The 43rd apostolic journey of Pope Francis to Mongolia begins today, 31 August. It is the first time that a Pope has travelled to this Asian country where only 0.02% of the population professes to be Catholic, but where the Church is extensively active in the social sphere.
(ANS – Rome) – The beginning of the Season of Creation 2023 is not far away. The Salesian family is preparing for this important moment together with the Pope. In his message of last May 13th, Pope Francis invited us to join the river of justice and peace: "Let justice and peace flow" is the theme of the Ecumenical Season of Creation 2023, inspired by the words of the prophet Amos: "Like the waters flow law and justice like an everlasting torrent".
(ANS - Lisbon) - As happened several times after international trips, on his flight back from Portugal to the Vatican Pope Francis granted a press conference to accredited journalists, answering them various questions. His health, migration, reception in the Church, abuse... so many topics were addressed. But the Pope himself wanted to put the focus back on World Youth Day and what he experienced during these days in Lisbon in the midst of hundreds of thousands of young people from all over the world.
(ANS – Lisbon) – Pope Francis left Lisbon with a final appointment, one with the young people whose commitment and effort made World Youth Day possible: "May the service you have given be the first of many waves of goodness."
(ANS - Lisbon) - Pope Francis spoke to more than one and a half million young people gathered in Tejo Park in Lisbon for the final act of World Youth Day 2023. To them, who are the present and the future, he repeats that they must not become discouraged and that they must not fear even when they feel powerless in the face of the world's great issues; on the contrary, "the Church and the world need you like the soil to the land".
(ANS – Lisbon) – Life is about walking onwards and if you fall you need help to get up. It means constant training because nothing in the world is free, except the love of Jesus. This is the mandate that Pope Francis entrusted to the many young people, about one and a half million, who filled the huge Parque Tejo in Lisbon, and who to settle down with mats, sleeping bags, thermal blankets but also tents for the WYD Vigil from late morning, the penultimate act of a week of meetings on Portuguese soil. They arrived in the Campo da Graça after about 8-10 kilometres on foot, peacefully but joyfully invading the streets of the capital.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
-
Italy – A Salesian on the front line of the war in Ukraine: "Being close counts, words come later"(ANS - Rome) - As he tells with a gentleness that does not seem to come from horror, he is "resting a little bit" in Rome these days. Fr Oleh Ladnyuk is a Ukrainian Salesian priest who is a military chaplain at the front, among the soldiers who fight in defence of their country and among the civilians who for over two years have seen their lives wiped out. He brings humanitarian aid where the missiles fall and from those places he helps with the evacuation of young people and adults - so far at least 500 people, but there are probably many more. These days the Salesian – who carries out his ministry in Dnipro and teaches History in a state school in the city – is in Rome to take part with two other priests and a dozen lay people from his country in the "Accompanying when Trauma Hits" course hosted by the Pontifical Salesian University in collaboration with the Faculty of Educational Sciences, with the DON BOSCO NEL MONDO Foundation and the Don Bosco Network. A project that aims to provide theoretical and methodological tools to deal with the traumas caused by war.
EDITORIAL
-
Myanmar – Tragedy of Innocent Children in the midst of Armed Conflicts(ANS – Naypyidaw) - Myanmar finds itself immersed in profound grief and anguish as innocent lives, particularly those of children, continue to be mercilessly lost in the enduring armed conflicts. Families are left devastated by the tragic loss of their loved ones while the relentless violence shows no signs of abating. This week, a heartfelt plea from Myanmar reached our community, shedding light on the heart-wrenching death of a young girl Juliet in a military airstrike, prompting a unified call for prayers and action.
EVENTS
-
Italy – "Education and culture of safeguarding in sport. Towards the establishment of protection and prevention models": PGS conference with UPS(ANS – Rome) – The synergy between the Salesian Youth Sports Centres (PGS) and the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS) in Rome gave rise to the conference on "Education and culture of safeguarding in sport. Towards the establishment of models of protection and prevention", which will take place on 13 April, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., at the UPS facilities in Rome.
SPECIAL REPORTS
-
United States – INT’L DAY FOR STREET CHILDREN: Salesian Missions highlights programs that provide shelter and support(ANS – New Rochelle) – Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian and international organizations around the globe in highlighting the plight of homeless children on the International Day for Street Children. The day provides organizations and the millions of street children in countries worldwide with an opportunity to have their voices heard while ensuring that their rights are not ignored.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
-
I’M A SALESIAN AND I’M A BOROROTHE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB
Diary of a Happy and Blessed Missionary Day
Dear friends , I’m writing to you from Meruri in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. I write this greeting almost as if it were a journalistic report, because it has been only 24 hours since I arrived in the middle of this Brazilian state.