Millions still suffer from leprosy. Here’s Pope Francis’ message about it

Pope Francis meets with Latin American university rectors on Sept. 21, 2023, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Sep 26, 2023 / 14:18 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis’ new document on the environment, to be released Oct. 4, will be cal… […]

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 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.

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.

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).

Notably, its pedestal bears a dent from a cannonball impact during the defense of the Vatican in 1870.

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).

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.

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.

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).

[…]

A family sits in a tent at camp for refugees at Kenya’s border town with Ethiopia, Moyale, about 484 miles north of capital Nairobi, on March 17, 2018 after fleeing Ethiopia. / Brian Ongoro/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 7, 2023 / 15:40 pm (CNA).

In a statement issued Aug 7, the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on International Justice and Peace called on global leaders to do more to ensure food security for all.

Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, Illinois, cited numbers from the World Food Programme (WFP), the global humanitarian organization addressing food security, that estimated about 258 million people in 58 countries experienced crisis-level acute hunger in 2022.

“Russia’s recent decision no longer to allow Ukraine to export tons of grain means more people are likely to go hungry,” said Malloy, who along with Pope Francis is calling on world leaders “to look beyond narrow national interests, focus on the common good, and join in ensuring that critical food supplies can flow to those most in need.”

Malloy pointed out that prior to the Russian invasion, Ukraine was considered “Europe’s breadbasket” and was the origin for large amounts of wheat, corn, and barley as well as almost half of the world’s sunflower oil — all flowing through ports on the Black Sea. Those ports were blocked when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Last June the Holy Father appealed for the end of the blockades that were preventing the flow of grain through Ukrainian seaports. Malloy’s statement provided more context for the timing of this latest appeal:

“From July 2022, the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), the U.N.-brokered agreement between Russia and Ukraine, allowed Ukraine to export about 33 million tons of grain and other agricultural products. Russia’s decision to withdraw from the BSGI and its bombing of grain storage facilities in Ukraine will greatly impact the availability of food supplies at a time when more people are in dire need of food. With the number of forcibly displaced people at a record high, the World Food Programme estimates 345 million people will face acute hunger this year, with 129,000 potentially facing famine in places like Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, the Horn of Africa, and Myanmar.

As the statement acknowledged, the war in Ukraine is not the only reason food insecurity has risen globally over the last few years. Natural disasters, the pandemic, regional wars, and other conflicts have also contributed to high rates of hunger.

Haiti, for example, is in dire need. According to a U.N. report, a total of 4.9 million people — which is nearly half the population of the country — are experiencing acute food insecurity, and large numbers affected are children. The Guardian reported that the WFP will be unable to feed 100,000 Haitians this month because it has insufficient funding to meet the needs.

“Surging food inflation in Haiti means the cost of feeding each person has increased while the number of those in need of assistance has also grown, driving up the cost of delivering WFP aid,” the Guardian article reported.

On the other side of the world, northern Ethiopia is another nation suffering from acute food insecurity. Countries in the horn of Africa rely on Ukrainian grain, and the Tigray region is just emerging from one of the worst recent conflicts following two years of fighting between Ethiopia’s federal army and regional forces. The conflict has created millions of refugees; high rates of death, injury, and trauma; and widespread food insecurity. A persistent drought has made food scarcity even worse and earlier this summer the U.S. suspended food aid there due to reports that government officials were diverting food aid. More than 20 million people in Ethiopia rely on food assistance. 

Bishop Malloy ended the appeal by the bishops with a poignant reminder that many of our brothers and sisters around the world are suffering. “The most vulnerable are crying in hunger. With the compassion of Christ, we need to heed their cries and help,” he said.

[…]