A New Forum on Pope Francis

Discussion in 'Pope Francis' started by padraig, May 8, 2013.

  1. Glenn

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    Pope and Santa Marta: Closeness and compassion

    2014-09-16 Vatican Radio

    (Vatican Radio) Beautiful homilies are useless if you are not close to the people, if you do not suffer with the people and do not give hope, they are vanity: This was Pope Francis’ reflection Tuesday morning during Mass in Santa Marta, the day on which the Church remembers the Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, bishop martyrs.

    The Gospel of the day speaks of Jesus approaching a funeral procession: a widow of Nain lost her only son. The Pope said that not only does the Lord perform the miracle of bringing her son back to life, he does something more, he is close to her. "God – the people say - visited his people." When God visits "there is something more, there is something new", "it means that His presence is especially there". Jesus is close.

    "He was close to the people. A close God who is able to understand the hearts of the people, the heart of His people. Then he sees that procession, and the Lord drew near. God visits His people in the midst of his people, and draws near to them. Proximity. This is how God works. Then there is an expression that is often repeated in the Bible: 'The Lord was moved with great compassion'. The same compassion which, the Gospel says, that moved Him when he saw so many people like sheep without a shepherd. When God visits His people, He is close to them, He draws near to them and is moved by compassion: He is filled with compassion".

    "The Lord – continued Pope Francis - is deeply moved, just as He was before the tomb of Lazarus". Just like the Father who was moved "when he saw his prodigal son come home".
    "Closeness and compassion: this is how the Lord visits His people. And when we want to proclaim the Gospel, to bring forth the word of Jesus, this is the path. The other path is that of the teachers, the preachers of the time: the doctors of the law, the scribes, the Pharisees ... who distanced themselves from the people, with their words ... well: they spoke well. They taught the law, well. But they were distant. And this was not a visit of the Lord: It was something else. The people did not feel this to be a grace, because it lacked that closeness, it lacked compassion, it lacked that essence of suffering with the people".

    Pope Francis continued: "And there's another word which is proper to when the Lord visits His people: 'The dead man sat up and began to speak, and He - Jesus - restored him to his mother'".
    "When God visits His people he restores hope to them. Always. You can preach the Word of God brilliantly: there have been many excellent preachers throughout history. But if these preachers have failed to sow hope, that sermon is useless. It is mere vanity".
    Looking at Jesus, who restored a living son to this mother - said the Pope - "we can understand what God visiting His people means. And so we ask for the grace that our Christian witness be a witness that brings the closeness of God to His people, that closeness that sows hope".
     
  3. Glenn

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  4. Isil want to assassinate the Pope, says Iraq's ambassador to Vatican
    Habeeb Al Sadr warns that Isil's "band of criminals" could have Pope Francis in its sights, ahead of the pontiff's visits to Albania and Turkey

    Pope Francis is at risk of an assassination attempt by the Islamic extremists of Isil, the Vatican has been warned, ahead of his first visit to a Muslim-majority country this weekend.

    As the 77-year-old pontiff prepares to travel to Albania on Sunday for a one-day visit, Iraq's ambassador to the Holy See said there were credible threats against the pontiff's life.

    The leader of the Roman Catholic Church could also be vulnerable when he travels to Turkey in November, the ambassador said.

    Jihadists from Isil have in recent weeks boasted of wanting to extend their caliphate to Rome, the heart of Western Christendom, and have talked of planting the jihadist black flag on top of St Peter's Basilica.

    Habeeb Al Sadr said there were also indications of a more specific threat against Pope Francis, who recently spoke out in favour of the US and its allies halting the advance of Isil in Syria and Iraq.
    .............

    The ambassador, who has been stationed in Rome for four years, said: "This band of criminals does not just issue threats – in Iraq they have already violated and destroyed some of the most sacred sites of the Shiite faith. They have struck at Yazidi and Christian places of worship. They have declared that whoever is not with them, is against them. Either convert or be killed. And they are doing it – it is a genocide."

    The Vatican downplayed the warning, saying that it had received no credible reports of a threat to the Pope's life and that he would not be changing his daily routine or reviewing his trip to Albania.

    more......
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...he-Pope-says-Iraqs-ambassador-to-Vatican.html
     
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    Pope tells Catholics to go forth with the Gospel message
    2014-09-18 Vatican Radio

    (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis encouraged Catholics go forth and bring the Gospel message to the world and to their communities.

    Speaking on Wednesday during his General Audience the Pope spoke of the universal and apostolic nature of the Catholic Church.

    Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni:

    Pope Francis explained that the word catholic means that she is universal, something that she shows by speaking all languages, which – he said – is the effect of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit gave to the Apostles and the whole Church the gift of proclaiming the Good News of God’s salvation and love to all, even to the ends of the earth.

    And, speaking off-the-cuff to those present in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis said we should all carry with us a “pocket” Gospel, so we can dip into it during the day that – he said – is a good thing to do.

    The Pope also highlighted the missionary nature of the Catholic Church which – he said - is called to show the tenderness and power of God.

    Turning his attention to the many missionaries the Church is blessed with, he said the Holy Spirit compels us to encounter our brothers and sisters, even those most distant from us, and to share with them God’s message of love, peace and joy.

    Ours – Pope Francis said – is a Church that goes forth, impelled by the life-giving breath of the Spirit.

    And speaking of the heroic lives of many missionaries who have left their homelands and have gone forth to proclaim the Gospel in distant lands, he recalled his conversations with a Brazilian Cardinal who has worked at length in the Amazon area. The Pope revealed that, when possible, the Cardinal goes to visit a cemetery in the Amazon where many missionaries are buried: “these brothers and sisters could all be canonized now” he said.

    Thanking the Lord for the Church’s many missionaries; the Pope said “perhaps amongst the many young people present today in the Square there is someone who would like to become a missionary. May he go forth!” The Pope said, “This is good and courageous”.

    Please find below the official synopsis of the Pope’s catechesis:

    Dear Brothers and Sisters: When we profess the Creed, we affirm that the Church is catholic and apostolic. The word catholic signifies that she is universal. This means that the Church is found everywhere and teaches the whole truth regarding the heavens and the earth. The Church shows her catholicity by speaking all languages which is the effect of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit gave to the Apostles and the whole Church the gift of proclaiming the Good News of God’s salvation and love to all, even to the ends of the earth. The Church then is of her nature missionary, given to evangelization and encounter; that is, she is apostolic. Founded on the Apostles and in continuity with them, the Church is called to proclaim the Gospel to everyone, and to show the tenderness and power of God. This too flows from Pentecost. It is the Holy Spirit who prevents us from being self-absorbed, of thinking that the blessings of God are for us alone. Rather, the Spirit compels us to encounter our brothers and sisters, even those most distant from us in every way, to share with them the love, peace, and joy of the Risen Lord. May we always live in solidarity with all of humanity, and never closed in on ourselves. May we go out, in communion with the Successors of the Apostles, to announce Christ and his love to all. And may we always be a sign of the Church our Mother: holy, catholic and apostolic.
     
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  13. More prayers....

    Security stepped up at Vatican over fears of terror attack
    Vatican reportedly alerted to threat by foreign security service which intercepted conversation between two Arab speakers

    Security in the Vatican has been increased after intelligence agencies reportedly intercepted an unspecified threat against Pope Francis, on the eve of his visit to Muslim-majority Albania.

    The number of uniformed and plain clothes police patrolling St Peter's Square during the Pope's weekly audiences on Sunday and Wednesday has been increased, sniffer dogs are being used and extra metal detector machines have bern installed, the Italian media reported on Saturday.

    The measures were adopted after a foreign intelligence agency, possibly American, intercepted a conversation between two unidentified Arabs in which they reportedly discussed 'doing something in the Vatican'.

    The Vatican downplayed the threat, with Federico Lombardi, its main spokesman, saying that it had not received indications of a 'particular threat or cause for concern.'


    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...p-at-Vatican-over-fears-of-terror-attack.html
     
  14. That is so in contrast to the selfish throw away culture here:

    Obamacare Architect Announces ‘Optimal Age Of Death’

    Hurry up and die, don’t oppress your children and society with the possibility having to take care of you. Or in his words, is “our consumption” “worth our contribution”?

    http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/09/why-i-hope-to-die-at-75/379329/
     
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    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 18, 2014
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