Price € 1,50. Back issues € 3,00 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO WEEKLY EDITION IN ENGLISH Unicuique suum Non praevalebunt Fifty-fourth year, number 3 (2.680) Vatican City Friday, 15 January 2021 MessageMessage ofof HisHis HolinessHoliness PopePope FrancisFrancis forfor thethe 20212021 WorldWorld DayDay ofof thethe SickSick InvestingInvesting resourcesresources inin carecare andand assistanceassistance In his message for the 29th those in need of care, we can World Day of the Sick, which find “an unfailing source of will be celebrated on 11 motivation and strength in February, the Pontiff recalled the charity of Christ, as that “sickness always has shown by the witness of those more than one face: it has the men and women who down face of all the sick, but also the millennia have grown in those who feel ignored, ex- holiness through service to cluded and prey to social in- the infirm” justices that deny their funda- mental rights”. To approach PAGE 3 Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments Motu Proprio by Pope Francis Distribution of ashes in time of pandemic Ministries of The following is the English text of the ber that you are dust, and to dust Lector and Acolyte Note on Ash Wednesday of the Congrega- you shall return”. tion for Divine Worship and the Disci- The Priest then cleanses his open to women pline of the Sacraments on how Catholic hands, puts on a face mask and priests are to distribute ashes in the time of distributes the ashes to those who pandemic. come to him or, if appropriate, he goes to those who are standing in Prot. N. 17/21 their places. The Priest takes the ashes and sprinkles them on the NOTE ON ASH WE D N E S D AY head of each one without saying Distribution of Ashes in Time of a n y t h i n g. Pa n d e m i c From the Congregation for Di- The Priest says the prayer for vine Worship and the Discipline blessing the ashes. He sprinkles of the Sacraments, 12 January the ashes with holy water, without 2021. saying anything. Then he address- es all those present and only once ROBERT CA R D. SARAH With a Motu Proprio Pope Francis estab- says the formula as it appears in P re f e c t lished that from now on the ministries of the Roman Missal, applying it to Lector and Acolyte are to be open to wom- all in general: “Repent, and be- ARTHUR RO CH en, in a stable and institutionalized form lieve in the Gospel”, or “Remem- Archbishop Secretary through a specific mandate. There is nothing new about women pro- claiming the Word of God during liturgical celebrations or carrying out a service at the altar as altar servers or as Eucharistic minis- ters. In many communities throughout the General Audience An g e l u s Pope sends condolences ‘Fratelli Tutti’: interview world these practices are already authorized Time for praise National Reconciliation Card. Schwery dies With Archbishop Welby by local bishops. The Pope explains his de- cision in a letter to Cardinal Ladaria. PAGE 2 PAGE 2 PAGE 7 GISOTTI ON PA G E 8 PAGE 4/5 page 2L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 15 January 2021, number 3 GENERAL AUDIENCE Holy Father's catechesis on Prayer Even dark moments are a time for praise As he continued his series of catech- shall we look for another?” First and foremost, he prais- ple, these humble people who eses on prayer at the General Audi- (Mt 11:3). He feels this an- es Him for who He is:“Fa t h e r, go on pilgrimages, who go to ence on Wednesday morning, 13 Jan- guish of not knowing whether Lord of heaven and earth”. Je- pray, who sing, who praise, uary, Pope Francis highlighted the he is mistaken in his proclama- sus rejoices in his spirit be- people who perhaps lack importance of praising God “not only tion. There are always dark cause he knows and feels that many things but whose humil- when life fills us with happiness, but moments, moments of spiritu- his Father is the God of the ity leads them to praise God. above all in difficult moments”. The al nighttime, and John is go- Universe, and vice versa, the In the future of the world and following is a translation of the Holy ing through this moment. Lord of all that exists is the Fa- in the hopes of the Church Fa t h e r ’s words which he shared in There is hostility in the vil- ther, “My Father”. Praise there are always the “little Italian from the Private Library of lages along the lake, where Je- springs from this experience of ones”: those who do not con- the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. sus had performed so many feeling that he is “Son of the sider themselves better than prodigious signs (cf. Mt 11:20- Most High”. Jesus feels he is others, who are aware of their Dear Brothers and Sisters, 24). Now, precisely in this dis- Son of the Most High. own limitations and their sins, Good morning! appointing moment, Matthew And then Jesus praises the who do not want to lord it Let us continue our catechesis relates a truly surprising fact: Father for favouring the little ones. over others, who, in God the on prayer, and today we will Jesus does not raise a lament It is what he himself experi- Father, recognize that we are give space to the dimension of to the Father but, rather, a ences, preaching in the vil- all brothers and sisters. no way to stop it. Jesus, who says this: “Although you have praise. hymn of jubilation: “I thank lages: the “learned”and the Therefore, in that moment highly recommended the no need of our praise, yet our We will take our cue from a thee, Father, Lord of heaven “wise”remain suspicious and of apparent failure, where ev- prayer of asking, at the very thanksgiving is itself your gift, critical passage in the life of and earth that thou hast hid- closed; they make calcula- erything is dark, Jesus prays, moment when he would have since our praises add nothing Jesus. After the first miracles den these things from the wise tions; while the “little ones” praising the Father. And his had reason to ask the Father to your greatness, but profit us and the involvement of the and understanding and re- open themselves and welcome prayer also leads us, readers of for explanations, instead be- for salvation”(Roman Missal, disciples in proclaiming the vealed them to babes”(Mt his message. This can only be the Gospel, to judge our per- gins to praise him. It seems to Common Preface IV). By giv- Kingdom of God, the mission 11:25). Thus, in the midst of a the will of the Father, and Je- sonal defeats in a different be a contradiction, but therein ing praise, we are saved. of the Messiah undergoes a crisis, amid the darkness of the sus rejoices in this. We too way, to judge differently the lies the truth. The prayer of praise is help- crisis. John the Baptist has soul of so many people, such must rejoice and praise God situations in which we do not To whom is praise helpful? ful to us. The Catechism defines doubts and makes Him receive as John the Baptist, Jesus because humble and simple see clearly the presence and To us or to God? A text of the it this way: it “shares in the this message —John is in jail: blesses the Father, Jesus prais- people welcome the Gospel. action of God, when it seems Eucharistic liturgy invites us blessed happiness of the pure “Are you he who is to come, or es the Father. But why? When I see these simple peo- that evil prevails and there is to pray to God in this way, it of heart who love God in faith before seeing him in glory” (no. 2639). Paradoxically it must be practised not only when life fills us with happi- ANGELUS •Pop e’s appeal for protection of democratic values following the siege on US Capitol ness, but above all in difficult moments, in moments of dark- ness when the path becomes an uphill climb. That too is National Reconciliation the time for praise, like Jesus who in the dark moment prais- In his reflection at the Angelus on Sunday, 10 need it. In fact, John the Baptist tries to Moses: ‘Think: what people has its —they lost it in those dramatic mo- es the Father. Because we learn January, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, to prevent it, but Jesus insists. Why? gods as close as you have me?’. Close- ments. I reiterate that violence is al- that, through that ascent, that Pope Francis recalled that “even before we do Because he wants to be with the sin- ness is God’s way with us. ways self-destructive. Nothing is difficult path, that wearisome anything, our life is marked by the mercy that ners: for this reason he gets in line After this gesture of compassion by earned with violence and so much is path, those demanding pas- was laid upon us”through God’s freely given with them and does the same thing Jesus, an extraordinary thing hap- lost. I exhort the government author- sages, we get to see a new gift. “S a c ra m e n t a l l y ”, the Pope said, “this is they do.