Periodical of the World Family Radio Maria Association
Year III – Issue 14 November - December 2015
The World Family of Radio Maria’s meeting with the Holy Father
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ear friends, We are infinitely grateful to the Holy Father for so affectionately granting the World Family of Radio Maria a special meeting. The Family was represented by the Presidents and Priest-Directors, and the Holy Father greeted everyone one by one, as they were the representatives “of the hearts and faces of all the listeners who support Radio Maria through voluntary work and offerings.” Pope Francis delivered an extraordinary speech to us, in which he highlighted the special charism of both Radio Maria and its mission, namely to “support the Church in the work of evangelisation; and to do so in its own way, with closeness to the concerns and problems of people, with words of consolation and hope, the result
of faith and commitment to solidarity. This clear and noble objective, pursued with determination and perseverance, has earned significant attention and following.” The Holy Father praised trust in Providence, which has always provided the necessary means, including “for the modernisation of technologies and for broadcasting across Italy and then throughout the world, which has taken place surprisingly extensively and quickly.” The Virgin Mary, who finds a way to perform “great works from small and humble beginnings” has meant that the initiative has been well-received, “beyond our best predictions”, thanks to the “courage to offer high-profile content from a clearly Christian position.”
For this reason, Pope Francis encourages us to continue our work, “which has become a true mission, carried out with fidelity to the Gospel and to the teachings of the Church, listening to society and to people, especially the poorest and most marginalised, so as to be a point of reference and a support to all your listeners.” He invites us to cultivate the “interior garden of prayer” and to “love with Mary’s heart in order to live and feel in tune with the Church.” “Moreover, always keep in mind that you provide something great and unique: Christian hope.” The Pope then concluded the following: “Therefore, under Mary’s protective mantle let us place your Radio, the people who work with you and their families, your proj-
ects for the future, and all the men and women who tune in. I bless all of you and your work. And please, do not forget to pray for me.” Father Livio
Radio Maria Bridge of Mercy pg.
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Holy See Jubilee Year of Mercy
Radio Maria “Radio Mariam” and Radio Maria Latvia
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WF RADIO MARIA News
November - December 2015
Radio Maria, Bridge of Mercy
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ormally when someone says the word “radio” we immediately imagine a transistor radio, microphones, earphones, a computer…this is true. Yet these are all actually instruments that allow us to communicate with people, and
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particularly in the case of Radio Maria, not only with people, but also with the communities of listeners with God through prayer. Having a common prayer is like crossing “the spiritual
door of the Jubilee Year of mercy”. When we pray with our hearts, they are no longer the same; there is a change. Radio Maria tries to give the microphone to those who do not normally have the chance to be heard, above all to those whom society has sometimes isolated, as in the case of the elderly. In fact, Pope Francis said, “The elderly are the reser-
voir of wisdom for our people” (catechesis 4 March 2015). Our Radio Maria community sustains every elderly person, every sick person to make them feel they are part of this family and to learn from him, of his experience of faith, how to walk in this time. Every Radio Maria in the world celebrated together on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the opening of the Jubilee Year, and we asked the Virgin Mary for help, the light of the mercy of God, to make every day a place in order to live the gift of mercy. Father Francisco Palacios
November - December 2015
Launching the
News RADIO MARIA WF
“Jubilee Year of Mercy”
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he message of Jesus Christ, the face of the mercy of the Father, is the Church’s reason for being and it becomes more and more urgent in our time, as Saint John Paul II reminded us when canonizing Sister Faustina Kowalska, apostle of the Divine Mercy, in the Holy Year of 2000. This renewed message constitutes the intermediary between the jubilee that leads us into the Third Millennium and the extraordinary jubilee announced by Pope Francis. After the early opening in the Central African Republic, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican last December 8, in the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. In the atrium of the Basilica, Pope Francis moved toward the predecessor Benedict, who immediately crossed the holy threshold after him. The affectionate embrace between the two men dressed in white made this unprecedented jubilee even more historic, further underlining the sequence of events exactly fifty years after the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council. In fact, Joseph Ratzinger was the last Pope to have participated in the assembly as a young theologian, and Jorge Mario Bergoglio the first Pope to live the event from the start of his priesthood, which was firstly “a true encounter between the Church and the men of our time”, as he reminded us in his homily. From the very words with which the blessed Paul VI concluded the assem-
bly, Pope Francis drew forth a paradigmatic image of the gesture that he was shortly about to carry out: “Crossing the Holy Door today commits us to having the mercy of the Good Samaritan”. And in the radio cathedral of Radio Maria there is a “holy door” that is always open, above all for those far away, because “wherever there is a person, the Church is called there to reach the person, to bring the joy of the Gospel and to bring the mercy and the forgiveness of God.” Stefano Chiappalone
Merry Christmas Humble people, full of hope in the goodness of God, are those who welcome Jesus and recognize him. Pope Francis
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November - December 2015
WF RADIO MARIA News
“Radio Mariam” Inaugurated
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n the day of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the start of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, with a live benediction, the broadcasts on “Radio Mariam” have begun, the new Radio Maria in the Arabic language dedicated to the Arabic-speaking Christian community throughout the world. The inauguration participants included the President of Radio Maria Italia, Emanuele Ferrario, Joseph Nassar (continental representative for Asia and Oceania for World Family
of Radio Maria) and Father Francisco Palacios (editorial coordinator for WFRM), in addition to the entire Radio Mariam staff and several friends. This new broadcasting station was presented to Holy Father Pope Francis during the private audience held last October 29. The project is intended to be not only a gift able to bring comfort and union for the persecuted Christian churches in countries at war, such as Iraq and Syria, but also a new sign of peace and recon-
ciliation between the different communities throughout the Middle East. Very long-standing communities that –as is well known– risk extinction today due to deportations, violence and forced migration yet
Radio Maria Latvia
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n the day of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the broadcasts on Radio Maria Latvia began, and the Archbishop of Riga, His Excellency Zbingnevs Stankevicsha blessed the studios and the headquarters. It was he himself who strongly desired the presence of Radio Maria in Latvia. The country has a population of about 2.3 million people, of which the majority is of Protestant and Orthodox faith. The Catholic population is about a half a million people. The director, Father Peˉteris Skudra, began working on the project and the broadcasts started on December 15, with 24-hour programming on the Radio Maria Latvia website (www.radio-marija.lv) with music, prayer and conferences. Radio Maria Latvia can also be heard on three radio stations in Riga, Liepaja and Kraslava, with a coverage of 65% of the country’s population. Daniele Trenca
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will now have a priceless instrument to spread their voice everywhere and keep alive a great religious tradition common to Christians throughout the world. “Radio Mariam” can be heard through the dedicated Internet website (www.radiomariam.org) and through the app for smartphones and tablets “Radio Maria World Family”, available for Apple, Android and Windows Phone operating systems. “Radio Mariam” is also available on Twitter (@MariamRadio) and on Facebook (Radio Mariam )ويدار ميرم. Jad Kanaan
November - December 2015
News RADIO MARIA WF
The Pope Embraces the African Continent
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pon returning from an apostolic journey in Africa, Pope Francis stressed how his heart is full of joy for being able to bring Jesus Christ’s word of hope in such a dramatic historical period and in a continent that he himself defines as “martyr”. “Be strong in the faith, do not be afraid.” “You will be my witnesses.” Jesus’ words were the ones that the Pope wanted to use as a motto of his recent apostolic journey. Big smiles, bright eyes, open arms, colors, music… because this is the eternal soul of Africa. The first stop: Kenya. A country in which there are far too
many contradictions: wealth and poverty… and nothing in the middle…“a scandal!” affirms Francis, emphasizing that in that very nation there is also the office of the United Nations Environment Programme, which he visited. Then on to Uganda, in which his visit took place in the sign of the martyrs in the country, fifty years after their historical canonization by the blessed Paul VI. In that moment, the Pope encouraged the ordained, the communities involved in humanitarian missions and the entire population affirming: “You will have strength from the Holy Spirit because
it is the Spirit which enlivens the soul and the hands of the missionary disciples.” The third stop on his journey was in the Central African Republic, in the geographical heart of the continent. This country has been trying for a long time to revive itself and put itself back together with dignity, due to the violent conflicts and excess suffering. This is why, affirms Francis, “I wanted to open in that area, in Bangui, a week early, the first Holy Door of the Holy Jubilee
ly, the mass at the Bangui stadium. A wonder to Francis’ eyes, who strongly felt the presence of the young
Year, as a sign of faith and hope for those people, and symbolically for the neediest of the entire African population, those most in need of liberation and comfort. Last-
people celebrating, reunited to renew together the commitment to follow “Jesus our hope, our peace, the face of the divine Mercy.” Michela Burdino
Christmas with Our Lady, Mother of Mercy Dear Friends of Radio Maria, as we have entered the Jubilee Year of Mercy during this preparation to the celebration of Christmas we confide in Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, who leads us in a special way to Jesus in the Eucharist. At Radio Maria, we begin the Christmas Novena Prayer on December 16th. We encourage our family of listeners to prepare their hearts with the “Fountain of Mercy” (Diary of St.
Faustina K., 1602) or the Sacrament of Penance. Let us entrust ourselves to Our Lady and pray for one another to allow ourselves to be guided by her in a greater way in this Jubilee Year. Our staff and volunteers wish to the Directors, the Presidents and the Worldwide Family of Radio Maria a heartfelt and warm Blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with God’s Blessings. P. John Tino - Director RM USA
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WF RADIO MARIA News
November - December 2015
Some pictures from the Conference…
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Periodical of the WFRM Association
Editorial Office: p. Livio Fanzaga; p. Francisco Palacios; Stefano Chiappalone; Raffaele Galati; Daniele Trenca; Michela Burdino; p. Charles Mutabaruka.
Via Rusticucci, 13 00193 Rome roma.wf@radiomaria.org www.radiomaria.org The contents of this periodical
(texts and photos) may be used in full or partially on the websites, newsletters, social networks of RM. Always mention the source “WFRM News”.