"The female body: between culture and biology", the third point for   
   reflection, "reminds us of the beauty and harmony of the body God gave to   
   women, but also the painful wounds inflicted upon them, often with brutal   
   violence, for the mere fact of being women. A symbol of life, the female body   
   is unfortunately not infrequently attacked and disfigured by those who ought   
   instead to be its protectors and companions in life. The many forms of   
   enslavement, commodification and mutilation of women's bodies require us to   
   work to defeat this form of degradation that reduces them to mere objects to   
   be sold on various markets". "I wish to draw attention, in this respect, to   
   the suffering of many poor women, forced to life in conditions of danger and   
   exploitation, relegated to the margins of society and rendered victims of a   
   throwaway culture", stressed the Holy Father.   
    The fourth theme, "Women and religion: flight or new forms of participation   
   in the life of the Church?" is of particular relevance to believers. The Pope   
   reiterated his conviction that it is urgent to "offer space to women in the   
   life of the Church and to welcome them, bearing in mind the specific features   
   and changes in cultural and social sensibilities. A more capillary and   
   incisive female presence within the Church is desirable, so that we can see   
   many women involved in pastoral responsibilities and in accompanying   
   individuals, families and groups, as well as in theological reflection".   
    Finally, the Holy Father spoke about the indispensable role of women in the   
   family, and highlighted the importance of "encouraging and promoting the   
   effective presence of women in many areas of the public sphere, in the world   
   of work and in places where the most important decisions are taken", without   
   prejudice to their role in the private domain. "We must not leave women to   
   bear these burdens and take all these decisions alone; all institutions,   
   including the ecclesial community, must guarantee freedom of choice for women,   
   so that they have the opportunity to assume social and ecclesial   
   responsibilities, in harmony with family life".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    God lives in the city   
    Vatican City, 9 February 2015 (VIS) - On Saturday Pope Francis received in   
   audience the participants in the Plenary Session of the Pontifical Council for   
   the Laity, "Encountering God in the heart of the city". This year will be the   
   fiftieth anniversary of the closing of Vatican Council II, and to mark the   
   occasion, the Council is preparing a ceremony to commemorate the publication   
   of the decree on the lay apostolate, Apostolicam actuositatem. "The initiative   
   looks not only to the past, but also the present and the future of the   
   Church". He remarked that the theme chosen for the assembly reiterates the   
   invitation in Evangelii gaudium to face the challenge of urban cultures,   
   adding that "the phenomenon of urbanisation has now reached global   
   proportions: more than half the world's population lives in cities".   
    "The urban context has a strong impact on the mentality, culture, lifestyles,   
   interpersonal relationships and religiosity of the people. In such a varied   
   and complex context, the Church is no longer the sole generator of meaning,   
   and Christians absorb 'languages, symbols, messages and paradigms which   
   propose new approaches to life, approaches often in contrast with the   
   Gospel'". He emphasised that, despite these risks, we must remember that God   
   has not abandoned cities. "The title of your Plenary underlines the fact that   
   it is possible to encounter God in the heart of the city. ... It is therefore   
   imperative not to abandon oneself to pessimism and defeatism, but to have an   
   outlook of faith with regard to our cities, a contemplative gaze 'which sees   
   God dwelling in their homes, in their streets and squares'. God is never   
   absent from the city, as He is never absent from the heart of man!".   
    "In the city the terrain for the apostolate is often far more fertile than   
   many might imagine. It is important, therefore, to pay attention to the   
   formation of laypeople: to educate in having this gaze of faith, full of hope,   
   that knows how to see the city through God's eyes ... and at the same time it   
   is necessary to nurture in them the desire for witness, so that they can give   
   to others the gift of the faith they have received, accompanying with   
   affection those brothers who are taking their first steps in the life of   
   faith". Francis commented that Archbishop Giovanni Battista Montini frequently   
   referred to the "search for the essential", and often urged those involved in   
   the great urban mission of Milan to be essential themselves: "that is, to be   
   genuine, authentic and to live that which truly counts. Only in this way it is   
   possible to propose in its strength, in its beauty, in its simplicity, the   
   liberating proclamation of God's love and the salvation that Christ offers.   
   Only in this way can one adopt that attitude of respect towards people:   
   offering the essential that is the Gospel".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Francis to the SECAM: Invest in education in Africa to defend the young from   
   fundamentalism and abuse of religion   
    Vatican City, 7 February 2015 (VIS) - Providing "a common response to the new   
   challenges facing the continent,allowing the Church to speak with one voice   
   and to witness to her vocation as a sign and instrument of salvation, peace,   
   dialogue and reconciliation" is the mission of the Symposium of Episcopal   
   Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), the institution conceived and   
   promoted following Vatican Council II to be at the service of the local   
   churches in Africa. This morning Pope Francis received in audience   
   representatives from the Symposium and, in his address, he emphasised that the   
   institution must "remain faithful to its identity as a vibrant experience of   
   communion and of service to the poorest of the poor".   
    "To this end, pastors must remain free from worldly and political concerns,   
   that they continually strengthen the bonds of fraternal communion with the   
   Successor of Peter, through cooperation with the Apostolic Nunciatures, and   
   easy and direct communication with other Church bodies. At the same time, it   
   is necessary to maintain the simple ecclesial experiences available to all, as   
   well as streamlined pastoral structures. Experience teaches that large   
   bureaucratic structures approach problems in the abstract and risk distancing   
   the Church from people. For this reason, it is important to be concrete: that   
   which is concrete is in touch with reality".   
    "Above all, it is the youth who need your witness. Young men and women look   
   to us. In Africa, the future is in the hands of the young, who need to be   
   protected from new and unscrupulous forms of 'colonisation' such as the   
   pursuit of success, riches, and power at all costs, as well as fundamentalism   
   and the distorted use of religion, in addition to new ideologies which destroy   
   the identity of individuals and of families. The most effective way to   
   overcome the temptation to give in to harmful lifestyles is by investing in   
   education. Education will also help to overcome a widespread mentality of   
   injustice and violence, as well as ethnic divisions. The greatest need is for   
   a model of education which teaches the young to think critically and   
   encourages growth in moral values. An important component in this educational   
   process is the pastoral care of students: in Catholic or public schools there   
   is a need to unite academic studies with the explicit proclamation of the   
   Gospel".   
    "There are various reasons why we are seeing, also in Africa, a trend towards   
   the breakdown of the family. In response, the Church is called to evaluate and   
   encourage every initiative to strengthen the family, which is the real source   
   of all forms of fraternity and the foundation and primary way of peace. More   
   recently, many priests, men and women religious as well as members of the lay   
   faithful have admirably taken responsibility for the care of families, with a   
   special concern for the elderly, the sick and the handicapped. Even in the   
   most distant and remote regions, your local Churches have proclaimed the   
   Gospel of Life and, following the example of the Good Samaritan, have come to   
   the help of those most in need. A magnificent witness to charity has been   
   given in response to the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus, which has struck   
   many communities, parishes and hospitals. Many African missionaries have   
   generously given their lives by remaining close to those suffering from this   
   disease. This path must be followed with renewed apostolic zeal! As followers   
   of Christ, we cannot fail to be concerned for the welfare of the weakest; we   
   must also draw the attention of society and the civil authorities to their   
   plight".   
    "Dear brothers, I express my appreciation for the invaluable contribution   
   made by so many priests, men and women religious and lay faithful to the   
   proclamation of the Gospel and the social advancement of your people. SECAM is   
   also a means of promoting respect for the law, so as to ensure that the ills   
   of corruption and fatalism may be healed, and to encourage the efforts of   
   Christians in society as a whole, always in view of the common good. The great   
   work of evangelisation consists in striving to make the Gospel permeate every   
   aspect of our lives so that we, in turn, can bring it to others. For this   
   reason, it must always be borne in mind that evangelisation implies   
   conversion, that is, interior renewal. The process of purification, which is   
   inherent in evangelisation, means accepting the call of Christ to 'repent and   
   believe the Good News'. As a result of this conversion to salvation,not only   
   individuals but the entire ecclesial community is transformed, and becomes an   
   ever greater and more vital expression of faith and charity.   
    "May the light and the strength of the Holy Spirit sustain your pastoral   
   efforts. May the Virgin Mary protect you and intercede for you and for the   
   entire continent of Africa. To each of you, I give my Apostolic Blessing.   
   Please pray for me".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
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   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)