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 The Pope visits Cardinal Roger Etchegaray
 Vatican City, 26 October 2015 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon the Holy Father made
a private visit to Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, who was admitted to the Agostino
Gemelli Hospital following a fall at the end of the celebration in the Vatican
Basilica, causing a fracture of the left femur. His overall condition is good,
but he will need to undergo an operation to repair the fracture.
 The Pope spoke cordially with the cardinal for around a quarter of an hour,
and
gave him his blessing. Cardinal Etchegaray thanked Pope Francis, especially for
the Synod which has just come to a close.

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 Francis receives the Synod of the Chaldean Church: I pray that Christians will
not be forced to abandon Iraq and the Middle East
 Vatican City, 26 October 2015 (VIS) - This morning Pope Francis received in
audience the members of the Synod of the Chaldean Church, led by His Beatitude
Patriarch Raphael I Louis Sako, to whom he expressed his solidarity will all
the
inhabitants of Iraq and Syria, asking that God's mercy heal the wounds of a war
that has afflicted the hearts of communities, so that "no one may feel
discouragement in this time when the outcry of violence seems to drown out our
heartfelt prayers for peace".
 The bishop of Rome remarked that the current situation in their lands of
origin
"is gravely compromised by the fanatical hatred sown by terrorism, which
continues to cause a great haemorrhage of faithful who leave the lands of their
fathers, where they grew up firmly rooted in the furrow of tradition. This
state
of affairs clearly undermines the vital Christian presence in that land which
witnessed the beginning of the journey of the Patriarch Abraham, heard the
voice
of the Prophets who called Israel to hope during the Exile, and saw the
foundation of the first Churches upon the blood of many martyrs. There too
Christians bore witness to the fullness of the Gospel, made their specific
contribution to the growth of society over centuries of peaceful coexistence
with our Islamic brothers and sisters. Sadly, these are times which are instead
marked by countless examples of persecution, and even martyrdom".
 "The Chaldean Church, which suffers from the war, is also conscious of the
needs of the faithful in the diaspora, who are desirous to maintaining their
solid roots while becoming part of new situations. So I confirm, today more
than
ever, the complete support and solidarity of the Apostolic See in favour of the
common good of the entire Chaldean Church. I pray that Christians will not be
forced to abandon Iraq and the Middle East - I think especially of the sons and
daughters of your Church, and their rich traditions. I urge you to work
tirelessly as builders of unity in all the provinces of Iraq, fostering
dialogue
and cooperation among all those engaged in public life, and contributing to
healing existing divisions while preventing new ones from arising".
 The visit of the Synod of the Chaldean Church offers the opportunity, said the
Pope "to renew my heartfelt appeal to the international community to adopt
every
useful strategy aimed at bringing peace to countries terribly devastated by
hatred, so that the life-giving breeze of love will once more be felt in places
which have always been a crossroads for peoples, cultures and nations. May the
peace for which we all hope arise on the horizon of history, so that the
grievous tragedies caused by violence may yield to a climate of mutual
coexistence".
 "The Synod which you are celebrating these days in Urbe, is a 'journeying
together', a favourable moment of exchange amid the diversities which enrich
your fraternal communion under the gaze of Christ, the Good Shepherd ... who is
concerned for the salvation of his sheep, and is especially concerned for those
who have strayed. May you imitate him: zealous in seeking the salus animarum of
priests as well as laity, realising full well that the exercise of communion
sometimes demands a genuine kenosis, a self-basement and self-spoliation".
 "In doing so", he concluded, "you will bridge distances and discern the
response to be given to the pressing needs of the Chaldean Church today, in
your
native lands and in the diaspora. In this way the reflections which emerge from
your discussions will be able to provide fruitful solutions to your current
needs and points of convergence for resolving liturgical and more general
issues".

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 To military chaplains: offer a consoling and fraternal presence to returning
servicemen
 Vatican City, 26 October 2015 (VIS) - "You have come from different countries
to reflect together on some of the current challenges of international
humanitarian law, relating to the protection of human dignity during
non-international armed conflicts and the so-called 'new' armed conflicts. This
is, unfortunately, a theme of great current relevance, especially if we think
of
the intensification of violence and the multiplication of theatres of war in
various areas around the world, such as Africa, Europe and the Middle East",
said the Pope today as he received in audience the participants in the fourth
training course in international humanitarian law for military chaplains,
organised by the Congregation for Bishops, the Pontifical Council "Justice and
Peace" and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
 Francis highlighted that war ruptures relationships between brothers and
nations. "It also disfigures those who are witnesses to such atrocities. Many
soldiers return after military action or from peacemaking missions with very
real inner wounds. War can leave an indelible mark on them. Indeed, war always
leaves an indelible mark".
 "It is therefore necessary to ask what the best ways are to cure the spiritual
wounds of servicemen who, having experienced war, have witnessed atrocious
crimes. These people and their families require a specific form of pastoral
attention, a care that enables them to feel the maternal closeness of the
Church. The role of the military chaplain is that of accompanying them and
supporting them on their journey, always offering a consoling and fraternal
presence".
 "International humanitarian law seeks to safeguard the essential principles of
humanity in the context of war, which is in itself dehumanising. It aims to
protect those who do not participate in the conflict, such as the civil
population or healthcare and religious workers, and those who no longer
participate actively, such as the wounded and prisoners. ... In order to fulfil
its aim of humanising the effects of armed conflict, humanitarian law deserves
to be better known and promoted among all soldiers and armed forces, including
non-state forces, such as security personnel and police. In addition, it needs
to be developed further so as to face the new realities of war which today,
unfortunately, involve the use of increasingly deadly weapons".
 "However, as Christians we remain profoundly convinced that the final aim,
worthy of humanity and of the human community, is the abolition of war.
Therefore, we must always make efforts to build bridges that unite rather than
walls that separate; we must always help to look for a glimmer of hope for
mediation and reconciliation. ... In this period, in which we are living a
piecemeal third world war, you are called upon to nurture in soldiers and their
families the spiritual and ethical dimension so that it may help them face the
difficulties and often devastating questions inherent in the special service
they carry out for their homeland and for humanity".

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 To the Gypsy population: the time has come to eradicate prejudice
 Vatican City, 26 October 2015 (VIS) - This morning, in the Vatican's Paul VI
Hall, Pope Francis received in audience the participants in the World
Pilgrimage
of Gypsy People, which gathered together Rom, Sinti and other itinerant
peoples,
organised by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and
Itinerant Peoples in collaboration with the "Migrantes" Foundation of the
Italian Episcopal Conference and the "Migrantes" Office of the diocese of Rome
and the Sant'Egidio Community. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of
Blessed Paul VI's visit to the nomad camp of Pomezia, Italy, on 26 September
1965.
 Francis mentioned the great changes that have taken place in the Gypsy
community since that historic visit, both in the field of evangelisation and in
that of human, social and cultural development. "A strong sign of faith and
spiritual growth in your ethnic groups is the increasing number of vocations to
priestly life, the diaconate and consecrated life", he said. He described the
latter as "a bridge between two cultures" and remarked that they are therefore
"called upon always to be witnesses of evangelical transparency to favour the
birth, growth and nurturing of new vocations. You must know how to be
companions
not only on a spiritual journey, but also in everyday life, with its hardships,
joys and worries".
 He acknowledged the difficulties faced by these peoples, and commented that he
had seen the precarious conditions in which they live during his pastoral
visits, emphasising that this situation is in contrast with the right of every
person to a dignified life, dignified work, education and healthcare. "I would
like to see the beginning of a new history for your people. The time has come
to
eradicate the deep-rooted prejudices, preconceptions and mutual distrust that
are often at the basis of discrimination, racism and xenophobia. No-one should
feel isolated, and no-one should be authorised to trample the dignity and
rights
of others. ... Let us therefore allow the Gospel to awaken our consciences and
to
open our hearts and hands to the neediest and most marginalised, starting from
those closest to us".
 Francis encouraged them to be the first to make efforts to construct more
human
peripheries and to build bonds of fraternity and exchange. "You can do this if
you are, first and foremost, good Christians, avoiding all that which is
unworthy of the name: falseness, fraud, cheating and quarrels", and encouraged
them to follow the example of blessed Ceferino Gimenez Malla. The Pope urged
them not to give the media or public opinion the opportunity to speak badly of
them. "You are the agents of your own present and future. Like all citizens,
you
can contribute to the well-being and the progress of society by respecting the
law, fulfilling your duties and integrating also through the emancipation of
the
new generations".
 With regard to children and the young, "your most valuable treasure", he
stated
that "education is without doubt the foundation for the healthy development of
the person. It is well known that the limited scholastic level of many of your
young people currently represents the main obstacle to access to the world of
work. Your children have the right to go to school: do not prevent them from
doing so!". He also commented on the need for effort on the part of civil
institutions in "guaranteeing adequate education for young gypsies, also
offering families who live in the most disadvantaged conditions the opportunity
to benefit from adequate integration in schools and in work".
 The Pope concluded by echoing the words of Blessed Paul VI fifty years ago,
when he affirmed that itinerant populations were not at the margins of the
Church, but rather, in some respects, at her very heart.

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 Telegram for the death of Cardinal Korec, tireless defender of the Christian
faith and human rights
 Vatican City, 26 October 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a telegram of
condolences to the Archbishop of Bratislava and the president of the Episcopal
Conference of Slovakia, Stanislav Zvolensky, for the death last Saturday of
Cardinal Jan Chryzostom Korec, at the age of 91.
 The Pope remembers with profound emotion the archbishop emeritus of Nitra, a
committed and generous pastor who throughout his long episcopal ministry was a
"fearless witness of the Gospel and a tireless defender of the Christian faith
and the rights of the person".
 The cardinal, who was imprisoned for several years and prevented from freely
exercising his episcopal mission, "did not let himself be intimidated, always
giving a luminous example of strength and trust in divine providence, as well
as

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