St. Patrick: Do you know the myth or the man?

By D.D. Emmons
(OSV News) – Few annual events are more universally anticipated and celebrated than St. Patrick’s Day. It seems that no place or people on earth are immune from the activities, the frivolities, the food and drink that take place every March 17.

The day is so highly regarded that during the season of Lent, if St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday (which happens about every six years) Catholic bishops in many dioceses lift the law mandating abstinence from meat on that day. Catholics who accept the dispensation are asked to perform some other penitential practice or, in some locales, abstain from meat on another day near that Friday.

Surprisingly, given the popularity and influence of the day, many revelers know little about St. Patrick the man. They might be surprised to learn that he never drank green beer (not even a Guinness), never ate corned beef and cabbage, never drove snakes out of Ireland and had no leprechaun friends. The majority of St. Patrick’s Day customs, myths and fables have been perpetuated and instituted over a period of 16 centuries.

St. Patrick, patron of Ireland, is depicted in a stained-glass window at St. John of God Church in Central Islip, N.Y. in this undated file photo. (OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Stripping away the widespread secular activities, we discover a holy person – a saint – who spent more than 30 years successfully proclaiming the Gospel message, the gift of faith to the people of Ireland. Prayerfully recalling and recognizing his life as God’s chosen missionary is how to uncover the true spirit of St. Patrick.

Born in the late fourth century in the area now known as Scotland, Patrick was raised as a Christian but gave little notice to his religion. At age 16 he was kidnapped and carried off to Ireland, where he was sold as a slave to a landowner. For the next six years he tended the owner’s flocks. This was a lonely job, with days and nights spent out on the countryside in solitude, in all sorts of weather. It was during this isolation that he experienced an overwhelming spiritual renewal. According to his own words, he began praying almost constantly, and his indifference toward God turned to adulation and love.

When Patrick was 22 he had a dream that he was meant to escape from his captivity and return to his homeland. Believing this was a heavenly message, he spent some 20 days walking 200 miles to the sea, where he was able to find transportation on a ship to Gaul (France). God, in his surprising, unpredictable ways, was calling this unknown youth to holiness, to sainthood, to become the apostle to Ireland.

Eventually returning to his family, Patrick soon would experience another vision or dream. He claimed during the dream to have heard the voice of the Irish, “We beg you, holy youth, that you shall come and walk again amongst us.” Patrick discerned that he was destined to return to Ireland and bring the Gospel to a people unaware of Jesus Christ. It would be 20 years before he could fulfill this dream.

Divinely inspired, Patrick sought to be ordained as a priest, but facts about these years of his life differ among writers. The saint tells us that on his way to becoming a bishop, at one time he was rejected by other bishops based on a “sin” or incident that occurred early in his life. He overcame this setback but was confronted by those who questioned his reason for wanting to return to Ireland. People thought he was demented to choose to go back to a place where he had been held as a slave – a place considered the end of the known earth and populated by barbarians.

As anxious as he was to return to Ireland, Patrick wanted no favors or shortcuts in his rise to the episcopate. He knew that his assignment as a missionary would come from the bishop he served in concert with the pope and, thus, he readied himself as best he could.

Even before Patrick began his mission, parts of Ireland had been exposed to Christianity.

Mariners and traders from countries converted to Christianity often visited Ireland; there also were other Christian slaves in the manner of Patrick. These groups widely were scattered, and in 431 Pope St. Celestine I (r. 422-32) sent Bishop Palladius to shepherd and organize the dispersed Christians. The mission of Palladius was short-lived, and within a year he either died or returned to Europe.

Now was Patrick’s opportunity. In 432, St. Germanus of Auxerre, a bishop, oversaw Patrick’s elevation to bishop and sent him (along with several assistants) to Ireland. The saint’s objective was to minister to the Christians in Ireland and evangelize to a people dismissed as heathens by most of the world.

Jesus said to his apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.’” (Mt 10:16) This was Patrick’s strategy throughout his ministry. He did not seek to change the culture of the people he wanted to convert; instead, he shrewdly and simply introduced Christianity in a way that made it take root and flourish in their pagan society. While the soil was fertile, sowing the Good Seed in this vast land was not without trial.

In fifth-century Ireland the population lived in thousands of tribal communities, or clans, throughout the country. Cities and city life were virtually nonexistent. Each tribe was ruled by a king; everyone lived off the land, was beholden to the king, and few had ever heard the name Jesus Christ.

They were idol worshippers with many gods, like the Romans during the time of Christ. Patrick and his group would seek out the tribal leader or king and, using bribery if necessary, try to evangelize the king and obtain permission to preach to the people.

Patrick knew the language from his years as a slave and had some knowledge of the culture; however, these people worshipped many different gods, and convincing them to worship the one true God and embrace the Way, the Truth and the Life was challenging. Besides getting approval to preach to the people, Patrick would ask the king for land on which to build a church. In each location, Patrick ordained individuals to carry on his work.

Walking into a tribe and seeking an audience with the king was not without peril. Patrick and his group were captured more than once, but thanks to the Holy Spirit, they were never harmed.

While Patrick did not attack the culture of these people, he made no such exception for the Druid priests. Druids were an ancient Irish society steeped in mystical beliefs fostered by evil priests promoting the ideas of reincarnation and human sacrifices. These priests had great influence among certain tribes, and Patrick often came face to face with this evil. Divine intervention was on Patrick’s side during these confrontations, and the Druids’ magic and superstitions were repeatedly refuted by the power of the Gospel as witnessed by Patrick. Legend holds that the shamrock was a sacred plant of the Druids, and Patrick used it to explain the Trinity.

Historians estimate that during Patrick’s mission thousands of people were baptized, some 300 bishops ordained and hundreds of churches erected throughout Ireland. Because of his zeal, passion for Christ and commitment to his missionary calling, an entire nation became Christian.

According to the 1905 biography on St. Patrick by John B. Bury, “He organized the Christianity that already existed; he converted kingdoms which were still pagan, especially in the West; and he brought Ireland into connexion with the Church of the Empire, and made it formally part of the universal Christendom.”

Patrick died in 461 and was made a “local” saint in the seventh century. At that time there was no church-institutionalized canonization process, and people were called saints in local communities or states based on popular acclaim.

Certainly Patrick was deserving of sainthood, and in the 17th century his national feast day was added to the annual Catholic liturgical calendar. Besides Ireland, St. Patrick is the patron saint of Nigeria and of many dioceses and churches around the world.

(D.D. Emmons writes from Pennsylvania.)

Briefs

NATION
INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) – The Archdiocese of Indianapolis is investigating a possible Eucharistic miracle at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Morris, Indiana, following an incident in late February. The archdiocesan Office of Communications confirmed the investigation aided by a professional scientific lab, but declined further comment. According to social media posts by the Catholic group Corpus Christi for Unity and Peace, a woman reported seeing blood on two consecrated hosts that had fallen on the floor. After being placed in water to dissolve, the next day, the hosts appeared to have a thin layer of skin with blood on it, according to the woman’s claims. Photos of the hosts, taken by the woman, were shared online. Father Terry Donahue, a scientific expert on Eucharistic miracles, explained that new Vatican guidelines require the local bishop to notify the Holy See and national episcopal conference at the beginning of an investigation and to ensure the specimens are carefully preserved for further examination.

A resident is seen at a site of an apartment building in Odesa, Ukraine, March 4, 2025, hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine. (OSV News photo/Nina Liashonok, Reuters)

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The U.S. bishops urged Catholics to answer Pope Francis’ call for prayer for the people of Ukraine in their Lenten reflection as that nation fends off Russia’s invasion. In a Lenten reflection released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on March 3, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the conference, wrote, “As we begin the holy Season of Lent, a time of prayer, penance, and charity, we join our Holy Father, Pope Francis, in his solidarity with the ‘martyred people of Ukraine.’” “We pray and hope that the United States, in concert with the wider international community, works with perseverance for a just peace and an end to aggression,” Archbishop Broglio wrote. “As our Holy Father reminded us in 2024, courageous negotiations require ‘boldness’ to ‘open the door’ for dialogue.” Although the reflection did not mention either event, it was published shortly after Ukraine marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, and days after a tense Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance about the future of U.S. aid in that conflict.

PHILADELPHIA (OSV News) – At the start of Catholic Relief Services’ 2025 Rice Bowl initiative – an annual Lenten program blending almsgiving, meal-making and prayer to provide aid to overseas and domestic aid – Rice Bowl founder Msgr. Robert Coll, a retired priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, reflected on the program as it marks its 50th year. He described how the initiative, which he launched as an Allentown pastor in 1975, rose to the national level as part of the 41st International Eucharistic Congress in 1976 and severe global famine at the time. “If there were grave problems in the world, to ignore them would itself be unacceptable as a Catholic and as a Christian,” he said. Rice Bowl “mixed the physical with the spiritual,” he said, adding that “it was never intended to be a collection,” but “an informative experience for the family.” Amid the U.S. government’s current suspension of foreign aid, Msgr. Coll said Rice Bowl could be in “its strongest moment, because the more funds you receive from the people, the greater pressure you put on governments to assist in a variety of ways.”

VATICAN
ROME (CNS) – The journey of Lent “unfolds amid the remembrance of our fragility and the hope that, at the end of the road, the Risen Lord is waiting for us,” Pope Francis wrote in his homily for Ash Wednesday. “Indeed, the ashes help to remind us that our lives are fragile and insignificant: we are dust, from dust we were created, and to dust we shall return,” said the pope’s text. Although the 88-year-old pope was still in Rome’s Gemelli hospital March 5, the day Latin-rite Catholics received ashes and began their Lenten observances, the Vatican released what it said was the homily he prepared for the occasion. Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, who read Pope Francis’ homily prefaced the reading by saying, “We are deeply united” with Pope Francis, and “we thank him for offering his prayer and his sufferings for the good of the whole church and the entire world.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Despite her distress at losing the 12-year-old Jesus, Mary’s search for her son is a model of every Christian’s journey to deepen their relationship with Christ, Pope Francis said in a prepared message. In the catechesis prepared for his general audience March 5, the pope reflected on the episode from St. Luke’s Gospel in which Mary and Joseph lose Jesus during a pilgrimage and search anxiously for him for three days before finding him in the Temple engaged in discussion with the elders. “Throughout this journey, the Virgin is a pilgrim of hope, in the strong sense that she becomes the ‘daughter of her son,’ the first of his disciples,” the pope’s text said, emphasizing that Mary, though chosen as the mother of God, had to undertake her own journey of faith. During the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis’ general audience talks have been focusing on “Jesus Christ our hope,” starting with a look at the Bible stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood. Pope Francis has been hospitalized for treatment of bilateral pneumonia since Feb. 14, but the Vatican has continued to publish the texts prepared for his general audience each Wednesday. The text for March 5 reflected on how Mary’s understanding of Jesus grew gradually, through moments of joy but also through hardship: She carried Jesus while pregnant to Bethlehem, fled with her family to Egypt to protect her son and ultimately stood by him at the foot of the cross.

WORLD
BRUSSELS (OSV News) – Catholic bishops in the European Union are calling for unity in support of Ukraine amid growing tensions between the U.S. and the war-torn country invaded by Russia Feb. 24, 2022. In a March 4 statement, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union emphasized the importance of EU solidarity, stating that Ukraine’s fight for peace and territorial integrity is critical not only for the nation but for the future of Europe and the world. The statement comes after a tense Feb. 28 meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. EU leaders, however, rallied behind Zelenskyy during a London summit, where peace plans were discussed. COMECE reaffirmed its support for Ukraine, condemning Russia’s violation of international law and calling for accountability. The bishops emphasized the need for a peace agreement based on justice, international law and security guarantees, while urging EU membership for Ukraine. “As the contours of a new global security architecture are currently being redrawn, it is our profound hope that the European Union will remain faithful to its vocation to be a promise of peace and an anchor of stability to its neighborhood and to the world,” the bishops said.

WARSAW, Poland (OSV News) – Poland honors the “cursed soldiers” throughout March – a group of patriots who fought against communist rule after World War II, motivated by an unwavering faith in God. Following the war, Poland was under Soviet influence, and the communist government was imposed. The resistance continued with the soldiers of the wartime Polish Home Army, which rejected the Soviet-aligned regime and fought for Polish independence. These soldiers, guided by their Catholic faith, took military oaths to defend Poland to the death under the virtues of “God, honor and homeland,” and were participating in daily prayers and rituals. The clergy played a vital role, offering spiritual support and risking their lives to serve the underground fighters. One notable figure, Capt. Witold Pilecki, voluntarily entered Auschwitz to organize a resistance movement in the German death camp, later offering vital intelligence to the Allies. He was arrested by the communists, tortured, and executed in 1948. His last request to his wife was that she read “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas á Kempis to their children after his death. The “cursed soldiers” are remembered each year on March 1, the National Day of Remembrance, which marks the death of the resistance’s leadership in 1951.

Calendar of Events

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
CAMDEN – Sacred Heart, Intercultural Competence Workshop for Parish Leaders, Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Presenter: Deacon Juan Pagan of the Diocese of Lafayette. Explore what is culture and more. Details: Sister Amelia at amelia.breton@jacksondiocese.org.

GLUCKSTADT – St. Joseph, Millions of Monicas – Praying with confidence for our children, each Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the church. Join with other mothers and grandmothers as we pray for our children’s faithful return to the church. Details: email millionsofmonicas@stjosephgluckstadt.com.

MEMPHIS – St. Michael, St. John Paul II Biographer George Weigel Event, Wednesday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m. Weigel will reflect on writing St. John Paul II and stories about the great saint. Details: email khira.rotty@stmichaelmemphis.org.

MERIDIAN – St. Patrick, “Hope in Mercy” Lenten Mission, March 23-25 from 6-7:30 p.m. Retreat features Tim Mowdy, Scott Owen and Ken Woodward as speakers. Reconciliation offered Monday, March 24 from 5-6 p.m. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.

OFFICE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION – The OCE hosts a Zoom Rosary the first Wednesday of each month during the school year at 7 p.m. The upcoming Rosary is on April 2. Details: Join the rosary via zoom at https://bit.ly/zoomrosary2024.

TUPELO – St. James, Lenten Mission with Vallimar Jansen, March 24-25. Dinner at 5 p.m. followed by mission at 6 p.m. All are welcome. Daycare provided. Details: church office (662) 842-4881.

VIRTUAL – Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Stay with Me: Lenten Prayer for Disciples virtual event, Wednesdays through April 9 at 7 p.m. Register once for participation in any or all of the sessions at springfieldop.org/events. Hear reflections on the theme, enjoy periods of silence and sharing, and build a community of prayer for Lent. Details: call Sister Denise at (217) 787-0481.

VOCATIONS – Come and See Weekend, April 11-13 at St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict, Louisiana. Father Tristan Stovall is hosting an opportunity for young men age 16-18 to learn more about the priesthood, to begin discernment of a vocation and to connect with other teens who love their faith. Details: visit https://jacksonvocations.com/events for more information and to register. Deadline is April 3.

PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS
CANTON – Holy Child Jesus, Musical Celebration in honor of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, Saturday, March 29 at 3 p.m. Details: “Cherie” at arievans29@yahoo.com or (601) 259-1363.

CLINTON – Holy Savior, Youth Bake Sale, Sunday, March 30 after 10:30 a.m. Mass. Details: church office (601) 924-6344.

JACKSON – St. Richard, Men’s Prayer Breakfast with Bishop Kopacz, Monday, April 14, beginning with Mass at 6:30 a.m. and breakfast provided by the Knights of Columbus at 7 a.m. in Foley Hall. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.

JACKSON – Sister Thea Bowman School, Drawdown 2025, Saturday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. Grand prize is $5,000. Tickets cost $120; with additional $15 for second chance. Join us for fellowship, food, entertainment, silent auction and more! Details: email stbdrawdown@gmail.com or visit https://bit.ly/STBSDD2025.

NATCHEZ – Assumption, St. Joseph Altar, Sunday, March 23 after 8 a.m. Mass in Tuite Hall. Enjoy brunch and bring a picture of deceased loved ones to be displayed.

SOUTHAVEN – Sacred Heart School, Trivia Night and Silent Auction, Saturday, March 22 from 7-9 p.m. in the school gym. Join us for trivia, door prizes, giveaways, split the pot raffle and more. Teams with max of eight players. Single players will be assigned a spot. Cost: $25 per player and $160 per table. BYOB and snacks. Doors open at 6 p.m. to decorate your table for a chance to win a prize. Details: register by emailing Allison at abaskin@shsm.org.

SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King, Six Parish Youth event – Team Scavenger Hunt and Trivia, Sunday, March 30 from 3-7 p.m. Event begins with Mass, then activities and dinner. Details: call (662) 895-5007.

PILGRIMAGES
HOLY LAND – Pilgrimage to Holy Land: Join Father Mark Shoffner, pastor of St. John Oxford, July 21-31, 2025. Details: lpjp.org, then click on “All Pilgrimages” and “Holy Land.” Details: church office (662) 234-6073.

MARIAN SHRINES – Pilgrimage to Marian Shrines (Fatima, Spain and Lourdes) with Father Lincoln Dall and Deacon John McGregor, Sept, 15-24, 2025. Details: for more information visit www.206tours.com/frlincoln.

ROME/LISBON/FATIMA – Pilgrimage to Rome, Assisi, Lisbon and Fatima with Father Carlisle Beggerly, Oct. 4-15, 2025. Cost: $5,799 per person (includes airfare from anywhere in the U.S.) Details: contact Pat Nause at (601) 604-0412; Proximo Travel at (855) 842-8001 or proximotravel.com. Mention trip #1181.

LENTEN RECONCILIATION
BATESVILLE – St. Mary, Penance Service, Thursday, April 3 from 6-7 p.m.
CLARKSDALE – St. Elizabeth, Lenten Reconciliation, Thursday, March 20 at 5:30 p.m. Join for a Lenten talk by Father Mark Shoffner followed by confessions until 7:15 p.m.
CLEVELAND – Our Lady of Victories, Reconciliation, Thursday, March 27 from 4-6:30 p.m. (several priests available). Confession also heard before every weekend Mass.
CLINTON – Holy Savior, Reconciliation Service, Wednesday, March 26 at 6 p.m.
FLOWOOD – St. Paul, Penance Service, Monday, April 7 at 6 p.m.
GREENVILLE – St. Joseph, Penance Service, Monday, April 7 at 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
HERNANDO – Holy Spirit, Penance Service, Wednesday, March 26 at 7 p.m.
JACKSON – St. Richard, Reconciliation, available every Saturday during Lent from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Confession practicum by Father Joe Tonos at 10 a.m. every Saturday during Lent in Foley Hall.
OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Penance Service, Wednesday, April 2 at 7 p.m.
SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King, Penance Service, Wednesday, April 9 at 7 p.m.

FEATURE PHOTO: … A year of prayer …

OXFORD – St. John the Evangelist Church welcomed 64 women from around the diocese on Feb. 28 and March 1 for their first annual Women’s Conference: A Year of Prayer. Keynote speaker for the event was Sister Mary-Rebekah, O.P. from the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville. She encouraged all to look at the Mysteries of the Rosary to help inform prayer life. (Photo by Jennifer Newsom)

Youth

Mardi Gras and more

CLARKSDALE – St. Elizabeth students show Mardi Gras spirit during their annual parade. (Photo by Mary Evelyn Stonestreet)
FLOWOOD – The PreK-4 and 5 classes are masked for Mardi Gras at St. Paul Early Learning Center. Pictured: MaryAtly Smith, Jonathan Speights, Nora Wallace, Barrett Stomps and Emery White. (Photo by Susan Irby)
JACKSON – St. Richard students enjoy some fun during their annual Mardi Gras parade. (Photo by Rita Melson)
COLUMBUS – Annunciation Megan McCoy and her son Mason dance during the annual Annunciation School Mardi Gras parade put on by the Kindergarten class. (Photo by Jacque Hince)
HOLLY SPRINGS – Seventh and eighth grade students from Holy Family School took a field trip to Ole Miss to study nanobiotechnology. They enjoyed a lecture, toured research laboratories and completed their own experiments. (Photo by Cynthia Dixon)
SOUTHAVEN – Sacred Heart Kindergarten student, Saint puts the finishing touches on his Ash Wednesday portrait. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)
MADISON – Sydney Beard lights the altar candle for Father Albeen Vatti’s 25th anniversary Mass on March 3 at St. Francis of Assisi parish. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
PEARL – St. Jude parishioners and the parish youth group celebrated the Jubilee Year of Hope with an illuminated rosary in Mary garden on Feb. 26. (Photo by Lauren Roberts)
NATCHEZ – Pictured is Hollis Hughes of Cathedral School after the PreK class presented firefighters with a banner of appreciation. Students were mesmerized by all of the gadgets of the firetruck. (Photo by Brandi Boles)
MERIDIAN – Fourth grade student, Anna Harper portrays Sister Thea Bowman as her classmates listen during St. Patrick School’s Black History Month Program on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Photo by Helen Reynolds)
SOUTHAVEN – The Cat in the Hat visited the Pre-K and Kindergarten classes at Sacred Heart School as part of Read Across America activities. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)

Tome Nota

Vírgenes y Santos

San Patricio. Marzo 17

San Cirilo de Jerusalén
marzo 18

San José, Esposo de la Bienaventurada Virgen María.
marzo 19

Anunciación del Señor.
marzo 25

San Francisco de Paula
abril 2
San Isidoro, obispo y doctor de la inglesia.
abril 4

Domingo de Ramos de la Pasión del Señor.
abril 13

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editor@jacksondiocese.org

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@DiócesisCatólicadeJackson

Breves de la Nación y el Mundo

NACIÓN
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Los obispos de Estados Unidos instaron a los católicos a responder a la llamada del Papa Francisco a la oración por el pueblo de Ucrania en su reflexión de Cuaresma, mientras esa nación se defiende de la invasión de Rusia. En una reflexión cuaresmal publicada por la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos el 3 de marzo, el arzobispo Timothy P. Broglio, presidente de la conferencia, escribió: “Al comenzar el sagrado tiempo de Cuaresma, un tiempo de oración, penitencia y caridad, nos unimos a nuestro Santo Padre, el Papa Francisco, en su solidaridad con el pueblo mártir de Ucrania. “Rezamos y esperamos que los Estados Unidos, de acuerdo con la comunidad internacional en general, trabajen con perseverancia por una paz justa y el fin de la agresión”, escribió el arzobispo Broglio. “Como nos recordó nuestro Santo Padre en 2024, las negociaciones valientes requieren ‘audacia’ para ‘abrir la puerta’ al diálogo”. Aunque la reflexión no mencionaba ninguno de los dos acontecimientos, se publicó poco después de que Ucrania conmemorara el tercer aniversario de la invasión rusa, el 24 de febrero, y días después de una tensa reunión en el Despacho Oval entre el presidente ucraniano, Voldymyr Zelenskyy, y el presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, y el vicepresidente, JD Vance, sobre el futuro de la ayuda estadounidense en ese conflicto. La Cuaresma comienza el Miércoles de Ceniza, que este año cae el 5 de marzo.

VATICANO
ROMA (CNS) – El camino de la Cuaresma “se desarrolla entre el recuerdo de nuestra fragilidad y la esperanza de que, al final del camino, nos espera el Señor resucitado”, escribió el Papa Francisco en su homilía del Miércoles de Ceniza. “En efecto, la ceniza nos ayuda a recordar que nuestra vida es frágil e insignificante: somos polvo, del polvo fuimos creados y al polvo volveremos”, decía el texto del Papa. Aunque el Papa, de 88 años, seguía ingresado en el hospital Gemelli de Roma el 5 de marzo, día en que los católicos de rito latino recibieron la ceniza e iniciaron la Cuaresma, el Vaticano hizo pública la homilía que había preparado para la ocasión. El cardenal Angelo De Donatis, que leyó la homilía del Papa Francisco, prefirió la lectura diciendo: “Estamos profundamente unidos” con el Papa Francisco, y “le damos las gracias por ofrecer su oración y sus sufrimientos por el bien de toda la Iglesia y del mundo entero.”

Mujeres y niños pasan junto a un mural del Beato José Gregorio Hernández, conocido como el “Doctor de los Pobres”, en Caracas, Venezuela, el 25 de febrero de 2025. El 24 de febrero, mientras continuaba el tratamiento de una neumonía doble en el Hospital Gemelli de Roma, el Papa Francisco aprobó la decisión del Dicasterio para las Causas de los Santos sobre su canonización, convirtiendo al médico en el primer santo de la nación caribeña. (Foto de OSV News/Gaby Oraa, Reuters)

MUNDO
CARACAS, Venezuela (OSV News) – Los venezolanos celebraron con misas y procesiones el 26 de febrero después de que el papa Francisco aprobara la canonización del beato José Gregorio Hernández, un venerado médico del siglo XIX conocido por sus innovaciones médicas y su devoción a los pobres. Será el primer santo de la nación caribeña. El Beato José Gregorio, que fundó el primer laboratorio bacteriológico de Venezuela, dedicó su vida a ofrecer consultas gratuitas a los necesitados. Fue beatificado en 2021 después de que se atribuyera a su intercesión la recuperación milagrosa de una niña herida de bala en 2017. La santidad del beato José Gregorio, largamente esperada por los venezolanos, reconoce su excepcional servicio a la humanidad y a la fe. Aunque la fecha exacta de la canonización aún está pendiente, el anuncio fue recibido con alegría en Caracas, donde los asistentes a la misa celebraron con fuegos artificiales y canciones patrióticas. El padre Gregorio Lobo, sacerdote caraqueño, encabezó una procesión para celebrar la noticia del acceso a la santidad del beato José Gregorio, anunciada cuatro años después de su beatificación en 2021. Calificó al médico como un rockstar venezolano -estatuas suyas y estampas suyas están en casi todos los hogares- que dio la lección de que en medio de los tiempos difíciles, la gente en todos los ámbitos de la vida puede esforzarse por hacer las cosas bien y puede ayudar a los demás.

Ayuden a proteger la creación de la codicia y la explotación, dice el Papa

By Carol Glatz
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – El Papa Francisco pidió a los cristianos que ayuden a proteger la naturaleza de la codicia y la explotación humana durante el Año Santo.

Al comienzo del tiempo de Cuaresma, el Papa saludó a los católicos en Brasil y elogió a los obispos del país por su continuo apoyo a la Campaña anual de Fraternidad, que este año está dedicada a la “Fraternidad y Ecología Integral”.

También expresó su esperanza de que la iglesia de Brasil contribuya a la COP 30, la conferencia de la ONU sobre el clima que se celebrará del 10 al 21 de noviembre en Belém, Brasil, “en el corazón de la querida Amazonia”.

Los esfuerzos de la iglesia podrían ayudar a las naciones y a las organizaciones internacionales a adoptar eficazmente y “puedan comprometerse efectivamente en prácticas que ayuden a superar la crisis climática y a preservar la maravillosa obra de la Creación, que Dios nos ha confiado y que tenemos la responsabilidad de transmitir a las generaciones futuras”, escribió el Papa.

Un olivo adorna la Plaza de San Pedro antes de la celebración del Papa Francisco de la Misa del Domingo de Ramos en el Vaticano el 24 de marzo de 2024. (Foto CNS/Lola Gomez)

El mensaje, difundido por el Vaticano el 5 de marzo, Miércoles de Ceniza, estaba firmado por el Papa y fechado el 11 de febrero, tres días antes de ser hospitalizado por dificultades respiratorias.
Con su Campaña de Fraternidad, ahora en su 61º año, los obispos de Brasil están invitando a todos los fieles a seguir un camino de conversión personal durante la Cuaresma que se basa en la encíclica del Papa de 2015, “Laudato Si’, sobre el cuidado de la casa común”.

Ese documento y su continuación, “Laudate Deum” (“Alabado sea Dios”) en 2023, dijo el Papa Francisco, pretendían llamar la atención de todo el mundo sobre la urgencia de cambiar su actitud hacia el medio ambiente y su relación con él.

La “crisis ecológica es un llamado a una profunda conversión interior”, escribió.

El mensaje del Papa elogiaba a la conferencia episcopal por proponer un tema dedicado a la ecología integral. “Que todos podamos, con la ayuda especial de la gracia de Dios en este tiempo jubilar, cambiar nuestras convicciones y nuestras prácticas para dejar que la naturaleza descanse de nuestras ávidas exploraciones”.

El Papa dijo que esperaba que la campaña fuera una vez más “una poderosa ayuda para las personas y comunidades de este amado país” en su “compromiso concreto con la Ecología Integral”.

Obispo Zaidan: La Cuaresma nos llama a apoyar a los pobres y vulnerables como nuestros prójimos

Por Gina Christian
(OSV News) – La Cuaresma marca una llamada a vivir el amor de Dios apoyando a los más necesitados en todo el mundo, dijo el obispo A. Elias Zaidan, presidente del Comité de Justicia Internacional y Paz de la Conferencia de los Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos (USCCB, por sus siglas en inglés).

“Como católicos en una Iglesia global, somos testigos del poder del amor de Dios a través de nuestra presencia y ayuda a los más vulnerables”, dijo el obispo Zaidan, quien dirige la Eparquía Maronita de Nuestra Señora del Líbano, con sede en San Louis, en un comunicado emitido el Miércoles de Ceniza, 5 de marzo.

“En esta Cuaresma, las familias en situación de pobreza de todo el mundo luchan por acceder a las necesidades básicas que necesitan para sobrevivir”, afirmó.

El obispo Zaidan señaló que “en estos momentos, los niños corren el riesgo de sufrir desnutrición aguda”, mientras que “las madres embarazadas no reciben atención esencial en los momentos críticos del embarazo, y los esfuerzos para prevenir enfermedades mortales como el sarampión, la poliomielitis y la neumonía están en pausa”.

Un hombre sin hogar sentado con sus pertenencias fuera de un centro comercial en Tucson, Arizona, 22 de octubre de 2023. La Cuaresma marca una llamada a vivir el amor de Dios apoyando a los más necesitados en todo el mundo, dijo el presidente del Comité de Obispos de EE.UU. sobre Justicia Internacional y Paz en una declaración publicada el Miércoles de Ceniza, 5 de marzo de 2025. (Foto OSV News/Bob Roller)

En medio de tanto sufrimiento, “sabemos que cada niño que pasa hambre y cada madre y padre que luchan por cuidar de su familia es precioso a los ojos de Dios y es un prójimo que necesita nuestro cuidado amoroso”, dijo.
“Como católicos en una Iglesia global, somos testigos del poder del amor de Dios a través de nuestra presencia y ayuda a los que son vulnerables”, afirmó.

Ese testimonio “se vive a través del trabajo de Catholic Relief Services (CRS), que es la agencia oficial de ayuda y desarrollo en el extranjero de la Conferencia de los Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos y miembro de Caritas Internationalis”, dijo el obispo Zaidan.

Pidió a los fieles que participaran en la iniciativa de Cuaresma del Plato de Arroz de CRS, a través de la cual el 75% de las donaciones apoyan los esfuerzos humanitarios de la agencia en todo el mundo, y el 25% restante de los fondos apoyan los esfuerzos de socorro en las comunidades locales de EE.UU.

El obispo Zaidan también destacó la colecta anual de CRS de la USCCB, que beneficia a la agencia y a otros esfuerzos para ayudar a los necesitados.

Los esfuerzos de CRS han adquirido una nueva urgencia en medio de las pausas y cancelaciones de la administración Trump en la ayuda exterior.

Durante el tiempo de Cuaresma, “respondamos a la invitación del Papa Francisco, campeón de los pobres, por cuya pronta recuperación seguimos rezando”, dijo el obispo Zaidan.

Sólo en 2022, la malnutrición infantil dejaba a más de 148 millones (22,3%) de los niños menores de 5 años del mundo con una estatura demasiado baja (una condición conocida como “retraso del crecimiento”), 45 millones de los niños son demasiado delgados para su estatura (una condición de desnutrición también conocida como “emaciación”) y 37 millones de ellos con sobrepeso, según datos comunicados conjuntamente por UNICEF, la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) y el Banco Mundial.
Los investigadores consideran que la obesidad es una forma “paradójica” de malnutrición, ya que la falta de alimentos nutritivos puede, junto con una mala elección de la dieta, alterar el metabolismo del organismo.

En junio de 2024, UNICEF declaró que el aumento de la desigualdad, los conflictos y los problemas climáticos – junto con el impacto persistente de la pandemia COVID-19 – han dejado a 181 millones de niños, o 1 de cada 4, en situación de pobreza alimentaria infantil grave, y la mayoría (65%) vive en 20 países. De ellos, 64 millones se encuentran en el sur de Asia y 59 millones en el África subsahariana. Según el reporte de UNICEF, 5 millones de ellos se encuentran en América Latina y el Caribe.

En febrero, la OMS advirtió que cerca de 300.000 mujeres de todo el mundo mueren durante el embarazo o el parto, y que más de 2 millones de bebés fallecen en su primer mes de vida y más de 2 millones nacen muertos.

El organismo señaló el 21 de febrero que estas pérdidas, “que provocan una tremenda tristeza y angustia a millones de familias de todo el mundo”, se concentran en países pobres y asolados por conflictos o crisis.

La OMS dijo también que “las actuales limitaciones de financiación podrían poner aún más en peligro los progresos” para hacer frente a estas muertes, que la agencia describió como “evitables”.

En noviembre, la OMS y los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades de Estados Unidos (CDC por sus siglas en inglés) informaron de que los casos de sarampión habían aumentado un 20% de 2022 a 2023, con 10,3 millones de casos en este último año. Aunque el sarampión puede prevenirse con dos dosis de la vacuna, más de 22 millones de niños no recibieron la primera dosis en 2023, indicaron los organismos.

La poliomielitis, también prevenible mediante vacunación infantil, se disparó en Afganistán y Pakistán durante 2024, y los miembros del consejo ejecutivo de la OMS se reunieron en Ginebra a principios de este mes para debatir medidas urgentes para erradicarla. Se han detectado otras variantes de la polio en Nigeria, Congo, Somalia, Yemen y cinco países europeos.

En Gaza, más de 600.000 niños fueron vacunados contra la enfermedad en medio de una pausa humanitaria en la guerra entre Israel y Hamás, y la Dra. Razia Pendse, jefa de gabinete de la OMS, declaró durante la reunión del organismo en Ginebra que vacunar a los niños necesitados no es una cuestión de recursos médicos o técnicos, sino de factores “totalmente geopolíticos”.

UNICEF informó en noviembre de que la neumonía, enfermedad que “mata a más niños que cualquier otra enfermedad infecciosa”, está causando la muerte de más de 700.000 niños menores de 5 años cada año – incluidos unos 190.000 recién nacidos –, siendo “casi todas estas muertes… evitables”.

En su declaración del 5 de marzo, el obispo Zaidan citó la encíclica del Papa Francisco de 2020 “Fratelli Tutti,” en la que el Papa pidió a los fieles a tratar a los demás como “el prójimo sin fronteras”.

“Que oremos, ayunemos, nos abstengamos y demos limosna, para que todos los que son preciosos a los ojos de Dios puedan tener lo que necesitan no solo para sobrevivir, sino también para prosperar”, dijo.

(Gina Christian es reportera multimedia de OSV News. Síguela en X @GinaJesseReina.)

El Papa, en un breve mensaje de audio, agradece a la gente por sus oraciones

Por Cindy Wooden
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – En su día 21 en el hospital Gemelli de Roma, el Papa Francisco grabó un mensaje de audio de 27 segundos agradeciendo a la gente por sus oraciones.

Reproducido antes del rezo nocturno del rosario en la Plaza de San Pedro el 6 de marzo, el Santo Padre dijo: “Agradezco de todo corazón las oraciones que hacen por mi salud desde la Plaza, los acompaño desde acá. Que Dios los bendiga y que la Virgen los cuide. Gracias”.

El mensaje en español fue grabado en el hospital a primera hora del día, dijo la oficina de prensa del Vaticano, sin ofrecer más detalles.

Dibujos para el Papa Francisco colocados en la base de una estatua de San Juan Pablo II fuera del hospital Gemelli de Roma el 6 de marzo de 2025, donde el Papa ha estado hospitalizado desde el 14 de febrero, recibiendo tratamiento para una neumonía doble. (Foto CNS/Lola Gomez)

El Papa, de 88 años, que ha estado luchando contra una neumonía bilateral, tuvo evidentes dificultades para hablar en la grabación, pero fue la primera vez que el público escuchó su voz desde que fue hospitalizado el 14 de febrero por bronquitis y dificultad para respirar.
El rosario fue dirigido por el cardenal Ángel Fernández Artime, pro-prefecto del Dicasterio para los Institutos de Vida Consagrada y las Sociedades de Vida Apostólica, que anunció la grabación como “una buena noticia, un hermoso regalo”. Los cientos de personas presentes en la plaza aplaudieron antes y después de escuchar al Papa.

Poco antes de que se difundiera el audio, los médicos del papa habían dicho en su boletín vespertino que el estado del papa Francisco seguía siendo estable, y que continuaba su la fisioterapia respiratoria y motora “con éxito”.

No tenía fiebre, ni ha presentado episodios de “insuficiencia respiratoria” y sus análisis de sangre y “parámetros hemodinámicos”, que miden la salud del corazón, “se han mantenido estables”, dijeron los médicos en el boletín difundido por el Vaticano.

“Dada la estabilidad del cuadro clínico, el próximo boletín médico se difundirá el sábado”, 8 de marzo, decía el boletín. Sin embargo, los médicos dijeron que mantenían su pronóstico del estado del Papa como “reservado”.
El pontífice fue diagnosticado con una neumonía doble el 18 de febrero. Sufrió crisis respiratorias el 22 de febrero y el 3 de marzo, pero desde entonces los boletines describen su estado como “estable”.

Además de la información médica, el boletín decía que el Papa “se dedicó a algunas actividades de trabajo durante la mañana y la tarde, alternando el descanso y la oración. Antes del almuerzo recibió la Eucaristía”.

El Papa Francisco sigue recibiendo oxígeno de alto flujo a través de una cánula nasal durante el día y utilizando “ventilación mecánica no invasiva” para ayudarle a respirar durante la noche, dijo una fuente del Vaticano.

El cardenal polaco jubilado Stanislaw Dziwisz, que fue secretario personal de San Juan Pablo II desde 1966 hasta la muerte del Papa en 2005, declaró al periódico italiano La Repubblica el 5 de marzo que cree que el Papa Francisco, como su predecesor polaco, sigue sirviendo a la Iglesia incluso desde su cama de hospital.

Cuando San Juan Pablo II estaba postrado en la cama, “sin voz, sin poder hablar, sin fuerzas”, dijo el cardenal, estaba “sirviendo a la Iglesia con el corazón, el alma y la mente clara. Y estoy seguro de que el Papa Francisco, por cuya sanación reza el mundo entero, hará lo mismo: guiará a la Iglesia mientras Dios quiera, abrazando firmemente la cruz, sin ningún paso atrás”.

Y aunque no hable en público, dijo el cardenal Dziwisz, “su voz se eleva alta y clara sobre un mundo acosado por enfrentamientos y conflictos”, rezando por la paz, alentando las negociaciones e incluso llamando al párroco de la única parroquia católica de Gaza.

“Francisco no es sólo nuestro padre, es la figura moral más alta que se preocupa por el destino de toda la humanidad”, dijo el cardenal. “El mundo entero lo necesita. Recemos para que Dios le conceda el don de la curación y nos lo conserve durante mucho tiempo”.