News

Second Vatican Ecumenical Council

Second Vatican Ecumenical Council October 11, 2022     On October 11, 2022, the memorial of Pope St. John XXIII, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, the Holy Father Francis will preside over the Eucharistic Celebration in St. Peter's Basilica at 5 p.m.   At the end of the Celebration, a torchlight procession will take...

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Competition for Jubilee 2025 Hymn kicks off

vaticannews.va   The Dicastery for Evangelization invites entries for the Hymn for the Holy Year 2025, encouraging interested persons to set to music a provided text which expresses the essence of the Jubilee event. By Benedict Mayaki, SJ   With preparations beginning in view of the Holy Year 2025, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, in charge of coordinating the Holy See’s...

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Pope to catechists: 'Share a living experience of the faith'

Pope to catechists: 'Share a living experience of the faith' Pope Francis welcomes catechists taking part in the Third International Congress on Catechesis, and encourages them to transmit a lived experience of the faith, while remembering their calling to show others the love of Jesus Christ.     Pope Francis welcomes catechists taking part in the Third International Congress on...

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Press conference

Presentation of the Official Jubilee Logo   The celebration of an ordinary Jubilee entails years of preparation because of the demands involved in such an event. When the Pope opens the Holy Door of St. Peter's, officially initiating the Jubilee, and subsequently the Doors of the other papal basilicas, pilgrims will be ushered into a long-awaited spiritual experience and they will be eager...

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Pope's message for World Day of Poor: 'We must uphold values of responsibility, solidarity'

vaticannews.va   Pope's message for World Day of Poor: 'We must uphold values of responsibility, solidarity' In his message for the 6th World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis invites Christians to greater solidarity and responsibility for the poor in society, stressing the importance of putting our faith into practice through personal involvement that cannot be delegated to...

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Pope to lead Rosary for peace in Ukraine & end to wars worldwide

Pope Francis, in connection with international shrines worldwide, will lead a Rosary for peace from the Basilica of St. Mary Major on 31 May for those suffering the ongoing war in Ukraine and other wars around the world. By Deborah Castellano Lubov Pope Francis will lead a Rosary for peace as a sign of hope for those suffering from the ongoing war in Ukraine and wars around the world. The news...

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Third International Congress on Catechesis

Third International Congress on Catechesis The Catechist, witness of the new life in Christ Paul VI Hall, Vatican City, September 8-10, 2022           Session I   Thursday, September 8, 2022 -          16.00   Opening Prayer -          16.15  ...

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Pope to Missionaries of Mercy: Show the face of God's boundless mercy to all

VATICAN NEWS Pope Francis welcomes Missionaries of Mercy from around the world, and encourages them to receive warmly those seeking God's mercy and to offer consolation to the sad and lonely, offering the biblical figure Ruth as an inspiration for their ministry.     By Thaddeus Jones Welcoming the Missionaries of Mercy from around the world in the Paul VI Audience Hall on Monday, Pope...

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Third international meeting of the Missionaries of Mercy

THE MISSIONARY OF MERCY: A SIGN OF WELCOME Third international meeting of the Missionaries of Mercy Rome - april 23-25, 2022     PROGRAM/SCHEDULE   Saturday, April 23, 2022 Vatican City, New Synod Hall 8:00 Entrance to the Vatican through the Porta Petriana after security checks performed by the Italian Police 9:00 Opening Prayer 9:15 Greetings and Workshop...

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Divine Mercy Sunday 2022

On April 24, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis will preside at the Eucharistic Concelebration for Divine Mercy Sunday (Domenica in albis).  This year's celebration will be enriched by the presence in St. Peter's of the Missionaries of Mercy, from more than twenty countries, who will be in Rome for their Third International Meeting.  The year 2022 will also mark...

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international competition for the creation of the Official Logo of the Jubilee 2025

On February 22, the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization launched an international competition for the creation of the Official Logo of the Jubilee 2025. From today, Friday, April 1 and afterwards, it will be possible to upload the digital file of one's work on the official website of the Jubilee 2025 (iubilaeum2025.va/en/logo). Anyone can participate, subject to...

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24 Hours for the Lord - Tickets

__________________ Tickets may be collected at the following times: Thursday 24 march: 8.30-13.30 e 15.00-17.30 Friday 25 march: 8.30-13.30 e 15.00-16.00 Via della Conciliazione n.7 Gruppi: I gruppi di volontariato, gruppi assistenziali, comunità di accoglienza, Caritas, istituti religiosi, associazioni assistenziali e tutti colori che in maniera organizzata si occupano del sostegno ai più...

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Holy See invites entries for Jubilee 2025 Official Logo

vaticannews.va   The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization launches a competition open to all, for the creation of the Official Logo for the Jubilee 2025. The contest begins on Tuesday, 22 February and ends on Friday, 20 May, 2022. Pope Francis has charged the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization with coordinating the Holy See’s preparations for the Holy...

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Pope urges a prayerful preparation for 2025 Jubilee

To My Dear Brother the Most Reverend Rino Fisichella president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization The Jubilee has always been an event of great spiritual, ecclesial, and social significance in the life of the Church. Ever since 1300, when Boniface VIII instituted the first Holy Year – initially celebrated every hundred years, then, following its biblical...

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24 Hours for the Lord

On Friday, March 25, 2022, in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis will preside a Penitential Celebration opening the traditional “24 Hours for the Lord.”

The motto for this year’s “24 Hours for the Lord” is: In Him, we have forgiveness (ref. Col.1: 13-14)

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Sunday of the Word of God 2022

3rd Sunday of the Word of God January 23, 2022   Press Release January 23, 2022, will see the third celebration of the Sunday of the Word of God, which was instituted by Pope Francis on September 30, 2019. At 9:30 a.m. the Holy Father will preside at Holy Mass in Saint Peter's Basilica. In compliance with the health regulations currently in force, the number of participants at the Holy Mass...

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Fisichella: il motto del Giubileo 2025 è “pellegrini di speranza"

VATICAN NEWS According to the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, the Pope's main concern is that the 2025 Jubilee Year be prepared in the best possible way. Speaking after an audience with Pope Francis on 3 January, Archbishop Rino Fisichella said that during the meeting the Pope approved the motto proposed for the upcoming Jubilee Year, a motto he said,...

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Giubileo 2025, il Papa ne affida a Fisichella la preparazione

  By Vatican News Pope Francis has given the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization responsibility on coordinating the Holy See's preparations for the Holy Year 2025. In recent days the President of the Council, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, met with Superiors of the Secretariat of State, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) and the Secretariat for...

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100 Nativity Scenes at the Vatican - Press Release

PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION 100 Nativity Scenes at the Vatican December 5, 2021 - January 9, 2022   Press Release This year marks the fourth edition of the International Exhibition 100 Nativity Scenes at the Vatican, an exhibition that brings together the works of numerous artisans, depicting the Nativity of the Lord, in the varied expressions that the...

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Fifth World Day of the Poor - Press Release

PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION Fifth World Day of the Poor Sunday, November 14, 2021 This coming November 14 sees the fifth celebration of the World Day of the Poor. An initiative strongly desired by Pope Francis in order to urge the Church and the faithful to ‘go out’ to encounter poverty in the various ways it manifests itself in the modern world and in order to...

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Pope Francis to meet with the poor in Assisi

The meeting in Assisi, St. Francis’ hometown, will be a private one during which Pope Francis will share moments of listening and prayer with about 500 people from all over Europe in preparation for the World Day of the Poor on 14 November. That World Day was wanted by the Pope to raise awareness and call on all men and women to listen to the cry of the poor. The theme of this year’s celebration...

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Pope: Catechists are evangelizers who transmit the Eucharist they live

Catechists are evangelizers who live from the celebration of the Eucharist and feel more vividly the passion to transmit the faith with the creativity and drive of the Holy Spirit.  “The privileged place of catechesis is precisely the Eucharistic celebration, where brothers and sisters come together to discover more and more the different ways of God's presence in their lives.” The Pope made...

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Pope: The poor enable us to discover the true face of the Father

Pope: The poor enable us to discover the true face of the Father Pope Francis releases his message for the fifth World Day of the poor. He highlights the need for conversion and for an approach that counters new forms of poverty in the world and promotes the freedom needed to live a life of fulfilment according to the abilities of each person. By Vatican News staff writer   The theme of the...

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Press Conference for the Presentation of the Message of Pope Francis for the Fifth World Day of the Poor

Press Conference for the Presentation of the Message of Pope Francis for the Fifth World Day of the Poor   Holy See Press Office, June 14, 2021            “The poor you will always have with you” (Mark 14:7).  These words of Jesus, pronounced a few days before the events of his passion, death and resurrection, are an effective...

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Pope concludes Month of Prayer with Rosary in Vatican Gardens

Pope Francis leads the Holy Rosary in the Vatican Gardens at the conclusion of the “Marathon of Prayer” for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resumption of work and social activities. By Christopher Wells Pope Francis was joined by first communicants and young people who have recently been confirmed, as well as by newlyweds and expecting couples, scouts, families, and religious, as he...

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Pope establishes ministry of catechist

With a new Apostolic Letter issued “motu proprio,” Pope Francis establishes the lay ministry of catechist, intended to respond to an urgent need for the evangelisation of the modern world, and undertaken in a “secular” manner, avoiding clericalisation. By Isabella Piro   “Fidelity to the past and responsibility for the present are necessary conditions for the Church to carry out her mission...

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Pope opens Marathon of Prayer with Rosary in Vatican Basilica

Pope Francis inaugurates the Marathon of Prayer for an end to the pandemic on Saturday by leading the faithful in the Holy Rosary from St Peter’s Basilica.   By Vatican News staff reporter   Pope Francis led the faithful in the recitation of the Holy Rosary on Saturday to inaugurate a “Marathon of Prayer” for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a press release announcing the initiative,...

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Prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God

“Prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God” (Acts 12:5) Guided by the Shrines around the world, all the faithful during the month of May unite in the recitation of the Holy Rosary to ask for the end of the pandemic and the resumption of social and work activities.   Press release In response to the Holy Father's heartfelt wish, the month of May will be dedicated to a...

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Pope at Mass: God’s Word a love letter from the One who knows us best

In his homily at Mass for the Sunday of the Word of God, read by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pope Francis invites Christians to make time for Sacred Scripture, and emphasizes that God’s Word is one of consolation but also a call to conversion.   By Lydia O’Kane Holy Mass for the 2nd Sunday of the Word of God was celebrated by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council...

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Sunday of the World of God

This coming January 24, we will celebrate for the second time the Sunday of the Word of God. This year's theme is taken from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians: Hold on to the word of life! (Phil 2:16). For this occasion, Pope Francis will preside over the Holy Eucharist at 10 a.m. from St. Peter's Basilica. The event will be televised live on Rai1 and on all Catholic broadcasters around...

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Pope at Mass on World Day of Poor: ‘The poor guarantee us eternal income’

Pope Francis celebrates Mass to mark the World Day of the Poor, and urges Christians to spend our lives in prayer, charity, and witness to the Gospel on behalf of those in need. By Devin Watkins The World Day of the Poor was instituted in 2016 by Pope Francis, and is celebrated annually on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. This year’s occurrence marks its 4th iteration, and is being...

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The World Day of the Poor - 2020

  Press Conference            The World Day of the Poor has reached its Fourth edition. The Day’s theme, expressed in Pope Francis’ Message made public last June 13, the liturgical memory of Saint Anthony of Padua, centers on the biblical expression: “Stretch forth your hand to the poor” (Sir 7:32).  With a far-sighted vision, Pope Francis in...

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Most Rev. José Octavio Ruiz Arenas

On Wednesday, September 2, 2020, in the Library of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, the Superiors, Officials, and Staff gathered to say farewell to H.E. Most Rev. José Octavio Ruiz Arenas, Archbishop Emeritus of Villavicencio (Colombia), whose term of office as Secretary has come to an end with the acceptance of his resignation which he had submitted to the Holy...

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New Directory for Catechesis released

The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization releases a new Directory for Catechesis, providing guidelines for the Church’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel through catechesis and evangelization. By Vatican News The long-awaited updated Directory for Catechesis was released in the Vatican on Thursday. It was drafted under the direction of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the...

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Announcement of the Holy Father’s Message for the Fourth World Day of the Poor 2020

“Stretch out your hand to the poor” (Sirach 7:32)   With the words of the ancient book of Sirach, Pope Francis offers his reflection for the Fourth World Day of the Poor to be celebrated throughout the Church on Sunday, November 15, 2020. The Message enters directly into the dramatic moment that the whole world has experienced because of Covid-19 and of that of the many countries still...

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How to pray the Rosary with the Pope on Saturday

Join Pope Francis in praying the Rosary on Saturday, 30 May, for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. Ways to participate are indicated below.     By Devin Watkins Pope Francis is once again urging all of humanity to pray together for divine help during the coronavirus pandemic. On Saturday, 30 May, at 5:30 PM Rome time (GMT +2), the Pope will lead the recitation of the Rosary from the...

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Broadcast of the Recitation of the Holy Rosary with Pope Francis - Press release

  Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization   Press Release   Broadcast of the Recitation of the Holy Rosary with Pope Francis from the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens Saturday, May 30, 2020, 17:30 (UTC/GMT + 2 hours)   They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with Mary (Acts 1:14)   Let us join Pope Francis in...

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Pope at Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday: Let us rise with Thomas

Pope Francis celebrates Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, inviting us to accept Jesus’s mercy as the Apostle Thomas did, and to show that mercy to those around us. (playback included)   By Sr Bernadette M. Reis, fsp “Last Sunday we celebrated the Lord’s resurrection; today we witness the resurrection of his disciple”. This was Pope Francis’s opening line of his homily for Divine Mercy Sunday. He...

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24 Hours for the Lord - 2020

24 Hours for the Lord - 2020  “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7, 48)   An important Lenten appointment for prayer and a good opportunity to go to Confession. This year’s recurrence will take place under restricted circumstances, due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.   Unfortunately in Rome, Italy, and in other nations this initiative cannot be held under its traditional format...

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announcement: Celebration of 24 Hours for the Lord in 2020

Due to the emergency situation in Italy and Rome linked to the coronavirus COVID-19, the usual Penitential Celebration at which Pope Francis should have presided in Saint Peter's Basilica this forthcoming Friday, March 20, at 17:00, has been cancelled.   This state of affairs, which persists in many countries, will make it difficult for many of the faithful to celebrate 24 Hours for the Lord...

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Sunday of the Word of God: making the Scriptures part of our everyday lives

A press conference in the Vatican details the many aspects of the newly established ‘Sunday of the Word of God’ to be marked on 26 January. Pope Francis will celebrated Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the occasion.   By Linda Bordoni Pope Francis is inviting Catholics across the world to deepen their appreciation, love and faithful witness to God and his Word. That’s why, as...

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Pope writes Apostolic Letter on the significance of the Christmas crèche

Pope Francis has written an Apostolic Letter on the meaning and importance of the nativity scene. He signed the Letter during his visit on Sunday afternoon to the Italian town of Greccio.   By Vatican News Greccio is the mountain village where Saint Francis of Assisi created the first crib scene in 1223 to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Pope Francis returned to the town on Sunday to deliver...

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Pope: We need a free and simple outward looking Church

Pope Francis on Saturday receives those taking part in the International Meeting “Evangelii Gaudium: Reception and Perspectives. The “Church which goes forth"”. Over the last three days participants including Bishops, religious and lay people from all over the world have been gathered in the Vatican to discuss the Pope’s Apostolic Exhortation six years on from its publication.   By...

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Pope visits 100 Presepi exhibition

Pilgrims and tourists got a big surprise on Monday afternoon when Pope Francis made a visit to the 100 Presepi (Nativity Scenes) exhibition which has just got underway in the Vatican. As well as looking at the over 150 Nativity Scenes which come from Italy and more than 40 other countries, the Pope said a prayer and blessed those present. The exhibition is now in its 44th year and is hosted...

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Press Release - Third World Day of the Poor

Third World Day of the Poor The Hope of the Poor Shall Not Perish Forever 10 – 17 November 2019 Press Release       The Third World Day of the Poor instituted by Pope Francis is now approaching its third edition. Also this year various events are scheduled in order to give those who live their lives daily on the margins of society a sign of attention and inclusion. The Field...

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Concert With the Poor and for the Poor

Third World Day of the Poor Concert With the Poor and for the Poor Third Edition with the Academy Award Nicola Piovani in Paul VI HALL(Vatican City)   Maestro Nicola Piovani will direct the Orchestra Italiana del Cinema in the Third Edition of the Concert “With the Poor and for the Poor”, Saturday 9 November at 06:00 pm in the Paul VI Hall together with, as in the first two editions, Mons....

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Pope: need to be the living signs of our encounter with Jesus

Pope Francis on 21 September met some 300 participants in the International Meeting of Academic Centres and Schools of New Evangelization and spoke to them about how to make the hearts of men and women of our times burn like those of the disciples of Emmaus.   By Robin Gomes The international meeting had as its theme, "Is it possible to meet God? The paths of the New...

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30th annual Youth Festival opens in Medjugorje

Cardinal De Donatis celebrates Mass to inaugurate the 30th Youth Festival being held in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina.     By Francesca Merlo Over 50,000 young people from all over the world have gathered in Medjugorje to reflect, this year, on the theme “Follow me”. The opening Mass, presided over by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Vicar General of Rome, on August 1st, inaugurated the...

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Pope: The poor save us because they show us the face of Christ

Pope Francis’ message for the Third World Day of the Poor was released on Thursday. The day will be observed on Sunday 17th November.   By Lydia O'Kane The theme for this year’s World Day of the Poor message is “The hope of the poor shall not perish forever”, taken from the Book of Psalms. The Pope writes that these words “express a profound truth that faith impresses above all on...

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Pope names delegate to Lourdes for care of pilgrims

Pope Francis has named Bishop Antoine Hérouard, auxiliary of Lille, France, as his special delegate charged with the pastoral care of pilgrims visiting Lourdes. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the President of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, announced the appointment at the French Marian shrine on Thursday.     By Andrea Tornielli The decision is line with the one already...

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Meet the bishop behind the updated Catholic Catechism

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, baptized Salvatore, is an Italian prelate who has served as the first president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization since 2010 and president of the International Council for Catechesis since 2013. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him to the former post as part of the process leading into the Synod for the New Evangelization and the post-synodal...

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Mercy Friday: the Pope visits the Emanuele Village, residence for people with Alzheimer’s

    Pope Francis, as part of the Mercy Friday pastoral initiative that began during the Jubilee of Mercy, paid a visit this afternoon to the Villaggio Emanuele, an institution for people with Alzheimer’s, accompanied by H.E. Msgr. Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for New Evangelization.         The Villaggio is truly organized like...

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Pope: Draw life from the saving encounter with the Lord

Pope Francis presided Friday over a penitential liturgy, opening the traditional "24 hours for the Lord" initiative of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, which takes place annually on the Friday and Saturday preceding the fourth Sunday of Lent.   Please find the full text of Pope Francis’ Homily below:          “The...

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Penitential Celebration - Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis

PENITENTIAL CELEBRATION HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS Vatican Basilica Venerdì, 29 marzo 2019 [Multimedia]       “The two of them alone remained: mercy with misery” (In Joh 33, 5). In this way Saint Augustine sums up the end of the Gospel we have just heard. Those who came to cast stones at the woman or to accuse Jesus with regard to the Law have gone away, having lost...

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“24 hours for the Lord”

On Friday, March 29, 2019, at 17:00, in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis will preside at a Penitential Celebration opening the traditional 24 Hours for the Lord, an initiative of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization which takes place annually on the Friday and Saturday preceding the Fourth Sunday of Lent.     Now into its sixth edition, the motto for this...

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The international exhibition "100 Cribs" moves to the Vatican

The traditional "100 Cribs" International Exhibition, now in its 43rd edition, is moving from Piazza del Popolo to Via della Conciliazione in Vatican this year. The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, since last August, has announced this important artistic and cultural review. This transfer was decided by Dr. Mariacarla Menaglia, director of the...

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Pope to Rectors of Shrines: Keeping popular piety alive

Pope Francis meets Rectors and Pastoral Workers of Shrines, encouraging them to make pilgrims feel “at home” and to help them enrich their popular piety.   By Seàn-Patrick Lovett A Shrine is a church, or other sacred place, which is visited by people who come as pilgrims to pray, or to seek grace and consolation. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of such locations all over the world....

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Pope to Choirs: ‘Help community sing, don't replace its voice'

Pope Francis invites choirs and singers around the world to promote the Church community’s participation and prayer during liturgical celebrations, rather than replacing its voice.   By Devin Watkins “You have awoken the Vatican!” With those joyful words, Pope Francis expressed his appreciation for the musical art shown by participants in the 3rd International Meeting of Choirs, during...

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Pope Francis’ lunch with the poor

By Linda Bordoni Pope Francis on Sunday joined about 1,500 poor people and a group of volunteers for lunch to mark the World Day of the Poor. After Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, during which he urged believers to heed the cry of the poor and said that “the cry of the poor daily becomes stronger but heard less, drowned out by the din of the rich few, who grow ever fewer...

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Pope at Mass: go up to God to go down to others

On the World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis reflects on the Gospel for the Dedication of the Basilica of St Peter, saying that like Jesus, Christians must go down to meet the needs of others after having gone up to meet God in prayer.   By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp “This is the road Jesus tells us to take”, Pope Francis said in his homily on Sunday, during Mass on the Second...

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Pope pays surprise visit to First Aid Station in St Peter's Square

Pope Francis surprises patients and medical assistants with an unannounced visit to St Peter’s Square’s First Aid Station ahead of the Second World Day for the poor.     By Francesca Merlo Pope Francis visited St Peter’s Square on Friday 16th of November where, upon his request, a First Aid Station has been installed. This initiative, supported by the Pontifical Council for...

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International Exhibition 100 Cribs at the Vatican

The international exhibition "100 Cribs" moves to the Vatican and will be organized by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.   The traditional "100 Cribs" International Exhibition, now in its 43rd edition, is moving from Piazza del Popolo to Via della Conciliazione in Vatican this year. The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New...

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Video message of Pope Francis to Catechists

  In a video message recorded before his departure to the Baltic countries, Pope Francis exhorts 1500 catechists gathered in Paul VI Hall for the Second International Congress of Catechists, that we cannot presume to impose a truth of faith without considering the call to freedom that this entails. Pope Francis in his messages to Catechists representing 48 countries of the world, emphasizes...

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The routes of martyrdom in Seoul become an official pilgrimage destination

  Seoul (AsiaNews) – The Vatican has decided that Seoul, with its history and martyrs, is an official international pilgrimage site, a first for Asia. A proclamation ceremony will be held this Friday at the Seosomun Martyrs shrine, the largest monument to the martyrs of Korea. For the occasion, the historical park of Seosomun will be open to the public in advance of the official opening,...

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Abp Fisichella reflects on 25 years of Veritatis splendor

Twenty-five years have passed since the publication of the encyclical Veritatis splendor, addressed by Pope St John Paul II to the Bishops of the Catholic Church. In an interview with Vatican News, Archbishop Rino Fisichella says he fears that those who appeal to Veritatis splendor to criticize Pope Francis are not being faithful to the tradition of the Church.     By Amedeo...

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Ab. Fisichella: ‘Death penalty against human dignity’

Following Pope Francis’ decision to revise the CCC to say the death penalty is inadmissible, Archbishop Rino Fisichella says the move clarifies a content of the faith and safeguards the dignity of the person. By Devin Watkins Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, says Pope Francis’ change to the Catechism regarding the death penalty...

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Pope tells Missionaries of Mercy their service is precious for the Church

During an audience with some 550 Missionaries of Mercy in the Vatican, Pope Francis reaffirmed them in their mission saying they provide a much needed service to the Church and warned them that the Christian path is an ardous one, "with stones upon which to stumble and banana peels on which to slip".   By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp The Missionaries of Mercy are meeting...

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Divine Mercy Sunday - God's love encounters our misery

On Divine Mercy Sunday, the Church calls us to celebrate the mercy of God, to trust in the divine mercy, and to renew our commitment to showing mercy to others   By Christopher Wells Each year on the Octave Day of Easter, the Church observes Divine Mercy Sunday. The title “of Divine Mercy” to the Second Sunday of Easter in the year 2000, when Pope St John Paul...

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Meeting on the Spirituality of Mercy

“Mercy: giving and forgiving”  April 6-8, 2018   “Mercy is a force that overcomes everything, filling the heart with love and bringing consolation through pardon” (Pope Francis). On the occasion of the Divine Mercy Sunday and as it happened during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, the Meeting aims to gather together all the different movements and groups that adhere to the...

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Pope Francis to open ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ initiative

The annual ’24 Hours for the Lord’ initiative will be kicked off on Friday with a penitential celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica presided over by Pope Francis. Pope Francis on Friday is to preside over the opening of the ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ with a penitential celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica. The annual event is organized and promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New...

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Mercy Friday: Pope visits women in semi-detention with young children

Today Pope Francis continues his Mercy Friday tradition, surprising mothers, their children, and the staff of “Casa di Leda” in Rome’s EUR district.   By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp Pope Francis continues expressing his closeness to those who find themselves living in difficult situations. Today, he visited “Casa di Leda," home to 5 mothers and their children. His visit was a complete...

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Meeting on the Spirituality of Mercy

“Mercy: forgiving and giving”   On the occasion of the Sunday of Divine Mercy, the Meeting aims to gather together all the different movements and groups that adhere to the Spirituality of Mercy and all those who want to immerse in this profound spirituality. The catechesis held by Cardinal Camillo Ruini will focus on the importance of the two “columns”...

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MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR LENT 2018

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS  FOR LENT 2018   “Because of the increase of inquity, the love of many will grow cold” (Mt 24:12)   Dear Brothers and Sisters, Once again, the Pasch of the Lord draws near! In our preparation for Easter, God in his providence offers us each year the season of Lent as a “sacramental sign of our conversion”.[1] Lent summons us, and...

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Pope Francis Meets the Missionaries of Mercy

Pope Francis wishes to invite all the Missionaries of Mercy to Rome for a few days of sharing and formation, the highpoint of which will be concelebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Square and a special audience with the Holy Father. The Holy Father’s invitation is open to all those Missionaries of Mercy who have indicated their wish to continue in this service subsequent to the conclusion of the...

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Holy Mass

WORLD DAY OF THE POOR HOLY MASS HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS Vatican Basilica  33th Sunday of Ordinary Time, 19 November 2017 [Multimedia]     We have the joy of breaking the bread of God’s word, and shortly, we will have the joy of breaking and receiving the Bread of the Eucharist, food for life’s journey. All of us, none excluded, need this, for all of us...

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World Day of the Poor: A day for giving and receiving

This Sunday parishes in Rome and around the world will mark the first World Day of the Poor which is just one of the fruits of the Jubilee of Mercy. The Pontifical Council for the Promotion for the New Evangelization has been tasked with the organization of the initiative called by Pope Francis. “The Holy Father announced this initiative, occasion, this opportunity for grace during the Jubilee...

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Pope Francis makes surprise visit field hospital in St. Peter's Square

Pope Francis made a surprise visit on Thursday afternoon to a small "field hospital" set up in front of St. Peter's Square to provide medical care for Rome's poor. During the short visit, the Pope greeted volunteers and poor people waiting to receive care ahead of the first World Day of the Poor, taking place on Sunday, November 19. He was accompanied by Archbishop Rino...

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Rome and Buenos Aires prepare for Francis’s World Day of the Poor

Pope Francis hugs a faithful during an audience with the participants of homeless jubilee in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016. (Credit: Alessandra Tarantino/AP.) As the Church prepares to celebrate the first World Day for the Poor - instituted by Pope Francis at the end of the Jubilee for Mercy - we take a look at the activities planned in the two dioceses most associated...

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Catechesis must encounter the disabled with love, archbishop says

Rome, Italy, Oct 21, 2017 / 02:01 am (CNA).- The Church must learn “how to encounter disabled people today, how to allow them to have an encounter with Christ in the silence of their own interior and in the signs that indicate his presence in brothers; how to foster their commitment to witness and to be protagonists in the community as catechists, and therefore believers who transmit the faith,...

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Vatican hosts conference on Disability and Catechesis

(Vatican Radio) A global conference will open in Rome on Friday looking at best practices to help people with disabilities fully engage in the life of the Church. The event entitled "Catechesis and Persons with Disabilities: A Necessary Engagement in the Daily Pastoral Life of the Church", is being sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New...

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Pope Francis: The dynamic word of God cannot be moth-balled

Pope Francis on Wednesday evening addressed participants attending a meeting celebrating the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. In his prepared remarks to those gathered  the Pope said that, it is in the very nature of the Church to “guard” the...

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Meeting of Consultors

The Meeting of the Consultors of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization was held on September 25-26, 2017. Following the Presidents’ opening prayer and greeting, Archbishop Octavio Ruiz Arenas, Secretary of the Dicastery, then gave the introduction to the work and served as the moderator of the meeting of the Consultors. Particular attention was given to the theme of...

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IV Plenary Meeting of Cardinal and Bishop Members

The IV Plenary Meeting of the Cardinal and Bishop Members of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization was held on September 27-29, 2017, in the Sala Bologna of the Apostolic Palace. Following the opening prayer and greeting, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the President of the Dicastery, outlined the activities held during the past two years and discussed the new...

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The Relationship between Catechesis and the New Evangelization

Archbishop Rino Fisichella spoke on the theme of the Relationship between New Evangelization and Catechesis at an event sponsored by the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, which was held in Chicago on September 17, 2017. On Monday, September 18, Archbishop Rino Fisichella celebrated a Solemn Mass on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the death of Saint Frances Cabrini. Present...

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Archbishop Rino Fisichella celebrates Mass for Ventura crew

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation in the Vatican, made a pastoral visit to the ship’s company on board P&O ship Ventura when it docked at Civitavecchia, Rome on Friday, September 8th.  The captain and senior officers welcomed the Archbishop to the ship, who then went on a tour of the ship including crew areas, and met a large...

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Defending life crucial to new evangelization - Vatican official

Sacredness of human life A Vatican official has told a major Philippine Catholic conference that promoting and defending the dignity of human life cannot be separated from the new evangelization.  Italian Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Promotion of New Evangelization, said the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a...

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Pope Francis: The poor not a problem but a resource

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis’ Message for the first World Day of the Poor, to be observed on November 19th, was presented to journalists on Tuesday at the Holy See press office. In the message entitled, “Let us love, not with words but with deeds”, Pope Francis explains that at the conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy, he wanted to offer the Church a World Day of the Poor, “so that throughout...

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Notice of Press Conference

Tomorrow, Tuesday 13 June 2017, at 11.00, in the Holy See Press Office, Via della Conciliazione 54, a press conference will be held for the presentation of the Message for the first World Day of the Poor, instituted by Pope Francis at the conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy on the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (this year, 19 November 2017). The speakers will be: - His Excellency Msgr. Rino...

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New Evangelization to care for shrines

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Letter motu proprio on Saturday, in which he transfers general responsibility for the creation, discipline and administration of Catholic shrines and sanctuaries throughout the world, to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. The new arrangement leaves in place the special laws granting other authorities...

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Pope makes surprise visit to Pontifical Council for New Evangelization

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis made a surprise visit to the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization on Tuesday, thanking them for their efforts during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. The Holy Father was welcomed to the Vatican dicastery by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, its President, and spoke with those present for around 15 minutes. Archbishop Fisichella later told the...

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Pope thanks all involved in organising the year of mercy

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Monday with religious and civil authorities who organised the recently concluded jubilee year of mercy. They included members of the Pontifical Council for New Evangelisation, headed by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, but also police chiefs and Italian officials in charge of local and regional security. Pope Francis spoke of the origin of his idea for a year of...

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Conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy - Press Conference

     With the closure of the Holy Door in Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy has concluded.  To understand the significance it has had in the life of the Church, the goals proposed for it, and its continuing effects for Christian communities, it is necessary to have its two programmatic documents in hand: the Bull of Indiction for the Holy...

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Apostolic letter "Misericordia et Misera"

FRANCIS TO ALL WHO READ THIS APOSTOLIC LETTER MERCY AND PEACE     MISERICORDIA ET MISERA is a phrase used by Saint Augustine in recounting the story of Jesus’ meeting with the woman taken in adultery (cf. Jn 8:1-11). It would be difficult to imagine a more beautiful or apt way of expressing the mystery of God’s love when it touches the sinner: “the two of them alone...

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Pope Francis visit to Pontifical Council for New Evangelization

Letter of Pope Francis

To My Venerable Brother Archbishop Rino Fisichella President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization            With the approach of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy I would like to focus on several points which I believe require attention to enable the celebration of the Holy Year to be for all believers a true...

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Pope Francis: Evangelize with a language of Merciful Love

Pope Francis on Friday received members of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization at the end of their Plenary session. During the course of their Plenary session the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization has been discussing the relationship between evangelization and catechesis and it was on that theme that Pope Francis addressed members of the...

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