Tight schedule for Francis

A year rich in events: 2015 has just begun, the third of the Pontificate of Pope Francis, and a long list of commitments, including travel, the Concistory to create new cardinals, the Ordinary Synod on the Family – that will complement the work of the extraordinary Synod, held last October – are already on the agenda, which includes the encyclical on the protection of Creation… Not to mention the work of the Council of Cardinals for the reform of the Curia and the “daily” agenda of the Pontiff: Mass in Santa Marta, in the Vatican, various meetings, the Wednesday audiences, the Sunday Angelus. The family is at the centre. 2015 brings with it a particular thought, wanted by Francis, for consecrated persons. The Year for Consecrated Life, called by the Pope to thank the men and women religious for their contributions to the life of the Church and give renewed impetus to their mission, was opened on Sunday, November 30 2014. The conclusion of this special year, inspired by the exhortation “Consecrated Life” of St. John Paul II, is scheduled for February 2, 2016. And while consecrated life will be the leitmotif of the next twelve months for the Church worldwide, the focus will undoubtedly be the ordinary Synod on the Family (Vatican, October 4 to 25), to which the Pope is also dedicating Wednesday catechesis. And in the General Audience address of December 10, Francis explained what the Synod is. “It is not a Parliament, a representative comes of this Church, of that Church, of the other Church … No, it is not this… The Synod is a protected space so that the Holy Spirit can operate; there was no clash between factions… but a discussion between Bishops, which took place after a long work of preparation and which now will continue with other work, for the good of families, of the Church and of society. It is a process; it is the normal synodal way”. The protection of the Creation. Certainly also the Concistory of February 14 for the creation of 20 new cardinals, announced Sunday, January 4, at the end of the Angelus, will follow the tracks of the Synod. Of the 20 new cardinals, 15 are voters from 14 different countries, 5 are archbishops and bishops emeritus, who have “distinguished” themselves “for their pastoral charity in the service of the Holy See and of the Church”, said the Holy Father. Thus the Concistory is awaited with great anticipation, just as the new encyclical of the Pope – the second after “Lumen Fidei” – dedicated to the protection of Creation. For the first time in the history of the Church an encyclical will address the theme of ecology, a term to be understood, however, not in reductive terms. In fact, it will be much more than a ”green encyclical”. From Asia to the UN. As regards the Pope’s international visits, there is already a busy calendar. The upcoming apostolic visit – the seventh at international level – will be in Sri Lanka and the Philippines (12-19 January). “The frontier of Asia – said Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office – is extremely important. His predecessor had been unable to travel to Asia. These great journeys of Pope Francis testify to a renewed focus of the Church towards this predominant portion of mankind today and tomorrow. It is one of the great frontiers of the Church of our time, and Pope Francis has highlighted it with his enthusing travels”. Another journey, already formalized, is to the United States, on the occasion of the World Meeting of Families, scheduled to take place in Philadelphia September 22 to 27. The Pope is likely to seize this opportunity to visit the UN headquarters in New York and travel to Washington to meet with President Barack Obama in the White House. A stop in Mexico is yet to be decided although at present it seems uncertain. The Pope’s destinations in Latin America for 2015 will be Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay. And, perhaps, even a trip to Africa: there is much anticipation in Uganda. Proximity, care and custody. Finally, in the course of this year will continue the work of the Council of Cardinals, known as the C9. The next plenary session will be held from 9 to 11 February. The work of the C9, said the Secretary Monsignor Marcello Semeraro, “is challenging and intense; Cardinals work expeditiously, but not hastily, given the seriousness” of their task. “Following the style, indicated and personified by Pope Francis; a style that renews to man the old story of the Samaritan: proximity, care and custody”. And it is this style, that the various commitments of the Pope offer to “Holy Mother Church” – an expression so dear to Bergoglio -called to give a special support: prayer. And Francis continues to ask for this support. His request cannot be disregarded, in a year so full of events.