VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 097
DATE 26-05-2015

Summary:
- The whole world continues to be your cloister, says the Pope to the Order of
Friars Minor
- Francis commemorates St. Philip Neri on the fifth centenary of his birth
- Meeting of the Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops closes

___________________________________________________________

 The whole world continues to be your cloister, says the Pope to the Order of
Friars Minor
 Vatican City, 26 May 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Sala Clementina of the
Vatican Apostolic Palace Pope Francis received in audience the participants in
the General Chapter of the Order of Friars Minor, dedicated this time to two
key
aspects of their identity: minority and fraternity.
 In his address, the Holy Father remarked that minority "calls us to be and to
feel small before God, entrusting ourselves entirely to his infinite mercy. The
perspective of mercy is incomprehensible to those who do not recognise
themselves as 'minor': that is, as small, needy and sinners before God. The
more
aware we are of this, the closer we are to salvation; the more convinced we are
of being sinners, the more disposed we are to be saved. ... Minority also means
coming out of ourselves, of leaving behind our preconceptions and personal
views; it also means going beyond structures - that are of course useful if
used
wisely - and beyond our habits and certainties, to bear witness to real
closeness to the poor, needy and marginalised, with an authentic attitude of
sharing and service".
 Similarly, the dimension of fraternity is essential for bearing witness to the
Gospel. "In the primitive Church, Christians lived in fraternal community to
the
extent that ... the people were surprised to see them so united in love, so
willing to give and to forgive each other", commented the Pope. "Your religious
family is called upon to express this concrete fraternity, by recovering this
mutual trust in interpersonal relations, so that the world may see and believe,
acknowledging that Christ's love heals wounds and renders us as one".
 In this respect, Francis invited the Franciscans to be "bringers of mercy,
reconciliation and peace", in obedience to their charism which has made them an
"outbound congregation" since their origins. "It is said that when the first
friars were asked to show their cloisters, they climbed a hill and, showing the
land around, as far as the eye could see, they answered, 'This is our
cloister'.
Dear brothers, continue to go into this cloister, which is the whole world,
driven by Christ's love, as St. Francis invites you to do ... when he says ...
'I
counsel, warn and exhort my friars in the Lord Jesus Christ, that when they go
about through the world, they are not to quarrel nor contend in words, nor are
they to judge others, but they are to be meek, peaceable and modest, meek and
humble, speaking uprightly to all, as is fitting. ... Into whatever house they
may
enter, first let them say: 'Peace to this house', and ... it is lawful to eat
any
of the foods which are placed befor them".
 The Pope stressed that St. Francis' exhortation remains valid. "It is a
prophecy of fraternity and minority for today's world too. How important it is
to live a Christian and religious existence without losing oneself in disputes
and gossip, cultivating a serene dialogue with all, ... with modest means,
announcing peace and living in a sober fashion, content with what is offered to
you. This also requires decisive commitment to transparency, to the ethical and
fraternal use of goods, in a style of sobriety. If, instead, you are attached
to
worldly goods and wealth, and place your security there, it will be the Lord
Himself Who will despoil you of this spirit of worldliness in order to preserve
this valuable heritage of minority and poverty to which He has called you
through St. Francis. You will either be freely poor and minor, or find
yourselves denuded".
 "The Holy Spirit is the inspiration for religious life", continued Pope
Francis. "When consecrated persons let themselves be enlightened and guided by
the Spirit, they discover in this supernatural vision the secret of their
fraternity, the inspiration for their service to their brothers, the strength
of
their prophetic presence in the Church and in the world. The light and the
strength of the Spirit will also help you face the challenges that lie before
you, especially the numerical decrease, ageing and diminution of new
vocations".
 "The people of God love you. Cardinal Quarracino once said: 'In our cities
there are groups or people who are against the clergy, and when a priest passes
by they say certain things to him - in Argentina they call them "crows". But I
have never, ever heard these remarks in the presence of a Franciscan habit.
Why?
You have inherited authority with the people of God with your minority,
fraternity, meekness, humility, and poverty. Please preserve this! Do not lose
it. The people love you".

___________________________________________________________

 Francis commemorates St. Philip Neri on the fifth centenary of his birth
 Vatican City, 26 May 2015 (VIS) - This year marks the fifth centenary of the
birth of St. Philip Neri (Florence, 25 July 1515 - Rome 26 May 1595), known as
the "apostle of Rome" and founder of the Congregation of the Oratory that, as
Pope Francis writes in a letter addressed to the procurator general Fr. Mario
Alberto Aviles, is characterised by "an intense and joyful spiritual life:
prayer, listening and conversation on the Word of God, preparation to receive
the sacraments in a dignified way, formation for Christian life through the
history of the saints and the Church, and works of charity for the benefit of
the poorest".
 The Holy Father, joining with those who commemorate the figure and the work of
this saint, who spent sixty years of his life in Rome, remarks that thanks to
the apostolate of St. Philip, commitment to saving souls "was restored as a
priority in the Church's activity, and it was newly understood that pastors
must
stay with their people to guide them and sustain them in their faith. Philip
was
a guide for many people, announcing the Gospel and dispensing the Sacraments.
In
particular, he dedicated himself with great passion to the ministry of
Confession, up to the evening of his last day on earth. His concern was that of
constantly following the spiritual growth of his disciples, accompanying them
in
the bitterness of life and opening up to Christian hope. ... His spiritual
paternity shines through all his work, characterised by trust in people, by his
rejection of gloomy and sombre tones, by his spirit of festivity and joy, by
his
conviction that grace does not restrain nature but instead heals, strengthens
and perfects it".
 The Apostle of Rome also remains as "a shining model of the permanent mission
of the Church in the world. The perspective of his approach to others, bearing
witness to all the love and mercy of the Lord, can constitute a valid example
for bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful. From the very first
years of his presence in Rome, he undertook an apostolate of personal relations
and friendship, as the ideal route to opening up to the encounter with Jesus
and
the Gospel. ... He loved spontaneity, shunned artifice, chose the most
enjoyable
methods to educate in Christian virtues, and at the same time offered a healthy
discipline that implied the exercise of will to welcome Christ in the fabric of
one's life. His profound conviction was that the path to sanctity was based on
the grace of an encounter with the Lord, accessible to any person ... who
welcomes
him with the wonder of children".
 "The permanent state of mission of the Church requires that you, the spiritual
children of St. Philip Neri, do not settle for a mediocre life; on the
contrary,
in the school of your Founder you are called upon to be men of prayer and
witness to draw people to Christ", concludes the Pope. "In our times,
especially
in the world of the young who were so dear to Fr. Philip, there is a great need
for people who pray and who know how to teach others to pray".

___________________________________________________________

 Meeting of the Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops closes
 Vatican City, 26 May 2015 (VIS) - The Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops
today completed its two-day meeting to prepare for the 14th Ordinary General
Assembly on the theme "The vocation and the mission of the family in the Church
and in the contemporary world", to be held from 4 to 25 October in the Vatican.
The Council was chaired by the Holy Father, who met with Cardinal Lorenzo
Baldisseri and Bishop Fabio Fabene (respectively secretary general and
under-secretary of the Synod of Bishops) last week, and whose presence
underlined the importance he attributes to the current Synod path.
 Yesterday, 25 May, and this morning, the Council closely examined the plan for
the Instrumentum laboris resulting from the Relatio Synodi of the Extraordinary
Assembly, integrated with numerous contributions provided by the answers to the
questions included in the Lineamenta sent by the Episcopal Conferences and
other
competent entities, as well as the many contributions received by the
Secretariat General from various ecclesial bodies and individual faithful. An
extensive and detailed study of the text has generated proposals and
contributions for its integration and improvement. The text, thus revised and
shared by the members of the Council, has been entrusted to the Secretariat
General for its final redaction, translation in various languages and
publication, which will take place in a few weeks' time.
 Following the examination of the Instrumentum laboris, proposals from the
Secretariat General for updating the working method for the upcoming Ordinary
General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops were presented.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site:
www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS):  the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source:  V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service.
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
 * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)