On the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the Holy Father has released a new Apostolic Letter, Desiderio Desideravi, on the liturgical formation of the People of God.  Its title is drawn from Luke 22:15 – “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”

It is an exquisite summary of liturgical theology and a call for “serious and vital liturgical formation.”

Pope Francis addresses the nature of sacramental encounter, of symbols and symbolic language, of ars celebrandi, and the need to engage all the baptized in the fruitful celebration of the Paschal Mystery.

To read the document, click HERE. Para leer en español, haga clic AQUÍ.

Fratelli Tutti
ON FRATERNITY AND SOCIAL FRIENDSHIP
 
1."Fratelli Tutti" With these words, Saint Francis of Assisi addressed his brothers and sisters and proposed to them a way of life marked by the flavour of the Gospel. Of the counsels Francis offered, I would like to select the one in which he calls for a love that transcends the barriers of geography and distance, and declares blessed all those who love their brother “as much when he is far away from him as when he is with him” In his simple and direct way, Saint Francis expressed the essence of a fraternal openness that allows us to acknowledge, appreciate and love each person, regardless of physical proximity, regardless of where he or she was born or lives.

To read the encyclical in its entirety, click HERE.

Devotion to sacred Scripture, a “living and tender love” for the written word of God: this is the legacy that Saint Jerome bequeathed to the Church by his life and labours. Now, on the sixteen hundredth anniversary of his death, those words taken from the opening prayer of his liturgical Memorial^[1]give us an essential insight into this outstanding figure in the Church’s history and his immense love for Christ.That “living and tender love” flowed, like a great river feeding countless streams, into his tireless activity as a scholar, translator and exegete.Jerome’s profound knowledge of the Scriptures, his zeal for making their teaching known, his skill as an interpreter of texts, his ardent and at times impetuous defence of Christian truth, his asceticism and harsh eremitical discipline, his expertise as a generous and sensitive spiritual guide – all these make him, sixteen centuries after his death, a figure of enduring relevance for us, the Christians of the twenty-first century.

To access the complete document, click HERE.

On July 20, the Vatican released a twenty-two-page instruction entitled "The Pastoral Conversion of the Parish Community in the Service of the Evangelizing Mission of the Church.” While it does not introduce new legislation on pastoral care, the Vatican press office said it was developed by the Congregation for Clergy as a guide "to the various projects of reform of parish communities and diocesan restructuring, already underway or in the planning process." It also clarifies the role of deacons, consecrated men and women, as well as the laity, in dioceses where there is a shortage of priests.
 
“Since its inception, the Parish is envisioned as a response to a precise pastoral need, namely that of bringing the Gospel to the People through the proclamation of the Gospel and the celebration of the sacraments. The etymology of the word makes clear the meaning of the institution: the Parish is a house among houses and is a response to the logic of the incarnation of Christ” (7).  
 
The Holy Father approved the document on June 27 and it was officially promulgated on June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.

For the full text, please click HERE.

The Vatican has released the preparatory document in preparation for the upcoming Synod of Bishops' XV Ordinary General Assembly addressing young people, the faith and vocational discernment.

From the document's introductionL: "In keeping with this mission and introducing a new approach through a Synod with the topic, “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment”, the Church has decided to examine herself on how she can lead young people to recognize and accept the call to the fullness of life and love, and to ask young people to help her in identifying the most effective ways to announce the Good News today. By listening to young people, the Church will once again hear the Lord speaking in today’s world."

To read the document and reflection questions, click HERE.

Dear Brothers,
A hundred and sixty years have passed since the death of the holy Curé of Ars, whom Pope Pius XI proposed as the patron of parish priests throughout the world. On this, his feast day, I write this letter not only to parish priests but to all of you, my brother priests, who have quietly “left all behind” in order to immerse yourselves in the daily life of your communities. Like the Curé of Ars, you serve “in the trenches”, bearing the burden of the day and the heat (cf. Mt 20:12), confronting an endless variety of situations in your effort to care for and accompany God’s people. I want to say a word to each of you who, often without fanfare and at personal cost, amid weariness, infirmity and sorrow, carry out your mission of service to God and to your people. Despite the hardships of the journey, you are writing the finest pages of the priestly life.

To continue reading the letter, click HERE.

On September 30, 2019, on the liturgical memorial of St. Jerome, Pope Francis announced that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time would be celebrated as the Sunday of the Word of God. The inspiring full text of his Apostolic Letter, “Aperuit illis: Instituting the Sunday of the Word of God” is contained herein. In its inaugural year, this Sunday will fall on January 26, 2020.

Click HERE for resources to celebrate the Sunday.

With great affection, I address this Apostolic Exhortation to all Christian young people.  It is meant to remind you of certain convictions born of our faith, and at the same time to encourage you to grow in holiness and in commitment to your personal vocation.  But since it is also part of a synodal process, I am also addressing this message to the entire People of God, pastors and faithful alike, since all of us are challenged and urged to reflect both on the young and for the young.  Consequently, I will speak to young people directly in some places, while in others I will propose some more general considerations for the Church’s discernment. 4. I have let myself be inspired by the wealth of reflections and conversations that emerged from last year’s Synod.  I cannot include all those contributions here, but you can read them in the Final Document.  In writing this letter, though, I have attempted to summarize those proposals I considered most significant.  In this way, my words will echo the myriad voices of believers the world over who made their opinions known to the Synod.  Those young people who are not believers, yet wished to share their thoughts, also raised issues that led me to ask new questions.

For the full document, click HERE.

POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION

QUERIDA AMAZONIA

OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD
AND TO ALL PERSONS OF GOOD WILL

1. The beloved Amazon region stands before the world in all its splendour, its drama and its mystery. God granted us the grace of focusing on that region during the Synod held in Rome from 6-27 October last, which concluded by issuing its Final Document, The Amazon: New Paths for the Church and for an Integral Ecology.

To continue reading the document, click HERE.

APOSTOLIC LETTER

PATRIS CORDE

OF THE HOLY FATHER
FRANCIS
ON THE 150^th ANNIVERSARY
OF THE PROCLAMATION OF SAINT JOSEPH
AS PATRON OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

WITH A FATHER’S HEART: that is how Joseph loved Jesus, whom all four Gospels refer to as “the son of Joseph”.[1]
Matthew and Luke, the two Evangelists who speak most of Joseph, tell us very little, yet enough for us to appreciate what sort of father he was, and the mission entrusted to him by God’s providence.
We know that Joseph was a lowly carpenter (cf. Mt 13:55), betrothed to Mary (cf. Mt 1:18; Lk 1:27). He was a “just man” (Mt 1:19), ever ready to carry out God’s will as revealed to him in the Law (cf. Lk 2:22.27.39) and through four dreams (cf. Mt 1:20; 2:13.19.22). After a long and tiring journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, he beheld the birth of the Messiah in a stable, since “there was no place for them” elsewhere (cf. Lk 2:7). He witnessed the adoration of the shepherds (cf. Lk 2:8-20) and the Magi (cf. Mt 2:1-12), who represented respectively the people of Israel and the pagan peoples.
Joseph had the courage to become the legal father of Jesus, to whom he gave the name revealed by the angel: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). As we know, for ancient peoples, to give a name to a person or to a thing, as Adam did in the account in the Book of Genesis (cf. 2:19-20), was to establish a relationship.

TO READ THE LETTER CLICK HERE.

FDLC has supplied a webpage of resources.
To access the resources, click HERE