Pope Francis

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/03/31/pope_francis:_salesians:_reach_marginalized_youth/en1-786399

2014-03-31 12:54:53
Pope Francis: Salesians: Reach marginalized youth



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday met with members of the 27th General Chapter of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The theme of the chapter is “Witnesses to the Radical Approach of the Gospel.”

In his address, the Holy Father said the Holy Spirit would assist the religious institute to understand the expectations and challenges of our time, especially those of the young people whose formation is the basis of the congregation’s main apostolate.

Pope Francis told the Salesians the evangelization of young people is closely connected with education, and he encouraged them in their efforts to respond to the current educational crisis, while always remembering the “Preventive System” of St. John Bosco, which is based on kindness and friendship with pupils.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/03/31/pope_francis:_dont_be_tourists_on_the_spiritual_journey_of_faith/en1-786398

2014-03-31 13:57:45 
Pope Francis: don't be 'tourists' on the spiritual journey of faith

(Vatican Radio) Where are you on your spiritual journey? Are you wandering aimlessly like a tourist? Have you stopped or lost your way? Or are you heading straight for your destination? Those questions were at the heart of Pope Francis’ reflections during his homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Monday morning.
Philippa Hitchen reports: RealAudioMP3

Reflecting on the day’s readings from Isaiah and St John’s Gospel Pope Francis distinguished between three different types of Christians and how they live their spiritual lives. Before God asks anything of us, the Pope said, He always promises us a new life of joy, so the essence of our Christian life is always to journey in hope and trust towards those promises.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/01/pope_francis:_homily_at_santa_marta_focuses_on_sins_of_sloth,/en1-786742

2014-04-01 13:47:07
Pope Francis: homily at Santa Marta focuses on sins of sloth, hypocrisy

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Mass on Tuesday morning in the chapel of the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta guesthouse. In his remarks following the readings of the day, the Holy Father focused on the need for Christians to be really committed to discipleship, and prepared to take risks for the cause of the Gospel.

Concentrating on the passage proclaimed at the Gospel reading of the day, in which Jesus heals a paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda on a Sabbath day, Pope Francis addressed both the spiritual malaise of the sick man, whom he healed, and of the Pharisees, who began to persecute and plot against Him because he healed the man on the Sabbath:

“I think of many Christians, of many Catholics: yes, they are Catholics, but without enthusiasm, even embittered. 'Yes, life is what it is, but the Church – I go to Mass every Sunday, but better not get mixed up in things – I have faith for my health, I do not feel the need to give it to another...’. Each in his own house, the quiet life: but, you do something and then they criticize you: ‘No, leave it alone [It. è meglio così], don’t chance it.’ This is the disease of sloth, the acedia of Christians. This attitude that is crippling the apostolic zeal, which makes Christian people stand still and at ease, but not in the good sense of the word: they do not bother to go out to proclaim the Gospel! They are anesthetized.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/01/pope_francis_meets_with_curial_department_heads/en1-786811

2014-04-01 15:40:37
Pope Francis meets with Curial Department heads

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis presided over a meeting of the heads of the Roman curial departments on Tuesday morning.

A statement from the Press Office of the Holy See explains that the purpose of the meeting was to share responses to the Holy Father’s Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, and to discuss ideas for implementing the document in the different dicasteries and throughout the Roman Curia.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/01/vatican_radio_presents_digital_archive_of_popes_voices/en1-786815

2014-04-01 15:55:03
Vatican Radio presents digital archive of Popes' voices



(Vatican Radio) Entitled “The Voice of the Popes,” a digital archive containing over 8000 audio recordings featuring the voice of all the Popes from Pius XI through to Francis was unveiled at Vatican Radio on Tuesday. The presentation comes in the run-up to the canonization ceremony for Popes John XXIII and John Paul II on April 27th.
Listen to the report by Susy Hodges whose text is reproduced below: RealAudioMP3

"Vatican Radio’s sound archives date from 1931 when the radio was set up by Pope Pius the 11th and they include the voices of every Pope since then. The digital archive was compiled using audio sources that ranged from old 78 records, magnetic tape, to CDs and includes sound from over 23,000 different events.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/01/canonizations:_a_festival_of_holiness/en1-786607

2014-04-01 07:45:35
Canonizations: A festival of holiness



(Vatican Radio) A youth gathering on April 22 at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran and a prayer vigil in all of Rome’s parishes on the eve of the highly anticipated canonizations Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. These are two of the major events leading up to the April 27 canonizations of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II.

At a press conference held at the Vatican Monday, the Holy See unveiled some of the events in view of the April 27 canonizations of these much loved Popes. The upcoming canonizations were described as “a true festival of faith” and a “festival of holiness”.
 
Several media projects have also been set up for the event, namely a website -- – and a twitter account -- @2popesaints. A Facebook and YouTube account will be set up. And an app – Santo Subito – will also be up and running in the coming days.

Father Federico Lombardi told reporters that the Vatican does not know the number of faithful who will attend the canonization and repeated that tickets are not necessary for the event, which will be held in St. Peter’s Square.

However, about 1,000 clerics, including cardinals, bishops and priests will concelebrate. About 700 priests will distribute Communion in the square. He told reporters the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, may attend, though his presence will depend on how the retired pontiff is feeling in more than one month’s time from now.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/02/audience:_marriage,_the_heart_of_god’s_loving_plan_for_humanity/en1-786994

2014-04-02 11:37:26
Audience: Marriage, the heart of God’s loving plan for humanity

(Vatican Radio) Married couples should never let the sun set on an argument; instead they must make peace by remembering to always say 'please,' 'thank you,' and 'sorry.' This was Pope Francis’ advice to husbands and wives Wednesday as he concluded his general audience catechesis on the Sacrament of Marriage. Emer McCarthy reports: RealAudioMP3

As has become tradition, the Pope toured among the cheering crowds in his open topped jeep, alighting to greet a group of children who were vigorously waving flags and banners in greeting. In his general comments in Italian, Pope Francis said: “When a man and a woman celebrate the sacrament of marriage, God, so to speak, is ‘mirrored’ in them, He marks them with His features and the indelible character of His love.”

Even God “is a communion of the three persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who live forever and are forever in perfect unity. And this is the mystery of marriage: God makes one existence of the two spouses — the Bible says ‘one flesh’ — in the image of His love, in a communion which draws its origin and its strength from God.”
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/03/pope_at_mass:_the_power_of_real_prayer/en1-787339

2014-04-03 11:09:12
Pope at Mass: The power of real prayer

(Vatican Radio) The dialogue between God on Moses Mount Sinai contained in the first reading of the daily liturgy was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily at Thursday morning Mass in Casa Santa Marta. God wants to punish His people because they have created an idol, the golden calf. Emer McCarthy reports:

Moses prays to the Lord to think again. Pope Francis said “this prayer is a real struggle with God. A struggle [on the part of ] the leader of a people to save his people, who are the people of God . Moses speaks freely in front of the Lord and in doing so teaches us how to pray without fear, freely, even with insistence. Moses insists. He is courageous. Prayer must also be a "negotiation with God", to which we bring our "arguments". Moses eventually convinces God and the reading says that "the Lord repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to His people". "But – the Pope asked - who changed here? Has the Lord changed? I think not".

"Moses is the one who has changed, because Moses believed that the Lord would do this, he believed that the Lord would have destroyed the people and he searches, he tries to remember, how good the Lord has been to His people, how he led them from slavery in Egypt and guided them with a promise. With these arguments, he tries to convince God, but in doing so, he rediscovers the memory of his people, and God's mercy. This Moses, who was afraid, afraid that God would do this thing, in the end comes down from the mountain with a something great in his heart: Our God is merciful. He knows how to forgive. He can go back on His decisions. He is a Father".

Moses knew all of this - Pope Francis observes - "but he vaguely knew it. Instead he rediscovers it in prayer. This is what prayer does to us: it changes our heart".

"Prayer changes us our heart. It helps us better understand our God. This is why it is important to speak with the Lord, not with empty words - Jesus says: 'As pagans do'. No, no, talk with [Him about] reality: ‘Look , Lord, I have this problem, in my family, with my child, with this, with that ... What can you do? You cannot leave me like this!'. This is prayer! Does this prayer take a long time? Yes, it takes time".
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/03/pope_francis_and_queen_elizabeth_ii:_shared_christian_heritage/en1-787579

2014-04-03 18:19:40
Pope Francis and Queen Elizabeth II: shared Christian heritage



(Vatican Radio) A focus on the shared roots of Christian faith was a theme which emerged from the meeting Pope Francis had with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip on Thursday afternoon. Also attending the private encounter in a small study beside the Paul VI hall was Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, former archbishop of Westminster and the first Catholic bishop to preach for the Royal Family since the Church of England broke from Rome in the 16th century.
Philippa Hitchen was following the encounter.....

It was a far cry from the first time Princess Elizabeth met with a Pope, Pius XII, in 1951, the year before she became queen. On that occasion, and her meeting a few years later with Pope John XXIII, she was dressed in full length black with a long veil. Even her more recent meetings with Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XII have been quite formal affairs, but on this occasion, Buckingham Palace had requested a relaxed, informal encounter to follow on from her luncheon with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. It seems it was such a good lunch that the royal couple arrived almost a quarter of an hour late in the Vatican and as she shook hands with the Pope Francis, the Queen apologized for keeping him waiting. Together with the Duke of Edinburgh, and accompanied by the Cardinal and papal translator, the two leaders spent almost 20 minutes in private conversation before posing for photographs and exchanging some rather unusual gifts.

The Queen had brought a large hamper stuffed with goodies from her royal estates: honey from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, venison, beef and some best bitter from Windsor Castle, cider, apple juice and a selection of chutneys from Sandringham and some shortbread and whiskey from the Balmoral estate in Scotland. She also gave the Pope a couple of signed photographs in silver frames, saying with a wry smile, “I’m afraid you have to have a photograph – it’s inevitable!”

Pope Francis also had a rather personal gift for the Queen – or rather for her newest great-grandson and third in line for the throne, the eight-month-old Prince George. It was a blue, lapis lazuli orb, topped with a cross of St Edward the Confessor and around the base a dedication reading ‘Pope Francis to His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge’. The Queen seemed visibly delighted, exclaiming, “that’s very nice, he’ll be thrilled with that…when he’s a little older.”
The Pope also presented the Queen with a replica of a decree from the Vatican archives, dating from 1679, by which Pope Innocent XI extended the veneration of St Edward the Confessor to the Universal Church, establishing his feast day on October 9th
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/03/pope_francis_canonizes_new_saints/en1-787491

2014-04-03 15:38:39
Pope Francis canonizes new Saints

(Vatican Radio) This morning the Holy Father Francis received in audience Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, during which he extended the liturgical cult of the following blesseds to the universal Church, inscribing them in the book of Saints:
-Francois de Laval, French bishop of Quebec, Canada (1623-1708).
-Jose de Anchieta, Spanish priest of the Society of Jesus (1534-1597).
-Maria de la Encarnacion (nee Marie Guyart), French (1599-1672).The new Saints were raised to the altars by a process called “equivalent canonization.” In such cases, the Pope waives the usual judicial process and declares that a blessed’s liturgical cult is extended to the universal Church. The same practice was adopted by Pope Francis for the canonization of Angela Foligno (9 October 2013) and Peter Faber (17 December 2013).
He also authorised the Congregation to promulgate the decrees concerning the following causes:
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/03/bible_exhibit_opens_in_vatican_/en1-787474

2014-04-03 15:20:54
Bible exhibit opens in Vatican

(Vatican Radio) A new exhibition featuring Biblical texts and rare manuscripts is underway in the Braccio di Carlo Magno museum in the Vatican. Entitled “Verbum Domini II” God’s Word Goes Out to the Nations: the exhibit brings together over 200 artifacts to tell the history of the Bible across the globe.

Highlights include three fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and a double page from the Codex Vaticanus, the oldest surviving manuscript of the complete Christian Bible, which is on loan from the Vatican Library.

“What has inspired this exhibition is Pope Benedict XVI with his Apostolic Exhortation “Verbum Domini…”, says Mario Paredes, Presidential Liaison for Catholic Ministries at the American Bible Society.

Also featured is The Lunar Bible, one of 100 Bibles on microfilm that were flown to the moon’s surface with astronaut Edgar Mitchell on Apollo 14.

Stressing the important role of technology in this exhibition, Mr Parades says, “technology today is extremely important especially for our younger generation,” adding that new media is playing its part in spreading the World of God.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/04/card._murphy-o’connor:_queen’s_visit_cements_ongoing_relationship/en1-787668

2014-04-04 10:53:31
Card. Murphy-O’Connor: Queen’s visit cements ongoing relationship



(Vatican Radio) “First of all I thought it was a very happy visit”, says Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’ Conor, Archbishop emeritus of Westminster, commenting on Thursday’s informal visit by Queen Elizabeth II to Pope Francis.
 
The replica of the indult for the feast of St. Edward the Confessor “showed great thought” on the Pope’s part according to Card. Murphy-O’Connor. “It is a sign of a time when there was no break and both Anglican’s and Catholics honor this great king”.

The visit “cements the ongoing relationship between the Catholic Church and Anglican Communion and I often say that its’ a long road, but the real unity we do share is very important. Particularly in England that’s going to be in terms of a common Christian witness in the face of an increasingly secularized society”. Listen: RealAudioMP3

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/04/pope_francis_interview:_“believers_and_non-believers,_we’re_all/en1-787896

2014-04-04 17:40:54
Pope Francis Interview: “Believers and non-believers, we’re all brothers and sisters”



(Vatican Radio) An interview showing Pope Francis answering questions from a group of Belgian young people has been broadcast on the nation’s public Flemish TV station, VRT. The young people, who were accompanied by Bishop Lucas Van Looy of Ghent, put their questions to the Pope in English and he replied in Italian. Their meeting was filmed on March 31st inside the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.
Link to the original interview: http://www.een.be/programmas/koppen/habemus-papam

The group of Belgian young people included a non-believer who said she was inspired by the words of Pope Francis. When they began by asking the Pope why he accepted this interview, he replied that he considered it highly valuable to speak about the worries of the young. The Pope was then asked : “Are you happy? And why?”

“Absolutely, absolutely (laughing) I’m happy! And it’s a tranquil happiness because at this age one no longer has the same happiness of a young person, there’s a difference. There’s a certain interior peace, a strong sense of peace, of happiness, that comes with age. But it’s a road that has always had problems. Even now there are problems but this happiness doesn’t go away because of the problems. No, it sees the problems, suffers because of them and then goes forward, it does something to resolve them and goes ahead. But in the depth of my heart there is this peace and happiness. It’s truly a grace from God, for me. It’s a grace and it’s not through my own merit.”
 

[grace-land]

Oooops...the correct links to the two articles above

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/04/card._murphy-o’connor:_queen’s_visit_cements_ongoing_relationship/en1-787668

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/04/pope_francis_interview:_“believers_and_non-believers,_we’re_all/en1-787896

[grace-land]

Oh, dear, the links show up in the Preview but not when the articles are posted. 
Maybe the following link will work, and you can select the article:

http://en.radiovaticana.va/index.asp

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/04/pope_francis:_friday_mass_in_santa_marta/en1-787727

2014-04-04 12:53:48
Pope Francis: Friday Mass in Santa Marta

(Vatican Radio) When we proclaim the Good News, we will inevitably encounter persecution. This was the focus of Pope Francis’ remarks following the readings of the day at Mass on Friday morning in the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. Noting that there are today more martyrs than there were in the early days of the Church, the Holy Father urged the faithful not to be afraid of misunderstanding and persecution.

Reflecting on the whole of salvation history, Pope Francis considered the many episodes of persecution experienced by the prophets, as Jesus himself reminds the Pharisees. “In the history of salvation,” said Pope Francis, “in the time of Israel, even in the Church, the prophets were persecuted.” The prophets were persecuted because they said, “You have taken the wrong path! Return to God’s way.” Pope Francis went on to say that this message is one that those who are in power and have lost their way never find pleasing: Listen: RealAudioMP3

“Today's Gospel is clear, no? Jesus hid, in those last days, because His hour had yet to come – but He knew what end he would make, and how He would make it. Jesus is persecuted from the beginning: when we remember the beginning of his preaching, He returns to His country, goes to the synagogue and preaches. After great adulation, the voices begin almost right away to murmur: ‘But, we know where He comes from… He is one of us… with that authority comes He to teach us? Where did He study?’ [Thus] they write Him off. It is the same old thing: ‘But we know where He is from! Christ , however, when He comes, no one will know where he is from. Write the Lord off, write off the prophet in order to take away his authority.”
 

[Sister]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/03/bible_exhibit_opens_in_vatican_/en1-787474

2014-04-03 15:20:54
Bible exhibit opens in Vatican

(Vatican Radio) A new exhibition featuring Biblical texts and rare manuscripts is underway in the Braccio di Carlo Magno museum in the Vatican. Entitled “Verbum Domini II” God’s Word Goes Out to the Nations: the exhibit brings together over 200 artifacts to tell the history of the Bible across the globe.

Highlights include three fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and a double page from the Codex Vaticanus, the oldest surviving manuscript of the complete Christian Bible, which is on loan from the Vatican Library.

“What has inspired this exhibition is Pope Benedict XVI with his Apostolic Exhortation “Verbum Domini…”, says Mario Paredes, Presidential Liaison for Catholic Ministries at the American Bible Society.

Also featured is The Lunar Bible, one of 100 Bibles on microfilm that were flown to the moon’s surface with astronaut Edgar Mitchell on Apollo 14.

Stressing the important role of technology in this exhibition, Mr Parades says, “technology today is extremely important especially for our younger generation,” adding that new media is playing its part in spreading the World of God.
 

wouldn't that be incredible to see!!!

[Sister]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/03/31/pope_francis:_dont_be_tourists_on_the_spiritual_journey_of_faith/en1-786398

2014-03-31 13:57:45 
Pope Francis: don't be 'tourists' on the spiritual journey of faith

(Vatican Radio) Where are you on your spiritual journey? Are you wandering aimlessly like a tourist? Have you stopped or lost your way? Or are you heading straight for your destination? Those questions were at the heart of Pope Francis’ reflections during his homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Monday morning.
Philippa Hitchen reports: RealAudioMP3

Reflecting on the day’s readings from Isaiah and St John’s Gospel Pope Francis distinguished between three different types of Christians and how they live their spiritual lives. Before God asks anything of us, the Pope said, He always promises us a new life of joy, so the essence of our Christian life is always to journey in hope and trust towards those promises.
 

This is one I particularly enjoyed -- 100% correct.

[grace-land]

Sister, if you ever plan a trip to Italy, you must include a visit to the Vatican--museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and the General Audience with the pope--all are welcome!  I've been there once--awesome!

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/04/05/pope_francis:_city_mayors_called_to_be_mediators/en1-788252

2014-04-05 18:35:52
Pope Francis: City mayors called to be mediators

(Vatican) On Saturday, Pope Francis received in audience the municipal leaders of Italy.

In his address the Pope told the representatives of the National Association of Italian Municipalities to look to the men and women of the Church – pastors, religious sisters, and laypeople – as examples of knowing how to walk with and among the people.

He warned against the danger of becoming a mayor who exploits the needs of the people, and who always takes something for himself.

Instead, a mayor should be a mediator, “one who pays with his own life for the unity of his people, for the good of his people, putting forward different solutions [according to] the needs of his people.”

The Holy Father went on to commend those present, saying “you are mediators. Among the people, to create unity, to make peace, to resolve problems and resolve the needs of the people.”