Pope gives Rome homeless Christmas gift of new clinic in Vatican

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has given the homeless a Christmas gift of a new clinic in St. Peter's Square where they can get free medical help, the Vatican said on Saturday, announcing his latest move to help Rome's destitute.

The Rome Catholic charity Caritas estimated late last year that there are more than 16,000 homeless in Rome and their number congregating near the Vatican has grown visibly in recent years, especially at night when they cluster under arcades to sleep.

The new clinic with 3 visiting rooms will be open 3 days a week and will be staffed by volunteer doctors from the Vatican medical services and Rome hospitals.

Foot specialists will be available once a week. Charities say homeless people suffer particularly from foot ailments because they rarely remove their socks and shoes, and also wear ill-fitting shoes, causing ailments such as fungal infections, blisters and calluses.

The new clinic replaces an older temporary one nearby, also set up by the 82-year-old Francis. He has also opened facilities where the homeless can bathe and get haircuts.

When it is not serving the homeless, the new clinic, built on the premises of the old Vatican post office, will serve as a first aid station for pilgrims and tourists.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Vatican's St. Peter's Square gets 720-ton sand nativity scene

VATICAN CITY - The traditional nativity scene in St. Peter's Square won't be so traditional this year. For the first time, it is made of sand - 720 tons of it.

For the past 2 weeks, Rich Varano, a professional sand artist, has been guiding 3 sculptors from the Netherlands, Russia and the Czech Republic, to craft the work, which measures about 5.5 meters high by 16 meters wide (18 feet high by 52 feet wide).

Varano, 60, the artistic director of the massive work, doesn't mind if you call him "Mr Sandman." Sand is his life and love. The American from Florida divides his time between the United States and Italy.

"It's very special to be making one here in a place with so much history, so much culture, so much art and in the shadow of such masters," he told Reuters on Thursday as his team worked quietly to finish ahead of Friday's unveiling to the public.

"It is an incredibly humbling experience to be here," he said.

Heavy trucks brought the sand, of a type particularly suited for sculpting, from the northern Italian seaside city of Jesolo, near Venice, in mid-November.

It was compacted into a large rectangle and the artists started sculpting away from the top down with tools including sticks, trowels, and even dental utensils for the finer parts.

"What separates us professionals and the average person playing on the beach is that we understand how to make sand stick together well," the white-bearded Varano said, wearing a yellow hard hat.

The scene consists of Joseph, Mary, the infant Jesus, angels, shepherds, animals and the 3 wise men, kings the Bible says followed a star in the east that led them to Bethlehem.

Varano said beach sand is not suitable, partly because it is not very compactable. The sand is taken from more inland areas and is similar to river sand.

A large overhead canopy will protect the scene from any heavy rain and plastic curtains will be lowered in case of storms or strong winds before it is dismantled in January.

"It's an ephemeral art in the sense that it is not intended to last forever," he said, "even though we could make it last indefinitely if we wanted to".

Varano said he expected some criticism from conservatives who think nativity scenes should be made up of traditional statues.

"I would not be surprised if there were some people who had concerns, but there are so many more who will enjoy it and that makes me happy," he said.

Once the Christmas season is over, it will be returned there and used for other sand sculptures.

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Pope Francis declares Mother Teresa a saint

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis on Sunday declared revered nun Mother Teresa a saint in a canonization mass at St. Peter's Square.

"For the honor of the Blessed Trinity... we declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (Kolkata) to be a saint and we enroll her among the saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole Church," the pontiff said in Latin.

The elevation of one of the icons of 20th century Christianity came a day before the 19th anniversary of her death in Kolkata, the Indian city where she spent nearly four decades working with the dying and the destitute.

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Pope says it is blasphemy to use God's name to justify violence

VATICAN CITY -- After the deadly attacks in Paris claimed by Islamic State militants, Pope Francis said on Sunday that using God's name to justify violence was sacrilege.

"I want to firmly repeat that the path of violence and hate does not resolve humanity's problems, and using the name of God to justify this path is blasphemy," the pope told thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square.

"Such barbarism leaves us stunned and we ask ourselves how the heart of man could plan and execute such horrible acts, which shocked not only France but the whole world," he said.

The pope then invited the faithful to pray with him for the innocent victims of the attacks.

It was the first time the pope had spoken directly to the general public about the Friday attacks, though in a radio interview on Saturday he characterized the assault as inhuman.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks that killed 129 people, saying they were in revenge for French military action in Syria and Iraq.

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On Easter, Pope calls for end to war

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis, in his Easter address before a huge crowd, on Sunday denounced the "immense wastefulness" in the world while many go hungry and called for an end to conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and Africa.

 "We ask you, Lord Jesus, to put an end to all war and every conflict, whether great or small, ancient or recent," he said in his "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message.

Francis, marking the second Easter season of his pontificate, celebrated a Mass to an overflowing crowd of at least 150,000 in St. Peter's Square and beyond.

The crowd stretched back along all of Via della Conciliazione, the boulevard between the Vatican and the Tiber River.

Speaking under a sunny sky after a midnight rainstorm soaked the tens of thousands of flowers that bedecked the square, Francis weaved his message around the suffering of people across the globe.

He prayed to God to "help us to overcome the scourge of hunger, aggravated by conflicts and by the immense wastefulness for which we are often responsible".

Since his election as the first non-European pope in 1,300 years, Francis had made defense of the poor a hallmark of his papacy, often criticizing developed nations and the excesses of capitalism and consumerism.

The 77-year-old pope, wearing white vestments for the service, prayed for the protection of those members of society who are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and abandonment - women, children, the elderly and immigrants.

Easter is the most important day on the liturgical calendar because it commemorates the day Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead after his crucifixion and the Church sees it as a symbol of hope, peace and reconciliation among peoples and nations.

Bold peace negotiations
The pope called on the international community to "boldly negotiate the peace long awaited and long overdue" in Syria, where more than 150,000 people have been killed in the civil war, a third of them civilians. Millions have fled the country.

"We pray in a particular way for Syria, that all those suffering the effects of the conflict can receive needed humanitarian aid and that neither side will again use deadly force, especially against the defenseless civil population," he said.

Francis asked God to "enlighten and inspire the initiatives that promote peace in Ukraine so that all those involved, with the support of the international community, will make every effort to prevent violence and, in a spirit of unity and dialogue, chart a path for the country's future."

He also asked for an end to violence in Iraq, Venezuela, South Sudan and the Central Africa Republic.

Francis appealed for more medical attention for the victims of the deadly Ebola epidemic in Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and care for those suffering from many other diseases spread through neglect and dire poverty.

He called for a "halt to the brutal terrorist attacks" in f Nigeria, an apparent reference to Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which earlier this month abducted some 130 girls from a school in the north of the country.

The Easter Sunday services were the culmination of four hectic days of Holy Week activities for the pontiff.

Next Sunday, he will canonize Pope John Paul II, who reigned from 1978 to 2005, and Pope John XXIII, who was pontiff from 1958 to 1963 and called the Second Vatican Council, a landmark meeting that modernized the Church.

Hundreds of thousands of people are due to come to Rome for the canonizations, the first time two popes are be made saints simultaneously and the first canonizations of a pope since 1954.

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Pope mistakenly says Italian word for 'f--k'

Pope Francis committed a mistake during his Sunday address in Saint Peter's Square.

The Pope accidentally said the Italian counterpart of the "f" word instead of saying caso, which is Italian for "example." He was calling for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

A transcript from the Vatican of the Pope's speech in Italian reads:

"Se ognuno di noi non accumula ricchezze soltanto per sé ma le mette al servizio degli altri, in questo caso la Provvidenza di Dio si rende visibile in questo gesto di solidarietà."

Loosely translated into English, the text says: "If each of us does not accumulate riches only for himself but puts them at the service of others, in this case the Providence of God is made visible in this gesture of solidarity."

He did realize his mistake, correcting himself on the spot.




Francis also tweeted, "In life, we all make many mistakes. Let us learn to recognize our errors and ask forgiveness."



People have generally been forgiving.

They say, the Pope's mix-up is a common mistake for those who move from speaking Spanish to Italian.

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Help the Philippines, Pope Francis says on Christmas

MANILA - Pope Francis, celebrating his first Christmas as Roman Catholic leader, on Wednesday called for help for the typhoon-hit Philippines.

Speaking to tens of thousands of people from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the same spot where he emerged to the world as pope when he was elected on March 13, Francis described Catholic-majority Filipinos as "beloved people".

"Help and protect all victims of natural disasters, especially the beloved people of Philippines gravely affected by the typhoon," he said.

In a Christmas morning mass at the Sto. Niño Church in Tacloban, the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines assured survivors of super typhoon Yolanda that they are not alone.

Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto said the world is ready to help Filipinos recover from the typhoon.

He also brought with him a message of hope from Pope Francis.

"Despite the tragedy you face, you are not alone. God is with you, god is with us," he said.

"It is my privilege to bring to you the solidarity of his holiness, Pope Francis," he added. "You know how much he cares for you. He keeps you in his prayers, and he wants to assure you of the faithful love of God."

He also called for dialogue to end the conflict in South Sudan and all wars, saying everyone should strive to be personal peacemakers.

Aid continues to flow into typhoon-devastated areas, underscoring a massive local and international relief effort launched in Yolanda's aftermath.

The typhoon, the strongest to ever hit land, struck central Philippines on November 8, destroying almost everything in its path. It killed over 6,000 people, left nearly 1,800 missing.

The United Nations recently announced an appeal for $800 million of funding to provide 12 months of assistance for 14 million people affected by the typhoon.

The funds would be used to provide access to food, shelter, water, health and sanitation services.

Call for peace

Pope Francis, in his first "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and world) message on Christmas day, also made another appeal for the environment to be saved from "human greed and rapacity".

He wove his message around the theme of peace.

He called for "social harmony in South Sudan, where current tensions have already caused numerous victims and are threatening peaceful coexistence in that young state."

He also called for dialogue to end the conflicts in Syria, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq, and prayed for a "favourable outcome" to the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians.

"Wars shatter and hurt so many lives!" he said, saying their most vulnerable victims were children, elderly, battered women and the sick.

The thread running through the message was that individuals had a role in promoting peace, either with their neighbour or between nations. The message of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem was directed at "every man or woman who keeps watch through the night, who hopes for a better world, who cares for others while humbly seeking to do his or her duty," he said.

"God is peace: let us ask him to help us to be peacemakers each day, in our life, in our families, in our cities and nations, in the whole world," he said.

Breath of fresh air

Pilgrims came from all over the world for Christmas at the Vatican and some said it was because they felt Francis had brought a breath of fresh air to the Church.

"(He) is bringing a new era into the Church, a Church that is focusing much more on the poor and that is more austere, more lively .." said Dolores Di Benedetto, who came from the pope's homeland, Argentina, to attend Christmas eve Mass.

Giacchino Sabello, an Italian, said he wanted to get a first-hand look at the new pope: "I thought it would be very nice to hear the words of this pope close up and to see how the people are overwhelmed by him."

In his speech, Francis asked God to "look upon the many children who are kidnapped, wounded and killed in armed conflicts, and all those who are robbed of their childhood and forced to become soldiers."

He also called for a "dignified life" for migrants, praying tragedies such as one in which hundreds died in a shipwreck off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa are never repeated, and made a particular appeal against human trafficking, which he called a "crime against humanity". - with reports from Reuters, ANC

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Pope readies for final audience on resignation eve

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI will hold the last audience of his pontificate in St Peter's Square on Wednesday on the eve of his historic resignation as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected at the Vatican to bid a final farewell to an 85-year-old pope who abruptly cut short his pontificate by declaring he was too weak in body and mind to keep up with the modern world.

The Vatican says 50,000 people have obtained tickets for the event but many more may come and city authorities are preparing for 200,000, installing metal detectors in the area, deploying snipers and setting up field clinics.

No parking has been allowed in the zone since 10:00 pm Tuesday, and cars were to be barred entirely from 7:00 am on Wednesday.

The weekly audience, which is exceptionally being held in St Peter's Square because of the numbers expected, is to begin at around 10:30 am (0930 GMT) and usually lasts around an hour with a mixture of prayers and religious instruction from the pope.

Benedict will be the first pope to step down since the Middle Ages -- a break with Catholic tradition that has worried conservatives but kindled the hopes of Catholics around the world who want a breath of new life in the Church.

Rome has been gripped by speculation over what prompted Benedict to resign and who the leading candidates might be to replace him.

Rumours and counter-rumours in the Italian media suggest cut-throat behind-the-scenes lobbying, prompting the Vatican to condemn what it has called "unacceptable pressure" to influence the papal election.

Campaign groups have also lobbied the Vatican to exclude two cardinals accused of covering up child sex abuse from the upcoming election conclave.

The Vatican has said Benedict will receive the title of "Roman pontiff emeritus" and can still be addressed as "Your Holiness" and wear the white papal cassock after he officially steps down at 1900 GMT on Thursday.

Just before that time, the Vatican said Benedict will be whisked off by helicopter to the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo near Rome where he will begin a life out of the public eye.

Benedict will wave from the residence's balcony one last time before retreating to a private chapel and, as he has said, a life "hidden from the world".

On the hour he formally loses his powers as sovereign pontiff, the liveried Swiss Guard that traditionally protects popes will leave the residence.

The shock of the resignation and its unprecedented nature in the Church's modern history has left the Vatican sometimes struggling to explain the implications and Benedict's future status -- from the banal to the theological.

Some Catholics find it hard to come to terms with the idea that someone who was elected in a supposedly divinely inspired vote could simply resign.

The Vatican has said Benedict will lose his power of divine infallibility -- a sort of supreme authority in doctrinal matters -- as soon as he steps down.

The Vatican has also explained that the personalised gold Fisherman's Ring traditionally used to seal papal documents -- a key symbol of the office -- will be destroyed by a special cardinal, as is customary in Catholic tradition.

Benedict has also chosen to swap his trademark red shoes for a brown pair given to him by artisans in Mexico during a trip last year.

Starting next week, cardinals from around the world will begin a series of meetings to decide what the priorities for the Catholic Church should be, set a start date for the conclave and consider possible candidates for pope.

The conclave -- a centuries-old tradition with an elaborate ritual -- is supposed to be held within 15 to 20 days of the death of the pope, but Benedict has given special dispensation for the cardinals to bring that date forward.

Cardinals have been flying in from around the world including US prelate Roger Mahony, a former archbishop of Los Angeles stripped of all church duties for mishandling and covering up sex abuse claims against dozens of priests.

A total of 115 "cardinal electors" are scheduled to take part after another voter, British cardinal Keith O'Brien said he would not be taking part after allegations emerged that he made unwanted advances towards priests in the 1980s.

source: abs-cbnnews.com