Vatican News Pope Francis meal with the poor, number of persecuted Christians in Europe rises & more

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Sign up for our newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/ewtn/vatican  Hello and welcome to this week’s Vaticano Update, the most important news from Pope Francis and the Vatican. TOP 1: Pope Francis shared a meal with the poor On Sunday, Pope Francis shared lunch with around 1,300 underprivileged people who live in poverty here in Rome. Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has always stressed the importance of reaching out to those in need. The meal was one of several Vatican-sponsored initiatives marking the sixth annual World Day of the Poor, including a free mobile medical clinic, set up in St. Peter’s Square. The free lunch, normally an annual event, was postponed for two years due to the pandemic. It was held in the Paul VI Hall, with many children and families attending. TOP 2: Pope Francis’ prays for the victims of the Instanbul explosion Pope Francis prayed for the victims of a recent bomb explosion in Instanbul, expressing his "profound grief" over the attack in the Turkish capital that left eight people dead and more than 80 injured. In a telegram, the Pope expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the victims and, assured "his spiritual closeness," to them. He also said that he prayed "no act of violence would discourage the efforts of the Turkish people to build a society based on the values of fraternity, justice and peace." TOP 3: The persecution of Christians in Europe A recent report published by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians, detailed 500 cases of discrimination against Christians in 2021 alone, including four murders. The report highlights the law’s failure to protect Christians from discrimination, showing how the definition of a ‘hate crime’ can be used against religion, rather than as a tool to defend it. The extensive study also claimed that, in many Western European countries, the media has developed an anti-Christiank bias in some of it’s broadcasting. TOP 4: The 400th anniversary of the "society for the propagation of the faith" Four hundred years ago, Pope Gregory XV founded the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith: Propaganda Fide. Responsible for the Vatican’s international missionary activity, it remained in place until earlier this year when, as part of Pope Francis’ reform of the Roman Curia, it was changed into the new ‘Dicastery for Evangelization.’ To mark its 400-year anniversary, a three-day conference is being held in the Pontifical Urban University in Rome, starting on Wednesday, 16 November. TOP 5: Pope Francis’ prayer advice: Just be with Jesus ‘without ulterior motives’ During the Wednesday general audience, Pope Francis offered advice for building “a more mature and more beautiful relationship with the Lord” through prayer. He encouraged the faithful to approach prayer without just seeking “emotional gratification” or as “a mere exchange.” The pope pointed to the example of a child’s relationship with his parents. Children often look to their parents for what they can give them: a toy, some money, some ice cream. But, it is only when the child grows up that they realize that the greatest gift is their parents themselves. 👥 Follow us on our social networks:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EWTNVatican/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/EWTNVatican   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EWTNVatican

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