francis
who also took on the burden to
imitate Christ in the highest way
— using the word ‘imitation’ in
the highest way. So, “thank you,
Papa. I am with you. I am with
you always”.
What did you find striking about
Pope John Paul I?
His smile. I fell in love with
him. I didn’t know much about
page 6/7
the Vatican; I’m not a Catholic; I
knew certain things in the rituals
of Catholicism. I was in Europe
when he became Pope and I was
watching it on the TV and even
on the TV this love, his human-
ism, it radiated and he made me
cry when he smiled and looked at
us all through the TV I loved him.
I felt love for him and hope. I
thought he was going to be a
good man, someone who is pure,
pure of heart, because you could
feel his purity and I felt safe. I
felt we had someone who was go-
ing to do wonderful things and
be a beautiful leader, and when
he died so soon — 33 days later —
I was as heartbroken as if a fam-
ily member had left us.... There is
a piece that he wrote about
Pinocchio [in the book “Illustris-
simi” (“To the Illustrious Ones”)],
called “when you have a crush on
someone”, which I always loved
— and I had such a crush on him.
It was just pure feeling, like mu-
sic, true music. Because true mu-
sic has no boundaries.... To me
true music doesn’t exclude any-
one. I felt like all he radiated was
good. To make the answer short-
er: his smile.
Your family was visited by death
many times. We priests often hear
the pain of those who do not accept
death. When faith in the Risen One
is lacking, the widows and orphans
seem inconsolable. How did you
manage to get through these experi-
ences alive? Is there a way to re-
define death?
I only know from my own ex-
periences that you have to accept
the full range of death, of griev-
ing, because it’s not a thing that
is going to get better as time goes
by. I still feel the same pain of
the loss of my husband, of
Robert, of my brother, of my dog
that died when I was 11 years old.
I still feel that pain but I also feel
all their love. It’s always with me.
If you embrace the pain it will be
magnified by love. If you try to
ignore the pain or don’t want to
feel the pain then you’re keeping
yourself from feeling the full
measure of love. I feel my moth-
er’s love more than ever. More
than ever I feel my father’s love,
and in doing that I also miss
them more than ever. But I
would not sacrifice that pain. I
would rather feel it so I can also
feel that joy and feel them with
me walking beside me. It’s a
simple thing. It’s like what Jesus
said: “I am with you always even
until the end of world”. And
really, so are our loved ones. We
are all with each other always. If
we choose to leave our door
open.
page 8
Understanding faith and reality
Charter and Bylaws approved for the Pontifical John Paul
The President of the Pontifical John Paul II
Theological Institute for Marriage and Family
Sciences offers his commentary on the approval
of the Institute’s Charter and Bylaws.
PIERANGELO SEQUERI
The contribution of theological research to
Christian culture — and to human culture as
a whole — cannot be seen only as a prin-
ciple. The quality of its contribution — of
thought and research, of formation and
guidance — must be appreciated in practice,
in understanding the faith, as well as the
reality that faith is able to call forth and
spread.
Today, the “principle of reality” must be
considered a crucial issue for the seriousness
and rigor of “thinking about faith.” The
Today, the ‘principle of reality’ must be
considered a crucial issue for the
seriousness and rigor of ‘thinking about
faith’.... The understanding of faith and the
understanding of reality live in close
symbiosis, or they do not live at all
famous Thomistic adage, which boldly dir-
ects the inmost knowledge of faith toward
the realistic purpose of knowing (fides non
terminatur ad enuntabile sed ad rem, faith is
not directed toward a formulation but rather
to a reality) has never been so relevant. The
understanding of faith and the understand-
ing of reality live in close symbiosis, or they
do not live at all. In this sense, theology
does not withdraw in any way from the pur-
pose of its research, which is shedding light
on reality — the reality made known by rev-
elation received in faith, culminating in the
reality of Jesus Christ, and the reality dis-
closed in the dynamism of all creation in
the world and in human history, both of
which, in the Jesus Christ event, recognize
their roots in the intimacy of God’s love
and in the promise of their total redemption
in the womb of God. The intimate union of
faith and reality, which provides the horizon
for a theological ministry that is directed to-
ward uniting the awe-filled contemplation
of God’s handiwork with the serene joy of
evangelizing the human creature, is also the
fundamental axis of the openness to dia-
logue and of the critical discernment with
which theology is active within the various
forms of human knowledge about reality
and the meaning of things and of life. This
orientation, followed openly and transpar-
ently, honors the non-ideological, non-self-
referential quality of theological endeavor,
while still allowing it freedom to remain
strictly consistent with the witness to truth
that faith commits it to. “The renewal of
schools of theology comes about through
the practice of discernment and through a
dialogical way of proceeding capable of cre-
ating a corresponding spiritual environment
and intellectual practice.... A dialogue cap-
able of integrating the living criterion of Je-
sus’ Paschal Mystery with that of analogy,
which discovers connections, signs, and
theological references in reality, in creation
and in history.” (Francis, Address to the
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
Theological Faculty of Naples, 21 June
2019).
The approval of the Charter of the Ponti-
fical John Paul II Theological Institute for
Marriage and Family Sciences inaugurates
and supports the new operational phase of
its adaptation to these criteria that inspire
the believing intelligence and Christian cul-
ture that are required of ecclesial mission in
a changed era. The basic outline of this ad-
aptation, together with the coordinated dis-
cipline that provides the structure for its in-
stitutional operations within the variety of
academic forms that, within the Church, are
dedicated to the research and formation of
Christian thought, were set out in the Apo-
stolic Constitution Veritatis Gaudium of
Pope Francis. The possibilities for renewal
that have been entrusted specifically to our
theological institute are contained in the
Motu proprio Summa familiae cura, as later
expanded upon in the allocutions ad-
dressed, at various times, to the leadership
and to the entire community of the Insti-
tute.
What are the guidelines for renewal that,
subsequently, will define the new structure?
First, the expansion and strengthening (with
new chairs and additional new teachers) of
the two “poles” that give life to the specific
mission originally entrusted to the Institute:
namely, its theological-pastoral activities and
its activities that are anthropological-cultur-
al. The first pole will be substantially ex-
panded through systematic emphasis on
deepening the theology of Christian faith,
of the ecclesiology of the community and of
the Gospel mission, of the anthropology of
human and theological love, of the global
theological ethics of life, of spirituality and
of the transmission of
faith in the secular
city. The second pole,
in particular, will be
broadly reshaped to
respond to the exigen-
cies involved in up-
dating study and dia-
logue within Christian
culture and thought in
the areas of comparat-
ive law (religious and
civil), of the sociology
of economic, political
and technological
change in the com-
munity; of the role of
the family in human
formation, and in the
structure of intermedi-
ate bodies concerned
with the ethical and
affective integration of
society.
The two poles will
be redesigned in a
way that fully har-
monizes them within a framework of unified
Christian research and formation of the
highest level. At the same time, their organ-
ization will allow them to pursue specialized
curricula leading to degrees in the two dis-
tinct areas, with appropriate academic re-
cognition and the possibility of targeted
participation within the ecclesiastical and
civil institutions of various countries. In this
context, a carefully studied selection of
complementary courses will also be made
available, entrusted to specialists of recog-
nized high standing (at our main campus or
Friday, 26 July 2019, number 30
II Theological Institute
affiliated with qualified university depart-
ments, particularly at the Pontifical Lateran
University, our principal corresponding in-
stitution).
The new John Paul II Institute thus in-
tends to honor the profound, and always
valid, commitments expressed in the found-
ing traditions that have preceded it, pursu-
ing with ever greater determination the new
global role required by its theological and
cultural mission. The Institute intends to do
this, as a first step, by not only confirming
but also by growing, in quantity and qual-
ity, its international capabilities. It will also
develop a capacity for inter-communication
— theological, cultural and academic — on a
global scale, both through the further
strengthening of its faculty, which will be
able to enrich a research community that is
entrusted with the mission of interacting, in
a spirit of cooperation and without any hint
of timidity, with the widest academic hori-
zons and the liveliest intellectual forces; and
as well through the establishment of special-
ized and varied courses of formation, with a
view to taking greater advantage of the dif-
ferent approaches and goals of the students,
within their local churches and in the light
of the Church’s universal mission.
Our hope, obviously, is to win the confid-
ence of the Pastors of the Church and thus
to support their ministry to their faith com-
munities in this delicate and strategic aspect
of the communication of the Catholic faith
and the interpretation of human reality. Our
commitment, moreover, intends to honor to
the fullest our special title of “Pontifical,”
that is, closely linked to the supreme and
universal ministry of the successor of Peter.
The trust that the Pope Francis has be-
stowed on us, and in many ways has re-
newed, is a recognition, and certainly not a
secondary one, of our commitment to faith-
ful service to a Church that has been au-
thoritatively encouraged to leave behind any
fearful self-referentiality in order to witness
to an evangelical truth that is preached with
joy. We are convinced, with the humility
and firm certainty that our faith gives us,
that the Spirit has in store great treasures of
wisdom for the Lord’s disciples who are car-
rying out the mission that will evangelize
our present age.
number 30, Friday, 26 July 2019
MAURIZIO FONTANA
In some way, the child who once
asked John Henry Newman: “Who
is greater, a Cardinal or a Saint?”,
was an unwitting prophet. Newman
replied: “You see, my little one, car-
dinals belong to this world; saints to
heaven”. This was probably one of
the earliest teachings of the British
Cardinal who will be canonized on
13 October. Following the Holy
Father’s announcement of Newman’s
canonization during the Consistory
of 1 July, Father Mauro De Gioia,
Postulator General of the Confeder-
ation of the Oratory of San Filippo
Neri and Provost of the Genoa Ora-
tory, described Newman as “a great
gift for the universal Church”, ex-
plaining that, “on the one hand,
there is the Cardinal’s attention to
daily holiness, the simple kind, com-
prised of small gestures, but more
radically, there is the idea that true
reality is the one that comes from
heaven”.
Is this the aim expressed in the epitaph
he wanted on his tomb: “out of shad-
ows and images into truth”?
Precisely. It is living daily life as a
serious commitment to the small
things, but conscious that the ulti-
mate reality is what awaits us. To
me, this seems to be even revolu-
tionary with respect to contemporary
sensitivity, in which hopes are often
short-lived and the escatological di-
mension is not embraced. To use a
‘Newmanesque’ expression, we could
say that the “kindly light” we find in
daily life is a foretaste of eternity.
More than 50 years after Vatican II,
the Church will raise to the glory of the
altars the Cardinal who was described
as one of the “absent Council Fathers”.
How absent was he from the Council
assembly?
Physically absent but very, very
present. Basically, I would highlight
two themes and an attitude. First of
all, the ecclesiological theme of the
value of the sensus fidei in the laity.
Indeed it sprang from Newman’s re-
flection On Consulting the Faithful in
Matters of Doctrine which is also
mentioned in number 12 of Lumen
Gentium. Indeed, I would speak of a
canonization of his theology. Then
there is the theme of conscience
which is revisited several times at the
Council and which we find in par-
ticular in number 16 of Gaudium et
Spes. Moreover, immediately after
Vatican II, Newman was also cited
explicitly on the theme of conscience
in the Catechism of the Catholic
Church.
A moment ago, you also mentioned “an
attitude”...
I was referring to the way in
which Newman placed himself with-
in the context of ecumenical rela-
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
And the boy asked:
“Who is greater?”
Towards the Canonization of John Henry Newman
tions: never biased and always pro-
foundly positive towards the non
Catholic world. It may seem para-
doxical for a person who ap-
proached Catholicism after a journey
that led him to discontinue his pre-
vious path. But he always recog-
nized what was once good in the
Anglican world. An attitude which
was profoundly inspiring in that
ecumenical dialogue raised by Vatic-
an II. Never a sense of rupture but
always a fruitful discussion. Even
more so when the need for conver-
sion was developing in him as fidel-
ity to the truth. It was a process that
he never experienced contentiously.
This also resulted in misunderstand-
ings because for a large part of his
life Newman was considered a trait-
or by Anglicans and ambiguous by
some Catholics. In reality he re-
vealed himself to be more evangelic
in substance and more fruitful in
pastoral practice.
Thus could his canonization mean an-
other bridge between Catholics and
Anglicans?
Actually, Newman himself is the
bridge. And this was already evident
at the end of his life: when the Car-
dinal died he was by then a national
hero. Throughout the English-speak-
ing world he was simply considered
glorious. And this already consti-
tutes an element of unity and dia-
logue. It is not by chance that first
his beatification and now his immin-
ent canonization are not being seen
as a form of triumphalism, but
rather as a great joy for everyone. It
is what I experienced at the time of
his beatification in England. There
was a climate of shared joy. And I
think that this will recur even more
noticeably on the occasion of his
canonization.
Newman’s timeliness has often been
talked about. What teachings did he
leave to the Church and to the men
and women of today?
I think the main thing is the
healthy use of reason. Newman is
the man in whom faith and reason
converged, albeit not always without
difficulty. He offers us the lesson of
how the Christian is a complete per-
son who uses both head and heart.
This gives rise to all the conse-
quences for spiritual life, the philo-
sophical quest and, last but not
least, the existential plane. Ironically,
Newman, who was one of the most
refined Catholic intellectuals of the
1800s, was a man of simple devo-
tion, very much a man of his time.
He wrote novenas, prayers; he regu-
larly preached to Birmingham’s la-
bourers. He demonstrated how all
forms of humanity can and should
be used in the relationship with the
Lord because in his Incarnation, the
Lord took them upon himself and
redeemed them.
What is the relationship between faith
and reason that Newman delves into in
his “Grammar of Assent”?
The rational dimension has always
accompanied the path of Catholic
theology. The risk lay in developing
intellectual projects that were an end
unto themselves and only accessible
to an elite. Using even technical lan-
guage, with the theoretical elabora-
tion of an expert, in Grammar of As-
sent Newman attests to the common
man’s rationality of the act of faith.
This is truly revolutionary because it
helps one to understand how each
act of faith, being a human act, in-
volves rationality, and this rationality
is authentic even beyond the formal
exercise of intellectual research.
There is a beautiful passage by Saint
Thomas which says that in her act
of faith, an elderly Christian woman
page 9
has greater knowledge of God than
the greatest philosopher of ancient
times. And Newman justifies the ra-
tionality of this act of faith.
The supremacy of conscience is one of
the cornerstones of Newman’s reflec-
tions. A theme which in the era of “li-
quid thought” and of exasperated re-
lativism can lead to misunderstandings.
What did the Cardinal mean regard-
ing the relationship between conscience
and truth?
I would start with the well known
definition that “Conscience is the
aboriginal Vicar of Christ”. Christ is
Truth. And conscience is listening to
the truth, which the subject does
freely and responsibly. Therefore
there is no conscience without rela-
tion to the truth. To contemplate a
conscience that autonomously cre-
ates good and bad is the very op-
posite of Newman’s thought. The
individual evaluates the reality he
encounters in the light of the truth
he has known. The necessity of
formation and listening is implicit in
this. This idea is so powerful that
Newman develops proof of God’s
existence, a journey towards God
beginning with the motives that
render the voice of conscience au-
thoritative for man himself.
A question on the “Oratory” is inevit-
able: What connected Newman to Fil-
ippo Neri?
Apparently one could say very
little. In terms of character, they
were very different from each other.
Filippo Neri was not an intellectual
even though he was educated, a 16th
century Italian also well known for
the joyful nature of his personality.
On the other hand, Newman is an
example of a 19th century English-
man, more formally self-restrained.
There is however a most profound
harmony between them which the
Cardinal himself admitted, saying he
was fascinated, enamoured of this
elderly Italian priest. What is the
reason behind such harmony? The
profound love of humility. And con-
sequently of a lifestyle that Newman
found very congenial in the Oratory.
Moreover, I would like to recall that
Newman’s masterpiece Apology Pro
Vita Sua: A Defense of One’s Life not
only expresses explicit gratitude to
the fathers of the congregation,
defined as his family, his home, but
— in a less evident way to those un-
familiar with Filippo Neri — it actu-
ally begins with a quote from the
Florentine Saint. In fact Newman
uses the expression Secretum meum
mihi (My secret is my own), the very
phrase that Filippo Neri used when
he was asked for information on his
ecstasies and mystical phenomena. It
is as if Newman were saying: “Have
I to speak of myself, I would not do
so; I speak of myself only to pro-
mote greater love of the Church and
of the Catholic priesthood”.
page 10 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 26 July 2019, number 30

Pilgrim of Peace in Mozambique,

Madagascar and Mauritius
Pope Francis’ next Apostolic Journey will see
him travel to Mozambique and the island na-
tions of Madagascar and Mauritius from 4 to 10
September. On his fourth Papal Journey to
Africa, the Holy Father is scheduled to depart
from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport on Wednesday
morning, 4 September, and arrive in Maputo,
Father will meet Mozambique’s bishops, priests,
men and women religious, consecrated people,
seminarians, catechists and animators in the
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
On Friday, 6 September, Pope Francis will
visit Zimpeto hospital, located in a neighbour-
hood in the outskirts of Maputo, after which he
will celebrate Mass in the local stadium before
heading to Maputo Airport for a farewell cere-
mony and his departure for Antananarivo, Mad-

capital of Mozambique, at 6:00 PM local time,
where a welcome ceremony will greet him. The
following day, the Pope will meet the country’s
President at the Ponta Vermelha Presidential
Palace, where he will also meet authorities, rep-
resentatives of civil society and the diplomatic
corps. Later in the morning he will meet young
people at an interreligious encounter in the
Maxaquene Pavilion. In the evening the Holy
Audience with the Grand Master
of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
On Friday, 28 June,
the Holy Father met
with His Most
Eminent Highness Fra’
Giacomo Dalla Torre
del Tempio di
Sanguinetto, Prince
and Grand Master of
the Sovereign Military
Order of Malta, with
his entourage.
agascar, where he is expected to land at 4:30
PM.
On Saturday, 7 September, the Pope will pay
a courtesy visit to the country’s President and
meet authorities, representatives of civil society
and the diplomatic corps at the Iavoloha Pres-
idential Palace. He will then share in Midday
Prayer in the Monastery of the Discalced Car-
melites and have lunch in the nunciature. In the
afternoon, he will meet the Bishops of Mada-
gascar in the Andohalo Cathedral, and visit the
tomb of of Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo. In
his last appointment of the day, he will preside
at a vigil with young people in the Soaman-
drakizay diocesan field, where he will return on
Sunday morning, 8 September to celebrate
Mass before sharing lunch with the Papal en-
tourage in the nunciature. Thereafter, Pope
Francis will visit the Akamasoa City of Friend-
ship, pray for workers at the Mahatzana works-
ite, and meet with priests, men and women reli-
gious, consecrated persons and seminarians in
the Collège de Saint Michel.
On Monday, 9 September, Pope Francis will
travel from Madagascar to Port Louis, Mauriti-
us. After a welcome ceremony at the airport, the
Holy Father will celebrate Mass at the monu-
ment to Mary Queen of Peace. He will then
share lunch at the bishopric with prelates of the
Episcopal Conference of the Indian Ocean (CE-
D OI), and then pay a private visit to the Père
Laval Shrine. Afterwards, he will pay a courtesy
visit to the heads of state in the Presidential
Palace, where he will also meet the country’s
authorities, representatives of civil society and
the diplomatic corps before departing for Anta-
nanarivo.
On Tuesday, 10 September, the Pope will at-
tend a farewell ceremony before boarding his
return flight to Rome’s Ciampino Airport,
where he is expected to arrive at 7:00 PM.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
APOSTOLIC PREFECT
The Holy Father accepted the resig-
nation of Fr Antonysamy Susairaj,
MEP, from his office as Apostolic
Prefect of the Apostolic Prefecture
of Kompong-Cham, Cambodia (25
July).
TRIBUNAL OF THE
ROMAN ROTA
The Holy Father appointed as Prel-
ate Auditor of the Tribunal of the
Roman Rota Fr Robert Gołębiowski
from the clergy of the Diocese of
Radom. Until now he has served as
VATICAN BULLETIN
Defender of the Bond of the said
Tribunal (19 July).
The Holy Father appointed as Ad-
junct Promoter of Justice of the
Tribunal of the Roman Rota Fr Ant-
onios Chouweifaty of the Congrega-
tion of the Lebanese Maronite Mis-
sionaries (19 July).
PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF
SCIENCES
The Holy Father appointed as Or-
dinary Member of the Pontifical
Academy of Sciences Prof. Stefan
Walter Hell, Director of Max Planck
Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
in Göttingen and of the Max Planck
Institute for Medical Research in
Heidelberg, Federal Republic of
Germany (21 July).
RELATIONS STATES
WITH
The Holy Father appointed Arch-
bishop Giorgio Lingua, titular Arch-
bishop of Tuscania, as Apostolic
Nuncio in Croatia. Until now he has
served as Apostolic Nuncio in Cuba
(22 July).
NECROLO GY
Bishop Robert Francis Christian, OP,
titular Bishop of Giru Marcelli,
Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco,
USA, at age 70 (11 July)
Bishop Paul Albert Zipfel, Bishop
emeritus of Bismarck, USA, at age 83
(14 July)
Bishop John Adel Elya, BS, Bishop
emeritus of Newton for Melkite
Greeks, USA, at age 90 (19 July)
Bishop Adel Zaki, OFM, titular Bish-
op of Flumenzer, Vicar Apostolic of
Alexandria of Egypt, at age 71 (21
July)
Bishop Juan Rodolfo Laise, OFM
Cap., Bishop emeritus of San Luis,
Argentina, at age 93 (22 July)
number 30, Friday, 26 July 2019
Vatican City State’s ambitious project
Project plastic free
NICOLA GORI
It’s the smallest State in the world
but has an ambitious plan: to be the
first country completely free of
plastic, a material whose purchase
and distribution has been banned
inside its national territory. The
country is Vatican City State which,
very soon, will no longer have pollu-
tion-producing disposable plastic
within its borders. It is now just a
matter of eliminating stock — we’ll
have to wait until the end of the
year — and the goal of being “plastic
free” will be achieved.
This ecological choice stems from
the 24 May 2015 publication of Pope
Francis’ Laudato Si’, which encour-
aged the heads of the Governorate
to foster an even greener spirit in-
side the Leonine walls. We spoke
about it with Rafael Tornini who is
in charge of Gardens and Environ-
mental Services in the Vatican. He
explained to L’Osservatore Romano
that the recycling of urban waste is
currently at 55%, but the goal is to
reach 75% within three years.
The primary inspiration behind
this choice is quite simple: when
properly separated and correctly
managed, trash does not damage the
environment and represents a true
resource, not a cost.
There is encouraging data since
early 2019, when Tornini implemen-
ted the door-to-door collection of
several specific types of refuse.
Data on the first six months of the
2019 period — when Tornini imple-
mented the door-to-door collection
of several specific types of refuse — is
encouraging. This past 30 June, the
Christians for the protection of biodiversity
On 1 September Catholics, Anglic-
ans, Lutherans, Orthodox and Evan-
gelists from all over the world will
unite to celebrate the World Day of
Prayer for the Care of Creation
which launches the “Season of Cre-
ation”, an ecumenical initiative that
aims to increase awareness among
Christians of the need to protect our
common home. This year the chosen
theme is “The web of life”, with par-
ticular attention to biodiversity. Sup-
porting biodiversity, in fact, is be-
coming increasingly urgent in light
of the research showing an accelera-
tion in the extinction of living spe-
cies. A recent United Nations report
estimates that one million species
are at risk of extinction.
The Season of Creation will run
from 1 September, the World Day of
Prayer for the Care of Creation —
proclaimed in 1989 by Orthodox
Patriarch of Constantinople Dimitri-
os and adopted by Pope Francis in
2015 — to 4 October, the Feast of
Saint Francis of Assisi, considered
by many Christian traditions as the
patron saint animals and ecology.
Among the sponsors of the initiat-
ive are the Anglican Communion,
the World Lutheran Federation, the
World Council of Churches, the
World Evangelical Alliance and the
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
collection of separated paper and
cardboard amounted to 140,000 kg,
while the sum total for 2018 was
160,000 kg: a notable increase in re-
cycling. Organic waste collection
weighed in at at 200 tons which,
rather than being a burden to dis-
pose of, has become a resource.
Indeed, thanks to a series of com-
post bins placed in the ecocentre
which is located in the Vatican Gar-
dens near Saint John’s Tower,
everything will be transformed into
topsoil. The trimming and pruning
of trees and bushes in the gardens
(some 400 tons of material) will also
contribute to this year’s production.
The result, among other things, is
also a notable savings on the pur-
chase of fertilizer for the land on the
Vatican hill.
The ecocentre was set up in 2016
as a point of convergence for the
waste produced inside Vatican City
Joining again in the Season of Creation
Dicastery for Promoting Integral
Human Development. An online
guide is now available at “sea-
sonofcreation.org” to help pastors,
religious and lay communities make
the most of the month-long cam-
paign, which explores the theologic-
al significance of the earth’s biod-
iversity that nourishes the cycle of
life. The document also proposes a
liturgy for an ecumenical prayer
meeting, biblical readings on ecolo-
gical themes, and links to eco-theo-
logical commentaries and hymns.
Included in the guide are sugges-
tions on how communities can cam-
paign and participate in local and
global initiatives to protect the eco-
system.
State. There are in fact two large
categories of waste: urban and spe-
cial, the latter of which is sub-
divided into hazardous and non-haz-
ardous. In 2018 the recycling area
was renovated and furnished with
new equipment. It currently handles
85 EWCs — European Waste Codes —
which are assigned to each type of
waste on the basis of its composition
and the process that produced it. All
of the State’s special waste con-
verges in the ecocentre. In the first
six months of 2019 the portion of
unseparated trash in the collection
of special waste amounted to only
2% (thus indicating 98% of separ-
ated recyclables!).
There are also dividends to be
garnered from the recycling of lead
batteries, metals and especially the
food oil collected from the Vatican
employee cafeteria and from the re-
freshment areas in the Vatican Mu-
seums. Presently more than 3,000
litres of waste oil are disposed of. A
savings also comes from the disposal
of neon lamps — which at one time
were disposed of for a fee — whereas
“We lament that God’s creatures
are disappearing from the Earth at a
rate we can scarcely comprehend”
write the Church leaders in the
guide’s introductory remarks. “From
humble insects to majestic mammals,
from microscopic plankton to tower-
ing trees, plants and creatures from
across God’s dominion are becom-
ing extinct, and may never be seen
again”. This devastation “is in itself,
a tragic loss”, continue the authors
of the guide, who call on Christians
to celebrate the beauty of the divine
gift of Creation with prayer, drawing
on the Psalms and other scriptures.
They ask us to reflect on the way we
destroy creation, to improve aware-
ness among Christian communities
page 11
today this expense has been elimin-
ated, thanks to the purchase of spe-
cialized collection equipment. It is
no small job for the five Gardens
and Environmental Services employ-
ees who are also supported by a
truck from an outside company.
Getting back to project “plastic
free”, it is also important to note
other initiatives. In the Vatican Mu-
seums’ refreshment areas, compact-
ors have also been installed for PET,
the classic material that vending ma-
chine bottles are composed of. The
hope is that they will be put to
proper use: it will be a test case for
understanding the extent of the en-
vironmental sensitivity of the mil-
lions of yearly visitors are who come
from around the world. Additionally,
in all the Governorate’s food and
drink vending machines there will
no longer be plastic spoons except
for the current stock that remains to
be used up.
It starts with simple gestures, but
in seeking to advance respect for the
environment and creation, nothing is
insignificant.
about nature and ecology, and to
defend nature in our homes, schools
and churches. “We encourage the
whole Christian family to join us in
this special time to pray, reflect, and
take bold action to preserve creation
in all its complexity and specificity”.
It is an opportunity for Christians
“to lift a united voice on such occa-
sions as the World Conservation
Congress in June, the UN climate
summit in September, the Catholic
synod on the Amazon in October,
and the UN climate change confer-
ence in November”. This desire was
also shared by Mauricio López Oro-
peza, Executive Secretary of the
Pan-Amazon Ecclesial Network, who
noted that the Season of Creation
offers “an opportunity to reflect on
the ways in which we love cultures
in all their diversity, especially the
diversity of communities in the
Amazon. It is an opportunity to love
the face of God and how it presents
itself in the Amazon”.
In a letter addressed to world
bishops, the Dicastery for Promoting
Integral Human Development invites
Catholics to join the ecumenical
family in celebrating the Season of
Creation, during which “Christians
unite in praying and acting together
to care for our common home”.
page 12 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 26 July 2019, number 30

ANGELUS

May Christians be blessed with “the grace to love and

serve God and brethren with the hands of Martha and
the heart of Mary”, in order to “be artisans of peace
and hope”. Pope Francis expressed this desire to the
faithful who had gathered in Saint Peter’s Square for
the Angelus on Sunday, 21 July, as he reflected on the
day’s passage from the Gospel of Luke. The following is
a translation of the Holy Father’s reflection, which he
shared in Italian.

“Christ at the House of Martha and Mary”

Church of the Saviour on the Spilt Blood, St Petersburg

With Martha’s hands and Mary’s heart

The Holy Father reflects on Lazarus’ sisters

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning!
In this Sunday’s Gospel passage
Luke the Evangelist narrates Je-
sus’ visit to the house of Martha
and Mary, Lazarus’ sisters (cf. Lk
10:38-42). They receive him, and
Mary sits at his feet to listen to
him; she leaves what she was do-
ing in order to be close to Jesus:
she does not want to miss any of
his words. Everything is to be set
aside when he comes to visit us in
our lives; his presence and his
words come before all else.
The Lord always surprises us:
when we truly focus on listening
to him, clouds disappear, doubts
give way to truth, fears to
serenity, and life’s various situ-
ations find the right placement.
When the Lord comes, he always
puts things in order, even us.
In this scene of Mary of Beth-
any at Jesus’ feet, Saint Luke
shows the prayerful attitude of
the believer, who is able to be in
the Teacher’s presence to listen to
him and be in harmony with him.
Last Catholic hospital in Eritrea closed
Even the last Catholic hospital
in Eritrea has been closed.
Agenzia Fides reported that on
Friday, 5 July, the sisters run-
ning the structure in Zager had
been removed by armed forces
and the doors to the facility
were sealed. The nuns were told
to leave immediately and were
prevented from taking any
equipment with them. The
hospital had provided maternity
and general medical services for
the village of Zager, which is
located approximately 30 km
from Asmara, the nation’s
capital.
It means pausing a few minutes about many things” (v. 41). With
during the day to gather yourself these words he certainly does not
in silence, to make room for the condemn the attitude of service,
Lord who ‘is passing’ and to find but rather the stress with which
the courage to stay somewhat ‘on one lives at times. We too share
the sidelines’ with him, in order Saint Martha’s worries and, after
to return later with serenity and her example, we recommend en-
strength, to everyday matters. suring — in our families and in
Commending the conduct of our communities — that one may
Mary, who “has chosen the good experience the sense of welcome,
portion” (v. 42), Jesus seems to of fraternity, so that each one
repeat to each of us: “Do not al- may feel ‘at home’, especially the
low yourselves to be overwhelmed little ones and the poor when
by things to do, but first and they knock at our door.
foremost listen to the Lord’s
Thus, today’s Gospel passage
voice, in order to properly carry reminds us that the wisdom of
out the tasks that life assigns to the heart lies precisely in knowing
you”.
how to combine these two ele-
Then there is the other sister, ments: contemplation and action.
Martha. Saint Luke says that it is Martha and Mary indicate the
she who receives Jesus (cf. v. 38). path to us. If we want to savour
Perhaps Martha was the older of life with joy, we must associate
the two sisters; we do not know. these two approaches: on the one
But surely this woman had the hand, ‘being at the feet’ of Jesus,
charism of hospitality. Indeed, in order to listen to him as he re-
while Mary listened to Jesus, veals to us the secret of every
Martha is completely caught up thing; on the other, being attent-
in many services. That is why Je- ive and ready in hospitality, when
sus says to her: “Martha, Martha, he passes and knocks at our door,
you are anxious and troubled with the face of a friend who
In recent weeks 22 Catholic
healthcare facilities have been
closed. In their pastoral letters,
Catholic bishops have called for
profound political reforms in
the country, which currently has
no constitution and has never
held organized presidential and
legislative elections. In response
the government has stated that
the closures are in line with
norms introduced in 1995, limit-
ing the activities of religious in-
stitutions ranging from schools
to agricultural projects, from
hospitals to care for the elderly.
needs a moment of rest and fra-
ternity. This hospitality is needed.
May Mary Most Holy, Mother
of the Church, give us the grace
to love and serve God and
brethren with the hands of
Martha and the heart of Mary, so
that, in always listening to Christ,
we may be artisans of peace and
hope. And this is interesting: with
these two approaches we will be
artisans of peace and hope.
After the Angelus the Holy Father
continued:
Dear brothers and sisters, 50
years ago, as if yesterday, man set
foot on the Moon, fulfilling an
extraordinary dream. May the
memory of that great step for hu-
mankind kindle the desire to ad-
vance together toward even great-
er aims: more dignity for the
weak, more justice among
peoples, more future for our com-
mon home.
I offer a cordial greeting to all
of you, people of Rome and pil-
grims! In particular I greet the
novitiates of the Daughters of
Mary Help of Christians, who
have come from various countries.
I greet you in a special way and I
hope that some of you will go to
Patagonia: there is a need to work
there! I greet the students from
the Colegio Cristo Rey of Asun-
ción, Paraguay, the seminarians
and formators from the Opera
Don Guanella of Iaşi, Romania,
the young people from Chiry-
Ourscamp, France and the faith-
ful from Cantù, Italy.
I wish everyone a happy
Sunday and, please, do not forget
to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch.
Arrivederci!