Pope Francis began a day trip to Milan on Saturday by visiting the poor and those who minister to them.
He had lunch at the city’s historic San Vittore prison, where all 893 inmates – men and women – are awaiting trial. But Pope Francis began his visit on the outskirts of the city, at the “White Houses”, a housing development for the poor built in the 1970s.
Three families welcomed the Pope into their apartments: Stefano Pasquale, 59, who is ill and cared for by his 57-year-old wife, Dorotee; a Muslim couple and their three children from Morocco; and the Onetes. Nuccio Onete, 82, was home for the visit, but his wife, Adele, had been hospitalised three days earlier, so the Pope spoke to her by phone.
The people of the neighbourhood gave Pope Francis a handmade white stole, which he put on before addressing the crowd. The fact that it was homemade, he said, “makes it much more precious and is a reminder that the Christian priest is chosen from the people and is at the service of the people. My priesthood, like that of your pastor and the other priests who work here, is a gift of Christ, but one sewn by you, by the people, with your faith, your struggles, your prayers and your tears.”
At Milan’s Gothic cathedral, Pope Francis met the archdiocese’s pastoral workers and responded to questions from a priest, a permanent deacon and a Religious Sister, urging them to trust in God, hold on to their joy and share the good news of Christ with everyone they meet.
Asked by Fr Gabriele Gioia about evangelisation efforts that do not seem to result in “catching fish”, Francis said the work of an evangeliser – of all Christians – is to set out and cast the nets: “It’s the Lord who catches the fish.”
Preoccupation with numbers was never a good thing, Pope Francis said. “The majority of our founding fathers and mothers never thought they’d be a multitude.” Rather, he said, they were moved by the Holy Spirit to “to build the Church like leaven in the dough”.
Archdiocese: firms that work on Mexico wall are ‘traitors’
An archdiocese of Mexico City editorial piece has condemned Mexican companies wishing to work on the proposed wall being built on the US-Mexico border as “traitors”, and called on authorities to castigate any company that provides services for fencing off the frontier.
“What’s regrettable is that on this side of the border, there are Mexicans ready to collaborate with a fanatical project that annihilates the good relationship between two nations that share a common border,” said the article in the archdiocesan publication Desde la Fe.
“Any company that plans to invest in the fanatic Trump’s wall would be immoral, but above all, their shareholders and owner will be considered traitors to the homeland,” the editorial said. “Joining a project that is a grave affront to dignity is like shooting yourself in the foot.”
President Donald Trump ran on a promise of constructing a wall between the United States and Mexico and has signed an executive order to begin building the barrier on the nearly 2,000-mile US-Mexico border.
The Mexican government has repeatedly said it will not pay for any border wall.
Cardinal loved by pope dies at 86
Cardinal William Keeler, retired Archbishop of Baltimore, has died aged 86.
Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore said: “One of the great blessings of my life was coming to know Cardinal Keeler.” Fr Michael White, the late cardinal’s secretary, said: “Pope John Paul loved Cardinal Keeler. He used to call the cardinal ‘Baltimore’.”
Cardinal Keeler led the diocese from 1989 to 2007.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.