To the families with recently baptised children, Francis confessed that he
liked to hear the cry of newborns as "they are a promise of life", and that
they should not be expected to leave the church when they cry. He also
encouraged parents to teach their children the sign of the Cross. He comforted
the sick by reminding them that the Lord is always close to them, as "a father
never leaves his children alone", and therefore "we must be trustful, and
courageous in our trust ... some days everything is bleak ... but never lose
your trust". He thanked the homeless for not having given up hope, and for
their witness in bearing their cross of solitude. "Beneath so many ashes of
suffering, of solitude, know that there is the fire of the Holy Spirit; below,
there is the embrace of God's love. And why does the Lord allow there to be
this cross? He permitted it first for His Son. And so Jesus understands you
well". He spoke with the young catechumens about war and peace, and encouraged
them to pray every day, especially to the Virgin, "Our Mother who will lead us
by the hand to find Jesus, to find peace and not to descend into war".
Finally, he answered a question on how he knew whether or not his decision to
become a priest was the right one. He compared his inner certainty with what a
man and woman might feel when they decide to marry, and explained that in
spite of the sacrifices that have to be made and the problems that may appear,
love is always stronger. "This certainty comes from Jesus", he emphasised.
 Pope Francis went on to confess some of the faithful, and then proceeded to
the church to celebrate Mass. In his homily, the Pope urged those present to
listen to Jesus and to let Him preach to them. Jesus "speaks to us in the
Gospel", he said, "and this is a habit we no longer have: to go and seek out
the word of Jesus in the Gospel. Always carry a small copy of the Gospel with
you, and keep it within reach. Read it whenever you have five or ten minutes
to spare: Jesus speaks to us there. Maintain daily contact with the Gospel".
He continued by encouraging those present to allow the Lord to heal their
wounds: "open your heart, to let Him enter and heal you".

___________________________________________________________

 To the representatives of EXPO 2015: the root of all ills is inequality
 Vatican City, 7 February 2015 (VIS) - On Saturday afternoon Pope Francis sent
a video message to the 500 national and international representatives gathered
in Milan, where Expo 2015 will be held, to address the theme, "The ideas of
EXPO 2015: Towards the Milan Charter".
 In his message, the Pope refers to his address in November to the Conference
on Nutrition organised by the the FAO in Rome, in which he affirmed that
"interest in the production, availability and accessibility of foodstuffs,
climate change and agricultural trade should certainly inspire rules and
technical measures, but the first concern must be the individual as a whole,
who lacks daily nourishment and has given up thinking about life, family and
social relationships, instead fighting for survival".
 "St. John Paul II, in the inauguration in this hall of the First Conference
on Nutrition in 1992, warned the international community against the risk of
the 'paradox of plenty', in which there is food for everyone, but not everyone
can eat, while waste, excessive consumption and the use of food for other
purposes is visible before our very eyes. Unfortunately, this 'paradox'
remains relevant. There are few subjects about which we find as many fallacies
as those related to hunger; few topics as likely to be manipulated by data,
statistics, the demands of national security, corruption, or futile
lamentation about the economic crisis".
 To overcome the temptation of sophisms, "that nominalism of thought that goes
beyond ... but never touches reality", the Pope suggests three practical
approaches: turn first to urgent priorities, be witnesses of charity, and be
guardians rather than masters of the earth.
 "Aim your gaze and heart not towards an emergency pragmatism that shows
itself to be perpetually provisional, but instead an approach aimed at
removing the structural causes of poverty. Let us recall that the root of all
ills is inequality", says Francis, repeating his words in the apostolic
exhortation Evangelii gaudium: "we have to say 'thou shalt not' to an economy
of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills. How can it be that it is
not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is
news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion. ...
It is no longer simply about exploitation and oppression, but something new.
... The excluded are not the 'exploited' but the outcast, the 'leftovers'".
 "It is therefore necessary, if we really want to solve problems and not
become lost in sophisms, to remove the root of all evil, which is inequality.
To do this, there are some priority decisions to be made: to renounce the
absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and to act above all
on the structural causes of inequality".
 "Politics, though often denigrated, remains a lofty vocation and one of the
highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good", he continues.
"Where, then, should a healthy economic policy begin? What are the necessary
pillars for public administration? The answer is precise: the dignity of the
human person and the common good. Unfortunately, however, these two pillars,
that ought to structure economic policy, often 'seem to be a mere addendum
imported from without in order to fill out a political discourse lacking in
perspectives or plans for integral development. ... Please, be courageous and
do not be afraid, in political and economic projects, to allow yourselves to
be influenced by a broader meaning of life as this will help you to truly
serve the common good and will give you strength in 'striving to increase the
goods of this world and to make them more accessible to all'".
 With reference to the third point, the Pope again mentioned a comment he
heard many years ago from an elderly peasant: "God always forgives; men
forgive at times; but the Earth never forgives. We must care for our sister
the Earth, our Mother Earth, so that she does not respond with destruction".
"Faced with the goods of the Earth, we are required 'not to lose sight of the
origin or purpose of these goods, so as to bring about a world of fairness and
solidarity', says the social doctrine of the Church. The Earth has been
entrusted to us in order to be a Mother to us, able to give what is necessary
for each person to live. ... The Earth is not an inheritance we have received
from our parents, but rather a loan from our offspring to us, so that we may
take care of it, enable it to continue and restore it to them".
 "The stewardship of the Earth is not a task exclusive to Christians, but
instead applies to all", he continued. "I entrust to you what I said during
the Mass of the beginning of my ministry as Bishop of Rome: 'I would like to
ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and
social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be "protectors" of
creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one
another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and
death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be "protectors", we also
have to keep watch over ourselves! ... We must not be afraid of goodness or
even tenderness'. Care for the Earth not only with goodness, but also with
tenderness".

___________________________________________________________

 The Pope: the participation of women in the social and ecclesial spheres is a
challenge that cannot be deferred
 Vatican City, 7 February 2015 (VIS) - "Women's cultures: between equality and
difference" was the theme of the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council
for Culture, an issue of great interest to Pope Francis, as he affirmed this
morning while receiving in audience the participants in the event. He
reiterated the importance of finding "criteria and new ways to enable women to
no longer feel like guests, but instead to be full participants in the various
areas of social and ecclesial life".
 "The Church is a woman, she is female!" he exclaimed. "This is a challenge
that cannot be deferred. I say this to the pastors of Christian communities,
here representing the universal Church, but also to lay women and men engaged
in different ways in culture, education, the economy, politics, the world of
work, families, and religious institutions", he continued, offering an
"itinerary" and a series of "guidelines to develop this effort throughout the
world, in the heart of all cultures, in dialogue with the various religious
affiliations".
 With reference to the first theme considered in the Plenary Assembly,
"Between equality and difference: the quest for an equilibrium", Pope Francis
remarked that this equilibrium must be harmonious, not merely a question of
balance. "This aspect must not be faced ideologically, because the 'lens' of
ideology prevents us from seeing reality clearly. Equality and difference of
women - like that of men - is best perceived from the perspective of 'with',
in relation to, rather than 'against'. We have long left behind, at least in
western societies, the model of the social subordination of women to men, a
centuries-old model whose negative effects are nonetheless not yet fully
spent. We have also left behind a second model, that of parity, pure and
simple, applied mechanically, and of absolute equality. A new paradigm has
thus taken shape, that of reciprocity in equivalence and in difference. The
relationship between man and woman, therefore, must recognise that both are
necessary inasmuch as they possess an identical nature but different
modalities. One is necessary to the other, since the fullness of the person is
thus truly achieved".
 The second theme, "'generativity' as a symbolic code", broadens the horizons
of biological maternity to include the transmission and the protection of
life. It may be summarised in four verbs: to wish for, to bring into the
world, to care for, and to let go. The Pope acknowledges the contribution in
this area of the many women who work in the family, in the field of education
in faith, in pastoral activity, in education in schools, and also in social,
cultural and economic structures. "You, women, know how to embody the tender
face of God, His mercy, which translates into willingness to offer time rather
than occupy space, to accommodate rather than exclude. In this sense, I like
to describe the feminine dimension of the Church as a welcoming womb for the
regeneration of life".

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 * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)