Pope Francis speaking in St. Peter’s Basilica on June 5, 2022. / Vatican Media
Rome Newsroom, Jul 21, 2022 / 07:13 am (CNA).
As Europe faces record high temperatures and summer wildfires, Pope Francis has pointed out that the poor suffer the most from heat waves, drought, and other environmental extremes.
In a message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, the pope said that it is “the poorest among us who are crying out.”
“Exposed to the climate crisis, the poor feel even more gravely the impact of the drought, flooding, hurricanes, and heat waves that are becoming ever more intense and frequent,” Pope Francis said in the message published on July 21.
“Listening to these anguished cries, we must repent and modify our lifestyles and destructive systems. … The present state of decay of our common home merits the same attention as other global challenges such as grave health crises and wars,” he said.
Pope Francis signed the message urging care for creation on July 16, one day after new temperature records were set in Spain and Portugal. There were 1,063 heat-related deaths in Portugal between July 7 and July 18, according to the country’s director-general of health.
Since then, the heat wave has spread to France and the U.K., which broke its national record for the highest temperature ever recorded on July 19.
In his message, Pope Francis explained that he authorized the Holy See on behalf of the Vatican City State to accede to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement “in the hope that the humanity of the 21st century will be remembered for having generously shouldered its grave responsibilities.”
He said that achieving the demanding goals of the Paris agreement of limiting temperature increase to 1.5°C and reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to zero requires cooperation between all nations.
“This means ‘converting’ models of consumption and production, as well as lifestyles, in a way more respectful of creation and the integral human development of all peoples, present and future, a development grounded in responsibility, prudence/precaution, solidarity, concern for the poor and for future generations,” the pope added.
The pope called for economically richer countries, “who have polluted most in the last two centuries,” to provide financial and technical support for economically poorer nations that are “already experiencing the most of the burden of climate change.”
Pope Francis established Sept. 1 as the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation following the publication of the encyclical Laudato si’ in 2015. The pope has also recommended that the period from Sept. 1 to Oct. 4 — the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi — be celebrated as a “Season of Creation.”
The theme of this year’s Season of Creation will be “listen to the voice of creation.” The pope expressed hope that the season will be “a special time for all Christians to pray and work together to care for our common home.”
Pope Francis said: “Originally inspired by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, this Season is an opportunity to cultivate our ‘ecological conversion,’ a conversion encouraged by Saint John Paul II as a response to the ‘ecological catastrophe’ predicted by Saint Paul VI back in 1970.”
“If we learn how to listen, we can hear in the voice of creation a kind of dissonance. On the one hand, we can hear a sweet song in praise of our beloved Creator; on the other, an anguished plea, lamenting our mistreatment of this our common home.”
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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 8, 2023 / 14:21 pm (CNA).
Pro-life organizations are expressing concern for families, women, and children after Ohio voters approved a referendum to enshrine a right to abortion in the state co… […]
At the end of the Mass of consecration on Nov. 1, 2023, María Ruiz Rodríguez shows the ring symbolizing her membership in the Ordo Virginum. That’s the only outward sign of her consecration. / Credit: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Nov 12, 2023 / 07:00 am (CNA).
On the 25th day of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Church in Jerusalem welcomed a new consecrated member into its fold. María Ruiz Rodríguez made her consecration in the Ordo Virginum on Nov. 1, permanently rooting herself in the local ecclesiastical community.
“A thought crossed my mind, a temptation: ‘What purpose does this step serve in the midst of current events? Doesn’t the Church have more urgent matters to attend to than to stop and celebrate the consecration of a humble woman like me?’” Ruiz shared with CNA a few days later. But she said she was immediately aware of something else.
“I told myself: I cannot delay this commitment… In fact, uniting my life with the Church in a time of suffering is even more meaningful,” she said.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the consecration of María Ruiz Rodríguez in the Ordo Virginum on Nov. 1, 2023, in the Church of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. With this consecration, Ruiz permanently rooted herself in the local Church. Credit: Marinella Bandini
Ruiz, now 42, is originally from Spain and arrived in Jerusalem in 2018 for a period of discernment. At that time, she was a member of the “Monastic Family of Bethlehem, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. Bruno,” an institute of consecrated life established in France in 1950.
It was Ruiz’s first time in the Holy Land, even though the desire to visit the sacred places in the Holy Land had long been a dream in her heart.
Iconographer María Ruiz Rodríguez with the new Roman Missal in Arabic. The book is open on the page where she depicted the Crucifixion of Jesus. Credit: Marinella Bandini
“For two years, I set aside my savings to make a pilgrimage in 2000, the year of the Great Jubilee. However, in that very year, I entered the convent, so I gave up. I felt that Jesus was saying to me: ‘I am your Holy Land.’ In a way, I had already arrived in Jerusalem,” Ruiz said.
It was in the Holy Land that Ruiz first came into contact with some consecrated women of the Ordo Virginum.
“I was looking for my place and I felt called,” she said.
The Ordo Virginum, Ruiz continued, “is the oldest form of consecration in the Church”. Abandoned over the centuries in favor of the religious life, it was rediscovered with the Second Vatican Council as a form of life that, “in a radically transformed historical context” possesses “a surprising force of attraction” and is “capable of responding not only to the desires of many women to dedicate themselves totally to the Lord and to their neighbors, but also to the concurrent rediscovery by the particular Church of its own identity in communion with the one Body of Christ” (cf. Instruction “Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago” on the “Ordo Virginum”).
Iconographer María Ruiz Rodríguez at work in her studio. The image depicts Jesus walking on water and taking St. Peter’s sinking hand (Mt 14:22-33). Credit: Marinella Bandini
Consecrated women in the Ordo Virginum choose to live a life of virginity “for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” in a lay form of life. They do not wear religious habits, do not live in communities, have no common statutes or rules, or even superiors. Instead, they maintain a personal reference to the local bishop — in this case, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa — who acts as guarantor of their journey of discernment and presides over their consecration.
The sole commitment these consecrated women make is the “resolution of chastity,” which they express during the Rite of Consecration. The only symbol they wear is a ring, emphasizing the spousal character of this vocation, which reflects the mystery of the Church as “Bride of Christ.” Engraved in Ruiz’s ring is an inscription in Hebrew meaning “O my life,” referring to Christ, and the date of her consecration.
Iconographer María Ruiz Rodríguez on her terrace looking at the horizon. In the background are the walls of Jerusalem and the outline of the Basilica of the Dormition, November 2023. Credit: Marinella Bandini
Women who consecrate themselves in the Ordo Virginum support themselves through their jobs. Ruiz is an iconographer and has been working for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem for about four years. She was drawn into a project aimed at renewing liturgical books — the Missal and the Evangeliary — with her artwork.
“I first approached iconographic art when I was a nun. It was first of all a spiritual journey, a path of prayer. More than an artistic expression, an icon is a profession of faith. Before beginning the work, I invoke the Holy Spirit and ask for forgiveness for my own sins and for those who will venerate these images. I was interested in this dimension of relationship,” Ruiz shared. She spent a year researching the style and colors.
“The patriarch asked me to create something that would speak to local Christians, who are Latin by tradition but Eastern by culture. A style that was uniquely mine yet rich in the entire iconographic tradition of the Church of Jerusalem. The art of Armenian manuscripts certainly had a significant influence on me.”
Iconographer María Ruiz Rodríguez at work in her studio. Currently, Ruíz is in the process of creating the images for the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. Credit: Marinella Bandini
The patriarch takes a personal interest in overseeing Ruiz’s work. “We read the Gospel together and choose which scenes to represent, taking into account the particularity of each evangelist. He particularly enjoys highlighting passages that are less frequently represented in the artistic tradition. This is a project close to his heart,” she told CNA.
Currently, Ruíz is in the process of creating images for the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.
“The process is very laborious and involves multiple stages for each page: the pencil lettering, the crafting of the icons, then the ink lettering and finally the gilding.” The plan is for a volume of about 200 pages with 250 images.
“Making this work in Jerusalem has a special value: I can visit the places where that Gospel was lived” but also “immerse myself in Jewish culture,” she said. “This has opened my eyes to the richness that Judaism brings to Christianity. There is a perfect continuity and at the same time an unprecedented newness in the person of Christ.”
The Church of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem full of people on Nov. 1, 2023, for the Mass of consecration of María Ruiz Rodríguez in the Ordo Virginum. Credit: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Ruiz learned the local languages — Arabic and Hebrew. The Mass of her consecration brought together within one place all the diverse “souls” of the Jerusalem Church: priests, friars, religious, and laity, Arab Christians and Hebrew-speaking Christians, each hearing the word of God in their own language. There were migrants, foreigners, Jews, and Christians of various denominations.
The culminating moment of María Ruiz Rodríguez’s consecration in the Ordo Virginum. The celebration took place on Nov. 1, 2023, in the Church of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Credit: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
“I believe my being a foreigner is a blessing for this Church,” Ruiz said. “Why were there such different people in the church that day? Because I am neither Arab nor Jewish, and this allows me to bring both of these peoples into my heart together. In the praise of God we were one people, transcending the divisions that usually separate us. The Church in Jerusalem also needs this, to remember its universal vocation.”
Group photo at the end of the Mass of consecration of María Ruiz Rodríguez in the Ordo Virginum. With her (in the middle, with red shirt) there are other members of the Ordo Virginum, and the bishops of the Latin patriarchate of Jerusalem (from left to right: Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, bishop emeritus; Monsignor William Shomali, general vicar and patriarchal vicar for Jerusalem and Palestine; Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem; Monsignor Rafic Nahra, patriarcal vicar for Israel). Credit: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
With her consecration, Ruiz embarks on her new journey as a “living stone” of the Jerusalem Church: “I am certain that I am finally in the right place. It is not an act of heroism. I am simply where God wants me to be.”
Pro-life and abortion rights activists protest during the 50th annual March for Life rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 20, 2023, in Washington, D.C. / Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Papa is air conditioned though. Ice packs are available for his knee. Various little comforts are at hand for sciatica or sleep apnea! It is not easy for Papa, yet he is empathetic!
One wonders if these maladies were exacerbated during past days as a bouncer?
Prayers for Papa, his health and for spiritual discernment.
I imagine Pope Francis is old enough to have lived without air conditioning in a warm climate. I know I am.
Having air conditioning today makes us grateful, not non empathetic. At least that’s the way it should work.
Thank you & God bless you too, Brian.
You know, comment boxes are not the easiest way to communicate our thoughts. I fail at that frequently.
I really do remember not having AC & that wasn’t so many years ago. The summers could be pretty rough. My poor mother didn’t live long enough to enjoy air conditioning but what you’ve never had you don’t miss.
I think I probably thank God for AC at least once a week now. Especially in July.
🙂
Why he wants to believe it is the richer economically freer countries rather than poorer more Marxist countries that pollute the most when the exact opposite is true, speaks to his insincerity about the plight of the poor beyond scoring political points with other global elitists dedicated to a life of make-believe concern.
This is just more strident rhetoric on a subject, regarding which, he has no particular competence to speak. If he thinks his Communist allies in China are going to pay the slightest heed to his pseudo-scientific nonsense, he is even more delusional than I thought. It is more likely that he does not include them among those whom he demands sacrifice. If he is so concerned about the poor, he ought to be sounding the alarm rather than endorsing the crackpot green agenda his pals at the WEF are currently trying to impose on humanity. Mass starvation, disease, and death from exposure to the elements are the sure outcomes of this lunacy.
If Pope Francis want to put some gravitas behind his climate change mantra, he can cancel his trip to Canada. With him and his entourage taking flights across the Atlantic and motorcade galore all consuming thousands of gallons of fossil fuels that deplete the ozone layer, he could do much to reduce his carbon footprint by staying home. If he wants to apologize for whatever, make a video, buy Canadian airtime and have his message broadcast.
Francis: “…we can hear in the voice of creation a kind of dissonance. On the one hand, we can hear a sweet song in praise of our beloved Creator; on the other, an anguished plea, lamenting our mistreatment of this our common home.”
Why does Francis concern himself with sod rather than with God? Has he never listened to God at Matthew 24:35: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
Papa is air conditioned though. Ice packs are available for his knee. Various little comforts are at hand for sciatica or sleep apnea! It is not easy for Papa, yet he is empathetic!
One wonders if these maladies were exacerbated during past days as a bouncer?
Prayers for Papa, his health and for spiritual discernment.
I imagine Pope Francis is old enough to have lived without air conditioning in a warm climate. I know I am.
Having air conditioning today makes us grateful, not non empathetic. At least that’s the way it should work.
Nice to hear from you Mrscracker. It appears my attempt at irony was a failure!
God bless you as you speak to the better way!
Thank you & God bless you too, Brian.
You know, comment boxes are not the easiest way to communicate our thoughts. I fail at that frequently.
I really do remember not having AC & that wasn’t so many years ago. The summers could be pretty rough. My poor mother didn’t live long enough to enjoy air conditioning but what you’ve never had you don’t miss.
I think I probably thank God for AC at least once a week now. Especially in July.
🙂
Why he wants to believe it is the richer economically freer countries rather than poorer more Marxist countries that pollute the most when the exact opposite is true, speaks to his insincerity about the plight of the poor beyond scoring political points with other global elitists dedicated to a life of make-believe concern.
This is just more strident rhetoric on a subject, regarding which, he has no particular competence to speak. If he thinks his Communist allies in China are going to pay the slightest heed to his pseudo-scientific nonsense, he is even more delusional than I thought. It is more likely that he does not include them among those whom he demands sacrifice. If he is so concerned about the poor, he ought to be sounding the alarm rather than endorsing the crackpot green agenda his pals at the WEF are currently trying to impose on humanity. Mass starvation, disease, and death from exposure to the elements are the sure outcomes of this lunacy.
If Pope Francis want to put some gravitas behind his climate change mantra, he can cancel his trip to Canada. With him and his entourage taking flights across the Atlantic and motorcade galore all consuming thousands of gallons of fossil fuels that deplete the ozone layer, he could do much to reduce his carbon footprint by staying home. If he wants to apologize for whatever, make a video, buy Canadian airtime and have his message broadcast.
Francis: “…we can hear in the voice of creation a kind of dissonance. On the one hand, we can hear a sweet song in praise of our beloved Creator; on the other, an anguished plea, lamenting our mistreatment of this our common home.”
Why does Francis concern himself with sod rather than with God? Has he never listened to God at Matthew 24:35: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
Planet Earth is thirsting for tender care.