Have big dreams – Pope Francis

In a message to high school students, Pope Francis said: “It is important to have big dreams. God has them too!”

“In this period, you are asking yourselves how to contribute to changing the world. This is very positive. It’s important to meet adults who don’t crush dreams, but help you to interpret and realise them. Remember to always check your dreams against God’s!”

He added that Jesus “makes all things new; he reveals an authority different from that exhibited by the powerful of yesterday and today. His is a way of transforming situations that does not overwhelm but uplift, does not constrain but liberates.” He encouraged young leaders to “follow [Jesus] with full confidence, thinking of your growth not as a way of raising yourself above others, but as a way of lowering yourself to serve them”.

Africa – centre  of Catholicity

Bishop Eugène Cyrille Houndékon, from Benin told La Croix International that the “initial comments on the Synod assembly currently under way at the Vatican have made it clear that Catholicism today is centred in Africa, and a little in Asia too. It’s important to see how much we count, not only for the spread of the Christian faith, but also for life in the faith and for the institutions that enable us to give life to the Church and to give our societies the share we take for the happiness of all.”

Pakistan priest calls for justice

After what has been described as the worst case of persecution of Christians in Pakistan – consisting of an attack on 26 churches and chapel, a cemetery and hundreds of homes – Fr Abid Tanveer, vicar general of the Faisalabad diocese, said: “Unless justice is done, the victims of Jaranwala will never find closure. They will never feel safe. Governments in the West should call for justice. The government in Pakistan will listen to the West, because they need them.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)