Papal audience: importance of family as place of forgiveness 2015-11-04 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis held his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday morning. In his catechisis, he continued to reflect on the importance of family as a place where we learn the values of forgiveness and reconciliation. Dear Brothers and Sisters: Following the recent Assembly of the Synod of Bishops which reflected on the vocation and mission of the family, today we reflect on the importance of the family as the place where we learn the value of forgiveness. Each day, in the words of the Our Father, we ask God to forgive us and to grant us the grace to forgive others. As difficult as forgiveness may be, it is essential for our personal growth, our capacity to acknowledge our failures and to mend broken relationships. It is a virtue we learn first in the family. Forgiveness strengthens families in love and, through them, makes society as a whole more loving and humane. It is a solid rock on which to build our lives and an eloquent sign of our Christian discipleship and obedience to the Father’s will. May the coming Jubilee of Mercy encourage families everywhere to rediscover the power of forgiveness, and enable the great family of the Church to proclaim the power of God’s reconciling love at work in our world. (from Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis message on Laity Vocation 2015-11-12 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent a message on Thursday (12th November) to the participants of a seminar jointly organized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross to discuss the theme: Vocation and mission of the Laity: Fifty years after the Decree: Apostolicam actuositatem. In his message which was addressed to Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Pope recalled how the Second Vatican Council with its keynote documents led to a new way of looking at the vocation and mission of lay people within the Church and the World. He said the Council does not consider the laity as though they were members of a second tier, at the service of the hierarchy and merely carrying out their orders issued from high up but instead as Christ’s disciples who are called to animate every place and human activity in the world according to the spirit of the Gospel. In conclusion, Pope Francis wrote that he prayed that this seminar will encourage both pastors and lay faithful to live out and put into practice this Council teaching on the laity which, he said, was always a keen pastoral concern of St. John Paul II. (from Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis to Slovakia Church: Receive migrants in charity 2015-11-12 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday told the bishops of Slovakia the Church is called to receive migrants “in a spirit of charity and respect for the human person,” while, at the same time, necessarily observing the law. The Holy Father was meeting the bishops as part of their ad limina visit to Rome. He held an informal discussion with them, while presenting them his speech in written form. “It is desirable for the Slovak people to maintain their cultural identity and heritage of ethical and spiritual values, which is closely linked to the Catholic tradition,” Pope Francis said. He said this was necessary for the country to contribute to a “sincere and fruitful dialogue” on the continent and in the world, including on such issues as the dignity of the human life and the essential role of the family. “Faced with the prospect of an ever-expanding multicultural environment, we must assume an attitude of mutual respect in favour of encounter,” Pope Francis said. “In our day, it is even more necessary to illuminate the path of people with Christian principles, seizing the opportunity the current situation offers to develop a new evangelization, which, with a new language, makes it easier to understand Christ’s message,” he continued. Pope Francis expressed his appreciation for what the bishops are doing to support the family, “which faces many difficulties, and is subject to many dangers.” He encouraged the establishment of family ministries at the national and diocesan level, which helps even broken families, especially where there are children. “As part of the pastoral care of the family, it is necessary to appreciate young people, the hope of the Church and society,” said the Holy Father. “In them, there beats a strong desire to serve others and to work for solidarity, which requires the guidance and confidence of their pastors for it to become a living encounter with Christ, in a committed project to spread the Gospel.” Pope Francis added that despite the temptations to “hedonism, mediocrity, and instant success,” young people do not allow themselves to be easily intimidated by difficulties, and are particularly sensitive to unreserved commitment, when presented with the true meaning of life. “Therefore, they need to have from you a clear instructions about doctrine and morals, to build in the city of man, the city of God,” he said. (from Vatican Radio)
The Pope will be visiting Africa in about 2 weeks. like most places he goes, there is concern for safety, but this makes it appear as if even the security teams and army are unsure they can protect him. So as the Holy Father himself does, let's place him under the protection of Our Lady. Please keep him safe from all farm on his apostolic journey to a continent poor in material things, but so rich in faith- where our Church is growing and where vocations are nurtured. http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/new...protect-the-pope-in-central-african-republic/
Pope Francis Explains Why He Won’t Sell the Church’s ‘Treasures’ The Holy Father shared his thoughts in a new interview with a Dutch newspaper that is published by homeless people. by CNA/EWTN NEWS 11/06/2015 Pope Francis meets with participants of the Aid to Life Conference, an Italian pro-life movement, in Vatican City on Nov. 6. – © L'Osservatore Romano VATICAN CITY — In a new interview ranging from fame to finances to his childhood dreams, Pope Francis explained that, despite his strong concern for the poor, he will not sell the “riches of the Church.” Asked whether he has ever felt pressure to sell “the treasures of the Church,” the Pope responded, “This is an easy question. They are not the treasures of the Church, [but] the treasures of humanity.” “For example, if tomorrow I say that Michelangelo’s Pieta is going to be auctioned, it can’t be done, because it’s not the property of the Church. It’s inside a church, but it belongs to humanity,” he said, explaining that this is true “for all the treasures of the Church.” The Pope’s comments came in an interview with Dutch newspaper Straatnieuws. The paper’s most unique quality: It is published by the homeless of the Dutch city of Utrecht. The interview was conducted Oct. 27 at the Pope’s Vatican residence and published Nov. 6. Questions were conducted by a homeless newspaper vendor named Marc. Vatican journalist Stijn Fens and the former spokesman of the Dutch Bishops’ Conference, Jan-Willem Wits, were also present for the interview, as well as the paper’s editor, Frank Dries. Among the topics discussed by the Pope were the dangers of corruption, his childhood dream profession, the Vatican’s finances and his personal commitment to fight poverty. In his answers to some of the tough questions, Francis did not hesitate to wade into sensitive topics. One of them was whether or not he is worried that his frequent pleas for solidarity in defense of the poor are being politically exploited, as well as how the Church can talk about the issue in an influential way while staying outside the political spectrum. The Pope underlined two temptations in this area, the first being hypocrisy. “If a believer speaks about poverty or the homeless and leads the life of a pharaoh — this cannot be done,” he said. “The Church must speak the truth and also with witness: the witness of poverty.” He also pointed to the dangers surrounding government agreements. While agreements with secular governments can be made, “they must be clear agreements, transparent agreements.” As an example, Francis pointed to the Vatican’s management of the Apostolic Palace. The Vatican is in charge of handling the finances, but “the accounts are all controlled, to avoid corruption, [because] there is always the temptation of corruption in public life — both political and religious.” Discussing the perception that the Vatican is rich, the Holy Father acknowledged that if one makes a catalogue of all the goods of the Church, it might seem like “the Church is very rich.” However, many of the Church’s “riches” are actually treasures that belong to humanity, he explained. He added that while these items are for the enjoyment of all, there are some things that he does sell, such as many of the elaborate gifts he has received. Among them are motorcycles and cars that have either been given away or sold through an auction. Proceeds of the sales then go to the papal almoner, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, and are used for the needs of the poor. And while the Church does have a lot in real estate, he continued, the money is used “to maintain the structures of the Church and to maintain the many works the Church does in needy countries: hospitals, schools.” As an example, the Pope explained that, just the day before, he had asked that 50,000 euros be sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo to build three schools, because “education is important for children.” He also pointed to the 1929 Lateran Concordat that recognized the sovereignty of the Holy See. When the Italian government at the time offered the Church a large park in Rome, Pope Pius XI “said No.” Instead, Pius XI told them, “I want only half of a square kilometer to guarantee the independence of the Church,” Francis observed, explaining that “this principle still stands.” When it comes to his personal commitment to the poor, Pope Francis said that while there are many inspirations driving it, a poignant example that has always stuck with him is a poor woman who used to help his mother with household chores as a child. The woman was Italian, had two children of her own and came to his house three days a week to help his mother with laundry and other tasks. Francis recalled that the woman and her family were “very poor, but good people. And I always remembered that woman. Her poverty moved me.” Although his family was not rich, they always made it to the end of the month, the Pope said, while many times this woman “lacked the necessary things.” He noted how, after losing track of the woman, he found her again when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, and she was 90. He remained close to her over the next three years, until her death at 93. One of the most precious mementos he has from this woman is a medal of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which she gave him before her death. In fact, the medal meant so much to Francis that he still carries it with him daily. After taking the worn medal out of his pocket to show his interviewers, the Pope said that it does him “a lot of good” and that he thinks of the woman every day “and how much she suffered because of poverty. And I think about all the others who have suffered. I carry it, and I pray.” While he would like to see a world in which poverty doesn’t exist, Francis lamented that sin is always a reality that will get in the way. Human greed in particular “is always there, the lack of solidarity, the egoism that creates poverty,” he said. “Because of this it seems a little difficult [to have] a world without poor people.” Pope Francis recognized that after making so many tireless appeals on behalf of the poor and refugees, some people might be getting tired of hearing it. However, he also observed that when it comes to talking about a subject “that isn’t nice,” the temptation arises to say, “Enough.” But despite the tired ears of some, the Pope said he isn’t dissuaded, and “I have to continue speaking the truth and explain how things are. ... It’s my duty. I feel it inside of me.” Pope Francis also touched on his life at the Vatican’s St. Martha guesthouse, saying he feels “free” there, since he is around more people and is able to “eat in the lunchroom with everyone else.” He said that he never dreamed of becoming pope; at 4 years old, he wanted to be “a butcher,” after accompanying his mother and grandmother to the market. On his growing fame, Francis said, “I don’t think a lot about the fact that I’m famous,” but often tells himself that while he has an important position now, “in 10 years, no one will know you anymore.” He reflected: “There are two types of fame: the fame of the ‘great ones,’ who did great things … and the fame of the vain. But this last fame is like a soap bubble.” http://www.ncregister.com/daily-new...ont-sell-the-churchs-treasures/#ixzz3rQLrZ2Oh
Pope Francis: condolences to France after terror attacks 2015-11-14 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegram to Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris, assuring victims, their families and emergency personnel that he is united with them in prayer. Signed by the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the telegram condemns this and all acts of violence, and asks God to inspire thoughts of peace and solidarity. Below, please find Vatican Radio’s English translation of the telegram ***************************** Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris Informed of the horrific terrorist attacks that occurred in Paris and at the Stade de France, killing a great number of people and wounding many others, His Holiness Pope Francis joins in prayer with the suffering of families affected by the drama and the pain of the French people. He invokes God, Father of mercy, asking that He welcome the victims into the peace of His light and bring comfort and hope to the injured and their families. He assures them, and all of the personnel participating in aid efforts, of his spiritual closeness. Once again, the Holy Father vigorously condemns violence, which cannot solve anything, and he asks God to inspire thoughts of peace and solidarity in all and to impart on families in this trial and on all of the French people, the abundance of His Blessings. Cardinal Pietro Parolin Secretary of State of His Holiness (from Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis: the Church must not worship “holy bribery” 2015-11-20 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said that the Church must not be obsessed by money or power, nor worship “holy bribes”. Instead her strength and joy should come from the words of Christ. He was speaking at the morning mass at Casa Santa Marta on Friday. The Holy Father reflected on the reading from Maccabees, which tells of the people’s joy following the reconsecration of the Holy Temple, which had been destroyed by pagans and those obsessed by worldliness. The people of God celebrated, they rejoiced because they had rekindled “their true identity”. The Pope explained that “those who indulge in worldliness do not know how to celebrate – they can’t celebrate! At most, the worldly spirit can provide amusement, it can provoke excitement, but true joy can only come from faith in the Covenant”. In the Gospel, Jesus drives merchants away from the Temple saying “It is written: my house shall be called the house of prayer. But you have made it a den of thieves”. Pope Francis noted that at the time of the Maccabees, worldly desire “displaced the Living God”. But now, it is happening “in another way altogether”. “The Gospel says the chief priests and scribes had changed things. They had dishonored and compromised the Temple. They had dishonored the Temple! The Temple was a symbol of the Church. The Church will always – always! – be subject to the temptation of worldliness and power. Jesus did not say ‘No, do not do this inside. Go outside instead.’ He said ‘You have made it a den of thieves!’ And when the Church enters into such a state of decline, the end is bad. Very bad indeed.” The danger of corruption “There is always a danger of corruption within the Church. This happens when the Church, instead of being devoted to faith in Our Lord, in the Prince of Peace, in joy, in salvation, becomes dominated by money and power. This is exactly what happens here, in this Gospel reading. These priests, chief priests and scribes were driven by money, power and they ignored the Holy Spirit. And in order to be able to justify their actions, they poisoned the free spirit of the Lord with hypocrisy. In Matthew 23, Jesus speaks of their hypocrisy. These were people who had lost their sense of Godliness, and even the ability to rejoice, to praise God. They did not know how to worship the Lord because they were too distracted by money and power, and by a form of worldiness”. The scribes and priests are furious with Jesus “‘Jesus did not chase the priests and scribes away from the Temple; he chased away those who were doing business there, the businessmen of the Temple. The chief priests and scribes were involved in their dealings: this is ‘holy bribery’! The Gospel is very clear. It says “The chief priests and scribes wanted to kill Jesus, along with the elders of the people’. The same thing happened under the rule of Judas Maccabeus. Why? Because ‘they did not know what they were doing, since everyone hung on his every word’. Jesus’ strength is to be found in his words, in his love. And where Jesus is, there is no room for worldliness. There is no room for corruption! This is a challenge for each and every one of us; this is the struggle the Church has to face every day. We must always heed Jesus’ words; we must never seek comfort from another master. Jesus told us that we cannot serve two masters. God or riches; God or power”. The Pope concluded saying “We ought to pray for the Church. We must hold in our hearts today’s martyrs, who suffer and die, so as not to be ensnared by worldly desires, by obsession, by apostasy. Today! Today, there are more martyrs of the Church than there ever were before. Let’s think about that. It does us good to think about them. And also to pray that we may never fall into the trap of worldliness, where we will be obsessed only by money and power”. (from Vatican Radio)
For a Pope who some say has no clue/rudderless even He sure spelled out the Church and the World pretty clear.
Pope Francis: What will be left of a world torn apart by war? By Elise Harris Vatican City, Nov 19, 2015 / 11:58 am (EWTN News/CNA) In his homily Thursday, Pope Francis said that just as Jesus wept for Jerusalem in the day’s Gospel reading, he continues to weep today, because the world has rejected the path of peace in exchange for war. “Today Jesus weeps as well: because we have chosen the way of war, the way of hatred, the way of enmities,” the Pope said Nov. 19. He noted how the Christmas season is approaching, yet while lights, parties, bright trees and even Nativity scenes will decorate homes, “the world continues to wage war. The world has not understood the way of peace.” Francis then recalled recent commemorations of global catastrophes such as the Second World War, the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as his visit to Italy’s Redipuglia war memorial last year on the anniversary of the World War I. Referring to the conflicts as “useless slaughters,” he quoted a phrase of Pope Benedict XV, saying “everywhere there is war today, there is hatred…What shall remain in the wake of this war, in the midst of which we are living now?” The Pope directed his reflections to those gathered in the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse for his daily Mass. He focused on the day’s Gospel reading from Luke, in which Jesus looks at Jerusalem from a nearby hill and weeps, because the way of peace “is hidden” from their eyes. He repeated aloud Jesus’ words that “If this day you only knew what makes for peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.” “The whole world is at war,” he said, adding that the rejection of the “path of peace” and the option for war instead is what leads God himself to tears. What will be left after the war, he said, isn’t optimistic: “ruins, thousands of children without education, so many innocent victims: and lots of money in the pockets of arms dealers.” Francis referred to how in the Gospel Jesus cautioned against serving two masters. One can either serve God or riches, he said, explaining that war is the choice of the person who serves wealth. “Let us build weapons, so that the economy will right itself somewhat, and let us go forward in pursuit of our interests,” he said, imitating what those people might say. However, he cautioned that Jesus has an “ugly word” for these kind of people: “Cursed!” “Men who work war, who make war, are cursed, they are criminals,” he said, noting that while a person can justify war with many reasons, God weeps when, like today, all the world is “at war – piecemeal though that war may be…there is no justification.” Pope Francis said that while the arms dealers go about their business creating havoc, there are people such as Bl. Mother Teresa who spend themselves completely in working for peace. While the powers of the world might ask “what did she ever accomplish? She wasted her life helping others on their way to death!” the Pope again stressed that “We do not understand the way of peace.” He closed his homily by encouraging attendees to ask for “the grace of tears” both for themselves and for the world, “which does not recognize the path of peace, this world that lives for war, and cynically says not to make it.” The Pope prayed that as we prepare for the Jubilee of Mercy, the world would discover the ability “to weep for its crimes,” and for what it has done, and continues to do, with war. Is Pope Francis reading CJ?
After Paris, Pope Francis Tells Christians to Be Ready for the End of the World http://www.breitbart.com/big-govern...ope-francis-tells-christians-ready-end-world/ Two days after the horrendous jihadist attacks in Paris, Pope Francis preached about the “end times,” encouraging his hearers to be vigilant and ready at any moment to meet God face to face. In his Angelus message Sunday, the Pope invited the ten thousand pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square to think about their death, the day they will meet God and give an accounting for their life. The Pope also explicitly addressed the Paris carnage, expressing his “deep sorrow for the terrorist attacks that bloodied France late on Friday, causing many casualties.” Along with offering his condolences to the victims and their families, Francis condemned the massacre as an “unspeakable affront to human dignity.” “Such barbarity leaves us shocked and we wonder how the human heart can conceive and carry out such horrible events, which have shaken not only France but the whole world,” he said. Francis unequivocally recognized the Islamist ideology behind the attacks, denouncing the use of God’s name to justify the brutal attacks as “blasphemy.” Commenting on Sunday’s Scripture readings, the Pope said that Jesus’ preaching about the end of the world contains “apocalyptic elements, like war, famine, and cosmic catastrophes.” “In those days,” Francis repeated, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” These signs are not the most important things, however, the Pope insisted. “Our final goal is the meeting with the resurrected Lord.” The most important thing is not knowing when the end will come, but being ready for it when it does, he said. “We are called to live the present,” Francis said, but always ready to meet God whenever he may call. At the end of the world, Francis said, “Jesus’ triumph will be the triumph of the cross, the demonstration that the sacrifice of oneself out of love for one’s neighbor, in imitation of Christ, is the only victorious power and the only stable point in the midst of the upheavals and tragedies of the world.” The Pope also warned against an unhealthy curiosity to know details of the future, with recourse to psychics and horoscopes, saying they distract us from what is really important in the present. We are called rather “to watchfulness,” Francis said, that keeps us focused and ready at all times. “In our days,” he concluded, “there is no lack of natural and moral disasters, as well as adversities of every kind.” “The Lord tells us that everything passes and only He and his Word remain as a light to guide and strengthen our steps,” he said.
Pope: widows are image of Church seeking to stay faithful 2015-11-23 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) The Church remains faithful if she keeps her eyes fixed on Jesus, but she becomes lukewarm and mediocre if she seeks comfort in worldly things. That was Pope Francis’ message on Monday as he reflected on the Gospel reading at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta… Listen to our report: Pope Francis noted that the reading from St Luke’s Gospel tells the story of the widow who puts her two coins in the temple treasury box, while other wealthy worshippers make a great show of the money they're putting in. Jesus says that “this poor widow put in more than all the rest” because the others were giving away money from their surplus wealth, while she, in her poverty, “has offered her whole livelihood”. In the Bible, Pope Francis said, the widow is the woman who is alone, who has no husband to look after her, who has to manage on her own, who survives on charity. The widow in this Gospel passage, he said, was “a widow who had placed her trust only in the Lord”. I like to look at the widows in the Gospel, he said, as an image of the “widowed” Church who is waiting for Jesus to return. The Church is the bride of Christ, Pope Francis said, but her Lord has gone and her only treasure is in her Lord. If the Church remains faithful, then she leaves everything while waiting for her Lord to return. If she does not have so much faith in the love of her Lord, then she tries to get by in other ways, seeking security in things that are more of this world than of God. The widows of the Gospels, the Pope continued, speak beautifully to us about Jesus and His Church. There is the widow of Nain who was crying as she accompanied her son to be buried outside the city gates. There is the widow who goes to the unjust judge in order to defend her sons, knocking on his door every day and bothering him continuously until he delivers a just sentence for her. This is the widowed Church who prays and intercedes for her children, Pope Francis explained. But the heart of the Church is always with Jesus, the Bridegroom in heaven. According to the desert fathers, the Pope said, our souls also resemble the Church, and the closer our souls, our lives, are to Jesus, the more we are able to avoid worldly, useless things that lead us away from Christ. While the ‘widowed’ Church waits for Jesus, he said, she can be faithful, trusting that her husband will return, or she can be unfaithful to her widowhood, a lukewarm, mediocre, worldly Church seeking comfort in other things. In these last days of the liturgical year, Pope Francis concluded, we would do well to ask ourselves if our souls are searching for the Lord, or if they’re looking for comfort in things which do not please the Lord. Let our souls say “Come Lord Jesus! Come!” And may we leave behind all those useless things which stop us staying faithful. (from Vatican Radio)
Fr Mitch Pacwa, restated last week,Pope Francis encouragement of the faithful to read Dantes Inferno, Heaven, Hell and Purgatory and The Lord of this World in preparation the "year of Mercy"
Pope Francis: Cancer-Stricken Baby Kissed by Pope Is Responding to Treatment, Parents Say https://www.facebook.com/topic/Pope...rce=whrt&position=6&trqid=6221068745784025705
The Pope's return flight to Rome: fundamentalism is a sickness that afflicts all religions (VIS) – During his return flight following his apostolic trip to Africa, the Pope answered questions from the journalists accompanying him on the aircraft. The following are extensive extracts from questions posed and the Holy Father's answers regarding his impressions of Africa, the Vatileaks case, his upcoming trips and COP 21. The first question was from a Kenyan journalist who wanted to know the Pope's views on the stories told by poor families in the Kangemi slum regarding exclusion from fundamental human rights due to avarice and corruption. Pope Francis: “I understand that 80 per cent of the world's wealth is in the hands of 17 per cent of the population; I do not know if this is true, but it is likely, as this is how things are. … It is an economic system in which money, the god of money, is at the centre. … And if things continue in this way, the world will not change. … In Kangemi, where I spoke clearly about rights, I felt great suffering. … Yesterday, for example, I visited a paediatric hospital, the only one in Bangui and in the country! And in intensive care they do not have the instruments to provide oxygen. There were many malnourished children, many. And the doctor told me, 'Here the majority will die, as they have malaria and they are malnourished. … And those people who hold 80 per cent of the world's wealth – what do they think of this?” The second question regarded the most memorable moment of the Pope's trip to Africa. Pope Francis: “For me Africa was a surprise. I thought: God surprises us, but also Africa surprises! … They have a great sense of welcome. … Then, each country has its own identity. Kenya is a little more modern, more developed. Uganda has the identity of martyrs: the Ugandan people, both Catholic and Anglican, venerate the martyrs. … The courage of giving life for an ideal. And the Central African Republic: there is the desire for peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness”. The third question touched on the issued of Vatileaks and the importance of the press in denouncing corruption wherever it encounters it. Pope Francis: “A free press, both secular and confessional, but professional ... is important to me, because the denouncement of injustice and corruption is good work. … And then those who are responsible must do something: form a judgement, constitute a tribunal. But the professional press must say everything, without falling prey to the three most common sins: disinformation, or telling half a story but omitting the other half; slander, or when the press is unprofessional and seeks to soil others with or without truth; and defamation, or rather, to damage a person's reputation … and these are the three defects that undermine the professionalism of the press. We need professionalism”. A French journalist asked whether, faced with the danger of fundamentalism, religious leaders should intervene in the political arena. Pope Francis: “If this means participating in politics, no. Being a priest, a pastor, an imam, a rabbi – this is the vocation of a religious leader. But political influence is exercised indirectly by preaching values, true values, and one of the greatest values is fraternity between us. … Fundamentalism is a sickness that we find in all religions. Among Catholics there are many, not a few, many, who believe to hold the absolute truth and they go ahead by harming others with slander and defamation, and they do great harm. … And it must be combated. Religious fundamentalism is not truly religious. Why? Because God is missing. It is a form of idolatry, in the same way as worshipping money is idolatry. Being political in the sense of convincing these people who have this tendency is a policy that we religious leaders must adopt”. An Italian journalist asked why two of the defendants in the Vatileaks case, Msgr. Vallejo Balda and Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui, had been appointed. Pope Francis: “I think it was a mistake. Msgr. Vallejo Balda entered via the role he had has had until now. He was secretary of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs. I am not sure how he entered but if I am not mistaken, it was he who presented [Chaouqui] as a woman who knew the world of commercial relations. … They worked and once they had finished their task, the members of the Commission, COSEA, remained in various places in the Vatican. The same applied to Vallejo Balda. Ms. Chaouqui did not remain in the Vatican because she entered for the purposes of the Commission and then left. Some say that she was angry about this, but the judges will tell us the truth of the situation. … For me [what came out] was not a surprise, it did not cause me to lose any sleep, because they have shown the work that began with the Commission of Cardinals – the 'C9' – to seek out corruption and things that are not going well. And here I want to say something … on the word 'corruption'. Thirteen days before the death of St. John Paul II … in the Via Crucis, the then-cardinal Ratzinger spoke about corruption in the Church. He was the first to denounce it. And when St. John Paul II died, in the 'pro eligendo Pontefice' Mass – he was the dean – he spoke about the same thing, and we elected him for this, his liberty to say these things. Since then there has been an air of corruption in the Vatican. … With respect to the judgement, I have given the concrete accusations to the judges, because that is what is important for the defence, the formulation of the accusations. I have not read them, the concrete, technical accusations. I would have liked this to finish before 8 December, for the Year of Mercy, but I do not think this will be possible, as I would like the lawyers who defend them to have to time to defend; they must have the freedom to prepare a full defence”.
cont. A South African correspondent commented on the devastation caused by AIDS in Africa, where the epidemic continues, and where prevention is still the key. He asked the Pope whether or not it was time to change the Church's position on the use of condoms. Pope Francis: “The question seems to me to be too narrow, or rather a partial question. Yes, it is one of the methods; the morality of the Church finds itself before a perplexity: it is the fifth or the sixth commandment, defending life, or that the sexual relationship must be open to life? … This questions makes me think about what they did to Jesus once. 'Tell me Master, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?'. It is obligatory to heal! … But malnutrition, the exploitation of people, slave labour, the lack of drinking water: these are the problems. Let us not ask if we can use this sticking plaster or another for a small wound. The great wound is social injustice, the injustice of the environment, the injustice that I have mentioned such as exploitation and malnutrition. … I do not like to make reference to such specific cases when people die for lack of water or hunger, because of their habitat. … When everyone has been healed, when there are no longer these tragic diseases caused by mankind, either by social injustice or to earn more money. … Then we can ask the question, 'is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?'. Why do they continue the production and trafficking of weapons? Wars are the greatest cause of mortality. … I would say, do not think about whether or not it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. I would like to say to humanity: ensure justice, and when everyone is healed, when there is no more injustice in this world, we can talk about the Sabbath”. An Italian journalist wanted to know if the Pope had considered going to Armenia to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the tragedy that afflicted the population, as he did last year in Turkey. “Last year I promised the three Patriarchs that I would go: the promise is there. I do not know if it will be possible to do so, but the promise stands. … As for wars, wars are due to ambition. I am talking about wars that are not a legitimate defence against an unjust aggressor, but rather wars, wars are an 'industry'! … War is a business, a weapons business. Terrorists, do they make their weapons? Perhaps the odd small one. Who gives them the weapons for warfare? There is a network of interests involved, and behind this there is money, or power: imperial power, or economic power. … But we have been at war for many years, some times more than others: the pieces of the war are smaller, then they become bigger. … I don't know what the 'Vatican position' is, but what I think is that wars are a sin against humanity. They destroy humanity, they are the cause of exploitation, of human trafficking, of so many things. … Wars are not of God. God is the God of peace”. Another issue was whether the Conference on Climate Change in Paris will be the beginning to a solution to the environmental problem. Pope Francis: “I am not sure, but I can say that it is now or never. Every year the problems grow more serious. … We are at the brink of suicide, to put it bluntly. And I am sure that almost all those who are in Paris, at the COP 21, are aware of this and want to do something. … I am trustful. I trust these people, that they will do something; because, I would say, I am sure that they have the goodwill to do so, and I hope it is so. And I pray for this”. An American journalist asked what he thought Islam the teachings of the Prophet Muhammed had to say to today's world. “It is possible to enter into dialogue; they have values. Many values. And these values are constructive. … Prayer, for example, and fasting. Religious values, and also other values. One cannot cancel out a religion because there are some groups, or many groups, at a certain historic moment, of fundamentalists. It is true that there have always been wars between religions throughout history, always. We too must ask forgiveness. … And the Thirty Years War, the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. … We too must ask forgiveness, for fundamentalist extremism and for religious wars”. The Pope's visit to Mexico and other Latin American countries was the theme of the next question. Pope Francis: “I will go to Mexico. First of all, I would like to visit Our Lady, the Mother of America, and so I will go to Mexico City. If it were not for the Virgin of Guadalupe, I would not go to Mexico City, as I would prefer to visit three or four cities that had not been visited by Popes. But I will go to visit Our Lady. Then I will go to Chiapas, in the South, on the border with Guatemala; then I will go to Morelia, and almost certainly, on the way back towards Rome, I will spend a day or less in Ciudad Juarez. With regard to visiting other Latin American countries, I have been invited to go to Aparecida in 2019, the other Patroness of America, for Portuguese speakers. … and from there perhaps I will be able to visit another country – but I do not know, there are no plans”. The final question was from a Kenyan journalist, who asked: “What do you say to the world, which thinks that Africa is simply ravaged by wars and full of destruction?” Pope Francis: “Africa is a victim. Africa has always been exploited by other powers. From Africa, slaves were taken to America, and sold. There are powers that seek only to take the great wealth of Africa. I don't know, it is possibly the richest continent. … But they do not think of how to help countries grow, to promote work, so that everyone has work. … Exploitation! Africa is a martyr. She is a martyr to exploitation in history. Those who say that from Africa is the home of all calamities and all wars do not understand well, perhaps, the damage that humanity has done to certain forms of development. And it is for this reason that I love Africa, because Africa has been a victim of other powers”.
I know Francis may not be flavor of the month in many circles but something compelled me to post this. http://www.churchpop.com/2015/12/03/the-two-things-pope-francis-carries-everywhere-in-his-pockets/
Forgive me but I didn't understand the explanation about the square, could someone please put it into easier words?
Pijon,this is just my opinion for what its worth. Maybe its a folded item of the Stations of the Cross...The Pope says ,"he opens the square like a little book", makes me think its a folded up pictorial of the Stations. He prays all 3 mysteries of the Rosary everyday, even back in Argentina
A recent spate of articles demonstrates that the opposition to Pope Francis is not exactly warming to the idea of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, still less to the pope himself. The more I read the opposition, the more it becomes clear that Cardinal Donald Wuerl, during the synod, was correct when he said of the opposition, “I wonder if some of these people who are speaking, sometimes surreptitiously, sometimes half-way implying, then backing off and then twisting around, I wonder if it is really that they find they just don’t like this pope. I wonder if that isn’t part of it.” Not sure whether to file the following examples of disliking the pope under the sad, funny or tragic categories, but they are all, in their different ways, undermining the pope. First up is Cardinal Raymond Burke’s recent op-ed in the National Catholic Register. The flamboyant cardinal uses the old trick of attacking someone close to the pope, rather than the pope directly, in this instance, Father Antonio Spadaro, S.J. Fr. Spadaro had written that the synod opened a door toward the divorced and remarried. +Burke replies: “The fact is that the synod could not open a door which does not exist and cannot exist, namely, a discernment in conscience which contradicts the truth about the supreme sanctity of the Most Holy Eucharist and the indissolubility of the marriage bond.” Who said anything about “contradicting” the truth? The contradiction – and it is only an apparent one to us poor humans who have more theological work to do – is between “the truth” about marriage and the Eucharist and “the truth” about God’s mercy and, relatedly, “the truth” about the practice of our sister Churches of the East. But, Cardinal Burke expects everyone to use his lens, his weighting of the issues, his sense of what is, and is not, possible. Someone needs to tell him that he was not elected pope in 2013. At Catholic World Report, Carl Olson breathes new life into one of the more consistent criticisms of Francis coming from the right, that he is confusing and his messages are mixed. Oh, and he scolds sometimes too. As I have noted before, if you talk to the simple folk and the poor folk and, even more, anyone who has experienced marginalization, they do not find the pope confusing. Certainly, some on the left over-state what this pope is about just as some on the right read into Francis’ sayings a palpable dread that is not there. But, this happens in every papacy: U.S. neo-cons engaged in a 25 year effort to narrow the Catholic imagination during the pontificate of St. Pope John Paul II. Olson also takes a shot at one of the pope’s collaborators, Archbishop BlaseCupich, misrepresenting what the archbishop said about conscience and putting the worst possible interpretation upon his words. But, then Olson goes straight after the pope, writing of the closing address to the synod: “It was a sort of papal tantrum, quite unbecoming both the office and the man.” The Holy Father’s closing remarks certainly were trenchant, the way Jesus’ challenges to the doctors of the law were trenchant. Olson does not note that the speech was apparently well received in the aula because – guess what – the two-thirds of the synod fathers who don’t read First Things had also had to listen to the minority tell them what they could and could not do for three weeks, how they were quasi-heretics for even thinking there could be a different way of thinking about some issues, and casting aspersions on the process and the personnel of the synod. Speaking of First Things and the narrowing of the Catholic imagination, they published a recent article on “What Really Happened at Synod 2015” that is an excellent example of the genre by George Weigel. Typically, he begins with his throat-clearing attacks on everyone in the media except himself: They simply traffic in gossip but he knows the real deal. I will admit this: Weigel grasps the real deal as explained to him by his sources, but his sources were clearly in the minority at the synod and are among those most opposed to the pope. He repeats the conservative concerns about the synod process and the personnel. He repeats the concerns about the Instumentum laboris. He discerns several “plans” by the Kasperites, although he does not provide any evidence for the existence of such plans and I am guessing no one actually associated with Cardinal Kasper spoke to Weigel for his article. This is just a compilation of conservative fears and talking points pretending to be a report on the synod, in which Weigel’s penchant for narrowing the scope of Catholic theology – and Church teaching - is on full display. And, like Olson, he has a fetish for clarity that bespeaks nothing so much as an unfamiliarity with the actual pastoral challenges posed by modernity. I am not surprised that there is opposition to Pope Francis. I am not surprised that the upcoming Year of Mercy will occasion more of it, just as the opposition to Jesus grew when he dared to preach God’s mercy. There are some wonderful conservatives I know who love this pope and, even if he is challenging them, they are accepting the challenge and stretching. First Things even published a great example of this with a fine essay by David Bentley Hart. What does surprise me is that the tools to mount the opposition are so clumsy and transparent, so obviously drawn from the school of political dirty tricks not ecclesial discussion and discernment, so lacking theological sophistication and reminiscent of a kind of Catholic fundamentalism that is disturbingly un-Catholic. “They just don’t like this pope,” as +Wuerl said.
Vatican issues new document on Christian-Jewish dialogue http://www.news.va/en/news/vatican-issues-new-document-on-christian-jewish-di
