Ramos Mejía, Argentina - 1949 - Today we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the pontificate of Pope Francis, who was elected to the See of Peter on 13 March 2013. In this photo we see the young Jorge Mario Bergoglio in the days when he attended the Salesian boarding school in Ramos Mejía, Argentina. It was 1949 and he was 13 years old.
(ANS – Vatican City) – Ten years have passed since 13 March 2013, the day Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected to the See of Peter. Pope Francis' pontificate has been marked by a passion for evangelisation and a constant journey to reform the Church to make her more missionary. A decade during which time has taken on two different dimensions: the progressive one, to initiate processes, and the circular one, to go out to meet others and return enriched in thought and heart.
(ANS – Vatican City) – We publish Pope Francis' preface to the volume "More Women's Leadership for a Better World: Caring as the Engine for Our Common Home," edited by Anna Maria Tarantola, published by "Vita e Pensiero." The text is the result of joint research of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation and the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (Sacru).
(ANS - Kinshasa) - A few days have passed since Pope Francis' visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a trip that has renewed the Congolese Church and society by strengthening it in its desire for peace and progress. But the challenges to overcome are still all on the ground, especially in North Kivu Province, where, caught between war and violence, there are still thousands of people displaced and in need of everything, people to whom the Salesians are trying, with the means at their disposal, to provide answers and support.
(ANS - Kinshasa) - The young people’s warm embrace of Francis in Kinshasa's Martyrs' Stadium opened the third day of the 40th apostolic journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. It was a celebration marked by music, choirs, acclamations in a packed Martyrs' Stadium in Kinshasa. Many hands raised to the sky acclaimed the Bishop of Rome in the crowded stadium: over 65 thousand people were present, including many young people belonging to the Salesian Family. A meeting also marked by the Pope's strong appeal not to give in to corruption and to choose the good, without "letting oneself be swallowed up by the swamp of evil."
(ANS - Turin) - Sharing life with the poor, day by day, in villages where there is often no water or light, far from the big cities: this is the precise choice - within which the education of children and young people is obviously grafted - made by the approximately 100 Salesians who live in a dozen communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "And we expect to be reinforced in our mission exhibition and vocation by the visit of Pope Francis. Reinforced by a Pope who has his feet on the ground and his heart in heaven. Reinforced by the witness of a man who brings good, who has a sensitivity for the poor that is evangelical, it is the Gospel!" says peremptorily Fr. Daniel Antunez, 63, president of "Missioni Don Bosco."
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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Democratic Republic of Congo – Fr Owoudou on the situation in the eastern parts of the country: “No matter how dark the night may seem, dawn will inevitably come”
(ANS - Goma) - During his latest phase of the Extraordinary Visit to the "Mary Most Holy Assumption" Province of Central Africa (AFC), Fr. Alphonse Owoudou, Councillor for the Africa Madagascar Region, conducted an interview with the magazine "JAMBO VIJANA," representing the youth engaged in the Salesian works of the Province's Eastern Delegation. Addressing the ongoing violence and conflicts in the region, Fr. Owoudou expressed hope, saying: "No matter the length of the night, dawn will inevitably come."
EDITORIAL
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“Speaking with the Heart”: A great Antidote for the Ills of today’s world
‘Revolutionize the world with your kindness, by speaking with your heart’, is the dream that Pope Francis envisions for humanity through his 57th World Communication Day message, that falls on this Ascension Sunday, 21st May 2023. ‘Speak with your heart in truth and charity’, and this is the best antidote that can cure the ills of today’s society.
EVENTS
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Italy – "Labs To Future": the final event of the "Labs To Learn" project in Valdocco
(ANS – Turin) – The final event of the "Labs to Learn" project was held on Tuesday, 5 March 2024, entitled "Labs To Future: The path – The results – The challenges" . The project was selected by the "Con i Bambini" social enterprise within the framework of the Foundation for the Fight against Child Educational Poverty and came into being with the intention of combating early school leaving and preventing educational poverty, increasing the number of young people with difficulties who fulfil their school obligation, access higher education and/or job placement, and opening the way for personal growth according to their inclinations and aspirations.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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Peru – Centenary of the High Altar of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Lima
(ANS – Lima) – The centenary of the consecration of the high altar in the Crypt of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Lima was celebrated on 19 March, on the feast of St Joseph and in homage to Fr José Calasanz Marqués, then Provincial of the Salesians in Peru and Bolivia – now recognised as Blessed by the Church – on account of his name.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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DREAMS THAT KEEP COMING TRUE!
THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Card. Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB
When reflecting on all this, I feel I have a little authority to say: “Dear Don Bosco, your Dream is still VERY ALIVE.”