The Centre for Faith Enrichment was blessed to once again host Fr Robin Koning SJ who presented St Ignatius’ Rules of Discernment in a day event consisting of three consecutive sessions, being concluded by a guided experience of the Exa-men Prayer which helps with the day-to-day discernment of spirits.

In his latest encyclical Dilexit Nos (He Loved Us) the Holy Father emphasised how only a deep and abiding love in the Lord can inspire and fuel Catholics to share the Gospel and God’s love with the world.

Members voted on each of the 155 paragraphs of the document, which made suggestions and requests to Pope Francis that included long-term projects, such as the hope that more lay people would be involved in the selection of bishops.

A new agency has this week been announced to enable priests and parishes to be supported in worship in addition to the ongoing provision of initial and ongoing formation of people.

Cardinal-designate Mykola Bychok, a Redemptorist, will be the youngest cardinal in the Catholic Church, and only the eighth cardinal in both the history of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and of Australia.

Reflecting on the Gospel reading from St Matthew, Pope Francis noted that modern technology, in addition to its positive elements, provides “countless means to give an opportunity to the devil” to enter people’s lives, “and many fall in the trap.”

“To give love, always, and to welcome with open arms the love we receive from the people we care about: this is the most beautiful and most important thing in our life, in any condition and for any person – even for the pope,” Pope Francis has said.

“You are the clear majority of the population of this land, and your presence fills it with life, hope and a future,” the Holy Father told about 1,000 young people, Wednesday 11 September during his visit to Timor Leste.

Since arriving in Papua New Guinea from Indonesia Friday 6 September, Pope Francis had been hearing about the work of the government and the local church to combat clan-based violence and to assist people accused of bringing evil to their communities.

If every baby brings joy, the Holy Father said, how much more should people marvel at the fact that in Christ, God himself became human “to draw close to us and save us.”