Pope Francis

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Cardinal Pell is a member of the pope's Council of Cardinals.

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/pell-francesco-francisco-francis-40386/

04/14/2015
Pell leaves IOR and Pope makes two new appointments in Vatican’s financial institutions


Card. Pell

Cardinal George Pell, head of the Secretariat for the Economy, has left the offices of the IOR (Institute for the Works of Religion) presidency after just a few months. He had joined last December in order to be closer to the Institute’s President, Jean-Baptiste de Franssu. Pell had moved his office from one tower to another: he left St. John’s tower, where the headquarters of the Secretariat for the Economy are currently located, and moved into the Niccolò V tower, which houses the main offices of the IOR presidency.

Some observers had defined this as a “highly symbolic” act. Although it was common knowledge that his move to the “Vatican bank” was only temporary, it seems that the Australian prelate’s new move was speeded up, perhaps in order to prevent any misinterpretations and a confusion of roles: there is in fact a commission of cardinals that oversees the IOR, this task does not lie with the Secretariat for the Economy.

Meanwhile, Francis has nominated Mgr. Luigi Mistò as the new secretary of the Secretariat for the Economy’s administrative section. Mistò has left the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) and Francis has appointed Mgr. Mauro Rivella to take over this role, Mistò has worked with Pell over the past year.
 

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/04/14/hackers-target-the-vaticans-web-site-over-pope-franciss-genocide-comment/

Hackers target the Vatican’s Web site over Pope Francis’ ‘genocide’ comment
April 14 at 3:12 PM

Turkish hackers reportedly targeted the Vatican’s Web site on Monday after Pope Francis referred to the mass killings of Armenians by Turks as a “genocide,” according to reports.

Vatican.va was knocked offline after a cyber attack Monday night, according to reports, but was back online by Tuesday morning.

A Turkish hacker posted on Twitter taking credit and demanding an apology.

After the Pope's statement genocide Turkish hackers had attacked the site. http://t.co/6CyKLaHlDF pic.twitter.com/lj75aIUDtP

— Anonymous (@YourAnonGlobal) April 14, 2015

The Vatican has been targeted by hackers in the past. Anonymous, an international hacking group, took down the Catholic Church’s main Web site in 2012. The group has made repeated attempts to take down the church’s website.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/04/15/pope_“more_weight_and_more_authority_must_be_given_to_women/1136896

Pope: "more weight and more authority must be given to women”
15/04/2015 11:11

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says there is still much to be done in order to give due recognition to women, both in society and in the Church.

Speaking on Wednesday during the General Audience in St. Peter's Square, the Pope said that not only must the voice of women be listened to, but that it must also be given weight and authority.

Continuing in his Catechesis on the family, Pope Francis focused on the great gift that God gave humanity when he created man and woman and on the Sacrament of marriage.

Reflecting on the complementarity between man and woman, Francis said that the Scripture tells us that “God created man in his own image… male and female he created them” and that man and woman bear the image and likeness of God not only as individuals, but also together. 

He said that in God’s plan, sexual differentiation is not ordered to subordination, but to communion and procreation and he said that this reciprocity brings harmony and enrichment to the human family. 

But, pointing out that it also presents a constant challenge and that modern culture has opened new scenarios, the Pope pointed out that there is much work to be done in order to give women their due recognition.
 
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/general-audience-on-man-and-woman
General Audience: On Man and Woman
Vatican City,  April 15, 2015

Here is the translation of the Holy Father's address during his Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter's Square.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/04/15/cardinals_discuss_vatican_media_and_bishops_accountability/1137050

Cardinals discuss Vatican media and bishops' accountability
15/04/2015 16:50


Pope Francis and the C9 group of cardinals meeting in Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican this week - OSS_ROM

(Vatican Radio) The Council of nine cardinals, comprising Pope Francis’ closest advisors, has been meeting in the Vatican again this week to discuss a range of issues regarding the reform of the Roman Curia. In particular the Church leaders have focused on a planned restructuring of the Vatican media and the difficult question of accountability for bishops who have not dealt responsibly with known cases of child sexual abuse.

The so-called C9 group has been meeting behind closed doors with Pope Francis from Monday morning through Wednesday afternoon, discussing ways of moving closer towards the drawing up of a new constitution for the Curia. While the head of the Holy See press office, Fr Federico Lombardi wasn’t setting any definite timeline, he did say the cardinals hope to be getting close to that goal by the end of 2016.

The group has been reviewing more than 60 contributions to the debate made by cardinals from across the globe who attended last February’s consistory, with a particular focus on the setting up of two central structures, one comprising the Church’s charity, justice and peace work, the other including laity, family and life issues.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/04/15/pope_francis_remembers_cardinal_roberto_tucci_sj_(1921-2015)/1137018

Pope Francis remembers Cardinal Roberto Tucci SJ (1921-2015)
15/04/2015 15:27



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent a telegram of condolence, on learning of the passing of Cardinal Roberto Tucci SJ, who died on Tuesday afternoon in Rome, five days shy of his 94th birthday.

Addressed to Fr. Adolfo Nicolas SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, the telegram expresses the Holy Father’s heartfelt sympathies and recalls with gratitude Cardinal Tucci’s valuable service over several decades as chief editor of the Italian Jesuit journal of affairs, La civiltà cattolica, as a theological expert at the II Vatican Council, as Director Ggeneral of Vatican Radio, and in particular as coordinator of papal trips outside Italy under Pope St. John Paul II.

“He leaves us with the memory of an industrious and dynamic life, spent in the coherent and generous fulfilment of his vocation as a religious man mindful of the needs of others, and a pastor faithful to the Gospel and to the Church, following the example of St. Ignatius,” the telegram reads.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/mass-at-santa-marta-obedience-through-dialogue

Mass at Santa Marta - Obedience through dialogue
2015-04-16 L’Osservatore Romano

At Santa Marta on Thursday morning, Francis offered Mass for Benedict XVI on his 88th birthday, inviting the faithful present to join him in praying “that the Lord sustain him and grant him much joy and happiness”.

In his homily, the Pontiff spoke of obedience, a prominent theme in the day’s liturgy. He began by quoting words from the end of the passage from the Gospel according to John (3:31-35): “he who does not obey the Son shall not see life”. Then, referring to the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (5:27-33), the Pontiff also recalled what “the Apostles said to the high priests: we must obey God rather than men”.

Obedience, Francis explained, “often leads us down a path which isn’t the one we think it should be: there is another, the obedience of Jesus who says to the Father in the Garden of Olives: “Thy will be done”. In so doing Jesus “obeys and saves us all”. Thus, we must be ready to “obey, to have the courage to change directions when the Lord asks this of us”. And “for this reason, he who obeys will have eternal life”, whereas for “he who does not obey, the wrath of God rests upon him”.
 

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Happy Birthday, Pope Benedict XVI! 

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/04/16/pope_emeritus_benedict_xvi_celebrates_his_88th_birthday/1137382

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI celebrates his 88th birthday
16/04/2015 17:44


Pope Benedict toasts for his 88th birthday - AP

(Vatican Radio) The Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI marked his 88th birthday on Thursday (April 16th) with a Bavarian-style celebration. He received birthday greetings from a group of Gebirgsschutzen (mountain protection units) from his native Bavaria, dressed in traditional costumes. Among those present to celebrate his birthday were his older brother Monsignor Georg Ratzinger and the Prefect of the Pontifical Household, Archbishop George Ganswein.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-to-visit-ecuador-paraguay-and-paragua

Pope Francis to visit Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay
2015-04-16 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  A communique from the Holy See’s Press office on Thursday announced that Pope Francis will make an apostolic visit to three Latin American countries in early July. It said following invitations from the respective heads of state and the Catholic Bishops, the Pope will be in Ecuador from the 6-8th, Bolivia from the 8th- 10th  and Paraguay from the 10th-12th. 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-meets-with-kenyan-bishops

Pope meets with Kenyan Bishops
2015-04-16 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday morning met with the Bishops from Kenya who are in Rome on their ad Limina visit. In his prepared remarks the Holy Father said “the Church in Kenya must always be true to her mission as an instrument of reconciliation, justice and peace.”

Below find the Pope’s address to the Kenyan Bishops.

Dear Brother Bishops,

I offer you my fraternal welcome on the occasion of your visit ad Limina Apostolorum as you make your pilgrimage to the tombs of Blessed Peter and Paul.  Your time in the Eternal City and your visits to the offices of the Roman Curia provide numerous opportunities to deepen communion between the Church in Kenya and the See of Peter.  I thank Cardinal Njue for his warm words on your behalf and in the name of the priests, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful of Kenya.  I ask you kindly to assure them of my prayers and spiritual closeness.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/presentation-of-the-annuarium-pontificium

Presentation of the Annuarium Pontificium

Vatican City, 16 April 2015 (VIS) – The Annuarium Pontificium 2015 and the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2013 have been issued this morning. The former reveals some new aspects of the life of the Church that have emerged between February 2014 and February 2015, and the latter illustrates the changes that took place in 2013.

The statistics referring to the year 2013, show the dynamics of the Catholic Church in the world's 2,989 ecclesiastical circumscriptions. It may be seen that in this period one diocese and two eparchies have been elevated to the level of metropolitan sees; three new episcopal sees, three eparchies and one archiepiscopal exarchate have been erected; one territorial prelature has been elevated to a diocese, and one apostolic prefecture to an apostolic vicariate.

Since 2005, the number of Catholics worldwide has increased from 1,115 million to 1,254 million, an increase of 139 million faithful. During the last two years, the presence of baptised Catholics in the world has increased from 17.3% to 17.7%.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/final-report-on-leadership-conference-of-women-rel

Final report on Leadership Conference of Women Religious
2015-04-16 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Friday with members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious as the group released a report on the implementation of its doctrinal assessment by the Vatican’s Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.

The LCWR is an association of the leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the United States and represents more than 80 percent of religious sisters in the US. The joint report was issued by the LCWR and Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle who led the four year assessment process requested by the Vatican. The report marks the conclusion of the sensitive process, which the sisters say was carried out with a “spirit of cooperation among participants”.

Please find below the press release and joint report on the Leadership Conference of Women Religious

Press Release April 16

            Officials of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), Archbishop Peter Sartain and officers of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) met April 16.  Archbishop Sartain and LCWR officers presented a joint report (attached) on the implementation of the CDF Doctrinal Assessment and Mandate of April 2012.  The joint report outlines the manner in which the implementation of the Mandate has been accomplished.  The Congregation accepted the joint report, marking the conclusion of the Doctrinal Assessment of LCWR.  Present for the April 16 meeting were His Eminence Gerhard Cardinal Müller, Archbishop Peter Sartain, Sr. Carol Zinn, SSJ, Sr. Marcia Allen, CSJ, Sr. Joan Marie Steadman, CSC, and Sr. Janet Mock, CSJ, and other officials of CDF.

            During the meeting, Archbishop Sartain and LCWR officers outlined the process undertaken by the Bishop Delegates and LCWR over the past three years, noting the spirit of cooperation among participants throughout the sensitive process. Cardinal Müller offered his thoughts on the Doctrinal Assessment as well as the Mandate and its completion.  He expressed gratitude to those present for their willing participation in this important and delicate work and extended thanks to others who had participated, especially Archbishop Leonard P. Blair, Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki, and the past officers and Executive Directors of LCWR.

Following the meeting, Cardinal Müller said:  “At the conclusion of this process, the Congregation is confident that LCWR has made clear its mission to support its member Institutes by fostering a vision of religious life that is centered on the Person of Jesus Christ and is rooted in the Tradition of the Church.  It is this vision that makes religious women and men radical witnesses to the Gospel, and, therefore, is essential for the flourishing of religious life in the Church.”
 

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An interesting and informative article in my opinion.

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/lcwr-agrees-to-abide-by-vaticans-corrections/

LCWR Agrees to Abide by Vatican’s Corrections (1950)
NEWS ANALYSIS: Six years after the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith initiated a doctrinal assessment, the organization of U.S. religious sisters has committed to institute reforms.

by ANN CAREY 04/16/2015

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-christian-humility-is-not-masochism-b

Pope Francis: Christian humility is not masochism, but love
2015-04-17 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Humiliation for its own sake is masochism, but when it is suffered and endured in the name of the Gospel it makes us like Jesus. That was what Pope Francis said in his homily at the Mass at Casa Santa Marta, as he invited Christians to never cultivate sentiments of hatred, but to give themselves time to discover within themselves sentiments and attitudes that are pleasing to God: love and dialogue.

Is it possible for people to react to difficult situations the way God does? It is, the Pope said, and it is all a question of time. Time to allow ourselves to be permeated by the sentiments of Jesus. Francis explains this by looking at the episode in the days reading from the Acts of the Apostles. The Apostles were called before the Sanhedrin, accused of preaching the Gospel that the doctors of the law did not want to hear.

Don’t give hatred time

However, one of the Pharisees, Gamaliel, suggested frankly that the Apostles should be allowed to continue to preach, because if the teaching of the Apostles “were of human origin, it would destroy itself,” which would not happen if it came from God. The Sanhedrin accepted the suggestion – that is, the Pope said, they chose to take “time.” They did not react by following the instinctive sentiments of hatred. And this, Pope Francis said, is a correct “remedy” for every human being:
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-thanks-papal-foundation-for-its-suppo

Pope Francis thanks Papal Foundation for its support
2015-04-17 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis greeted members of “The Papal Foundation” on Friday. They are in Rome on their annual pilgrimage.

The Papal Foundation was founded in the United States in 1988 to establish an endowment to support the mission of the Holy Father. The endowment has grown to over $220 million, with a total of $111 million awarded in grants and scholarships.

“The wide variety of projects supported by the Foundation gives witness to the ceaseless efforts of the Church to promote the integral development of the human family, conscious as she is of the immense and ongoing needs of so many of our brothers and sisters,” Pope Francis said.

He also praised the Foundation for the “sizeable percentage” of its resources used for the education and formation of young priests, religious and lay men and women in places where the local churches are in need of help.

Pope Francis said this support would help hasten the day when these Churches may be self-supportive “and, indeed, pass on the fruits of such generosity to others.”

The full text of the Pope’s remarks to The Papal Foundation are below
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-meets-the-minister-president-of-the-g

Pope Francis meets the Minister-President of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
2015-04-17 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday met with the Minister-President of the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, who also met with the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin.

After the meeting, Mr. Haseloff said they spoke about the 25th anniversary of the re-unification of Germany, as well as the upcoming anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. The Minister-President expressed his hopes the Pope could visit to mark the anniversaries.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-to-celebrate-mass-at-north-american-c

Pope Francis to celebrate Mass at North American College in honor of Blessed Serra
2015-04-17 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the Pontifical North American College on May 2 to celebrate Mass during a Day of Reflection with the title “Fra Junípero Serra: Apostle of California, and Witness to Sanctity.”

Pope Francis has announced he intends to canonize Blessed Junípero Serra during his visit to the United States in September.

The Pontifical North American College is the national seminary for the United States, and is located on the Janiculum Hill, which overlooks St. Peter’s Basilica.
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-to-cuba-its-not-official-but-possible-vatican-says-50722/

Pope Francis to Cuba? It's not official, but possible, Vatican says

Vatican City, Apr 17, 2015 / 03:58 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Holy See Press Office confirmed today that Pope Francis is considering a possible stop in Cuba as part as his trip to United States, which is scheduled to take place in September.
 
“The Holy Father has taken into consideration the idea to stop in Cuba as part of his coming voyage to the United States,” an April 17 press release from the Vatican revealed.

However, the release clarified that “contact with the authorities of the country is still at a very initial stage, so it is not possible to speak of this stop as having already been decided and that there is an operative project going on.”
 

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http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/3817/cardinal_francis_george_the_emeritus_archbishop_of_chicago_dies_at_78.aspx

Cardinal Francis George, the Emeritus Archbishop of Chicago, dies at 78
April 17, 2015


Cardinal Francis E. George, in a November 18, 2014 photo, gestures to Archbishop Blase J. Cupich after the cardinal received a standing ovation when Archbishop Cupich thanked him for his service as head of the Chicago Archdiocese. Cardinal George died this morning at the age of 78. (CNS photo/Karen Callaway, Catholic New World)

Chicago, Ill., Apr 17, 2015 / 12:20 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Francis George, the Emeritus Archbishop of Chicago, passed away Friday morning after a long batter with cancer.

Archbishop Blase Cupich, who currently heads the archdiocese, remembered Cardinal George as “a man of peace, tenacity and courage.”

At an April 17 press conference, Archbishop Cupich lauded the cardinal for his bravery in overcoming challenges, which included a battle with polio as a teenager that left his legs permanently weak.

“Cardinal George was a respected leader among the bishops of the United States,” Archbishop Cupich noted, particularly pointing to his work to fight the clerical sex abuse scandal: “He stood strong among his fellow bishops and insisted that zero tolerance was the only course consistent with our beliefs.”

The 78-year-old cardinal had been fighting cancer for several years. He was first diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2006 and underwent a five-hour surgery to remove his bladder and other parts of his body affected by cancer. In 2012, his doctors discovered that the cancer had returned, this time to his kidney and liver.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/04/18/pope_francis_sends_his_condolences_on_the_death_of_cardinal_/1137904

Pope Francis sends his condolences on the death of Cardinal George
18/04/2015 15:06

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegramme of concolence on the death of Cardinal Francis George who has died at the age of 78. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin also sent his sympathies on hearing the news.

Below please find the telegramme of Pope Francis.

To the Most Reverend Blase Cupich

Archbishop of Chicago

Saddened to learn of the death of Cardinal Francis E. George, Archbishop Emeritus of Chicago, I offer heartfelt condolences to you and to the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese.  With gratitude for Cardinal George’s witness of consecrated life as an Oblate of Mary Immaculate, his service to the Church’s educational apostolate and his years of episcopal ministry in the Churches of Yakima, Portland and Chicago,  I join you in commending the soul of this wise and gentle pastor to the merciful love of God our heavenly Father.  To all who mourn the late Cardinal in the sure hope of the Resurrection, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Lord.

FRANCIS PP.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/04/18/pope_francis_meets_with_international_catholic_society_for_g/1137960

Pope Francis meets with International Catholic Society for Girls
18/04/2015 17:37

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis met with members of the International Catholic Society for Girls on Saturday on the occasion of their General Assembly.

The association, founded in 1897, is an educational organization dedicated to helping girls whose life situation has not allowed them to develop properly.

By focusing on psychological and professional formation, the International Catholic Society for Girls facilitates their integration into society while respecting their religious and cultural identities.

In his address, Pope Francis emphasized that their most important need is that of attention and to be listened to, calling it ‘that most human and most divine apostolate of the ear, tiring but which does such good’.