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L’O S S E RVATOR E ROMANOWEEKLY EDITION

Unicuique suum

IN ENGLISHNon praevalebunt

Fifty-third year, number 27 (2.654) Vatican City Friday, 3 July 2020

The Holy Father sends a letter to Benedict XVI

Fr a n c i s ’ condolencesfor the death of Georg Ratzinger

SEE BIO GRAPHY ON PA G E 6

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A mid-year day’s reflection

Living in betweenrisks and hopes

ANDREA MONDA

The first half of this year 2020 ispassing, and perhaps it is a goodmoment to summarize, to collectour thoughts. It may be that eachyear, at the end of the month ofJune, the community of L’Osser-vatore Romano feels this passageparticularly, seeing that the first ofJuly 1861 is the date recalled indocuments and by historians asthe birth of this daily newspaperand thus today too, “aged” 159years, we feel like stopping theflow of time for a moment in or-der to look in both directions,backwards and forwards, and tryto say something, take stock, in-dicate a perspective. If nothingelse, to express our thanks.

We have arrived at this dateand it is not something to betaken for granted, especially in ayear such as this, which hasalready entered history as the yearof the coronavirus pandemic.Hence today’s reflection will becompletely focused, not on thelong history of the newspaper —we can postpone this until nextyear, a more “w e l l - ro u n d e d ” an-niversary — but rather on theshorter but far more intense peri-od of this first semester of thepresent year. Unfortunately a peri-od harshly marked by the sign ofdeath, or rather, of the dead. Be-cause “death” risks becoming a

Papal events suspended

The Pope’s Wednesday Gene-ral Audiences are suspendedfor the entire month of July.

CONTINUED ON PA G E 6

Upon hearing the news of the death of Benedict XVI’s brother, Msgr G e o rgRatzinger, on Wednesday, 1 July, the Holy Father sent a letter of condolence tothe Pope emeritus. The following is a translation of Pope Francis’ w o rd s .

The Holy Father celebrates Mass on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

Unity and ProphecyOn Monday, 29 June, Solem-nity of Saints Peter and Paul,Pope Francis celebrated Massat the Altar of the Chair inSaint Peter’s Basilica, where heblessed the Pallia that will bebestowed upon the 54 Metro-politan Archbishops appointedover the past year. In hishomily the Holy Father reflec-ted on the themes of “unity”and “p ro p h e c y ”, observing thatthe source of unity is prayerwhile “prophecy is bornwhenever we allow ourselves tobe challenged by God”. Dueto Covid-19 restrictions, only asmall number of faithful atten-ded the Mass, and unlike theprevious year, the Pope wasunable to personally consignthe Pallia, which he symbolic-ally entrusted to Cardinal Gio-vanni Battista Re, Dean of theCollege of Cardinals. In keep-ing with the practice estab-lished years ago to emphasizethe bond with the localChurches, the actual imposi-tion of the Pallia will takeplace at the hand of the Ponti-fical representative in the prel-ates’ dioceses of origin. TheHoly Father paused in prayerbefore the Basilica’s bronzeStatue of Saint Peter, whichwas adorned for the occasion.

To His HolinessBenedict XVI

Pope emeritusYou had the sensitivity to be thefirst to inform me of the news of thedeath of your beloved brother, MsgrGeorg. I wish to renew my deepestsympathy and spiritual closeness toyou in this moment of sorrow.

I assure you of my prayers ofsuffrage for your dear departedone, so that the Lord of life, in hismerciful goodness, may welcomehim into heaven and grant him thereward that awaits the faithful ser-vants of the Gospel.

I also pray for you, Your Holi-ness, invoking the Father throughthe intercession of the Blessed VirginMary, for the support of Christianhope and tender divine consolation.

Always united in faith in the RisenChrist, source of hope and peace.

With filial and fraternal devotion

FRANCIS

From the Vatican, 2 July 2020

Card. Ladaria to Br Stockman

Euthanasia remains aninadmissible act

PAGE 7

Sunday Angelus

Peaceful solution to theSyrian crisis

PAGE 8

To Catholic Media Conference

United to overcomeracism and injustice

PAGE 3

L’OSSERVATORE ROMANOWEEKLY EDITION

Unicuique suumIN ENGLISHNon praevalebunt

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page 2 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 3 July 2020, number 27

VAT I C A NBULLETIN

AUDIENCES

Friday, 26 June

Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle,Prefect of the Congregation for theEvangelization of PeoplesBishop Daniele Libanori, S J, titularBishop of Buruni, Auxiliary of theDiocese of RomeProf. Andrea Riccardi, Founder ofthe Sant’Egidio CommunityCardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, Prefectof the Congregation for CatholicEducation (for Educational Institu-tions)Archbishop Jean-Marie Speich, titu-lar Archbishop of Sulci, ApostolicNuncio to Slovenia, with the officeof Apostolic Delegate to KosovoSaturday, 27 June

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, PSS, Prefectof the Congregation for BishopsBishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg,Federal Republic of Germany, Pres-ident of the German Episcopal Con-ference, with the Secretary General,Fr Hans Langendörfer, SJ

Cardinal Beniamino Stella, Prefectof the Congregation for the ClergyH.E. Ms Agnès Avognon Adjaho,Ambassador of Benin, on herfarewell visit

OR I E N TA L CHURCHES

His Beatitude Cardinal LouisRaphaël Sako, Patriarch of Babylonfor Chaldeans, with the consent ofthe Synod of Bishops of the Patri-archal Church, has separated theEparchy of Zakho, Iraq, from that of

Amadiyah, to which it had beenunited on 10 June 2013 (27 June).The Synod of Bishops of the Patri-archal Church of Babylon forChaldeans has canonically elected asBishop of the Eparchy of Zakho, Ir-aq, Chorbishop Felix (Saeed) Da-wood Al Shabi, to which the HolyFather has granted his consent (27June).

Bishop Dawood Al Shabi, 45, wasborn in Karemlesh, Iraq. He was or-dained a priest on 29 June 1998. In2007 he was appointed a chorbish-op. He holds a degree in theology,and a licence in canon law.

CHANGES IN EP I S C O PAT E

The Holy Father accepted the resig-nation of Bishop Luis Armando Tin-eo Rivera from his office as Bishopof Carora, Venezuela (23 June).The Holy Father accepted the resig-nation of Archbishop Antonio J.Ledesma, S J, from his office as Met-ropolitan Archbishop of Cagayan deOro, Philippines (23 June).The Holy Father appointed BishopJosé A. Cabantan as MetropolitanArchbishop of Cagayan de Oro. Un-til now he has served as Bishop ofMalaybalay (23 June).

Archbishop Cabantan, 63, wasborn in Lagonglong, Philippines.He was ordained a priest on 30April 1990. He was ordained a bish-op on 30 April 2010, subsequent tohis appointment as Bishop ofM a l a y b a l a y.

The Holy Father accepted the resig-nation of Bishop Philip Lasap Za

Hawng from his office as Bishop ofLashio, Myanmar (24 June).The Holy Father appointed BishopLucas Jeimphaung Dau Ze, SDB, asBishop of Lashio Until now he hasserved as Coadjutor of the said dio-cese (24 June).

Bishop Jeimphaung Dau Ze, 57,was born in Hpa-Hping, Myanmar.A member of the Society of DonBosco, he was ordained a priest on21 April 1996. He was ordained abishop on 29 January 2020, sub-sequent to his appointment as coad-jutor Bishop of Lashio.

The Holy Father accepted the resig-nation of Bishop Jean-ClaudeBoulanger from his office as Bishopof Bayeux, France (27 June).The Holy Father appointed FrGuadalupe Antonio Ruíz Urquín asBishop Prelate of the Territorial Pre-lature of Huautla, Mexico. Untilnow he has served as head of per-manent formation of the clergy ofthis archdiocese (27 June).

Bishop-elect Ruíz Urquín, 49, wasborn in Tapilula, Mexico. He wasordained a priest on 19 March 1997.He holds a doctorate in theology.

The Holy Father appointed MsgrGregory Charles Bennet as Bishopof Sale, Australia. Until now he hasserved as parish priest of SaintJoseph’s, Melbourne, Australia (27June).

Bishop-elect Bennet, 57, was bornin Melbourne, Australia. He was or-dained a priest in 1992. He studiedpastoral counseling and holds a li-cence in spirituality.

The Holy Father appointed Arch-bishop Francesco Massara ofCamerino-San Severino Marche asBishop of Fabriano-Matelica, Italy,joining the two Sees in persona Epis-copi (27 June).

Archbishop Massara, 54, was bornin Tropea, Italy, He was ordained apriest 17 April 1993. He was or-dained an archbishop on 6 October2018, subsequent to his appointmentas Archbishop of Camerino-SanSeverino Marche.

The Holy Father accepted the resig-nation of Bishop Paul Eusebius MeaKaiuea, MSC, from his office as Bish-op of Tarawa and Nauru, Kiribatiand Nauru (29 June).The Holy Father appointed Fr KoruTito as Bishop of Tarawa andNauru. Until now he has served asvicar general of the said Diocese (29June).

Bishop-elect Tito, 59, was born inTabiteuea, Kiribati. He was or-dained a priest on 20 June 1987. Heholds a diploma in education, a doc-torate in theology with a specializa-tion in spirituality.

The Holy Father accepted the resig-nation of Bishop Louis Nzala Ki-anza from his office as Bishop ofPopokabaka, Democratic Republicof the Congo (29 June).The Holy Father appointed Fr Bern-ard Marie Fansaka Biniama as Bish-op of Popokabaka. Until now hehas served as resident formator atthe Saint Augustin interdiocesanseminary of philosophy in Kalonda,Democratic Republic of the Congo(29 June).

Bishop-elect Fansaka Biniama, 61,was born in Misay, Democratic Re-public of the Congo. He was or-dained a priest on 21 February 1988.He studied philosophy and theologyand holds a doctorate in Biblicalt h e o l o g y.

The Holy Father appointed Fr Mar-tin Hayes as Bishop of Kilmore, Ire-land. Until now he has served asdirector of pastoral planning and de-velopment in the Archdiocese ofCashel and Emly (29 June).

Bishop-elect Hayes, 60, was bornin Two-Miles-Borris, Ireland. Hewas ordained a priest on 10 June1989. He holds a BS in Manufactur-ing Technology; he completed hisstudies in philosophy and theologyand obtained a licence in philo-s o p h y.

The Holy Father appointed Fr JohnSaw Gawdy as coadjutor Bishop ofTaungngu, Myanmar. Until now hehas served as lecturer in the SaintJohn Vianney interdiocesan MajorSeminary in Loikaw (29 June).

Bishop-elect Saw Gawdy, 64, wasborn in the village of Domapholi,Myanmar. He was ordained a prieston 9 April 1983. He belongs to theKayan ethnic group, and to theGheba tribe. He holds a degree inbiblical theology.

The Holy Father appointed as auxil-iaries of the Metropolitan Arch-diocese of Kinshasa, Democratic Re-public of the Congo the following:

— Fr Jean-Crispin Kimbeni KiKanda, assigning him the titularepiscopal See of Dragonara. Untilnow he has served as official of theCongregation for the Evangelizationof Peoples and parish administratorof Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo (29June).

Bishop-elect Kimbeni Ki Kanda,50, was born in Kinshasa, Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo. Hewas ordained a priest on 30 May

Extraordinary Commissioner appointedFollowing the recent promulgation of the Motu Proprio “On transpar-ency, control and competition in the procedures for awarding public con-tracts of the Holy See and Vatican City State”, the Holy Father, on 29June, appointed Archbishop Mario Giordana, Apostolic Nuncio, as Ex-traordinary Commissioner for the Fabric of Saint Peter, entrusting himwith the task of updating the Statutes, clarifying the administration andreorganizing the administrative and technical offices of the Fabric. Acommission will also assist in this delicate task.

This decision also follows a report from the offices of the Auditor Gen-eral, which led to, on 30 June, the acquisition of documents and electron-ic equipment at the technical and administrative offices of the Fabric ofSaint Peter. This latter operation was authorized by decree of the Pro-moter of Justice of the Tribunal, Gian Piero Milano, and the deputy,Alessandro Diddi, after informing the Secretariat of State. CONTINUED ON PA G E 3

number 27, Friday, 3 July 2020 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 3

Pope Francis’ Message to Members of the Catholic Press Association

Catholic media unitedto overcome racism and injustice

CONTINUED FROM PA G E 2

In a message sent on Tuesday, 30June, to the Catholic MediaConference sponsored by the CatholicPress Association, the Holy Fathercalls for a commitment “to overcomethe diseases of racism, injustice andindifference that disfigure the faceof our common family”. The followingis the English text of the HolyFa t h e r ’s message.

To the Members of the CatholicPress Association

This year, for the first time in itshistory, the Catholic Press Associ-ation is hosting a virtual CatholicMedia Conference, due to the cur-rent health situation. Before allelse, I would like to express mycloseness to those who have beenaffected by the virus and to thosewho, even at the risk of their lives,have worked and continue to workin assisting our brothers and sis-ters in need.

The theme you have chosen forthis year’s Conference — To g e t h e rWhile Apart — eloquently ex-presses the sense of togethernessthat emerged, paradoxically, fromthe experience of social distancingimposed by the pandemic. In myMessage for last year’s WorldCommunications Day, I reflectedon how communication enables usto be, as Saint Paul says, “mem-bers of one another” (cf. Eph4:25), called to live in communionwithin an ever expanding networkof relationships. Because of thepandemic, all of us have come toappreciate this truth more fully.Indeed, the experience of thesepast months has shown how es-sential is the mission of the com-munications media for bringingpeople together, shortening dis-tances, providing necessary in-

formation, and opening mindsand hearts to truth.

It was precisely this realizationthat led to the establishment ofthe first Catholic newspapers inyour country and the constant en-couragement given them by theC h u rc h ’s pastors. We see this inthe case of the Charleston CatholicM i s c e l l a n y, launched in 1822 byBishop John England and fol-lowed by so many other newspa-pers and journals. Today, as muchas ever, our communities [...]count on newspapers, radio, TVand social media to share, to com-municate, to inform and to unite.

E pluribus unum — the ideal ofunity amid diversity, reflected inthe motto of the United States,must also inspire the service youoffer to the common good. Howurgently is this needed today, inan age marked by conflicts andpolarization from which the Cath-olic community itself is not im-mune. We need media capable of

building bridges, defending lifeand breaking down the walls, vis-ible and invisible, that prevent sin-cere dialogue and truthful com-munication between individualsand communities. We need mediathat can help people, especiallythe young, to distinguish goodfrom evil, to develop sound judg-ments based on a clear and un-biased presentation of the facts,and to understand the importanceof working for justice, social con-cord and respect for our commonhome. We need men and womenof conviction who protect commu-nication from all that would dis-tort it or bend it to other pur-p oses.

I ask you, then, to be unitedand a sign of unity amongyourselves. Media can be large orsmall, but in the Church these arenot the categories that count. Inthe Church we have all been bap-tized in the one Spirit and mademembers of the one body (cf. 1

Cor 12:13). As in every body, it isoften the members who are smal-lest who, in the end, are thosemost necessary. So it is with thebody of Christ. Each of us,wherever we find ourselves, iscalled to contribute, through ourprofession of truth in love, to theC h u rc h ’s growth to full maturityin Christ (cf. Eph 4:15).

Communication, we know, isnot merely a matter of profession-al competence. A true communic-ator dedicates himself or herselfcompletely to the welfare of theothers, at every level, from the lifeof each individual to the life ofthe entire human family. We can-not truly communicate unless webecome personally involved, un-less we can personally attest to thetruth of the message we convey.All communication has its ulti-mate source in the life of the tri-une God, who shares with us therichness of his divine life and callsus in turn to communicate thattreasure to others by our unity inthe service of his truth.

Dear friends, I cordially invokeupon you and the work of yourConference an outpouring of theHoly Spirit’s gifts of wisdom, un-derstanding and good counsel.Only the gaze of the Spirit allowsus not to close our eyes to thosewho suffer and to seek the truegood of all. Only with that gazecan we effectively work to over-come the diseases of racism, in-justice and indifference that disfig-ure the face of our common fam-ily. Through your dedication anddaily work, may you help othersto contemplate situations andpeople with the eyes of the Spirit.Where our world all too readilyspeaks with adjectives and ad-verbs, may Christian communicat-ors speak with nouns that acknow-ledge and advance the quietclaims of truth and promote hu-man dignity. Where the world seesconflicts and divisions, may youlook to the suffering and the poor,and give voice to the plea of ourbrothers and sisters in need ofmercy and understanding.

Yesterday the Church celebratedthe Solemnity of the ApostlesPeter and Paul. May the spirit ofcommunion with the Bishop ofRome, which has always been ahallmark of the Catholic press inyour countries, keep all of youunited in faith and resistant tofleeting cultural fads that lack thefragrance of evangelical truth. Letus continue to pray together forreconciliation and peace in ourworld. I assure you of my supportand my prayers for you and yourfamilies. And I ask you, please, toremember me in your own pray-ers.

From the Vatican, 30 June 2020

1999. He holds a degree in bioeth-ics and a doctorate in health pas-toral theology.

— Fr Vincent Tshomba ShambaKotsho, assigning him the titularepiscopal See of Oescus. Until nowhe has served as parish priest ofSaint Albert le Grand, diocesanchaplain of Justice and Peace,member of the presbyteral council(29 June).

Bishop-elect Tshomba ShambaKotsho, 57, was born in Kinshasa.He was ordained a priest on 1 Au-gust 1990. He completed his stud-ies in philosophy and theology.

— Fr Charles Ndaka Salabisala,assigning him the titular episcopal

See of Liberalia. Until now he hasserved as rector of the Major Theo-logical Seminary of Kikwit (29June).

Bishop-elect Ndaka Salabisala,47, was born in Popokabaka. Hewas ordained a priest on 9 Septem-ber 2001. He holds a doctorate indogmatic theology and a degree inp s y c h o l o g y.

APOSTOLIC AD M I N I S T R AT O R

The Holy Father appointed Arch-bishop Grzegorz Ryś, MetropolitanArchbishop of Łó dź, Poland, asApostolic Administrator sede plenaof the Diocese of Kalisz, Poland(25 June).

APOSTOLIC VI S I TAT O R

The Holy Father accepted theresignation of Bishop Jean Teyrouzfrom the office of Apostolic Visitat-or for Armenian faithful resident inWestern Europe (27 June).The Holy Father appointed BishopElie Yéghiayan of the Eparchy ofSainte-Croix-de-Paris, France, asApostolic Visitator for Armenianfaithful resident in Western Europe(27 June).

NECROLO GY

Archbishop Jesús ArmamentoDosado, CM, Archbishop emeritusof Ozamiz, Philippines, at age 80(23 June)

VAT I C A N BULLETIN

number 27, Friday, 3 July 2020 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 4/5

The Holy Father celebrates Mass on the Solemnity of Rome’s Patron Saints

Unity and Prophecy

Dignity for all in RomeAt the Angelus, the Pope spiritually ‘embraces’ Patriarch Bartholomew

May every person in Rome “live with dignity” and “encounter the joyful witness ofthe Gospel”. This was Pope Francis’ wish expressed after the recitation of theAngelus on Monday, 29 June, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Rome’s twoPatron Saints. The following is a translation of the Holy Father’s reflection, whichhe delivered in Italian from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking SaintPeter’s Square.

The following is the English text of theHoly Father’s homily on the Solemnityof Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles.

On the feast of the two Apostles ofthis City, I would like to share withyou two key words: unity and proph-e c y.

U n i t y. We celebrate together twovery different individuals: Peter, afisherman who spent his days amidboats and nets, and Paul, a learnedPharisee who taught in synagogues.When they went forth on mission,Peter spoke to Jews, and Paul to pa-gans. And when their paths crossed,they could argue heatedly, as Paul isunashamed to admit in one of hisletters (cf. Gal 2:11). In short, theywere two very different people, yetthey saw one another as brothers, ashappens in close-knit families wherethere may be frequent arguments butunfailing love. Yet the closeness thatjoined Peter and Paul did not comefrom natural inclinations, but fromthe Lord. He did not command us tolike one another, but to love one an-other. He is the one who unites us,without making us all alike. Heunites us in our differences.

To day’s first reading brings us tothe source of this unity. It relateshow the newly born Church was ex-periencing a moment of crisis: Herodwas furious, a violent persecutionhad broken out, and the ApostleJames had been killed. And nowPeter had been arrested. The com-munity seemed headless, everyone

fearing for his life. Yet at that tragicmoment no one ran away, no onethought about saving his own skin,no one abandoned the others, but alljoined in prayer. From prayer theydrew strength, from prayer came aunity more powerful than any threat.The text says that, “while Peter waskept in prison, the Church prayedfervently to God for him” (Ac t s 12:5).Unity is the fruit of prayer, for prayerallows the Holy Spirit to intervene,opening our hearts to hope, shorten-ing distances and holding us togetherat times of difficulty.

Let us notice something else: atthat dramatic moment, no one com-plained about Herod’s evil and hispersecution. No one abused Herod —and we are so accustomed to abusethose who are in charge. It is point-less, even tedious, for Christians towaste their time complaining aboutthe world, about society, abouteverything that is not right. Com-plaints change nothing. Let us re-member that complaining is thesecond door that closes us off fromthe Holy Spirit, as I said on Pente-cost Sunday. The first is narcissism,the second discouragement, the thirdpessimism. Narcissism makes youlook at yourself constantly in a mir-ror; discouragement leads to com-plaining and pessimism to thinkingeverything is dark and bleak. Thesethree attitudes close the door to theHoly Spirit. Those Christians did notcast blame; rather, they prayed. Inthat community, no one said: “IfPeter had been more careful, wewould not be in this situation”. Noone. Humanly speaking, there werereasons to criticize Peter, but no onecriticized him. They did not com-plain about Peter; they prayed forhim. They did not talk about Peterbehind his back; they talked to God.We today can ask: “Are we protect-ing our unity, our unity in theChurch, with prayer? Are we prayingfor one another?” What would hap-pen if we prayed more and com-plained less, if we had a more tran-quil tongue? The same thing thathappened to Peter in prison: now asthen, so many closed doors would beopened, so many chains that bindwould be broken. We would beamazed, like the maid who saw Peterat the gate and did not open it, butran inside, astonished by the joy ofseeing Peter (cf. Ac t s 12:10-17). Let usask for the grace to be able to prayfor one another. Saint Paul urgedChristians to pray for everyone, espe-cially those who govern (cf. 1 Tim

2:1-3). “But this governor is…”, andthere are many adjectives. I will notmention them, because this is neitherthe time nor the place to mention ad-jectives that we hear directed againstthose who govern. Let God judgethem; let us pray for those who gov-ern! Let us pray: for they need pray-er. This is a task that the Lord hasentrusted to us. Are we carrying itout? Or do we simply talk, abuseand do nothing? God expects thatwhen we pray we will also be mind-ful of those who do not think as wedo, those who have slammed thedoor in our face, those whom wefind it hard to forgive. Only prayerunlocks chains, as it did for Peter;only prayer paves the way to unity.

Today we bless the pallia to be be-stowed on the Dean of the Collegeof Cardinals and the MetropolitanArchbishops named in the last year.The pallium is a sign of the unitybetween the sheep and the Shepherdwho, like Jesus, carries the sheep onhis shoulders, so as never to be sep-arated from it. Today too, in accord-ance with a fine tradition, we areunited in a particular way with theEcumenical Patriarchate of Con-stantinople. Peter and Andrew werebrothers, and, whenever possible, weexchange fraternal visits on our re-spective feast days. We do so notonly out of courtesy, but as a meansof journeying together towards thegoal that the Lord points out to us:that of full unity. We could not do sotoday because of the difficulty oftravel due to the coronavirus, butwhen I went to venerate the remainsof Peter, in my heart I felt my be-loved brother Bartholomew. They arehere, with us.

The second word is p ro p h e c y. Unityand prophecy. The Apostles were chal-lenged by Jesus. Peter heard Jesus’question: “Who do you say I am?”(cf. Mt 16:15). At that moment herealized that the Lord was not inter-ested in what others thought, but inPe t e r ’s personal decision to followhim. Paul’s life changed after a simil-ar challenge from Jesus: “Saul, Saul,why do you persecute me?” (Ac t s9:4). The Lord shook Paul to thecore: more than just knocking him tothe ground on the road to Damascus,he shattered Paul’s illusion of beingrespectably religious. As a result, theproud Saul turned into Paul, a namethat means “small”. These challengesand reversals are followed by proph-ecies: “You are Peter, and on thisrock I will build my Church” (Mt16:18); and, for Paul: “He is a chosen

instrument of mine to carry my namebefore the Gentiles and kings andthe sons of Israel” (Ac t s 9:15). Proph-ecy is born whenever we allowourselves to be challenged by God,not when we are concerned to keepeverything quiet and under control.Prophecy is not born from mythoughts, from my closed heart. It isborn if we allow ourselves to be chal-lenged by God. When the Gospeloverturns certainties, prophecy arises.Only someone who is open to God’ssurprises can become a prophet. Andthere they are: Peter and Paul,prophets who look to the future.Peter is the first to proclaim thatJesus is “the Christ, the Son of theliving God” (Mt 16:16). Paul, whoconsiders his impending death:“From now on there is laid up for methe crown of righteousness, whichthe Lord will award to me” (2 Tim4:8).

Today we need prophecy, but realprophecy: not fast talkers who prom-ise the impossible, but testimoniesthat the Gospel is possible. What isneeded are not miraculous shows. Itmakes me sad when I hear someonesay, “We want a prophetic Church”.All right. But what are you doing, sothat the Church can be prophetic?We need lives that show the miracleof God’s love. Not forcefulness, butforthrightness. Not palaver, but pray-er. Not speeches, but service. Do youwant a prophetic Church? Then startserving and be quiet. Not theory, buttestimony. We are not to becomerich, but rather to love the poor. Weare not to save up for ourselves, butto spend ourselves for others. To seeknot the approval of this world, of be-ing comfortable with everyone — h e re

Dear Brothers and Sisters,Good morning!Today we celebrate the patron saintsof Rome, the Apostles Peter andPaul. And it is a gift to findourselves praying here, near theplace where Peter died a martyr andis buried. However, today’s liturgyrecalls an entirely different episode:it tells us that several years earlierPeter was freed from death. He hadbeen arrested, he was in prison, andfearing for his life, the Churchprayed unceasingly for him. Then anangel came down to free him fromprison (cf. Acts 12:1-11). But yearslater, too, when Peter was a prisonerin Rome, the Church would cer-tainly have prayed. On that occa-sion, however, his life was notspared. Why was he first spared thetrial, and then not?

Because there is a path in Peter’slife that can illuminate the path ofour own. The Lord granted himmany graces and freed him fromevil: he does this with us too. In-deed, often we go to him only inmoments of need, to ask for help.But God sees farther and invites usto go further, to seek not only hisgifts, but to seek him, who is theLord of all gifts; to entrust to himnot only our problems, but to en-trust our life to him. In this way hecan finally give us the greatest grace,that of giving our life. Yes, giving ourlife. The most important thing inlife is to make a gift of one’s life.And this is true for everyone: forparents to their children and forchildren to their elderly parents.And here many elderly people cometo mind, who have been left aloneby their family, as if — I dare say —as if they were material to be dis-carded. And this is a tragedy of ourtimes: the loneliness of the elderly.The life of children and grandchil-dren is not given as a gift to the eld-erly. Offering the gift of ourselves;those who are married and thosewho are consecrated; it applieseverywhere, at home and at work,and to whomever is close to us. Godwishes to make us grow in giving:only in this way can we becomegreat. We grow if we give ourselvesto others. Let us look at Saint Peter:he did not become a hero becausehe was freed from prison, but be-cause he gave his life here. His gifttransformed a place of execution in-to the beautiful place of hope inwhich we find ourselves.

Here is what to ask of God: notonly the grace of the moment, but the

grace of life. Today’s Gospel passageshows us the very dialogue thatchanges Peter’s life. He hears Jesusask him: “Who do you say I am?”.And he answers, “You are theChrist, the Son of the living God”.And Jesus continues, “Blessed areyou, Simon son of Jonah” (Mt 16:16-17). Jesus calls him “blessed”, that is,literally, h a p p y. You are happy forhaving said this. Let us take note:Jesus says You are blessed to Peter,who had said to Him, “You are theliving God”. What, then, is the secretof a blessed life; what is the secret ofa happy life? Recognizing Jesus, butJesus as the living God, not as astatue. Because it is not important toknow that Jesus was great in history;it is not so important to appreciatewhat he said or did; what matters isthe place I give him in my life, theplace I give to Jesus in my heart. Itis at that point that Simon hearsJesus say: “you are Peter, and onthis rock I will build my church” ( v.18). He was not called “ro c k ”, be-cause he was a solid and trustworthyman. No, he will make many mis-takes afterwards; he was not so reli-able, he will make many mistakes;he will even reach the point of deny-ing the Master. But he chose tobuild his life on Jesus, the rock; not —as the text says — “on flesh andblo o d”, that is, on himself, on hisabilities, but on Jesus (cf. v. 17), whois the rock. Jesus is the bedrock uponwhich Simon became rock. We can saythe same of the Apostle Paul, whogave himself completely to the Gos-pel, considering everything else tobe worthless, so as to earn Christ.

Today, before the Apostles, wecan ask ourselves: “And I, how do Iarrange my life? Do I think only of

the needs of the moment or do I be-lieve that my true need is Jesus, whomakes a gift of me? And how do Ibuild life, on my abilities or on theliving God?”. May Our Lady, whoentrusted everything to God, help usto place him at the foundation ofevery day, and may she intercede forus so that, with the grace of God,we may make a gift of our life.

After the Angelus, the Holy Fathercontinued:

Dear brothers and sisters, I firstgreet all the people of Rome andthose who live in this City, on thefeast of its Patron Saints, theApostles Peter and Paul. By their in-tercession, I pray that every personin Rome may live with dignity andmay encounter the joyful witness ofthe Gospel.

On this occasion it is traditionalfor a delegation from the Ecumeni-cal Patriarchate of Constantinople tocome to Rome, but this year it is notpossible due to the pandemic.Therefore, I spiritually embrace mydear brother, Patriarch Bartholomew,in the hope that our reciprocal visitsmay resume as soon as possible.

As we celebrate the Solemnity ofSaint Peter and Saint Paul, I wouldlike to remember the many martyrswho have been decapitated, burnedalive and killed, especially in thetime of the Emperor Nero, on thisvery land where you are now. This isthe bloodstained land of our Christi-an brothers and sisters. Tomorrowwe will commemorate them.

I greet you, dear pilgrims presenthere: I see flags from Canada,Venezuela, Colombia and others….Many greetings! May your visit tothe Tombs of the Apostlesstrengthen your faith and your wit-ness.

And I wish you all a happy feastday. Please, do not forget to pray forme. Enjoy your lunch. Ar r i v e d e rc i .

we say: “being comfortable with Godand the devil”, being comfortablewith everyone —; no, this is notprophecy. We need the joy of theworld to come. Not better pastoralplans that seem to have their ownself-contained efficiency, as if theywere sacraments; efficient pastoralplans, no. We need pastors who offertheir lives: lovers of God. That is howPeter and Paul preached Jesus, asmen in love with God. At his cruci-fixion, Peter did not think abouthimself but about his Lord, and, con-sidering himself unworthy of dyinglike Jesus, asked to be crucified up-side down. Before his beheading,Paul thought only of offering his life;he wrote that he wanted to be“poured out like a libation” (2 Tim4:6). That was prophecy. Not words.That was prophecy, the prophecythat changed history.

Dear brothers and sisters, Jesusprophesied to Peter: “You are Peterand on this rock I will build myC h u rc h ”. There is a similar prophecyfor us too. It is found in the lastbook of the Bible, where Jesus prom-ises his faithful witnesses “a whitestone, on which a new name is writ-ten” (Rev 2:17). Just as the Lordturned Simon into Peter, so he iscalling each one of us, in order tomake us living stones with which tobuild a renewed Church and a re-newed humanity. There are alwaysthose who destroy unity and stifleprophecy, yet the Lord believes in usand he asks you: “Do you want to bea builder of unity? Do you want tobe a prophet of my heaven onearth?” Brothers and sisters, let us bechallenged by Jesus, and find thecourage to say to him: “Yes, I do!”

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

page 6 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 3 July 2020, number 27

Living in between risks and hopes“topic” to talk about, since “we die”,but the dead, complete with namesand faces, are another thing: theyare people; they are stories. Morethan 30,000 people have died inItaly since the start of the pandemicand there is great fear of a return, a“reb ound” of the contagion. One ofthe most terrible aspects among allthose tied to Covid-19, is what hasbeen said and often repeated inthese weeks, that these people al-most always died alone, abandonedfor reasons of “safety”. Death, whichis already the utmost experience ofsolitude, experienced in absolutehermetic, aseptic isolation; the body,notably absent. This is perhapseveryone’s greatest suffering, beforewhich it is difficult to find words, tothe point of seeming almost sense-less. Two other aspects of this partic-ular pandemic — which sadly is notso “particular” seeing that humanhistory can be read as a sequence ofmore or less devastating epidemicsand plagues, and as the reaction thatmankind has been able to organizein the course of recent millennia, un-doubtedly making great progress —deserve room for a useful pause tore f l e c t .

An asymptomatic sickness

The first aspect relates to the factthat Covid-19 often manifests thecharacteristic of an asymptomaticnature. It manifests as a-symptomat-ic, that is, it manifests by not mani-festing itself. It is a treacherous, un-derhanded virus that insinuates itselfinto the organism (in the individualperson and thus in the entire soci-ety) without giving signs, withoutanyone realizing it, through the sickperson who feels fine, who thinks heis fine but in reality is sick. It is aninteresting aspect if we apply it tothe moral and psychological dimen-sion. In the Bible we read that theevil one is a spirit who acts above allby deceiving, using falsehood as aweapon. That is, he makes it so theperson no longer calls things bytheir name, but ends up calling whatis bad “go o d”, and vice versa. Like a

gradual inclined plane that leads tothe numbness of that “sensor” whichis the conscience, so that we nolonger perceive its signal and we nolonger react to its “symptoms”.

Thus, evil often presents itselfwithout symptoms. It convinces us itis necessary to do something be-cause in reality it leads us to good(our own). In the Gospel, Jesus of-ten clashes with the mentality ofthose who believe they are okay, inthe right, of those who have reacheda level that is so dramatically“asymptomatic” that the only pos-sible cure is a good shaking down totheir roots. And then to awakenthem from “numbness”, he uses evenharsh and bitter words like “hyp o-crites, whitewashed tombs, blindguides...”.

Pope Francis has often preachedin this sense, distinguishing betweenthe sinner and the corrupt: theformer still has an active “sense” ofsin, feels remorse for the ill he hasdone — for him, the sickness is stillsymptomatic. Not so for the corrupt.The latter has shut off, cut sensitivenerves, no longer feels anything andis convinced he does good, that hepractically corresponds to good it-self. A quote by the English writerC.S. Lewis comes to mind: “Itwould be better to live under robberbarons than under omnipotent mor-al busybodies. The robber baron’scruelty may sometimes sleep, his cu-pidity may at some point be sati-ated; but those who torment us forour own good will torment uswithout end for they do so with theapproval of their own conscience.They may be more likely to go toHeaven yet at the same time likelierto make a Hell of earth”.

Paradoxically this asymptomaticvirus has developed a converse ef-fect. That is, it has revealed a situ-ation that had already been con-firmed and consolidated for years; itmade us realize that, as the Popehas said, we were already sick butwere unaware of it. In the eveningof 27 March, alone in Saint Peter’sSquare, Francis said it clearly: ourworld was already sick. Injustice, in-equality, abuse and waste, the deliri-

um of the omnipotence of scienceand technology were evils that werealready present in contemporary so-ciety, a society in which the greatisolation of people, especially ofthose most socially fragile, was thepredominant figure. By forcing usinto merciless and painful isolation,Covid-19 simply exposed andbrought out the real virus that grips— not since 2020 but always — theheart of mankind: the selfishness ofthose who live only “to hold ontotheir own life” rather than offer it forothers. The asymptomatic sickness ofthis virus was the great symptomthat stopped for a little while (andlet us hope that this break continuesand is fruitful) the mad rush to well-being in place of being, a forcedwell-being, precisely of those whokept telling themselves that“everything is fine, I’m fine” withoutrealizing what they were saying.

The vaccine that isn’t

A second aspect of this pandemicthat deserves rethinking is the factthat there is no vaccine for this vir-us. Not in the sense that it will notbe found, this is the hope to whichall people address their prayers, re-gardless of their own personal jour-ney of faith. We don’t know if a vac-cine will be found, hence the pray-ers: maybe it will be like the one forthe flu that we have to do over everyyear, but which never completelyand with certainty eradicates the ef-fects of the disease; or perhaps itwill be like HIV for which years laterthere is still no vaccine but which insome way has been contained andchanneled toward becoming a“c h ro n i c ” illness. These two ex-amples lead to a reflection. The vac-cine we imagine, that drug thatcomes along and radically and per-manently destroys the disease, doesnot exist, cannot exist. For reasonsthat were disclosed earlier: the realvirus is not Covid-19 but selfishness,the desperate desire to have, whichsupplants the sense of gratitude forbeing. Against this more profoundvirus, no drug exists that magicallydestroys the contagion once and forall. Jesus spoke about it clearly, for

example, in the parable of the weedsamong the wheat. We are all likethose zealous servants who are sur-prised to the point of indignation bythe presence of the weeds (of evil) inthe field (in the world) and wewould like to go there with ahatchet and spade to uproot it all atonce, with a sharp and definitivecut. This is not God’s logic. Therealistic logic of the One who cre-ated and loves the reality of theworld and of mankind is that ofhaving and giving hope. God is nota magician who resolves the prob-lems and the evil in the world withthe wave of a magic wand. Goodand evil are mixed together in the“field” of history which is a battle-field, filled with the wounded (thisis where the Church’s task comesfrom, being a hospital always opento those who suffer) and the war isopen until the last day. Every nowand then people promise the comingof paradise in history. They pointout to us the evil to be eradicatedand they convince us that that “cut”will be the end of the presence ofevil in the world. All the paradisespromised on this earth have then re-vealed infernal faces, not only thepolitical ones, borne of the great to-talitarian ideologies, but also thelesser ones, like the “artificial” para-dises of drugs, not to mention the“financial” ones, kingdoms of indif-ference and injustice. All asympto-matic “places”: the drug addict andthe corrupt pursue their good andcall things by the wrong name, hav-ing completely lost contact with thesymptoms of the disease that envel-ops them.

After all, it is like our computers.Every now and then, they are at-tacked by viruses. At that point wecall the technician who does notdestroy or replace our computer, butinstalls the antivirus for us, makingthe illness — or, better yet, the con-flict — “c h ro n i c ”. The virus and anti-virus must fight an everlasting battleto the end of days; for this reasontoo it is important to “up date” theantivirus every so often. And evenmore importantly, at the end ofevery operation, to “save” the file wehave created. At the Angelus, thePope spiritually ‘embraces’ Pa t r i a rc hBartholomew. The exquisitely reli-gious language that surrounds ourcomputerized and digital world re-veals a deeper meaning. Life is not amagic trick, but an honest, true, un-varnished game, which we must con-duct seriously and tenaciously, al-ways starting over from the begin-ning. In this battlefield that is life, aChristian is not alone. We have apowerful “a n t i v i ru s ” that is Jesushimself, present even now thanks tothe unceasing work of the Holy Spir-it and to the presence of the Churchand therefore of the sacraments.From this vantage point Jesus isboth the technician who installs theantivirus and the antivirus itself,who, within us — let us think of theEucharist, for example — supports uson the daily adventure of life.

These are simple reflections at theend of the first semester of this year,reconsidered with a spirit of grati-tude and hope, and in this spiritoffered to the reader of this newspa-per that today marks 159 years oflife.

A.M.

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Georg Ratzinger, elder brother of the Pope emeritus,has died at the age of 96. He passed away in Regens-burg, the city where he lived most of his life. With hisdeath, Joseph Ratzinger, who on 18 June travelled byair to visit his dying brother, has lost the last remain-ing member of his family. The two brothers — one amusician and conductor of a famous choir, the other atheologian, then bishop, cardinal and Pope — were ex-tremely close, and even became priests on the samed a y.

Georg Ratzinger was born in Pleiskirchen, Germanyon 15 January 1924. He began playing the organ in hisparish church as a boy of 11. He entered the seminaryin 1935, but was enrolled in the Reich Labour Servicein 1942, and then in the Wehrmacht, the armed forcesof Nazi Germany, even fighting in Italy. He was cap-tured by the Allies in March 1945 and was a prisonerin Naples for several months before being released andable to return to his family.

He was joined by his brother Joseph when heentered the seminary again in 1947, and together the

two brothers, and some 40 others, were ordainedpriests on 29 June 1951. After serving as choir master inTraunstein, he directed the Regensburger Domspatzenchoir at Regensburg Cathedral for 30 years (1964-1994).He travelled the world playing numerous concerts anddirected many etchings for important music labels, in-cluding productions dedicated to Bach, Mozart,Mendelssohn and other composers.

On 22 August 2008, the mayor of Castel Gandolfogranted Georg honorary citizenship, at which occasionBenedict XVI said of his brother: “From the beginningof my life my brother has always been for me not onlya companion, but also a trustworthy guide. For me hehas been a point of orientation and of reference withthe clarity and determination of his decisions. He hasalways shown me the path to take, even in difficultsituations”.

“My brother and I” — Georg Ratzinger said in aninterview 11 years ago — “were both altar boys, we both

CONTINUED ON PA G E 7

The Bavarian prelate received his last visit from Benedict XVI at his home in Regensburg

Georg Ratzinger, brother of the Pope emeritus, dies

number 27, Friday, 3 July 2020 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 7

Letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Euthanasia remains an inadmissible actThe following is the translation of aletter by the Cardinal Prefect of theCongregation for the Doctrine of theFaith addressed to Br René Stockman,Superior General of the Congregationof the Brothers of Charity, on the prac-tice of euthanasia in psychiatric hospi-tals of the Congregation’s Belgianb ra n c h .

Most Reverend Br René, SuperiorGeneral,

In March 2017, on the website ofthe Belgian branch of the Congrega-tion of the “Brothers of Charity”, adocument was published which per-mits — under certain conditions —the practice of euthanasia in a Cath-olic hospital. This practice, suppor-ted by the Association P ro v i n c i a l a tdes Frères de la Charité asbl, is funda-mentally based on three criteria: theinviolability of life, the autonomy ofthe patient and the relationship ofcare. Such a document, however,makes no reference either to God, orto Sacred Scripture, or to the Chris-tian vision of humanity.

The Congregation for the Doc-trine of the Faith wrote to the Su-perior General, who had already dis-approved of this document, askingfor clarifications, and the then-pre-fect of the Dicastery informed theHoly Father about the gravity of thecase in an audience on 20 May 2017.

From 27 June 2017 until now, con-tacts and meetings have taken placebetween the Congregation for theDoctrine of the Faith, the Congrega-tion for Institutes of ConsecratedLife and Societies of Apostolic Life,the Secretariat of State, Representat-ives of the Fr è re s and of the Associ-ation Provincialat des Frères, as wellas representatives of the EpiscopalConference of Belgium, in order tooffer opportunities and spaces fordialogue on an extremely delicatesubject and thus to find, in a spiritof sincere ecclesiality, a convergenceon Catholic doctrine on the subject.

The numerous interdicasterialmeetings of 31 August and 7 Novem-

ber 2017, of 1 February, 15 March, 20June and 12 October 2018, and of 20July 2019, this Dicastery’s letter tothe Superior General of the Fr è re sdated 30 June 2017, the documentPrinciples to be observed on the accom-paniment of patients in psychiatric hos-pitals, and the meeting which tookplace in Rome on 21 March 2018should all be recalled.

In this context, the Secretary ofState and the Prefects of the Con-gregation for the Doctrine of theFaith and of the Congregation forInstitutes of Consecrated Life andSocieties of Apostolic Life asked theRepresentatives of the Fr è re s and ofthe Association Provincialat desFr è re s to unequivocally affirm inwriting their adherence to the prin-ciples of the sacredness of humanlife and the unacceptability of eu-thanasia, and, as a result, their abso-lute refusal to carry it out in the in-stitutions dependent on them. Un-fortunately, the replies received gaveno assurances on these points.

Euthanasia remains an inadmiss-ible act, even in extreme cases, inas-much as it “is a grave violation ofthe law of God, since it is the delib-erate and morally unacceptablekilling of a human person. This doc-trine is based upon the natural lawand upon the written word of God,is transmitted by the Church’s Tradi-tion and taught by the ordinary anduniversal Magisterium” (JOHN PAU LII, Evangelium Vitae, n. 65).

For his part, Pope Francis has af-firmed that “the current socio-cultur-al context is progressively erodingthe awareness of what makes humanlife precious. Indeed, it is increas-ingly valued in terms of its efficiencyand utility, to the point of consider-ing lives that do not correspond tothis criterion as ‘re j e c t e d ’ or ‘un-worthy’. In this situation of the lossof authentic values, the inalienableduties of human and Christian soli-darity and fraternity also fail. Inreality, a society deserves to be rec-

considered in the uniqueness and in-tegrality of his person, imposes theduty never to abandon anyone inthe presence of incurable diseases.Human life, because of its eternalaim, preserves all its value and all itsdignity in any condition, even ofprecariousness and fragility, and assuch is always worthy of the highestconsideration” (ibid.).

In these latter words, Pope Fran-cis touches on the theme of “com-passion”, which is increasingly in-voked by public opinion as a justi-fication for euthanasia.

John Paul II had already made itunequivocally clear that euthanasiais “a false mercy, and indeed a dis-turbing ‘p erversion’ of mercy. True‘compassion’ leads to sharing anoth-er’s pain; it does not kill the personwhose suffering we cannot bear.Moreover, the act of euthanasia ap-

it rejects the absolute nature of re-spect for life, or rather, it calls intodoubt that the life of an innocenthuman being must be respected “al-ways”, leaving open the possibilityof exceptions; 2.) with regard to theimportance of the care and accom-paniment of psychiatric patients, itrefers to the Belgian law on eu-thanasia, clearly opening the possib-ility for non-terminal psychiatric pa-tients; 3.) it leaves the responsibilityand the right to accept or reject therequest for euthanasia (“medicalact”) to the doctor, thereby exclud-ing the hospital’s choice; 4.) it main-tains the possibility of euthanasiawithin the Institute with the justific-ation of enabling family members toavoid the effort of having to find an-other solution.

The report of the Apostolic Visit-ator, H.E. Bishop Jan Hendriks,also demonstrated no progress, sinceit shows the profound difficulty inmaintaining the link between theworks and the Congregation of theBrothers of Charity, since those re-sponsible do not accept the commit-ment to finding a viable solutionthat avoids any form of responsibil-ity for euthanasia on the part of theinstitution.

Therefore, at the end of this longand painful journey, and noting thelack of willingness to accept theCatholic Doctrine on euthanasia, itis announced, albeit with deep sad-ness, that the psychiatric hospitalsrun by the Association P ro v i n c i a l a tdes Frères de la Charité asbl in Belgi-um, henceforth, can no longer beconsidered Catholic institutions.

I gladly take this opportunity toconfirm my feelings of religious re-sp ect.

C a rd i n a l LUIS F. LADARIA, SJP re f e c t

GIACOMO MORANDITitular Archbishop of Cerveteri

S e c re t a r y

Georg Ratzinger dies

served Mass. It was soon clear, first to me and then tohim, that our life would be in service to the Church”.He also shared childhood memories: “In Tittmoning,Joseph was confirmed by cardinal Michael Faulhaber,the great Archbishop of Munich. He was touched bythis moment and had said that he also wanted to be-come a cardinal. But, just some days after that meet-ing, after watching the painter who was painting ourhouse, he also said that when he grew up he wanted tobe a painter...”.

After recalling the dark years of the war and the op-position to Nazism by their father, a gendarme, Georgspoke of their common love for music: “Everyone inour house loved music. Our father, as I already men-tioned, had a zither and often played in the evenings.We would sing together. It was always an event for us.In Marktl am Inn, there was a music group that fascin-ated me a great deal. I have always thought that musicwas one of the most beautiful creations of God. Mybrother has also always loved music; maybe he got thatfrom me”.

Georg Ratzinger was a blunt man, unaccustomed todiplomacy. For example, he never hid the fact that hewas not overjoyed by his brother’s election to thepapacy: “I must admit that I wasn’t expecting it and Iwas a little bit disappointed.... Given his burdensomecommitments, I knew that our relationship wouldchange considerably. In any case, behind the humanchoice of the cardinals was the will of God and to thiswe cannot say no”.

In 2011, Georg said during an interview with a Ger-man magazine: “If he could no longer carry out hisduties from the point of view of his physical condition,my brother should have the courage to resign”. And hewas among the first to receive the news, several monthsahead of time, of the Pontiff’s historic decision to stepdown from the Petrine ministry, for reasons related toage. “Age makes itself felt”, Georg observed after theannouncement of the resignation in February 2013.“My brother desires more peace in his old age”. D espiteproblems with his legs and vision, the elder brother ofthe Pope emeritus continued to travel from Regens-burg to Rome, spending several periods in the Ma t e rEcclesiae monastery, often keeping Benedict company.

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disabled; the Christianvalue of suffering; themoral unacceptabilityof euthanasia; the im-possibility of introdu-cing this practice intoCatholic hospitals, evenin extreme cases, andof collaborating in thisregard with civil insti-tutions.

It seems clear thatthe position of theBrothers of Charitygroup in Belgium doesnot conform to suchprinciples. Indeed: 1.)

ognized as ‘civil’ if it develops anti-bodies against the throwaway cul-ture; if it recognizes the intangiblevalue of human life; if solidarity isactively practiced and safeguarded asthe foundation of coexistence”(POPE FRANCIS, Address to parti-cipants in the Plenary Assembly of theCongregation for the Doctrine of theFa i t h , 30 January 2020).

Furthermore, he reiterated that“the relational — and not merelyclinical — approach to the patient,

pears all the more perverse if it iscarried out by those, like relatives,who are supposed to treat a familymember with patience and love, orby those, such as doctors, who byvirtue of their specific profession aresupposed to care for the sick personeven in their most painful terminalstages” (Evangelium Vitae, n. 66).

In short, therefore, Catholic teach-ing affirms the sacred value of hu-man life; the importance of caringfor and accompanying the sick and

page 8 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 3 July 2020, number 27

ANGELUS

On Sunday, 28 June, after praying the Angelus with the faithfulgathered in Saint Peter’s Square, the Holy Father’s thoughtsturned to the people of Syria, Yemen and Ukraine, who areliving through an emergency situation caused by the seriouspolitical, social and humanitarian crises. Earlier, he hadcommented on the Gospel passage of Matthew (10:37-42).The following is a translation of the Pope’s reflection, whichhe delivered in Italian.

Pope Francis prays for Yemen and Ukraine

Peaceful solution to the Syrian crisisDear Brothers and Sisters,Good morning!This Sunday, the Gospel (cf. Mt10:37-42) forcefully echoes the in-vitation to live out our bond withthe Lord fully and without hesita-tion. Jesus asks his disciples totake the demands of the Gospelseriously, even when that requiressacrifice and effort.

The first demanding requestthat he addresses to those whofollow him is that of putting lovefor him above family affection.He says: “He who loves father ormother ... son or daughter morethan me is not worthy of me” ( v.37). Jesus certainly does not in-tend to undervalue love for par-ents and children, but he knowsthat if family bonds are put infirst place, they can deviate fromthe true good. We see this: someforms of corruption in govern-ments come about precisely be-cause love for family is greaterthan love for country, and so theyput family members in charge. Itis the same with Jesus: when love[for family] is greater than [it is]for him, it is not good. All of uscan give many examples in thisregard, not to mention those situ-ations in which family affectionsare intermingled with choices thatare contrary to the Gospel.When, instead, love for parentsand children is inspired and puri-fied by love for the Lord, it thenbecomes wholly fruitful and pro-duces good fruits within the fam-ily itself and well beyond it. Jesussays this phrase in this sense. Letus also remember how Jesus re-bukes the doctors of the law whocause their parents to lack what isnecessary to them on the pretextof offering it at the altar, of giv-ing it to the Church (cf. Mk 7:8-13). He rebukes them! True lovefor Jesus requires a true love forparents and children, but if weseek out family interests first, thisalways leads to the wrong path.

Then, Jesus says to his dis-ciples: “he who does not take hiscross and follow me is not worthyof me” (Mt 10:38). This means

following him along the path thathe himself trod, without lookingfor shortcuts. There is no truelove without the cross, that is,without a personal price to pay.Many mothers, many fathers whosacrifice a great deal for theirchildren, and bear true sacrifices,crosses, because they love them,say this. And the cross is notfrightening when borne withJesus, because he is always at ourside to support us in the hour ofthe most difficult trial, to give usstrength and courage. Nor is ithelpful to get agitated to preserveone’s own life through fearful oregotistical behaviour. Jesus ad-monishes: “He who finds his lifewill lose it, and he who loses hislife for my sake” — that is, forlove, for love of Jesus, love forone’s neighbour, for service to-wards others — “will find it” ( v.39). This is the Gospel paradox.But we have many, many ex-amples of this too, thank God!We see it in these days. Howmany people, how many people,are bearing crosses to help others;they sacrifice themselves to helpothers who are in need in thispandemic. But, always with Jesus,it can be done. The fullness oflife and of joy is found by givingoneself for the Gospel and forour brothers and sisters, withopenness, welcoming and good-ness.

In so doing, we can experienceGo d’s generosity and gratitude.

Jesus reminds us of this: “Hewho receives you receives me ...And whoever gives to one ofthese little ones even a cup ofcold water ... shall not lose his re-w a rd ” (vv. 40, 42). God’s gener-ous gratitude takes into accounteven the smallest gesture of loveand service given to our brothersand sisters. In these days, I heardfrom a priest who was moved be-cause a child approached him inhis parish and said, “Father, thisis my savings; not very much. Itis for the poor, for those who arein need today because of the pan-demic”. A small thing, but a greatthing. It is a contagious grati-tude, which helps each of us tobe grateful to those who take careof our needs. When someone of-fers us a service, we should notthink that we deserve everything.No, many services are carried outfreely. Think of volunteer work,which is one of the greatestthings about Italian society. Thevolunteers … And how many ofthem have lost their lives in thispandemic. They do it out of love,simply to serve. Gratitude, appre-ciation is, first of all, good man-ners, but it is also a characteristicof a Christian. It is a simple butgenuine sign of the Kingdom ofGod, which is the kingdom ofgratuitous and grateful love.

May Mary Most Holy, wholoved Jesus more than her ownlife and followed him even to thecross, help us to always put

ourselves before God with willinghearts, allowing his Word tojudge our behaviour and ourchoices.

After the Angelus, the Holy Fathercontinued:

Dear brothers and sisters, thisTuesday, 30 June, the EuropeanUnion and the United Nations’Fourth Conference on “Supp ort-ing the future of Syria and the re-gion” will take place. Let us prayfor this important meeting, sothat it may improve the dramaticsituation of the Syrian people andneighbouring peoples, particu-larly from Lebanon, in the con-text of serious socio-political andeconomic crises that have beenmade even more difficult by thepandemic. Consider that there arehungry children, who have noth-ing to eat! Please, may the leadersbe capable of making peace.

I also invite everyone to prayfor the population of Yemen, heretoo, especially the children, whoare suffering as a result of thevery serious humanitarian crisis,and also for those affected by thesevere floods in Western Ukraine:may they experience the comfortof the Lord and the help of theirb re t h re n .

I address my greeting to all ofyou, people of Rome and pil-grims from Italy and from othercountries. I see flags: Polish, Ger-man, and so many! In particular,I greet those who, here thismorning in Rome, attended theMass in the Congolese rite, pray-ing for the Democratic Republicof the Congo. I greet the Con-golese delegation present here!These Congolese people arego o d!

I wish you all a happy Sunday.Please, do not forget to pray forme. Enjoy your lunch! And I willsee you tomorrow for the feast ofSaints Peter and Paul.