2014-04-22 17:45:07

'Santa Marta' homilies available in Italian volume


(Vatican Radio) It’s one of the most eagerly anticipated items for listeners tuning in to our Vatican Radio news broadcasts. It’s one of the most clicked-on stories for those browsing the different language pages of our Vatican Radio website. And it’s one of the most popular pieces picked up by the many other agencies, sites and social networks that share our daily output of news from here at the heart of the Holy See. It is, of course, the homily that Pope Francis gives at his regular morning Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta where he’s been living since his election on March 13th last year.

Now these reflections – 186 of them to be precise – have been gathered together in one Italian language volume which will go on sale from next Thursday April 24th with the title “The Truth is an Encounter. Homilies from Santa Marta”. Produced by Rizzoli publishers, the volume contains an introduction by Jesuit Fr Antonio Spadaro, editor of the twice monthly publication Civiltà Cattolica, and a preface by Vatican Radio director general, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi.

For the past 83 years, Fr Lombardi notes, since the Radio was founded by Guglielmo Marconi, it has been carrying out its mission “to spread the word(s) of the Pope” to the very ends of the earth. Its technicians, secretaries and journalists, he says, have now committed themselves “with dedication and joy” to this new task of sharing the very personal reflections on the daily readings that Pope Francis gives to those members of the congregation lucky enough to be present at his weekday morning Mass.

From May 7th, bookshops will also be selling the new volume together with a CD of all the homilies, recapturing the very distinctive voice of the Argentinian Pope, with his memorable expressions and colourful turns of phrase that have been captivating listeners around the world for the past 13 months.

Listen to Philippa Hitchen’s report: RealAudioMP3








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