By VISarchive 02 Vatican City, 21 February 2016 (VIS) – Pope Francis described his trip to Mexico as “an experience of transfiguration” in his reflection before this Sunday’s Angelus. Starting from the Gospel reading of this second Sunday of Lent, dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor, the Holy Father spoke about his visit to the land of the Virgin of Guadalupe.In Mexico, he said “the Lord has shown us the light of His glory through the Body of the Church, of His holy people that live in this land — a body so often wounded, a...

By VISarchive 02 Vatican City, 22 February 2016 (VIS) – At 10.30 a.m. today, the Solemnity of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle, the Holy Father presided at a Holy Mass celebrated in the Vatican Basilica for the Jubilee of the Roman Curia, the Governorate and the Institutions of the Holy See. All the participants, including the Pope, then carried out a procession of faith from the Paul VI Hall to the Basilica, passing through the Holy Door.“At this time, the Lord Jesus addresses a question to every one of us: ‘But who do you say that I...

By VISarchive 02 Vatican City, 22 February 2016 (VIS) – After today’s Angelus prayer, Pope Francis spoke about the international conference “For a World Without the Death Penalty,” organised by the Sant’Egidio Community, which begins in Rome tomorrow, and expressed his hope that it may inspire fresh efforts towards the abolition of the death penalty.The Pope observed that the increasingly strong public opposition to the death penalty, even as an instrument of legitimate social defence, is a sign of hope. “Indeed, modern societies are able to effectively control crime without definitively removing from the criminal the possibility of redeeming...

By VISarchive 02 Vatican City, 20 February 2016 (VIS) – This morning fifty thousand people attended the Holy Father’s Jubilee audience in St. Peter’s Square, following his return on Thursday from his apostolic trip in Mexico. The Pope’s catechesis was on the theme of the commitment Christians are called to make to offer a concrete sign of God’s closeness to the people they encounter.“The Jubilee of Mercy is an opportunity to enter in depth into the mystery of God’s goodness and love”, he said. “In this Lenten time, the Church invites us to get to know better the Lord...

By VISarchive 02 Vatican City, 22 February 2016 (VIS) – The Holy Father received in audience:– Egas da Costa Freitas, ambassador of East Timor to the Holy See, presenting his credential letters;– Rogelio Francisco Emilio Pfirter, ambassador of Argentina to the Holy See, presenting his credential letters.On Friday, 19 February the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, accompanied by Bishop Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.J., secretary of the same dicastery. Source:: Vatican Information Service

By VISarchive 02 Vatican City, 22 February 2016 (VIS) – The Secretariat for Communications today issued the following communique:“Due to the end of the term of service at Vatican Radio of the Director General Fr. Federico Lombardi and the Managing Director Alberto Gasbarri, the prefect for the Secretariat for Communications, Msgr. Dario Vigano, upon directions from the Secretariat of State, has appointed Giacomo Ghisani as “ad interim” legal representative and head of the Directorate of Vatican Radio, responsible for the day-to-day management of Vatican Radio in the context of the current restructuring of Vatican communications”.In an explanatory note, it...