"Let us remember our history: the Society 'was given the grace not
only to believe in the Lord, but also to suffer for His sake'. We do well
to remember this. The ship of the Society has been tossed around by the
waves and there is nothing surprising in this. Even the boat of Peter can
be tossed about today. The night and the powers of darkness are always
near. It is tiring to row. The Jesuits must be 'brave and expert rowers':
row then! Row, be strong, even with the headwind! We row in the service of
the Church. We row together! But while we row - we all row, even the Pope
rows in the barque of Peter - we must pray a lot. ... The Lord, even if we
are men of little faith, will save us".
 "The Society, restored by my predecessor Pius VII, was made up of
men, who were brave and humble in their witness of hope, love and apostolic
creativity, that of the Spirit. Pius VII ... gave permission to the
Jesuits, who still existed here and there, thanks to a Lutheran monarch and
an Orthodox monarch, 'to remain united in one body'. ... The Society
resumed its apostolic activity of preaching and teaching, spiritual
ministries, scientific research and social action, the missions and care
for the poor, the suffering and the marginalised. Today, the Society also
deals with the tragic problem of refugees and displaced persons with
intelligence and industriousness; and it strives with discernment to
integrate service to faith and the promotion of justice in conformity with
the Gospel. I confirm today what Paul VI told us at our 32nd General
Congregation and which I heard with my own ears: "Wherever in the
Church, even in the most difficult and extreme situations, in the
crossroads of ideologies, in the social trenches, where there has been and
there is confrontation between the deepest desires of man and the perennial
message of the Gospel, there you have been and there are Jesuits.
 "In 1814, at the time of the restoration, the Jesuits were a small
flock, a 'small Society', which however knew how to invest, following the
trials of the cross, in the great mission of bringing the light of the
Gospel to the ends of the earth. This is how we must feel today therefore:
outbound, in mission. The Jesuit identity is that of a man who loves God
and loves and serves his brothers, showing by example not only that in
which he believes, but also that in which he hopes, and who is the One in
whom he has put his trust".

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 The Pope's message for the beatification of the Opus Dei prelate Alvaro
del Portillo: in the simplicity of everyday life we can find the way to
holiness
 Vatican City, 27 September 2014 (VIS) - The bishop Alvaro del Portillo
(1914-1994), first successor of St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer at the
helm of Opus Dei, was beatified in Madrid, Spain this morning. The Holy
Father sent a message to Bishop Javier Echevarria, current Prelate of Opus
Dei, which was read during the ceremony, presided by Cardinal Angelo
Amato,S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The
message was signed 26 June, the feast day of St. Josemaria Escriva de
Balaguer.
 "I like to recall the short prayer that the Servant of God repeated
frequently, especially in personal celebrations and anniversaries: 'Thank
you, I'm sorry, help me more!' These are words that bring us closer to the
reality of his interior life and his dealing with the Lord, and which can
also help us to give a new impulse to our own Christian life", writes
the Pope.
 "Firstly, thank you. It is the immediate and spontaneous reaction of
the soul before God's goodness. ... And God always precedes us. Alvaro del
Portillo was aware of the many gifts God had given him, and he thanked God
for that manifestation of his fatherly love. But he did not stop there. His
gratitude for the Lord's love awakened in his heart the wish to follow him
with greater selflessness and generosity, and to live a humble life of
service to others. Particularly evident was his love for the Church, bride
of Christ, whom he served with a heart stripped of worldly interests, free
of discord, always welcoming to all, and always seeking the positive in
others, what unites and what builds".
 Secondly, there is the phrase "I'm sorry". Francis explains in
his letter that Don Alvaro "often admitted that he saw himself before
God with empty hands, unable to respond to so much generosity. However, the
admission of human poverty is not the fruit of despair ... but instead
means opening oneself to His mercy, His love ... that does not humiliate,
nor does it sink into the abyss of despair; rather, it lives us from our
prostration and enables us to walk with more determination and joy. The
Servant of God Alvaro knew the need we have of divine mercy, and he
dedicated much of his personal energy to encourage persons to approach the
Sacrament of Confession, the Sacrament of joy."
 Finally, "help me more. Yes, the Lord never abandons us. ... His
grace never fails us, and with His help we can proclaim His name to all the
world. Beating in the heart of the new Blessed was the desire to take the
Good News to all hearts. He went to many countries encouraging
evangelisation projects, without being hindered by difficulties, moved by
his love for God and for his brothers. ... The first condition for
proclaiming Christ is to love them, as Christ loved them before us. From
there, the Lord awaits us. We cannot keep our faith to ourselves; it is a
gift that we have received in order to be able to give it and share it with
others".
 "Blessed Alvaro del Portillo sends us a very clear message; he tells
us to trust in the Lord, who is our brother, our friend who never
disappoints us and who is always at our side," concludes the Holy
Father. "He encourages us not to be afraid to go against the current
or to suffer for proclaiming the Gospel. In addition, he teaches us that in
the simplicity and ordinariness of our life we can find a sure path of
holiness".

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 Francis: the encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist is a source of hope for the world
 Vatican City, 27 September 2014 (VIS) - "The Eucharist occupies the
central position in the Church because it is what makes the Church. As
Vatican Council II affirms, it is the 'sacrament of piety, sign of unity,
bond of charity'", said the Pope this morning, as he received in
audience the participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical
Committee for the International Eucharistic Councils.
 The theme of the next congress, "Christ in you, the hope of
glory", "perfectly reflects the bond between the Eucharist, the
mission and Christian hope", continued the Pontiff. "Today there
is a lack of hope in the world, and therefore humanity needs to hear the
message of our hope in Jesus Christ. The Church proclaims this message with
renewed ardour, using new methods and new expressions. With the spirit of
'new evangelisation', the Church brings this message to all and, in
particular, those who despite being baptised, have drifted away from the
Church and live without reference to Christian life".
 "The encounter between Jesus in the Eucharist will be a source of
hope for the world if, transformed by the power of the Holy See in the
image on He Whom we meet, we accept the mission of transforming the world,
giving the fullness of life that we ourselves have received and
experienced, bringing hope, forgiveness, healing and love to those who are
in need, especially the poor, the dispossessed and the oppressed, sharing
life and aspirations and walking alongside them in search of an authentic
human life in Jesus Christ", concluded Pope Francis, invoking the
protection of the Virgin Mary for the 51st International Eucharistic
Congress, to take place in Cebu, Philippines in January 2015.

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 Communicating the family: a privileged place of encounter with the gift of love
 Vatican City, 29 September 2014 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Social
Communications published a note today explaining the theme of World
Communications Day 2015: "Communicating the family: a privileged place
of encounter with the gift of love". The theme follows in continuity
with the previous year's message, and dovetails with the central theme of
the next two Synods on the family.
 It is important to recall that World Communications Day, the only World
Day established by Vatican Council II, is celebrated in many countries,
upon the recommendation of bishops throughout the world, on the Sunday
preceding Pentecost, and that the Holy Father's Message for the event is
traditionally published on the feast day of St. Francis of Sales, patron
saint of journalists (24 January).
 "The daily news show us the difficulties facing the family
today", according to the note. "Often cultural changes do not
help us appreciate how much the family is a good for society.
 "The relationships between the members of the family community are
inspired and guided by the law of 'free giving'. By respecting and
fostering personal dignity in each and every one as the only basis for
value, this free giving takes the form of heartfelt acceptance, encounter
and dialogue, disinterested availability, generous service and deep
solidarity.
 "Today, how can we tell people who are perhaps wounded and
disillusioned that love between a man and a woman is a good thing? How can
we help children know that they are a most precious gift? How can we warm
the hearts of people, especially those who are wounded and disappointed,
and help them rediscover the beauty of love? How can we show that the
family is the privileged place where we experience the beauty of life, the
joy and the gift of love, the consolation of forgiveness offered and
received, and the encounter with the other?
 "Today the Church must learn again how to show that the family is a
great gift, something good and beautiful. The Church is called to show more
vividly that the gift of love, which the bride and groom offer each other,
draws all people to God. It is an exciting task because it moves people to
look at the true reality of the human person, and it opens the doors to the
future, to life".

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 Audiences
 Vatican City, 29 September 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
 - Marcelo Julio Martin, ex-honorary consul of the Helvetic Confederation
in Rosario, Argentina, and family;
 - Stephan Weil, prime minister of Lower Saxony, and entourage.
 On Saturday, 27 September, the Holy Father received in audience:
 - Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops;
 - Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio in Mexico;
 - Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, apostolic nuncio in the Philippines;
 - Archbishop Francisco Montecillo Padilla, apostolic nuncio in Tanzania

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 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 27 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Rev.
Salvatore Angerami as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Naples (area 274,
population 1,744,000, Catholics 1,715,000, priests 1,053, permanent deacons
292, religious 3,413), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Naples, Italy in
1956 and was ordained a priest in 1997. He studied engineering at the
University "Federico II" of Naples and exercised the profession
of engineer for some years before undertaking theological and philosophical
studies at the archiepiscopal seminary of Naples. He has served in a number
of pastoral roles, including parish priest of San Gennaro al Vomero,
archiepiscopal delegate for buildings of worship, ordinary confessor and
spiritual father of the preparatory community of the archiepiscopal major
seminary, member of the diocesan council for economic affairs, and member
of the Commission of Religious Art. He is currently rector of the
archiepiscopal seminary of Naples.

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