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Middlesbrough, England, Sep 10, 2024 / 15:35 pm (CNA).

The Irish government has promised to set up an official investigation to examine historical abuse in religious-run day and boarding schools in the light of "appalling" abuse accounts.

The announcement comes as an initial 802-page, five-volume Scoping Inquiry report from the Irish government revealed that 2,395 allegations of abuse had been made in 308 schools between 1927 and 2013. The total number of allegations is believed to be far higher. The allegations were made against 884 abusers. It is believed that half of them have died.

The Scoping Inquiry was set up in the aftermath of a 2022 radio documentary called "Blackrock Boys," which revealed how extensive abuse took place at the Spiritan-run Blackrock College in Dublin.

"I am announcing today that the government has accepted the principal recommendation of the Report of the Scoping Inquiry, which is for the establishment of a Commission of Investigation," Minister for Education Norma Foley said Sept. 3. "Historical sexual abuse is a profoundly serious matter and needs to be examined in detail. The Report of the Scoping Inquiry is a harrowing document, containing some of the most appalling accounts of sexual abuse.

The Scoping Inquiry, written by senior counsel Mary O'Toole, contains extensive accounts of sexual abuse, rape, and sexual assault, and there are warnings in the report that it "may be distressing to read."

Foley acknowledged the experiences of David Ryan and his late brother Mark, whose testimonies were featured in Blackrock Boys. She said they were both "instrumental in the establishment of the Scoping Inquiry."

Some of the "harrowing" allegations mentioned by Foley concerned schools for disabled pupils. There are also descriptions of "physical punishment and violence" in some schools.

Central to the Scoping Inquiry was a survivor engagement process to ascertain the extent of the allegations of historical child sexual abuse in the schools. This involved consultation with survivors in order to "learn what is important to survivors now and what the next steps should be."

The Catholic Education Partnership, which represents the entire Catholic education community across Ireland, acknowledged "the significance of this report, the grave harm caused to survivors and their families, and those who suffered but are no longer with us." Lamenting the safeguarding failings, the partnership denounced the "gravely dysfunctional and abusive education system with respect to child safeguarding."

"It is painfully clear that children and the trust of their families were betrayed in the most devastating of ways," the partnership added. It promised to "fully cooperate" with the Commission of Investigation and pointed out that safeguarding practices have improved significantly in recent years. 

"Catholic schools have robust child safeguarding procedures, most recently reviewed in 2023," the partnership said, adding that it is "fully committed to maintaining effective child safeguarding."

Bishop Kevin Doran from the Irish Bishops' Conference described the report as a "tragedy," given the large numbers of people affected.

"The tragedy of the report is not simply that there are so many of them but that so many of them had to carry their experience alone for so many years before they felt sufficiently free to tell someone else," Doran said. "I am conscious that behind every paragraph is the experience of real people who, as children, suffered abuse and violence in a place where they should have been safe."

The bishop also offered an apology to those affected but acknowledged that the words "may sound hollow to survivors and their families" and said that "actions speak louder than words."

Doran, who is both bishop of Elphin and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Achonry in Ireland, said: "Together with the safeguarding teams in both dioceses, I am committed to ensuring that the policies and procedures which have been put in place for the safeguarding of children will continue to be fully implemented."

The Irish government is yet to announce who will chair the Commission of Investigation or a time frame for the investigation.

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Rome Newsroom, Sep 10, 2024 / 10:45 am (CNA).

On the second day of his apostolic visit to East Timor (Timor-Leste), Pope Francis first met with children and religious sisters at the Irmãs Alma School in Dili on Tuesday morning and thanked them for their testimony of love.

Approximately 50 children warmly welcomed the Holy Father and Cardinal Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, SDB, archbishop of Dili, with traditional song and dance to their school, run by consecrated sisters of the Association of Lay Ministries (ALMA) who began their missionary work in East Timor in 2004 by caring for poor, disabled, and abandoned children.

"This is what one finds here: love. Without love this cannot be understood. And so we understand the love of Jesus who gave his life for us. We cannot understand the love of Jesus if we do not begin to practice love," the Holy Father said to the ALMA sisters and children gathered inside the school's St. Vincent de Paul Hall.

"I want to thank you for what you do and I also want to thank the girls and the boys and the young men who give us the testimony of letting themselves be cared for. Because they teach us how we should let ourselves be cared for by God … they are our teachers."

Superior of the ALMA community Sister Getrudis Bidi said the children at the school are "our most precious treasures" and thanked Pope Francis for his teachings and example in loving the poor.

"The children we serve in Timor-Leste face numerous limitations and are deaf-mute, mentally disabled, with Down syndrome, physical anomalies, blind, autistic, abandoned, malnourished, and are defenseless and disadvantaged," she shared with the Holy Father.

"The dreams and objectives of the ALMA mission are to make the Gospel real and effective in today's world. As Jesus said, 'As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' His Holiness, [you] too, said, 'The poor save us because they let us encounter the face of Jesus Christ.'"

According to World Bank data, East Timor has a national poverty head count ratio at $3.65 a day, with approximately 40% of the population living below the poverty line.

Many children, particularly those with disabilities, are unable to be cared for by their impoverished families and are abandoned or given to Catholic ministries, such as ALMA, for their care and education.

Pope Francis spent some time during his visit to personally speak with a few children and sisters working at the school, while others joyfully sang songs and hymns waving Vatican and East Timor flags throughout the exchange.

Prior to leaving the school to meet with the bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians, and catechists at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the pope gifted the Irmãs Alma School a statue of the Holy Family and reiterated his message to live the testimony of love that knows how to love and be loved.

"This is the gift I leave to this house," the pope said. "Look carefully: St. Joseph takes care of the Virgin, the Virgin takes care of Jesus. The most important is the One who lets himself be cared for the most: Jesus. He lets himself be cared for by Mary and by Joseph."

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Bangalore, India, Sep 10, 2024 / 11:15 am (CNA).

More than 4,000 Catholics on Sept. 2 assembled in the remote Jamboni jungle to mark the 25-year observance of the death of 33-year-old Father Arul Das of the Balasore Diocese, who was shot and pierced with arrows in his thatched chapel-house during the early hours of Sept. 2, 1999.

"Father Arul very closely followed the life of Jesus. Like Jesus as a good shepherd, Father Arul too tried to be a good shepherd for the people of this locality," said Balasore Bishop Varghese Thottamkara in his sermon at the jubilee Mass.

Along with the bishop, over 50 priests and hundreds of nuns from different parts of the sprawling diocese and beyond were present at the celebration at which the clergyman was hailed as a martyr. 

"Father Arul was a priest of Christ. He came to serve the faithful of Balasore, especially of the Ho tribe people," Thottamkara said. 

"Through his life-giving witness he gives the best example for us. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church," the prelate added. 

"While only 18 Ho families had embraced Christian faith in Jamboni at the death of Father Arul in 1999, the number has swelled to over 400 in Jamboni mission area now," Father Varghese Puthumattam, who has compiled the biography of the missionary, told CNA. 

Arul became involved with the Ho tribals in the jungle region when he was assigned as a deacon for pastoral duty at the challenging mission. Even a quarter-century later, the outpost lacks electricity and proper roads.

After his ordination in 1993, he was posted in the area and went to neighboring Jharkhand to learn the Ho language. The priest launched full-fledged work among the tribe, walking through the jungles without motorable roads to reach out to locals, many of them illiterate.  

"We had to carry even bicycles on the shoulders to cross rocky and slushy terrains and streams," Puthumattam remembered, recounting the challenging mission work undertaken with Arul. 

While camping in his hut church at the remote Jamboni village, Arul was killed by a gang led by Hindu fundamentalist Dara Singh when the latter was on the run after having committed a triple murder in January 1999.

"Christian faith has taken deep roots among our people because of the martyrdom of Father Arul," Durga Singh Godsara told CNA. Godsara is a catechist and was one of the first converts that Arul helped lead to the Church. 

After Arul was killed, Godsara recounted what one of his fellow converts told him: "I will give up as it is dangerous and they would kill us too." 

"But I told him we have to die for the faith our guru [master] has taught us. Later I prayed with him; he got healed and he went to live 20 more years," Godsara said.

"Our people have deep faith in the healing power of Father Arul that they bring the sick to this spot and get instant healing," he added. 

"We routinely hear 'the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.' It has been literally fulfilled in Jamboni," Sister Elizabeth Rani told CNA.

"I came here for the first anniversary in 2000. What an amazing development has taken place over the years with the thousands of Ho people embracing the Christian faith," said Rani, who belongs to the Congregation of St Anne.

"'Arul' in our language [Tamil] means 'blessing,' and I am happy — he has indeed become a blessing to the Ho tribals," the nun added.  

"Our people were enthusiastic about the historic occasion," Father Francis Xavier Singh, vicar of Holy Rosary Parish of Bagdapha that comprises the Jamboni area, told CNA.

"They worked voluntarily through the night to prepare the lunch for more than 4,000 people," he added.

Thottamkara told CNA that there "is indeed a growing popular devotion to Father Arul." The bishop noted that several miraculous healings have been reported by the Ho tribe.

"The diocese will set up committees to document and scrutinize these to decide how to take these up further," Thottamkara said.

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CNA Staff, Sep 10, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, OP, archbishop of Vienna, said in a recent interview with a French Catholic magazine that in the face of rising secularization and the growth of Islam in many historically Christian nations, Catholics should "trust in the work of grace" and remember that the Church is "an expert in humanity."

"The Church is alive and will always be, albeit under different circumstances. We must accept the decline of Europe. We tend to gaze at our ecclesiastical navel, but it is an undeniable continental movement," Schönborn said, speaking to Famille Chrétienne. 

"In 20 years, the European population will not be the same as it is today, and it is already not the same as it was 50 years ago. This is inevitable, above all due to the decline in the birth rate in Europe but also due to immigration and the increasing presence of Islam. This poses new challenges for us Christians. We must also not forget that the Lord is at work in his Church! Just think of the 12,000 baptisms of adults and young people in France this year."

The Austrian cardinal, who helped to produce the Catechism of the Catholic Church, said that despite the decline of the Church's influence in Europe, he is convinced that the Church "has not yet breathed its last."

"Despite secularization, the great questions of men and women remain the same as before: birth, growth, education, illness, economic worries. And then there is the family, marriage, and death," Schönborn noted. "There is a lot of talk about change, but too little attention is paid to the constants of society. The Church must remember that it is an expert in humanity, as Paul VI said." 

The cardinal called the idea that France and Europe are "no longer Christian" because of Islam's influence "absurd," but he firmly stressed that "Catholics should return to the Church." 

"If Catholics have left the Church, we should not be surprised that they are in the minority," he continued, calling for a "fraternal rapprochement" with Islam, echoing the words of Pope Francis, noting that Christians "do not take up arms but trust in the work of grace." 

"Both our religions have an absolute appeal. For Muslims, God has demanded that the whole world be subjected to him and the Koran. As for Christ, he has entrusted us with a universal mission: 'Make disciples of all nations.' Neither of them can therefore renounce their mission. But the Christians' way of acting is not that of the Koran but the following of Christ in all dimensions of our lives," he said. 

Addressing the ongoing Synod on Synodality — the final session of which will take place in October in Rome and is expected to produce a final report for the pope's approval — Schönborn said "synodality is central to Francis' pontificate, but there is continuity with previous synods, which have been about communion, participation, and mission."

"You may be disappointed that the specific topics are a little up in the air, but this is first and foremost a synod about the 'modus operandi' within the Church," Schönborn said. 

"In my diocese, I have experienced this synodality with the priests in small groups and tried to live it through spiritual conversation. Everyone agreed that the exchange had never been so deep."

Asked about Fiducia Supplicans, a document published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in December 2023 that authorized nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples and others in "irregular situations," Schönborn said he believes the document shows "confusion" on the part of the Church. The cardinal had previously, in 2021, criticized the Vatican's rejection of blessings for same-sex couples, saying the document was marked by a "clear communication error."

"I experienced it as I experience things — concretely," the cardinal said. "If friends say to me: 'Our son has just announced to us that he is homosexual and that he has found a partner,' I then ask them: 'Is he still your son?' Most often, the answer comes naturally. I believe that with the two successive documents from Rome [the 2021 Responsum ad Dubium and Fiducia Supplicans], the Church has shown its own dismay in the face of this question. These texts, in my eyes, are shaky. We are faced with a question for which there can be no right answer."

"The path that Pope Francis proposes to us is that of discernment, trying to see what the Lord is showing us," he continued. "Incidentally, the misfortune of the German [Synodal Way] is that they want sharp, unambiguous answers. And unambiguity does not work in concrete life."

Asked about Pope Francis' restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass by way of the 2021 document Traditionis Custodes, Schönborn expressed the hope that the "new generation" might "easily" move from the TLM to modern movements and "prayer groups" such as the Emmanuel Community. 

The Austrian prelate added: "Let us accept that Francis has his reasons for closing the doors again, at least partially, just as we have accepted that Benedict XVI had his reasons for opening them. Let us trust that the Lord is leading the Church."

Schönborn was finally asked what "profile" the next pope after Francis, who turns 88 in December, should have.

"On that day, the Holy Spirit will lead the Church. We should not worry. If it is an African, it will be an African. Maybe it will be an Asian or a man from old Europe. But the most important thing is that he believes that he is a servant of Christ and that he loves the Church. This is how the Church will move forward," Schönborn said. 

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Dili, East Timor, Sep 10, 2024 / 02:55 am (CNA).

In East Timor, a country where 98% of the population is Catholic, Pope Francis was met with great enthusiasm on Tuesday by local clergy and religious. 

About 600 clergy and religious crammed into the cathedral, and another 1500 faithful had flocked outside as religious sisters, priests, and bishops expressed gratitude for the Catholic country's many vocations and vibrant religious life.

Among those gathered were religious sisters who serve the poor in the developing nation's mountainous regions.

Speaking in the capital city of Dili's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Sept. 10, the pope encouraged those with religious vocations to preserve the faith of the Catholic country by never neglecting to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel.

"The Church exists to evangelize, and we are called to bring to others … the new life of the Gospel," Francis said.

"The Gospel of Jesus has the power to transform … and generate a new society," he added.

Pope Francis landed in East Timor, also called Timor-Leste, on Sept. 9 for the third leg of his 11-day trip to Southeast Asia and Oceania. Evangelization has been an essential theme of the journey, which has already brought him from the island nations of Indonesia to Papua New Guinea.

Lying off the northern coast of Australia, at the boundary between Asia and Oceania, East Timor is one of the world's newest nations — it became a sovereign state in 2002. 

"For we know that at the heart of Christ, the existential peripheries are in fact the center. A Church that does not see the peripheries and hides in the center is a sick Church. But if a Church thinks of the peripheries and sends missionaries, the peripheries become the center," the pope said.

Franciscan Capuchins Serving the Poor

Father Luan Le, a Franciscan Capuchin friar and missionary from Australia, has been serving in East Timor for ten years. He told CNA that the Capuchins primarily work with the poor, visiting villages to administer sacraments and care for the sick.

"Basic education and healthcare remain major challenges, especially in mountainous areas," Le explained. "There's a lack of medical clinics, doctors, nurses, and medicine in many places. People often rely solely on herbal medicine when they get sick."

Describing the excitement surrounding the pope's visit, Le said: "It's a blessing for them. They see him as Christ's vicar, and his presence brings blessing and grace to their families."

Le expressed hope that the pope's visit would promote peace, harmony, and development in education and healthcare. He also emphasized the need for employment opportunities for young people.

Reflecting on his missionary experience, Le contrasted life in Australia with East Timor: "Here, we lack many material things, but it's a blessing because we're closer to the people. You see the joy of the Gospel in their faces when you meet them." 

Religious Orders Aid Development and Education

Many of the religious orders present in East Timor work with the poor in the developing country, where more than 40% of the population still live under the poverty line.

Mother Nunzia Da Silva Pachero is one of eight sisters from East Timor who entered the Missionaries of Charity since the arrival of Mother Teresa's order in the new country in 2008.

"Our apostolate is to visit people and families, consecrating them to the Immaculate Heart, Sacred Heart, and Divine Mercy. We also assist sick families, bringing them to the city for medical treatment. When possible, we provide catechism, preparing people for the sacraments. Additionally, we visit prisoners and those with mental illnesses."

When Hospitaller Sisters of Mercy arrived in East Timor, the sisters noticed that some girls who lived in the mountains had to walk three to four hours to attend school. The girls would make the long journey on foot, attend school for two hours, and then walk three to four hours home.

Although the Sisters of Mercy had to come to the impoverished island to care for the sick and malnourished children, Sister Paola Lacovone explained that they knew that they also needed to do something to help these girls, so they opened a dormitory to help girls pursue their education without needing to walk more than six hours each day.

The Hospitaller Sisters of Mercy, originally from Italy, have 25 sisters in East Timor and have been here since 2011.

The pontiff addressed Church leaders after listening to a welcome address by Bishop Norberto de Amaral, president of the local bishops' conference, and testimonies from a religious sister, priest, and catechist.

Sister Rosa Sarmento, a Canossian Sister, highlighted East Timor's status as the most Catholic country in Southeast Asia and "an oasis of priestly and religious vocations." 

She noted that Timorese religious are now serving in other parts of the world, reversing the historical trend of European missionaries coming to Timor. 

Sister Rosa asked for the pope's blessing "for our children, adolescents, young people, men, women, elderly and, in particular, the disabled, of whom there are many."

Missionaries first brought the Catholic faith to the island of Timor in 1515. The eastern half of the island, the area that became East Timor, was a Portuguese colony for centuries before being invaded and occupied by the neighboring country of Indonesia in 1975. After almost three decades of struggle, East Timor achieved independence in 2002.

Saved by the cassock

Father Sancho Amaral, a 68-year-old diocesan priest with 39 years of service, shared his experience helping the Timorese independence movement. He recounted a pivotal moment in 1991 when he assisted Chief Commander Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão — who currently serves as Prime Minister — in traveling from Dili to the village of Ossu. The two men narrowly avoided detection by the Indonesian military when stopped at a checkpoint. 

"At this point, as I was wearing my cassock, I rolled down the car window with my left arm out, my face sullen and unfriendly, and asked: 'Ada apa?', that is, why did you stop us? But when the soldiers realized I was a priest, they let us pass. So, the cassock, as the garment of priestly identity, saved us from danger," Amaral said.

The priest emphasized how God protects those called to mission, even in times of war, adding: "Today I can be here to give my witness of life, because God loves me and cares for me."

A third witness, Florentino de Jesus Martins — an 89-year-old catechist — shared his lifelong commitment to the Church. He began as a catechist in 1956 and served for 56 years, including in mission stations and other locations, for the diocese of Dili. 

Lacking modern transport, Martins recounted how he "often had to walk from six to ten kilometers in order to catechize." 

"Along the way, I sometimes faced challenges such as rain and strong wind, or overnight stays during the journey. Despite the challenges, I was never discouraged and I continued to work with the utmost responsibility, zeal and devotion."

Although he retired in 2017 due to health issues, Martins still supports and advises other catechists.

The sandalwood and the fragrance of Christ

In his address, Pope Francis said just as Mary of Bethany — the sister of Martha and Lazarus — anointed the feet of Jesus with perfume, Catholics are called to preserve and spread the fragrance of Christ and his Gospel.

"Dear friends, you are the fragrance of Christ," he said, pointing out the country's abundant growth of fragrant, highly-valued sandalwood and connecting it to the bonum odor Christi.

"Like a sandalwood tree, evergreen and strong, which grows and produces fruit, you are missionary disciples who bear the fragrance of the Holy Spirit in order to 'intoxicate' the lives of others," Francis said.

The pontiff warned the audience of falling into "lukewarm spiritual mediocrity," rather than faithfully preserving the fragrance of Christ.

"We [Catholics] rightly look back with gratitude on our preceding history, to the seed of faith sown here," the pope said, praising the witnesses who had just spoken to the gathering. 

"But is this enough? In reality, we must always fan the flame of faith," Pope Francis stressed, explaining this means deepening knowledge of Christian doctrine, purification in the light of the Gospel, and spiritual growth.

East Timor, "rooted in a long Christian history, also needs a renewed impetus toward evangelization, so that the Gospel's fragrance may reach everyone, a fragrance of reconciliation and peace after suffering years of war; a fragrance of compassion, which will help the poor get back on their feet and inspire a renewed commitment to revive the economic and social wellbeing of the country; a fragrance of justice against corruption," he added.

"Be careful about corruption," the pope said.

Francis also urged local Catholics to counter the suffering of alcoholism and violence and overcome any disrespect for the dignity of women with the fragrance of the Gospel.

"The Gospel of Jesus has the power to transform these dark realities and generate a new society," he said.

In closing, the pope appealed to all those gathered in the Cathedral of Dili, saying, "Do not be discouraged! As Father Sancho reminded us in his moving testimony, 'God knows how to take care of those he has called and sent on his mission'. As Father Sancho reminded us today in his moving testimony, 'God knows how to care of those he has called and sent on his mission."

Hannah Brockhaus in Rome contributed to this report.

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CNA Staff, Sep 9, 2024 / 18:15 pm (CNA).

James Earl Jones, a distinguished actor of stage and screen who was a convert to the Catholic faith, died Monday at age 93. 

Known for lending his booming voice to such characters as Darth Vader in the "Star Wars" saga and Mufasa in "The Lion King," Jones' career spanned nearly seven decades. 

He was one of the few entertainers, male or female, to have earned the coveted "EGOT" slate of acting awards: an Emmy (for TV), Grammy (for music), Oscar (for movies), and Tony (for the stage).

Born in poverty in Mississippi, Jones overcame a stutter early in life in part by discovering a gift for poetry. He joined the military after graduating from college, moving to New York after serving to pursue acting full time. 

A prolific stage actor who became well known as a Shakespearean, Jones also entertained generations of moviegoers with dozens of roles. These included perhaps his most famous voice performances — the unimpeachable lion monarch Mufasa and the inimitable Sith menace Darth Vader — as well as memorable live-action appearances in "The Sandlot" and "Field of Dreams."

Jones did not talk much about his Catholic faith but said in a 1987 interview that he converted to the faith during his time serving in the military. He said that while discerning whether to stay in the military or pursue his true passion — acting — the only things that he had in his life that were "not geared toward the art of killing" were his Catholic faith "and the complete works of Shakespeare.''

In 1985, he voiced Pharaoh in the first episode of Hanna-Barbera's "The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible." He also recorded an audio edition of the King James version of the New Testament.

Jones died Monday morning at his home in Dutchess County, New York, according to his agent.

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Rome Newsroom, Sep 9, 2024 / 10:14 am (CNA).

Pope Francis was joined by more than 10,000 people for a youth festival held at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby on the final day of his apostolic visit to Papua New Guinea (PNG), reminding people of the need to speak the "common language of the heart" that unites people amid diversity.

Acknowledging the beauty and diversity of the peoples of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, the pope on Monday emphasized that "the language of love, the language of closeness, the language of service" is what can unite people in a region in which more than 800 dialects are spoken. 

"Scripture tells us that after the flood, Noah's descendants dispersed to different islands, each with their own language, by their families, without removing their differences," the pope said. "And who could tell me what is this language that unites us? What is this language that we need? Who can tell us that?" 

"Love!" cried out the crowds present at the meeting in the open-air stadium, many of whom were waving miniature Vatican flags and displaying banners representing Catholic associations to which they belong. 

During the meeting, Pope Francis said indifference — a "fruit of hatred" — is even uglier than hatred itself and urged his listeners to take care of others and to form friendships amongst themselves. 

"You know that indifference is a very bad thing, because you leave others on the street, you are not interested in helping others. Indifference has the roots of selfishness," he said. 

Through a musical dance performance based on the PNG papal visit's motto and theme "Teach Us How to Pray" (cf. Luke 11:1), youth representatives — from groups including the Legion of Mary and the Catholic Professionals Society of PNG — shared with the Holy Father their concerns about family life, the environment, education, and their tradition as well as their fears about the future.

Bernadette, a youth member of the Legion of Mary, told Pope Francis that many young people encounter several difficulties in trying to live their faith and feel helpless when confronted with the realities of poverty, crime, and violence.

"Some of our struggles are caused by young people, but we do not know how to face them and their consequences," she shared with the pope and the crowds. 

"Poverty is one reason why young people are not completing their studies or pursuing their dreams and desires. It causes them to turn to illegal things, to find ways to earn money by selling drugs and stealing."  

Moved by testimonies shared by youth representatives, the pope reiterated the need for young people to not lose hope and build a future together by helping one another to rise again after theirs and others' falls or mistakes.

"In life we ??can all fall, all of us!" the pope said. "But what is more important? Not staying fallen." 

"And if you see a friend, a classmate, a girlfriend, a classmate your age who has fallen, what should you do? Laugh at him? You have to look at him and help him get up," the pope urged. 

Throughout the 90-minute meeting, the pope repeated the gesture of lifting up a person from the ground and asking everyone to imitate him in living out the "challenge" of helping others to get up again after a fall.

Pope Francis concluded the youth meeting by blessing the people of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and praying the Our Father with them in English.

"Don't forget to pray for me, because this job is not easy," he said. "Thank you very much for your presence. Thank you very much for your hope!"

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Dili, East Timor, Sep 9, 2024 / 11:06 am (CNA).

Upon his arrival in the Catholic island of East Timor on Monday, Pope Francis entrusted the new country to the Blessed Virgin Mary,

"I entrust East Timor and all its people to the protection of the Immaculate Conception, heavenly patroness invoked under the title of 'Virgem de Aitara,'" Pope Francis said at the welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in the capital city of Dili on Sept. 9.

"May she accompany you and help you always in your mission to build a free, democratic, and united country where no one feels excluded and everyone can live in peace and dignity."

Pope Francis is the first pope to visit East Timor since it gained its independence from Indonesia in 2002, becoming the first new sovereign state of the 21st century. Francis follows in the footsteps of John Paul II, who made an apostolic visit to East Timor in 1989 when it was still an Indonesian province.

The country is overwhelmingly Catholic, with Catholics making up 98% of East Timor's 1.3 million people.

East Timor's President José Manuel Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a prominent figure in East Timor's struggle for independence, describes his country as "the second most Catholic country after Vatican City."

Pope Francis' visit to East Timor marks the 25th anniversary of its independence in which the Catholic Church played an important role in advocating for human rights.

Huge crowds lined the streets of Dili for miles for the pope's arrival, waving Vatican flags and standing under special yellow-and-white Vatican-themed umbrellas for relief from the midday sun.

At the official welcome ceremony at the presidential palace, Pope Francis received a 21-gun salute and an honor guard before 29 children in traditional clothes offered the pope flowers and placed a traditional Timorese Tais cloth on his shoulders. Many women at the papal welcome wore Catholic chapel veils with some wiping away tears at the sight of the pope as the young country's national anthem played.

The pope encouraged the new country, which has struggled since gaining independence, to follow Catholic social teaching and invest in education as it continues to develop.

"You are a young people. I am not referring to your culture and history, which are rather ancient, but to the fact that about 65% of East Timor's population is under the age of 30," Francis commented.

"This statistic tells us that the first area for you to invest in is education, in the family, and in schools," he added.

In the years after East Timor gained its independence, the country had one of the highest fertility rates in the world with nearly seven births per mother.

Pope Francis' visit to Timor East comes at a time when the young country is reckoning with a sexual abuse scandal. Timorese Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, a national hero and Nobel Peace Prize winner, was sanctioned by the Vatican in response to allegations that the prelate had abused boys for decades. The Vatican placed disciplinary restrictions on Belo in 2020, limiting his movement and banning him from contact with minors.

Speaking to East Timorese officials and dignitaries Pope Francis in his address inside the presidential palace alluded to the scandal by underlining the importance of safeguarding young people to protect them.

"Let us also not forget that these children and adolescents have their dignity violated — the phenomenon is emerging all over the world. In response, we are all called to do everything possible to prevent every kind of abuse and guarantee a healthy and peaceful childhood for all young people," Francis said.

The pope also expressed his concern over the "scourge" of gang violence, describing how fights between rival martial arts clubs have led to deaths and injuries. A national ban on martial arts training in East Timor was among the government's tightened security protocols implemented for the papal visit.

"These gang members are trained in martial arts, but instead of using this knowledge in the service of the defenseless, they use it as an opportunity to showcase the fleeting and harmful power of violence," the pope said.

East Timor is one of the least-visited countries in the world. The two official languages are Tetum and Portuguese, a legacy of Portugal's centuries of colonial rule of the island.

The small country, which is roughly the same size as Connecticut, uses the U.S. dollar as its currency. It is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia with more than 40% of the population living below the national poverty line.

East Timor is the third stop on the pope's Sept. 2–13 trip to four countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania. While in East Timor, the pope will meet with youth, address the island's clergy in one of the largest cathedrals in Southeast Asia, and preside over a massive outdoor Mass, which hundreds of thousands are expected to attend.

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Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Sep 8, 2024 / 00:01 am (CNA).

During Pope Francis' apostolic journey to Papua New Guinea, the pope reflected on the profound sacrifices made by early Catholic missionaries and martyrs in the region who ventured deep into the unexplored rainforests to bring the Gospel to "the ends of the Earth."

Speaking to Catholics from across the island gathered at the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Port Moresby, the pope honored the enduring legacy of those who brought Christianity to the Pacific island. 

"Missionaries arrived in this country at the middle of the 19th century, and the first steps of their ministry were not easy. Indeed some attempts failed. However, they did not give up," Francis said.

"With great faith, apostolic zeal and many sacrifices, they continued to preach the Gospel and serve their brothers and sisters, starting again many times whenever they failed," he said, highlighting how missionaries, through their "starts" and "restarts," courageously laid the foundation for the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea.

Christianity was introduced to Papua New Guinea by Marish missionaries who arrived on Woodlark Island in 1847, only to be forced to withdraw the following year. They were followed five years later by missionaries from the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions, but they, too, were forced to leave after three years of work on the island. The first Mass would be offered in Papua New Guinea more than 30 years later on July 4, 1885, by French missionaries on Yule Island. 

The legacy of these missionaries includes both those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their faith and those whose lives of heroic virtue are being recognized through the Church's beatification process. 

During World War II, 197 Roman Catholics were executed during the Japanese invasion of Papua New Guinea in 1942 and 1943, according to researchers at the University of Papua New Guinea. 

The brutal occupation saw many lives lost, including those of missionaries who steadfastly upheld their faith in the face of oppression. The leading candidate for Papua New Guinea's first native saint was among those martyred during the Japanese occupation. 

Here is a closer look at three remarkable individuals who shaped the Catholic mission in Papua New Guinea:

Blessed Giovanni Battista Mazzucconi (Italy)

Father Giovanni Battista Mazzucconi, an Italian missionary, was one of the early martyrs of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea.

Born on March 1, 1826, in Italy, Mazzucconi was ordained in May 1850 and joined the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions.

He arrived in Australia in March 1852, before embarking on his mission to Woodlark Island in Milne Bay Province. Despite his efforts to immerse himself in the local culture and his initial struggles with illness, Mazzucconi remained dedicated to his mission. Tragically, on Sept. 7, 1855, he was ambushed and killed by locals while attempting to continue his work. He was beatified in 1984 for being killed "in odium fidei" (in hatred of the faith), and his canonization awaits the confirmation of a miracle.

Pope Francis encouraged devotion to Mazzucconi when speaking to the roughly 35,000 Catholics gathered for his stadium Mass in Port Moresby. 

"May Blessed John Mazzucconi accompany you on this journey, for amid much difficulty and hostility he brought Christ into your midst, so that no one would remain deaf before the joyful message of salvation, and that all might loosen their tongues to sing of God's love. May this indeed be so for you today," the pope said.

Blessed Peter To Rot (Papua New Guinea)

Blessed Peter To Rot, a native of New Britain province in Papua New Guinea, is celebrated for his steadfast faith and bravery in standing up for the truths of Church teaching.

Born in 1912, To Rot served as a catechist in his village, taking on the responsibility of catechizing after the local priest was taken by the Japanese army. During the Japanese occupation, which imposed strict laws against religious practice, To Rot was a fierce defender of Christian values, including the sanctity of marriage. His refusal to comply with Japanese rules restricting religious practice led to his arrest and imprisonment in a manual labor camp. 

In 1945, he was executed by lethal injection. Beatified in 1995 by Pope John Paul II, To Rot's legacy is a testament to his purity of faith and his commitment to his community under dire circumstances.

In Pope Francis' meeting with Catholics in the remote Diocese of Vanimo on Papua New Guinea's northern coast, the pope recalled To Rot's "witness to love."

"Blessed Peter To Rot, spouse, father, catechist, and martyr of this land gave witness to love by word and example. He gave his life precisely to defend the unity of the family in the face of those who wanted to undermine its foundations," the pope said.

Venerable Bishop Alain de Boismenu (France)

Bishop Alain Marie Guynot de Boismenu, born on Dec. 27, 1870, in France, is remembered as a pivotal figure in the Catholic Church's mission in Papua New Guinea.

Ordained a priest and a member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Boismenu arrived in Papua New Guinea in 1897. He was appointed Apostolic Vicar of Papua in 1908, a role he held until his retirement in 1945.

During his tenure, he significantly expanded the Church's reach, establishing new missions, schools, and training centers for catechists. He also founded the Handmaids of the Lord, a religious congregation for women.

Although he is not a martyr, the beatification process for Boismenu based on his heroic virtues was initiated in 1984, and he was declared Venerable by Pope Francis in 2014. His dedication to pastoral care and education left an indelible mark on the region.

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Rome Newsroom, Sep 8, 2024 / 12:05 pm (CNA).

The gift of the Eucharist helps us to become the body of Christ for others, Pope Francis said in a video message sent to the 2024 International Eucharistic Congress in Quito, Ecuador, on Sunday.

The Eucharist teaches us how to have, the pope said in his message recorded at the Vatican, "a profound brotherhood, born of union with God, born of allowing ourselves to be ground, like wheat, so that we can become bread, the body of Christ, thus participating fully in the Eucharist and in the assembly of the saints."

The 53rd International Eucharistic Congress is taking place in Quito, Ecuador, Sept. 8–15, in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the country's consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Over 20,000 people will attend the congress from at least 40 countries around the world. More than 1,500 children will make their first Communion during the opening Mass on Sept. 8. The theme of the 2024 international congress is "Fraternity to Heal the World."

Pope Francis' message arrived in Quito, where the first National Eucharistic Congress was held in 1886, while he is in the midst of an 11-day journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.

In the video, he referenced the Church Fathers St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Ignatius of Antioch.

The Church Fathers told us, he said, "that the sign of bread kindles in the People of God the desire for fraternity, for just as bread cannot be kneaded from a single grain, so too must we walk together, for 'though we are many, we are one body, one bread.'"

The pope also pointed to the example of Venerable Sr. Angela Maria of the Heart of Jesus (born Maria Cecilia Autsch) — a German Trinitarian Sister of Valencia who was imprisoned and died in the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps during World War II — for her "proactive" fraternity.

"Even before she was arrested, when the evil that was looming over the world was already evident, she invited her little nieces and nephews who were approaching Holy Communion for the first time, invited her relatives who had drifted away a bit, and invited even those who had remained devout, to rebel against that evil with simple and, in certain areas, dangerous gestures," he said, "to get as close as possible to the Sacrament of the altar, to rebel by taking Communion."

Venerable Angela found in the Eucharist "a bond that strengthens the vigor of the Church itself, a bond that strengthens this vigor among its members and with God, and for her it was 'organizing' the plot of a resistance that the enemy cannot rout, because it does not respond to a human design," Francis continued.

"It is these simple gestures that make us more aware of the fact that if one member suffers, the whole body suffers with him," he said.

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