Pope Francis

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-church-tribunals-must-serve-justice-i

Pope Francis: Church Tribunals must serve justice in marriage cases
2014-11-05 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday spoke about the importance of fairness and accessibility in the proceedings of Church Tribunals trying to adjudicate the validity of marriages. 

He made his remarks before his General Audience, when he briefly greeted participants of a course offered by the Tribunal of the Roman Rota on “Instructing a Case for the Dispensation of a Marriage ‘Super rato et non consumato’”  -valid, but unconsummated marriages - which can be dissolved under certain conditions according to Church law.

“In the Extraordinary Synod [on the Family], There was talk about procedures, processes, and there was a preoccupation for streamlining the procedures, in the interest of Justice,” Pope Francis said. “Justice: For decisions must be just, and because there must be justice for the people who are waiting.”

He also spoke about the Commission  for the study of the reform of the matrimonial processes in canon law, which was announced in September, which he said is designed to hope streamline the process: “A path of justice, and also charity, because there are so many people who need a word from the Church about the marriage situation – be it a yes or a no – because this is just.”

He said some processes are “so long and so weighty” that people become “discouraged” and leave.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-audience-pray-for-your-bishops

Pope at Audience: Pray for your bishops
2014-11-05 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) A Church that is not united around its bishop is a sick Church.  Jesus wanted unity between the bishop and all the faithful, starting with priests and deacons. However the role of bishop is not a position of honor, it is a service.  Therefore, there is no room in the Church for a worldly mentality, for people who seek ‘ecclesiastical careers’, for bishops who instead of lowering themselves in service, are vain, proud and power-hungry.

The Ordained Ministries and in particular the role of Bishops and episcopal collegiality were the focus of Pope Francis’ General Audience catechesis this week.

The Pope began by asking those present to pray for bishops, that they may be men of virtue: “It isn’t easy” he noted “we are all sinners, so pray for us”.

He then said Christ himself instituted the ordained ministries with the purpose of building up the Church, as His Body.  The Pope said among these the role of the bishop stands out because through the Bishop it is Christ himself who is present.

Moreover, in carrying out his service of protecting and guiding the people of God, the Bishop expresses the motherhood of the Church. 
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/11/05/holy_see_changes_laws_governing_episcopal_resignations/1110206

Holy See changes laws governing episcopal resignations
05/11/2014

(Vatican Radio) The Holy See on Wednesday announced changes to the Church law governing the resignation of diocesan bishops: ordinaries, coadjutors, and auxiliaries; the changes also regard Cardinals who head Roman curial dicasteries, and other curial department heads who are not cardinals. The changes have been made by Papal rescript, and were announced by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.


http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/new-norms-encourage-bishops-in-difficult-situations-to-resign-51017/
New norms encourage bishops in difficult situations to resign

Vatican City, Nov 5, 2014 / 02:41 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The appreciation shown to bishops who choose to offer their resignation before the age of 75 because of illness “or other serious reasons” is the most important point in a Vatican document which went into effect on Wednesday.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-honour-holy-shroud-st-john-bosco-in-visit

Pope to honour Holy Shroud, St John Bosco in visit to Turin
2014-11-05 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) “I am pleased to announce that, God willing, next June 21 I will go on pilgrimage to Turin to venerate the Holy Shroud and to honour Saint John Bosco on the occasion of the bicentennial of his birth.”

Greeting Italian-speaking pilgrims following Wednesday’s General Audience, Pope Francis confirmed that he will travel to the northern Italian city of Turin in the summer of 2015.

During his journey the Holy Father will visit the Holy Shroud of Turin, which will be on display for the veneration of pilgrims from April 19 to June 24, 2015. The Shroud, which bears the image of a crucified man, is believed by many Christians to be the burial cloth of Jesus, although the Church has never made a definitive judgement about its authenticity.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-santa-marta-god-goes-to-the-limit-so-no-on

Pope at Santa Marta: God goes to the limit so no one should be lost
2014-11-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) The true Christian is not afraid to get his hands dirty by reaching out to sinners, even at the risk of losing his reputation, because as the parable of the Good Shepherd teaches us, no one should be lost, said Pope Francis at Mass on Thursday morning.

Pope Francis based his homily on the two parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. The Pharisees and scribes were scandalized because Jesus "welcomes sinners and eats with them". "It was quite a scandal at the time, for these people," observed the Pope. "Just imagine if there had been press at that time!”. "But Jesus came for this very reason: to look for those who had strayed from the Lord”. These two parables - he said - "allow us to see what the heart of God is like. God does not stop, God does not go up to a certain point, God goes all the way, to the very limit, He always goes to the limit; He does not stop at the half way point on the journey of Salvation, as if to say 'I did all I could, it’s their problem. He always goes, moves out, takes to the field".

The Pharisees and the scribes, however, stop "half-way. They were only concerned about balancing their profits and losses and were quite content with this.  'Yes, it's true, I've lost three coins, I lost ten sheep, but I earned a lot more”. This does not even enter God’s mind, God is not a moneymaker, God is a Father and He goes to the very end to save us, to the limit. This is God’s love.  Half-way shepherds are so sad”.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-to-malawi-bishops-family-necessary-fo

Pope Francis to Malawi Bishops: Family necessary for culture of solidarity
2014-11-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday met with the Bishops of Malawi, who are in Rome on their ad limina visit.  The southeast African country has a population of over 16 million, of whom around 20% are Catholic. Pope Francis met and spoke with the Bishops informally, and presented them with his prepared remarks in writing.

In his address, he expressed his “appreciation” for the “admirable spirit” of the Malawian people, noting that despite “serious obstacles, have remained strong in their commitment to family life.

“It is in the family, with its unique capacity to form each member, particularly the young, into persons of love, sacrifice, commitment and fidelity, that the Church and society in Malawi will find the resources necessary to renew and build up a culture of solidarity,” Pope Francis said.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-a-new-stage-in-relations-between-cath

Pope Francis: A new stage in relations between Catholics and Evangelicals
2014-11-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) In a meeting on Thursday with a delegation from the World Evangelical Alliance, Pope Francis expressed his confidence that the Holy Spirit “can inaugurate a new stage in the relations between Catholics and Evangelicals—a stage that allows us to realize more fully the will of the Lord to bring the Gospel even to the furthest ends of the earth.”

Pope Francis spoke about the Sacrament of Baptism as “an inestimable divine gift” that all Christians have in common. “The Sacrament of Baptism reminds us of a fundamental and very consoling truth: that the Lord always goes before us with His love and His grace… The reign of God always precedes us, as does the mystery of the unity of the Church.”

The Holy Father frankly acknowledged the presence of divisions among Christians “from the beginning,” and noted that “rivalries and conflicts” continue between Christian communities. “Such situations,” he said, “weaken our capacity to fulfil the command of the Lord to preach the Gospel to all nations.” Christians would be able to better proclaim the Gospel if they could overcome their differences so that, together, they might spread the Word of God and witness to Christian charity.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-receives-cd-of-the-music-of-the-2013

Pope Francis receives CD of the music of the 2013 Conclave
2014-11-06 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) The Director of the Sistine Chapel, Msgr. Massimo Palombella on Wednesday presented Pope Francis with a CD: “Habemus Papam. La musica del Conclave.” The CD contains the music used during the liturgical ceremonies surrounding the election of Pope Francis: The “Missa pro eligendo Pontifice”, the Veni Creator used during the entrance into the Sistine Chapel, the music of the Mass celebrated with the Cardinals the day after his election, the music of the Inaugural Mass of Pope Francis, and, for the first time, the 11 minutes containing the announcement “Habemus Papam” and the first words of Pope Francis on the evening of March 13, 2013.

In an interview with the Italian Catholic newspaper Avvenire, Msgr. Palombella said he wanted to have the real experience of the events.

“There is a cough, or a plane flying over St. Peter’s Square…it makes it seem as if you are there live,” he said.

The CD uses audio tracks provided by Vatican Radio and CTV.
 

[grace-land]

Cardinal Marx is one of the members of the pope's Council of Cardinals advisors.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-ordered-rejected-paragraph-on-homosexuality-retained-in-final-synod-do

Wed Nov 5, 2014 - 4:15 pm EST
Pope ordered rejected paragraph on homosexuality retained in final Synod document: Cardinal Marx

ROME -- Pope Francis has “pushed the door open” on the issues of homosexuality and Communion for the divorced and remarried, and no vote by a future Synod of Bishops is going to reverse it, according to one of the pope’s closest advisors. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the president of the German Catholic Bishops’ Conference and a member of Pope Francis’ inner circle, said in an interview with Die Zeit that the pope himself had ordered the rejected paragraph on homosexuality to be retained in the Synod’s final document.

It was widely reported by the world’s press, including interviews with high-ranking prelates, that the paragraphs relating to homosexuality and Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics in the mid-term document aroused shock and outrage among some Synod fathers. The paragraphs asked whether the Church could learn to “accept” the homosexual “orientation.”

In the Synod’s final document, the fathers failed to approve a paragraph mentioning the Synod’s discussion of appropriate “pastoral attention” for homosexual persons and quoting Church teaching that homosexual unions are not “in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family.”

Despite only garnering 118 out of 180 votes, and thus failing to meet the needed two-thirds majority, the Vatican included the paragraph in the published document along with the vote tally. Likewise, the document included a paragraph on the discussions about opening Communion to civilly ‘remarried’ divorcees that had failed to gain the needed votes.

According to Cardinal Marx, this was done with the approval of the pope.

“Up to now, these two issues have been absolutely non-negotiable. Although they had failed to get the two-thirds majority, the majority of the synod fathers had nevertheless voted in their favor,” he said.

“They are still part of the text,” Marx said. “I especially asked the pope about that, and the pope said he wanted all the points published together with all the voting results. He wanted everyone in the church to see where we stood.”
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-santa-marta-enemies-of-the-cross-of-christ

Pope at Santa Marta: Enemies of the Cross of Christ
2014-11-07 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Even today there are "pagan Christians" who "behave like enemies of the Cross of Christ", said Pope Francis at morning Mass Friday at Casa Santa Marta, warning that we must guard against the temptations of a worldly society that lead us to ruin.

Pope Francis was inspired by the words of St. Paul to the Philippians to dwell on two groups of Christians, still present today as they were in the time of the Apostle of the Gentiles. Christians who go forward in faith and Christians who "live like enemies of the Cross of Christ”.

"Both groups – he said - were in the Church together, they went to Mass on Sunday, they praised the Lord, they called themselves Christians". So what was the difference? The second group "act like enemies of the Cross of Christ! Christians enemies of the Cross of Christ”.

The Pope said these were "worldly Christians, Christians in name, with two or three Christian things, but nothing more. Pagan Christian". "A Christian name, but a pagan life." Or to put it another way: "Pagans with two strokes of Christian paint, so as to appear like Christians, but pagans nonetheless".

"Even today there are many! We must be careful not to slip toward the path of being pagan Christians, Christians in appearance. The temptation to get used to mediocrity, the mediocrity of Christians, these Christians, it is their undoing because their hearts cool, they become lukewarm. And the Lord had strong words for these lukewarm [Christians]: 'because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth'. These are very strong words! They are enemies of the Cross of Christ. They take the name, but do not follow the requirements of Christian life".
 

[grace-land]

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-address-to-the-national-assembly-of-italian-religious-superiors

Pope's Address to the National Assembly of Italian Religious Superiors
Vatican City,  November 07, 2014

At 12:15 this morning, Pope Francis received in audience the participants of the 54th National Assembly of Religious Superiors, who reflected on the theme “The Church’s Mission and Consecrated Life in the Light of Evangelii Gaudium” (Tivoli, November3-7, 2014).
Here is the translation of the Pope’s address to those present.
* * *
Dear Brothers,

I welcome you and thank you for your reception; in particular I thank the President for having introduced our meeting, which takes place at the end of your National Assembly. In light of what I have heard about your work, I would like to share with you some points of reference for the way.

First of all, religious life helps the Church primarily to realize that “attraction that makes her grow because, in face of the witness of a Brother or Sister who truly lives the religious life, people wonder “what is going on here?” “What drives this person beyond the worldly horizon?” This, I would say, is the first thing: to help the Church to grow through the way of attraction, without bothering to proselytize -- attraction!
 

[grace-land]

 source (VIS – Vatican Information Service)

http://visnews-en.blogspot.com/2014/11/new-norms-on-resignations-of-diocesan.html

Wednesday, November 5, 2014
New norms on resignations of diocesan bishops and officials of the Roman Curia

Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) – The Rescriptum modifying the presentation and acceptance of resignation from pastoral ministry by diocesan bishops and offices of the Roman Curia by pontifical appointment came into effect today.

The text is as follows:

Art. 1: The current discipline in the Latin Church and in the “sui iuris” Oriental Churches, by which diocesan and eparchal Bishops, and those held to be of equivalent office in accordance with canons 381 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law and 313 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, as well as coadjutor and auxiliary Bishops, are invited to present the resignation from their pastoral office upon reaching the age of seventy-five years, is confirmed.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/11/07/wea_presents_pope_francis_with_shahbaz_bhatti_freedom_award/1110540

WEA presents Pope Francis with Shahbaz Bhatti Freedom Award
07/11/2014


(Vatican Radio) Meeting this week in the Vatican with a delegation from the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and its partner “First Step Forum”, Pope Francis has been awarded the annual Shahbaz Bhatti Freedom Award for his tireless commitment to build a more peaceful and reconciled world.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-gospel-witness-way-to-unity

Pope Francis: Gospel witness way to unity
2014-11-07 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the participants in the 33rd Ecumenical Meeting of Bishops, Friends of the Focolare Movement this Friday. The meeting opened on November 3rd, and concluded with the audience at the Vatican. For four days, nearly forty Catholic and non-Catholic Church leaders from nearly thirty different countries met to explore the theme: “The Eucharist, mystery of communion”.

In remarks to the participants in the conference, Pope Francis praised the gathering as a “bright and attractive sign” of the common faith in Our Lord, Jesus Christ. “In fact,” said Pope Francis, “if we, as Christians, desire to respond in a meaningful way to the many problems and dramas of our time, then we need to speak and act as brothers, so that everyone can easily recognize [that we belong to Christ, the One Lord].”
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-exhorts-salesian-sisters-to-be-prophetic-witn

Pope exhorts Salesian Sisters to be prophetic witnesses
2014-11-08 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has encouraged the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians to be prophetic witnesses and to widen their gazes to recognize the most authentic and urgent needs of a generation that is changing.

The sisters, whose mission is among the young and the poor, were founded by Saint John Bosco and Saint Maria Domenica Mazzarello and are more commonly known as the Salesian Sisters.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-meets-with-adult-scout-movement

Pope meets with adult scout movement
2014-11-08 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis greeted a group of Italian adult scouts today at Paul VI Hall, encouraging them on their “path” of formation. In his message, the Holy Father encouraged them to continue on the “path”  of scouting, a term that describes the formative dimension of the movement.  He outlined three paths: family, creation, and the city.
 

[grace-land]

The official announcement...

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/11/08/card_burke_new_patron_of_sovereign_military_order_of_malta_/1110583

Card Burke new Patron of Sovereign Military Order of Malta
08/11/2014



(Vatican Radio) The Holy Father has named Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, until now Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, as Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

At the same time, His Holiness named Archbishop Dominique Mamberti as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura. Archbishop Mamberti had been serving as Secretary for Relations with States.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal-burke-moved-to-order-of-malta-archbishop-mamberti-to-lead-signatura-33286/

Cardinal Burke moved to Order of Malta, Mamberti to lead Signatura

Vatican City, Nov 8, 2014 / 08:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After six years serving as Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, Cardinal Raymond Burke has been appointed as Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Cardinal Burke, 66, confirmed publicly in October that Pope Francis informed him of the move. The American prelate was appointed as chief justice of the Catholic Church’s highest court in 2008 by Benedict XVI.

Previously, he headed the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Mo. and the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis.

The Order of Malta is a lay religious order dedicated to offering humanitarian assistance and medical and social services to the needy. It was founded in the 11th century to care for pilgrims to the Holy Land, today it has more than 13,500 members worldwide. They are supported by tens of thousands of volunteers.

As patron of the Order, Cardinal Burke will be tasked with caring for their spiritual interests.

The appointment to the highly honorific role is uncommon for a cardinal so far from the retirement age of 75. He will be tasked with significantly fewer responsibilities.

The development will draw speculation from all sides but no official reason was given with the announcement from the Holy See Press Office. During his short pontificate, Pope Francis has moved quickly in reshaping the curia to form the leadership that addresses his priorities.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1404631.htm

Nov-8-2014
Pope removes Cardinal Burke from Vatican post
By Francis X. Rocca


A prominent devotee of the traditional liturgy and outspoken defender of traditional doctrine on controversial moral issues, Cardinal Burke had appeared increasingly out of step with the current pontificate.

In December 2013, Pope Francis did not reappoint him to his position on the Congregation for Bishops, which advises the pope on episcopal appointments.

Cardinal Burke expressed frustration, in a February 2014 article in the Vatican newspaper, that many Americans thought Pope Francis intended to change Catholic teaching on certain "critical moral issues of our time," including abortion and same-sex marriage, because of the pope's stated belief that "it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time."

Insisting that the pope had "clearly affirmed the church's moral teaching, in accord with her unbroken tradition," Cardinal Burke blamed perceptions to the contrary on "false praise" of Pope Francis by "persons whose hearts are hardened against the truth."

After Pope Francis invited German Cardinal Walter Kasper to address a meeting of the world's cardinals in February, Cardinal Burke emerged as a leading opponent of Cardinal Kasper's proposal to make it easier for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion.

Cardinal Burke also warned that efforts to streamline the marriage annulment process -- the mandate of a commission that the pope established in August -- should not undermine the process' rigor.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/cardinal-burke-officially-transferred-from-apostolic-signature/

Cardinal Burke Officially Transferred From Apostolic Signatura
11/08/2014


Cardinal Raymond Burke
– Bohumil Petrik/CNA.

VATICAN CITY — Asked for a story that summed up the legacy of Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, canon lawyer Ed Peters quickly produced one.

“At a conference, a student once asked then-Archbishop Burke what advice he might have for a young student about to start canon law studies. The archbishop replied without a moment’s hesitation: ‘The first thing I would tell you is, canon law is not for the faint of heart!’” Peters told the Register.

On Nov. 8, the Vatican announced that Cardinal Burke has been appointed patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and  will leave his post at the Apostolic Signatura, the Catholic Church’s highest court. And as the cardinal marks a new chapter of his service to the Church, his standing as a leading canon lawyer and a passionate defender of Catholic discipline on marriage and in declining Communion for public dissenters to the faith, suggests that he, too, hewed to the advice dispensed to the students.