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L’O S S E RVATOR E ROMANOWEEKLY EDITION

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Fifty-third year, number 31 (2.658) Vatican City Friday, 31 July 2020

On the 7th anniversary of WYD in Rio de Janeiro

Young people, the elderly and the prophesy of Joel

Pontifical Academy for Life

On the Academy’s latestdo cument

PAGE 7

Dicastery for Laity,Family and Life

The Academy launches a campaigninviting young people to performacts of kindness and affection forolder people who may feel lonely.

PAGE 7

Completed pilgrimage despite disability

Pope writes to youth

PAGE 3

Book published by Liturgical Press

A Pope FrancisLexicon

O’MALLEY & BARTHOLOMEW ON PAGE 6

At the Angelus the Pope expresses hope that the ceasefire may result in effective disarmament and mine clearance in the region

Bringing peace to DonbassAfter praying the Angelus with themany faithful gathered in SaintPe t e r ’s Square on Sunday, 26 July,Pope Francis expressed his appreci-ation for the new ceasefire concern-ing the Donbass area, recently de-cided in Minsk by members of theTrilateral Contact Group. Hethanked them “for this sign ofgoodwill aimed at bringingmuch-desired peace” and hoped itwould “be put into practice, alsothrough effective processes of dis-armament and mine clearance. Thisis the only way to rebuild confi-dence and lay the foundations forthe reconciliation that is so neces-sary and so awaited by the people”.

Earlier, Pope Francis had focusedon the parables of the hidden trea-sure and the pearl of great value,explaining that those treasureditems represent Jesus himself.

Before concluding, Francis prayedto the Blessed Virgin Mary to “helpus to search every day for the treas-ure of the Kingdom of Heaven, sothat the love God has given usthrough Jesus may be manifested inour words and gestures”.

PAGE 8

A conversation with Fr Awi Mello

Infect the world with a renewed Christian hopeSecretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life since 2017; directorof the national Schöenstatt Movement in his country, Fr Alexandre AwiMello was able to closely follow Pope Francis on his first InternationalJourney, for the occasion of World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro in2013. In an interview with L’Osservatore Romano, the Brazilian priest re-calls his experience during those days and speaks of the prospects ofyouth ministry in this time marked by the pandemic.

BICCINI ON PA G E 4/5

Interview with Swiss Guards chaplain

A professional andspiritual path

GORI ON PA G E 3

A local woman inspects her damaged house in Yasinovataya, Donetsk, Ukraine. (E PA -EFE)

“How important it is to have in-tergenerational exchanges and dia-logue, especially within the contextof the family.”

It was 26 July 2013, and PopeFrancis spoke these words lookingout from the balcony of theArchbishopric of Rio de Janeiro.There to listen to him were thou-sands of young people fromaround the world who had come toBrazil for World Youth Day andthe first Apostolic Journey of thePope who had been elected thepreceding March. On that date,the Church celebrates SaintsJoachim and Anne, the parents ofthe Virgin Mary, the grandparentsof Jesus.

Pope Francis took that opportun-ity to emphasize that “children and

the elderly build the future ofpeoples: children because they leadhistory forward, the elderly becausethey transmit the experience and

wisdom of their lives” citing theAparecida Document.

GISOTTI ON PA G E 4/5

L’OSSERVATORE ROMANOWEEKLY EDITION

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page 2 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 31 July 2020, number 31

VAT I C A NBULLETIN

A scholarship has been established to honour Joa-quín Navarro-Valls, Director of the Holy See PressOffice from 1984 to 2006, three years after his death.Dedicated to man and the environment, the scholar-ship was instituted by the Biomedical UniversityFoundation of the Campus Bio-Medico Universityof Rome and Telecom Italia Foundation. It will funda PhD in Science and Engineering focusing on manand the environment and the impact of the fightagainst Covid-19. The objective is to study and de-velop a new model of health assistance 4.0 aimed atimproving the process of prevention and care for pa-tients with complex chronic conditions, through in-formation and communication technologies. Theproject is intended to celebrate the figure of Nav-arro-Valls who, after participating in the preliminarystudy phase of the Campus Bio-Medico UniversityFoundation of Rome, served as the first president ofTelecom Italia Foundation, beginning in 2009.

Now also available on the website of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life

WYD Magazine dedicated to the celebrations in Panama

Joaquín Navarro-Vallsmemorial scholarship

Communiquéof the Holy See

Press OfficeWith regard to the statements madeby the Prime Minister of Spain, MrPedro Sánchez, in his interview pub-lished on 8 July in the “Corriere dellaS e ra ” newspaper, it should be notedthat the Holy See, on the questionof Francisco Franco’s exhumation,has on several occasions reaffirmedits respect for the legality and thedecisions of the competent govern-mental and judicial authorities, hascalled for dialogue between the fam-ily and the government, and hasnever made pronouncements on theadvisability of exhumation or burialplace, as these matters do not fallwithin its competence.

CHANGES IN EP I S C O PAT E

The Holy Father appointed as Bish-op of the Diocese of Kabinda,Democratic Republic of the Congo,Fr Félicien Ntambue Kasembe,CICM. Until now he has served asGeneral Counsellor of the Cong re -gation of the Immaculate Heart ofMary, CICM — Scheut Missionaries(23 July).

Bishop-elect Ntambue Kasembe,49, was born in Kabinda, Democrat-ic Republic of the Congo. A mem-ber of the Scheut Fathers, he was

ordained a priest on 12 August 2001.He studied philosophy and theologyand holds a state diploma in biologyand chemistry, and a Master’s degreein civil law and human rights.

The Holy Father accepted the resig-nation of Archbishop Salvatore Pap-palardo from his office as Metropol-itan Archbishop of Siracusa, Italy(24 July).The Holy Father appointed as Met-ropolitan Archbishop of Siracusa FrFrancesco Lomanto from the clergyof the Diocese of Caltanisetta, Italy.

Until now he has served as lecturerand President of the San GiovanniEvangelista Pontifical TheologicalFaculty of Sicily, Italy (24 July).

Archbishop-elect Lomanto, 58,was born in Mussomeli, Italy. Hewas ordained a priest on 29 June1986. He holds a doctorate inChurch history.

GO V E R N O R AT E OFVAT I C A N CITY STAT E

The Holy Father appointed asdirector of the Directorate ofHealth and Hygiene of the Go-vernorate of Vatican City StateProf. Andrea Arcangeli. Until

now he has served as vice direc-tor of the said directorate. Thisappointment will take effect on1 August 2020 (27 July).

NECROLO GY

Archbishop Oscar Hugh Lipscomb,Archbishop emeritus of Mobile, USA,at age 88 (15 July)

Bishop Pierre Marie Coty, Bishopemeritus of Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire, atage 92 (17 July)

Bishop Henrique Soares da Costa ofPalmares, Pernambuco, Brazil, atage 57 (18 July)

Bishop Manuel Cruz Sobreviñas,Bishop emeritus of Imus, Philip-pines, at age 96 (18 July)

Bishop Louis Dicaire, titular Bishopof Thizica and Auxiliary of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Canada, at age 73(19 July)

The “World Youth DayMagazine”, dedicated tothe 34th World YouthDay celebrated in Panamain January 2019, has beenprinted on certified re-cycled paper, and is nowalso available for freedownload on the websiteof the Dicastery for Laity,Family and Life.

For nearly 30 years themagazine has been the of-ficial testimony to thefruitful dialogue between

the Pope and young peo-ple on the occasion of theglobal scale gatherings in-augurated by Pope JohnPaul II and carried on byBenedict XVI and Francis.The magazine containsover 100 colour pagespublished by the JohnPaul II Foundation forYouth, as a single multi-lingual edition with con-tent in English, Spanish,French and Italian.

As always, the “WYDMagazine” documents theevent through images andbrief texts, offering a toolto enable the millions ofWYD participants, pastand present, to relive theexperience and salientmoments of the event.

In particular, this 25thedition of the magazinealso inaugurates its pres-ence on the web, in linewith the customary print-ed form: myriad photo-graphs and, of course, thekey words of the ad-dresses given by Popeand by the witnesses ofboys and girls who wereable to experience themeeting with the LatinAmerican Pope at thefirst WYD ever held inCentral America.

The editorial by Car-dinal Kevin Joseph Far-rell, Prefect of the organ-izing Dicastery, is fol-lowed by the reflectionsof Archbishop José Do-mingo Ulloa Mendieta,who hosted the event,Carmen Aparicio Valls,the foundation’s newp re s ident, and MarcelloBedeschi, who has led itsince its origins in 1991,one of the few peoplewho has participated inall the WYD s.

Lastly, space is dedic-ated to the “Youth for the

Common Home. Ecologi-cal Conversion in Action”meeting, also held inPanama, to expand onand give life to the En-cyclical Laudato Si’.

Grand organ destroyed, man arrested for arson

Fire in Nantes CathedralOn Saturday, 25 July, following an investigation into suspectedarson, a Rwandan refugee confessed to starting the 18 July fire inthe Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Cathedral of Nantes, France. The39-year-old accused, a church volunteer, may be subject to up to10 years in prison and fines of up to 150,000 euros for the crime,for which the motive has not been established.

Among the damage done, fire destroyed the grand organ, oneof the cathedral’s main attractions. However, the damage is notcomparable to that done by the blaze in the Notre Dame of Paristwo years ago, which destroyed part of that cathedral. Construc-tion of Nantes’ gothic cathedral spanned 450 years, from 1434 to1891. The building had been seriously damaged by bombs duringWorld War II.

number 31, Friday, 31 July 2020 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 3

Undeterred by disability, 15-year-old completes pilgrimage

Youth receives letter from the Pope aftercompleting the ‘Camino de Santiago’

Conversation with the chaplain of the Swiss Guards on the formation of new rec ru i t s

A professional and spiritual pathNICOLA GORI

The Pontifical Swiss Guard is notimprovised. There is a completeformative and spiritual path to beundertaken with commitment anddetermination. Because, before tak-ing on the personal security andprotection of the Pope, one has toknow the Gospel and its principles.Fr Thomas Widmer, the Corpschaplain, emphasized this in an in-terview with L’Osservatore Romano atthe start of ‘summer school’ for thenew recruits.

What are the school’s objectives?

It is important that the recruits areable to enter the service well pre-pared, ready to assume the duties as-sociated with their job. The first partof the training process is takingplace in the Vatican now. In the fall,along with the next recruit training,there will be the second part of theirformation at the military barracks inIsone, Switzerland. In that environ-ment, the recruits will assimilate andfurther develop the regularly up-dated and necessary tactical andsafety skills that correspond to theirrole in defending the Holy Father.But it is fundamental that this task isborn and deepened in their hearts.

In what way?

Here we enter the dimension offaith. They are in the first placemen, loved and cherished by Godwith a mission to be revealed evermore deeply. My objective aschaplain is always that of fosteringtheir personal experience with Je-sus: to encounter him and followhim as the model of service andgiving, indeed, to give a new qual-ity to their life.

What are the priorities in the prepara-tion of new recruits?

On the one hand there is trainingfor security, which is their principletask. Then there is a portion regard-ing knowledge of work places, of in-dividual tasks and the performanceof the honour service. The otherpart of the formation involves thespiritual aspect. I try to offer themthe foundations of our faith and ofChristian life. I think the recruit

in the Guards’ service?

Essentially the service has re-mained as usual, with some smallchanges: for example, the need towear masks at the entrances to theVatican or to take the temperatureof anyone entering the ApostolicPalace. However, the honour servicehas been minimized. That is tied tothe fact that fewer people arrive atthe Vatican. The audiences andMasses presided by the Pope areeither without or with few faithful. Ihope the Guards will soon be ableto resume the honour servicewherever possible.

How are you planning for after thepandemic?

Step by step, we are adapting tothe new measures dictated by oursuperiors. Now that the people areresuming their movements, therecertainly remains the need for somealready tested security measures.But above all I hope that whateverwe have matured within us duringthe experience of the pandemic willspur us to continue living imp or-tant values such as solidarity. Inthis way we will be able to goforward as before and better thanb efore.

“In the midst of the pandemic we are experien-cing, with all your sincerity, joy and simplicity,you succeeded in setting into motion the hope ofmany people”. These words are more pricelessthan the “Comp ostela”, the document that certi-fies pilgrimages to the Tomb of the Apostle SaintJames, because they came directly from the Pope.Francis wrote them in Spanish in a handwrittenletter addressed to Alvaro Calvente, a 15-year-oldboy with an intellectual disability from Malaga,Spain. In fact, despite his difficulties the youthrecently followed the Camino de Santiago, depart-ing from Sarria accompanied by his father, Ilde-fonso, and a family friend, Paco.

A witness of lived faith, which proved to becontagious, the pilgrimage offered a positive ex-ample to be imitated in these times in which thereis a tendency to isolate due to Covid-19. Pub-lished on the website www.diocesismalaga.es, thePop e’s signed letter is a declaration of gratitudeand encouragement. “Dear Alvaro”, the Popewrote from the Casa Santa Marta on 20 July, “Ireceived a letter from your father in which he toldme that you finished the Camino de Santiago andthat you carried in your backpack not only yourintentions, but also those of many people who‘joined you’ in your pilgrimage, asking you topray”. For the 15-year old boy, it was a spiritualunion that unfolded through encounters withpeople both “along the way” and “through socialnetworks”, given that the journey was docu-mented by his father on Twitter with the account@CaminodeAlvaro. At the same time, so as not toforget the poor, the pilgrimage served to launch afundraising campaign in support of the Cot-tolengo (House of the Sacred Heart) of Malaga.

The seventh of ten siblings, the youth lives inthe district of Huelin and along with his family

belongs to the neocatechumenal community ofSan Patricio parish. “Thank you for encouragingus to walk and for inviting so many others towalk with you”, Francis continued, underscoringthat in completing the pilgrimage Alvaro hadmoved many other people to set out on the path,by urging them “not to be afraid” and to redis-cover the joy of being together. After all, thePope noted, “along the way we never go italone”, because “the Lord always walks besideus”. The Bishop of Rome concluded by thanking

the Spanish youth “for his witness and his pray-ers”, and offering his blessing, an invocation toOur Lady of Carmel and his familiar request thatAlvaro also pray for him.

The Camino de Santiago, or the “Way of SaintJames”, is a large network of ancient pilgrimageroutes which stretch across Europe and come to-gether at the tomb of Saint James in Santiago deCompostela, the capital of northwest Spain’sGalicia region.

school allows for the shar-ing of personal experi-ences in the name of faith.

How is this spiritual dimen-sion cultivated?

In the school I dedicateseveral hours every weekto catechesis with the newrecruits. But I think theexperience of faith goesbeyond these strictly form-ative moments. Daily lifein the Swiss quarters, in-side the Vatican, includemany situations of com-munity sharing.

In this phase of the healthemergency, what has changed

number 31, Friday, 31 July 2020 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 4/5

Young people, the elderly and the prophesy of JoelOn the seventh anniversary

A conversation with Fr Awi Mello

Infect the world withrenewed Christian hope

REMEMBERING WYD IN RIO DE JANEIRO

The grandmother who exchanged a gaze with Francis at the meeting with young people and families in Iaşi, Romania (1 June 2019).

shared his joy from an unexpectedencounter with an elderly woman.“In her arms”, the Pope recalled,“was a grandchild, about twomonths old, not more. As I passedby, she showed him to me. Shesmiled, and smiled with a knowingsmile, as if she was saying to me:‘Look, now I can dream!’”. A mo-mentary meeting of gazes thatmoved the Pope, who is always at-tentive to gather a glimmer fromanother, which, by going beyondthe limitations of the moment, be-comes a gift and a message foreveryone. “G r a n d p a re n t s ”, he said,“dream when their grandchildrengo forward, and grandchildren havethat courage when they take theirroots from their grandparents”.

Roots and dreams. There cannotbe one without the other, becauseeach is at the service of the other.And this certainly applies todaymore than in the past, becausethere is an urgent need for a ‘visionof togetherness’ that leaves no oneexcluded. Francis highlighted thisin an interview with the Englishmagazines “The Tablet” and “Com-monweal” during the darkest mo-ment of the pandemic in Europe.According to the Pope, who pausesto reflect on the meaning of whatwe are experiencing in this dramatic2020, the “tension between youngand old must always be resolved inthe encounter with each other”.Young people, he said, are “budand foliage, but without roots theycannot bear fruit. The elderly arethe roots”. Once again he recalledthe prophecy of Joel. To today’selderly, who are frightened by a vir-us that fractures life and smothershope, Francis called for a surplus ofcourage. Perhaps of a more robustilk: the courage to dream. “Lo oke l s e w h e re ”, the Pope exhorted, “re -member your children, and do notstop dreaming. This is what Godasks of you: to dream”. What weare experiencing, between fear andsuffering, the Pope tells us emphat-ically, is “a propitious time to findthe courage for a new imaginationof the possible, with the realismthat only the Gospel can offer us”.This is the time in which theprophesy of Joel can become reality.

ALESSANDRO GISOTTI

“How important it is to have in-tergenerational exchanges and dia-logue, especially within the contextof the family”. It was 26 July 2013,and Pope Francis was looking outfrom the balcony of the Archbish-op’s residence in Rio de Janeiro.There to listen to him and to recitethe Angelus were thousands ofyoung people from around theworld who had come to Brazil forWorld Youth Day, the first Interna-tional Apostolic Journey of thePope who had been elected the pre-ceding March. On that date, theChurch celebrates Saints Joachimand Anne, the parents of the VirginMary, the grandparents of Jesus. Inthis way Francis took the opp ortu-nity to underscore — returning tothe Aparecida Document on which hehad worked so hard as a Cardinal —that “Children and the elderly buildthe future of peoples: children be-cause they lead history forward, theelderly because they transmit theexperience and wisdom of theirlives”.

Young and old, grandparents andgrandchildren. This pairing ofterms has become one of the con-stants of his Pontificate, throughgestures, discourses, audiences and‘unscheduled events’, particularlyduring his journeys. They are theones, the youth and the elderly,Francis states sharply, who are oftenthe first victims of the “t h ro w - a w a yc u l t u re ”. But they are also the oneswho, together, and only if they aretogether, can initiate journeys andmake room for a better future. “Ifthe young are called to open newdo ors”, the Pope observed duringMass for consecrated people on 2February 2018, “the elderly hold thekeys”, and “there is no futurewithout this encounter between theold and the young. There is nogrowth without roots and noflowering without new buds. Thereis never prophecy without memory,or memory without prophecy. Andconstant encounter”.

For Francis, dreams are theground for encounter between theyoung and the old. In some ways, itwould seem a surprising, almost im-

probable point of convergence. Yet,as even the experience caused bythe pandemic has shown us, it isprecisely the dream, the vision ofthe future, that has kept and con-tinues to keep united those whowere unexpectedly separated —grandparents and grandchildren —adding further weight to the burdenof isolation. After all, this reflectionon the dream dimension has longbeen a focus of the Pope and hasdeep biblical roots. Indeed, Francisloves, and very often recalls whatthe Prophet Joel teaches us, whichthe Pope says is “the prophesy ofour time: ‘your old men shall dreamdreams, and your young men shallsee visions’” (2:28) and shall proph-e s y.

Who if not the young, the Popewonders, can take up the dreams ofthe elders and carry them forward?Meaningfully, during the Synoddedicated to young people in Octo-ber 2018, he called for a special

event on intergenerational dialogue:the meeting called “Sharing the wis-dom of time” at the Patristic Insti-tute Augustinianum. On that occa-sion, answering questions fromyoung and elderly people on cur-rent issues regarding the Churchand the world, Francis exhortedthem to “defend dreams as youwould defend your children”, alsonoting that closed-mindedness doesnot know horizons but dreams do.The Pope, elderly himself, entrusteda great responsibility to youngpeople. “You cannot take all theelderly upon yourself”, he said, in-tending to address each young per-son, “but you can carry theirdreams, carry these forward becausethey will do you much good”. Andat that same meeting, he emphas-ized empathy, something that today,in light of the tragic experience ofthe pandemic, seems even more ne-cessary. “You cannot share a conver-sation with a young person without

empathy”, he cautioned. But today,where can we find this resource,which is so badly needed, in orderto carry it forward? In closeness isthe Pope’s response. A precious as-set, as we experienced throughoutthese months in which this funda-mental dimension of life was unex-pectedly “susp ended” due to thevirus. “Closeness works miracles”.The Pope is convinced of this;closeness to those who suffer,“closeness to problems and close-ness between young and old”. Acloseness which, by nourishing the“culture of hope”, immunizes usfrom the virus of division and dis-t ru s t .

The Pope referred to this linkagain during one of his most recentApostolic Journeys, the one hemade to Romania in June 2019.There Francis was touched by animage while he was in Iaşi for themeeting with the country’s youngpeople and families. He himself

GIANLUCA BICCINI

Not yet 50 years of age, Fr Alexandre Awi Mello hasserved as Secretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Familyand Life since 2017. As the director of the nationalSchoenstatt Movement in his country, he was able toclosely follow Pope Francis on the first internationaljourney of his Pontificate on the occasion of WorldYouth Day in Rio de Janeiro. In this interview withL’Osservatore Romano, the Brazilian priest recalls hisexperience during those days and speaks of the pro-spects of youth ministry in this time marked by thepandemic.

From 22 to 29 July 2013, exactly seven years ago, thepeople of Brazil — the nation with the highest number ofCatholics worldwide — were able to see with their owneyes the new Pontiff who had come there to celebrate whathad been described as “a WYD with the Samba beat”. Asa native of the ‘carioca’ metropolis, what personalmemories do you hold most dear?

I remember, first and foremost, the warm welcomethat the Brazilian people and young people from theentire world gave the Pope. He himself said that ithad made an impression on him. I cherish thememory of countless gestures of affection betweenthe Holy Father and the people, as for example, theprivate meeting with eight young inmates. On thatoccasion, his capacity for listening — a very attentive,patient and empathetic listening — affected medeeply. What was also meaningful to me was the daythat I accompanied the Holy Father to the MarianShrine of Aparecida. In fact, we had met there in2007 to work together during the unforgettable ex-perience of the fifth General Conference of Latin-American and Caribbean Bishops, the guidelines ofwhich still mark his Pontificate today.

In Pope Bergoglio’s first WYD, many were very surprisedby the invitation he made to the Argentinian youth to“make noise”, to “create a bit of confusion”. Do you thinkthat invitation was received? Can one speak of a newgeneration of Catholics who are no longer closed up inthe sacristies, but capable of going out into the world, asthe Pontiff continues to ask?

That meeting with young people from Argentinawas unscheduled and his discourse was completelyspontaneous; you could see that his enthusiastic pas-tor’s heart was overflowing. In that period I wasworking in Brazil with young people, and I can as-sure you that the Pope’s invitation was very well re-ceived. It was the first sign of the importance thatyoung people would have in the course of his Ponti-ficate. With the WYD in Rio and the strong mission-ary impulse given to young people, the Pope wasstarting a journey, which culminated in the 2018 Syn-od on Young People, Faith and Vocational Discern-ment, and in the publication of the ExhortationChristus Vivit that followed it; a journey that contin-ues at a full pace toward the many initiatives of ourDicastery and throughout the world.

Having a significant role at the WYD in Rio, would youever have imagined you would be later called to organizeanother one on the American continent, the one inPanama in 2019?

Being an interpreter for the Pope in Brazil was anextraordinary experience, to say the least! In reality, Idid not have much work to do, because the Pontiffcommunicated very well with the Brazilian peopleand everyone understood the power of his gesturesand the tenderness of his words! I would have neverimagined, then, that I would collaborate so directlyin organizing another WYD in Latin America, muchless that I would do so within the Holy See. But I

have to say that, on a strictly personal level, the ex-perience in Panama surpassed the one in Rio. Work-ing at the 2019 WYD was a powerful experience of ec-clesial communion: the professionalism and the joyof the local organizing committee, along with a greatopenness and flexibility, made a really profound im-pression on me.

Among the members of the Schoenstatt Movement, towhich you belong, devotion to Our Lady is deeply rooted.From that perspective do you think Francis is a MarianPope?

I have no doubt about this. More than just asimple devotion, it is a true Marian spirituality,rooted in the holy People of God, which marks thevision and the ecclesial project of his Pontificate. Ihad the grace to interview him twice, to write a bookand a doctoral thesis on this subject.

The Pope’s love for Our Lady has to do with thevision of an outward bound Church, with the revolu-tion of mercy and tenderness, and with the figure ofa Church with a feminine and motherly face, whichhe is promoting more and more.

Lastly a question on the next World Youth Day event,which will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, in August2023. Initially planned for 2022, it has been postponedby one year due to the coronavirus emergency. Do youthink that the limitations and isolation imposed to dealwith Covid-19 could distance young people from religiousp ra c t i c e ?

I honestly think that the pandemic may be anideal opportunity for the Christian proposal to reachyoung people in different ways. The importance offamily and personal ties, communication, care amongthe generations, solidarity and so many other Gospelvalues are spreading in various ways at this particulartime.

The Church herself is also learning to speak otherlanguages. I hope that, when the pandemic is over-come, the WYD in Lisbon can be a great occasion togather the lessons learned today, offering youngpeople from the entire world the opportunity to meetagain personally in order to nourish their faith as dis-ciples and to feel sent as missionaries, in perhaps adifficult and uncertain future, “to make room for thecreativity that only the Spirit is capable of inspiring”,as the Holy Father says. I imagine young peoplewho, on returning to their countries, feel called tocommit themselves to new forms of hospitality, fra-ternity and solidarity, and who can ‘infect’ their com-munities with renewed Christian hope.

page 6 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 31 July 2020, number 31

A Pope Francis Lexicon

The Word as a reflection of the divine

Jesuit and Franciscan

Of course, while words may express and de-scribe human affections, they can never ad-equately exhaust or define the human heart.However, they reveal glimpses into the world ofanother human being; they present insights intotheir interests and concerns. If we pay attentionto the frequency with which we repeat and accen-tuate particular words, we will observe the pat-terns and passions that shape our life.

This is why we were not surprised to see theterms selected in this volume as characteristic andsuggestive of the fundamental principles priori-tized and personalized by Pope Francis:

— his ministry is devoted to Jesus and thechurch as the Body of Christ, while exposingclerical abuse and encouraging accountability;

— he strives to relate the sacraments of thechurch to the life of the world, such as baptism totears;

— within the church as institution, he wishes todecrease clericalism and increase collegiality, whileaddressing indifference and advocating discern-ment;

— in his church’s relations with others, he pro-motes dialogue and ecumenism, as well as en-counter and embrace;

— in the global community, he discerns the in-tricate connection between capitalism and cre-ation, persecution and refugees; and

— he cares about family, women, children, andg r a n d p a re n t s .

Above all, we were struck by the specific vir-tues that form the contours of his message andwitness:

— dignity and justice,— mercy and hope,— but above all love and joy.This book transcends mere words. It is a splen-

did mosaic of colorful, engaging elements thatunveil the sympathetic and compassionate manwe have come to know as Pope Francis.

From the PhanarJuly 2017

ECUMENICAL PAT R I A R C H BARTHOLOMEW

It is with great joy that we join this delightful“a n t h o l o g y, ” a Greek word that denotes a charm-ing selection of engaging reflections, a compila-tion of fragrant offerings to a prominent religiousl e a d e r.

This volume is a collection of reflections on keywords in the message and ministry of our belovedbrother, Pope Francis. Words, however, are muchmore than conventional remarks; they are farmore important than ordinary utterances. Wordsare the intrinsic expression of life, our most intim-ate reflection of divinity, the very identity of God:“In the beginning was the Word, and the Wordwas with God, and the Word was God” (John1:1). Indeed, we are judged by every word thatcomes from our lips (Matt 12:36). Words can healor crush (Prov 12:6), prove productive or destruct-ive (Prov 8:21), generate benevolence and edifica-tion (Eph 4:29) or else bitterness and imprecation(Rom 3:14). Most of all, we should “be ready to

give an explanation to anyone who asks you for areason for your hope” (1 Pet 3:15).

In our encounters and exchanges with ourbrother, the Bishop of Rome, we have experi-enced the profound sacredness of words. We re-member and recognize that words either buildbridges or build walls. Therefore, together, wehave sought to promulgate a dialogue of love anda dialogue of truth, “living the truth in love”(Eph 4:15).

Cardinal Seán O’M a l l e y,OFM Cap.

I have always liked the story aboutthe Jesuit and the Franciscan whoare walking down the street one daywhen suddenly they are accosted bya young man who says to them:“Fathers, can you tell me whatnovena I should make to acquire aBMW?” The Franciscan said: “Whatis a BMW?” And the Jesuit said:“What’s a novena?”

We have a pope who defies thesecategories as he melds the Jesuit andthe Franciscan into one. But I be-lieve that Pope Francis is the quint-essential Ignatian Jesuit. We have apope who has embraced the voca-tion of being a follower of “Ignatiuswho wants to be a saint like St.Fr a n c i s . ” Our pope is thoroughlyJesuit, thoroughly Ignatian, rightdown to the fascination with St.Francis. During the first year of hispontificate in an interview for CiviltàCattolica, Jesuit Fr. Antonio Spadaroasked Pope Francis why he becamea Jesuit. The pope said that threethings about the Jesuits that attract-ed him were: the missionary spirit,community and discipline — includ-ing how they manage their time.

It is quite obvious that PopeFrancis exhibits these characteristics

in spades. He is truly living his Jes-uit vocation with an intense mission-ary zeal, a love for community, acommunity for mission, and the dis-ciplined life that does not waste any-thing, especially not time. Shortlybefore his ordination, the thirty-two-year-old Jorge Bergoglio wrote ashort “c re d o , ” and he has sharedthat even now he keeps that docu-ment close at hand, as a reminder ofhis core convictions. It is a clear in-dication of the habit of self-reflec-tion so deeply ingrained by his Jes-uit formation.

Pope Francis embraces the intro-spection that is so central to Jesuitspirituality. The practice of the ex-amen undertaken individuallywherever and whenever the circum-stances permitted was Ignatius’splan to keep the Jesuits recollectedin God, to keep them focused de-spite their activist lifestyles. Reflect-ing this spiritual focus in his addressto the Brazilian bishops at WorldYouth Day in 2013, the Holy Fatherasked: “Unless we train ministerscapable of warming peoples’ hearts,of walking with them in the night,of dialoguing with their hopes anddisappointments, of mending theirbrokenness, what joy can we havefor our present and future?”

Pope Francis reminds us thatGo d’s heart has a special place forthe poor. He is most eloquent in hisadvocacy on behalf of the poor, re-minding all of us of our obligationto help them by programs of promo-tion and assistance, as well as byworking to resolve the structuralcauses of poverty. In EvangeliiGaudium the Holy Father presentsone of his most impassioned pleason behalf of the poor by emphasiz-ing the importance of providingthem with pastoral care as he states:“I want to say with regret that theworst discrimination which the poorsuffer is the lack of spiritual care.The great majority of the poor havea special openness to the faith; theyneed God and we must not fail tooffer them His friendship, His bless-ing, His Word, the celebration ofthe sacraments and a journey ofgrowth and maturity in the faith.Our preferential option for the poormust mainly translate into a priv-ileged and preferential religiousc a re ” (EG 200).

Pope Francis has also shared thatCatholicism is not a “catalogue ofp ro h i b i t i o n s . ” He urges us to bepositive, to emphasize the thingsthat unite us, not those which divideus, to prioritize the connection

between people and the path wewalk together, observing that afterfocusing on what brings us togetherthen the work of addressing the dif-ferences becomes easier. The HolyFather also advises us that everyform of catechesis should attend tothe “way of beauty”, showing othersthat to follow Christ is not onlyright and true but is also somethingbeautiful, capable of filling life withnew splendor and profound joy,even in the midst of difficulties.Pope Francis understands that thewords we use to speak about thepeople of God and the work of thechurch are of great importance andcan often make the differencebetween a person being open tohearing more, to considering a lifeof faith; or turning away feeling re-jected, dismissed or relegated as un-worthy. Beginning with the spiritualreflection that all our gifts, talentsand achievements are gifts fromGod, the Holy Father has given us avocabulary of care, concern, inclu-sion and service. With the help ofGod and one another may we takethese teachings to heart and go for-ward as missionary disciples forChrist.

From BostonAugust 2017

A journey through the key words of thePontiff’s message and ministry isoffered in “A Pope Francis Lexicon”,edited by Cindy Wooden and JoshuaJ. McElwee, © 2018 by Order ofSaint Benedict, Collegeville, MN. Thecollection is introduced with a Foreword bythe Ecumenical Patriarch ofConstantinople and a Preface by theCardinal Archbishop of Boston. Both arereproduced here with permission.

number 31, Friday, 31 July 2020 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 7

On the Document of the Pontifical Academy for Life

‘Humana Communitas’ in the age of pandemicThe Pontifical Academy for Life hasissued a second document, followingthat of 30 March 2020, dedicated tothe consequences of the worldhealth crisis and its interpretation.Entitled “Humana Communitas inthe Age of Pandemic: untimely med-itations on Life’s Rebirth”, the docu-ment underlines the importance of achange of pace: global efforts and adetermined international coopera-tion are needed to face the challengeof a fairer and more just future,whose keywords are vaccination andbetter health care for all.

“In the suffering and death of somany, we have learned the lesson off ra g i l i t y ”, stresses the text. “We havenot paid sufficient attention, espe-cially at the global level, to humanint e rdep endence and common vul-nerability”. The document notesthat, as the pandemic does not im-pact all countries at the same time,“this might offer the opportunity tolearn from experiences and policiesof other countries”, yet, “learningprocesses at the global level wereminimal. In fact, some countrieshave sometimes engaged in a cynicalgame of reciprocal blame”.

Moreover, the text states, “thephenomenon of Covid-19 is not justthe result of natural occurrences.What happens in nature is alreadythe result of a complex intermedi-ation with the human world of eco-nomical choices and models of de-velopment, themselves ‘infected’with a different ‘v i ru s ’ of our owncreation: it is the result, more thanthe cause, of financial greed, theself-indulgence of life styles definedby consumption, indulgence and ex-cess. We have built for ourselves anethos of prevarication and disregardfor what is given to us, in the ele-mental promise of creation”. Thus,we must “recognize that we dwell onthis earth as stewards, not as mastersand lords”. In particular, “whencompared to the predicament ofpoor countries, especially in the so-called Global South, the plight” asexperienced “in the ‘develop ed’world looks more like a luxury: onlyin rich countries can people affordthe requirements of safety. In thosenot so fortunate, on the other hand,‘physical distancing’ is just an im-possibility due to necessity and theweight of dire circumstances:crowded settings and the lack of af-fordable distancing confront entirepopulations as an insurmountablefact”. This contrast highlights “astrident paradox, recounting, oncemore, the tale of disproportion inwealth between poor and rich coun-tries”.

The crisis has shown the possibil-ities and limitations of models fo-cused on health care. The responsethat must be given to the Covid-19pandemic cannot be reduced to anorganizational-operational level. Thefragility, finitude and vulnerability inwhich all human beings have foundthemselves united urge us to a con-version that includes and elaboratesexistentially and socially the experi-ence of loss, as a constitutive part ofthe human condition. Only startingfrom this awareness will it be pos-

sible to involve our conscience in aconversion that will allow us to feelresponsibly supportive in a globalfraternity (cf. Francis, Humana com-munitas, 6 January 2019).

On the level of ethics and publichealth globally, this entails: 1. Anequal risk-taking and the distribu-tion of those risks that cannot beeliminated in the conduct of humanlife, including those regarding accessto health care resources, amongwhich vaccination has a strategicrole; 2. A responsible attitude to-wards scientific research, which pro-tects its autonomy and indep en-dence, overcoming forms of subo rdi-nation to particular economic orpolitical interests, which distort itsachievements and its communica-tion; 3. Coordination and coopera-tion at the international and globallevel to put into effect the universalright to the highest levels of healthcare, as an expression of protectionof the inalienable dignity of the hu-man person. “We are called to an at-titude of hope, beyond the paralyz-ing effect of two opposite tempta-

tions: on the one hand, the resigna-tion that passively undergoes events;on the other, the nostalgia for a re-turn to the past, only longing forwhat was there before. Instead, it istime to imagine and implement aproject of human coexistence thatallows a better future for each andevery one. The dream recently envis-aged for the Amazon region mightbecome a universal dream, a dreamfor the whole planet to ‘integrateand promote all its inhabitants, en-abling them to enjoy good living’(Querida Amazonia, 8)”.

Prof. Henk ten Have, Academi-cian of the Pontifical Academy forLife and a leading expert in GlobalBioethics (Professor emeritus at theCenter for Healthcare Ethics atDuquesne University in Pittsburgh,USA), who contributed to the draft-ing of the document, points out that“the Covid-19 pandemic as a globalphenomenon demonstrates that weare nowadays intrinsically intercon-nected. What affects human beingsacross the world is a concern foreveryone. We all share the same vul-

nerability because we inhabit thesame common home. This experi-ence makes us aware that our indi-vidual well-being is dep endent onthe human community.... A globalethical perspective should thereforebe applied which articulates themoral importance of solidarity, co-operation, social responsibility, thecommon good, and ecological integ-rity”. Prof. Roberto Dell’Oro, pro-fessor at Loyola Marymount Uni-versity (California, USA) also a con-tributor to the text, observes that therecent text, “building on thepremises of the first document onCovid, offers a meditation on thehuman family in the time of thepandemic. The tone is meditative,rather than normative. The intentionof the document is not to give cheaprecipes, but to recognize that togeth-er, as a human family (humana com-munitas), we have to go back to thelessons we have learned. It is life it-self who teaches us, but we have tobe mindful and attentive, in addi-tion to foster action. In that sense,we need to change together, to dis-pose ourselves to a different attitudetoward life as a whole. The churchcalls us to interrogate our most pro-found experiences, without beingpreachy, but with realism: our fini-tude, the limits of our freedom, theshared vulnerability that opens oureyes to those who suffer greatly, es-pecially in the Global South. Thedocument also calls for global ef-forts and international cooperationand for an ethics of solidarity. I per-sonally hope for people of goodwill, believers and non-believers, tosee this document as a call to con-version, which is first of all, achange in our own way of looking atreality, and to build our efforts on arenewed mindfulness”.

Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life announces campaign to unite young and old

“The elderly are your grandparents”

It is possible to reduce the isolationfelt by elderly people while alsostrictly observing health guidelinesfor Covid-19. The pandemic has hitthe elderly particularly hard and ithas disconnected the already weaklinks between generations. How-ever, respecting the rules of socialdistancing does not mean acceptinga fate of loneliness and abandon-ment.

Thus the Dicastery for Laity,Family and Life is heeding thewords spoken by Pope Francis afterthis Sunday’s Angelus by launchinga campaign called “The elderly areyour grandparents”, inviting youngpeople from all over the world toperform acts of kindness and affec-tion for older people who may feellonely. After reciting the Marianprayer, the Pope invited youngp eople “to perform a gesture oftenderness towards the elderly, es-pecially the loneliest, in theirhomes and residences, those who

have not seen their loved ones formany months”, reminding all youththat “each one of these elderlypeople is your grandparent!”.

In recent months many Epis-copal Conferences, associations andindividuals have been using “theinventiveness of love” to find waysto bring the ecclesial communitycloser to the elderly. Contacts arebeing made via telephone, internetand social networks, and even ser-enades to residents of retirementand care homes. These gestures canhelp alleviate the loneliness felt bymany people who, due to the virus,are forced to remain confined.

In this phase of the campaign,young people are asked to “send ahug” to the elderly in their neigh-bourhood or parish by means of atelephone or video call or by send-ing an image. Wherever possible —in accordance with local healthnorms — young people are invitedto make the embrace even more

concrete by visiting the elderly inp erson.

The campaign is associated withthe hashtag #sendyourhug, and themost significant posts will be circu-lated on the social media of theDicastery for Laity, Family and Life,@laityfamilylife. It is hoped thatthis campaign can help to achievePope Francis’ desire for “a worldthat experiences a renewed embracebetween young and old” ( P re f a c eto The Wisdom of Time).

page 8 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 31 July 2020, number 31

ANGELUS

At the Angelus on Sunday, 26 July, Pope Francis focused on the parablesof the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value, explaining that thosetreasured items represent Jesus himself, “who cannot but inspire joy, all thejoy of the world: the joy of discovering a meaning for one’s life, the joy offeeling committed to the adventure of holiness”. After reciting the Marianprayer with the faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square, he prayed thatthe ceasefire agreed upon for the Donbass area would include an “effectiveprocess of disarmament and mine clearance”, which “is the only way torebuild confidence and lay the foundations for the reconciliation that is sonecessary and so awaited by the people”. The following is a translation ofthe Holy Father’s reflection, which he shared in Italian.

On the memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the Pontiff’s invitation to young people

Gestures of tenderness towards grandparentsAt the end of the Angelus, the Pope speaks about the ceasefire in Donbass

Dear Brothers and Sisters,Good morning!This Sunday’s Gospel Reading(cf. Mt 13:44-52) consists of thefinal verses of the chapter Mat-thew devotes to the parable ofthe Kingdom of Heaven. Thepassage includes three parablesthat are very briefly outlined: thatof the hidden treasure, that of theprecious pearl, and that of thenet cast into the sea.

I will look at the first two inwhich the Kingdom of Heaven iscompared to two different “p re -cious” items, namely, the treasurehidden in the field and the pearlof great value. The reaction ofthe one who finds the pearl orthe treasure is practically thesame: the man and the merchantsell everything to buy what isnow most dear to them. Withthese two similes, Jesus proposesto involve us in the building ofthe Kingdom of Heaven, present-ing an essential characteristic ofChristian life, of the life of theKingdom of heaven: those whofully pledge themselves to theKingdom are those who are will-ing to stake everything, who arecourageous. Indeed, both theman and the merchant in the twoparables sell everything they have,thus renouncing their material se-curity. From this it can be under-stood that the building of theKingdom requires not only thegrace of God, but also the activewillingness of humanity.Everything is done by grace,everything! We need only havethe willingness to receive it, notto resist grace: grace doeseverything but it takes ‘my’ re -sponsibility, ‘my’ willingness.

The gestures of that man andthe merchant who go searching,depriving themselves of theirgoods in order to buy more pre-cious treasures, are decisive ges-

tures; they are radical gestures; Iwould say that they are only ‘oneway’ gestures, not a ‘round trip’:they are ‘one way’ g e s t u re s .Moreover, they are made with joybecause both of them have founda treasure. We are called upon toassume the attitude of these twoGospel figures, so that we toomay become healthily restlessseekers of the Kingdom of Heav-en. It is a matter of abandoningthe heavy burden of our worldlycertainties that prevent us fromseeking and building up theKingdom: the desire for posses-sion, the thirst for profit andpower, and thinking only aboutourselves.

In our times, as we are allaware, the lives of some peoplecan end up mediocre and dull be-cause they probably do not go insearch of a true treasure: they arecontent with attractive but fleet-ing things, glittering flashes thatprove illusory as they give way todarkness. Instead the light of theKingdom is not like fireworks, itis light: fireworks last only an in-stant, whereas the light of theKingdom accompanies us all ourlife.

The Kingdom of Heaven is theopposite of the superfluousthings that the world offers; it isthe opposite of a dull life: it is atreasure that renews life every dayand leads it to expand towardswider horizons. Indeed, thosewho have found this treasurehave a creative and inquisitiveheart, which does not repeat butrather invents, tracing and settingout on new paths which lead usto love God, to love others, andto truly love ourselves. The signof those who walk this path ofthe Kingdom is creativity, alwaysseeking more. And creativity iswhat takes life and gives life, andgives, and gives, and gives.... It

always looks for many differentways to give life.

Jesus, who is the hidden treas-ure and the pearl of great value,cannot but inspire joy, all the joyof the world: the joy of discover-ing a meaning for one’s life, thejoy of feeling committed to theadventure of holiness.

May the Blessed Virgin help usto search every day for the trea-sure of the Kingdom of Heaven,so that the love God has given usthrough Jesus may be manifestedin our words and gestures.

After the Angelus the Holy Fathercontinued:

Dear brothers and sisters, onthe memorial of Saints Joachimand Anne, Jesus’ ‘g r a n d p a re n t s ’, Iwould like to invite the young toperform a gesture of tendernesstowards the elderly, especially theloneliest, in their homes and inresidences, those who have notseen their loved ones for manymonths. Dear young people, eachone of these elderly people isyour grandparent! Do not leavethem by themselves. Use the in-

ventiveness of love, make tele-phone calls, video calls, sendmessages, listen to them and,where possible, in compliancewith healthcare regulations, go tovisit them too. Send them a hug.They are your roots. An uprootedtree cannot grow; it does notblossom or bear fruit. This is whythe bond and connection withyour roots is important. ‘Theblossom of a tree comes fromwhat it has underground’, says apoet from my homeland. There-fore I invite you to give a biground of applause for our grand-parents, everyone!

I understand that a new cease-fire concerning the Donbass areawas recently decided in Minsk bymembers of the Trilateral ContactGroup. While I thank them forthis sign of goodwill aimed atbringing much-desired peace tothat tormented region, I pray thatwhat has been agreed will finallybe put into practice, also througheffective processes of disarma-ment and mine clearance. This isthe only way to rebuild confi-dence and lay the foundations forthe reconciliation that is so neces-sary and so awaited by thep eople.

I greet you all from my heart,people of Rome and pilgrimsfrom various countries. In partic-ular, I greet the faithful fromFranca, Brazil; there is the flagover there, the young peoplefrom the Archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola, and those from theparish of Santi Fabiano e Venanzioof Rome. They are loud; theymake themselves heard!

I wish you all a happy Sunday.Please, do not forget to pray forme. Enjoy your lunch. Ar r i v e d e rc i !