Pope Francis

[grace-land]

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/04/15/pope-francis-orders-overhaul-of-u-s-nuns-to-continue/

Pope Francis orders overhaul of U.S. nuns to continue
Apr 15, 2013

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Nearly a year after the Vatican announced a makeover of the largest umbrella group for American nuns, Pope Francis has directed that the overhaul of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious continue.

The decision, while not entirely unexpected, could nonetheless bring an end to Francis’  honeymoon with the many American Catholics who had viewed the crackdown on nuns as heavy-handed and unnecessary.

Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, who heads the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, met on Monday (April 15) with the LCWR’s leadership for the first time since Francis’ election on March 13.

According to a Vatican statement, during a recent discussion of the case with Mueller, Francis “reaffirmed the findings” of the Vatican investigation and the “program of reform” for LCWR that was announced on April 18, 2012.

In what was seen as one of the defining acts of Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy, the Vatican’s doctrinal office issued a “doctrinal assessment” that criticized the LCWR for not speaking out strongly enough against gay marriage, abortion and women’s ordination.
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[grace-land]

http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-francis-reaffirms-lcwr-critique-plan-reform

Pope Francis reaffirms critique of LCWR, plan for reform
Apr. 15, 2013

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Notice of Monday's meeting could reawaken a divide between members of the Vatican bureaucracy over how to handle the sisters' group.

While the doctrinal congregation may be taking a hard-line approach, the Vatican congregation responsible for overseeing the work of religious orders around the world recently has taken a more sensitive tack, even indicating it sought dialogue with the sisters.

The April 6 appointment of Franciscan Fr. José Rodríguez Carballo as the second-in-command of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Pope Francis' first appointment to the Vatican bureaucracy, seemed to approve the softer approach: Rodríguez's colleagues said he is someone who seeks collaboration rather than conflict.

The religious congregation previously launched a separate investigation of U.S. sisters in 2009. Known as an "apostolic visitation," it examined individual orders of U.S. Catholic sisters. That investigation began under Cardinal Franc Rodé, the religious congregation's former leader. Brazilian Cardinal João Braz de Aviz replaced Rodé in 2011.

The last official statement from any party regarding the LCWR revision came after a Nov. 11 meeting between four LCWR leaders and the three U.S. bishops.

As part of Sartain's mandate of revision for the group, he has power over five areas, including review of its "plans and programs," which could affect LCWR's annual assembly in August.

Sartain's powers include:
• revising LCWR statutes;
• creating new programs for the organization;
• reviewing and offering guidance on the application of liturgical texts; and
• reviewing LCWR's affiliations with other organizations, including the political lobby group NETWORK and the Resource Center for Religious Institutes.

LCWR has already announced some plans for its August assembly, including the presentation of an award to Franciscan Sr. Pat Farrell, the group's immediate past president who was its leader during release of the Vatican critique in April 2012 and who helped steer the group's response.

When contacted April 4 about Farrell's award, a representative for Sartain said the archbishop was "currently unavailable for comment" on the matter or on his involvement in the sisters' group's planning or giving of awards.

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/16/portrait_of_pope-emeritus_benedict_xvi_unveiled_on_his_birthday/en1-683225

2013-04-16 11:33:08
Portrait of Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI unveiled on his birthday



(Vatican Radio) Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI is celebrating his 86th birthday on Tuesday. The German Embassy to the Holy See will be hosting a party which will unveil a new portrait of the former pontiff painted by German artist Michael Triegel, who is known as “Papstmaler”, or “Pope Painter”. The painting is on permanent loan to the Embassy.  ::snipping2::
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Happy 86th Birthday, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI 

Video at link

http://www.romereports.com/palio/benedict-xvi-turns-86-years-old-first-birthday-as-pope-emeritus-english-9778.html#.UW2JvL4o7IV

April 15, 2013. (Romereports.com) One more candle on the birthday cake for Benedict XVI, and for the first time as Pope emeritus. He celebrates his 86th birthday in the intimacy of Castel Gandolfo. Eight years ago, on April 16, 2005, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger turned 78 just two days before the start of of the conclave where he was elected Pope. 


During his pontificate, he celebrated seven birthdays with two concerts and Bavarian folk dances, but always working. In fact, in 2006, his first year as Pope, his birthday coincided with the Easter Sunday, where he asked for peace in Africa, Iraq, Israel and Palestine.

In  2007, Benedict XVI celebrated his 80 years at the tune of classical music. The Stuttgart Radio Symphonic Orchestra from Germany performed a concert for him at Paul VI Hall.

BENEDICT XVI
“At the end of this stupendous concert, which the Radio Symphonic Orchestra of Stuttgart gave us and elevated our spirits, I wish above all to greet all of you very cordially.”

One year later, in 2008 he packed his bags for the United States. In the morning of his birthday he met with President George W. Bush at the White House, and in the afternoon, with American bishops at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
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[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/16/pope_francis:_best_wishes_for_benedict_xvi_on_his_birthday_/en1-683296

2013-04-16 13:46:57
Pope Francis: Best wishes for Benedict XVI on his birthday

On the occasion of Benedict XVI’s 86th birthday, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, began the celebration of Mass in the chapel of the Domus Santa Maria by inviting all present to pray for the pope emeritus. “Today is the birthday of Benedict XVI. Let us offer Mass for him, that the Lord might be with him, comfort him, and give him much consolation.”

Later in the morning, Pope Francis called Benedict to offer him “best wishes” on his birthday.  ::snipping2::

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/16/pope:_2nd_vatican_council,_work_of_holy_spirit_but_some_want_to_tur/en1-683419

2013-04-16 15:56:12
Pope: 2nd Vatican Council, work of Holy Spirit but some want to turn back the clock.

Pope Francis said the Holy Spirit pushes people and the Church forward but we resist this and do not want to change. His remarks came during his homily at the Mass on Tuesday morning celebrated at the Santa Marta residence which was dedicated to Benedict XVI in honour of his 86th birthday. Susy Hodges reports: RealAudioMP3

Text follows:
Pope Francis dedicated Tuesday's mass to Benedict XVI 16th who turned 86 on this date. “May the Love be with him, comfort him and gave him much consolation,” he said.

Pope Francis’ homily at the mass was centred on the theme of the Holy Spirit and our resistance to it. It took its inspiration from the first reading of the day which was the story of the martyrdom of St. Stephen who described his accusers as stubborn people who were always resisting the Holy Spirit.
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[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/17/pope_francis:_mass_with_ior_employees/en1-683761

2013-04-17 14:35:14
Pope Francis: Mass with IOR employees

(Vatican Radio) The power of Baptism urges Christians proclaim Christ courageously and without reserve: this was the focus of Pope Francis’s homily on Wednesday morning in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, with employees of the Institute for the Works of Religion – commonly called the Vatican Bank. The Pope's homily was inspired by the Acts of the Apostles, in which we read of how the first Christian community in Jerusalem suffered severe persecution in the wake of the martyrdom of St. Stephen. He spoke of the many faithful, who fled in Judea and Samaria, and there began to proclaim the Gospel, even though they were alone, without priests, because the Apostles were in Jerusalem: Listen: RealAudioMP3
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[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/17/audience:_jesus,_the_only_and_eternal_priest/en1-683607

2013-04-17 10:58:56
Audience: Jesus, the only and eternal Priest

(Vatican Radio) Below we publish a Vatican Radio transcript and translation of Pope Francis’ Wednesday audience Catechesis:

Emer McCarthy reports Listen: RealAudioMP3

Dear brothers and sisters,

in the Creed, we find the affirmation that Jesus "ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father." The earthly life of Jesus culminates in the event of the Ascension, that is, when he passes from this world to the Father, and is lifted up to His right hand side. What is the significance of this event? What are the consequences for our lives? What does it mean to contemplate Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father? Let us be guided by the Evangelist Luke.
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[grace-land]

Video at link

http://www.romereports.com/palio/saudi-king-sends-message-for-pope-francis-through-ambassador-english-9802.html#.UW9MRb4o7IV

Saudi King sends message for Pope Francis through ambassador
2013-04-17 17:20:59

April 17, 2013. (Romereports.com) The ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Italy, Salh Mohammad Al Ghandi, delivered a message from King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud to Pope Francis. Saudi Arabia is one of the eight countries without diplomatic ties with the Vatican.
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[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/18/pope:_our_small_daily_encounters_with_christ/en1-684118

2013-04-18 13:39:28
Pope: Our small daily encounters with Christ

(Vatican Radio) Faith is a gift that begins in our encounter with Jesus, a real, tangible person and not an intangible essence, ‘mist’ or 'spray'. Our real encounter with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit was the focus of Pope Francis Thursday morning celebrated with the Italian State Police who serve the Vatican area.

The Pope drew inspiration for his homily from the Gospel of John in which Jesus tells the crowd that "he who believes has eternal life". He says the passage is an opportunity for us to examine our conscience. He noted that very often people say they generally believe in God. "But who is this God you believe in?" asked Pope Francis confronting the evanescence of certain beliefs with the reality of a true faith:
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[grace-land]

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/pope-francis-book-heaven/2013/04/18/id/500175

New Book Reveals Pope Francis’ Thoughts on Abortion, Poverty, Satan
Thursday, 18 Apr 2013 01:03 PM

A new book on a variety of hot topics containing the thoughts of Pope Francis when he was a cardinal appears in English language bookstores on Friday.

The book, called “On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family, and the Church in the Twenty-First Century,” was originally published in Spanish in 2010. It is the text of a conversation between the Pope – then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio and archbishop of Buenos Aires – and Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka.

It is divided into 29 chapters according to topic, and includes frank discussions on same-sex marriage, globalization, euthanasia, fundamentalism, and many other subjects in the news.

An early theme concerns the devil — a subject Pope Francis has frequently raised since his election March 13.
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[grace-land]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/pope-francis-redirects-employee-bonuses-to-charity/2013/04/18/56a472ce-a85a-11e2-9e1c-bb0fb0c2edd9_story.html

Pope Francis redirects employee bonuses to charity
Updated: Thursday, April 18, 2:01 PM 

VATICAN CITY — Vatican employees won’t receive the special bonus they are traditionally awarded when a new pope is elected, the Vatican confirmed on Thursday (April 18), under orders from Pope Francis to give extra money to charity instead.

“On account of the difficult situation of the general economy, it seemed neither possible nor opportune to burden Vatican institutions with a considerable unforeseen extraordinary expense,” the Vatican’s chief spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said in an emailed statement.

In place of the employees’ bonus, Pope Francis ordered Vatican officials to make a donation to some “charitable organizations.”

The money will be drawn from the pontiff’s personal charity budget “as a sign of the church’s attention for the many people who are suffering” from the global economic slowdown, Lombardi said.

In 2005, some 4,000 Vatican employees received a 1,000 euro bonus ($1,300) upon the death of Pope John Paul II, and another 500 euros ($650) upon the election of his successor, Benedict XVI.
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[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/19/pope_francis:_mass_with_vatican_printers,_losservatore_romano/en1-684456

2013-04-19 13:14:46
Pope Francis: Mass with Vatican printers, L'Osservatore Romano

(Vatican Radio) The Word of God is to be welcomed with humility because it is the word of love: thus – and only thus – may it penetrate hearts and change lives. This was the essence of the remarks Pope Francis made at Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae chapel on Friday morning, in the presence of employees and staff members from the Vatican Typography – the printing press – and the L'Osservatore Romano newspaper. Listen: RealAudioMP3

The Conversion of St. Paul and the discourse of Jesus in the synagogue of Capernaum were the biblical readings of the day, and were at the centre of the Pope’s homily, which focused on Jesus as He speaks: speaking to Saul who had been persecuting Him; to Ananias, called to accept Saul; to the teachers of the law, saying that anyone who does not eat His flesh and drink His blood will not be saved. The Pope said Jesus’ voice, “passes through our mind and goes to the heart, for Jesus seeks our conversion.” Paul and Ananias respond with puzzlement, but with an open heart. The teachers of the law respond in another way, arguing among themselves and challenging the hard words of Jesus:
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[grace-land]

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/459259/20130419/pope-francis-hitlers-open-vatican-files.htm

Pope Francis Could Open Vatican Files on ‘Hitler’s Pope’
April 19, 2013 3:33 PM GMT

Questioned raised about 'Hitler's Pope' Pius XII about his role during the 30s and 40s could be answered if Pope Francis opens the Vatican's archives.

Rabbi Abraham Skorka, a friend of the current Pontiff for the past 20 years, says he has had a discussion with Pope Francis about the actions of Pius XII - the man long dubbed 'Hitler's Pope'.

Pope Piu has been accused of co-operating with Adolf Hitler and the fascist Italian regime during World War II. He has also been criticised for remaining silent about the Holocaust during his reign which began in 1939.

These suspicions have been heightened as the Vatican has refused to give scholars access to the archives from his reign.

However, there is also evidence which suggests that Pius helped save around 200,000 Jews by arranging an exodus from Germany in the 1930s.

Speaking to The Tablet, Skorka has now said the Argentine former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio could be willing to open the files on Pius in order to fully clarify 'Hitler's Pope' actions during WWII.

He said: "It's a terribly sensitive issue, but he says that it must be investigated thoroughly.

"I have no doubt that he will move to open the archives."

Francis previously called for opening the Vatican archives when he was a cardinal in Argentina, saying it would be necessary to investigate Pius, according to The Jewish Week.

Before he retired from the conclave, Pope Benedict XVI praised Pius's "heroic virtues", moving him one step closer to sainthood.
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[grace-land]

Rebel? 

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2013/04/19/catholic-rebel-group-criticises-pope-franciss-focus-on-service-to-poor/

Catholic rebel group criticises Pope Francis’s focus on service to poor
April 19, 2013

A rebel Catholic group at the heart of major controversies that plagued former Pope Benedict has begun criticising his successor Pope Francis for the popular approach he has taken since his election last month.

In a letter to supporters this week, the head of the ultra- traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) asked whether the new pontiff’s focus on serving people could be only “man-centred philanthropy” rather than true religious leadership.

Bishop Bernard Fellay’s sharp criticisms of the Vatican attracted attention during Benedict’s papacy because the now retired head of the Roman Catholic Church wanted to reintegrate the once-excommunicated group fully into the Roman fold.
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[Sister]

Thanks for all these updates grace-land.  His honeymoon was rather short.  Bless his heart.

[grace-land]

Thanks for all these updates grace-land.  His honeymoon was rather short.  Bless his heart.

You're welcome, Sister.  Surprisingly, it was rather short.  Many of the issues that have appeared in articles are not new; he will probably bring his faith, humility, experience and personality in a loving and informal way to discuss and possible resolve them--but it will take time.

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/20/pope_francis_speaks_about_lukewarm_christians/en1-684817

2013-04-20 13:18:10
Pope Francis speaks about lukewarm Christians

(Vatican Radio) Lukewarm Christians are those who want to build a church to their own specifications, but it is not the Church of Jesus: this is what Pope Francis said today during a Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae. Present at the Mass were volunteers from the pediatric dispensary "Santa Marta" in the Vatican, entrusted to the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, who for 90 years have supported children and families in need in Rome without distinction of religion or nationality. Listen RealAudioMP3

The first Christian community, after the persecution, lives a moment of peace, it is united, it walks and grows "in the fear of the Lord and with the comfort of the Holy Spirit": This was the Pope’s comment following the reading from the Acts of the Apostles. It is this very air in which the Church lives and breathes, called to walk in the presence of God in an irreproachable manner:
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[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/20/un_nuncio_speaks_at_open_debate_on_sexual_violence_in_armed_conflict/en1-684680

2013-04-20 08:46:53
UN Nuncio speaks at open debate on sexual violence in armed conflict

(Vatican Radio) Below is a Statement by H.E. Francis A. Chullikatt, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent ******* of the Holy See to the United Nations, in the Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security.
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[Sister]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/20/pope_francis_speaks_about_lukewarm_christians/en1-684817

2013-04-20 13:18:10
Pope Francis speaks about lukewarm Christians

(Vatican Radio) Lukewarm Christians are those who want to build a church to their own specifications, but it is not the Church of Jesus: this is what Pope Francis said today during a Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae. Present at the Mass were volunteers from the pediatric dispensary "Santa Marta" in the Vatican, entrusted to the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, who for 90 years have supported children and families in need in Rome without distinction of religion or nationality. Listen RealAudioMP3

The first Christian community, after the persecution, lives a moment of peace, it is united, it walks and grows "in the fear of the Lord and with the comfort of the Holy Spirit": This was the Pope’s comment following the reading from the Acts of the Apostles. It is this very air in which the Church lives and breathes, called to walk in the presence of God in an irreproachable manner:
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Ah yes, the lukewarm Christians who try and build their own churches -- not limited to the Catholic church!
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/21/pope:_be_merciful_pastors,_not_functionaries/en1-685097

2013-04-21 13:33:26
Pope: Be merciful pastors, not functionaries

(Vatican Radio) On the 50th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis ordained ten men to the priesthood for the diocese of Rome at Sunday Mass in St Peter’s basilica, mandating them to ‘build the house of God, which is the Church, in word and example’. Emer McCarthy reports listen: RealAudioMP3

The ten men ranging in age from 26 to 44, were drawn from the Diocesann major seminary, the Neocatechumenal Way seminary for the diocese, Redemptoris Mater and the Oblates of Divino Amore seminary.

Ahead of the beginning of the liturgy, the Holy Father surprised the then still candidates to the priesthood by joining them in the basilica sacristy. Continuing on a tradition he had begun as Archbishop of Buenos Aires he spent a moment in prayer with each of them before commending them and their ministry to the Blessed Virgin.
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