Pope Francis prays during his general audience on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media
CNA Staff, Sep 1, 2024 / 04:00 am (CNA).
Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September is for the cry of the Earth.
“Let us pray for the cry of the Earth,” Pope Francis urged the faithful in a video released Aug. 30.
“If we took the planet’s temperature, it would tell us that the Earth has a fever. And it is sick, just like anyone who’s sick,” he said.
The Holy Father asked individuals to consider two questions: “Are we listening to this pain? Do we hear the pain of the millions of victims of environmental catastrophes?”
“The ones suffering most from the consequences of these disasters are the poor, those who are forced to leave their homes because of floods, heat waves, or drought,” the pope said.
“Dealing with the environmental crisis caused by humans, such as climate change, pollution, or the loss of biodiversity, begs responses that are not only ecological but are also social, economic, and political.”
The pope emphasized the need to “commit ourselves to the fight against poverty and the protection of nature, changing our personal and community habits.”
Pope Francis concluded with a prayer: “Let us pray that each of us listen with our hearts to the cry of the Earth and of the victims of environmental disasters and climate change, making a personal commitment to care for the world we inhabit.”
Pope Francis’ prayer video is promoted by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which raises awareness of monthly papal prayer intentions.
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Palestinians stand on the rubble and debris of the Latin Patriarchate Holy Family School after it was hit during an alleged Israeli military bombardment in Gaza City on July 7, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between… […]
Pilgrims pass through the holy door at the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls on Jan. 5, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
CNA Newsroom, Feb 13, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).
Since Pope Francis marked the beginning of the 2025 Jubilee year, 1.3 million people have passed through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, according to Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect for the New Evangelization section of the Dicastery for Evangelization.
Fisichella made the announcement at a Feb. 7 press conference for the Jubilee of the Armed Forces. The archbishop pointed out, however, that the numbers of pilgrims “are not a criterion of validity for the success of the Jubilee. What counts is what is in the hearts of people.”
Holy doors are usually only designated in the four papal basilicas in Rome — St. Peter’s in the Vatican, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls. But this year, Pope Franics also opened another location at Rebibbia prison in Rome.
Besides the Holy Doors, other factors have contributed to the high number of people visiting Rome and other parts of Italy to take part in this year’s celebration.
“The Jubilee is one of the major reasons we’re seeing the increased crowds. But also recent surveys show that Italy in general remains among the most popular travel destinations in the world,” Teresa Tomeo, an Italy travel expert and founder of the website, “T’s Italy, told CNA.
“A survey found that travelers want more than just a Roman or Italian holiday. They’re looking for ‘transformative’ travel,” Tomeo said. “What better place than Italy given all of the incredible and important religious sites, not to mention the natural beauty, for change or transformation to occur?”
Teresa Tomeo is pictured here (at center) during the Oct. 2024 pilgrimage she and her husband, Deacon Dominick Pastore, led to Italy. Credit: Courtesy of T’s Italy
Tomeo, a best-selling author who has led multiple Italian tours and visited the country on more than 60 occasions, said these pilgrimages have the power to strengthen a traveler’s faith.
“On our last pilgrimage in October of 2024, we had three of our pilgrims privately tell us that they were so moved or ‘transformed’ by what they experienced in Italy, that they were coming back into the Church,” she said.
Since the Jubilee has begun with such large crowds, locals and travelers should expect the high volume to continue.
“Easter time and the summer months are always the busiest times of year in Italy and especially Rome,” said Tomeo. “I don’t think it will be any different this year. The canonizations of Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati fall within those time periods and those special events are expected to draw even larger crowds.”
Tomeo encourages visitors to fully immerse themselves in their Jubilee travels.
“Turin is where Blessed Frassati is from and is buried and it has so much to offer pilgrims in terms of other saints,” she said. “The church, St. John the Baptist, which houses his tomb, is also home to the chapel of the Shroud of Turin. Although the Shroud is not available for viewing and veneration during the Jubilee year, the church is breathtaking and Turino is home to another popular saint — St. John Bosco.”
“And then of course the medieval and unspoiled town of Assisi and the tomb of Carlo Acutis is a place that deserves more than just a day trip from Rome. Not to mention the surrounding area of Assisi in Umbria and other nearby saints such as St. Rita of Cascia, St. Clare of the Cross in Montefalco, and St. Angela of Foligno,” Tomeo said.
The Jubilee will continue until Jan. 6. 2026 and it is anticipated that more than 30 million pilgrims will make the religious journey to Rome during the holy year.
Vatican City, Nov 17, 2018 / 04:25 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican’s nativity scene will be a little bit different this year. In a departure from the traditional Neapolitan or Maltese figures of recent years, the scene of Christ’s birth wi… […]
2 Comments
Planet Earth and humankind are praying for concern and tender care. Lord hear our prayer.
Planet Earth and humankind are praying for concern and tender care. Lord hear our prayer.
What? No prayer that we all forget who Rupnik is, and why his so called art is still on display? That is surprising. But we will not forget.