(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation encouraging the faithful to open their hearts to God and to say ‘yes’ to his message of salvation.Speaking during the homily at morning Mass the Pope asked those present to ask themselves the question whether they are men and women who respond to the Lord’s call or whether they look the other way to avoid answering.Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: Celebrating Mass at the Casa Santa Marta for the first time since the Easter break, the Pope took his cue from the April 4th Feast of the Annunciation which tells of Mary’s “yes” to God and opens the door to the “yes” of Jesus. Pope Francis focused his homily on the chain of affirmative answers that run through the Scriptures. He spoke of Abraham who obeyed the Lord and left his land without knowing his destination and he recalled that “humanity of men and women” – even a...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation encouraging the faithful to open their hearts to God and to say ‘yes’ to his message of salvation.
Speaking during the homily at morning Mass the Pope asked those present to ask themselves the question whether they are men and women who respond to the Lord’s call or whether they look the other way to avoid answering.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni:
Celebrating Mass at the Casa Santa Marta for the first time since the Easter break, the Pope took his cue from the April 4th Feast of the Annunciation which tells of Mary’s “yes” to God and opens the door to the “yes” of Jesus.
Pope Francis focused his homily on the chain of affirmative answers that run through the Scriptures.
He spoke of Abraham who obeyed the Lord and left his land without knowing his destination and he recalled that “humanity of men and women” – even although many were elderly like Abraham or Moses - “who said ‘yes’ to hope offered by the Lord.”
The Pope also mentioned those who initially refused or hesitated – like Isaiah or Jeremiah – but ended up saying “yes” to the Lord.
And reflecting on the Gospel reading of the day, Pope Francis said it marks the end of ‘this chain’ while opening the door to yet another ‘yes’.
Mary's ‘yes’ – he explained – allows God not only to look over man and walk with him, but to become one of us and take on our flesh.
“Mary’s ‘yes’ opens the door to Jesus’ ‘yes’: I have come to do Your will, this is the ‘yes’ that Jesus carries with him throughout his life, until the cross” he said.
And Pope Francis pointed out that Mary’s affirmative answer contains the whole history of salvation.
“Today, he said, is a beautiful day in which to thank God for showing us that path, but also for thinking about our lives”
With a special word for some of the priests present who were celebrating the 50th anniversary of their Ordination, the Pope said “every day each one of us is called to say ‘yes’ to God”. And he asked them to think of how many times they may have chosen to pretend they hadn’t heard, and he encouraged them to persevere in always listening to the Lord’s voice.
Finally, Pope Francis said, it is God’s ‘yes’ that creates and re-creates the world and man: “It is God’s ‘yes’ that sanctifies us and keeps us alive in Jesus Christ”.
He concluded inviting the faithful to thank God for all of this and prayed the Lord to give us the grace to always say ‘yes’ to His call.
Pope Francis speaks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, Sept. 25, 2015. / L'Osservatore Romano.Rome Newsroom, Apr 25, 2024 / 07:22 am (CNA).Pope Francis is reportedly considering returning to the United States in September to speak before the United Nations General Assembly.The news was initially reported by the French Catholic newspaper La Croix and has not yet been officially confirmed by the Vatican. A source from the Vatican Secretariat of State, meanwhile, told CNA this week that "a formal invitation has arrived from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Pope Francis seems inclined to respond positively."If the New York trip occurs, the pope would visit the United Nations during its "Summit of the Future," which the international body will convene from Sept. 22 to 23.The possible trip to the United States could change the pope's already-busy September travel schedule. The Holy See Press Office has announced that Pope Francis will be in Indonesia...
Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of the multinational digital communications conglomerate Cisco, signs the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a document by the Pontifical Academy for Life, on April 24, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican MediaRome Newsroom, Apr 24, 2024 / 11:06 am (CNA).The CEO of Cisco Systems signed the Vatican's artificial intelligence ethics pledge on Wednesday, becoming the latest technology giant to join the Church's call for ethical and responsible use of AI.Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of the multinational digital communications conglomerate, met privately with Pope Francis on April 24 before signing the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a document by the Pontifical Academy for Life. Pope Francis meets with Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of multinational digital communications conglomerate Cisco, on April 24, 2024, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaThe document, first published by the pontifical academy in February 2020, has previously been signed ...
null / Credit: Brian A Jackson / ShutterstockCNA Staff, Apr 24, 2024 / 13:35 pm (CNA).Catholics Charities Corporation in Ohio was found partially negligent this week in the 2017 death of a 5-year-old boy who was being supervised by one of the organization's caseworkers at the time he died.A jury in Cuyahoga County ruled in the wrongful death suit that the Catholic charity group was 8% responsible for Jordan Rodriguez's September 2017 death, local media reported. Rodriguez's body was discovered buried in his mother's backyard three months after he died.The boy's mother and her boyfriend earlier pleaded guilty to several charges stemming from his death, including involuntary manslaughter. Jordan was developmentally disabled and incapable of speaking.In the civil wrongful death trial this week, Catholic Charities Corporation was ordered to pay $960,000 into Jordan Rodriguez's estate. Several ...