"The tree teaches us about our roots, the nativity scene invites us to contemplation. Don't forget these two human and Christian attitudes," he said.

"The tree, with its lights, is a reminder that Jesus comes to lighten our darkness, our existence, which is often enclosed in the shadow of sin, of fear, of pain.

"And it inspires another reflection: like trees, men, too, need roots."

Only the person "rooted firmly in the ground remains firm, grows, matures, resists the winds that shake him and becomes a reference point for those who watch," he noted.

"This is what the Christmas tree reminds us of: being rooted in Jesus Christ," he added.

This year's tree dates back to medieval times and, according to locals, was planted by the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of San Giovanni in Verde.

The decorations were handmade by young people from a psychiatric care facility, who worked with elderly residents of a nursing home and local schoolchildren.

The creche in St. Peter's Square, more than 20 feet high, is made up of 18 life-size wooden statues arranged under a large domed structure, all made without cutting down new trees.

"Simple and familiar, the creche evokes a Christmas that is different from the consumeristic and commercial one," Francis said.

He encouraged believers to "make themselves small" in order to meet Christ where he is.

"We also are invited to contemplate the mystery of incarnation," he added.

Francis concluded his remarks by reminding those in the hall that "God loves us so much that he wished to share our humanity and our lives.

"He never leaves us alone, he is at our side in every circumstance, in joy and in sorrow."

The Pope's reminders of the meaning of Christmas are evident in the European Parliament too.

Christmas this year marks the first time in its history the European Parliament has allowed a Nativity scene to be set up at its headquarters in Brussels.

Until now, officials of the European institution considered it "potentially offensive".

Isabel Benjumea, a member in the EU's House of Representatives from Spain, helped change this.

After three years effort, she gained the approval of the European Parliament president, Roberta Metsola, for the Nativity scene to be displayed.

It has, however, only been "authorised as a special exhibition," which may or may not be renewed in the future.

Both Pope St John Paul II and emeritus Pope Benedict attempted to have Europe's Christian roots recognised by the European Union.

Source

• Religion News Service
• Catholic News Agency

In an interview with Reuters, Francis discussed the China deal first struck in 2018 and to be renewed every two years.

The agreement was put in place to ease a longstanding divide across mainland China between an underground flock loyal to the pope and a state-backed official church.

Both sides now recognise the pope as the supreme leader of the Catholic Church.

The accord, which is still provisional, centres on cooperation over the appointment of bishops. It gives the pope the final say.

"The agreement is moving well and I hope that in October it can be renewed," Francis said.

There has been some criticism of the accord and not just because the details have been kept private.

One of the deal's most vocal opponents is Cardinal Joseph Zen, 90, the former archbishop of Hong Kong.

"The Vatican may have acted out of good faith but they have made an unwise decision," Zen told a gathering on Hong Kong island last month.

Archbishop Zen prayed for "brothers and sisters who cannot attend the Mass in any form tonight - for they have no freedom now".

Zen and others have accused the Vatican of turning a blind eye to human rights violations in China.

However, Francis defended the agreement as being the statecraft of working with the little available and trying to improve it.

"Diplomacy is like that. When you face a blocked situation, you have to find the possible way, not the ideal way out of it," Francis said.

"Diplomacy is the art of the possible and of doing things to make the possible become a reality," he said.

Only six new bishops have been appointed since the deal, which its opponents say proves it is not producing the desired effects.

The pope called the slow process "'the Chinese way,' because the Chinese have that sense of time that nobody can rush them".

Meanwhile, the European Parliament has urged the Catholic institution to defend religious freedom in Hong Kong, as some Catholics and other religious minorities face growing persecution in the country.

The European Parliament called on the Holy See to "strengthen its diplomatic efforts and its leverage on the Chinese authorities" in a resolution made on July 7.

The EU resolution encouraged the Vatican "to give full support to Cardinal Zen and other religious leaders who face persecution or the risk of detention under the national security regime in Hong Kong".

Cardinal Zen was arrested by Chinese authorities on May 11 alongside four other pro-democracy activists.

The cardinal was released a day later and his trial is expected to take place on September 19. Zen has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The European Parliament called on the Vatican "to demand that all charges against Cardinal Zen be dropped and (for) an end to persecution and human rights violations."

Sources

Reuters

Religion News

It also claims that doctors or hospitals that conscientiously object to performing abortions put "women's lives in danger."

The report passed the European Parliament June 24 with 378 votes in favor, 255 against and 42 abstentions. It has no legal power to force European governments to change their abortion laws but is seen as pressuring some governments — such as Poland and Malta — to do so.

In a statement after the vote, the Parliament said members see violations of women's "sexual and reproductive health rights," including the right to abortion, as "a form of violence against women and girls," which hinders "progress toward gender equality."

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Ramping up his message ahead of the European elections, Bannon said Francis should stay out of politics.

"He's the administrator of the church, and he's also a politician. This is the problem," Bannon - who lives in Italy - said.

"He's constantly putting all the faults in the world on the populist nationalist movement."

The Pope's remarks about social justice have long irked Bannon and those of his ideological mindset.

Swing back to April 2016, when Bannon suggested Matteo Salvini should start openly targeting Francis about migration, because Francis has made the plight of refugees a cornerstone of his papacy. (At that time, Salvini was the minister for the interior and the leader of Italy's anti-immigration League party.)

"Bannon advised [Salvini] ... the pope is a sort of enemy. He suggested for sure to attack, frontally," a senior League insider says.

Salvini became more outspoken against the pope, claiming conservatives in the Vatican were on his side.

As an example, on 6 May 2016, after the pope's plea for compassion towards migrants, Salvini said: "Uncontrolled immigration, an organised and financed invasion, brings chaos and problems, not peace."

Salvini - who is now the Deputy Prime Minister of Italy's coalition cabinet - says he wants to bring the far right from across Europe into an alliance.

Last week, only days after meeting Bannon in Rome, Salvini revealed his "vision of Europe for the next 50 years", calling it the launch of a new right-wing coalition for the European parliamentary elections on 23 May.

Some say the timing of Italy's new coalition and Salvini's meeting with Bannon suggest Salvini has been handpicked as the informal leader of Eurosceptic populist forces in Europe.

According to Mischaël Modrikamen, the Movement's managing director, six months ago Bannon and Salvini tweeted that Italy's deputy prime minister "is in!"

Bannon also takes issue with the pope's warnings over resurgent populist movements.

"You can go around Europe and it's [populism] catching fire and the pope is just dead wrong," he says.

After Salvini and Bannon's 2016 meeting, Salvini was photographed holding up a T-shirt emblazoned with the words: "Benedict is my pope."

The slogan refers to a Vatican version of the "birther" campaign waged by Trump against Barack Obama, claiming that Francis's papacy is illegitimate and that his predecessor Benedict XVI is the true pontiff.

The League source also alleged that Salvini would have attacked the pope harder but was restrained by his own party, predominantly by Giancarlo Giorgetti, the deputy federal secretary of Lega Nord who is close to senior figures in the Vatican.

Bannon has been building opposition to Francis through his Dignitatis Humanae Institute, based in a 13th-century mountaintop monastery not far from Rome.

In January 2017, Bannon became a patron of the institute, whose honorary president is Cardinal Raymond Burke, who believes organised networks of homosexuals are spreading a "gay agenda" in the Vatican.

The institute's chairman is former Italian MP Luca Volontè, who is presently on trial for corruption for accepting bribes from Azerbaijan. He has denied all charges.

Source

• The Guardian
• The Telegraph
• Image: Daily Express

Morawiecki, who was sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday, says his dream is to "re-Christianise the EU.

"We want to change Europe.

"My dream is to make it Christian again, since unfortunately, in many places, people no longer sing Christmas carols, the churches are empty and are turning into museums, and this is very sad."

Morawiecki's comments come after the European Parliament passed a resolution threatening sanctions against Poland if it passed a series of measures.

These measures include plans to restrict abortions for foetal impairment.

The EU Parliament's resolution says Poland's proposals are a "serious breach of European values."

It demands Poland "take a firm stand on women's rights, by providing free and accessible contraception without discrimination."

Morawiecki's plans risk the EU cutting funds to Poland.

In response to questions about the likelihood of this happening, Morawiecki cited former French president François Hollande who told him "... you have values, we have funds."

Poland is a "great, proud nation" that will not submit to "blackmail" from European leaders, he says.

Source

• Catholic Herald
• Radio Poland
• Haaretz
• Image: Reuters

This is the first time the European Parliament has acknowledged an ongoing conflict as genocide.

Lars Adaktusson, the Swedish MEP who tabled the resolution, said the significance of the move is the obligations that follow.

"The collective obligation to intervene, to stop these atrocities and to stop the persecution in the ongoing discussion about the fight against the Islamic State," he said.

The resolution may pave the way for Britain and the US State Department to give similar recognition to ISIS's slaughter of Christians.

A motion to that effect has been tabled in the UK's House of Commons.

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The West Midlands European Parliament MP Philip Bradbourn, 63, had died of bowel cancer in December at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield.

But another man's body was cremated at the Conservative politician's funeral on January 16 at Bushbury Crematorium in Wolverhampton.

The "wrong" body cremated was that of Philip Bradburn, a man without close family or relatives, who died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham before Christmas.

Mr Bradburn's funeral had been arranged by social services.

After the two men's deaths, their bodies had been taken to the Central England Co-operative Funeralcare mortuary.

Mr Bradbourn's family slammed the mix-up after having to hold a second funeral for him the following month.

Last week, politicians gathered to pay their respects to Mr Bradbourn at St Peter's Collegiate Church in Wolverhampton at a separate memorial service.

An investigation has been launched into how the mix-up happened.

Dr Andrew Catto, executive medical director at the trust which runs Good Hope Hospital, said: "This is an incredibly distressing situation and we are very sorry that this has happened.

"This is a rare incident and we are offering support to those close to the deceased."

But Dr Catto added: "This occurred in spite of the fact that mortuary procedures conform to nationally defined standards and are subject to periodic audit."

A spokesperson for Central England Co-operative Funeralcare said: "The society is supporting one of our partners in a full and open investigation, but is not able to comment further while the investigation is ongoing."

European MP Anthea McIntyre, who went to Mr Bradbourn's first funeral, said serious questions have been sent "right to the top of government" on this issue.

At the time of Mr Bradbourn's death, UK Prime Minister David Cameron led tributes to the "dedicated" and "well-respected" politician who served in the European Parliament since 1999.

Sources

• The Guardian
• The Daily Mail
• Image: Independent

The Holy Father called on Europe to re-found itself by drawing, in part, on its Christian Legacy.

"Where is your vigour?" he put to 750 members of the European parliament.

"Where is that idealism that inspired and ennobled your history?"

Bluntly, Francis told the parliament the world is looking less and less to Europe which is often seen as "elderly and haggard".

He said Europe is becoming less and less a "protagonist" in world affairs and increasingly the rest of the world is viewing it with "mistrust" and "suspicion".

Citing youth unemployment, immigration, extremism, and the loneliness of elderly and the young, Francis argued that many of Europe's political problems came from losing its "spiritual core".

He told the parliament that a "cult of opulence" based on exaggerated individualism is no longer sustainable and that it is time for Europe to re-focus and "promote policies which create employment".

"What dignity can a person ever hope to find, when he or she lacks food and the bare essentials for survival, and worse yet, when they lack the work that confers dignity?"

Pope Francis also cautioned that while the promotion of human rights is necessary, their promotion can be misused, particularly with the claim to individual rights.

"An underlying factor in the push for individual rights is the concept that the human being is detached from all social and anthropological roots, thus making the person a 'monad' who promotes the individual but not the human person", the Pope observed.

Acknowledging that all of Europe and Christianity's past has not been free of conflicts or errors, he however said their history is the story of being driven by the desire to work for the good of all.

The Holy Father told the parliamentarians that by creating a vacuum of ideals, including a forgetfulness of God, Europe risks losing its own soul.

He urged the European politicians to keep the human person rather than "pressure of multinational interests which are not universal" at the centre of their interests.

The family, he said, "united, fruitful and indissoluble, possesses the elements fundamental for fostering hope in the future. Without this solid basis, the future ends up being built on sand, with dire social consequences."

Pope Francis, Tuesday, travelled to Strasburg and delivered back to back speeches to the European Parliament and Council of Europe. Many of his points received rousing applause.

Sources

• CNA
• News.va
• Catholic World Report
• Crux
• Image: @LukeCoppen

These included UKIP in the United Kingdom and French National Front.

"A matter of concern is the significant increase of support for parties which reject the project of European integration," said Cardinal Marx.

"Some of these parties are not only populist, but nationalistic and xenophobic," he continued.

"Such positioning is unacceptable for Christians and is a threat to the peaceful coexistence of the peoples of our continent."

Cardinal Marx is the president of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community.

He is also president of the German bishops' conference and is a member of Pope Francis's council of cardinals.

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