Letter #50: Hummes

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Letter #50: Hummes

[2013-03-18]

[Engleză]

March 17, 2013, Sunday -- Hummes

"I think even we are sometimes like these people, who on the one hand want to listen to Jesus, but on the other hand, sometimes we like to stone others and condemn others. The message of Jesus is this: mercy." --Pope Francis, during his first Sunday noon Angelus as Pope, today, March 17, 2013

The Vatican has released the booklet for the Mass on Tuesday in which Pope Francis will be installed as Pope.

SOLENNITÀ DI SAN GIUSEPPE SPOSO DELLA BEATA VERGINE MARIA

(Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgini Mary)

IMPOSIZIONE DEL PALLIO

(Imposition of the Pallium)

CONSEGNA DELL’ANELLO DEL PESCATORE

(Handing Over of the Ring of the Fisherman)

E SANTA MESSA

(And Holy Mass)

PER L’INIZIO DEL MINISTERO PETRINO DEL VESCOVO DI ROMA FRANCESCO

(For the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry of the Bishop of Rome, Francis)

PIAZZA SAN PIETRO, 19 MARZO 2013

(St. Peter's Square, March 19, 2013)

Interestingly, Pope Francis has called on the Franciscan friars of Mt. Alverna in central Italy -- where St. Francis received the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ, in the year 1224 A.D., two years before his death (he was the first reported case of the stigmata in history) an event which led St. Bonaventure, writing in about 1260 A.D., to describe St. Francis as "the Angel of the 6th seal" spoken of by John in the Book of the Apocalypse -- to be present as assistants and servers at the Mass.

This clearly is intended to put an exclamation point on the "Franciscan" nature of this pontificate, which began with the Pope's choice of the name "Francis," never chosen before.

About 14 of the friars will take part in the ceremony, which will mark the official beginning of Francis' pontificate.

These Franciscan servers will remain under the direction of Monsignor Guido Marini, the Master of Papal Ceremonies who was so much respected and appreciated by Emeritus Pope Benedict.

Information or Disinformation

There have been many false rumors in the Italian press, and elsewhere, regarding the new Pope's views, and plans, including reports that Pope Francis had decided to set Marini aside and entrust the Tuesday Mass of Installation only to the Franciscans. This is not true. However, the number of these false reports, circulating very quickly around the internet, at a time when many journalists are writing under tight deadlines, so, under pressure while weary, as they try to provide as much "new" information to readers as possible, means that in these days special care must be taken in assessing what one reads, in seeing whether it is sourced, and, if it is sourced, in assessing the motives and reliability of that source.

On several occasions recently, I have tracked bits of "news" that turn our to be complete inventions, just simply "made up." For example, Pope Francis met Cardinal Bernard Law on the morning of March 14, on his unexpected visit to St. Mary Major (this was true, Francis did meet Law); but internet reports, which made it into some papers, said Francis had taken the occasion to ask Law not to set foot again in the basilica (this was not true, it was made up).

In such cases, it works like this: a British tabloid (for example) cites "Italian press reports," giving a website or newspaper name; at that particular website, one finds the information, but it is sourced to a blog; at the blog, the news in question can be found -- but it is simply in a comment posted by a reader, without any attribution whatsoever. So one has no way of knowing whether this is "information" or "disinformation." In other words, the trail runs dry. It is a "dead end."

And yet, some information based on such unreliable sources is picked up, circulated, and even gets into print.

So, it is necessary to double-check things, actually speak with real people to confirm that what they are said to have said is really what they did say, and so forth. In short, it is necessary, at least on some matters, to engage in real journalism, and to arrive, eventually, as close to the truth as possible.

So, readers, be warned: some things, perhaps even many things, being reported on the web are simply not true, but only disinformation.

Here is a link to the entire Mass book: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/libretti/2013/20130319_inizio-ministero-petrino.pdf

============================

Today's Angelus

Pope Francis, speaking to an overflow crowd of more than 150,000 in St Peter's Square, urged the world on Sunday to be more forgiving.

"A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just," he told the cheering crowd from the window of the papal apartments.

Earlier, he celebrated Mass in St. Anne's Church just inside the Vatican walls.

Chants of "Francesco, Francesco, Francesco," the Pope's name in Italian, reverberated through the Square.

"Brothers and sisters, good morning," he said, using a familiar style that has already become his hallmark.

His theme was the Gospel story about the crowd of people who wanted to stone a woman taken in adultery.

Jesus told them "let he among you who is without sin, cast the first stone" and then told the woman "go and sin no more."

At the Mass in St. Anne's, he said: "I think even we are sometimes like these people, who on the one hand want to listen to Jesus, but on the other hand, sometimes we like to stone others and condemn others. The message of Jesus is this: mercy."

The Pope said people should be open to God's mercy, even those who have committed grave sins.

"The Lord never tires of forgiving, never! It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness," he said at the Mass.

He mentioned favorably a book by German Cardinal Walter Kasper, which he said he had just been reading.

"I liked that book a lot, but don't think I am trying to advertise books by my cardinals," he said.

Before he entered the tiny church of Santa Anna for the morning Mass, Francis stopped to greet well-wishers who had lined up outside a nearby Vatican gate.

He chatted and laughed with many of them before pointing to his black plastic wrist watch and saying: "It's almost 10 o'clock. I have to go inside to say Mass. They are waiting for me."

Inside, he wore the purple vestments of the liturgical season of Lent, which ends in two weeks on Easter Sunday.

At the end of the Mass, he waited outside the church and greeted people as they left the building, like a parish priest, asking many of them: "Pray for me."

=======================

Here is the complete text of his Angelus meditation:

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

After our first meeting last Wednesday, today I again give my greetings to you all! And I am happy to do it on Sunday, the Lord's Day!

This is beautiful and important for us Christians: to meet on Sunday, to greet one another, to talk as we are doing now, in the square. This square that, thanks to the media, takes on worldly dimensions.

In this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Gospel presents us with the story of the adulterous woman whom Jesus saves from being condemned to death. It captures Jesus' attitude: we do not hear words of contempt, we do not hear words of condemnation, but only words of love, of mercy, that invite us to conversion. "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more!"

Well, brothers and sisters! God's face is that of a merciful father who is always patient. Have you thought about God's patience, the patience that He has with each of us? That is His mercy. He always has patience, is always patient with us, understanding us, awaiting us, never tiring of forgiving us if we know how to return to him with a contrite heart. "Great is the Lord's mercy," says the Psalm.

In these days, I have been able to read a book by a cardinal—Cardinal Kasper, a talented theologian, a good theologian—on mercy. And it did me such good, that book, but don't think that I'm publicizing the books of my cardinals. That is not the case! But it did me such good, so much good...

Cardinal Kasper said that hearing the word "mercy" changes everything. It is the best thing that we can hear: it changes the world. A bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just. We need to understand God's mercy well, this merciful Father who has such patience...

Think of the prophet Isaiah who asserts that even if our sins were scarlet red, God's love would make them white as snow. That is beautiful, [this aspect of mercy].

Our Lady of Fatima

I remember when, just after I was made bishop, in 1992, the Madonna of Fatima came to Buenos Aires and a large Mass for the sick was celebrated.

I went to hear confessions at that Mass. Near the end of the Mass I got up because I had to administer a confirmation. An over 80-year-old woman came up to me, humbly, very humbly.

I asked her: “Nonna,” [grandmother]—because that's how we address our elderly—“Nonna, you want to confess?”

“Yes,” she told me.

“But if you haven't sinned...”

And she said to me: “We have all sinned...”

“But perhaps the Lord will not forgive you...”

“The Lord forgives everyone,” she told me, with certainty.

“But how do you know that, ma'am?”

“If the Lord didn't forgive everyone, the world would not exist.”

I wanted to ask her: “Tell me, have you studied at the Gregorian [Pontifical University]?”, because that is the wisdom that the Holy Spirit gives: the inner wisdom of God's mercy.

Let us not forget this word: God never tires of forgiving us, never!

"So, Father, what is the problem?"

Well, the problem is that we get tired, we don't want to, we get tired of asking forgiveness.

Let us never get tired. Let us never get tired. He is the loving Father who always forgives, who has that heart of mercy for all of us. And let us also learn to be merciful with everyone.

Sursa: www.InsideTheVatican.com

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