Speaking during his visit to Georgia on September 30, Pope Francis said: “You do not know, dear brothers and sisters, how much children suffer when they witness the arguments and the separation of parents. Everything should be done to save a marriage.

“You, Irina, mentioned a great enemy to marriage today: the theory of gender. Today there is a world war to destroy marriage. Today there are ideological colonisations which destroy, not with weapons, but with ideas. Therefore, there is a need to defend ourselves from ideological colonisations.”

Pope on political culture

On the airplane returning from Azerbaijan, the Pope said: “When it happens that in a country there are two, three, four candidates that no one likes, that means that the political life of the nation perhaps is too politicised but perhaps it doesn’t have that much politics.

“And one of the jobs of the Church, also in the teaching in the (university) faculties, is teaching to have political culture.

“There are nations, and I’m thinking of Latin America, which are too politicised. But they don’t have political culture. They are from this party, or this one or this one. Effectively, (they are) without a clear thought on the foundations, the proposals.”

Catholic funeral even for those committing suicide

Cardinal Gerald Lacroix of Quebec City said: “I don’t plan specific directives aimed at refusing this support or refusing access to the anointing of the sick and the celebration of funerals.

“The Catholic Church accompanies people in every step of their life.

“We do that in dialogue with every person and every family that wishes to be accompanied.”

In Montreal, Canada, Archbishop Christian Lepine also said he does not intend to ask his priests to refuse funerals for those who choose the now legal medically assisted dying.

Many interpreted these statements as a reaction to the directives issued by the bishops of the provinces of Alberta and the Northwest Territories, who said that priests cannot administer the Sacrament of the Sick to those who plan an assisted suicide, and in such cases it may also be inappropriate to have a funeral Mass.

Pope’s prayer, missionary intentions during October

The Vatican has announced the prayer intentions of Pope Francis for this month. His general intention is: “That journalists, in carrying out their work, may always be motivated by respect for truth and a strong sense of ethics.”

His missionary intention is: “That World Mission Day may renew within all Christian communities the joy of the Gospel and the responsibility to announce it.”

Bishops set four priorities for the Church in Italy

At the conclusion of a three-day meeting, the permanent council of the Catholic bishops of Italy decided on  four priorities to help guide the conference’s future actions.

The priorities include the “way of planning” in addressing changing conditions in the world of labour; the “way of renewal” for the clergy, through ongoing formation; the “way of reform” of ecclesiastical courts, in accord with the documents of Pope Francis; and the “way of cooperation” among dioceses as they consider the reorganisation of boundaries.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)