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Vatican City, Dec 12, 2024 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis on Thursday released his message for the 58th World Day of Peace, commemorated annually on Jan. 1, with three concrete proposals for people to embark upon a profound "journey of hope" in the 2025 Jubilee Year.

According to the pope, the path toward "a true and lasting peace" in the world is rooted in the petitions of the Lord's Prayer and requires a desire for change on a personal, cultural, and structural level "in order to confront the present state of injustice and inequality."

Renewing the appeals for peace of his predecessors St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and St. Paul VI, the Holy Father called for the development of a new financial framework based on solidarity; the elimination of the death penalty in all nations; and, using a fixed percentage of money "earmarked for armaments," to establish a global fund to sustainably eradicate hunger and promote education in poorer countries.

"If we take to heart these much-needed changes, the Jubilee Year of Grace can serve to set each of us on a renewed journey of hope, born of the experience of God's unlimited mercy," the pope wrote in his Dec. 12 message on peace.

Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, told journalists on Thursday that a "constant renewal of mind and heart" is needed to bring about future changes to improve the lives of the world's most vulnerable. 

"The Holy Father speaks about the poor countries. In our time, he says this must include the conversion of hearts," he shared. "Conversion is a path traced by love for Christ that inspires, transforms, orients, and energizes us."

"'Love is patient' says St. Paul (1 Cor 13:14) because it moves us from immediate needs and consumption and a logic of waste and self interest to seeking authentic communion, service, the common good, the gift of oneself, 'integral human development,'" he continued.

During the press conference, Italian engineer Vito Alfieri Fontana shared with journalists about his humanitarian work dedicated to eliminating land mines following a personal conversion experience in the early 1990s.

"When I was an arms manufacturer I thought that war was a part of the human soul," he said. "Those who work in the armaments industry go out of the way to offer customers products that ensure quick and effective solutions to face a war."

"[Political] tensions kept our activities stable," he said. "Then somehow a mechanism becomes jammed. The questions from your children asking you what you do as a job and why you do it; pressure from public opinion on the problem of land mines… asked me to think about my life, if not, to change it."

Addressing Pope Francis and St. John Paul II's call to overturn "structures of sin," Executive Director of Catholic Mobilizing Network Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy said this year's theme "Forgive Us Our Trespasses: Grant Us Your Peace" affirms the American organization's work dedicated to end to the death penalty, advance mercy, and achieve "restorative justice."

"My friends Vicki and Syl Schieber lost their daughter, Shannon, in 1998," Murphy told journalists on Thursday. "Their suffering was unimaginable yet they chose to respond in a restorative way. They fought to spare the life of the man who took their daughter's life from a death sentence."  

"In the spirit of reconciliation, the Schiebers took courageous steps to ensure their pain did not result in more suffering or feed into a sinful social structure," she shared. "Forgiveness is a long journey. Dare I say, countercultural."

"The Holy Father reminds us that the path toward peace needs graced hope to light our way," she added.

Coinciding with the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the World Day of Peace was instituted by Pope Paul VI in 1968 and has since been observed "as a hope and as a promise" each year "to give to the history of the world a more happy, ordered, and civilized development."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 12, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The bishops of Haiti denounced the "dehumanizing violence" that has plagued the country since the beginning of 2024 and are asking all citizens to "go on with life without becoming discouraged" and to be witnesses of hope.

The bishops posted their Christmas message at the end of their 142nd Ordinary Assembly in which they referred to the uncontrollable spiral of violence that is ravaging Haiti, the result of the actions of organized criminal gangs, which control a large part of Port-au-Prince, the capital of the Caribbean country.

"Many families live in extreme poverty. Added to this is dehumanizing violence. Many people are homeless and without hope. Older people are left to their own devices, worried and saddened by their inability to cope with such a reality. Young people and children are filled with worries about their future and tempted to discouragement. These distressing situations are caused by violence, corruption, cynicism, and poor governance," the bishops wrote in their Dec. 6 message.

The prelates said they were deeply saddened by the situation and that "in the face of all these misfortunes that threaten our country, all actors in society must overcome their divisions and conflicts" to save it.

They directly asked criminal gangs to "stop these heinous acts" that do not bring about anything good for anyone. They asked those who "secretly supply them with weapons and ammunition" to stop "feeding this blind violence that bloodies our society on a daily basis."

The bishops also called on civil authorities to work in the interests of the country and not in their own interests or those of their parties, to control their borders to stop illegal arms trafficking and to put an end to the problem of insecurity with effective means. "Justice must be done for the many victims" and "order and peace must be restored," they urged.

They also called on the international community to remember its "promises and commitments" to help Haiti emerge from violence and isolation. "The population abandoned to its fate must be able to count on the effective solidarity of other nations," the bishops said.

Finally, they addressed the men and women of the country, asking them to go on with life without becoming discouraged and to be "witnesses of hope" in the midst of their difficult reality. "Every Haitian man, every Haitian woman, whatever their condition, has a role to play in the transformation of our country," they said.

More than 180 elderly people murdered last weekend

At least 184 people were murdered last weekend by members of organized criminal gangs, just one day after the country's bishops published their Christmas message.

According to Reuters, the massacre took place in the Cité Soleil neighborhood, one of the poorest and most dangerous in Haiti. Monel "Mikano" Felix, a gang leader, ordered the massacre of people over 60 years old in accordance with the recommendation of a voodoo priest, who accused elderly people in the area of using witchcraft to make Felix's son ill, which took the child's life.

Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, said that with this latest massacre the number of people killed this year in Haiti by criminal violence has reached "a staggering 5,000 people."

The criminals are believed to have used machetes and knives to carry out the massacre between Friday and Saturday of last week. The gangs' tight control, which includes restrictions on the use of cellphones, "has limited residents' ability to share information about the massacre," Reuters said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 12, 2024 / 11:25 am (CNA).

The United Kingdom's ban on children receiving puberty-blocking drugs to facilitate a gender transition is now permanent, according to an announcement from the country's Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

In a Dec. 11 statement, the DHSC wrote that the "emergency measures that restricted the sale of puberty-suppressing hormones will be made indefinite." In March, England paused the prescription of puberty blockers for gender transitions and Scotland followed suit in April.

According to the statement, the decision is based on "independent expert advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM)," which has determined "there is currently an unacceptable safety risk."

"We are prioritizing patient safety, which is why we have accepted CHM's recommendations in regards to this legislation," the statement read.

The initial pause in allowing children to receive puberty blockers was prompted by the Cass Review — an independent analysis of studies on minors who receive these drugs, which was led by Dr. Hilary Cass. The study found no comprehensive evidence to support the routine prescription of transgender drugs to children who have gender dysphoria. 

According to the DHSC statement, in addition to the Cass review, later reviews also "found insufficient evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty blockers for adolescents."

"[The CHM] has also advised that the current prescribing environment is unsafe and that an indefinite ban should be put in place until a safer prescribing environment can be established," the statement continued.

Additionally, the DHSC noted that the CHM has "found poor medical and prescribing practice" in regard to gender transitions for minors. The department added that the CHM "saw evidence of poor-quality advertising, prescribing, and communication by private practitioners to children and young people that would constitute unsafe practice."

"As an example, CHM found instances where children received prescriptions after filling out online questionnaires and a brief call with prescribers outside the U.K.," the statement read.

In the United States, doctors can legally prescribe transgender drugs to children in about half of the states. According to a study by Do No Harm, at least 13,994 children underwent gender transitions in the United States from 2019 through 2023. The study also found that nearly 150 Catholic hospitals provided gender transitions in conflict with guidelines from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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CNA Staff, Dec 12, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill is sending letters in support of new mothers in Russia as part of a new project designed to encourage pregnant women to keep their babies, according to a Russian state news agency.

There were a reported 500,000 abortions in Russia in 2022, even as Russia's birth rate hit its lowest in a quarter century this year. Amid the demographic crisis in Russia, the patriarch has committed to combatting the "tragedy" of abortion.

The goal of the letters is to encourage women to keep their babies, according to "Hello, Mom!" leader Natalia Moskvitina, president of the charity group Women for Life.

"Women received letters from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill during their gynecologist appointments at the Church Hospital of St. Alexis in Moscow," Moskvitina said in a statement to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. "These letters aim to support women during a particularly vulnerable time — the early stages of pregnancy."

The "Hello, Mom!" project was organized by Women for Life, a pro-life group that was awarded a grant of 5 million rubles (about $46,700) for the project. It also receives state funding. The "Hello, Mom!" letter project now spans 16 regions of Russia, according to a report by RIA Novosti.

Moskvitina said that many women who come to the Church Hospital of St. Alexis were encouraged by others in their lives — whether family members or other institutions — to have an abortion rather than carry the child to term.

"Mothers often come seeking a second opinion — either because they have doubts themselves or want more information about their pregnancy," she said. "At St. Alexis Hospital, abortion is never suggested. Instead, staff strive to provide care and help women view their pregnancy objectively." 

In his letters, the Russian Orthodox patriarch offers encouragement and congratulations to the new mothers, wishing them "good health, peace of mind, and many blessings from Christ, the Giver of Life." 

"You are now experiencing a special time when a great miracle of God is happening: A new person is preparing to come into the world," a translation of the letter reads. 

"The anticipation of the birth of a child is always filled with both anxiety and joy. But as Our Lord Jesus Christ calls, let not your heart be troubled, and let it not be afraid," he writes, citing John 14:27. "Let these encouraging words of the Savior, his generous help and love strengthen you on the responsible path to motherhood.

The patriarch's letter reminds mothers: "You are not alone" and that there are people surrounding them "who are ready to support" them. He also shares his hope that the baby "will be united with Christ in the sacrament of baptism and will receive the opportunity to grow spiritually in the saving grace of God."

In addition to the letter, patients will be given an information booklet titled "Hello, Mom…", which details measures that support new mothers at the federal and regional levels, coupons for discounted goods, and a pair of baby booties, according to a report by a local newspaper.

Women for Life's "Hello, Mom!" group also hosts seminars for doctors, psychologists, and social workers to learn how to support women in choosing life as well as offering a 24/7 pregnancy support hotline.

Abortion is legal in Russia up to the 12th week of pregnancy, and later in some cases. In some areas of Russia, "incitement to abortion" is against the law and punishable by fines. The Health Ministry instructs doctors to encourage pregnant women not to abort.

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Luanda, Angola, Dec 12, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Catholic journalists in Angola received from one of the country's leading bishops an impassioned charge about their vocation that transcends borders.

Speaking during a thanksgiving Mass for the 70th anniversary of Radio Ecclesia, Angola's Catholic Radio, Bishop António Francisco Jaca of the country's Diocese of Benguela emphasized the need for Catholic journalists to adhere to their profession's code of ethics. 

"A Catholic journalist cannot be allied with the powerful of this world. You must not be bought; you must not lose your freedom. Journalism is a vocation that requires commitment, dedication, the ability to give, and sacrifice," Jaca said during the Dec. 8 Eucharistic celebration at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Major Seminary Chapel in the Archdiocese of Luanda.

Jaca called upon Catholic journalists to act as "heralds of truth," fostering integrity in their journalism practice and advocating for justice. 

"Your commitment to truth is the key for society to trust in the future," said Jaca, who is also president of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communication and Culture of the Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST).

'Remain impartial and pluralistic'

He went on to describe Catholic journalism as a "tool to promote justice, truth, and peace" and encouraged Catholic journalists to "remain impartial and pluralistic" in their reporting, resisting manipulation and external influences.

"Catholic journalism must always be impartial and plural, free from the interference of powers that seek to distort the truth. Investigate deeply, listen to all sides, and respect the diversity of voices," Jaca said.

He urged Catholic journalists to uphold ethical principles in reporting, saying: "You must not use your power to extort, defame, or manipulate. Truth must be your compass as we build a more just and fraternal society. Avoid selfishness and the allure of power, and instead focus on serving the common good."

Dual role of 'communicators and evangelizers'

Reflecting on Radio Ecclesia's 70th anniversary, the Angolan Catholic Church leader emphasized the dual role of Catholic journalists as "communicators and evangelizers."

The mission of Catholic journalists extends beyond informing the public to include the proclamation of the good news of hope, justice, and peace, he said.

"The journalist must be the voice of the voiceless, advocating for the marginalized and those excluded from public discourse. Your work should sow hope and instill confidence in a better future, even in difficult times," Jaca said.

Called to be 'beacons of clarity'

He cautioned against misinformation and propaganda, and called upon Catholic journalists to be "beacons of clarity and impartiality."

"In a world where information can be misused for selfish purposes, journalists must act as forces of change, committed to truth and justice in its purest form," Jaca said. 

The Angolan Catholic bishop, who has been at the helm of the Benguela Diocese since June 2018 following his transfer from Angola's Diocese of Caxito, where he started his episcopal ministry in July 2007, also reminded Catholic journalists to foster public interest and human dignity. 

"The Catholic journalist's work must be guided by a deep sense of vocation and dedication, prioritizing the collective good over personal interests. This is a form of priesthood in the field of journalism," Jaca concluded.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

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CNA Staff, Dec 11, 2024 / 12:40 pm (CNA).

Bishops in Quebec are expressing alarm after a prominent government official said he wanted to end prayer in public spaces in the Canadian province.

Quebec Premier François Legault said last week that praying in public parks and streets "is not something we want in Quebec." The premier said he wished to "send a very clear message to the Islamists" who he suggested were a danger to "the values ??that are fundamental to Quebec."

"When we want to pray, we go to a church, we go to a mosque, but not in public places," he said. "And yes, we will look at the means where we can act legally or otherwise." 

In a Monday letter, Trois-Rivières Bishop Martin Laliberté, the president of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec, said the bishops there were "deeply concerned about the erasure of people and believing communities from Quebec's public space."

The suggested ban, the bishop argued, "would be inapplicable" under Canadian law.

"Public parks welcome all kinds of practices that require temporarily limiting access to a given sector: think of a ball or ballgame," Laliberté wrote. "That some of these practices claim a more or less assertive spiritual or religious dimension is just as legitimate."

Arguing that "praying is not dangerous," the bishop asserted that the effects of the proposed ban would fall on "minority religious groups that are perceived as different and, for this reason, threatening to Quebec identity." Catholicism, they noted, has long been an integral part of Quebec's identity.

"For their part, like Pope Francis, the Catholic bishops are of the opinion that sincere and benevolent interreligious dialogue is now essential to build a resilient society in these times of environmental and socio-economic crises," Laliberté said.

The bishop pointed to the U.N.'s 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of religion. That document demonstrates the "very real risk that authorities try to confine the association to the private sphere for religious or spiritual purposes," he said. 

It is "essential to act with great caution, in order to respect the rights and dignity of all people," the prelate said. 

Tensions have arisen in Canada in recent years over the country's relatively high level of Muslim residents. Data indicate that the share of the population identifying as Muslim more than doubled from 2001 to 2021. 

Reported attacks on Canadian Muslims have allegedly skyrocketed in recent years. Among the more shocking incidents, in January 2017, six people were killed and 17 injured after gunmen opened fire inside the Islamic Cultural Center of Quebec.

Pope Francis at the time "strongly condemned" the violence, asking God "for the gift of mutual respect and peace" amid the tragedy. 

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CNA Staff, Dec 11, 2024 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

The chief architect of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris shared in an interview with EWTN that he felt Our Lady guided the restoration of the 861-year-old cathedral following the fire that ravaged the building in April 2019.

In an interview with Colm Flynn on "EWTN News In Depth," architect Philippe Villeneuve said that he was a believer with a "particular devotion to Mary."

When asked if he was "a man of faith," Villeneuve explained that he had kept this private during the rebuilding, but now he is ready to reveal it.

"I spent five years saying nothing about this because I'm a civil servant in a secular republic, and therefore, I couldn't say something like this," Villeneuve told Flynn. "But now, I have to reveal that yes."

"I have a particular devotion to the Virgin Mary, and at the risk of sounding totally crazy — or like Joan of Arc — I never stopped feeling support coming from up there," he said. 

The architect shared that without Mary's guidance, he didn't think the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris would have been possible. 

The reconstruction of Notre Dame was no small undertaking. A team of more than 2,000 people worked on the 800 million euro (about $840 million) restoration. The original building had taken nearly 200 years to build, but Villeneuve had only five years to restore it. 

"I don't think this project would've been possible otherwise, and I think that's what gave me the strength and determination to move forward because I knew I was supported from up there," Villeneuve said.

The fire had destroyed the cathedral's roof, spire, and three sections of the vault — but the organ, paintings, stained glass, and furniture were intact. 

With pressure from the French government and the 340,000 private donors from around the world, Villeneuve had to ensure that original techniques and materials were used as much as possible. 

"It was an enormous amount of work," he continued. "I realize it now looking at where we came from. I'm really amazed by the beauty — amazed by the work, by the quality of work."

Villeneuve has long had a love for the historic cathedral. 

"I've been madly in love with Notre Dame de Paris since I was little," he said. "Growing up, it was inside the cathedral where I felt good." 

Villeneuve shared that he had made a model of the cathedral when he was 16 years old.

"I was really captivated by it, moved by it," he said. "And little did I know as a kid when I was building the cathedral out of card and paper that one day I would be working on the real cathedral."

The doors of the newly restored cathedral were officially reopened to the public Saturday evening, Dec. 7, just over five years after a blaze ravaged the iconic structure's roof, frame, and spire. More than 1,500 people attended the opening ceremony, including about 40 world leaders such as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as 170 bishops. The archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, celebrated the first Mass and consecrated the altar on Dec. 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. 

"When I laid the last stone of the vault in the north transept, it brought me back," the architect recalled. "And I saw myself as a kid again building this vault with paper and cardboard." 

The cathedral has a deeper spiritual meaning, not just for its architect, but for those across France and even around the world.   

Monsignor Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, the rector and archpriest of Notre Dame Cathedral, called the building "the soul of France." 

"Because this cathedral is something of the soul of France, the history of our country is intimately linked with the history of the cathedral," Dumas told Flynn.

But its "influence extends far beyond France," the rector noted. 

"The cathedral does not belong to Parisians, nor to Catholics, nor to the French, but it is the common good of all humanity," Dumas continued. "And its stones speak of God because they have been animated by prayer for more than 800 years." 

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CNA Staff, Dec 11, 2024 / 15:05 pm (CNA).

Parishioners in a small Wisconsin city have launched a GoFundMe as part of an effort to save a nearly 150-year-old church from permanent closure. 

Advocates for St. Boniface Church in Manitowoc are hoping to raise $8,000 to bankroll an appeal at the Vatican to stop the Diocese of Green Bay from shuttering the church. The parish itself dates to the 1850s while the current building was constructed in 1886. 

The diocese ordered the parish to merge with several others in 2005, with the last regularly scheduled Mass taking place there that year and the most recent Mass taking place in 2013. 

Bishop David Ricken issued a decree last year ordering that the 137-year-old building be relegated to "profane but not sordid use," meaning it can be sold and used for nonreligious purposes so long as they are not immoral or offensive to the Catholic faith.

The bishop said in the decree that the building had not regularly been used since 2005 and was "no longer necessary for the care of souls in the community." He also cited the building's physical decline and the accompanying financial burden, as well as a decline of Catholics in the area.

John Maurer and Emily Baumann, who are leading a GoFundMe fundraising effort, told CNA that they hope to preserve St. Boniface's status as a church. 

The present GoFundMe campaign — which aims to raise $8,000 — is small by the standards of many church preservation efforts. Mauer said the funds are meant solely to help pay for attorney's fees at the Vatican where the parish's advocates are currently arguing their case. 

"We've been going back and forth at the diocesan level," he said. "The bishop sustained his decree two years ago. That's why it went to Rome."

"We went to the Court of the Dicastery for the Clergy. They ruled in favor of Bishop Ricken's decree," he continued. "We then went to the Supreme Tribunal. They sided with the lower court. Now we're at the Congresso of the Apostolic Signatura."

Though the $8,000 campaign will go toward the attorney at the Vatican, Baumann noted that advocates have already raised a considerable amount of money to help fund a church restoration.

"We can't quite do anything with restoration until we get approval to be in the church and use the church," she said. "But we already have secured all the money necessary for a full restoration. We've had it for a few years now. We just haven't had the permission."

In his decree, Ricken said the structure of St. Boniface is "in danger of decay and damage." Baumann, on the other hand, argued that the church is in good physical shape and mostly requires cosmetic updates.

"We had contractors in to assess the roof and structure, and they said this building is in really good shape," she said.

"That's part of the reason we're fighting so strongly. If most of the parish were able to walk through the doors today, they'd be shocked at what a good condition it's in."

A diocesan spokesperson declined to comment directly on the present fundraising effort. Mauer said there is "definitely huge support" throughout the local Catholic community to see the church restored.

"It's not some small fringe group," he said. "People are pledging money. We have to turn them away because we can't take the money now. But they want to see it restored."

Baumann said she has observed similar eagerness from community members to see the church preserved. "There's really a deep-seated desire as a whole to see that building used," she said.

"Our hope is with all we're doing, maybe it deserves a second look," she added.

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Madrid, Spain, Dec 11, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Father Juan Miguel Ferrer Grenesche, a Spanish priest and an expert in liturgy and popular piety, explained in anticipation of Pope Francis' upcoming visit to Corsica on his 47th apostolic journey that the pontiff "has highly valued popular piety" throughout his life.

Popular piety, in this sense, means the piety characteristic of a people, often manifested in public expressions of faith. 

On Dec. 15, the pope will visit the city of Ajaccio, the capital of the French island, to close a conference on popular religiosity in the Mediterranean in which Ferrer will participate, speaking about processions and popular faith in Spain.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, Ferrer explained how he believes the pope will approach his participation in this conference, since "in Latin America he has greatly valued popular piety," especially with his participation in the meetings of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops' Council (CELAM, by its Spanish acronym).

After the Second Vatican Council, the priest explained, the Latin American bishops decided at a conference held in Medellín, Colombia, in 1968 to distance themselves in some way from popular religiosity, considering that it was "too contaminated by pagan elements, superstitions, witchcraft, and other things."

This reluctance changed at the conference held in Puebla, Mexico, in 1979, Ferrer explained, noting that "if care is taken, there are many elements that can be helpful and complement the great contribution of the liturgy, which the council said did not exhaust the spiritual life of the Church."

Pope Francis was consecrated as a bishop in 1992 and six years later he became archbishop of Buenos Aires. In 2001, St. John Paul II made him a cardinal. In that capacity, he participated in the CELAM conference held in Aparecida, Brazil, in 2007.

"As cardinal of Buenos Aires he played a key role in the final document, because in it popular religiosity is clearly seen as an element that expresses the inculturation of Christianity in the masses of people on the entire continent," Ferrer explained.

Pope Francis "wants the Church to present what remains of popular religiosity as a platform for encounter, as an Areopagus for evangelization," the Spanish priest summed up.

Popular piety, 'last lifeline' for many

Regarding the content of the conference that Pope Francis will close, the Spanish priest explained that, in a secularized society, popular piety is for many people "the last lifeline to connect with transcendence and not to completely break with the Christian religious tradition."

He also commented that the Church likes to talk more about "popular piety" than "popular religiosity" because understood in this latter sense it can be considered "excessively aseptic or disconnected from Christian sources or roots."

In evangelization, popular piety also allows us to reach those who don't know the depth and richness of formal liturgy and through "a cultural adaptation" is able to "preserve the connection between the human heart's thirst for God and the sources of revelation: the word of God, the life of Christ, the sacraments, the Church itself."

Preserving the religious sense of life

Ferrer also pointed out that "where there is a strong popular religiosity, the religious sense of life is preserved," despite sins, "doctrinal lapses," neglect, or laziness.

In this context, it's possible that "someone who has a religious sense of life can receive the Christian message more easily. On the contrary, where all manifestations of popular religiosity or popular piety have been eliminated, we could say that people's souls have dried up."

In this regard, the expert pointed out that psychologist Victor Frankl discovered that even more pathologies "arise from the repression of the religious instinct" than from the repression of the sexual instinct, as his teacher, Sigmund Freud, maintained.

"In societies where people's souls have dried up, where everything has to be rational, where everything has to be empirical, where there is no room for the religious or the transcendent, then phenomena of crises, we might say, arise and sowing the Gospel becomes very difficult," the priest observed.

Ferrer also explained that popular piety, expressed through processions, with their statues, music, etc., attracts many people of different ages in whom different emotions are awakened.

However, "for a Catholic Christian that's not enough, but it's also true that if we then add to the mixture with skill and pastoral art, with presence, liturgical celebration and formation, it becomes a source of volunteers for any task in the parishes or, in the dioceses, a source of vocations for our religious communities and for our seminaries."

Popular piety in Corsica

When asked about the particularities of popular piety in Corsica, Ferrer said that Corsica "has a strong tradition of confraternities and brotherhoods [that typically sponsor and organize processions]," with influences from Italy and southern France, "coming very much from the Dominicans and Franciscans who preached and looked after these areas of the Mediterranean."

Over the years, "people took it up as something very much theirs and very much their own, and in addition, much of the singing has been preserved, which is very important in Corsica" and is characterized by being "very peculiar, nasal, very striking."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Vatican City, Dec 11, 2024 / 10:25 am (CNA).

Pope Francis told thousands of pilgrims attending his general audience on Wednesday that "the strength of arguments" is not enough to convince people about Jesus Christ and his Church.

Concluding his 17-part catechetical series on "The Spirit and the Bride" this week, the Holy Father said "the first and most effective form of evangelization" is the love we show others. 

"The apostle Peter exhorted the first Christians with these words: 'Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you' (cf. 1 Pt 3:15)," the pope told his listeners gathered inside the Vatican's Paul VI Hall.

"But he added a recommendation," he continued. "'Do it with gentleness and respect.'"

During this week's catechesis, the Holy Father explained that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are inseparable "in the economy of salvation."

Describing the Holy Spirit as "the ever-springing source of Christian hope," the pope added that the theological virtue of hope "is the most beautiful gift that the Church can give to all humanity." 

Using the analogy of the Church as a boat, the Holy Father described the Holy Spirit as the "sail that propels it forward through the sea of history today as in the past." 

"Hope is not an empty word or a vague wish that things will turn out well," the pope told his listeners on Wednesday. "No, hope is a certainty because it is founded on God's faithfulness to his promises.

"That is why it is called a theological virtue, because it is infused by God and has God as a guarantor," he added. 

Prayers for peace, stability in Syria

Following the recent developments in Syria with the fall of the five-decade-long Assad regime in the country on Dec. 8, Pope Francis invited his audience to pray for the intercession of Our Lady to bring peace in the Middle East. 

"I follow what's happening in Syria at this delicate moment in our history," he said. "I hope that we will reach a political solution that will not add to the division and conflict but will establish stability in the country."

"I pray for the intercession of Our Lady that the Syrian population will live in peace, in security in their homeland and [that] the different religions can walk together in friendship in mutual respect for the good of the nation, afflicted by so many years of war," he continued.

Before imparting his papal blessing to the thousands of international pilgrims inside the hall, the pope also asked for prayers for those suffering injustice in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, and Myanmar. 

"War is always a defeat. Let us pray for peace," he said. 

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