The second day of the CCEE Plenary Assembly opened with a greeting from Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference. Outlining the prospects for a new Europe, the President of the Italian Episcopal Conference said that he dreamt of a Europe based on solidarity, with the dignity of the person at its centre, and which knows how to be a common home. “This continent,” Cardinal Bassetti hoped, will be “above all a place of the soul with a profound, ancient and complex history”… Kompli aqra »

Pope Francis celebrates Mass to open the CCEE plenary assembly on Thursday evening 

In his homily at Mass with the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) on Thursday, Pope Francis reflected on “three words that challenge us as Christians and Bishops in Europe: reflect, rebuild and see.”

Bishops from across Europe are in Rome to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the CCEE with a plenary conference on 23-26 September… Kompli aqra »

The Jubilee Assembly of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences will begin tomorrow afternoon with Mass presided over by Pope Francis in St Peter’s Basilica. At the end of the Holy Mass, the participants in the Plenary Assembly will gather together at Peter’s tomb to renew their profession of faith. After a period of silence and a moment of personal prayer at the tombs of St Paul VI and Pope John Paul I, they will conclude their brief pilgrimage of gratitude to the popes who have accompanied the CCEE over the past 50 years at the tomb of St John Paul II with the recitation of the prayer to Mary, Mother of Europe, written by the holy Polish pope himself at the conclusion of his apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Europa… Kompli aqra »

L-Arċisqof Charles Scicluna żar u bierek is-Soup Kitchen immexxija mill-patrijiet Franġiskani, li tinsab fil-kunvent Ta’ Ġieżu fil-Belt Valletta. Patri Marcellino Micallef OFM, id-direttur ta’ din il-kċina Franġiskana, kif ukoll il-viċi direttur Dr Alexiei Dingli, dawru lill-Arċisqof Scicluna mal-binja u spjegaw x’tinvolvi l-ħidma biex ikunu jistgħu jitimgħu madwar 100 persuna kuljum. L-Arċisqof Scicluna ltaqa’ wkoll mal-voluntiera u fil-ktieb tal-mistednin ħalla dan il-messaġġ:

“Lill-persuni kollha ta’ rieda tajba li ħadmu u jaħdmu fis-‘Soup Kitchen OFM Valletta’ u jemmnu fil-motto ‘Life with Dignity’, lill-mistiedna li jpoġġu għall-mejda tal-imħabba fl-ispirtu ta’ San Franġisk, bil-qalb miksura imma bit-tama fir-ruħ, lill-benefatturi kollha ta’ dan l-att, ta’ din l-opra tal-ħniena, kull barka u kull ġid.”

Patri Marcellino Micallef OFM spjega lill-Arċisqof li ‘Soup Kitchen OFM Valletta’ hi ispirata mill-Evanġelju skont San Luqa: “Agħtuhom x’jieklu” (Lq 9:13)… Kompli aqra »

Pope Francis joined the Council of Cardinals for their online meeting on Monday afternoon, according to a communique from the Holy See Press Office released on Tuesday.

“After a brief introduction to the work by Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, Pope Francis offered a reflection on the opening of the work of the next Synod on synodality,” said the statement.

The Pope reviewed two of his speeches “identified as central to his thinking” on the next Synod: “his 2015 speech for the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops; and his discourse to the faithful of the Diocese of Rome last Saturday.”

The statement said the Pope “made it clear that at the heart of the reflection is not so much the deepening of a specific theme as learning a way of living the Church, marked at all levels by mutual listening and a pastoral attitude, particularly in the face of the temptations of clericalism and rigidity.”

The Cardinals present then shared their own reflections on various aspects of the synodal path and the need to overcome “sectarianism and partisan interests.”

The next meeting was scheduled for December, when the Cardinals hope to meet in person… Kompli aqra »