Compass of the year: fraternity and social friendship
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (together with the Eucharistic Youth Movement) are inviting people to live The Way of the Heart under the sign of Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers). As the Holy Father has reminded the prayer network the foundation of its mission is compassion for the world which is also fundamental to his encyclical. A special year dedicated to the family also begins on 19 March that remembers the fatherly love of St Joseph.
Fr Frederic Fornos SJ, international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (PWPN), says:
“The Way of the Heart is the compass of our mission, so this year we are invited to deepen it in the light of Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers), that shows us in a concrete way how to live our mission of compassion for the world. I also invite you to adapt this ‘compass’ for the young people of the Eucharistic Youth Movement (EYM).”
There are nine steps to The Way of the Heart which include the Gospel of love, call to friendship with Jesus and communion with the Church. They are:
1. In the beginning there was love
2. The human heart, restless and needy
3. In a broken world
4. The Father sends his Son to save
5. He calls us his friends
6. Christ abides in us
7. We offer our lives along with Him
8. A mission of compassion
9. A world-wide network of prayer and service attentive to the needs of humanity
Click here to read The Way of the Heart ».
Furthermore, Pope Francis has called for a special year dedicated to the family beginning on the Solemnity of St Joseph on 19 March. Fr Fornos says:
“If we are all brothers and sisters it is because we have one Father, Creator of heaven and earth, of the visible and invisible universe”.
In his Apostolic Letter Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart), Pope Francis confided:
“I want to imagine that, for the parable of the prodigal son and the merciful father, Jesus was inspired by the behaviour of Joseph” (cf. Lk 15:11-32) (PC4). “Jesus saw in Joseph the tenderness of God” (PC2).
Fr Fornos invites people to read and meditate on the seven points the Pope proposes on what it means to have the heart of a father. He believes it can help many fathers and families. It can also complement the ‘compass’ or The Way of the Heart. Click here to read the Pope’s Apostolic Letter Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart) ».
Policy for Protection and Safeguarding
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and the Eucharistic Youth Movement have published policy documents for the protection and safeguarding of minors (children and young people) and vulnerable adults. It is the result of more than a year’s work of the EYM national teams and working groups linked to the Society of Jesus.
The policy to promote and help develop a culture of care and protection has been drawn up in three sections: preventive overview, procedural overview and formative overview. It may be adapted by each national office to every regional reality in order to be proposed to all members of staff and volunteers. Click here to read the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network policy documents ».
Click here to read the Pope’s encyclical Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers) ».