Pope Francis appeals that migrants not be sent back to unsafe countries
Pope Francis made an appeal for migrants on Sunday, urging the international community to stop deporting migrants to unsafe countries.
Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace, the Pope asked the Catholic pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square to pray in silence for migrants, many of whom he said had been subjected to “inhumane violence”.
“I express my closeness to the thousands of migrants, refugees and others in need of protection in Libya: I never forget you; I hear your cries and pray for you,” he said.
He continued, “We need to end the return of migrants to unsafe countries and prioritise rescuing lives at sea. Once again I call on the international community to keep its promises to seek common, concrete and lasting solutions for the management of migratory flows in Libya and throughout the Mediterranean.”
During his address, the Pope called explicitly for “safe and reliable rescue and disembarkation equipment”, and alternatives to detention with decent living conditions, underlining the importance of ensuring “access to asylum procedures” and establishing regular migration routes.
“Let us all feel responsible for these brothers and sisters of ours, who have been victims of this very serious situation for too many years,” he pleaded.
Pope Francis thanks God for ‘profound personal bond’ with Orthodox leader
Pope Francis sent a letter Friday to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I which illustrated his appreciation for the “profound personal bond” between the two religious leaders.
“It is with gratitude to God that I reflect on our own profound personal bond, from the time of the inauguration of my papal ministry, when you honored me with your presence in Rome,” Pope Francis wrote in the letter on October 22.
Pope Francis sent the letter to the 81-year-old Orthodox leader to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his election as Ecumenical Patriarch.
The Pope reflected on their shared commitment to working to safeguard creation, combatting the social repercussions of the Covid pandemic, and forging unity between Christians.
“I sincerely thank you for ceaselessly indicating the way of dialogue, in charity and in truth, as the only possible way for reconciliation between believers in Christ and for the reestablishment of their full communion,” Pope Francis said.
Bartholomew was recently in Rome, joining Pope Francis at an interreligious prayer gathering for peace in front of the Colosseum and signing a joint-appeal at the Vatican asking countries to “achieve net-zero carbon emissions as soon as possible”.
Vatican regulates the role of postulator in saints’ causes
The Vatican has unveiled official regulations for postulators – those who help guide the process behind the declaration of a saint in the Catholic Church.
The norms are part of the reform of the administration of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which began in 2016.
The regulations for postulators, set out in 86 points, are designed to explain the tasks and procedures, and to prevent conflicts of interest. Pope Francis ratified the rules at the end of August, and the congregation’s prefect, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, signed the document on October 11.
Elaborating on the nature of the new regulations, Cardinal Semeraro stated, “the figure of the postulator and the office he holds continue to be important and, at the same time, delicate.
“The new regulation just promulgated is a sign of this, the need for which has been felt for some time,” he explained. “If they take their task seriously and with an ecclesial spirit, postulators can do much for the good of the causes and of the Church.”