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Thursday, February 14, 2021
Pope establishes World Day of
Grandparents and the Elderly
VATICAN CITY (CNS
Pope Francis announced the
establishment of a World Day of
Grandparents and the Elderly
as a reminder of the important
role they play as a link between
generations. During his Sunday
Angelus address Jan. 31, the
pope said the day will be cele
brated every year on the fourth
Sunday of July to coincide with
the feast of Sts. Joachim and
Anne, Jesus’ grandparents. The
first celebration of this day will
be July 25. “It is important
for grandparents to meet their
grandchildren and for grandchil
dren to meet their grandparents
because - as the prophet Joel
says - grandparents, before their
grandchildren, will dream and
have great desires, and young
people - taking strength from
their grandparents - will go
forward and prophesy,” he said.
Highlighting the Feb. 2 feast
of the Presentation of the Lord,
the pope said the recognition
of Christ as the Messiah by the
elderly Simeon and Anna is a
reminder that “the Holy Spirit
still stirs up thoughts and words
of wisdom in the elderly today.”
Pope meets with head of
World Food Program, which
has been flagging crises
VATICAN CITY (CNS)
Pope Francis met with David
M. Beasley, the executive direc
tor of the U.N. World Food
Program, which was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
Headquartered in Rome, the
WFP is the world’s largest
humanitarian organization
addressing hunger and promot
ing food security. The private
papal audience was held in the
apostolic library at the Vatican
Jan. 28, and the Vatican pro
vided photographs, but no other
details. The WFP, however,
released a statement saying it
was a 40-minute meeting during
which Beasley “voiced specific
fears about famine looming in
several countries at the same
time as COVID-19 is ravaging
communities around the globe.”
The statement, released Jan. 28,
said, “Beasley also briefed Pope
Francis on his appeal to billion
aires who have become wealthier
during the COVID-19 pandemic
to step up and fund efforts to
support the hungry and poor.”
The WFP estimates that some
270 million people will face
severe hunger this year, fueled
by COVID-19, conflict, climate
shocks and other factors, the
statement said.
Patience a key virtue in
religious life, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS)
Christian hope is rooted in the
knowledge that God is patient
with all his children, even when
they stray from the path set
before them, Pope Francis told
consecrated men and women.
Celebrating the World Day for
Consecrated Life Feb. 2, the pope
told women and men religious
that God’s love is “not weighed
in the balance of our human cal
culations, but unstintingly gives
us the courage to start anew.
This is the reason for our hope:
that God never tires of waiting
for us,” he said. ‘When we turn
away, he comes looking for us;
when we fall, he lifts us to our
feet; when we return to him
after losing our way, he waits
for us with open arms.” About
150 religious men and women,
all wearing masks, were in the
socially distanced congregation
for the celebration of Candlemas
- the feast of the Presentation of
the Lord — which also marks the
Vatican celebration of the World
Day for Consecrated Life. Led by
several candle-bearing acolytes,
Pope Francis processed toward
the Altar of the Chair in a dark
ened St. Peter’s Basilica, faintly
fit by the congregation’s candles
as the choir proclaimed in song,
“O radiant light, eternal splendor
of the father, Christ the Lord
immortal.”
Pope Francis gives the homily as he celebrates a Mass marking the
World Day for Consecrated Life in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Feb.
2, 2021. (CNS photo/Stefano Dal Pozzolo, pool)
SEEK21 speakers share own
faith experiences, say Christ
has all the answers
ORLANDO, FL. (CNS)
A bishop and a religious sister
who shared the keynote spotlight
on the opening night of SEEK21,
this year’s national conference
of the Fellowship of Catholic
University Students, discussed
their own faith journeys and
how Catholics from around
the world can improve their
faith by accepting Jesus’ divine
character. SEEK21 drew over
27,000 participants for its virtu
al events Feb. 4-7 and included
college students, missionaries,
FOCUS alumni, parishioners,
young adults, FOCUS benefac
tors, clergy, religious and others.
Speaking from Texas, Sister
Miriam James Heidland, a mem
ber of the Society of Our Lady
of the Most Holy Trinity, said
that “so often in life we end up
places and we have no idea how
we got there,” which eventual
ly leads to the bigger question,
“Who am I?” She encouraged
conference participants to seek
out this answer with Christ. Los
Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert
E. Barron, founder of Word on
Fire Catholic Ministries, spoke to
viewers from Los Angeles about
the character of Jesus. ‘There is
nothing I would rather talk to
you about than Jesus,” Bishop
Baron said. “He’s everything.
He’s the alpha and omega.”
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