In his Vespers homily in St. Peter’s Basilica on the last day of the year, the Pope said that the preparatory work in Rome for the Jubilee year corresponds to the “universal mission” of the Eternal City. , said that it has a special meaning.
“Rome is called to welcome all people so that they may recognize themselves as children and brothers of God,” he said.
Francis began the Jubilee Year. “Rome has become a construction site”
Francis recalled the Jubilee motto: “Pilgrim of hope.” He emphasized that “One of the great paths of hope that we must walk is fraternity.” “Yes, the hope of the world lies in brotherhood,” he declared.
He added: “In recent months, construction sites have been opened to prepare our city to welcome men and women from all over the world, Catholics and Christians of other denominations, the faithful, for this purpose and in this sense. It’s wonderful to think that it has become so.” People of all faiths, all pilgrims seeking truth, freedom, justice, peace, hope and brotherhood.
The Pope expressed his belief that “the hope for a world of fraternity lies not in ideology, nor in economic systems, nor in technological progress.”
See also: Priest sues bishop and reports to Vatican. Huge grounds in the background
“We gratefully applaud the work done in the city, we thank so many men and women for all they have done, and we thank the mayor, but we alone It is necessary to recognize what is the decisive task that pertains to a person: something that allows God to change: “There is something in us that is not worthy of a son, something that is not human.” he explained.
In Christian and Jewish traditions, the Jubilee Year is considered a special year of grace that refers to man’s divine origin. It was first celebrated in 1300. Initially it was celebrated every 100 years, but by a decision of Pope Paul II it was celebrated every 25 years from the late 15th century.
A record year for Pope Francis
The past year at the Vatican has been marked by further action to end the war in Ukraine and a benevolent mission to the country by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner. The important event was the synod of bishops. Francis set a record for a pope by visiting six countries in less than a month.
The 88-year-old Pope marked the jubilee year, which began on Christmas Eve, with a number of events planned. There are dozens of large events he attends. This will be a major challenge to the physical strength and health of Francis, one of the oldest popes in history.
See also: Heavy sentences for Belarusian priests. A secret trial was held
At the turn of 2023-2024, there was a debate on the Fiducia Supplicant, a document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that allows for the possibility of blessing same-sex couples. The new year began with a clarification from the Vatican aimed at calming emotions due to controversy and protests among bishops and bishops overall, including in Africa.
The State Department said these blessings must be simple and short and must be clearly distinguished from liturgical and ritual blessings. She stressed that the doctrine of marriage remains unchanged. She also referred to the protests and strongly urged that “what the Bishops’ Conference declared cannot be interpreted as a doctrinal objection, as the document is clear and classic on the issue of marriage and sexuality.” emphasized. The Vatican said this could not be considered “heretical, contrary to church tradition or blasphemous.”
War in Ukraine. the pope called for peace
In 2024, the pope spoke dozens of times in meetings with the faithful about “tortured Ukraine,” called for prayers for the country and called for an end to the war.
The special envoy to Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Episcopal Conference of Italy, visited Moscow again in October and met with the head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, and the Plenipotentiary for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova. -The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Belova for illegally deporting Ukrainian children to Russia. The issue of their repatriation was one of the main topics of the talks, after the exchange of prisoners.
In July, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin visited Ukraine for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion.
See also: Massive attack on Ukraine. Explosions heard in Kyiv
In addition, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, brought further aid on behalf of Francis, donating a mobile hospital and a medical camper van with six ultrasound scanners to Lviv before Christmas.
The Vatican has noted that the Pope’s words on Ukraine have sometimes lacked precision. President Francis spoke of attacks and bombings on hospitals, schools and energy infrastructure, but did not say they were carried out by Russia.
The Vatican wants to keep the door open to possible dialogue with Moscow, and the Pope has repeatedly singled out Russia as an aggressor – Vatican representatives say This is how he describes his stance.
Controversy over the word “white flag”
The controversy was sparked by Francis’ words in a March interview: “I believe that those who look at the situation, think about the country, and have the courage to hold up the white flag and negotiate are stronger people.Today, it is difficult to negotiate with the help of international powers. Yes, the word “negotiate” is bold.
Words about the “white flag” were angrily interpreted in Ukraine as a call for surrender. This statement caused a wave of criticism. The Vatican explained that the pope used “the image of the white flag, proposed by the interlocutors to signify the cessation of hostilities and the ceasefire reached through the courage of negotiations.”
See also: The Father is Dead. Andrzej Bokuk. The priest’s body was found in the room.
Before the end of the year, Archbishop Svyatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said that the Pope had accepted an invitation to visit Ukraine in 2025, but said that this visit had not been confirmed. In an interview with Radio Słoboda, the archbishop said: “The date has not been set yet, but Pope Francis likes to give surprises from time to time.”
Earlier, the Pope had repeatedly said he wanted to visit both Ukraine and Russia. Generally speaking, the chances of him visiting Moscow are considered zero.
Church strives to listen to victims
In October, the second and final session of the Synod of Bishops was held in the Vatican with the motto: “Towards a Synod: Communion, Participation, Mission.” There was no shortage of controversy surrounding the conference’s agenda, as it was sometimes difficult to understand the meaning of the word “synodality,” understood as a common pursuit and collective responsibility for the mission of the Church.
What is new is that the Pope has decided not to publish an apostolic exhortation based on the final document, which is the only summary of the deliberations and part of the Bishop of Rome’s teaching. The church says it needs “healing, reconciliation and rebuilding trust” in connection with the scandal.
See also: New Year around the world. First country to reach 2025
“The abuse crisis manifests itself in many different and tragic ways, causing untold and often lasting suffering to victims and their communities. “The conscience of the clergy and those involved in the functioning of the Church” must be listened to with particular attention and sensitivity to the voices of victims of institutional and power abuses”.
One of the conclusions is that the church must “acknowledge its own faults, humbly ask for forgiveness, be considerate of victims, and provide preventive measures.”
2024 as seen from the Vatican. Participation in the G7 Summit, interaction with comedians, pilgrimage to Asia and Oceania
In May, the first World Children’s Day was held at the Vatican under the initiative of the Pope.
In June, comedians from around the world became the pope’s guests for the first time. It was one of the most interesting papal audiences.
Also in June, Francis became the first Pope to attend the G7 summit in Puglia, Italy, where he delivered a speech on artificial intelligence.
See also: The tragic ending of an African wedding. More than 70 people died
As part of the start of the Jubilee Year, he opened the Holy Door in Rome’s Rebibia Prison on December 26th. This is an unprecedented act.
In September, the oldest traveling pope in history embarked on the longest pilgrimage to Asia and Oceania, covering a distance of 33,000 kilometers. In less than a month, he visited Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, followed by Luxembourg and Belgium a dozen days later.
During the Jubilee, the Pope will visit Turkey to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. Travel to the Canary Islands is also possible as the country continues to experience a migrant crisis.
Your browser does not support video players… Read more
Source link