Reception of the encyclical Fratres Omnes

Dear friends,

This October 2020 will start, for the Church and the world, with a new encyclical entitled Fratres Omnes. It will be like a ray of sunshine in the midst of the fog of uncertainty that surrounds our planet. Contrary to what happens during lockdown, when everything comes to a standstill or decreases, the Holy Spirit is bringing about his powerful activity through the Pope's magisterium.

SYNODALITY IS A WUCWO MISSION

Dear friends,

“What the Lord is asking of us is already in some sense present in the very word “synod”. Journeying together — laity, pastors, the Bishop of Rome — is an easy concept to put into words, but not so easy to put into practice” (50th Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops), Pope Francis told us five years ago.

COMMUNICATION FOR COMMUNION

The Pope, last March 27 in the extraordinary prayer from St. Peter's Square, pointed out to us what we left behind: “The storm exposes our vulnerability” he told us, making us see that we have lost the security of our agendas, projects and routines. “The façade of those stereotypes with which we camouflaged our egos has fallen away" as our western pride of feeling omnipotent masters of science and progress has fallen.

On the occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, 30th of July 2020, our President General María Lía Zervino recorded a message to remember us that all forms of modern slavery are crimes against humanity.

WOMEN LIKE RINGING BELLS.

Dear friends,

how nice it is to hear the sound of the bells when you arrive in a city! How nice it is to perceive the echo of a woman when she has been fully a woman in her life!

Laudato Si' is our road map as women of faith.

Dear friends,

five years ago, Pope Francis gave us a new “treasure” of the Social Doctrine of the Church: Laudato Si'. Today we can tell that it is a prophetic encyclical. The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the deep connection and interdependence of all of us who live in the Common Home.

Mary is a model for WUCWO

especially during this crisis.

Dear friends,

Mary is the model of a resilient woman. Who else had the capacity to face the crisis of the Passion and Death of her Son? Who else could overcome the change that meant taking Christians as "sons" from the Resurrection? “The Church is a woman,” Pope Francis repeatedly tells us. In the context of the globalisation of the Coronavirus, Mary, the resilient woman par excellence, is the model who teaches us what steps to take on the path to holiness, particularly to those of us who have a responsibility for leadership in the Church, as is the case with each of the women in WUCWO.

May the pandemic that confines us to our homes be our Easter.

Dear friends,

this is “our time.” It is the time of our Lenten conversion to transform “a time of pandemic ” into “a time of Easter.” It is our “kayros” (the time designated in God's plan) to born again with Jesus to new life. The Church leads us to con-version, that is, to receive the grace to change the “version” of our life in the face of the great trial that currently besets humanity.

Dear friends,

I am writing to you while looking at a crucifix, which speaks of the love of our God who has come close, who has wanted to show his weakness until his death on the Cross, to accompany us, to guide us on the path to Salvation.

Dear friends,

this month I would like to tell you why, how and what for we celebrated the International Women's Day in Rome with an ecumenical and interreligious meeting with women leaders from different perspectives: Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, ecumenical and Catholic. We have done this in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the sponsorship of the Embassies to the Holy See of the Netherlands, Austria, the Philippines and Argentina.

Called to share what we received

Dear friends,

on January 10th we had a private audience with Pope Francis. After such a gift to WUCWO, I decided to tell you about this wonderful experience in this message for the month of February 2020. What an immense grace to share!

I went with Father Gerry, our Ecclesiastical Assistant, and Andrea Ezcurra, Board member for Argentina who is only in Rome for a few months, temporarily acting as Secretary General.