(ANS – Vatican City) – When the pandemic will finally be behind the whole world, there will be a need for a world of work that is different from what it was before, that knows how to start from the discarded, those set aside, left behind, and that knows how to value and appreciate the dimension of caring. These two ideas, taken from the message that Pope Francis sent to the 109th International Labor Conference, are analyzed by Sister Alessandra Smerilli, religious of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, undersecretary for faith and development to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the coordinator of the Vatican’s COVID-19 commission’s economic task force. Below, a summary of her reflection. Worse than a crisis like the one we are experiencing, there is only the drama of wasting it. The virus, like a scourge, has affected everyone without distinction. Its effects, however, have spread in different ways, with especially serious consequences for some. Many jobs have been lost, opportunities for decent employment have decreased, workers with less security and less social protection have suffered and are suffering more than others. Moreover, the priority is clear: to restart by focusing on the...
Pope concludes Month of Prayer with Rosary in Vatican Gardens Pope Francis leads the Holy Rosary in the Vatican Gardens at the conclusion of the “Marathon of Prayer” for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resumption of work and social activities. By Christopher Wells Pope Francis was joined by first communicants and young people who have recently been confirmed, as well as by newlyweds and expecting couples, scouts, families, and religious, as he prayed the concluding Rosary for the month-long Marathon of Prayer. Month of Prayer At the end of April, Pope Francis asked all Catholics throughout the world to pray throughout the month of May – traditionally dedicated to devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary – for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic and for a resumption of everyday work and social activities. Each day of the month, a different Marian shrine led the faithful in a Rosary that was broadcast around the world. Pope Francis himself kicked off the Month of Prayer by leading the Rosary from St Peter’s Basilica on 1 May, praying before the image of the Madonna del Soccorso (Our Lady of Help). On Monday, 31 May, the Holy Father chose the Vatican Gardens...
Pope opens Marathon of Prayer with Rosary in Vatican Basilica The Rosary, led from a different Marian Sanctuary each day during May, will be broadcast by Vatican Media, beginning at 6 pm Rome time. You can follow along with the daily broadcast on our Vatican News web portal, our Facebook and YouTube channels, or via radio or television transmissions by our partner organizations throughout the world. Pope Francis inaugurates the Marathon of Prayer for an end to the pandemic on Saturday by leading the faithful in the Holy Rosary from St Peter’s Basilica. By Vatican News staff reporter Pope Francis led the faithful in the recitation of the Holy Rosary on Saturday to inaugurate a “Marathon of Prayer” for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a press release announcing the initiative, the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization explains that “in response to the Holy Father’s heartfelt wish, the month of May will be dedicated to a ‘marathon’ of prayer, to ask for the end of the pandemic, which has afflicted the world for more than a year now, and to ask for the resumption of social and work activities”. For a wounded world...
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