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This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the Bishops, Friends of the Focolare Movement, to whom he addressed the following words:

 

Address of the Holy Father

Dear brothers and sisters

I greet you all with affection, and I thank you for requesting this meeting, even though most of you are participating from afar. But we are close, indeed united in the one Body and the one Spirit!

I greet Cardinal Francis Xavier Kovithavanij, who was unable to come due to illness: let us pray for his rapid recovery! And I thank the bishops who have presented the experience of these meetings of yours, which began forty years ago. A path of friendship that has a strong root, a solid root. I would like to reflect briefly on this with you.

The Opera di Maria , or Focolare Movement, has always cultivated, through the charism received from its founder Chiara Lubich, the sense and service of unity: unity in the Church, unity among all believers, and unity throughout the world, “in concentric circles”. This makes us think of the definition of the Church given by the Second Vatican Council: “the sacrament or sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race” (Constitution Lumen Gentium , 1). In the midst of the lacerations and destructions of war, the Spirit placed in Chiara’s young heart a seed of fraternity, a seed of communion. A seed that developed and grew from that group of friends in Trento, attracting men and women of every language and nation with the power of God’s love, which creates unity without annulling diversity, on the contrary, enhancing and harmonising it. The words of Basil (of Caesarea), the Spirit, come to mind: “ Ipse unitas est, ipse est harmonia ”.

The “kinship” - so to speak - between this charism and the ministry of the bishops is evident. We bishops are at the service of the people of God, so that it may be built up in the unity of faith, hope and charity. The Holy Spirit imprints in the heart of the bishop the will of the Lord Jesus: that all Christians may be one, to the praise and glory of the Triune God and that the world may believe in Jesus Christ (cf. Jn 17:21). Pope, and bishops, we are at the service not of an external unity, of a “uniformity”: rather, of the mystery of communion that is the Church in Christ and in the Holy Spirit, the Church as a living Body, as a people journeying in history, and at the same time beyond history. A people sent into the world to bear witness to Christ, so that He, Lumen gentium , Light of the Gentiles, may draw everyone to Him, with the gentle and merciful power of His Paschal Mystery.

Dear brothers and sisters, this, we can say, is God's “dream”. It is His plan to reconcile [he says: reconciliation] and harmonise everything and everyone in Christ (cf. Eph 1:10; Col 1:20). This is also the “dream” of fraternity, to which I dedicated the Encyclical Fratelli tutti . In the face of the “shadows of a closed world”, where so many dreams of unity are being shattered, where a project for all is lacking and globalisation is drifting without a common course”, where the scourge of the pandemic risks exacerbating inequalities, the Spirit calls us to have the boldness - the parrhesia - of being one, as the title of your meeting says. Dare to be one. Starting from the awareness that unity is a gift - that is the other part of the title.

Il coraggio dell’unità ce lo testimoniano soprattutto i santi: pochi giorni fa abbiamo celebrato San Cornelio, Papa, e San Cipriano, vescovo. Proprio a quest’ultimo dobbiamo la stupenda definizione della Chiesa come «popolo adunato nell’unità del Padre, del Figlio e dello Spirito Santo» (De Orat. Dom. 23: PL 4, 553). Ma pensiamo anche a tanti testimoni dei nostri tempi, pastori e laici, che hanno avuto “l’audacia dell’unità”, pagando di persona un prezzo a volte molto alto. Perché l’unità che ci ha donato e ci dona Gesù Cristo non è unanimismo, non è andare d’accordo a tutti i costi: no. Obbedisce a un criterio fondamentale, che è il rispetto della persona, il rispetto del volto dell’altro, specialmente del povero, del piccolo, dell’escluso.

Cari fratelli e sorelle, vi ringrazio ancora di questo incontro. Soprattutto vi ringrazio per l’impegno con cui portate avanti questo cammino di amicizia – mi raccomando: sempre aperto, mai esclusivo –, per crescere nel servizio alla comunione. Continuate a sorridere, che è parte del vostro carisma. Prego per voi e per le vostre comunità. Il Signore vi benedica e la Madonna vi custodisca. E, per favore, non dimenticatevi di pregare per me.

The saints, above all, bear witness to the courage of unity: a few days ago we celebrated Saint Cornelius, Pope, and Saint Cyprian, Bishop. We owe to the latter the wonderful definition of the Church as “a people gathered together in the unity of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” ( De Orat. Dom. 23: PL 4, 553). But let us also think of so many witnesses of our times, pastors and lay people, who have had the “boldness of unity”, paying in person a price that was at times very high. Because the unity that Jesus Christ gave us and continues to give us is not unanimity, it is not agreeing at all costs: no, it is not. It obeys a fundamental criterion, which is respect for the person, respect for the face of the other, especially the poor, the small, the excluded.

Dear brothers and sisters, thank you again for this meeting. Above all, I thank you for the commitment with which you have pursued this path of friendship – remember, it should always be open, never exclusive - in order to grow in the service of communion. Keep smiling, which is part of your charism. I pray for you and for your communities. May the Lord bless you and may Our Lady protect you. And please do not forget to pray for me.

May the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit bless us all. Amen.

Appointment of special envoy to preside at the Holy Mass on the occasion of the 150 th anniversary of the founding of the Pro Petri Sede Association, Basilica of Koekelberg, Brussels

Appointment of special envoy to the celebration of the 150 th anniversary of the diocese of Saint Augustine, U.S.A.

 

Appointment of special envoy to preside at the Holy Mass on the occasion of the 150 th anniversary of the founding of the Pro Petri Sede Association, Basilica of Koekelberg, Brussels (27 October 2021)

The Holy Father has appointed His Eminence Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, as his special envoy at the Holy Mass to be celebrated on the occasion of the 150 th anniversary of the founding of the Pro Petri Sede Association, on 27 November 2021, in the Basilica of Koekelberg in Brussels.

 

Appointment of special envoy to the celebration of the 150 th anniversary of the diocese of Saint Augustine, U.S.A.

The Holy Father has appointed His Eminence Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra, archbishop of Madrid, as his special envoy to the celebration of the 150 th anniversary of the diocese of Saint Augustine, United States of America, scheduled to take place on 10 October 2021, during which the ceremony for the coronation of the image of Our Lady of La Leche y del Buen Parto will be held.

This morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience:

- His Eminence Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops;

- His Eminence Cardinal Péter Erdő, metropolitan archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest;

- Archbishop Martin Krebs, titular of Taborenta, apostolic nuncio in Switzerland and in Liechtenstein;

- Bishops Friends of the Focolare Movement.

The following is the address given by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States, at the United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Energy:

 

Intervention of Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher

Statement by H.E. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher Secretary for Relations with States at the United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Energy

New York, 24 September 2021

Mr. President,

The Holy See thanks you for convening this High-Level Dialogue on Energy at a time when the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 7 is becoming ever more urgent.

Access: technology, infrastructure, affordability

Currently 759 million people live without electricity. [1]  As called for in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to eliminate poverty and hunger we must ensure that every family and household has sufficient access to affordable and reliable energy. This means promoting energy systems and micro-grids for “end-consumers” on a local level and providing communities with durable energy infrastructures. Instilling respect for local cultures and ensuring that they are able to manage and maintain their own energy resources, in line with the principle of subsidiarity, are vital and will prevent exploitative dependencies on large energy networks and bureaucracies [2] .

Energy access also depends on affordability and pricing. The poor, including those on the peripheries of society in developed countries, often cannot afford the energy needed for daily life. Therefore, reasonable energy pricing, ethical business practices and subsidies for the poorest are essential. [3]

Negative impact of production/consumption on the planet and the poor

As we collectively strive to ensure energy access for all, we must take into account the resulting impact on the environment. The extraction, transformation, transport, and consumption of fossil fuels and unclean energy harm air, water, soil, ecosystems, and climate.

Just as energy access is not evenly distributed, neither are the negative effects of energy production. Their disproportionate impact on the poor and those in vulnerable situations, in some circumstances leads to social unrest, negative health impacts, conflict, and numerous human rights violations. Additionally, climate change disrupts the agricultural sector, exacerbates water insecurity and scarcity, and increases exposure to extreme weather events, destroying livelihoods and forcing many to leave their homes and migrate.

Energy transition

A just energy transition should pursue smarter, more efficient, and more peaceful energy production, management, and consumption, especially in those areas where energy is most likely to be wasted. The production of disposable goods, low-quality products, single-use items, and other commercial strategies that purposefully waste energy are all symptoms of a “throw away culture”. In light of this reality, the largest energy consumers have an obligation to review their impact on “those who are not yet able to live in a way worthy of their human dignity.” [4]

The transition to accessible and clean energy is a duty that we owe to millions of our brothers and sisters around the world, especially the poor, including generations yet to come. “Civilization requires energy,” Pope Francis has noted, “but energy use must not destroy civilization!” [5]

Thank you, Mr. President.

_____________________



[1]  UNDESA,  Theme Report on Energy Access: Towards the Achievement of SDG7 and Net-Zero Emissions , 2021.

[2]  See generally: Interdicasterial Working Group of the Holy See on Integral Ecology,  Journeying Towards Care for our Common Home: Five Years After Laudato Si’,  (Vatican City, 2020).

[3]  See generally: Interdicasterial Working Group of the Holy See on Integral Ecology,  Journeying Towards Care for our Common Home: Five Years After Laudato Si’,  (Vatican City, 2020).

[4]  Pope Francis,  Laudato Si’,  193.

[5]  Pope Francis,  Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to participants at the meeting for executives of the main companies in the oil and natural gas sectors, and other energy related businesses , 9 June 2018.

 

The Holy Father Francis has granted the Ecclesiastica Communio requested of him in accordance with can. 76§2 of the CCEO by His Beatitude Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian.

The following is the text of the Letter that Pope Francis gave to the new Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians for the concession of the Ecclesiastica Communio :

To His Beatitude Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian

Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians

I have received the letter with which Your Beatitude has informed me that today you have been elected Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians by the Synod of Bishops, requesting the concession of ecclesiastical communion.

I wish to join in the joy of the sons and daughters of that Church and of the Universal Church, who greatly accompanied with their prayers the Bishops gathered first in Lebanon, at the beginning of the summer, and in these days in Rome, at the Pontifical Armenian College. Every member of the Armenian Catholic holy people of God was waiting for his Pastor, to be known by him, called by name and led by the strong and gentle word of the Gospel.

The election of Your Beatitude has come at a time when people are particularly burdened by various challenges. I am thinking of the suffering in Syria and Lebanon - countries where the Church of Cilicia of the Armenians is present - as well as the pandemic, which is still far from being overcome in many parts of the world. All persons of good will, especially Christians, are called to be neighbours and to demonstrate they are brothers, overcoming indifference and loneliness. Even under the floods of history and in the deserts of our time, we can and must walk towards the Crucified and Risen One.

We know the Armenian people as expert in suffering, because of the many trials throughout its more than 1,700 years of Christian history, but also because of its inexhaustible capacity to flourish and bear fruit, through the holiness and wisdom of its saints and martyrs, the culture of its doctors and thinkers, and the art that knows how to carve into the rock the sign of the cross like a tree of life, testimony to the victory of faith over every adverse force in the world.

The Church Your Beatitude has been called to lead is fully integrated in the affairs of the Armenian people, preserving their memory and traditions, and at the same time deeply linked to the Successor of the Apostle Peter: I entrust to you the care of the younger generations, the promotion of vocations, the wise harmony you must be able to find between the different entities of your community, such as the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, the Mekhitarist Congregation and the Institute of the Patriarchal Clergy of Bzommar, as well as many of your sons and daughters who were formed and live within the Latin Church but are well aware of their Armenian heritage.

May the All-Holy Mother of God and the saints of your tradition, especially Saint Gregory of Narek whom I had the joy of proclaiming a Doctor of the Church, guide, exemplify and intercede for you: may they show us above all the path of authentic fraternity and ecumenical dialogue with our brothers and sisters of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

May the Patriarchal Church of Cilicia of the Armenians, led by Your Beatitude together with the Bishops of the Synod, continue to make its way in these first decades of the third millennium.

As the Successor of the Apostle Peter, called to confirm the brethren in the faith, I gladly grant you the ecclesiastical communion requested, in accordance with Tradition and the norms in force, conveying to you my embrace of peace and my Apostolic Blessing.

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 23 September 2021.

Francis