Pope Francis addressed the International Catholic Legislators Network as it holds its 15th annual meeting in Italy from Aug. 22-25. The theme of the gathering is “The World at War: Permanent Crises and Conflicts — What Does It Mean for Us?” / Credit: Vatican Media. See CNA article for full slideshow.
Vatican City, Aug 24, 2024 / 11:00 am (CNA).
Pope Francis called the heart of war an “abyss of evil” during a meeting with Catholic politicians and legislators at the Vatican on Saturday.
“Our consciences cannot fail to be moved by the scenes of death and destruction daily before our eyes,” the pope said Aug. 24, about the many violent conflicts taking place around the globe.
“We need to hear the cry of the poor, the ‘widows and orphans’ of which the Bible speaks,” he continued, “in order to see the abyss of evil at the heart of war and to resolve by every means possible to choose peace.”
Francis addressed the topic of war in an audience with members of the International Catholic Legislators Network (ICLN) in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace.
He said it is imperative to renounce war as a suitable way of resolving international conflicts and establishing peace, urging the Catholic legislators and all men and women of good will “to build a world — to cultivate a garden — marked by fraternity, justice, and peace.”
ICLN met the pope as it holds its 15th annual meeting in the Italian cities of Rome and Frascati (on the southeast outskirts of Rome), from Aug. 22-25. The theme of the gathering is “The World at War: Permanent Crises and Conflicts — What Does It Mean for Us?”
The network’s mission is to help Christians in public office exercise “virtuous and effective leadership that is committed to the dignity of every human being.”
St. Thomas More is the patron of the group, whose members must uphold the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church in political life. The archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, is an honorary patron of the network.
In his remarks, the pontiff quoted from his 2020 encyclical on fraternity, Fratelli Tutti, which says that “War is a failure of politics and of humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil.”
He also lamented an increasing lack of distinction between military and civilian targets and the enormous destructive capacity of contemporary weapons.
The ongoing crisis of “a third world war fought piecemeal,” Francis continued, “seriously jeopardizes the patient efforts made by the international community, above all through multilateral diplomacy, to encourage cooperation in addressing the grave injustices and the pressing social, economic and environmental challenges facing our human family.”
He noted a need for patience and perseverance “in pursuing the path of peace, in season and out of season, through negotiation, mediation and arbitration.”
The pope also pointed out that, as Christians, we see that the roots of conflict in a society can be found “in a deeper conflict present in the human heart.”
“Conflicts may sometimes be unavoidable, yet they can only be resolved fruitfully in a spirit of dialogue and sensitivity to others and their reasons, and in shared commitment to justice in the pursuit of the common good,” the pontiff said.
He asked Catholic legislators to be witnesses of hope to a “war-weary world,” especially the next generation.
“May your commitment to the common good, buoyed by trust in Christ’s promises, serve as an example for our young people,” he encouraged. “How important it is for them to see models of hope and idealism that counter the messages of pessimism and cynicism to which they are so often exposed.”
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Close to the Pantheon in the heart of Rome, one of the city’s oldest and most popular ecclesiastical tailor shops — Ditta Annibale Gammarelli — is ready for the Dec. 7, 2024, consistory for the creation of new cardinals. / Credit: Sergio Natoli/… […]
Pope Francis at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Oct. 5, 2016. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 13, 2023 / 13:15 pm (CNA).
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis as the 265th successor of St. Peter. Here is a timeline of key events during his papacy:
2013
March 13 — About two weeks after Pope Benedict XVI steps down from the papacy, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is elected pope. He takes the papal name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and proclaims from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica: “Let us begin this journey, the bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let us always pray for one another.”
March 14 — The day after he begins his pontificate, Pope Francis returns to his hotel to personally pay his hotel bill and collect his luggage.
July 8 — Pope Francis visits Italy’s island of Lampedusa and meets with a group of 50 migrants, most of whom are young men from Somalia and Eritrea. The island, which is about 200 miles off the coast of Tunisia, is a common entry point for migrants who flee parts of Africa and the Middle East to enter Europe. This is the pope’s first pastoral visit outside of Rome and sets the stage for making reaching out to the peripheries a significant focus.
Pope Francis gives the Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 2, 2013. . Elise Harris/CNA.
July 23–28 — Pope Francis visits Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in World Youth Day 2013. More than 3 million people from around the world attend the event.
July 29 — On the return flight from Brazil, Pope Francis gives his first papal news conference and sparks controversy by saying “if a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” The phrase is prompted by a reporter asking the pope a question about priests who have homosexual attraction.
Nov. 24 — Pope Francis publishes his first apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). The document illustrates the pope’s vision for how to approach evangelization in the modern world.
2014
Feb. 22 — Pope Francis holds his first papal consistory to appoint 19 new cardinals, including ones from countries in the developing world that have never previously been represented in the College of Cardinals, such as Haiti.
March 22 — Pope Francis creates the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The commission works to protect the dignity of minors and vulnerable adults, such as the victims of sexual abuse.
Pope Francis greets pilgrims during his general audience on Nov. 29, 2014. Bohumil Petrik/CNA.
Oct. 5 — The Synod on the Family begins. The bishops discuss a variety of concerns, including single-parent homes, cohabitation, homosexual adoption of children, and interreligious marriages.
Dec. 6 — After facing some pushback for his efforts to reform the Roman Curia, Pope Francis discusses his opinion in an interview with La Nacion, an Argentine news outlet: “Resistance is now evident. And that is a good sign for me, getting the resistance out into the open, no stealthy mumbling when there is disagreement. It’s healthy to get things out into the open, it’s very healthy.”
2015
Jan. 18 — To conclude a trip to Asia, Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Manila, Philippines. Approximately 6 million to 7 million people attend the record-setting Mass, despite heavy rain.
March 23 — Pope Francis visits Naples, Italy, to show the Church’s commitment to helping the fight against corruption and organized crime in the city.
May 24 — To emphasize the Church’s mission to combat global warming and care for the environment, Pope Francis publishes the encyclical Laudato si’, which urges people to take care of the environment and encourages political action to address climate problems.
Pope Francis at a Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on June 17, 2015. Bohumil Petrik.
Sept. 19–22 — Pope Francis visits Cuba and meets with Fidel Castro in the first papal visit to the country since Pope John Paul II in 1998. During his homily, Francis discusses the dignity of the human person: “Being a Christian entails promoting the dignity of our brothers and sisters, fighting for it, living for it.”
Sept. 22–27 — After departing from Cuba, Pope Francis makes his first papal visit to the United States. In Washington, D.C., he speaks to a joint session of Congress, in which he urges lawmakers to work toward promoting the common good, and canonizes the Franciscan missionary St. Junípero Serra. He also attends the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which focuses on celebrating the gift of the family.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis begins the second Synod on the Family to address issues within the modern family, such as single-parent homes, cohabitation, poverty, and abuse.
Oct. 18 — The pope canonizes St. Louis Martin and St. Marie-Azélie “Zelie” Guérin. The married couple were parents to five nuns, including St. Therese of Lisieux. They are the first married couple to be canonized together.
Dec. 8 — Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Mercy begins. The year focuses on God’s mercy and forgiveness and people’s redemption from sin. The pope delegates certain priests in each diocese to be Missionaries of Mercy who have the authority to forgive sins that are usually reserved for the Holy See.
2016
March 19 — Pope Francis publishes the apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia, which discusses a wide variety of issues facing the modern family based on discussions from the two synods on the family. The pope garners significant controversy from within the Church for comments he makes in Chapter 8 about Communion for the divorced and remarried.
April 16 — After visiting refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, Pope Francis allows three Muslim refugee families to join him on his flight back to Rome. He says the move was not a political statement.
Pope Francis at the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Feb. 24, 2016. Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
July 26–31 — Pope Francis visits Krakow, Poland, as part of the World Youth Day festivities. About 3 million young Catholic pilgrims from around the world attend.
Sept. 4 — The pope canonizes St. Teresa of Calcutta, who is also known as Mother Teresa. The saint, a nun from Albania, dedicated her life to missionary and charity work, primarily in India.
Sept. 30–Oct. 2 — Pope Francis visits Georgia and Azerbaijan on his 16th trip outside of Rome since the start of his papacy. His trip focuses on Catholic relations with Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to Amatrice, Italy, to pray for the victims of an earthquake in central Italy that killed nearly 300 people.
2017
May 12–13 — In another papal trip, Francis travels to Fatima, Portugal, to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. May 13 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Marian apparition to three children in the city.
July 11 — Pope Francis adds another category of Christian life suitable for the consideration of sainthood: “offering of life.” The category is distinct from martyrdom, which only applies to someone who is killed for his or her faith. The new category applies to those who died prematurely through an offering of their life to God and neighbor.
Pope Francis greets a participant in the World Day of the Poor in Rome, Nov. 16, 2017. L’Osservatore Romano.
Nov. 19 — On the first-ever World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis eats lunch with 4,000 poor and people in need in Rome.
Nov. 27–Dec. 2 — In another trip to Asia, Pope Francis travels to Myanmar and Bangladesh. He visits landmarks and meets with government officials, Catholic clergy, and Buddhist monks. He also preaches the Gospel and promotes peace in the region.
2018
Jan. 15–21 — The pope takes another trip to Latin America, this time visiting Chile and Peru. The pontiff meets with government officials and members of the clergy while urging the faithful to remain close to the clergy and reject secularism. The Chilean visit leads to controversy over Chilean clergy sex abuse scandals.
Aug. 2 — The Vatican formally revises No. 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which concerns the death penalty. The previous text suggested the death penalty could be permissible in certain circumstances, but the revision states that the death penalty is “inadmissible.”
Aug. 25 — Archbishop Carlo Viganò, former papal nuncio to the United States, publishes an 11-page letter calling for the resignation of Pope Francis and accusing him and other Vatican officials of covering up sexual abuse including allegations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The pope initially does not directly respond to the letter, but nine months after its publication he denies having prior knowledge about McCarrick’s conduct.
Aug. 25–26 — Pope Francis visits Dublin, Ireland, to attend the World Meeting of Families. The theme is “the Gospel of family, joy for the world.”
Pope Francis at the 2018 World Meeting of Families in Ireland. . Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
Oct. 3–28 — The Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment takes place. The synod focuses on best practices to teach the faith to young people and to help them discern God’s will.
2019
Jan. 22–27 — The third World Youth Day during Pope Francis’ pontificate takes place during these six days in Panama City, Panama. Young Catholics from around the world gather for the event, with approximately 3 million people in attendance.
Feb. 4 — Pope Francis signs a joint document in with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, titled the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.” The document focuses on people of different faiths uniting together to live peacefully and advance a culture of mutual respect.
Pope Francis and Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, signed a joint declaration on human fraternity during an interreligious meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Feb. 4, 2019. Vatican Media.
Feb. 21–24 — The Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church, which is labeled the Vatican Sexual Abuse Summit, takes place. The meeting focuses on sexual abuse scandals in the Church and emphasizes responsibility, accountability, and transparency.
Oct. 6–27 — The Church holds the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, which is also known as the Amazon Synod. The synod is meant to present ways in which the Church can better evangelize the Amazon region but leads to controversy when carved images of a pregnant Amazonian woman, referred to by the pope as Pachamama, are used in several events and displayed in a basilica near the Vatican.
Oct. 13 — St. John Henry Newman, an Anglican convert to Catholicism and a cardinal, is canonized by Pope Francis. Newman’s writings inspired Catholic student associations at nonreligious colleges and universities in the United States and other countries.
2020
March 15 — Pope Francis takes a walking pilgrimage in Rome to the chapel of the crucifix and prays for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. The crucifix was carried through Rome during the plague of 1522.
March 27 — Pope Francis gives an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing in an empty and rain-covered St. Peter’s Square, praying for the world during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pope Francis venerates the miraculous crucifix of San Marcello al Corso in St. Peter’s Square during his Urbi et Orbi blessing, March 27, 2020. Vatican Media.
2021
March 5–8 — In his first papal trip since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis becomes the first pope to visit Iraq. On his trip, he signs a joint statement with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani condemning extremism and promoting peace.
July 3 — Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis, is indicted in a Vatican court for embezzlement, money laundering, and other crimes. The pope gives approval for the indictment.
July 4 — Pope Francis undergoes colon surgery for diverticulitis, a common condition in older people. The Vatican releases a statement that assures the pope “reacted well” to the surgery. Francis is released from the hospital after 10 days.
July 16 — Pope Francis issues a motu proprio titled Traditionis custodes. The document imposes heavy restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Dec. 2–6 — The pope travels to Cyprus and Greece. The trip includes another visit to the Greek island of Lesbos to meet with migrants.
Pope Francis greets His Beatitude Ieronymos II in Athens, Greece on Dec. 5, 2021. Vatican Media
2022
Jan. 11 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to a record store in Rome called StereoSound. The pope, who has an affinity for classical music, blesses the newly renovated store.
March 19 — The pope promulgates Praedicate evangelium, which reforms the Roman Curia. The reforms emphasize evangelization and establish more opportunities for the laity to be in leadership positions.
May 5 — Pope Francis is seen in a wheelchair for the first time in public and begins to use one more frequently. The pope has been suffering from knee problems for months.
Pope Francis greeted the crowd in a wheelchair at the end of his general audience on Aug. 3, 2022. Daniel Ibanez/CNA
July 24–30 — In his first papal visit to Canada, Pope Francis apologizes for the harsh treatment of the indigenous Canadians, saying many Christians and members of the Catholic Church were complicit.
2023
Jan. 31–Feb. 5 — Pope Francis travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. During his visit, the pope condemns political violence in the countries and promotes peace. He also participates in an ecumenical prayer service with Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Moderator of the Church of Scotland Iain Greenshields.
The Reverend Mother Superior Teresa Agnes Gerlach of the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington, Texas. / Credit: Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity Discalced Carmelite Nuns
CNA Staff, May 23, 2024 / 13:04 pm (CNA).
The Holy See has re… […]
5 Comments
Viva Cristo Rey
Vive le Christ Roi
Vienna
Lepanto
As mankind is fallen Satan will always induce war. When Martin Lucifer split the Christian Church it resulted in Germany instigating three outrageous wars that literally decimated Europe, led to Bolshevism in Russia, and the ongoing disintegration of Western civilization.
How we pray we might have a defender of the Faith as Saint Pope Pius V instead of someone who sounds like John Lennon.
In ancient times our primitive ancestors left behind their loved ones and indulged in wars killing and maiming one another. Nowadays modern people look after the wellbeing of their loved ones and work for the betterment of Planet Earth, our common home.
War is indeed a nasty business which results in death and destruction. Sadly, those who START the wars are rarely concerned about the women or children caught in the crossfire. When a nation declines to respond to an attack, it is perceived as weak, and is in fact encouraging another attack. What would the pope suggest they do??
Its become clear that some nations use their civilians as human shields in order to protect munitions and weapons of war. They do so deliberately. They hope their more humane enemy will therefore refuse to bomb such locations. They should be bombed anyway, in hope of rendering the munitions useless, and that this disgusting tactic will cease to be used in future.Some nations have been shown to use schools and hospitals as shields for their munitions. They are the nations that dont respect humanity in general, nor do they value the lives of their own citizens, let alone the citizens of other nations. And it is exceedingly hard to believe that such “civilian shields” have NO knowledge they are being used in such a way. If they know, are they STILL “innocent civilians”? It is therefore not a shock when they become collateral damage. Doing nothing is not an option in a war when you have been attacked. Nor is playing by “rules” which hold your nation’s response hostage and thus prolong the war.
Yes: “Conflicts may sometimes be unavoidable, yet they can only be resolved fruitfully in a spirit of dialogue and sensitivity to others and their reasons, and in shared commitment to justice in the pursuit of the common good.”
But what to do when one’s adversary has no commitment or even understanding to “reason” or “justice” or “the common good”? When such values are dismissed as only “European logic”? When the underlying marriage of faith and reason–providentially enabled when St. Paul entered into the Greek world–is dismissed in Benedict’s tyranny of relativism and worse?
Underscoring the merit of resistance to genuine evil, doesn’t the jihadist network clearly knows that killing of innocents is immoral? Instead, are they experiencing a horrified “desire to escape reality or transform it along the lines of a second reality more congenial to the ‘pheumopathological’ terrorist imagination”? The in-quotes term applies to a spiritual sickness rather than any psychological disorder or more rational thought process at least calculated to achieve justice, if by whatever means. They know what they are doing; “They are not psychopaths who cannot distinguish good and evil or innocence and guilt” (Barry Cooper, “Jihadists’ and the War on Terrorism,” The Intercollegiate Review, Spring 2007).
In order to fruitfully engage in diplomacy, mediation and cooperation, the foundation must first be established or remembered or perhaps taught. But, how to do this without reference to the incarnate Christ? And yet to mention this non-pluralist “special case” is to incite more persecution and violence.
Viva Cristo Rey
Vive le Christ Roi
Vienna
Lepanto
As mankind is fallen Satan will always induce war. When Martin Lucifer split the Christian Church it resulted in Germany instigating three outrageous wars that literally decimated Europe, led to Bolshevism in Russia, and the ongoing disintegration of Western civilization.
How we pray we might have a defender of the Faith as Saint Pope Pius V instead of someone who sounds like John Lennon.
In ancient times our primitive ancestors left behind their loved ones and indulged in wars killing and maiming one another. Nowadays modern people look after the wellbeing of their loved ones and work for the betterment of Planet Earth, our common home.
Stupid Question?
If “war has an abyss of evil at its centre,” why does Bergoglio wage war on Sacred Tradition from underground China to downtown Chicago?
War is indeed a nasty business which results in death and destruction. Sadly, those who START the wars are rarely concerned about the women or children caught in the crossfire. When a nation declines to respond to an attack, it is perceived as weak, and is in fact encouraging another attack. What would the pope suggest they do??
Its become clear that some nations use their civilians as human shields in order to protect munitions and weapons of war. They do so deliberately. They hope their more humane enemy will therefore refuse to bomb such locations. They should be bombed anyway, in hope of rendering the munitions useless, and that this disgusting tactic will cease to be used in future.Some nations have been shown to use schools and hospitals as shields for their munitions. They are the nations that dont respect humanity in general, nor do they value the lives of their own citizens, let alone the citizens of other nations. And it is exceedingly hard to believe that such “civilian shields” have NO knowledge they are being used in such a way. If they know, are they STILL “innocent civilians”? It is therefore not a shock when they become collateral damage. Doing nothing is not an option in a war when you have been attacked. Nor is playing by “rules” which hold your nation’s response hostage and thus prolong the war.
Yes: “Conflicts may sometimes be unavoidable, yet they can only be resolved fruitfully in a spirit of dialogue and sensitivity to others and their reasons, and in shared commitment to justice in the pursuit of the common good.”
But what to do when one’s adversary has no commitment or even understanding to “reason” or “justice” or “the common good”? When such values are dismissed as only “European logic”? When the underlying marriage of faith and reason–providentially enabled when St. Paul entered into the Greek world–is dismissed in Benedict’s tyranny of relativism and worse?
Underscoring the merit of resistance to genuine evil, doesn’t the jihadist network clearly knows that killing of innocents is immoral? Instead, are they experiencing a horrified “desire to escape reality or transform it along the lines of a second reality more congenial to the ‘pheumopathological’ terrorist imagination”? The in-quotes term applies to a spiritual sickness rather than any psychological disorder or more rational thought process at least calculated to achieve justice, if by whatever means. They know what they are doing; “They are not psychopaths who cannot distinguish good and evil or innocence and guilt” (Barry Cooper, “Jihadists’ and the War on Terrorism,” The Intercollegiate Review, Spring 2007).
In order to fruitfully engage in diplomacy, mediation and cooperation, the foundation must first be established or remembered or perhaps taught. But, how to do this without reference to the incarnate Christ? And yet to mention this non-pluralist “special case” is to incite more persecution and violence.
What is the fully human basis of “fraternity”?