Pope Francis prays for success of Ordinariate’s Exploration Day (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has said he is praying for the success of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham's forthcoming "Called To Be One" exploration day, which it has planned with the aim of increasing understanding of the Ordinariate's purpose and reaching out to those who may feel called to join it. The endorsement was delivered in a letter from the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, to Monsignor Keith Newton, the Ordinary of the Ordinariate. The full text of Archbishop Mennini's letter reads as follows: "At the request of the Secretariat of State, I have been asked to inform you that the Holy Father Francis, on learning of the national day of exploration entitled "Called to be One", organised by the various Groups of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and due to take place on Saturday 6 September 2014, wishes to convey his good wishes and prayers for a successful and inspiring event. The Holy Father cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing upon all those persons who are participating in this significant event and working in any way for the promotion and presentation of the Catholic Faith and the Gospel in Great Britain". The Ordinariate was set up by Pope Benedict in 2011 to make it possible for Anglicans who wish to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church to do so, bringing with them much of the heritage and traditions of Anglicanism. Pope Benedict described these as "treasures to be shared". On the exploration day, each of the 50 or so Ordinariate groups across the country will host a different event, with the common theme of the vision for Christian unity which is at the heart of the Ordinariate.
So much can happen between now and then, but I'm thrilled that Pope Francis is planning to visit the US next Seotember (2015). I hope he comes to New York! http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/25/us/pope-visit/index.html?hpt=us_c2
Pope Francis in Caserta: "Say No to corruption and lawlessness" 2014-07-27 (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday evening called the people of Caserta to have the courage “to say no to corruption and lawlessness” during an afternoon visit to the city, located in the Campania region of southern Italy. He celebrated Mass the Square in front of the Royal Palace of Caserta, which used to a residence of the King of Naples. In his homily, Pope Francis said to inherit the Kingdom of God, Christians must put God first in their lives. He said the presence of Jesus "transforms our lives and makes us sensitive to the needs of our brothers; a presence that invites us to accept every other presence, including that of foreigners and immigrants.” “Giving primacy to God means having the courage to say no to evil, violence, oppression; to live a life of service to others and in favor of lawfulness and the common good,” said Pope Francis. The Holy Father said when someone finds God – “the true treasure” – he leaves behind selfishness and seeks to share the love of God with others. “He who becomes a friend of God, loves his brothers, is committed to safeguarding their lives and well-being, and also respects the environment and nature,” said Pope Francis, noting this was particularly important in the beautiful area of Campania, which he said needs to be “protected and preserved”. The Pope said this requires everyone to be “servants of the truth” and live a life inspired by the Gospel, which “is manifested in the gift of self and with attention to the poor and excluded.”
Pope appeals for peace in Middle East, Iraq and Ukraine (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday made another urgent appeal for an end to the conflicts in the Middle East, in Iraq and in Ukraine. Speaking after his regular Angleus address to thousands of people gathered in a hot and sunny St Peter’s Square, the Pope spoke of the victims of war, in particular the children who die or are injured and orphaned by the violence… “….bambini morti, bambini feriti, bambini mutilate….” I think especially, the Pope said, of the children whose hopes for a dignified future are taken from them, dead children, injured and mutilated children, orphans and children who have bits of weapons as toys, children who don’t know how to smile. Please stop, the Pope pleaded, I ask you with all my heart….. “…..Ve lo chiedo con tutto il cuore….Fermatevi, per favore!” Pope Francis urged all those listening to his words to continue joining him in prayer that God might grant to the peoples and leaders in the Middle East, in Iraq and in Ukraine the wisdom and strength to pursue the path of peace with determination and to face each dispute with the force of dialogue and reconciliation. Every decision, he said, must not be based on particular interests but on the common good and on respect for each person. Remember, the Pope said, that all is lost with war and nothing is lost with peace. Pope Francis also noted that Monday marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First Word War which caused millions of victims and vast destruction. This conflict, he said, which the Pope of that time, Benedict XV, called a "senseless slaughter", resulted, after four long years, in a very fragile peace. Tomorrow, the Pope said, as we remember this tragic event, I hope that the mistakes of the past won’t be repeated, but that the lessons of history will be taken into account, so that peace always prevails through patient and courageous dialogue. Before reciting the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from St Matthew which tells the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven as a mustard seed, a hidden treasure or a pearl of great price. Those who come to know Jesus, by reading the Bible, he said, understand that the Kingdom of Heaven is indeed the greatest treasure which changes lives and gives meaning to everything we do. Urging his listeners to always keep a portable copy of the Gospels with them and read from it each day, the Pope said the joy of a Christian who has discovered this treasure is evident as each word and each gesture will show forth the love that God has given us through his son, Jesus Christ.
Pope Francis sends golden rose to Our Lady of Guadalupe Mexico City, Mexico, Nov 22, 2013 / 02:10 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, presented a golden rose from Pope Francis to Our Lady of Guadalupe, calling the rose a sign of love, gratitude and enthusiasm. “Our hearts more than our heads know the debt of love we owe you,” the cardinal said to the Blessed Mother. “This is why we beg you to receive from us a special gesture of grateful love.” He prayed that the rose remind the Virgin Mary of “the gold, frankincense, and myrrh offered by the magi who once hastened to the manger to adore the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” Cardinal Ouellet presented the golden rose Nov. 18 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City as part of the “Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization” conference, led by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and co-sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, the Guadalupe basilica and the Institute of Higher Guadalupan Studies. The cardinal led the congregation in a reflection and heartfelt prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe before the presentation of the golden rose to the Virgin Mary, whose 500-year-old image is imprinted on the tilma of St. Juan Diego. “May our unity and ardor in evangelization be eloquent signs of our living faith, in this Year of Faith when the whole Church rejoices to celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death, the victory of love over hatred and ingratitude,” he said. “May our faith be creative and conquering!” the cardinal exhorted, stressing the need for a renewal in faith. “Let us ask God together, you our Mother and we with you as a single family, to increase, purify and strengthen our faith, to make it more courageous and radiant, so that the world may believe in the name of Jesus, the Son of the living God, our sole and unique Savior,” he said. He praised Mary’s famous response to the greeting of her cousin Elizabeth, the Magnificat, saying her prayer “does not cease to glorify God from age to age for his goodness and his mercy.” “Compassionate and fruitful Mother, we owe to your loving presence in each community the fidelity of this continent to its Christian vocation. Your maternal love knows no boundaries, but you have watched over the Americas in a particular way.” Cardinal Ouellet asked the Virgin Mary to help Catholics convert their hearts and spread the Gospel. “We beg you to visit us again to illumine the path of evangelization in our age, which is so forgetful of God, for you are the living memory of his graces, the pole-star in the heaven of his wonders,” he said. “Every one of your visits to our heart is an invitation to conversion, an incitement to live a more ardent charity toward all, but especially toward those who are suffering the most, those whom your son has privileged and whom he asks us to love without calculation or conditions.” Cardinal Ouellet also voiced thanks that Pope Francis, the first Pope from the Americas, is “so zealously reviving evangelization among the poor.” “Let us pray that he be loved and heard!” he said, asking that those who listened to the Pope’s July message at World Youth Day in Brazil remember the pontiff’s words and “commit themselves resolutely with Francis in the revolution of love.” He further prayed that Our Lady of Guadalupe help the bishops of the Americas to listen to her message “with the same emotion” as “all the evangelizing saints who walked the same paths before us.” “Blessed be God for your presence among us in this great holy house built by your care, Mother of the Church in the Americas,” the cardinal’s prayer concluded. “My soul magnifies the Lord!” http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-sends-golden-rose-to-our-lady-of-guadalupe/
Pope: Stop the war, enough is enough! http://www.romereports.com/pg157821-pope-stop-the-war-enough-is-enough--en
Pope Francis gets rock star treatment at evangelical church http://www.romereports.com/pg157828-pope-francis-gets-rock-star-treatment-at-evangelical-church-en
Vatican releases Pope's travel dates for visit to Sri Lanka and the Philippines http://www.romereports.com/pg157835...for-visit-to-sri-lanka-and-the-philippines-en
Pope’s August prayers to focus on refugees fleeing violence. http://www.news.va/en/news/popes-august-prayers-to-focus-on-refugees-fleeing
Francis is the first Jesuit Pope... but St. Ignatius of Loyola was the first Jesuit http://www.romereports.com/pg157847...st-ignatius-of-loyola-was-the-first-jesuit-en
Papal intentions for August: Refugees and Christians in Oceania http://www.romereports.com/pg157857...-august-refugees-and-christians-in-oceania-en
Pope Francis celebrates Feast of Saint Ignatius with Jesuits (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated the Feast of Saint Ignatius on Thursday by making a surprise visit for dinner at the Jesuit General Curia, which is located on the Borgo Santa Spirito just outside of Vatican City. Pope Francis arrived in his Ford Focus, and greeted several passers-by outside the front door of the offices of the Jesuit Curia before going inside. According to a statement issued by the Jesuits, the visit was wholly private, and quite simple. The Pope joined the community for the meal in the refectory, then in the recreation room for coffee, for friendly conversation, and to greet each person personally. The statement also said the seven brothers and sisters of Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, the Jesuit kidnapped in Syria one year ago, were guests at the meal. Pope Francis consoled them with words of comfort. Also at the meal were a group of Jesuit scholastics belonging to EJIF (European Jesuits in Formation). They are in Rome for a few weeks for their annual gathering at the Jesuit General Curia. Photos published on the Jesuit’s website show Pope Francis touring the facility, and praying in the chapel. After the meal, Pope Francis left through the Curia’s back-garden. Last year, Pope Francis marked the feast of St. Ignatius by celebrating Mass with the Jesuits at the Church of the Gesù, the mother church of the order.
Pope: When you see the poor, do you look the other way? http://www.romereports.com/pg157879-pope-when-you-see-the-poor-do-you-look-the-other-way-en
Hello, This is the Pope...Francis Calls Carmelite Monastery http://www.romereports.com/pg157883-hello-this-is-the-pope-francis-calls-carmelite-monastery-en
Pope at Angelus: compassion, generosity, gratitude http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-angelus-compassion-generosity-gratitude
The Story Behind the Feast Day of St. Mary Major and why it's important to Pope Francis http://www.romereports.com/pg157894...jor-and-why-it-s-important-to-pope-francis-en
Pope to Youths: Don't let technology distract you from what's really important http://www.romereports.com/pg157904...-distract-you-from-what-s-really-important-en
Pope's General Audience: Don't forget to pray the Beatitudes http://www.romereports.com/pg157903-pope-s-general-audience-don-t-forget-to-pray-the-beatitudes-en
