VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 035
DATE 18-02-2015

Summary:
- General audience: Brother, sister: words beloved to Christianity
- Appeal for Libya
- Francis joins in prayer for peace in Ukraine
- 52nd Campaign for Fraternity in Brazil: dialogue and collaboration between
the Church and society
- Francis thanks the Italian Coast Guard for their work with refugees and
immigrants
- Audiences

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 General audience: Brother, sister: words beloved to Christianity
 Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - Continuing his cycle of catechesis
dedicated to the family, after reflecting on the figure of the mother and
father, the Pope today spoke about fraternity. "'Brother' and 'sister' are
words that Christianity loves. And, thanks to the family, they are words that
all cultures and all ages understand".
 Fraternal bonds are very important in the history of the people of God, and
are highly praised in the Old Testament. However their rupture opened up a
deep abyss in mankind, and God's question to Cain - "Where is your brother?" -
never ceases to resonate throughout history. "And", exclaimed the Pontiff,
"unfortunately, in this generation too, Cain's dramatic answer is also
repeated endlessly: "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?". The rupture of
the bond between brothers disfigures humanity. And even within families, how
many brothers argue over small things, an inheritance, and then no longer even
speak to or greet each other? If we think that they inhabited the womb of the
same mother .... We all know families in which there are divisions between
brothers. Let us pray to the Lord for them, to help brothers be reunited and
families rebuilt. And let us always keep these divided brothers in our
prayers".
 The bond of fraternity that is formed in the family, among children, if it
occurs a climate of education in openness to others, "is the great school of
freedom and peace. Perhaps we are not always aware of this, but it is
precisely the family that introduces fraternity into the world", remarked the
Pope, emphasising that from this first experience, fraternity "radiates like a
promise to the whole of society and the relations between peoples. And the
blessing that God - in Jesus Christ - lavishes upon this bond of fraternity,
extends it unimaginably, making it capable of surpassing any difference of
nation, culture or even religion".
 He added, "Think about what becomes of the bond between men, even the most
diverse, when they are able to say of another, 'he is just like a brother, she
is just like a sister to me'. History has demonstrated sufficiently that even
liberty and equality, without fraternity, can be filled with individualism,
conformism and personal interest".
 Fraternity in the family shines in a special way "when we see the care,
patience, and affection that surround those brothers and sisters who are weak,
sick, or disabled. Having a brother or a sister who cares for you is a
powerful experience, priceless and irreplaceable. The same applies to the
Christian family. We must be moved to tenderness by the smallest, the weakest,
the poorest: they have a 'right' to capture our heart and soul. Yes, they are
our brothers and we must love them and treat them as such. When this happens,
when it is as if the poor are part of the family, our Christian fraternity
comes to life. Indeed, Christians go towards the poor and the weak not in
obedience to an ideological programme, but because the word and example of the
Lord tell us that they are our brothers. This is the principle of God's love
and of all justice between men".
 "And now I suggest one thing", he added, off the cuff: "in silence, each of
us, let us think of our brothers and sisters, and pray for them". St. Peter's
Square remained in silence for a moment, after which Francis added, "With this
prayer we brought all of them, our brothers and sisters, here in the square to
be blessed".
 "Today, more than ever, it is necessary to bring fraternity back to the
centre of our technocratic and bureaucratic society: then liberty and equality
will also acquire the correct tone. Therefore, let us not light-heartedly
deprive our families, through apprehension or fear, of the beauty of a full
fraternal experience. And lot us not lose our trust in the broad horizon that
faith is able to draw from this experience, enlightened by God's blessing".

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 Appeal for Libya
 Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - Following this morning's catechesis,
Pope Francis launched a fresh appeal for prayers for "our Egyptian brothers,
killed in Libya three days ago for the mere fact of being Christians. May the
Lord welcome them into his house and console their families and their
communities".
 He also encouraged prayer for peace in the Middle East and in North Africa,
remembering all the deceased, the wounded and refugees. "May the international
Community find peaceful solutions to the difficult situation in Libya".

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 Francis joins in prayer for peace in Ukraine
 Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - At the end of today's general
audience, the Pope greeted the faithful gathered in the square in various
languages. He dedicated some special words to the Ukrainian bishops, currently
in Rome on their "ad Limina" visit, and all the faithful accompanying them.
"????? ????? ??????! Praise be to Jesus Christ!", said the Holy Father in
Ukrainian. "I know that among the many intentions you bring to the Tombs of
the Apostles there is the plea for peace in Ukraine. I carry the same wish in
my heart and join in your prayer that lasting peace may come soon to your
homeland".

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 52nd Campaign for Fraternity in Brazil: dialogue and collaboration between
the Church and society
 Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a message to
the faithful of Brazil on the occasion of the 52nd Campaign for Fraternity in
Brazil, organised annually by the Episcopal Conference during Lent. The theme
of this year's Campaign is "Fraternity: Church and Society".
 "We are nearing Lent, the time of preparation for Easter: a time of penance,
prayer and charity, a time to renew our lives, to identify with Jesus through
generous donation to our brothers, especially those most in need", writes the
Pope. "Indeed, the Church, the community in which 'God gathered together as
one all those who in faith look upon Jesus as the author of salvation and the
source of unity and peace', cannot be indifferent to the needs of those she
encounters, as 'the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the
men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted ... are
the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ'".
 Francis mentions in his message that during these forty days, the Campaign
for Fraternity wishes to help deepen, in the light of the Gospel, dialogue and
collaboration between Church and society, to serve the construction of the
Kingdom of God in the heart and life of the Brazilian people. He underlines,
however, that this is not the exclusive task of institutions: all people must
contribute, starting in their own home, their own workplace, and in relations
with others. "Let us recall that each individual Christian and every community
is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the
poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This demands that
we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and come to their aid".
 The Holy Father encourages an "examination of conscience" on the "concrete
and effective commitment of each one of us in the construction of a more just,
fraternal and peaceful society". He concludes, "I hope that this year's Lenten
journey, in the light of the proposals of the Campaign for Fraternity, may
predispose hearts to the new life offered to us by Christ, and that the
transformative power that flows from the Resurrection reaches everyone in its
pastoral, family, social and cultural dimension, and strengthens sentiments of
fraternity and lively collaboration in every heart".

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 Francis thanks the Italian Coast Guard for their work with refugees and
immigrants
 Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - Yesterday evening in the Domus Sanctae
Marthae the Pope received a delegation from the Italian Coast Guard, and heard
their account of the difficult rescue operations they carry out at sea to save
refugees and migrants. The delegation was composed of nine people, led by
Admiral Commander Felicio Angrisano and Admiral Giovanni Pettorino, head of
the operative unit, and accompanied by the Minister for Infrastructure and
Transport, Maurizio Lupi.
 The members of the delegation recounted their moving and inspiring
experiences, and the Pope expressed his participation and appreciation for the
service they carry out with bravery and dedication to the poorest. He recalled
his trip to Lampedusa and praised the solidarity of the islanders with the
refugees that arrive there, even at the expense of tourism in the area. He
also mentioned that he had sent his Almoner, Archbishop Krajewski, to
participate in the operation to recover bodies following the tragic shipwreck
last year, and concluded, "I truly admire you, and I feel small before the
work that you do, risking your lives, and I offer my heartfelt thanks to you
for this. But I support you in the best way I can: with prayer, praise and
affection".

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 Audiences
 Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in
audience Ricardo Lewandowski, president of the Federal Supreme Court of Brazil.

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