Pope Francis

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-religious-who-pray-for-christian-unit

Pope Francis: Religious who pray for Christian unity an "invisible monastery"
2015-01-24 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) The vital role that men and women religious of different Christian Churches play in the ecumenical journey was at the heart of Pope Francis’s meeting on Saturday with participants in a conference on consecrated life and the search for Christian Unity. The three day meeting, which concludes on Sunday, comes in the context of both this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the Year of Consecrated Life. Participants are concluding each day with Vespers in the Orthodox, Anglican and Catholic traditions, including the liturgy presided over by Pope Francis in the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls on Sunday.

In his meeting with the men and women religious, Pope Francis recalled the words of the Second Vatican Council document ‘Unitatis Redintegratio’ stressing that spiritual ecumenism is the soul of the whole ecumenical movement. Consecrated people like yourselves, he said, therefore have a particular vocation in this work of promoting unity.

The Pope also mentioned ecumenical communities like Taizé and Bose which have taken up this vocation and are privileged places of encounter between Christians of different denominations.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-concluding-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity

Pope concluding Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
2015-01-24 Vatican Radio



Pope Francis will bring the curtain down on the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with a Vespers service, Sunday evening, in Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.  The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, formerly known as the Octave of Christian Unity, is ‎traditionally celebrated over eight days, from Jan 18th  ‎to 25th, around a common theme, and involves ‎Christian communities and Churches across the world, including the Catholic ‎Church.  The Week ends with the Jan. 25 feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.  Representatives of Orthodox and Anglican Churches will be present at Sunday's Vespers service at St. Paul Outside the Walls.

Since 1968, the resource material for reflection, prayer and celebration on a ‎chosen theme for the Week of Prayer for Christain Unity is jointly issued by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting ‎Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches (WCC). 

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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/angelus-address-on-the-thirst-for-unity

Angelus Address: On the Thirst for Unity
Vatican City,  January 25, 2015

Here is the translation of the address Pope Francis gave today before and after praying the midday Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.
* * *
Dear brothers and sisters,

Today's Gospel presents the beginning of Jesus' preaching in Galilee. Saint Mark highlights that Jesus began to preach "after John [the Baptist] had been arrested" (1,14). Precisely in this moment in which the prophetic voice of the Baptizer, who announced the coming of the Kingdom of God, is silenced by Herod, Jesus begins to walk the streets of his land to bring to all, especially the poor, "the Gospel of God" (ibid). Jesus' announcement is similar to that of John, with the major difference that Jesus does not indicate that another is to come: it is Jesus Himself who is the fulfillment of the promise; He is the "good news" to believe in, to receive and to communicate to men and women of all time, so that they also entrust to Him their existence. Jesus Christ Himself is the living Word and He is active in history: he who listens to Him and follows Him will enter the Kingdom of God.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the divine promise because it is He who gives mankind the Holy Spirit, the "living water" that quenches our restless heart that thirsts for life, love, freedom, peace: that thirsts for God. He revealed Himself to the Samaritan woman, who He met at Jacob's well, to whom He said: "Give me to drink" (Jn.4,7). These very words of Christ, addressed to the Samaritan [woman], were the theme of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which concludes today.  This evening, with the faithful of the diocese of Rome and with the representatives of the various Churches and ecclesial communities, we will meet in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls to pray fervently to the Lord, so that he strengthens our commitment to the unity of all believers in Christ. It is an ugly thing that Christians are divided. But Jesus wants us to be united. One body! Our sins, our history have divided us. For this we must pray that the Spirit unites us again.
 
After the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters,

I follow with deep concern the escalation of fighting in eastern Ukraine, which continues to cause many casualties among the civilian population. As I assure you of my prayers for all who suffer, I renew a heartfelt appeal so that efforts for dialogue can resume and an end to all hostilities.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/01/25/pope_francis_concludes_week_of_prayer_for_christian_unity/1119936



Pope Francis concludes Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
25/01/2015 17:27

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis this evening has gathered with the faithful of the diocese of Rome and with the representatives of the different Churches and Ecclesial Communities, in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls to mark the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Please find below a English language translation of the Pope's words during Vespers at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls

On his way from Judea to Galilee, Jesus passes through Samaria.  He has no problem dealing with Samaritans, who were considered by the Jews to be heretics, schismatics, separated.  His attitude tells us that encounter with those who are different from ourselves can make us grow.
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCXD4F0sTx0&x-yt-ts=1421914688&x-yt-cl=84503534
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - 2015.01.25
Streamed live on Jan 25, 2015
Starts at 5.20pm - Pope Francis leads the celebration of the Vespers of the Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul, concluding the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-women-first-and-foremost-in-transmitt

Pope Francis: women first and foremost in transmitting faith
2015-01-26 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) The primary and indispensable role of women in transmitting the faith to new generations: this was the focus of Pope Francis’ remarks to the faithful following the readings of the day at Mass on Monday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican. On the day when the Church celebrates the memory of Saints Timothy and Titus – bishops and disciples of St Paul the Apostle, Pope Francis commented in particular on the second letter of Paul to Timothy.

Mothers and Grandmothers transmit the faith

Paul reminds Timothy of where his “sincere faith” comes from: his faith comes from the Holy Spirit,  “through his mother and grandmother.” Pope Francis went on to say, “Mothers and grandmothers are the ones who [in primis] transmit the faith.” The Holy Father went on to say:

It is one thing to pass on the faith, and another to teach the matters of faith. Faith is a gift: it is not possible to study Faith. We study the things of faith, yes, to understand it better, but with study [alone] one never comes to Faith. Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit, which surpasses all [“academic”] formation.

Faith, moreover, is a gift that passes from generation to generation, through the “beautiful work of mothers and grandmothers, the fine work of the women who play those roles,” in a family, “whether they be maids or aunts,” who transmit the faith:

It occurs to me: why is it mainly women, who to pass on the faith? Simply because the one who brought us Jesus is a woman. It is the path chosen by Jesus. He wanted to have a mother: the gift of faith comes to us through women, as Jesus came to us through Mary.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-we-must-ask-god-for-the-desire-to-do

Pope Francis: We must ask God for the desire to do His will
2015-01-27 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says we need to pray to God every day for the grace to understand His will, to follow it and to carry it out fully.  This was the core message of his homily at the morning Mass on Tuesday at the Santa Marta residence.

Taking his cue from the day’s readings, the Pope reflected on one of the cornerstones of our faith: obedience to God’s will. This, he explained, is the path to holiness for each Christian, namely that we carry out God’s will.

“The opposite began in Paradise with Adam’s failure to obey.  And that disobedience brought evil to the whole of humanity.  And sins too are acts of disobedience towards God, of not doing God’s will.  The Lord teaches us instead that this is the path, there is no other one.  And it begins with Jesus in Heaven, in his desire to obey the Father.  But here on earth it begins with Our Lady: what did she say to the Angel?  ‘Let it be done to me according to your word’, namely that God’s will is carried out.  And with that ‘Yes’ to the Lord, our Lord began his journey amongst us.”

Many options on the tray

Pope Francis, stressed, however, that following God’s will is not easy.  Even for Jesus it wasn’t easy when he faced temptations in the wilderness or in the Gardens of Olives.  And, continued the Pope, it wasn’t easy either for his disciples and neither is it easy for us, when each day we are faced with a tray of so many different options and that’s why we need the gift of God’s grace.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-warns-of-globalization-of-indifference-in-len

Pope warns of globalization of indifference in Lenten message
2015-01-27 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is inviting all believers to open their hearts to God and to overcome a “globalization of indifference” that is threatening to spread a feeling of distress and powerlessness and causing individuals and communities to withdraw into themselves, closing “the door through which God comes into the world and the world comes to him”.

The Pope’s words of comfort and concern come in his message for Lent 2015 which was released on Tuesday in the Vatican.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday which falls this year on 18 February 2015.

Please find below the full text of Pope Francis’ Lenten Message: 

MESSAGE
 OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR LENT 2015
“Make your hearts firm” (James5:8 )

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
 Lent is a time of renewal for the whole Church, for each communities and every believer. Above all it is a “time of grace” (2 Cor6:2). God does not ask of us anything that he himself has not first given us. “We love because he first has loved us” (1 Jn4:19). He is not aloof from us. Each one of us has a place in his heart. He knows us by name, he cares for us and he seeks us out whenever we turn away from him. He is interested in each of us; his love does not allow him to be indifferent to what happens to us. Usually, when we are healthy and comfortable, we forget about others (something God the Father never does): we are unconcerned with their problems, their sufferings and the injustices they endure … Our heart grows cold. As long as I am relatively healthy and comfortable, I don’t think about those less well off. Today, this selfish attitude of indifference has taken on global proportions, to the extent that we can speak of a globalization of indifference. It is a problem which we, as Christians, need to confront.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/holy-fathers-calendar-for-february-to-april-2015

Holy Father's calendar for February to April 2015

Vatican City, 27 January 2015 (VIS) – The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff has published the following calendar of liturgical celebrations at which the Holy Father will preside from February to April:

FEBRUARY

Monday 2: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, 19th World Day of Consecrated Life. At 5.30 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, Mass with the members of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life.

Sunday 8: Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time. At 4 p.m., pastoral visit to the Roman parish of “St. Michael the Archangel in Pietralata”.

Saturday 14: At 11 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of new cardinals and for several causes of canonisation.

Sunday 15: Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time. At 10 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, Mass with newly-created cardinals.

Wednesday 18: Ash Wednesday. At 4.30 p.m., Basilica of St. Anselm, “Statio” and penitential procession. At 5 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Sabina, blessing and imposition of the ashes.

Sunday 22, First Sunday of Lent. Ariccia, beginning of spiritual exercises for the Roman Curia.

Friday 27: Conclusion of spiritual exercises for the Roman Curia.
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/a-society-without-fathers-is-a-society-of-orphans-pope-francis-says-55843/

A society without fathers is a society of orphans, Pope Francis says

Vatican City, Jan 28, 2015 / 06:40 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his general audience catechesis, Pope Francis turned to the role of fathers, saying that they play an irreplaceable role in family life, and their absence leaves children prey to false idols.

“When children feel neglected by fathers who focus only on their problems, on their work or their own personal realization, this creates a situation of orphans in the children and youth of today, who live disoriented, without the good example or prudent guidance of a father,” the Pope said Jan. 28.

Pope Francis directed his words to pilgrims gathered in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall for his Wednesday general audience address. Continuing his catechesis on the family, the pontiff spoke on the theme of fatherhood.

The Pope’s reflection falls after a separate general audience address on the role of mothers earlier this month, during which he hailed motherhood as the “antidote to individualism.”
 
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/general-audience-on-fatherhood
General Audience: On Fatherhood
Vatican City,  January 28, 2015

Here is the translation of the Holy Father’s address during his weekly General Audience today at the Paul VI Audience Hall.
--- --- ---
Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!

We continue the series of catecheses on the family. Today we will let ourselves be guided by the word father. A word that is more dear than any other to us Christians, because it is the name with which Jesus has taught us to call God: Father. In fact, the meaning of this word received a new depth beginning with the way that Jesus used it to address God and to manifest his special relationship with Him. The blessed mystery of the intimacy of God, Father, Son and Spirit, revealed by Jesus, is the heart of our Christian faith.
 

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http://americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/pope-decides-pallium-will-be-given-metropolitan-archbishops-home-dioceses

Pope Decides Pallium Will Be Given to Metropolitan Archbishops in Home Dioceses
Jan 28 2015 - 12:03pm

Pope Francis has decided that the public ceremony of investiture of the Pallium on Metropolitan Archbishops will henceforth take place in the prelates’ home dioceses and not in the Vatican as has been the case under recent pontiffs.

He believes that in this way the ceremony "will greatly favor the participation of the local Church in an important moment of its life and history.” Monsignor Guido Marini, the Master of Ceremonies of papal liturgies stated this, when he broke the news in a January 12 letter to nuncios in countries where there are metropolitan archbishops that were expected to receive the pallium from the Pope in the Vatican on June 29, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul.

Furthermore, he said, Pope Francis believes that this new custom can serve to advance “that journey of synodality in the Catholic Church which, from the beginning of his pontificate, he has constantly emphasized as particularly urgent and precious at this time in the history of the Church”
 

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While Pope Francis is continuing the series of catecheses on the family during his weekly General Audience, others are discussing/debating areas of the family that were presented during the Extraordinary Synod of the Bishops on the family last October in preparation for the Ordinary Synod of the Bishops on October, 2015.  An interesting, informative article in my opinion.

http://www.aleteia.org/en/religion/article/top-official-of-synod-on-the-family-counters-conservatives-arguments-5250287669346304

Top Official of Synod on the Family Counters Conservatives' Arguments
January 29, 2015

ROME: Last week, the debate about next October’s Synod on the Family came into view once again as the Secretary General of the Synod, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, opened a three-day (January 22 -25) international conference of lay and family movements in Rome.

Cardinal Baldisseri called the 300 conference participants, representing 80 different organizations, to enter into the synod process by reflecting on the preparatory document, called the Lineamenta. The document contains the final report from last October’s preparatory assembly (the Extraordinary Synod of 2014), together with 46 questions intended to facilitate its reception and examine the themes treated in it.

The Secretary General of the Synod called participants to consider carefully how devoted Catholic families can help those who are not living the “fullness of Christian marriage.” The mission of the organizations assembled, he suggested, could be deepened by evangelization efforts to those in irregular marital situations. Caring for wounded families, he said, demands a search for courageous pastoral choices.

Following his presentation, Cardinal Baldisseri fielded questions. The first came from a representative from a Venezuelan-based family organization, who wished to remain anonymous. The representative’s question was more of a statement.

He expressed “concern” and “shock” over Cardinal Kasper’s proposal at last February’s Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals, in which Cardinal Kasper argued that the Catholic Church ought to study the Eastern Orthodox Church’s allowance of divorce and remarriage. Cardinal Kasper speculated that divorced and civilly remarried Catholics might be allowed to receive the Holy Eucharist, after a penitential process in the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Baldisseri responded by saying, “We shouldn’t be shocked that there is a different position from the ‘common doctrine.’”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/01/29/pope__no_to_ecclesial_elites_who_privatize_the_faith/1120518

Pope: No to ecclesial elites who privatize the faith
29/01/2015 12:51

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says ecclesial elites who form cliques and scorn others are privatizing the faith and not following the way of Jesus.  His words came during his homily at morning Mass on Thursday (29th January) celebrated in the Santa Marta residence.

The Pope’s homily was a reflection on the need for Christians to follow Jesus in the way that He wants and not to follow incorrect models such as privatizing our faith.

“It’s true, Jesus has saved us all, but not in a general fashion.  All of us, each one with their name and surname.  And this is our personal salvation.  I am truly saved, the Lord looked at me, gave his life for me, opened this door, this new life for me and each of us can say ‘For me.’  But there’s a danger of forgetting that He saved us individually but at the same time as part of his people or community.  His people.  The Lord always saves his people.  From the moment he calls Abraham and promises to make them his people.   And the Lord saves us as part of this community.  That’s why the writer of this Letter (to the Hebrews) tells us: ‘Let us be concerned for each other.’  There is no salvation solely for me.  If that’s the way I understand salvation, I’m mistaken and going along the wrong path.  The privatization of salvation is the wrong path.”

Pope Francis explained that there are three criteria for not privatizing salvation: ‘faith in Jesus who purifies us,’  hope that ‘stirs us to look at his promises and go forward’ and charity: namely taking care of each other, to encourage us all to practice charity and good works.’
 

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http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/1686/0/vatican-downplays-warning-of-islamic-state-attack-as-pope-warns-of-shadows-and-dangers-over-mankind

Vatican downplays warning of Islamic State attack as Pope warns of "shadows and dangers" over mankind
29 January 2015 12:46

The Pope has warned there are “shadows and dangers” hovering over mankind, as the Vatican faces new threats from Islamic State (IS) militants.

In his annual greeting to his public security team this week, Francis said the safety officials were “stewards” with a vital job to do guarding the“heart” of Christianity.

He said: “We have just started a new year, and many are our expectations and our hopes. On the horizon we see shadows and dangers that threaten all of humanity.” He told the security team they had the task of guarding places “that have great importance for the faith and for the life of millions of pilgrims”.

“I pray that everyone can feel safe thanks to your presence and care,” the Pope said.

In the same week Francis insisted that the need to keep channels of communication with Islam open was “greater than ever”.

Listening to other faiths was a necessary condition for peaceful coexistence, he told the Pontifical Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies.

While we should not fall into the “trap” of accommodating all the beliefs of other faiths, he said, the existence of the 50-year-old institute shows how the Church had long ago understood the need for “dedicated research and training for dialogue with Muslims”. It is a need that we feel “perhaps now more than ever”, he said, adding that the most effective antidote against any form of violence is education that helps us “to discover and accept our differences”.

Earlier this week IS reiterated its threats to the Vatican. In an audio message, IS “spokesman” Abu Muhammad al Adnani said: “Soon this crusading campaign will be defeated, with Allah’s power and strength. Then we will meet in Jerusalem and the next appointment is in Rome.”
 

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https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-approved-family-synods-controversial-mid-term-report-before-pu

Thu Jan 29, 2015 - 1:00 pm EST
Pope Francis approved family synod’s controversial mid-term report before publication: synod chief

ROME, January 29, 2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The lead organizer of the Vatican’s Synod on the Family has revealed that Pope Francis approved the controversial mid-term report from the meeting before it was published. Until now, Pope Francis’ role in the document’s publication has been left to conjecture.

The Relatio post disceptationem, as it is called, was intended as a provisional summary of the debate from the Synod’s first week. But after it was released it was strongly criticized by numerous Synod fathers, including Cardinals Raymond Burke, Gerhard Muller, George Pell, and Wilfrid Napier, some publicly and some behind meeting doors. Some critics have even described it as the worst official document in the history of the Church.

Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, spoke about the pope’s role regarding the Synod documents in an interview with Aleteia at a Pontifical Council for the Family conference last week.

“The documents were all seen and approved by the Pope, with the approval of his presence,” Baldisseri said. “Even the documents during the [Extraordinary] Synod, such as the Relatio ante disceptatationem [the preliminary report], the Relatio post disceptationem [interim report], and the Relatio synodi [final report] were seen by him before they were published.”

“This point is important not only because of his authority, but also it puts the Secretary General at ease,” the cardinal added - "wryly," according to Aleteia.

In its most controversial sections, the Relatio post disceptationem, or “report after the debate,” asked whether “accepting and valuing [homosexuals’] sexual orientation” could align with Catholic doctrine; proposed allowing Communion for divorced-and-remarried Catholics on a “case-by-case basis”; and said pastors should emphasize the “positive aspects” of lifestyles the Church considers gravely sinful, including civil remarriage after divorce and premarital cohabitation.

Its most controversial provisions were left out of the Synod’s final report, the Relatio synodi, but many critics have called on the Vatican nevertheless to rescind the interim document.

Cardinal Baldisseri also confirmed that the pope ordered that several controversial sections in the proposed Relatio synodi, or final report, be included in the published version even though they failed to get the necessary two-thirds vote from the Synod fathers.

“It was the Pope’s decision to include the points that did not receive the two-thirds majority,” he said.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-christians-two-parameters-memory-and

Pope Francis: Christians' two parameters: memory and hope
2015-01-30 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis warned that lukewarm Christians who’ve lost the memory and enthusiasm of their first encounter with Christ are in grave danger of letting the devil into their homes. Christians, he explained, must always retain that memory of their first meeting with Christ and their hope in Him to help them go forward with the courage of their faith. The Pope’s words came at his morning Mass on Friday (January 30th) celebrated at the Santa Marta residence.

Taking the inspiration for his reflections from the Letter to the Hebrews, Pope Francis said somebody who no longer remembers his or her first meeting with Jesus is an empty and spiritually inert person, as only lukewarm people can be.  The day of that first encounter with Christ, he stressed, must never be forgotten. 

Lukewarm Christians in grave danger

“Our memory is so important for recalling the grace received because if we chase away that enthusiasm which comes from the memory of that first love, this enthusiasm coming from that first love, then a huge danger arrives for Christians: a lukewarm (faith).  Lukewarm Christians.  They’re there, immobile and yes, they’re Christians, but they’ve lost the memory of that first love.  And they’ve also lost their enthusiasm. In addition, they’ve lost their patience, to tolerate life’s problems with the spirit of Jesus’ love, to tolerate, and to bear on their shoulders the difficulties….   Lukewarm Christians, poor things, they’re in grave danger.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-spirit-of-fraternity-with-oriental-or

Pope Francis: spirit of fraternity with Oriental Orthodox
2015-01-30 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday received the participants in a meeting -this week - of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

The Oriental Orthodox Churches those Orthodox Eastern Christian churches which recognize only the first three ecumenical councils, and rejected the formulae of the Council of Chalcedon, at which certain central Christological doctrines were dogmatically defined, most especially the dual nature – fully divine and fully human, perfectly united though without mixing, blending or alteration – of Christ.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/vatican-to-offer-haircuts-shaves-as-well-as-shower

Vatican to offer haircuts, shaves as well as showers to Rome's homeless
2015-01-30 Vatican Radio

The Vatican will offer homeless people in Rome not only showers but also haircuts and shaves when new facilities open next month, the head of Pope Francis' charity office said.  The Vatican announced last year that it would provide shower facilities in St Peter's Square for homeless people.  Archbishop Konrad Krajewski the Italian Catholic newspaper Avvenire on Thursday that it would also offer haircuts and shaves when the services start on Feb. 16 in an area under the colonnade of the square.  Arch. Krajewski, whose official title is the pope's almsgiver, said barbers and hairdressers would volunteer their services on Mondays, the day their shops are traditionally closed in Italy. 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/mexico-pope-francis-prayers-for-maternity-hospital

Mexico: Pope Francis' prayers for maternity hospital
2015-01-30 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis expressed his profound sadness for the victims of an explosion at a maternity hospital in Mexico City which killed two newborn babies and a nurse.  More than 70 other people were injured, most of them newborn infants.  The Pope’s condolences were sent on his behalf by the Secretary of State Pietro Parolin in a telegram to Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, Archbishop of Mexico City.  Earlier, the Pope sent a tweet on his Spanish twitter account urging prayers for the victims and their families and for the Lord to grant them strength and peace. 
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/cause-for-sainthood-opened-for-chiara-lubich

Cause for sainthood opened for Chiara Lubich
2015-01-30 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) The cause for the beatification of Chiara Lubich, founder of the international Focolare Movement, was opened on Tuesday.

The official inauguration of the Diocesan Process of Inquiry into Lubich’s life, followed the praying of Vespers in the Cathedral of Frascati, near Rome.

While Lubich was born in the northern Italian region of Trento, she established the International Centre for the Focolare Movement, whose charism is the promotion of peace and the unity of all people, in Frascati.

In a written message for the gathering, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Pope Francis turns his thoughts to the occasion and “hopes” that Chiara Lubich’s “luminous example” will inspire “renewed faithfulness to Christ and generous service to the unity of the Church” among those who have taken up her “precious spiritual legacy.”
 

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http://www.chron.com/news/science/article/EPA-administrator-at-Vatican-ahead-of-encyclical-6050749.php

EPA administrator at Vatican ahead of encyclical.
By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press | January 30, 2015 | Updated: January 30, 2015 3:01pm

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency met Friday with Vatican officials who helped draft Pope Francis' upcoming encyclical on ecology, evidence that the Obama administration is seeking to hitch its climate-change message onto that of the popular pope.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy told reporters that her aim in visiting was to show the Vatican how aligned President Barack Obama and Francis are on climate change. She said she wanted to stress that global warming isn't just an environmental issue, but a public health threat, and yet also a chance for economic opportunity.

"I think the most important thing that we can do, working with the pope, is to try to remind ourselves that this is really about protecting natural resources that human beings rely on, and that those folks that are most vulnerable — that the church has always been focused on, those in poverty and low income — are the first that are going to be hit and impacted by a changing climate," she said.

She added, however: "It's certainly not my place to dictate to the pope what he should be doing in an encyclical."