Bishop Olivier de Germay Pope names new archbishop of Lyon after resignation of Cardinal Barbarin
Pope Francis has named Bishop Olivier de Germay of Ajaccio, Corsica, to be the new archbishop of Lyon, France, succeeding a cardinal whose conviction on charges of failing to report clerical sex abuse was overturned.
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin’s conviction was overturned in January, but he said he asked the Pope to allow him to resign for the good of the archdiocese. The Pope accepted his resignation in March, seven months before the cardinal’s 70th birthday.
Archbishop de Germay was born on Septeber 18, 1960, in Tours. He studied at a French military high school and military academy, earning a degree in engineering and reaching the rank of captain.
He began his seminary studies in France in 1991 and later was sent to the Pontifical French Seminary in Rome. He earned a license in moral theology from the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences.
Ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1998, for the Archdiocese of Toulouse, he served in a variety of parishes and taught sacramental theology and the theology of marriage at the Institut Catholique de Toulouse.
In February 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named him bishop of Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica, a Mediterranean island that is a region of France.
Pope at audience: psalms lead us to adore God and see his ‘very eyes’
Pope Francis began Wednesday’s audience taking into account the rising numbers of Covid-19 infections worldwide, including in Italy, keeping his distance from the gathered congregation.
Pope Francis began the second and final catechesis on the Psalms in his series on prayer. The Psalms, he says, “help us not to fall into the temptation of the ‘wicked’, that is, of living, and perhaps also of praying, as if God does not exist, and as if the poor do not exist”.
Instead, the Pope explains, the prayer of the Psalms are a fundamental reality of life, because the reference to the absolute, the transcendent, which the spiritual masters call the “holy fear of God”, makes us completely human. Prayer, he says, prevents us from venturing into life in a “predatory and voracious manner”.
However, the Pope warns against “false prayer” which calls for the admiration of others or to show off the latest fashion, which Jesus himself admonishes against. Rather, the true spirit of prayer in the heart “allows us to contemplate reality with God’s very eyes”.
Decree extends indulgence for the Faithful departed throughout November
Many of the Church’s pastors have requested an adaptation to the requirements to obtain the Plenary Indulgence for the deceased in the month of November.
Thus, “by the special mandate of His Holiness Pope Francis”, the Apostolic Penitentiary released on Friday some changes to the normal practice. The Decree containing these modifications was signed on 22 October, the liturgical memorial of Pope St John Paul II.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the need to avoid large groups from forming where prohibited, the Plenary Indulgence applicable to the deceased by those who visit a cemetery has been extended beyond the normal dates of 1 to 8 November.
This year, the indulgence can be obtained by anyone who visits a cemetery, even if only mentally, on any day in November, and devoutly prays for the faithful departed.
Cardinal Parolin: “ All will go well” with the Holy See/China agreement
“Everything will be fine,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin told journalists asking for information regarding the October 2018 Agreement between China and the Holy See regarding the appointment of bishops.
“We have to wait until tomorrow to know when it will expire,” he said noting that the Agreement was signed two years ago ad experimentum and that it will possibly be extended.
The Vatican Secretary of State was answering questions posed to him by reporters present at the Pontifical Antonianum University where the Orthodox Patriarch, Bartholomew I, received an Honorary Doctorate.
Cardinal Parolin affirmed that the content of the Agreement between China and the Holy See will remain secret. But it is a “relative secret,” he explained, noting that “much of the content is already known”, and he revealed that the decision to renew the Agreement was taken in the past days.
He observed that the Covid-19 pandemic has complicated things because of travel restrictions but said the two parties have had ongoing contact.
The Cardinal also expressed satisfaction with the results of the Agreement: “We can say we are pleased. We hope that there will be improvements regarding the functioning of the terms of the Agreement.”
Francesco: new documentary on the life and teaching of Pope Francis
The documentary Francesco, by director Evgeny Afineevsky, interweaves voices and stories from past and present. It includes exclusive interviews with Pope Francis himself, with Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, with members of the Pope’s family and many others. In it, Mr Afineevsky highlights the challenges of our time, the urgencies that need answering and the mission of the Church in looking to those who suffer injustices.
Mr Afineevsky finished shooting Francesco last June, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. He uses hugely impactful images to recount various themes such as the pandemic, racism and sexual abuse. The film deals with the war in Syria and Ukraine as well as with the persecution of Rohingya Muslims. In the communiqué presenting the work, we read that in the film Pope Francis answers questions “with wisdom and generosity”, sharing “moving examples of his life lessons”, relaunching ideals that “can help us build a bridge to a better future and grow as a global community”.
The film is produced in part with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Director Evgeny Afineevsky was nominated for an Oscar and Emmy in 2016 for his film Winter on Fire and in 2018 received three Emmy nominations for Cries from Syria.
Pope’s charity reaches out to families of shipwrecked crew
lPope Francis has reached out to the families of crewmembers of a cargo ship that capsized over a month ago in the Sea of Japan, the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development said in a statement on Wednesday.
It said that through the Dicastery, the Pope decided to send an economic contribution to all the families of the crewmembers of the ship, Gulf Livestock 1. The cargo ship sailing from Napier (New Zealand) to Jingtang, Tangshan (China), sank in the Sea of Japan near the island of Amami Ōshima on September 2, after experiencing engine failure amid the raging typhoon Maysak.
The beneficiaries of the Pope’s charity are the families of 39 Filipinos, two Australians and two New Zealanders.
