At the ordination of Bishop Angelo De Donatis, Pope Francis said:
“Let your words be simple so that everyone can understand. Don’t give long homilies. Allow me to ask you to remember your dad and how very happy he was to have found another parish in a town nearby where the Mass was celebrated without a homily!
“Homilies should be the transmission of God’s grace. Simple, so that everyone can understand them and everyone will want to become a better person. Many times you will need a lot of patience, but the kingdom of God is built that way.
“And close to the beginning of the Year of Mercy, I ask you as a brother to be merciful. The Church and the world need so much mercy.
“Teach priests and seminarians the path of mercy with words, yes, but especially with your behaviour.
“Never chase anyone away.”
Finally a translation
Two weeks after the end of the synod of bishops on the family, the Vatican has not published an official English translation of the final document of the synod. But Bishop Michael Campbell of Lancaster, England, helped resolve the problem by publishing an unofficial translation on the website of his diocese.
The synod’s final report has three parts – ‘The Church listens to the family’, ‘The family in the design of God’, and ‘The mission of the family’, and each part has four chapters.
To read the translation visit www.catholicculture.org/news.
‘Fight corruption’
On a visit to Prato, Italy, Pope Francis said: “We must gird ourselves with truth. Nothing good can be based on lies or lack of transparency.
“Always seeking and choosing the truth is not easy; however, it is a vital decision that must profoundly mark the existence of each person and of society, so that it may be more just and more honest.
“The sacred nature of every human being requires respect, welcome and dignified work for all.
“The life of every community demands that we fight the cancer of corruption, the cancer of exploitation of human beings and labour, and the poison of illegality. Among us and along with others, we must never tire of fighting for truth and justice.”
Adoption by same-sex couples criticised
Archbishop Luis Augusto Castro Quiroga of Tunja, president of Colombia’s Episcopal Conference, slammed a decision by the nation’s highest court mandating legalisation of adoption by same-sex couples.
After stating that “the Church values and respects the dignity of people with homosexual orientation and has nothing against the recognition and exercise of their legitimate rights and duties”, Castro Quiroga added that the court decision has “injured minors”.
The Colombian archbishop said no one has a right to adopt, and the best place for the “psychological, emotional, ethical and moral” wellbeing of children is in a family formed by a man and a woman.
Vatican on problem of unexploded bombs
Archbishop Silvano Tomasi called for international action to protect civilians from unexploded ordnance left over from military conflicts.
He said leftover explosives are creating the prospect of a “humanitarian catastrophe” in future. He said unexploded shells can kill or cripple civilians long after the end of a conflict. Moreover, abandoned weapons can fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals.
He also lamented that many nations that signed international accords promising to protect civilians did not seem willing to live up to their responsibility. He said existing UN accords should be strengthened to protect the innocent.
(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)