Pope Francis

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-effect-in-the-us-two-years-on

Pope Francis effect in the US two years on
2015-03-12 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Friday 13th March marks two years since the election of Pope Francis to the See of Peter. To mark this occasion Veronica Scarisbrick finds out more about how the figure of Pope Francis is perceived  across the ocean in the United States. To do this she turns to David Gibson, a New York based award-winning journalist, author and filmmaker who’s also national reporter for ‘Religion News Service’.

 David Gibson says Pope Francis has captured the imagination of both Catholics and non- Catholics in the United States as well as media attention. People are drawn to him, he remarks, and he's been featured everywhere on every magazine cover.

This development, says Gibson, marks a landmark shift in the narrative of the Catholic Church in the United States which for the past ten of fifteen years has been focused on the clerical sexual abuse crisis.

People are suddenly saying things like: ‘hey you’ve got a really cool Pope’, this Catholicism thing is kind of interesting tell me about it’.

In a special way, the images and gestures Pope Francis projects through the media are strong and they’re right there with us. Despite the distance between Rome and the United States there's a real sense of nearness. Not just  because of the immediacy of modern day communications but because of the kind of person, pastor and Pope he is. His gestures are not just words or concepts, he really connects with people and there's a way this is kind of amplified by the time it crosses the ocean.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-there-is-no-middle-way-to-love-god

Pope: there is no middle way to love God
2015-03-12 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says a true Christian must not compromise: he must let himself be touched by God’s mercy and he must love his brother wholeheartedly or else he will end up being a hypocrite and do more harm than good.

The Pope was speaking during Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Thursday morning.

At the beginning through the Prophets, and later with the testimony of Saints, God has built up his relationship with men in time. And yet, the Pope pointed out, notwithstanding the excellence of those chosen to relay His message through their teachings and their actions – the history of Salvation is far from perfect, it is paved with hypocrisy and unfaithfulness.

God weeps for hardened hearts
Pope Francis’ reflection swept across time, beginning with Abel and ending today. According to Jeremiah in the Gospel reading of the day, God states with bitterness that his own people did not obey nor did they pay heed and “walked in the hardness of their evil hearts”.

“God gave them all” – Pope Francis said – but in return received only “bad things”. “Faithfulness had disappeared” he said.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-to-confessors-be-authentically-mercif

Pope Francis to confessors: be authentically merciful
2015-03-12 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday received a group of priests and bishops participating in a special formation initiative of the Apostolic Penitentiary on the internal forum.

The Apostolic Penitentiary is the Church tribunal that deals primarily with issues that arise in and around the Sacrament of Confession, as well as the lifting of excommunications reserved to the Holy See, and the issuing and regulation of indulgences: it is headed by an official known as the Major Penitentiary, whose appointment to the office does not cease with the Pope’s death or resignation – so that the Church’s work of pardon can continue without interruption, especially in the most grave and urgent cases.

The annual course is offered during the season of Lent, and is designed to help ministers of Reconciliation better to understand their ministry, and the role of the sacrament in the life of the Church and of the faithful. This year, the course was focused on a series of themes, including: the correct administration of the sacrament, as well as its canonical, moral and pastoral-liturgical aspects.

In remarks to the participants in this 26th edition of the offering, the Holy Father stressed the central importance of the Sacrament of Penance as a privileged means of communicating God’s mercy, and a powerful instrument of grace in the Church’s salvific mission. “Among the sacraments,” said Pope Francis, “the Sacrament of Reconciliation certainly renders present the merciful face of God with especial efficacy.” The Pope went on to say, “Let us never forget, whether as penitents or as confessors: there is no sin that God cannot forgive; not one.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-to-korean-bishops-ministry-is-a-life

Pope Francis to Korean Bishops: Ministry is a "life of service"
2015-03-12 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday met with the bishops from Korea, who are in Rome on their ad limina visit.  They were accompanied by the Bishop and Apostolic Prefect of Mongolia.

Pope Francis handed the bishops his prepared remarks in written form, giving him time to speak with the bishops privately in an informal manner.

His prepared remarks were on his reflections of his trip last year to South Korea, and focused on three aspects of his visit: Memory, youth and the mission of confirming our brothers and sisters in the faith.
 

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http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1501073.htm

ROMERO-DATE (UPDATED) Mar-11-2015
May 23 outdoor Mass set for beatification of Archbishop Romero

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (CNS) -- Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero will be beatified in San Salvador May 23, said Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the postulator or chief promoter of the archbishop's sainthood cause.

The ceremony, which moves the murdered archbishop a step closer to sainthood, will be in Plaza Divino Salvador del Mundo. The archbishop said Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, would celebrate the Mass.
 

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http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2015/03/238849.htm

On the Anniversary of the Election of His Holiness Pope Francis
 
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 12, 2015

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate His Holiness Pope Francis on the second anniversary of his election to the See of Rome.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-on-his-pontificate-to-date

Pope Francis on his Pontificate to date
2015-03-13 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio)  Migration and drug trafficking, the reform of the Curia, the challenges of the Synod for the Family and the need to make the Church a safe home for all children and vulnerable adults. In a wide-ranging interview with Valentina Alazraki, from the Mexican broadcaster Televisa, Pope Francis has marked the second year of his pontificate by addressing the hot topics that have dominated public discourse since his election to the papacy, revealing details of the Conclave that made him the 265th Successor of St. Peter.

It was the Holy Father’s choice that the interview with the Mexican broadcaster take place in Casa Santa Marta, in the room where the his Council of Nine cardinals hold their meetings and which is dominated by a large image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Indicating the image the Pope explained that the Mexican Virgin is a "source of cultural unity, which leads to holiness in the midst of so much shame, so much injustice, exploitation, and so much death".

The interview begins with the question as to why a stop in Mexico was not scheduled as part of the papal journey to the USA for the World Day of Families in September.
 

Another report about the interview...
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-francis-gives-in-depth-interview-to-mexican-televisa-news
Pope Francis Gives In-Depth Interview to Mexican Televisa News
Rome,  March 13, 2015

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-homily-with-announcement-of-year-of-m

Pope Francis: homily with announcement of Year of Mercy
2015-03-13 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis presided over a penance service in St. Peter's Basilica on Friday afternoon, during which he announced an extraordinary Jubilee dedicated to Divine Mercy. Below, please find Vatican Radio's English translation of the Holy Father's homily, in which he made the announcement.

This year as last, as we head into of the Fourth Sunday of Lent, we are gathered to celebrate the penitential liturgy. We are united with so many Christians, who, in every part of the world, have accepted the invitation to live this moment as a sign of the goodness of the Lord. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, in fact, allows us with confidence to draw near to the Father, in order to be certain of His pardon. He really is “rich in mercy” and extends His mercy with abundance over those who turn to Him with a sincere heart.
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ufXtjNue4k
Penitential Celebration - 2015.03.13
Streamed live on Mar 13, 2015
Starts at 5.00 pm - Pope Francis presides at Penitential Celebration

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March 3, 2015 Tweets
https://twitter.com/roccopalmo

Rocco Palmo @roccopalmo 
  ·  3h 3 hours ago   
After announcing Holy Year of Mercy, Pope keeps his Lenten custom, goes again to Confession publicly in St Peter's:

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^^^

Ooops...sorry.  The date of the tweet should be March 13, 2015. 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/about-the-jubilee-of-mercy

About the Jubilee of Mercy
2015-03-13 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) The Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization has produced this explanatory note for the upcoming Holy Year, the Jubilee of Mercy.

In St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis announced today, March 13, 2015, the celebration of an “extraordinary Holy Year”. This “Jubilee of Mercy” will commence with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 2015, and will conclude on November 20, 2016 with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. At the start of the new year, the Holy Father had stated: “This is the time of mercy. It is important that the lay faithful live it and bring it into different social environments. Go forth!”

The Jubilee announcement had been made on the second anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, during his homily for the penitential liturgy with which the Holy Father opened the “24 Hours for the Lord”. This initiative, proposed by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, promotes throughout the world the opening of churches for an extended period of time for the purpose of inviting people to the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The theme for this year has been taken from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, “God rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4).

The opening of this next Jubilee will take place on the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council in 1965. This is of great significance, for it impels the Church to continue the work begun at Vatican II.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-urges-laity-to-live-their-vocation-in-the-wor

Pope urges laity to live their vocation in the world
2015-03-14 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met members of the Rome-based lay association Seguimi (Follow Me) on Saturday on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

In his message, the Pope spoke of the importance of the lay vocation in the Church.

Lay people are called to permeate the family, work and social environments with Christian values through their witness and words and by meeting people in the concrete situations of their lives, so that they may live in “full dignity” and be “reached by the salvation of Christ,” said Pope Francis.

“Jesus is the fullness for every human person, revealing the mystery of the Father and of his love,” he said.

“As lay people, you are immersed in the world and you are committed to serving the human good within earthly realities,” he said.

The Pope encouraged the members of the lay association to be “lay people on the front lines, to feel part of the mission of the Church” and “to live their secularity dedicated to the realities” of the world.

“This way, you can contribute, like leaven, and put the spirit of the Gospel in the wounds of history with the witness of faith, hope and love,” he said.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-says-society-today-needs-good-well-pa

Pope Francis says society today needs good, well paid teachers
2015-03-14 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has denounced poor wages for teachers, saying computers can teach content but  it takes a good teacher to instill values and hope in young people today and create harmony in society.

Receiving the Unione Cattolica Italiana Insegnati, Dirigenti, Educatori, Formatori (UCIIM) on their 70th anniversary, the Pope addressed them as colleagues, saying he had fond memories of his own days in the classroom, when he too was a teacher.

He then said: “teaching is a beautiful profession, … it’s a pity teachers are badly paid…because it is not just about the time they spend in school, but the time they spend in preparation, the time they spend on each individual student”.

The Pope referred to his own country, where many teachers have to work double shifts “just to be able to  earn a decent wage”.

Instead the teaching profession is a great responsibility, he said, likening it to being spiritual parents for students, particularly the most difficult students who can often try a teachers patience.

In a society that struggles to find points of reference, the Pope continued young people need a positive reference point in their school.

But, the school can become this only “if it has teachers capable of giving meaning to the school, to study and culture, without reducing everything to the mere transmission of technical knowledge”.
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/scholar-from-jpii-institute-on-marriage-family-to-advise-helmsman-of-2015-synod-94523/

Scholar from JPII Institute on marriage, family to advise helmsman of 2015 Synod

Vatican City, Mar 14, 2015 / 10:00 am (CNA/EWTN News).- As the church prepares for the 2015 Synod on the Family, one of the newly-named advisers to the synod of bishops' general secretariat is a scholar from the John Paul II Institute on marriage and the family – representatives of which were notably absent during last year's gathering on the same subject.

Vice-president and professor of sacramental theology at the JPII Institute, Fr. José Granados, was listed in a Mar. 14 Vatican statement as one the advisers – known as “consultors” -- tasked with advising the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri.

Representatives from the pontifical institute were absent from the 2014 Extraordinary Synod on “The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization,” noteworthy for the fact that marriage and the family are at the core of its study.

JPII institute scholars have openly opposed proposals made by some to grant reception of Holy Communion to divorced persons who have remarried without obtaining an annulment, a topic which received much media attention during the 2014 Synod.
 

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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/angelus-address-on-the-greatness-of-god-s-love

Angelus Address: On the Greatness of God's Love
Rome,  March 15, 2015 

Here is the translation of Pope Francis' words before and after the recitation of the Angelus prayer to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today's Gospel proposes once again the words of Jesus to Nicodemus: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son" (Jn 3,16). Listening to this word, we turn our heart's gaze to Jesus Crucified and we feel in us that God loves us, He truly loves us, and He loves us so much! This is the simplest expression that summarizes the whole Gospel, all of faith and all of theology: God loves us with a free and boundless love.

God shows this love above all in Creation, as the liturgy proclaims in the Eucharistic Prayer IV: "[You] have made all that is, so that you might fill your creatures with blessings and bring joy to many of them by the glory of your light." Since the beginning of time there is only the free and gratuitous love of the Father. Saint Irenaeus, a saint from the first century, writes: "In the beginning, therefore, did God form Adam, not as if He stood in need of man, but that He might have [someone] upon whom to confer His benefits" (Adversus haereses, IV, 14,1).
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-condemns-attacks-against-christians-i

Pope Francis condemns attacks against Christians in Pakistan
2015-03-15 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has made an appeal for peace in Pakistan and for solidarity with the country’s persecuted Christian minority, in the wake of a pair of terror attacks that left at least 14 people dead and scores of others wounded in the city of Lahore, and accused the world of, “trying to hide” the persecution of Christians.

“With pain, with much pain,” said Pope Francis to the crowd of pilgrims and tourists gathered for the Angelus prayer this Sunday in St. Peter's Square, “I learned of the terrorist attacks today against two churches in the city Lahore in Pakistan, which have resulted in numerous deaths and injuries,” for which a Taliban splinter group, calling itself Jamatul Ahrar, has claimed responsibility.

The twin attacks took place on churches only a few hundred metres apart from one another in one of the largest Christian neighbourhoods of the city, Youhanabad. One of the churches was the Catholic church of St. John, the other was the Anglican Christ Church. The Holy Father went on to say, “These are Christian churches: Christians are being persecuted. Our brothers' and sisters' blood is shed only because they are Christians. As I assure you of my prayers for the victims and their families, I ask the Lord, I beseech the Lord, source of all good, for the gift of peace and harmony to this country.”

Concluding his appeal, Pope Francis prayed, “That this persecution against Christians, which the world tries to hide, might end, and that there be peace.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-make-space-for-gods-love-so-he-can-change-you

Pope: “make space for God’s love so He can change you”
2015-03-16 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says we are loved by God in a way that no theologian can explain.

He was speaking during morning Mass in the Casa Santa Marta.

Taking his cue from the first reading from the prophet Isaiah in which the Lord says He is “about to create new heavens and a new earth”, Pope Francis said that God’s second creation is even more “wonderful” than the first because when he makes the world over he does so in Jesus Christ. He renews everything and manifests his immense joy:

“We find that the Lord has so much enthusiasm: he speaks of joy and says ‘I will exult in my people’. The Lord thinks of what He will do and of how He will rejoice with His people. It’s almost as if he has a dream. He has a dream. His dream is about us. ‘Oh, how beautiful it will be when we are all together, when this and that person will walk with me… I will exult in that moment!’ To bring you an example that can help us better understand, it’s like when a girl or a boy think of their beloved: ‘when we will be together, when we marry…’. It’s God’s ‘dream’”.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-receives-bishops-of-bosnia-and-herzeg

Pope Francis receives bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina
2015-03-16 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday, during the course of the bishops’ ad limina visits.

In remarks prepared for the occasion and delivered on Monday morning, Pope Francis focused on three specific points: meeting the challenge of emigration, with the attendant difficulties of family separations and desires for reunion – at home or abroad – often frustrated by persistent social ills and the still-raw wounds of conflict; the challenges of living in and ministering to a multiethnic and religiously plural population, in which the bishops are called at once to be fathers to all, and custodians of the traditions unique to the Catholic community; the pastoral, ecumenical and interreligious dimensions of leadership that constitute at once a delicate set of circumstances in which to be witnesses to the truth, and a powerful asset in the cause of the Gospel.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/the-pope-receives-the-captains-regent-of-san-marin

The Pope receives the Captains Regent of San Marino
2015-03-16 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday received in audience their Excellencies Giancarlo Terenzi and Guerrino Zanotti, the Captains Regent of the Most Serene Republic of San Marino.

A Vatican press released revealed that during the cordial discussions, deep satisfaction was expressed regarding the good relations between the Holy See and the Republic of San Marino, and the active collaboration in the social field between public institutions and the Church was underlined.

Finally, mention was made of the fruitful collaboration between the Holy See and the Republic of San Marino at a bilateral level and in the context of the international community.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/03/17/pope_francis_sends_letter_to_the_bishops_of_nigeria/1129957

Pope Francis sends letter to the Bishops of Nigeria
17/03/2015 12:00

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a letter to the Bishops of Nigeria expressing his closeness to all those suffering in the country.

While acknowledging the progress the nation of 160 million has made in recent years, Pope Francis laments the “new and violent forms of extremism and fundamentalism” which are affecting the country on ethnic, social and religious grounds, which has led to murders, kidnappings, and forced many people to leave their homes.

“Every day I remember you in my prayers and I repeat here, for your encouragement and comfort, the consoling words of the Lord Jesus, which must always resound in our hearts: ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you,’” Pope Francis writes.