Message from the President

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  The charming beauty of being a Christian

  We are at the final moments of the XXVII Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, a historical moment marking the end of the Dicastery’s current configuration.1 It is not easy to conclude such a significant event of this magnitude. However, I think the remarks of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Father of the Church, can help us to conclude. In his letter to the Christians of Magnesia he wrote: “It is fitting, then, not only to be called Christians, but to be so in... Read more
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  Rediscovering the “Gospel of work”

  What is work? What meaning does it have in the lives of men and women? What is its profound value? These are not theoretical questions in any way! They have very practical implications for each one of our lives. They help us to shed light upon our relationship with our daily work; they allow us to understand what work is for us on a personal level, how we live it concretely in our lives. Therefore, these are important questions that should not be avoided on the occasion of this... Read more
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  An important lesson to be learned from St Augustine...

  There is a very striking image of the Church as a “field hospital” which is often used by Pope Francis. This describes very well the gravity of the situation of marriage and the family in today’s world as well as the urgent nature of the mission of the Church in this area that is crucial for the future of humanity. The Church of our time, then, is like a “field hospital”, yet a sizeable number of the baptised who live in irregular marriage and family situations do not consider themselves to be... Read more
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  Saint John Paul II ten years after his passing

  At the time when Saint John Paul II was about to leave us, a choral prayer of planetary dimensions was raised to heaven for him… We all remember Saint Peter’s Square packed with people from various countries around the world, including many young people. He was very fond of young people… Everyone had tears in their eyes as they were deep in prayer… There were people there who were not Catholic or were not believers, but John Paul II had become a point of reference for them… At nine o’clock in... Read more
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  Being Christians in a great city: the witness of Giorgio La Pira

  “Encountering God in the Heart of the City: scenarios of evangelization for the Third Millennium” was the theme of the last Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. During the assembly we tried to discover the true countenance of modern great cities nowadays, where undeniably protagonists are the lay faithful. In the city we find a huge space for the prophetic mission: to be salt of the earth and light of the world, besides being that evangelical yeast that transforms urban... Read more
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  Educating young people: a challenge to human and Christian growth

  One day – Matthew’s Gospel tells us – when Jesus “saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:35). When we hear these words, our thoughts spontaneously fly to the world of young people today. This scene could be a portrayal of the youth of our times. So many of our youth are discontented, confused, lost and without hope. These young people are left alone without guides and mentors. The world of youth could be described... Read more
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  Advent: the mystery of God reaching out to humanity…

  In the Church we are celebrating the liturgical season of Advent. This season is full of significance for each of us in our lives. Advent speaks to us principally about God coming to be with humankind. In fact, it speaks to us of how God passionately seeks us out with endless love “right to the end”. That is why Advent is a time of hope. In the prophecy of Isaiah God says, “Comfort, comfort my people…” (Is 40:1). The prophet goes on to say, “lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not... Read more
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  In the service of the family: the prophetic mission of the lay faithful

  The fact that the family is undergoing a very serious crisis at this time is there for us all to see. Particularly in Western culture, marriage is increasingly becoming a “residual choice”. Many are choosing not to get married, and there is a huge increase in the number of cohabiting couples and of people getting divorced. The gap is widening between the Church magisterium and the actual lives of the faithful. We are undoubtedly facing a dangerous post-modern cultural shift that threatens the... Read more
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  Evangelii Gaudium: A useful ‘handbook’ for the laity of our times

  The apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium is a document that gives expression to Pope Francis’ notable missionary zeal. The Holy Father wishes to urge the Church to embark on a new stage of evangelisation, one with renewed enthusiasm and with the joy of the gospel. It is a text in which the Pope himself gives us pointers to understand the priorities of his pontificate. If we look at the content, we see that there is no lack of new and surprising insights. First, however, we must recognise... Read more
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  Saint John Paul II: a good shepherd...

   On 27 April last we had the canonisations of two Second Vatican Council popes, John XXIII and John Paul II. I would like to take the occasion to dwell on the figure of Saint John Paul II and, in particular, to show how he was closely connected to the Pontifical Council for the Laity from the time of its creation. Much continues to be written and said about John Paul II. There is an impressive number of biographies published in different languages and written by Catholics and non-Catholics... Read more
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  With the WYD Cross on our way to Krakow 2016

  Thirty years have passed since that Easter in 1984 when John Paul II made a prophetic gesture by giving the Cross of the Holy Year of the Redemption to young people. He said on that occasion: “My dear young people, at the conclusion of the Holy Year, I entrust to you the sign of this Jubilee Year: the Cross of Christ! Carry it throughout the world as a symbol of Christ's love for humanity, and proclaim to everyone that it is only in Christ, who died and rose from the dead, that salvation and... Read more
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  Lent: a time for self-denial...

  We have entered into the season of Lent with the moving ceremony of the imposition of ashes (“remember that thou art dust...”). This season is a journey of spiritual preparation for Easter – the heart of the liturgical year of the Church. In what way can we receive this immense gift that the Lord gives us every year? I once noticed a Latin inscription on the main door of an ancient monastery that said: Intra totus. Mane solus. Exi alius. Enter with your whole self; remain alone; be changed when... Read more
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  To be a “caress of God” for the poor…

   “How I would like a Church which is poor and for the poor!” This is one of the first statements made by Pope Francis after his election as Successor of Peter. Throughout these months of his pontificate, the Holy Father has emphasised the need for us to listen to the cry of the poor. In this regard he wrote in Evangelii Gaudium: “Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor [...]. This demands that we be... Read more
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  Message December 2013

  We see so many sad, vacant and downcast faces on our city streets nowadays. There are so many families effected by the scourge of unemployment and humiliating poverty. Many men and women live in anxiety and desperation and lose the courage to go on. Numerous young people live with uncertainty and are unable to make plans for their future. Some people even speak of a betrayed generation. In situations like these it is hard to speak about joy. It becomes a real challenge. However, human beings... Read more
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  Message November 2013

  Sunday 24 November, the day that the Church celebrates the solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe, Pope Francis closed the Year of Faith on St Peter’s Square. It has truly been a year of grace for the whole Church! So many celebrations and pastoral initiatives were realised in dioceses and parishes throughout the world! So many fruits of life and faith this year has brought! But can we ask ourselves: “What is faith?” Today it is not seldom – even if there are many baptised – that people... Read more

• Message September 2013

  1. For the Pontifical Council for the Laity, these first few months of Pope Francis’ pontificate have been particularly intense and filled with important events. I would like to say something about just a few of them. In chronological order, the first important event for us was the Year of Faith meeting between Pope Francis and the lay associations and ecclesial movements. This took place on 18 and 19 May, the Pentecost vigil and solemnity. The Holy Father’s words on that occasion were very... Read more

• Message July 2013

  There are several interesting dimensions to WYD 2013 in Rio de Janeiro. One of them is the fact that WYD is returning to Latin America after twenty six years. This occasion reminds us of World Youth Day in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires in 1987, the first international WYD. That was the start of a planetary pilgrimage of young Christians led by the Successor of Peter, a pilgrimage that continues today and has not ceased to amaze the world. It has brought so much joyful faith and... Read more

• Message May 2013

   In recent months we have witnessed two very important events for the Church, events that continue to surprise many of us because of the newness they have brought. I am referring to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the election of Pope Francis. It is worthwhile taking a brief look at these historical events and to think about their significance for the Church and for each one of us. It all began on 11 February last at an ordinary consistory concerning the canonisation of future... Read more

• Message March 2013

  “Watch and pray...”. Jesus said these words to his disciples in the Garden of Olives the night before his Passion. Jesus continues to address these words to us today, particularly during the season of Lent. There can be no fullness of Christian life without prayer. It is the breath of the soul without which our faith will suffocate and die. It is the door through which we allow Jesus to enter our lives. Saint Teresa of Avila wrote that prayer “is nothing else than a close sharing between... Read more

• Message February 2013

  The engagement of the laity in public life and particularly in politics is a very important issue nowadays. There is an urgent need to give politics back its soul. It must recover the meaning of service to the common good. It needs to rebuild moral sensitivity and a solid base of shared values. The laity ought to be seen as open-minded and not hostile to God or fearful of bringing God to the public sphere. There is too much at stake here. It is a question of defending the dignity of human... Read more

• Message January 2013

  The call to holiness represents an essential component of the identity of the laity. The Council declares: “It is therefore quite clear that all Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love, and by this holiness a more human manner of life is fostered also in earthly society” (Lumen Gentium, no. 40). Christian holiness is a gift of God and must primarily be accepted as a gift. The baptized participate in the divine nature... Read more

• Messaggio October 2012

  In these days we are living a particularly significant moment for the life of the Church. On October 11th we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, the Council that gave rise to “the hour of the laity” in the Church. Pope Benedict XVI opened the Year of Faith, wanted by him as a response to the serious crisis of faith taking place mostly in the Western world. The awaited Synod of Bishops on the new evangelisation is taking place. All of these events... Read more

• Message September 2012

  The rediscovery of the beauty of being a Christian is a fundamental task for every lay person. The Fathers of the Church were great teachers in this regard. Saint Leo the Great encouraged the Christians of his time by saying: “Christian, recognise your dignity!”. Saint Ignatius of Antioch warned that “it is not enough to be called Christians; we must be Christians in fact”. Let us take note of how demanding it is to carry the name “Christian”! Saint Gregory of Nyssa wrote: “Since, by the... Read more

• Message July-August 2012

  Ecclesial movements and new communities are places where you can find sound Christian faith development. They have a rich variety of methods and educational paths that are amazingly effective. What is the reason for this educational success? The “secret”, so to speak, is contained in the charisms that produced these communities and that are at their very soul. It is the charism that generates “a spiritual affinity” among people, and this gives rise to communities and movements. It is thanks to... Read more

• Message June 2012

  Ecclesial movements and new communities have extraordinary missionary energy. They have great evangelising potential, and that is something that the Church badly needs nowadays. At the first meeting held with movements and new communities in 1998, Blessed John Paul II said: “In our world, often dominated by a secularized culture which encourages and promotes models of life without God, the faith of many is sorely tested, and is frequently stifled and dies. Thus we see an urgent need for... Read more

• Message May 2012

  According to the Second Vatican Council, as Christians are “united in Christ” through baptism, then we take part in Christ’s threefold mission: priestly, prophetic and kingly (cf. Lumen Gentium, no. 34-36). The lay faithful take part in the priestly mission of Christ. For this reason they are called to offer spiritual worship to God and all that comes from a life of true holiness. “For all their works, prayers and apostolic endeavours, their ordinary married and family life, their daily... Read more

• Message March- April 2012

  What does it mean to be lay faithful today? The deepest identity of lay Christians is to be found through three relationships: a) The person of Christ. This is the very heart of our Christian identity. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Deus Caritas Est: “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction” (no. 1). He went on to say: “The real novelty of the New Testament lies not so... Read more

• Message May 2011

    The beatification of John Paul II on 1st May is a cause of great joy and gratitude to the Lord for all of us. The 26th World Youth Day which will take place in Madrid in August 2011 will include him among its patrons. He will be a special patron as he, with love and determination, was the founder of WYD.  We all know how fond Pope Wojtyla was of young people. He called himself “the young people’s friend”, although he also said that he was “a demanding friend”. John Paul II loved... Read more

• Message June 2011

  World Youth Day is now only a few weeks away. I would like to recall the memorable words with which Blessed John Paul II explained the reasons for his decision to initiate these important meetings: “All young people should feel that the Church cares for them. That is why the whole Church all over the world, united with the Successor of Peter, must engage ever more with youth, connecting with their anxieties and cares, their eagerness and hopes. We must reach out and respond to their... Read more

• Message July 2011

    All those present at WYD 2008 in Sydney will surely remember the outburst of joy at the end of the ceremony when Pope Benedict XVI announced that the next meeting of young people with the Successor of Peter would be in Madrid. At that time, it seemed that 16-21 August 2011 was very far away in the future. Now we have almost arrived at this great event so awaited by young people. There has been intense work in the field of youth pastoral ministry all over the world for the past few years.... Read more

• Message August 2011

    WYD is an event of grace in which God works freely. Certainly, the Lord will speak to the hearts of young people in Madrid and will lead his Church. Experience tells us, however, that for the host country, in this case Spain, WYD is a time of great awakening. All the energies of the Church in the country are mobilised and involved: parishes big and small, movements and religious communities. Many Spanish families will welcome foreign youth to their homes. All of this movement, already... Read more

• Message September 2011

    We can say that the centrality of God in our lives is at the very heart of the question of the new evangelization. An old scholastic Latin adage states:  operari sequitur esse. This can be translated as: our actions express our very being. Thus, as the great saints teach us, the primary concern for  all of us is that of truly being Christians. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, while en route to Rome to face his martyrdom, wrote to those in the Eternal City: “Pray that I might not only... Read more

• Message October 2011

  Once again this year October is the Month of the Missions in the Church. One of the documents that each Christian should have at hand is the encyclical letter of Blessed John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio. It is an important document that continues to call on the conscience of all the baptised, and shakes us from the torpor of a tired Christianity that is discouraged, self-referential, quietly content with self-preservation, and comfortable (someone called it “Christianity in slippers”). It... Read more

• Message December 2011 - January 2012

  In our very secularised postmodern world there are plenty of challenges that ask us for a specific and immediate response. Pope John Paul II spoke of a dangerous “silent apostasy” on the part of a sizeable number of baptised people in Europe. Benedict XVI often refers to a discouraged “tired Christianity” that needs to recover the joy and enthusiasm of faith. He also speaks of a “strange forgetfulness of God” that causes people to live as if God did not exist. Postmodern culture is doing all it... Read more

• Message February 2012

  There is a widespread conviction in our times that Christianity is something that always says “no” to people’s deepest desires. They could not be more mistaken. Christ and his Gospel are really a huge “yes” that God has addressed to human beings, and they are the most sure guarantee of our true freedom and happiness. That is why faith is a very reasonable choice to make. Faith is not an option worn like an accessory. It is a determining factor in our lives that gives ultimate meaning to human... Read more