Vatican City, May 19, 2017 / 06:32 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis will deliver his fifth speech on the present and future of Europe during an event organized by the Commission of the European Bishops’ Conferences of the European community (COMECE).
The event, titled “Rethinking Europe,” has been organized by COMECE in collaboration with the Holy See, and will take place in Rome Oct. 27-29 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, which laid the foundation for the European Union.
Pope Francis was invited to the event during a private meeting he had with the COMECE standing committee on May 16. The meeting took place in the afternoon in Domus Sanctae Marthae, where Pope Francis lives.
The COMECE delegation is composed of president Cardinal Reinhard Marx and the four vice-presidents, bishops Jean Kockerols, Gianni Ambrosio, Czeslaw Kozon, Rimantas Normila. COMECE general secretary, Fr. Olivier Poquillon also attended the meeting.
The group also had meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, and with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Cardinal Marx stressed in a press release that the “Rethinking Europe forum will be the start of a process of dialogue between the Churches representatives (both bishops and lay people) and the politicians who have political responsibility and make decisions.”
After the encounter with COMECE’s standing committee, Pope Francis met on May 18 with the new presidency of the Council of the European Bishops’ Conferences, known by the acronym CCEE.
While the COMECE is composed by bishops delegated by their Bishops’ Conferences to deal with institutions associated to the European Union, the CCEE is composed by the presidents of the Bishops Conferences in Europe, and deals with the pastoral challenges of each of the European countries represented.
Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, current president of the Italian Bishops Conference, was elected President of the CCEE.
The Italian cardinal explained in a press conference that the topics discussed with Pope Francis included secularization, migration, youth and human trafficking.
When the conversation turned to the challenges of young people, “the Pope warned us about the demographic winter. He particularly recommended us to care for young people”.
Cardinal Bagnasco also underscored that “Pope Francis expressed gratitude and admiration for the work done by the Churches in Europe in order to tackle the migration issues.”
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Saints Peter and Paul, the patron saints of Rome, guard the entrance to Ponte Sant’Angelo, welcoming pilgrims as they begin their journey toward St. Peter’s Basilica. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Rome Newsroom, Apr 18, 2025 / 15:10 pm (CNA).
Each year, thousands of faithful pilgrims purposefully pass over the Tiber River via Rome’s Ponte Sant’Angelo, where marble messengers lining the bridge recall Christ’s passion through the sacred symbols they solemnly hold.
In 1535, Pope Clement VII ordered the placement of statues of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patrons of Rome, at the bridge’s entrance. However, it wasn’t until 1669 that Pope Clement IX commissioned a new balustrade designed by the renowned Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Ten angels, each bearing an element of the Passion, were placed atop this structure, sculpted by Bernini’s students under his meticulous direction.
Today, on Good Friday, the Catholic Church commemorates the crucifixion of the Lord. The bridge has undergone extensive restoration in recent months, and this jubilee Holy Week unveils its newly refreshed marble.
The name “Ponte S. Angelo” etched in the bridge’s travertine stone, a testament to its centuries-old identity in the heart of Rome. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
The iconic bridge, connecting the “Ponte” district with the Borgo and the castle that once served as a papal residence, a fortress in times of war, and a prison for criminals was reopened to pedestrians in January to mark the beginning of the Jubilee of Hope and the inauguration of the new Piazza Pia, which now links Via della Conciliazione directly to Vatican City.
The angels of Ponte Sant’Angelo were designed to serve as a spiritual guide for pilgrims on their journey toward St. Peter’s Basilica.
An angel embraces the column of Christ’s scourging, illustrating Antonio Raggi’s interpretation of “Tronus meus in columna” (“My throne is upon a column”). Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Looking up while walking along the bridge, visitors first encounter an angel holding a column in its arms, a reminder of Christ’s scourging. At its base, the inscription reads: “Tronus meus in columna” (“My throne is upon a column”), a work attributed to Antonio Raggi.
Directly opposite stands an angel carrying whips, with the inscription: “In flagella paratus sum” (“I am ready for the scourging”), sculpted by Lazzaro Morelli.
An angel bearing the scourging whips, sculpted by Lazzaro Morelli, dramatically captures the suffering of Christ’s passion. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Further along, an angel holds the Veil of Veronica, the cloth used to wipe Christ’s sweat and blood, on which His face was imprinted. The base of this sculpture, created by Cosimo Fancelli, bears the inscription: “Respice faciem Christi tui” (Look upon the face of your Christ).
An angel holding the cloth representing the Veil of Veronica. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Notably, its pedestal bears a dent from a cannonball impact during the defense of the Vatican in 1870.
A visible cannonball dent marks the pedestal of an angel statue on Ponte Sant’Angelo, a battle scar from the defense of the Vatican in 1870. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
On the opposite side, an angel holds the crown of thorns placed on Christ’s head, sculpted by Paolo Naldini and completed by Bernini himself. The original sculpture is now housed in the Roman church of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte. The inscription reads: “In aerumna mea dum configitur spina” (In my affliction, while the thorn is driven in).
An angel holding the crown of thorns gazes heavenward, showcasing the delicate craftsmanship of Bernini’s design against the Roman sky. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Next, an angel presents Christ’s tunic along with the dice used by the soldiers to cast lots for His garments. The inscription on this sculpture reads: “Super vestimentum meum miserunt sortem” (They cast lots for my tunic), a work by Paolo Naldini.
Another angel carries a cross, a piece sculpted by Ercole Ferrata, inscribed with “Cuius principatus super humerum eius” (And the dominion is upon His shoulder), referring to Christ as the prophesied Messiah and King.
An angel bearing the cross, created by Ercole Ferrata, stands as a centerpiece among the ten statues lining the bridge. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Following this, a second Bernini-designed angel holds a plaque with the inscription INRI. The sign above the cross explains the reason for His execution: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.
The inscription at the sculpture’s base reads: “Regnavit a ligno Deus” (God has reigned from the tree), referring to Christ’s cross. The original piece was also moved to Sant’Andrea delle Fratte.
Another angel holds a set of nails, symbolizing those used to pierce Christ’s hands and feet. The accompanying inscription, “Aspicient ad me quem confixerunt” (They will look upon the one they have pierced), frames this sculpture by Girolamo Lucenti.
An angel bearing the sponge used to give vinegar to the crucified Christ, with the inscription ‘Potaverunt me aceto’ (They gave me vinegar to drink) visible on its pedestal, with Castel Sant’Angelo in the background. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Opposite stands an angel carrying a sponge, recalling the one used by the soldiers to give vinegar to Jesus. Its inscription reads “Potaverunt me aceto” (They gave me vinegar to drink), a piece by Antonio Giorgetti.
Finally, there is the angel sculpted by Domenico Guidi, holding a lance—the weapon used by St. Longinus to pierce Christ’s side, from which blood and water flowed. At its base, the inscription reads: “Vulnerasti cor meum” (You have wounded my heart).
The angel with the lance of St. Longinus, sculpted by Domenico Guidi, bears the inscription ‘Vulnerasti cor meum’ (You have wounded my heart). Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Vatican City, Aug 26, 2020 / 05:45 am (CNA).- Members of the public will be able to attend Pope Francis’ general audiences again from Sept. 2 after an almost six-month absence due to the coronavirus crisis.
Pope Francis blesses a baby at the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square on Nov. 22, 2017. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
Vatican City, Mar 1, 2022 / 05:55 am (CNA).
The Vatican on Tuesday amended its law to include three days of paid paternity leave for employees who have a new child through birth or adoption.
The March 1 rescript, which was approved by Pope Francis in December 2021, added an article to the Vatican’s 2017 law on family benefits for lay employees.
The law already included five months of paid maternity leave, in line with Italy’s national maternity leave policies.
The law also foresaw a transfer of maternity leave to the father in the circumstance that the mother died or was physically incapacitated after birth.
From March 1, an employee who is a new father — through birth, adoption, or fostering — will have the right to be off for three working days while receiving his full salary.
The article 10bis was added to the section on parental leave.
The Vatican on Tuesday also updated the General Regulations of the Roman Curia to introduce the possibility of offering “on-call work contracts,” also sometimes called “intermittent work contracts.”
The “on-call work contracts” are a subcategory of the “fixed-term contracts” already offered by the Roman Curia and included in the general regulations.
“For the performance of discontinuous or intermittent services, for technical, organizational or replacement needs, or if in particular periods the need arises for not predetermined services, the Authorities in charge of the individual Entities may stipulate fixed-term contracts denominated ‘on call,’ provided that they are within the limits of its own budget,” the new article states.
The law also says that on-call work contracts should not exceed 665 days of work within a five-year period. Personnel employed under such contracts will be enrolled in the Vatican’s pension fund, but under a separate management.
Both of Tuesday’s texts were signed by the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who said that Pope Francis had granted the incorporation of the new articles into existing Vatican and Holy See law in a meeting with him on Dec. 13, 2021.
Parolin said that the law on intermittent work contracts would go into effect as soon as the separate management within the pension fund has been set up.
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