Pope Francis

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-the-example-of-the-martyrs-says-much-to-socie

Pope: the example of the martyrs says much to society today
2014-08-16 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass for the Beatification of the Korean Martyrs pointing to their example that - he said - has much to say to societies today where alongside immense wealth, dire poverty is silently growing and where the cry of the poor is seldom heeded.

On the third day of his apostolic visit to the Republic of Korea the Pope celebrated the faith of Paul Yun Ji-chung and his 123 companions "who lived and died for Christ, and now reign with Him in joy and in glory". He said the victory of the martyrs and their witness continues to bear fruit today in Korea.

In a world in which our faith is often challenged, the Pope said the example of the martyrs calls us to put Christ first, it teaches us the importance of charity and love of neighbor.

This event marks the third time that the Church in Korea has celebrated the beatification of its martyrs: 79 martyrs who were persecuted between 1839 and 1846 were beatified in 1925; 24 martyrs who were persecuted in 1866 were beatified in 1968.

The process for the beatification and canonization of other Korean martyrs, including Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop and Bishop Francisco Borgia Hong Yong-ho is currently underway.

Please find below the full text of the Pope's homily at the Mass for the Beatification of the Korean Martyrs:
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-calls-on-religious-to-live-vocation-as-a-gift

Pope calls on religious to live vocation as a gift
2014-08-17 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Saturday afternoon with Communities of Religious at the “School of Love” in Kkottongnae. Approximately 5000 male and female religious were present for the event.

In his address, Pope Francis spoke about the “great variety of charisms and apostolates” represented by the religious. The Holy Father reflected on the words of the Psalm: “My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps 73:26). “We all know that while joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life, especially at moments of great difficulty, ‘it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved’” (Evangelii Gaudium, 6). This conviction of being loved by God is at the centre of a religious vocation. It is only a joyful witness that will allow religious “to attract men and women to Christ.”

This joy, the Pope said, “is rooted in the mystery of the Father’s mercy revealed in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.” Whether involved in contemplative or active vocations, all religious “are challenged to become ‘experts’ in divine mercy.” Moreover, this challenge is fulfilled precisely in religious community. Speaking from his own experience, Pope Francis acknowledged the difficulties of community life, but emphasized that it is in community life that religious are called to grow in “mercy, forbearance, and perfect charity.”

Pope Francis than spoke about each of the evangelical counsels – obedience, chastity, and poverty – as essential aspects of religious life. “Mature and generous obedience,” he said, “requires that you cling in prayer to Christ who, taking the form of a servant, learned obedience through what he suffered (cf. Perfectae Caritatis, 14).”

Purity and chastity are inspired by an experience of God’s mercy, and expresses “your single-minded dedication to the love of God who is ‘the strength of our hearts’.”

Finally, the Pope said, “through the evangelical counsel of poverty you are able to recognize God’s mercy not only as a source of strength, but also as a treasure.” He warned against the hypocrisy of religious who take vows of poverty but live as though they were rich, causing scandal amongst the faithful.

Pope Francis concluded his address with a call to the religious men and women: “Dear brothers and sisters, with great humility, do all that you can to show that the consecrated life is a precious gift to the Church and to the world.

Below, please find the complete text of the Pope’s address at his meeting with Religious Communities in Korea:
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-meets-members-of-lay-apostolate

Pope meets members of lay apostolate
2014-08-16 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with members of a lay apostolate at the Kkottongnae Spirituality Center on Saturday as part of his Apostolic Journey to Korea. During his address, the pope emphasized the importance of ensuring that everyone experiences the dignity of being able to provide for oneself.

The full text of Pope Francis’ speech is below:
 

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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-prays-at-korean-cemetery-for-aborted-children

Pope Prays at Korean Cemetery for Aborted Children
Seoul,  August 16, 2014

During his apostolic visit to South Korea, Pope Francis has made a solemn visit to a garden memorial to pray for aborted babies.

The Pope prayed in silence in front of the symbolic cemetery displaying hundreds of small white crosses to represent aborted children.

His brief stop at the "Cemetery for Aborted Children" in Kkottongna came after he visited the "House of Hope" Rehabilitation Center Saturday afternoon. The garden memorial is located behind the facility.

Francis spent almost an hour in the "House of Hope," where he embraced the disabled center and greeted teachers and health workers. He did not hesitate to stop and bless the babies, children, young people, adults and the elderly at the rehabilitation centre.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-urges-asian-church-to-preserve-its-christian

Pope urges Asian Church to preserve its Christian identity
2014-08-17 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Sunday exhorted Asian Catholics to engage in real and fruitful dialogue with others, reminding them they cannot do so unless they sure of their identity rooted in their living faith in Christ.  “It is our living faith in Christ which is our deepest identity; it is from this that our dialogue begins, and this that we are asked to share, sincerely, honestly and without pretence, in the dialogue of everyday life, in the dialogue of charity, and in those more formal opportunities which may present themselves,” the Pope told the bishops of Asia when he met them at Haemi shrine in Daejeon Diocese, South Korea.  The Pope arrived in South Korea Thursday morning on a 5-day visit to South Korea, and flies back to Rome on Monday.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-baptizes-father-of-victim-of-koreas-ferry-dis

Pope baptizes father of victim of Korea's ferry disaster
2014-08-17 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Sunday baptized a father of one of the children who was killed in South Korea’s ferry disaster last April.   Holy See’s spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, who is accompanying the Pope in Korea,  said the Baptism of Lee Ho Jin took place at 7 am  at the Apostolic Nunciature in Seoul.  “He is the father of one of the young people who died in the ferry disaster of Sewol, and who during a meeting in Daejeon with survivors and families of victims of the tragedy had requested the Pope to baptize him,” Fr. Lombardi said in a statement.  Lee was accompanied by a son and a daughter and the priest who introduced him to the Pope at Daejeon.  Lee’s godfather is a lay employee of  the Nunciature.  Fr. Lombardi said the baptism was a simple ceremony and led by Korean Jesuit Fr. John Chong Che-chon who is acting as an interpreter to the Pope during this visit.   The Holy Father personally baptized Lee pouring water on him and also administered the sacrament of Confirmation. Lee chose Francis as his baptismal name. 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-asian-youth-you-are-the-present-and-the-fu

Pope to Asian youth: You are the present and the future of the Church
2014-08-17 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) During his homily at the concluding Mass of the 6th Asian Youth Day, Pope Francis told the young people gathered "to be like Christ, who responds to every plea for his help with love, mercy and compassion." He also said young people were the present and the future of the Church.

Below is the Holy Father's Homily pronouced in English.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-meets-leaders-of-other-churches-and-faiths-in

Pope meets leaders of other Churches and faiths in Korea
2014-08-18 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Monday morning with leaders of the different Christian Churches in Korea, together with the heads of the other main religious communities. The encounter was held in Seoul’s Catholic cathedral, just ahead of a concluding Mass which marked the final event on a packed, five day, papal programme.
 
Pope Francis had an opportunity to meet briefly this morning with Korea’s religious leaders, before going on to celebrate his last Mass in the country at Myeong-dong Cathedral.

Standing in front of a painting representing the recurring leitmotif of this visit, the Korean martyrs, the Pope greeted, one by one, among others: the Anglican Bishop of Seoul, the President of the Lutheran Church and the head of the Presbyterian churches in the country. Korea’s Buddhist leaders and representatives of other Christian communities were also present, along with the Orthodox Archbishop, who presented the Holy Father with a byzantine cross. The Pope appeared to be particularly pleased with this gift, promising to use it to impart the final blessing at the Mass.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-ends-korean-visit-with-call-for-peace-and-rec

Pope ends Korean visit with call for peace and reconciliation
2014-08-18 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) On the final day of his visit to Korea, Pope Francis celebrated Mass for peace and reconciliation in Seoul’s Myeong-dong cathedral during which he prayed for the grace of healing and unity on the divided Korean peninsula. At the beginning of the Mass the Pope also had special words of support for a group of elderly ‘comfort women’ forced into prostitution for the Japanese military during the Second World War.

In his homily Pope Francis recalled the divisions and conflict that has lasted for over sixty years since the Korean war in the 1950s and he urged all followers of Christ in Korea to reflect on their own contribution to the building of a truly just and humane society.

The Pope said God’s promise to his people challenges us to examine our commitment to those less fortunate and less prosperous than ourselves. It also challenges Christians in Korea to firmly reject a mindset shaped by suspicion, confrontation and competition and instead to shape a culture formed by the teaching of the Gospel and the noblest traditional values of their country. The infinite power of Christ’s cross, Pope Francis said, can bridge every division and heal every wound.

Please find below the full text of Pope Francis’ homily:
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-holds-press-conference-on-flight-back-from-ko

Pope holds press conference on flight back from Korea
2014-08-18 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) From the possibility of the unification of the Koreas to the idea of “just war", from the situation of persecuted minorities in Iraq to the Pope’s upcoming journey to Albania: on the flight back from Korea to Rome, Pope Francis answered questions put to him by journalists travelling with him aboard the papal plane.

In what has become a traditional impromptu press conference aboard the papal plane, journalists spent more than an hour questioning the Pope about his recent visit to Korea for the 6th Asian Youth Day, about issues raised during the journey, his take on the ongoing violence against Christians and other minorities in Iraq, and about plans for future foreign trips.

The first question, put to him by a Korean journalist, concerned his closeness to family victims of the Se-Wol ferry disaster, in which more than 300 people lost their lives. There is much anger in Korea regarding the government’s response to that tragedy and Pope Francis was asked whether he was worried his attitude could be politically exploited.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/08/18/pope_francis_arrives_in_rome_after_south_korea_trip/1104778

Pope Francis arrives in Rome after South Korea trip
18/08/2014

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis arrived at Rome’s Ciampino airport a little before 6 p.m., local time, on Monday, bringing to a close his first apostolic journey to South Korea.

The Pope brought with him a bouquet of flowers, which a seven-year-old Korean girl, named Mary Sol, had given him before his flight departed from the Seoul Air Base at 1 p.m., local time. According to a report by the Osservatore Romano, the Pope had promised the girl he would give these flowers as a gift to Our Lady.

Upon his arrival, the Pope was driven from Ciampino airport to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where he is said to have placed these flowers at the foot of the Marian statue of Salus Populi Romani. There, he offered prayers of thanksgiving to Our Lady for his trip to South Korea. 

[Sister]

He is such an incredible and an inspiration for all.
Though there are areas I don't agree -- I do hold him in prayer and love with respect his heart.
 

[grace-land]

 

[grace-land]

Sending prayers   

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/19/pope-francis-family-car-crash-_n_5690915.html

Pope Francis Family Members Including Infant Die In Car Crash In Argentina
Posted:  08/19/2014 9:11 am EDT    Updated:  29 minutes ago   

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Three relatives of Pope Francis died and a fourth was in critical condition Tuesday after their car crash on a provincial highway in Argentina, the Vatican and a local police official said.

The small car carrying a nephew of the pope along with the man's wife and two young children slammed into the back of a truck, said Highway Police Superintendent Jorge Raineri. The crash killed the wife and children, one 2 years old and the other 8 months.

Photos showed the passenger side of the car smashed and crumpled beneath the cargo truck.

Emanuel Bergoglio, the 38-year-old son of a brother of Pope Francis, was hospitalized. He suffered extensive injuries and his condition was not considered stable, said Ignacio Bruno, an assistant director of the hospital in the town of Villa Maria, to Todo Noticias television.

The man's 36-year-old wife, Valeria Carmona, and youngest child, Jose, died in the accident. Two-year-old Antonio died at the hospital, Bruno said.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said "the pope was informed about the tragic accident. He is profoundly saddened." He added the pope asks "all who share in his grief to unite with him in prayer."
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/full-transcript-of-popes-in-flight-interview-from-korea-96141/

Full transcript of Pope's in-flight interview from Korea

Aboard the papal plane, Aug 18, 2014 / 04:30 pm (CNA).- Speaking to journalists aboard the Aug. 18 flight to Italy from South Korea, Pope Francis said he supports international intervention in Iraq and is willing to go to there personally if it will help end the violence against Christians and other religious minorities.

He also addressed topics ranging from peace efforts between Israel and Palestine, future papal visits, to his personal schedule, relationship with Benedict XVI and life at the Vatican.

Below is a full transcript of the discussion between Pope Francis and journalists during Tuesday's flight.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/08/20/even-pope-has-family-francis-recalls-3-loved-ones-killed-in-car-crash-in/

'Even the pope has a family': Francis recalls 3 family members killed in car crash
Published August 20, 2014


Aug. 20, 2014: Pope Francis attends his weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall, at the Vatican. (AP/Riccardo De Luca)The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY –  Saying "even the pope has a family," Pope Francis expressed thanks on Wednesday for the prayers and condolences he has received following the death of his nephew's wife and their two young boys in a car crash in the pontiff's native Argentina.

Francis listened as priests expressed condolences in several languages during his weekly public audience at the Vatican.

"I thank you for your condolences for what happened in my family," Francis said. "Even the pope has a family."

The 77-year-old pontiff then explained about his family. "We were five siblings. I have 16 nephews and nieces and one of these nephews had a car accident and lost his wife and two little ones and is in critical condition. I thank you very much for your condolences and prayers."
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/08/20/pope_francis_reflects_on_korea_trip_at_general_audience/1104849

Pope on Korea trip: memory, hope, witness
20/08/2014

(Vatican Radio) Memory, hope, witness: these are the three key terms in which Pope Francis placed his recent visit to Korea, when he reflected on the trip with pilgrims and tourists gathered in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on Wednesday for the weekly General Audience. After renewing his sentiments of gratitude and esteem for the bishops of Korea and for the civil authorities who hosted him, the Holy Father began to focus on the Church he discovered during his voyage.
 

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/on-francis-visit-to-korea
On Francis' Visit to Korea
Vatican City,  August 20, 2014  (Zenit.org)   | 376 hits

Here is a translation of the address Pope Francis gave at this morning's General Audience in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican:
 

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http://www.religionnews.com/2014/08/20/china-responds-pope-francis-tells-interfere-religion/

China to Pope Francis: Don’t ‘interfere’ with religion
August 20, 2014

VATICAN CITY (RNS) China has reacted cautiously to a bid by Pope Francis to open new dialogue with Beijing, with some officials quick to warn the Vatican not to “interfere” with the country’s religion.

“We respect the Chinese people,” Francis told journalists on the return flight Monday (Aug. 18). “The church only asks for liberty for its task, for its work.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/08/21/pope_francis_meets_italian_charity_nazareth/1104914

Pope Francis meets Italian charity "Nazareth"
21/08/2014

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received a group of pilgrims from the international “Opera di Nazareth” organization on Wednesday evening at the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican. The "Opera di Nazareth" or "Works" of Nazareth, was founded in 1964 in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia, and eventually incorporated as as an organization of lay faithful that conducts charitable activities, outreach and works of mercy, as living witnesses of God’s self-revelation in Christ and Christ’s revelation of man’s true nature to all humanity.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/08/21/slavery_to_be_theme_of_2015_world_day_of_peace/1104924

Slavery to be theme of 2015 World Day of Peace
21/08/2014

(Vatican Radio)  The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has announced the theme selected by Pope Francis for the upcoming World Day of Peace.  The theme, “Slaves no more, but brothers and sisters” will be the title of the Message for the 48th World Day of Peace, celebrated on 1 January 2015.  It will mark the second time Pope Francis celebrates the Day of Peace since he has risen to the papacy.