Pope Francis

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/16/pope_and_anglican_leader_discuss_ways_of_working_for_unity/1101811

Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby discuss ways of working for unity
16/06/2014



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Monday with the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, saying he hoped their meeting would serve to “strengthen further our bonds of friendship and our commitment to the great cause of reconciliation and communion between Christian believers.”

The audience came on the second day of the Anglican leader’s visit to Rome which also included a meeting with a meeting with the St Egidio community, Vespers at St Gregorio on the Caelian Hill, a visit to Rome’s Joel Nafuma Refugee Centre and an encounter with the ecumenical Global Freedom Network for the eradication of human trafficking.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/15/catholics,_anglicans_endorse_work_of_global_freedom_network/1101807

Catholics, Anglicans endorse work of Global Freedom Network
15/06/2014

(Vatican Radio) Catholic and Anglican leaders have pledged to try and rid their churches of any links to slavery and human trafficking which they describe as one of the most “devastating and crippling problems” facing people on the planet today. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby began a two day visit to Rome on Sunday, meeting with staff and supporters of the Global Freedom Network, an ecumenical-interfaith initiative launched last March and housed within the Pontifical Academy for Sciences. Philippa Hitchen reports:
 
The Anglican leader joined several cardinals, who are member of the Network’s governing council, in endorsing its work of awareness raising, victim support and calling on governments, businesses and churches to ‘slavery proof’ their own supply chains. Among those attending the encounter was Australian Cardinal George Pell, who said the Catholic Church will work hard to ensure that none of its services or supplies have hidden links to people working in slave like conditions..
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/16/pope_francis_visits_santegidio_community/1101809

Pope decries "throwaway culture", calls for generational solidarity
16/06/2014

(Vatican Radio) On Trinity Sunday evening, Pope Francis visited the community of Sant’ Egidio in the Roman neighbourhood of Trastevere. Sant’Egidio was founded in Trastevere in 1968, in the wake of the II Vatican Council, and has grown into a movement of lay people that counts more than 60 thousand members, dedicated to evangelisation and charity, in more than 73 countries throughout the world.

On his arrival he was greeted by packed crowds of the faithful, including a group of refugees from Lampedusa.

Inside the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, the Holy Father heard testimonials from a number of people representing, among others, the elderly, the unemployed, and the disabled.
 

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hmmm...no holiday this summer?  Maybe I should write a little note to the pope. 
Dear Pope Francis,  Please take a short vacation this summer...you earned it! 

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/900/0/papal-summer-plans-announced-but-no-sign-of-a-holiday-for-francis

Papal summer plans announced but no sign of a holiday for Francis
14 June 2014 14:51

The Vatican today released the Pope's summer schedule announcing that Wednesday general audiences will be suspended during the month of July but made no mention of whether Francis will take a holiday.

During July and August the Masses with small groups celebrated by the Pope in the Domus Sanctae Marthae will also cease and start again in September.

General audiences will resume in the Vatican during August apart from the 13 August - when the Pope is visiting Korea - and Francis will continue to lead the Angelus on Sundays in St Peter's throughout July and August.

Last year the Pope remained based at the Vatican throughout the summer period, did not hold general audiences in July, and also suspended the semi-public Masses at the Sanctae Marthae.

Today's announcement also made no mention of whether the Pope will visit the papal summer residence of Castelgandolfo - last year he celebrated Wednesday audiences and Sunday Angelus' there.
 

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http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/06/16/Nancy-Pelosi-Slams-Archbishop-Cordileone-For-Showing-Disdain-and-Hate-Toward-Gays-By-Participating-in-March-for-Marriage

Archbishop Cordileone Responds to Nancy Pelosi's Assault on March for Marriage
16 Jun 2014, 7:22 PM PDT

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D) joined other California politicians and leading gay rights advocates in harshly criticizing San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone for participating in the March for Marriage in Washington, D.C., on June 19th.

As SFGate reports, in a letter to Cordileone, Pelosi, a self-proclaimed Catholic who supports abortion on demand and same-sex marriage – both of which are against the teachings of the Catholic Church – described the March for Marriage event as “venom masquerading as virtue” and said the participants show “disdain and hate towards LGBT persons.”

According to The Chronicle, Pelosi invoked the words of Pope Francis to urge Cordileone to abandon speaking at the March for Marriage, the theme of which is “Kids deserve a mom and a dad.”

Quoting Pope Francis, Pelosi wrote, “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”
 
In a letter to the politicians and gay rights advocates Monday, Cordileone affirmed that the Church's teachings indicate the "intrinsic human dignity of all people, irrespective of their stage and condition in life."

The archbishop continued:

That principle requires us to respect and protect each and every member of the human family, from the precious child in the womb to the frail elderly person nearing death. It also requires me, as a bishop, to proclaim the truth—the whole truth—about the human person and God’s will for our flourishing. I must do that in season and out of season, even when truths that it is my duty to uphold and teach are unpopular, including especially the truth about marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife. That is what we will be doing on June 19th.

Cordileone countered that the March for Marriage “is not ‘anti-LGBT’ (as some have described it)… Rather, it is a pro-marriage March."

“The latter does not imply the former,” he said. “Rather, it affirms the great good of bringing the two halves of humanity together so that a man and a woman may bond with each other and with any children who come from their union.”

The Archbishop reminded his critics of the vision promoted by Pope Francis, who said, “We must reaffirm the right of children to grow up in a family with a father and mother.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/17/pope_francis_church_a_mother_not_a_ngo/1101850

Pope Francis: Church a Mother not a NGO
17/06/2014

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis opened the Ecclesial Convention of the Diocese of Rome on Monday night, emphasizing the Church’s role of Mother in a society where more and more children are leading the life of an orphan.

Pope Francis began his remarks by stating that over the past year, he has made numerous parish visits in the Diocese of Rome, where he has met a great number of people, however briefly.

“They have expressed their hopes and expectations, along with their pains and problems,” he said.

The Holy Father noted that many people feel “disoriented”, with the difficulties of life, often lacking meaning and value. He then imagined the “hectic day” of a parent: getting up early, getting the children to school, the long commute to and from work.

“He begins to feel a weight on him which is crushing,” Pope Francis said. “And we ask ourselves: But is this life? Then, in our hearts, arises the question:  How can we do this to our children - our children - and give a sense to their lives? Because they feel the way we sometimes live our lives is inhuman, and do not know which way to go so that life is beautiful, and you are content to get up in the morning.”

The Holy Father lamented the fact that many men do not have time to play with their children, and said it leaves the child like an orphan.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/17/pope_condemns_corruption_in_politics,_business_and_church/1101862

Pope condemns corruption in politics, business and Church
17/06/2014

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday returned to theme of corruption in the Church and in society, saying those who commit this crime must beg for God’s forgiveness. Speaking during the homily at Mass in the chapel of his Santa Marta residence, the Pope said it is always the poor who pay the price for the corruption of others. Philippa Hitchen reports:
 
Pope Francis based his reflections on the reading from the First Book of Kings which tells the story of the murder of Naboth through the greed and corruption of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. When we embark on the path of corruption, the Pope said, we lose our humanity and sell ourselves, just as the prophet Elijah tells Ahab, “I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

"Questa è la definizione: è una merce!....

This is the definition of corruption, the Pope insisted, it’s a commodity that we buy and sell. Recalling yesterday’s homily in which he identified three areas of corruption – in politics, in business and in the Church – he said all three hurt the poor who always pay the price for the other’s gain. To all of these people, the Pope notes, God says clearly that he will bring disaster on them and their families. Corruption, he said irritates God and scandalises people because it exploits, enslaves, even kills the vulnerable, but those who commit this crime are only focused on money and power.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/17/pope_francis_addresses_italian_magistrates/1101867

Pope Francis to Italian Magistrates: Be prudent, impartial and models of morality:
17/06/2014

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis met members of Italy’s Superior Council of Magistrates on Tuesday  and urged them to be examples of morality whilst stressing the importance of prudence and impartiality.

In his address, he noted legal norms in every country are intended  to protect the freedom and the independence of the judiciary so it has the necessary guarantees to carry out its important and delicate role. Pope Francis said this places the magistrates in a position of particular significance where they need to maintain an incontrovertible impartiality at all times, using objectivity and prudence whilst basing their judgements exclusively on the correct legal norms and above all so they can respond to the voice of their own unswerving conscience.
 
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/french-polish-theologians-to-be-awarded-next-two-r

French, Polish theologians to be awarded next two Ratzinger Prizes
2014-06-17 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) The two latest winners of the Ratzinger prize were announced on Tuesday at the Holy See Press Office. Both winners are biblical scholars who have been active in Catholic-Jewish dialogue. 

Anne-Marie Pelletier of France teaches Sacred Scripture and Hermeneutics on the faculty of Notre Dame Seminary in Paris. She has also taught Biblical Studies at the European Institute of Religious Sciences. She has served as Vice-President of the Jewish-Christian Documentation Information Service in Paris. She has participated in several conferences sponsored by the Holy See, and was an auditor at the 2001 Synod of Bishops on the role of the Bishop as servant of the Gospel.
 
Msgr. Waldemar Chrostowski is the general editor of the Polish journal Collectanea Theologica, and has served as the President of the Polish Association of Biblical Scholars since 2005.  He participated in the 2008 Synod of Bishops on the Word of God and the Mission of the Church as an expert.  He has written numerous scholarly articles, with his preferred field of work being the Old Testament, especially the Prophets; but he is also an expert in the Jewish inter-testament literature, as well as rabbinical Judaism and its relationship with Christianity.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/being-church-means-a-sense-of-being-in-gods-hands

Being Church means a sense of being in God's hands

Vatican City, 18 June 2014 (VIS) – During this Wednesday's general audience Pope Francis began a new series of catechesis on the Church, “like a son who speaks about his mother, about his own family. The Church is not an institution that exists for its own ends, or a private association, an NGO; neither must she limit her view to the clergy or the Vatican. The Church is a far broader entity, open to all humanity, and not born unexpectedly. She was founded by Jesus but consists of a people with a long history behind them, prepared long before Christ Himself”.


“This story, or 'prehistory' of the Church, is already found in the pages of the Old Testament. According to the Book of Genesis, God chose Abraham … and asked him to leave his earthly homeland behind to go towards another land, that He would show to him. But God did not call upon Abraham alone, as an isolated individual, but instead from the very beginning He involved all of his family, his relatives and all those who served in his house. … The first important fact is this: starting with Abraham, God formed a people in order to bring His blessing to all families on earth. And Jesus was born within this population”.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/18/pope_francis_appeals_for_concrete_help_for_refugees_/1101887

Pope Francis appeals for concrete help for refugees
18/06/2014

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday appealed to institutions to offer concrete help to the hundreds of thousands of refugees who continue to flee conflict and persecution in their homelands.

Speaking after his General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope mentioned that on June 20 we mark World Refugee Day and said the number of our refugee brothers is on the increase as thousands more people are forced to leave their homes in these days in order to be saved. He recalled that Jesus himself was a refugee and asked for prayers for all those who are foced to flee from their land.
 

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The visit to South Korea is from August 13, 2014 to August 18, 2014.

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-pilgrimage-to-korea-for-youth-martyrs

Pope Francis' pilgrimage to Korea for youth, martyrs and peace
2014-06-18 Vatican Radio



A long awaited Apostolic visit of Pope Francis to South Korea is taking shape with the Vatican Press Office on Wednesday releasing the Programme for his Journey. The visit focuses on three main themes: youth, martyrs and peace. The motto of the journey is “Rise Korea, clothe yourself in light, the Lord’s glory shines upon you”.

The Holy Father is scheduled to meet with young people gathered in Daejeon for Asian Youth Day. He will also celebrate the beatification of Paul Yun Ji-chung and his 123 companions, victims of the persecution under Korea's Joseon kingdom. On the final day he will be celebrating a Mass for Peace and Reconciliation at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul.

Pope Francis will leave the Italian shores on Wednesday, 13 August 2014, at 4 pm, and he is expected to arrive at Seoul's military airport the next day, at around 10:30 am (considering the 9-hour difference between Rome and Seoul).
 

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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/theologians-vote-to-recognize-miracle-attributed-to-fulton-sheen

Theologians Vote to Recognize Miracle Attributed to Fulton Sheen
Washington, D.C.,  June 18, 2014

Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Illinois, president of the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, received word Tuesday that the seven-member theological commission that advises the Congregation of Saints' Causes unanimously agreed that a reported miracle should be attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

The case involved a stillborn baby born in September 2010. For over an hour the child demonstrated no signs of life as medical professionals attempted every possible life saving procedure, while the child’s parents and loved ones began immediately to seek the intercession of Fulton Sheen.

After 61 minutes the baby was restored to full life and over three years later demonstrates a full recovery.

The decision by the theologians comes after the March 2014 vote by the team of Vatican medical experts who affirmed that they could find no natural explanation for the child’s healing.

With the recommendations of the medical experts and now the theologians, the case will next be reviewed by the cardinals and bishops who advise the Pope on these matters.

Finally, the miracle would be presented to Pope Francis who would then officially affirm that God performed a miracle through the intercession of Fulton Sheen.

There is no timeline as to when these next steps might move forward. Should Pope Francis validate this proposed miracle, Archbishop Sheen could then be declared “Blessed” in a ceremony that could be celebrated in Peoria, Sheen’s hometown.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-celebrate-corpus-christi

Pope to celebrate Corpus Christi
2014-06-19 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) After celebrating Mass on the Feast of Corpus Christi, Thursday evening, in front of the main entrance to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Pope Francis is to travel by car to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major where he will await the arrival of the Blessed Sacrament.

A brief communiqué released by Vatican Press Office Director, Father Federico Lombardi SJ, explained that the Pope will not lead the traditional Corpus Christi procession between the two Basilicas, but will be in the Square in front of Saint Mary Major at the conclusion of the procession to impart the solemn Eucharistic Blessing.

The procession, which traditionally features the faithful carrying candles that illuminate an otherwise dark Via Merulana, will be led by Cardinal Agostino Vallini, Vicar General for the diocese of Rome.

Lombardi explained that Pope Francis’s decision to not walk in the procession comes in the run-up to an intense weekend schedule which includes an Apostolic Journey to the southern Italian town of Cassano all’Jonio on Saturday.
 
---------------------
Video at the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GDIy0jJ2tE&index=1&list=UU7E-LYc1wivk33iyt5bR5zQ
Holy Mass and Procession on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi
Streamed live on June 19, 2014

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Audio at the link

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/18/corpus_christi_a_musical_meditation/1101910

Corpus Christi: a musical meditation
18/06/2014

(Vatican Radio) The feast of Corpus Christi was established during the life time of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He probably wrote many of the prayers we use in the liturgy on this feast. And he also wrote many fine hymns in honour of the Blessed Sacrament, not only 'Adoro te' but also 'O salutaris hostia' and 'Tantum ergo'.
 
Listen to this programme presented by Monsignor Philip Whitmore and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick for the series 'Music to Watch Angels By':

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/20/pope_warns_against_allure_of_money,_power_and_prestige/1101978

Pope warns against earthly treasures of money, power and prestige
20/06/2014

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday warned of the allure of money, power and prestige which harden the heart and can never bring true happiness. The real treasures which can gladden our hearts, he said, are love for our neighbours and adoration of God. The Pope’s words came during morning Mass at his Santa Marta residence, as Philippa Hitchen reports:
 
Pope Francis based his homily on the Gospel reading for the day where Jesus tells his disciples not to store up treasures for themselves on earth. The first of those earthly treasures, he said, is money which is always at risk from thieves and from the whims of the stock market. Money, he said, is necessary to provide for ourselves and our families, but he warned that those who are always seeking ways of accumulating wealth will end up losing their souls.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/20/pope_no_to_recreational_and_substitute_drugs_/1101975

Pope: No to recreational and substitute drugs in combatting addiction
20/06/2014

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has expressed his “grief and concern” over the international  “scourge of drug use” that puts increasing numbers of young people at risk.  Addressing heads of world anti-drug agencies at the conclusion of the 31st International Drug Enforcement Conference in Rome, the Pope called drug addiction “an evil” which itself cannot be healed with drugs.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-addresses-religious-freedom-conferenc

Pope Francis addresses religious freedom conference
2014-06-20 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the participants in an international conference exploring the theme: “International Religious Liberty and the Global Clash of Values. The Centers for Law and Religion and for International and Comparative Law at St. John's University and the Department of Law at the Libera Università Maria SS. Assunta (LUMSA)  are co-sponsors of the 2-day conference, which opened in Rome on Friday.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/us-bishops-set-to-begin-fortnight-for-freedom

US Bishops set to begin Fortnight for Freedom
2014-06-20 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is marking the 2014 Fortnight for Freedom, with the theme of “Freedom to Serve,” from Saturday, June 21, to Friday, July 4. The theme of This year’s Fortnight focuses on the freedom to serve the poor and vulnerable in accord with human dignity and the Church’s teaching.

"People who value their Catholic faith will understand that there is an organic connection between what we believe and how we practice our faith in service well beyond the borders of the Church," William E. Lori of Baltimore told the Catholic News Service. "We want to be able to practice it unabashedly, whether in church or in the workplace or as part of Church ministry. We don't think we should have to compromise our beliefs in order to observe."
 

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Pictured is Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, Apostolic Nuncio of the United States of America.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/marriage-breakdown-threatens-society-religious-leaders-say-47267/

Marriage breakdown threatens society, religious leaders say


Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone speaks with Archbishop Carlo Vigano at the March for Marriage in Washington, D.C., June 19, 2014. Credit: Jason Calvi/EWTN.

Washington D.C., Jun 19, 2014 / 06:19 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The redefinition of marriage and movement from its focus on children affects not only families but entire communities and all of society, religious leaders warn.

“People see marriage as a relationship between adults rather than a man and a woman coming together to bond and produce children. Rather than being a child-centered institution, it’s an adult-centered institution,” Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco told CNA at the March for Marriage June 19.
 
This focus on adults rather than children leads to “broken families” and a host of other social struggles, the head of the U.S. bishops' defense and promotion of marriage committee continued.