Visit to Sri Lanka and the Philippines and religious freedom

“There are two Asian trips planned: one to South Korea and then next January, a two-day trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines, to the area affected by the tsunami. The problem of the lack of freedom in the practice of religion is not only limited to some Asian countries but extends to others too. Religious freedom is something not all countries have. Some control to some extent, others take measures that end up being full on persecution. There are martyrs today, Christian, catholic and non-Catholic martyrs. In some place you are forbidden from wearing a cross, possessing a bible or teaching children catechism. I think there are more martyrs now that the early Church had seen. We need to approach certain places carefully, to go and help them, pray a lot for these Churches that are suffering, suffering a great deal and even bishops and the Holy See are working with discretion in order to help Christians in these countries, but it’s not easy task. In one country, for example, people are forbidden to pray together. Christians there want to celebrate the Eucharist and there’s a man who is an ordinary workman but acts as a priest and he goes there to the table with the others: they pretend they’re drinking tea but they are celebrating the Eucharist. If the police turns up, they hide the books so it just looks as though they are having tea.”

My potential resignation

“I will do what the Lord tells me to do. Pray and try to follow God’s will. Benedict XVI no longer had the strength and honestly, as a man of faith, humble as he is, he took this decision. Seventy years ago, Popes Emeritus didn’t exist. What will happen with Popes Emeritus? We need to look at Benedict XVI as an institution, he opened a door, that of the Popes Emeritus. [Why him and not Pope St. Celestine V?] The door is open, whether there will be others, only God knows. I believe that if a bishop of Rome feels he is losing his strength, he must ask himself the same questions Pope Benedict XVI did.”

Pius XII’s beatification

“The cause is open, I looke dinto it and no miracle has been found yet. So the process has stalled. We have to respect the reality of this cause. But there’s no miracle and at least one is required for beatification. I can’t think of whether I will beatify him or not.”

Remarried divorcees

“The Synod will be on the family, the problem it is facing, its assets and the current situation it is in. The preliminary report presented by Cardinal Kasper contained five chapters, four of which outlined positive points regarding the family and their theological foundation. The fifth chapter was to do with the pastoral problem of separation and the annulment of marriages  and the administration of communion to divorced people who marry a second time, comes into this. What I didn’t like, was what some people, within the Church as well, said about the purpose of the Synod: that it intends to allow remarried divorcees to take communion, as if the entire issue boiled down to a case. We know that today the family is facing a crisis, a global crisis, young people don’t want to marry or they live together. I wouldn’t like us to fall into this question: will it be possible for communion to be administered or not? The pastoral problem regarding the family is vast. Each case needs to be looked at separately. I would like to return to something Benedict XVI said on three occasions: the procedures for the annulment of marriage must be looked into, the faith with which a person enters marriage must also be examined and we also need to make it clear that the divorced are not excommunicated. So often they are treated as thought they have been excommunicated. Choosing the theme for the Synod on the Family was a powerful spiritual experience, the discussion turned slowly towards the family. I am sure it was the Spirit of the Lord that guided us to this point.”

Can he go one flight without expressing his views on something?

I think there are more martyrs now that the early Church had seen.

True

Non-Catholic martyrs?  Have we ever seen a pope put those two words together?

Non-Catholic martyrs?  Have we ever seen a pope put those two words together?

Quote from: poche

I think there are more martyrs now that the early Church had seen.

True

Are you sure about that?