Latest news with #JubileeYearofHope
Irish Post
24-06-2025
- General
- Irish Post
Pope Leo sends blessing to parishioners at Knock Shrine
POPE LEO XIV has sent a special blessing to those who attended a Mass held at Knock Shrine to renew Ireland's consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Catholic Church in Ireland decided to make the renewal this year, which has been designated the Jubilee Year of Hope. The Mass, which took place at the Basilica of Our Lady in Knock on Sunday, June 22, was celebrated by Archbishop Eamon Martin. Archbishop Eamon Martin consecrated Ireland to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Knock Shrine on Sunday, June 22 (Pic: Sean Flynn) It is one of a number of events which took place across Ireland this month in the lead up to the feast day of the Sacred Heart on June 27. In honour of the Mass, Pope Leo sent a blessing to those who attended. Archbishop Eamon Martin celebrates the Mass at Knock Shrine (Pic: Sean Flynn) 'His Holiness Pope Leo XIV sends cordial good wishes to all gathered for the Sacred Heart Crusade at Knock Shrine, on 22 June 2025, as Archbishop Eamon Martin renews Ireland's consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,' the message read. 'His Holiness prays that this solemn occasion will provide a grace-filled opportunity for all participating to deepen their devotion to the merciful heart of Christ, and to grow in zeal for spreading the saving message of the Gospel and promoting Christian charity among their brothers and sisters.' Pope Leo sent a special blessing for all those who attended the Mass (Pic: Sean Flynn) It added: 'Entrusting all present to the loving protection of Mary, Mother of the Church, the Holy Father imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.' See More: Ireland, Knock Shrine, Pope Leo, Sacred Heart Of Jesus
Euronews
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Euronews
Paris Air Show opens with 2,400 exhibitors amid Airbus-Boeing rivalry
A football pass between a prisoner and a magistrate. A volleyball match between penitentiary wardens and regular citizens. It may sound like an unlikely sporting event but this unprecedented initiative at Rome's Rebibbia prison saw inmates break the monotony of the daily routine and take part in a mini-Olympiad known as the "Games of Hope" Within the walls of one of Italy's most crowded prisons - Rebibbia is home to 1,550 inmates, an unexpected space opened up. Not an escape or a celebration, but a gesture of trust. Four teams, made up of inmates, agents, magistrates and regular citizens, shared the field, crossing the lines that separate them every day. It may have been a small event, only 28 of the prison's inmates took part, but it was full of meaning. The games were a collaboration between the John Paul II Foundation for Sport, the Department of Prison Administration (DAP) and the magistrates' network, Sport and Legality. And even after its debut instalment, the games are being hailed as one of the most significant initiatives to take place in Italy's prison system in years. And it is no coincidence that the event debuted in Rebibbia, where on 26 December Pope Francis opened a Holy Door at the prison, part of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope and a sign of hope and inclusion for all, including those who are incarcerated. The Games of Hope featured four sports teams competing in various events, including football, volleyball, athletics, table tennis, table football and chess. "Like all crazy ideas, that of the Games of Hope was born during the Paris Olympics, where we presented the book Father Henri Didon - A Dominican at the Origins of Olympism. It is to him that we owe the Olympic motto, 'Citius Altius Fortius.' We thought of bringing Olympic values to where it is hardest to enter, to prison," said Daniele Pasquini, the president of the John Paul II Foundation for Sport. In the north-eastern quadrant of Rome, between the suburbs of Pietralata and Casal de' Pazzi, Rebibbia stands as an island in itself. It is not just a prison, but an entire citadel of detention. Its modern form was created in 1971 as a response to the overcrowding of the Regina Coeli prison. Today, it houses around 2,700 people, making it one of the largest and most complex detention centres in Italy. The facility is divided into four main sections: the New Complex Raffaele Cinotti, the Third House, the Reclusion House and the Women's Institute. In total, about 1,927 men and 352 women are housed there, with the percentage of foreign inmates close to 13% among men and over 40% among women. Those numbers speak of a fragmented prison population, often marked by people from the margins of society and feeling a sense of personal fragility. More than half of the inmates are in the prison for crimes such as theft, robbery and fraud. Around 40% are in prison for more serious crimes, like assault and murders. But one of the most significant data concerns drug addiction: 30-35% are imprisoned for drug-related crimes or have a history of addiction that has influenced their life choices. Behind every statistic lies a story. Small-time drug dealers convicted as big-time traffickers, women entering a guilty plea to protect a violent or guilty partner, and young people with no real alternative other than the street. For many, prison is not an exception, but a passage already foreseen in the script of their lives. Rebibbia too suffers from the overcrowding that afflicts the entire Italian prison system. On a national level, with a regulatory capacity of approximately 51,000 places, the prison population exceeds 62,000. In mixed cells, there is a lack of living space, activities are reduced and access to care is often minimal. In this context, the Games of Hope were much more than a sporting event. The president of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Giovanni Malagò, who took part in a game of table tennis, said: "It was an amazing initiative and it was important to be there, to touch, to see with one's own eyes, beyond all expectations. I really liked the idea of this multidisciplinary tournament." Today in Italy, more than 60% of people who leave prison end up back behind bars. However, for those who manage to secure a stable job, recidivism rates drop to 1%. That is why moments like the Games of Hope have a value that extends far beyond the day itself: they offer genuine opportunities for responsibility, meaningful relationships and dignity. "The Games of Hope represent a moment of encounter between institutions, the prison world and civil society, and the beginning of a path to be taken together," said the judge for preliminary investigations at the Court of Velletri, Fabrizio Basei, founder of the magistrates' network Sport and Legality. Rebibbia is a place that concentrates the contrasts of our time: justice and revenge, punishment and possibility, despair and humanity. It was the prison of Cosa Nostra boss Totò Riina, but also the prison-workshop of writer Goliarda Sapienza. Inside, the shadows are many, but there is no lack of light. And sometimes that light starts with a half-day of sport. The Paris Air Show opened on Monday at Le Bourget airfield, with more than 2,400 exhibitors from 48 countries set to display their latest innovations during the week-long showcase. The event is the world's largest and most prestigious showcase for the aerospace and defence industry. The ongoing rivalry between Europe's Airbus and US-made Boeing aircraft manufacturers is set to further intensify at the event as both companies announce significant new orders. Boeing expects global demand for air travel to increase by more than 40% by 2030. However, global tensions, trade tariffs and the Air India crash have cast a shadow over the event. Last week's crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jet minutes after takeoff put the spotlight back on the beleaguered US manufacturer. However, it was not immediately clear why the plane crashed. Meanwhile, France has shut down the four leading Israeli companies' stands at the Paris show for apparently displaying offensive weapons, a decision Israel has condemned. 'The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition — weapons that compete with French industries,' Israel said in a statement on Monday. Three other Israeli stands, which are not showing weapons, remain open. A French appeals court had ruled Friday against activist groups who sought to block Israeli companies from participating in the show due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Europe's fading Green parties met in Brussels to learn from their electoral setbacks and prepare for a comeback. Speaking about their future, they said they wanted to focus on a "just transition" that responds to citizens' concerns, and to support a green investment plan at the European level. "What we definitely need is to give concrete answers to people's everyday concerns about the cost of living," Vula Tsetsi, co-president of the European Green Party, told Euronews. "We think it is very important not to pit the defence and security budget against the just transition, the cost of living and a more social Europe. But this requires investment and political courage", she added. Meanwhile, at a time when "simplification" is the watchword of the European Commission, Ciarán Cuffe, co-president of the European Green Party, said he is "concerned" about the future of the Green Pact, the EU's roadmap for achieving climate neutrality by 2050. He warned against "throwing the baby out with the bathwater". "If we simplify European legislation, we cannot lose sight of why these laws are there. So, for example, on corporate sustainability due diligence, it's about trying to stop modern sweatshops in Bangladesh and elsewhere," he said. The Greens have suffered several electoral setbacks over the past year. While they were the fourth largest group in the European Parliament during the previous legislature (2019-2024), they lost 18 seats in June, dropping from 71 to 53 MEPs. In the German federal elections in February, the Greens led by Robert Habeck obtained 11.61% of the vote, losing 33 seats in the Bundestag. Meanwhile, the Greens have also seen a decline in Austria. After being part of the country's government with the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), they received 8.24% of the vote in the 2024 parliamentary elections and lost 10 seats in the National Council. "When you're in government, you have to make compromises. So it's not easy to win over voters," said Tsetsi. Cuffe blamed the defeats on the party's inability to grasp the issue of defence.
Euronews
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Euronews
Preparing for life on the outside as Rome prison hosts 'Games of Hope'
A football pass between a prisoner and a magistrate. A volleyball match between penitentiary wardens and regular citizens. It may sound like an unlikely sporting event but this unprecedented initiative at Rome's Rebibbia prison saw inmates break the monotony of the daily routine and take part in a mini-Olympiad known as the "Games of Hope" Within the walls of one of Italy's most crowded prisons - Rebibbia is home to 1,550 inmates, an unexpected space opened up. Not an escape or a celebration, but a gesture of trust. Four teams, made up of inmates, agents, magistrates and regular citizens, shared the field, crossing the lines that separate them every day. It may have been a small event, only 28 of the prison's inmates took part, but it was full of meaning. The games were a collaboration between the John Paul II Foundation for Sport, the Department of Prison Administration (DAP) and the magistrates' network, Sport and Legality. And even after its debut instalment, the games are being hailed as one of the most significant initiatives to take place in Italy's prison system in years. And it is no coincidence that the event debuted in Rebibbia, where on 26 December Pope Francis opened a Holy Door at the prison, part of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope and a sign of hope and inclusion for all, including those who are incarcerated. The Games of Hope featured four sports teams competing in various events, including football, volleyball, athletics, table tennis, table football and chess. "Like all crazy ideas, that of the Games of Hope was born during the Paris Olympics, where we presented the book Father Henri Didon - A Dominican at the Origins of Olympism. It is to him that we owe the Olympic motto, 'Citius Altius Fortius.' We thought of bringing Olympic values to where it is hardest to enter, to prison," said Daniele Pasquini, the president of the John Paul II Foundation for Sport. In the north-eastern quadrant of Rome, between the suburbs of Pietralata and Casal de' Pazzi, Rebibbia stands as an island in itself. It is not just a prison, but an entire citadel of detention. Its modern form was created in 1971 as a response to the overcrowding of the Regina Coeli prison. Today, it houses around 2,700 people, making it one of the largest and most complex detention centres in Italy. The facility is divided into four main sections: the New Complex Raffaele Cinotti, the Third House, the Reclusion House and the Women's Institute. In total, about 1,927 men and 352 women are housed there, with the percentage of foreign inmates close to 13% among men and over 40% among women. Those numbers speak of a fragmented prison population, often marked by people from the margins of society and feeling a sense of personal fragility. More than half of the inmates are in the prison for crimes such as theft, robbery and fraud. Around 40% are in prison for more serious crimes, like assault and murders. But one of the most significant data concerns drug addiction: 30-35% are imprisoned for drug-related crimes or have a history of addiction that has influenced their life choices. Behind every statistic lies a story. Small-time drug dealers convicted as big-time traffickers, women entering a guilty plea to protect a violent or guilty partner, and young people with no real alternative other than the street. For many, prison is not an exception, but a passage already foreseen in the script of their lives. Rebibbia too suffers from the overcrowding that afflicts the entire Italian prison system. On a national level, with a regulatory capacity of approximately 51,000 places, the prison population exceeds 62,000. In mixed cells, there is a lack of living space, activities are reduced and access to care is often minimal. In this context, the Games of Hope were much more than a sporting event. The president of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Giovanni Malagò, who took part in a game of table tennis, said: "It was an amazing initiative and it was important to be there, to touch, to see with one's own eyes, beyond all expectations. I really liked the idea of this multidisciplinary tournament." Today in Italy, more than 60% of people who leave prison end up back behind bars. However, for those who manage to secure a stable job, recidivism rates drop to 1%. That is why moments like the Games of Hope have a value that extends far beyond the day itself: they offer genuine opportunities for responsibility, meaningful relationships and dignity. "The Games of Hope represent a moment of encounter between institutions, the prison world and civil society, and the beginning of a path to be taken together," said the judge for preliminary investigations at the Court of Velletri, Fabrizio Basei, founder of the magistrates' network Sport and Legality. Rebibbia is a place that concentrates the contrasts of our time: justice and revenge, punishment and possibility, despair and humanity. It was the prison of Cosa Nostra boss Totò Riina, but also the prison-workshop of writer Goliarda Sapienza. Inside, the shadows are many, but there is no lack of light. And sometimes that light starts with a half-day of sport. The Paris Air Show opened on Monday at Le Bourget airfield, with more than 2,400 exhibitors from 48 countries set to display their latest innovations during the week-long showcase. The event is the world's largest and most prestigious showcase for the aerospace and defence industry. The ongoing rivalry between Europe's Airbus and US-made Boeing aircraft manufacturers is set to further intensify at the event as both companies announce significant new orders. Boeing expects global demand for air travel to increase by more than 40% by 2030. However, global tensions, trade tariffs and the Air India crash have cast a shadow over the event. Last week's crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jet minutes after takeoff put the spotlight back on the beleaguered US manufacturer. However, it was not immediately clear why the plane crashed. Meanwhile, France has shut down the four leading Israeli companies' stands at the Paris show for apparently displaying offensive weapons, a decision Israel has condemned. 'The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition — weapons that compete with French industries,' Israel said in a statement on Monday. Three other Israeli stands, which are not showing weapons, remain open. A French appeals court had ruled Friday against activist groups who sought to block Israeli companies from participating in the show due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
RTÉ News
14-06-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Hundreds gather for 'Dare to Hope' in Knock
Hundreds of young adults from around the country are gathering in Knock, Co Mayo, for a day of events to mark the Catholic Church's Jubilee Year of Hope. The event coincides with the opening of a new facility at the Marian Shrine, which has been specially designed to cater for young pilgrims. A €1.5 million investment has led to the construction of ten bespoke 'eco pods', which can accommodate those visiting the area. It will be made available exclusively for school and young adult retreats, as part of an ongoing effort to ensure the Church is relevant and accessible to future generations. The Youth Village has been designed to blend in with the surroundings, with each of the pods using sustainable energy and offering a range of smart technology facilities. Today's meeting features a number of discussions on the relevance of faith to those aged between 18 and 30. It has been organised to facilitate greater engagement and discussion among this age cohort. As well as hearing from a number of speakers, participants will attend panel discussions and prayer services during the day. Catholic Bishop of Cork and Ross Fintan Gavin said the event aimed to provide a space for young people to explore their faith and find hope in a world where many were searching for purpose and belonging. The 'Dare to Hope' gathering today comes ahead of of an international Jubilee celebration in Rome next month, which is expected to draw thousands of people to the city for the culmination of the Catholic year of celebration.
Herald Malaysia
09-06-2025
- Herald Malaysia
Australian sister reflects on graces of jubilee pilgrimage
Traveling more than 10,000 miles to take part in this weekend's Jubilee of Ecclesial Movements, Associations, and New Communities, Sister Therese Mills, MGL, spoke to CNA of her great joy as she joined tens of thousands of other pilgrims in Rome. Jun 09, 2025 Sister Therese Mills, MGL, traveled from Australia to attend the Jubilee of Ecclesial Movements, Associations, and New Communities in Rome, June 8, 2025. | Credit: Sister Therese Mills By Kristina Millare Traveling more than 10,000 miles to take part in this weekend's Jubilee of Ecclesial Movements, Associations, and New Communities, Sister Therese Mills, MGL, spoke to CNA of her great joy as she joined tens of thousands of other pilgrims in Rome. A leader of the Missionaries of God's Love Sisters, a charismatic Catholic group founded in Australia in 1987, Mills said her pilgrimage to Rome during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope has been a time of refreshment and renewal. She described the 'amazing' experience of walking through the Jubilee Door of St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday, the first day of the special jubilee dedicated to new Catholic movements and associations. Mills recalled 'just opening my hands and just praying that the Lord would refresh and renew my heart and refresh and renew my faith.' 'The thing that blew me away — and what I loved the most — was we were all on this journey together but everyone was speaking and praying in different languages,' she shared with CNA on Pentecost Sunday. Mills called her visit to the Blessed Sacrament chapel inside the papal basilica a 'God moment' that she will not forget. 'I just sat before Jesus and bawled my eyes out to be honest,' she said with a laugh. 'I was very overwhelmed with his love … the gift of being with him in this place, and with the universal Church.' The approximately 70,000 pilgrims participating in the weekend jubilee had the opportunity to explore different churches in Rome and attend music and entertainment events organized by various ecclesial groups. A few of the hundreds of new Catholic associations taking part in the June jubilee include the Neocatechumenal Way, Catholic Action, Communion and Liberation, the Catholic Shalom Community, the Community of Sant'Egidio, the Focolare Movement, and CHARIS International. During his homily at the Vigil Mass, Pope Leo described the new and diverse Church communities gathered around him as 'the fruits of the Second Vatican Council' who are 'grounded in the one Lord Jesus Christ' entrusted with 'a single mission.' Mills attended both Pope Leo's Pentecost Masses — the Vigil on Saturday night and one on Sunday morning. 'I really love being part of a universal Church, being united as one, and coming together to pray for the Spirit,' Mills said. In the days leading up to the official jubilee festivities, Mills undertook a pilgrimage to holy sites in Rome linked to patron saints of her Australian-based community, including St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Therese of Lisieux, and St. Catherine of Siena. The first Missionaries of God's Love Sisters household was formed in the Archdiocese of Canberra-Goulburn in 1988. Since then, the religious sisters have lived and ministered in the Australian cities of Adelaide, Darwin, Melbourne, and Sydney, and led outreach missions around the country and in other Asia-Pacific nations, including Fiji and Papua New Guinea.--CNA
