do not realise that it is precisely because of this presumption - that we are
Christians, good and doing the right thing - that we must convert from the
supposition that all things considered, it is fine this way and we are not in
need of any form of conversion".
 "The voice of the Baptist still cries in today's deserts of humanity ...
closed
minds and hardened hearts. It causes us to ask ourselves if we actually are
following the right path, living a life according to the Gospel. Today, as
then,
he admonishes us with the words of the prophet Isaiah: 'Prepare the way of the
Lord!'. It is a pressing invitation to open our heart and receive the salvation
that God incessantly, almost stubbornly offers, because he wants us all to be
free of the slavery of sin. ... And salvation is offered to every man, and
every
people, without excluding anyone, to each one of us. None of us can say, 'I am
a
saint; I am perfect; I am already saved'. No. We should always accept this
offer
of salvation, and that is the reason for the Year of Mercy: to advance further
in this journey of salvation, this path that Jesus has taught us. God wants all
mankind to be saved by the mediation of Jesus, the only mediator".
 The Pope recalled that "each one of us is called to make Jesus known to those
who still do not know Him. But this does not mean proselytising: no. It means
opening a door. 'Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!', St. Paul declared.
...
I leave you with this question: Am I truly in love with Jesus? Am I convinced
that Jesus offers me and gives me salvation? And, if I am in love, I have to
make Him known! But we should be courageous: level the the mountains of pride
and rivalry; fill in the valleys of indifference and apathy; straighten the
paths of our laziness and our comforts".

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 There is no unity without forgiveness
 Vatican City, 7 December 2015 (VIS) - Following today's Angelus prayer the
Pope
greeted the pilgrims present in the Square and affirmed that he is following
closely the work of the Climate Conference in Paris. "What kind of world do we
want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?",
he asked. For the good of our common home, for all of us and for the future
generations, every effort should be directed toward mitigating the impact of
climate change and, at the same time, curbing poverty and enabling human
dignity
to flourish". He urged those present to pray that the Holy Spirit "enlighten
all
those who are called to make such important decisions and give them the courage
always to let themselves be guided in their decisions by the criterion of the
greater good of the human family".
 He recalled that 7 December marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Common
Declaration of Paul VI and the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, in which the
memory of the mutual sentences of excommunication exchanged between the Church
of Rome and Constantinople in 1054 was eliminated. "There is no authentic path
toward unity without a plea for forgiveness, to God and between us, for the sin
of division" he said, asking for prayers for the Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomaios and the other leaders of the Orthodox Churches so that "relations
between Catholics and Orthodox always be inspired by fraternal love".
 He also mentioned that yesterday in Chimbote, Peru, the Conventual Franciscans
Michael Tomaszek and Zbigniew Strzalkowski and the priest Alessandro Dordi were
beatified. "May the fidelity of these martyrs in following Jesus give all of
us,
especially Christians persecuted in different parts of the world, the strength
to bear witness to the Gospel with courage".

___________________________________________________________

 Francis lights up the Assisi Christmas tree
 Vatican City, 7 December 2015 (VIS) - On Sunday afternoon, from the Vatican
Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father remotely lit up the Christmas tree installed
by the Franciscans in the square in front of the lower Basilica of St. Francis
in the Italian city of Assisi. "Jesus is always with us, even in difficult
moments", he said, also recalling the many migrants who have died in the sea.
"They are with the Lord now. But He came to give us hope, and we must take this
hope. He came to tell us that He is stronger than death, that He is greater
than
any evil. He came to tell us that He is merciful ... and this Christmas I
invite
you to open your heart to mercy, to forgiveness", even though, the Pope added,
"it is not easy to forgive these tragedies".
 He thanked the Italian Coast Guard, praising the great example of solidarity
given by the citizens of the south of Italy. To refugees, he said, "Raise your
head, the Lord is near. And with Him there is strength, salvation, hope. The
heart perhaps suffers; but keep your head high in the hope of the Lord".

___________________________________________________________

 Catholic schools, educating in the fullness of humanity
 Vatican City, 7 December 2015 (VIS) - An education in the fullness of humanity
is should be the defining feature of Catholic schools, said Pope Francis this
morning to the members of the Association of Catholic School Parents in Italy
(AGESC), whom he received in audience in the Clementine Hall. "Speaking about a
Catholic education is equivalent to speaking about the human, about humanism",
he emphasised. "An inclusive education finds a place for all and does not
select
in an elitist way the beneficiaries of its efforts".
 "Your association is at the service of the school and the family, contributing
to the delicate task of building bridges between the school and the territory,
between the school and the family, between the school and civil institutions.
...
As parents, you are the depositories of the primary and irrevocable duty and
right to educate your children, in this way helping in a positive and constant
way in the task of the school. You have the right to demand a suitable
education
for your children, an integral education open to the most authentic human and
Christian values. However, it is also your responsibility to ensure that the
school is up to the educational task entrusted to it, especially when the
education it proposes is described as 'Catholic'. It pray to the Lord that the
Catholic school never take for granted the meaning of this adjective".
 The Pope went on to list the prerequisites for a school to describe itself as
truly Catholic. These included transmitting "an integral, not ideological
culture" and "promoting harmony in diversity". However, he said to the members
of AGESC, "How can this be applied in practice? It is not an easy task". To
this
end, he invited the parents of pupils in Catholic schools to build bridges
between the school and society, and always to remember theneed to construct an
educating community in which, along with the teachers, various workers and
students, parents are able to be agents in the educational process".
 "Do not be extraneous to this world; live within it like leaven in the dough",
he said. "My invitation to you is simple but bold: know how to make the
difference with a high quality formation. Find methods and ways of not passing
unnoticed behind the scenes of society and culture, without arousing clamour,
not with projects full of rhetoric. Know how to distinguish yourselves for your
constant attention to the person, especially the least among us, those who are
cast aside, denied and forgotten. Know how to be noticed not for your 'facade',
but for educational coherence rooted in the Christian vision of humanity and
society". He also remarked that at a time when the economic crisis has led to
the closure of many private schools, "the temptation of 'numbers' becomes
increasingly insistent, and this leads to discouragement. But despite all this
I
repeat: it is the quality of your presence that makes the difference, not the
quantity of resources you have at your disposal".
 "Never betray the human and Christian values you bear witness to in the
family,
in school and in society. Give generously your contribution so that the
Catholic
school never becomes a fall-back option or a meaningless alternative among the
various educational institutions. Collaborate so that Catholic education has
the
face of new humanism. ... Strive to make Catholic schools truly open to all",
concluded the Holy Father.

___________________________________________________________

 Judges and lawyers in Vatican City State Tribunal: guaranteeing a fair trial
 Vatican City, 7 December 2015 (VIS) - The following is the full text of a note
from the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J.,
regarding the constitution of the Vatican City State Tribunal and the selection
of lawyers and judges:
 In recent weeks, since the opening of the trial for the dissemination of
reserved documents commonly known as "Vatileaks 2", many observations and
evaluations have been written regarding the judicial system of Vatican City
State and in particular on the Tribunal where this trial and its related
procedures are taking place. Since many of these observations are
inappropriate,
or at times entirely unjustified, it would appear opportune to offer some
considerations enabling a clearer view and a more just evaluation of this
fundamental aspect of the situation.
 Firstly, although this should be self-evident, it is necessary to recall that
Vatican City State has its own legal order, entirely autonomous and separate
from the Italian legal system, and has its own judicial bodies for the various
levels of judgement and the necessary legislation in terms of criminal matters
and procedure.
 Within this latter there exist all the procedural guarantees characteristic of

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