God forgives everything

At a Lenten penance service at St Pius V parish in Rome, Pope Francis spoke about forgiveness and confession.

“Put this in your mind and heart: God never tires of forgiving.” He added that priests should not ask too much during confessions. “Let us always grant forgiveness to those who ask for it and help those who feel fear to confidently approach the sacrament of healing.

He added that penitents should look at their sins and then “in silence say: ‘Lord, if you wish you can make me clean’. And he can. God forgives everything because he does not tire of forgiving.” Rather, “we tire of asking for forgiveness,” he said.

French bishops criticise Macron

After entrenching abortion in the constitution, French President Emmanuel Macron said he will present a bill legalising medical aid in dying for terminally ill people.

Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims, and president of the French Bishops’ Conference told La Croix: “A law like this, whatever its aim, will bend our whole health system towards death as a solution”. He added that “calling a text that opens both assisted suicide and euthanasia a ‘fraternity law’ is deceptive. Fraternity passes through unconditional respect for the life of each individual.”

Russia should cease fire first

In an interview in the Corriere della Sera of March 12, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the warring parties in Ukraine should have “the courage to negotiate, which is never a surrender”. He said: “It should be the aggressors who cease fire first.”

His comments were considered as an attempt to clarify Pope Francis’s controversial statement which was interpreted that Ukraine should surrender and negotiate an end to the war.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)