On 8 April, a meeting of the Holy Father with the Council of Bishops of the diocese of Rome was held in the Apostolic Palace. Due to the delicacy of the office of Cardinal Vicar, Pope Francis informed the bishops, his close collaborators, that he would take time to make a healthy discern-ment on the figure of the person whom he will appoint to fill this role. In this transitional phase, the Holy Father has encouraged the bishops to continue the pastoral ministry and administrative activities they have already begun. As foreseen by Article 14 § 3 of the Apostolic Constitution In Ecclesiarum Communione con-cerning the ordering of the Vica-riate of Rome, as long as the office of Cardinal Vicar is vacant, all its functions and powers, in-cluding those of legal represen-tation, will be exercised by the Vicegerent, Bishop Baldassare Reina.
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Pope Francis remembers Benedict XVI in new book: ‘He was like a father to me’
“Benedict was a man of great gentleness. In some cases, people took advantage of him, perhaps without malice, and limited his movements. Unfortunately, in a certain sense, they were encir-cling him. He was a very delicate man, but he was not weak: he was strong. But he was humble, and preferred not to impose. So he suffered a lot.”
That’s how Pope Francis remembers his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, in a new interview book with journalist Javier Mar-tínez-Brocal (“The Successor”).
“He let me grow”, explains the Pope, “he was patient. And if he didn’t agree with something, he would think three or four times before telling me. He let me grow and gave me the freedom to make decisions.” Pope Francis recounts his relationship with the Pope emeritus over almost ten years of cohabitation in the Vatican: “He left me free, he never interfered. On one occasion, when there was a decision he didn’t understand, he asked me for an explanation in a very natural way. He told me: ‘Look, I don’t understand this, but the decision is in your hands.’ I explained the reasons to him and he was happy. “In the book, Pope Francis explains that his pre-decessor never opposed any of his decisions: “He never withdrew his support from me. Maybe there was something he didn’t agree with, but he never said it.”
The Pope also remembers the circumstances of his farewell to Benedict, on Wednesday, Dece-mber 28, 2022, when he saw him for the last time. “Benedict lay in bed. He was still conscious, but he couldn’t speak. He looked at me, squeezed my hand, under-stood what I was saying, but couldn’t articulate a word. I stayed with him like that for a while, looking at him and holding his hand. I remember his clear eyes… I said a few words to him affectionately and blessed him. That’s how we said goodbye.”
With regard to the continuity between the pontificates, the Pope notes that “What I see in the last popes… is that each successor has always been marked by continuity, continuity and difference,” because “in continuity, each one has brought his own personal charism … there is always continuity, and no rupture.”
Pope Francis also recounts a specific case in which he was defended by Benedict XVI. “I had a very nice conversation with him when some cardinals went to see him surprised by my words about marriage, and he was very clear with them. One day they showed up at his house to practically hold a trial against me, and accused me in to him of promoting same-sex marriage. Benedict didn’t get agitated because he knew perfectly well what I think. He listened to them all, one by one, calmed them down, and explained everything to them. There was a time when I said that, since marriage is a sacrament, it cannot be administered to same-sex couples, but somehow some civil guarantee or protection had to be given to these people’s situation. I said that, in France, there is the formula of ‘civil unions,’ which at first glance can be a good option because they don’t limit marriage. For example, I said, three elderly pensioners who need to share health services, inheritance, housing, etc., can be accommodated. I meant that it seemed like an interesting solution. Some went to tell Benedict that I was saying heresies. He listened to them and with great dignity helped them to distinguish things… He told them: ‘This is not heresy.’ How he defended me!… He always defended me.”
In the book, the Pope also responds to a question from the journalist about the books published at the time of Pope Benedict’s death. Francis replies: “They caused me great pain: that on the day of the funeral, a book that upset me was published, saying things that are not true, all very sad. Of course, it doesn’t affect me, in the sense that it doesn’t condition me. But it hurt me that Benedict was used. The book was published on the day of the funeral, and I experienced it as a lack of nobility and humanity.”
Finally, the Pope reveals to Javier Martínez-Brocal that he has already ordered a revision of papal funerals, explaining that the funeral vigil for Benedict XVI will be the last with the Pope’s body outside the coffin and the catafalque with pillows. Popes “should be watched over and buried like any other child of the Church. With dignity, like any Christian.”
Pope’s Secretary of State visits Brazilian President and presides over opening of Brazilian Episcopate Assembly
On 8 April, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Bishop Giam-battista Diquattro, the Pope’s Nuncio to Brazil, and Arch-bishop Jaime Spengler of Porto Alegre (RS) and President of the National Con-ference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), were received by the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at the Palácio do Planalto in Brasília (DF).
Cardinal Pietro Parolin was in Brazil to lead the retreat for the Brazilian episcopate on April 10 and 11, within the context of the 61st General Assembly of the National Con-ference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), taking place at the Pedro Vítor Coelho de Almeida Events Centre, in the National Shrine, in Aparecida (SP), until April 19. After meeting with the Head of State of the country, Cardinal Parolin visited the headquarters of the CNBB in Brasília, where he toured the workspaces and was received by the conference’s collaborators. Subsequently, Cardinal Parolin presided over the opening of the Plenary Assembly of the Brazilian Episcopate.
Vatican top diplomat arrives in Vietnam to cement ties
The Vatican’s top envoy has arrived on a six-day visit to Vietnam, aiming at further fostering full diplomatic ties with the communist country.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and inter-national organizations, was welcomed by Archbishop Marek Zalewski, resident ponti-fical representative to Vietnam, at Noi Bai International Airport on April 9.
Gallagher met his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, upon arrival and affirmed that the Vatican and Vietnam have a good relationship. He hoped that “the bilateral relationship would continue to achieve important milestones” in the future. Son agreed and said that the Vatican envoy’s visit would further strengthen ties between both sides. Son proposed continuing high-level exchange activities and stated that the government would create conditions for Zalewski to fulfill his mission in the country. He appreciated the positive progress of their relations in recent years, especially the agreement on the working regulations of the pontifical resident representative and his office in Vietnam.
The deal was signed in July 2023, during former president Vo Van Thuong’s visit to the Holy See. Thuong also extended an invitation to Pope Francis to visit his country. Gallagher is the most senior official to visit the Southeast Asian country since diplomatic relations were broken off in 1975 when the northern communist forces took control of US-backed South Vietnam and expelled the apostolic delegate from the former capital, Saigon. Relations have improved since both sides started regular talks in the late 1990s.
Last December, the Vatican appointed Archbishop Zalewski as its first pontifical resident representative to Vietnam, while other communist nations in Asia – China, Laos and North Korea – have no relations with the Vatican.
Vietnam is home to about seven million Catholics out of a total population of 100 million, making it one of the largest communities in Asia.
“We pray for the Holy See and the government to reach full diplomatic relations soon so that we can live out our faith and have religious activities without any restrictions,” Francis Tran Thanh said. Thanh, a lay leader from Quang Tri province, said that “religious freedom is not an asking-and-granting mechanism run by the government, but a basic human right that all people must respect.” He said local people have had religious activities restricted for nearly half a century.
A great number of Church-run facilities were confiscated, Catholics were banned from partaking in public healthcare and education, and communities in remote areas were limited to holding services, building churches, and doing evangelization. Thanh said local people long for a papal visit, which they believed would strengthen their faith in a fast-changing society.
Hindu iftar meals for Muslims promote harmony in Pakistan
On the cusp of sunset, the sound of rumbling trains in the distance faded as they came to a standstill at Cantonment Railway Station in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi on April 9. A group of volunteers rushed to hand out large jugs of ice-cold Rooh Afza, a fruity drink made of squash, and platters of aromatic biriyani to hundreds of Muslims as muezzins in nearby mosques announced through their sound systems it was time to break their Ramadan fast for the day.
From April 1-9, this was a regular scene when a group of young Hindus from the Mahesh-wari community started arranging iftar (the fast-breaking meal) for Muslims during the Islamic holy month which ends with Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the two major annual Islamic festivals.
“We were in a hurry to break the fast as we had missed our train and had no idea who had arranged it,” Ataullah Rehmat, who ate at the iftar event with his wife and child, told. “But we were really happy to see that the Ma-heshwari group organized it. Such acts help build better under-standing between people of the two faiths.”
The Maheshwaris hail from the desert region of Tharparkar in Sindh province and are known for their community mobilization initiatives. The organizers of the iftar drive, the Maheshwari Pre-mier League, started their initia-tives by organizing cricket tourna-ments in Sindh a few years ago and later conducted educational and healthcare campaigns. Bhe-vish Kumar, one of the organizers of the event, said the idea behind the drive was to promote interfaith harmony.
“We initiated it [the iftar drive] with a clear mindset to promote interfaith harmony,” Kumar told on April 9. “Once such a message starts becoming a trend then we can see an inclusive and plural Pakistan.”
Indonesian Church gets ready to welcome Pope Francis
Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo of Jakarta called Pope Francis’ Se-ptember visit “an opportunity for Indonesian Catholics to explore and practice his humanitarian messages.”
“Indeed, the physical presence of Pope Francis is very important and very happy [occasion] for us,” Suharyo said in a video that the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference released on April 8, six months ahead of the visit.
The 73-year-old Church leader wanted Catholics to pay attention to Francis’ messages and thoughts as they prepare to celebrate his physical presence in the country. Papal messages “should also concern us, and we intend to study those messages,” he added. Suharyo said the last two critical papal messages in the Indonesian context were on human respon-sibility to protect the environment in his encyclical Laudato si and about the importance of maintai-ning brotherhood in Fratelli tutti. Suharyo described them as bri-lliant ideas “not in the sense of being great, but very important for the history of mankind in our time.”
The cardinal further hoped that the physical presence of the pope would encourage Indonesian Catholics to study his teachings and try to find ways to implement them.
The video showed Suharyo speaking with Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin of Bandung, president of the bishops’ confe-rence. Subianto said the confe-rence deliberately announced the pope’s visit on Annunciation Day because it was good news for In-donesia.
He said Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Indonesia from Sept. 3 to 6, as communicated by Msgr Piero Pioppo, the apostolic nuncio to Indonesia, in a note to the country’s minister of foreign affairs on March 5. “Of course, the certainty of Pope Francis’ arrival to Indo-nesia is still waiting for an official announcement from the govern-ment and the Vatican,” Subianto said.
Malaysia mourns Sr Enda Ryan: a life dedicated to women’s education
Kuala Lumpur is mourning the death of Sr. Enda Ryan, Fran-ciscan Missionary of Mary (FMM) who passed away on April 7 at the age of 95. She is originally from Ireland and since 1966 she had become a citizen of Malaysia, a country in which she has provided tireless service for women’s education for decades, she is leaving a great void among people, of every ethnicity and religion, who they got to know each other.
Sr. Enda leaves the Assunta primary and secondary schools she founded, as well as the Ave Maria Welfare clinic, which later be-came a hospital. But above all she remains the example of her faith, as well as her commitment and care for unity among students, regardless of their beliefs or ethnic origins.
There are numerous testi-monies released by those who knew her passionate ministry: proof of what was sown in 31 years of mission by the educator, religious and director, born Eileen Philomena Ryan, on 30 December 1928 in Galbally, in the county of Limerick in Ireland.
She joined the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (an institute founded by Helene de Chappotin) in 1947 and arrived in the then Malaya in 1954, following the request of Sir Michael Hogan – the then President of the Court of Justice of Malaysia – to establish schools for girls whose education had been interrupted during the communist insurgency in the country. Sr. Enda Ryan had just received her Bachelor of Arts and Higher Diploma in Education.
“The maternal love that shone through her always touched everyone. Her grit, her enthusiasm and her zeal for life inspired us to live our lives to the fullest,” writes on the alumni portal of Assumption School Vimalathevi Perumal, a former student.
“All of us, her students, owe this unique, great icon immeasurable gratitude for having trained us to be good and responsible citizens of this nation,” she added. Another student, Regina Morris, told that Sr. Enda was nicknamed “the singing nun” because she never hid her love for singing.
“Make me an instrument. The singing sister” is the title of her 2013 biography edited by Nesamalar Chitravelu. The missionary composed the school hymn; whose lyrics embody her values. Despite her Irish origins, she sang Malay folk songs, such as “Rasa Sayang,” with the same gusto as “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” “She was tireless in her mission to spread truth and charity, which is the school motto imprinted in our hearts (Ad Veritatem Per Caritatem, ed.) – added Morris -. She was a teacher, a principal and a mother to all of us.”
Filipino Catholic Church presents official portrait of 13-year-old girl considered for sainthood
The official portrait of Servant of God Niña Ruíz-Abad was presented April 7 during the opening of the dio-cesan phase of her cause for cano-nization at St.William Cathedral in the town of Laoag located in the Ilocos Norte region of the Philippines. If canonized, the young Filipina, who died in 1993 at age 13, could become one of the youngest saints in history.
The proceedings, including the Mass celebrated by Renato Mayugba, the bishop of Laoag, were posted on Facebook. The ceremony began with a procession of members of the Diocese of Laoag followed by the reading of Ruíz-Abad’s biography and the pre-sentation of documents to the bishop, who approved them as legitimate.
Next, the documents were handed over to the officials of the diocesan tribunal, appointed by the local bishop, who will receive the testimonies of the people who knew the servant of God. This tribunal does not issue any ruling because it is reserved to the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
The documents also included testimonies of alleged miracles that may have occurred through the intercession of Ruíz-Abad before the opening of the canonization process. In one case, a student at Holy Spirit Academy in the city of Laoag had been seriously sick and said she was miraculously cured after praying to the Filipina teenager.
During the ceremony, Ruíz-Abad’s first relic was also unveiled, which consisted of a reliquary with a small piece of cloth that came from her clothing. Ruíz-Abad, who died in August 1993, had a great impact through her devotion to God and her acts of charity despite suffering from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an incurable heart disease that was diagnosed with when she was 10 years old.
Thirty years after her death, in July 2023, the formal request to open an investigation into the life of the Filipina teenager was approved by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The CBCP previously noted that Ruiz-Abad could serve as a “good model of piety and fortitude” for today’s youth.
Indian Bishop Urges Catholics To Vote For Secular Govt
Archbishop in the southern Indian state of Karnataka has urged Catholics to vote for a secular government in the country’s upcoming general election. “Choose a leader who is secular, non-communal, believes in the constitution, and is less corrupt,” Archbishop Peter Machado of Bengaluru said on April 7. He explained that by secular he meant one who respects all people without any discri-mination, and non-communal meant one who accepts all religions. Machado, while deli-vering the homily at Logos Retreat Center in Bengaluru, said that all Catholics must cast their vote as the coming election was very important and a historic one. “It is a sin if we don’t vote,” he said adding that it was futile to later sit and complain about growing persecution against Christians and their institutions in the country. Machado, who is also president of Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishop’s Council, said those eligible to vote “should take time out by canceling all other engagements on the day of voting.” The national election will be held in seven phases in April, May and June. Karnataka state will vote on April 26 and May 7. Father Faustine Lucas Lobo, spokesperson of the regional bishops’ council said the archbishop’s guidance will help people to choose the right candidates to represent them in the national parliament. “Archbishop Machado is right… as the situa tion in the country is quite difficult for religious minorities who are facing increasing persecution since the past decade or so,” he told on April 10.The Indian constitution gives all citizens equal rights and the freedom to choose and practice any religion of their choice, the priest added. Lobo said the archbishop has been a vocal defender of human rights and had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act against those who “fail to rise above petty politics and indulge in hate speeches.” Catholic bishops in India had urged their people to pray and fast on March 22.The intention was “to intercede for our nation, especially in the forthcoming general election this year,” said Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. Christians make up 1.87 percent of Karnataka’s 68.4 million people.
Cardinal Poola: Don’t Ignore The Parts In Dignitatis Infinita About The Poor
Focusing on bioethical issues is to offer a partial (and too easy) reading of Dignitatis Infinita, the doctrinal declaration on human rights released by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, a view supported by Card Anthony Poola, archbishop of Hyderabad, in comments he shared with Asia-News, starting with the reactions generated in India and beyond by the Vatican document.
“We need to confront those socio-cultural and religious thought-patterns that are behind why many in India still live in subhuman conditions,” something that Dignitas Infinita challenges. The Archbishop of Hyderabad looks at the media reaction to the declaration released by the Dica-stery for the Doctrine of the Faith on human dignity. The media are “focused on gender theory, sex change, surrogacy etc., but” peo-ple who “struggle with poverty, exploitation, discrimination, lack of access to primary healthcare” cannot leave others indifferent.
It is significant to note that Card Poola is the first Indian from a Dalit family to be raised to the cardinalship in the consistory convened in 2022 by Pope Francis. Because of his direct knowledge of a form of negation of human dignity, his testimony takes on particular significance.