Pope Francis

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/07/05/pope_francis_signs_canonization_decrees_for_john_xxiii_and_john_paul/en1-707814

2013-07-05 13:53:05
Pope Francis signs canonization decrees for John XXIII and John Paul II

(Vatican Radio) Journalists in the Holy See Press Office busy getting to grips with Pope Francis’ first encyclical the Light of Faith, were somewhat surprised Friday lunchtime when Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. called them back for a second announcement: Pope Francis had approved the cause for canonization of two of his venerable and much loved predecessors Blessed John XXIII and Blessed Pope John Paul II. Emer McCarthy reports: RealAudioMP3

Meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, Friday morning, Pope Francis approved the promulgation of the decree and also convoked a special Consistory of the College of Cardinals to discuss the canonization of the Polish pope in depth.

Furthermore, he approved the favorable votes of the Ordinary Session of the Congregations Cardinals and Bishops regarding the raising to the altars of sainthood of Blessed John XXII.

This slightly unusual gesture was explained by Fr. Lombardi who told journalists that despite the absence of a second miracle it was the Pope’s will that the Sainthood of the great Pope of the Second Vatican Council be recognized.

Fr. Lombardi stated that a canonization without a second miracle is still valid, given that there is already the existing miracle that lead to the Roncalli Pope’s beatification. He also pointed to ongoing discussions among theologians and experts about whether it is necessary to have two distinct miracles for beatification and canonization. Certainly, he added the Pope has the power to dispense, in a Cause, with the second miracle.
 

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/pope-francis-clears-john-paul-ii-for-sainthood/2013/07/05/cd15e68e-e58d-11e2-80eb-3145e2994a55_story.html

Pope Francis clears John Paul II, John XXIII for sainthood
(July 5, 2013)

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Friday cleared two of the 20th century’s most influential popes to become saints, approving a miracle needed to canonize Pope John Paul II and waiving Vatican rules to honor Pope John XXIII.

In a major demonstration of his papal authority, Francis decided that John XXIII could be declared a saint even though the Vatican hasn’t confirmed a second miracle attributed to his intercession — normally required for that final step. The Vatican said Francis had the power to dispense with such requirements.

The ceremony, likely to be a massive event, is expected before the end of the year.

The announcement came on a remarkable day melding papacies past and present. It opened with Francis and 86-year-old Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI attending their first Vatican ceremony together, sitting side by side on matching papal chairs for the unveiling of a statue in the Vatican gardens. It continued with the publication of Francis’s first encyclical, a meditation on faith titled “Lumen Fidei” (“The Light of Faith”) that was largely written by Benedict before he retired. And it climaxed with the announcement of Francis’s decision to canonize two of his predecessors.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/07/05/benedict_xvi_joins_pope_francis_in_consecrating_vatican_to_st_michael/en1-707709

2013-07-05 11:40:01
Benedict XVI joins Pope Francis in consecrating Vatican to St Michael Archangel

(Vatican Radio) To the joy of Vatican City State workers, Friday morning Pope Francis was joined by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in the gardens for a ceremony during which the Holy Father blessed a statue of St Michael Archangel, at the same time consecrating the Vatican to the Archangel’s protection.
 

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/woman-reportedly-cured-by-prayers-to-john-paul-ii-cries-as-she-describes-miraculous-recovery/2013/07/05/7f024bce-e5a4-11e2-bffd-37a36ddab820_story.html

Woman reportedly cured by prayers to John Paul II cries as she describes miraculous recovery
(July 5, 2013)

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — A Costa Rican woman whose brain aneurysm reportedly disappeared after she prayed to Pope John Paul II broke down in tears Friday as she publicly spoke for the first time about the church-confirmed miracle underlying John Paul’s case for sainthood.

The Roman Catholic Church presented 50-year-old Floribeth Mora and her doctor to reporters after Pope Francis approved the miracle needed to canonize John Paul II.

With tears in her eyes, Mora described how she was sent home with pain medicine but no apparent hope for treatment, thinking she was going to die after her 2011 aneurysm diagnosis.

She says a photograph of the pope seemed to speak to her during the deceased pontiff’s beatification, and her doctor says the aneurysm disappeared for no apparent reason.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=18369

Pope Francis' 1st encyclical released (with analysis, and link to full text)
CWN - July 05, 2013

The Holy See has released Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith), the first encyclical letter of Pope Francis.

The document is dated June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. It was introduced to the media at a press conference in Rome on July 5.

The encyclical on faith was begun by Pope Benedict XVI, before his resignation, and completed by Pope Francis, who referred to the document as the work of “four hands,” suggesting that the encyclical represented the work of both himself and his predecessor.

In his introduction, Pope Francis writes that Benedict XVI “had almost completed a first draft of an encyclical on faith.” He says that he “added a few contributions of my own.” Still the document is signed only by Pope Francis, and will be known to Church history as the 1st encyclical of the new Pontiff.

At the Vatican press conference introducing the new encyclical, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the president of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, commented on the question of authorship: “It must be said without hesitation that while Lumen Fidei resumes some of the intuition and themes typical of the ministery of Benedict XVI, it is fully Pope Francisco’s text.” Pope Francis himself, clearly intent on underlining that his teachings are in full accord with those of Pope Benedict, observed in his introduction that the text is “in continuity with all that the Church’s magisterium has pronounced on this theological virtue.”
 

Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.
•Encyclical Letter Lumen Fidei (Holy See)
 http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20130629_enciclica-lumen-fidei_en.html
•Presentation of the Encyclical “Lumen Fidei”: Faith Is An Experience of Communion and Solidarity (VIS)
 http://visnews-en.blogspot.com/2013/07/presentation-of-encyclical-lumen-fidei.html
•Summary of the Encyclical “Lumen Fidei” (VIS)
•In first encyclical, pope celebrates faith as the light of human life (CNS)
 http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1302921.htm
•In first encyclical, Francis reaches out to seekers (National Catholic Reporter)
 http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/first-encyclical-francis-reaches-out-seekers

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/07/06/pope_francis:_the_holy_spirit_renews_our_lives/en1-708070

2013-07-06 12:55:37
Pope Francis: the Holy Spirit renews our lives

(Vatican Radio) In his Mass on Saturday morning at the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis said being Christian “does not mean doing things, but allowing oneself to be renewed by the Holy Spirit.” The Pope emphasised that even in the life of the Church there are “ancient structures” to be renewed without fear.

“New wine in new wineskins.” In his homily, Pope Francis dwelt on the renewal that Jesus brings. “The doctrine of the law,” he noted, “is enriched, renewed with Jesus . . . Jesus makes all things new.” He said Jesus brings a “true renewal of the law, the same law, but more mature, renewed.” He explained that what Jesus requires of us is greater than the requirements of the law. The law allows us to hate our enemy; Jesus, on the other hand, tells us to pray for him. This, then, is “the Kingdom of God that Jesus preaches”: a renewal above all “in our heart.” We think that “being Christian means doing this, or doing that; but it is not so:

“Being Christian means allowing oneself to be renewed by Jesus in this new life. ‘I am a good Christian, I go to Mass every Sunday from 11 til noon, I do this, I do that’. . . as if it were a collection. But the Christian life is not a collage of things. It is a harmonious whole, harmonious, and the Holy Spirit does it! He renews all things: He renews our heart, our life, and makes us live differently, but in a way that takes up the whole of our life. You cannot be a Christian of pieces, a part time Christian. Being a part-time Christian simply doesn’t work! The whole, everything, full-time. The Spirit accomplishes this renewal. Being Christian ultimately means, not doing things, but allowing oneself to be renewed by the Holy Spirit – or, to use the words of Jesus, becoming new wine.”
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/07/06/pope_to_seminarians_and_novices:_there_is_no_holiness_in_sadness_/en1-708263

2013-07-06 20:04:50
Pope to seminarians and novices: "there is no holiness in sadness"

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday evening told future nuns and priests and consecrated laypeople to keep “freshness” and “joy” in their lives, as he said: “There is no sadness in holiness”.

Speaking to participants in a four-day international event for Seminarians, Novices and those on a vocational journey, Francis gave an off-the-cuff lecture to seminarians and novices from across the globe, gathered in the Paul VI Hall.

In his remarks, the Pope urged those present not to be tempted by a culture that exalts provisional values, and he told them to avoid trappings like the latest smartphones and expensive cars so they can devote more resources to help the poor.

“It is not you that I reproach” said the Pope, and he specified that it is today’s culture of the provisional of which we are all victims that does not help us: “because in this day and age it is very difficult to make a definitive choice”. He pointed out that when he was young it was easier because the culture of the time favoured definitive choices, be it in conjugal life, in consecrated life or in priestly life. But today – he said “it is not easy to make a definitive choice. We are victims of this culture of the provisional”.

And then Pope Francis took seminarians and novices to task for being “too serious, too sad”. ``Something's not right here,'' Francis told them pointing out that `'There is no sadness in holiness,'' and adding that such clergy lack `'the joy of the Lord.''

“To become a priest or a religious is not primarily our choice; it is our answer to a calling, a calling of love”.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/07/07/pope_to_seminarians,_novices:_yours_is_a_mission_of_joy,_mercy_and/en1-708317

2013-07-07 12:55:13
Pope to Seminarians, Novices: yours is a mission of joy, mercy and prayer

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated mass with hundreds of seminarians, novices, consecrated lay persons and clergy in St. Peter's Basilica Sunday, calling their vocation a "mission." Some 6,000 young men and women from across the globe have been on a four day pilgrimage to the tomb of Peter, reflecting and praying on their vocation in more than a dozen Rome churches and basilicas. Their journey culminated Sunday with this morning's liturgy presided by Pope Francis.

Tracey McClure tells us what the Pope had to say to them: RealAudioMP3

In his homily, Pope Francis spoke of the three reference points of Christian mission: the joy of consolation, the Cross and prayer. “Mission originates,” he said, “from the Lord’s call,” with which he sends them out.

The first part of mission is the joy of consolation, an invitation to become ever closer to God’s love and consoling embrace to become effective witnesses in the Church: “every Christian, especially you and I, is called to be a bearer of this message of hope that gives serenity and joy: God’s consolation, his tenderness towards all.”

Religious are called to bring comfort to others, and “to bear witness to the mercy and tenderness of the Lord, which warms the heart, rekindles hope, and attracts people towards the good.”

The second part of mission , the Cross, the Paschal mystery, is a symbol of “suffering, weakness and defeat, but also joy and consolation.”

“If we remain within this mystery,” he said, “we are sheltered both from a worldly and triumphalistic view of mission and from the discouragement that can result from trials and failures.”
Finally, the third element of mission, Pope Francis said, is prayer. “The labourers for the harvest are not chosen through advertising campaigns or appeals for service and generosity, but they are ‘chosen’ and ‘sent’ by God. For this, prayer is important. The Church…is not ours, but God’s.”
Evangelization, he continued, “is done on one’s knees” and requires “a constant relationship with God” so that mission isn’t merely seen as one’s “job.”
Pope Francis called the young people to “cultivate the contemplative dimension, even amid the whirlwind of more urgent and pressing duties.” And the farther their mission takes them, “let your heart be the more closely united to Christ’s heart, full of mercy and love.” “What counts,” he said, “is to be permeated by the love of Christ.”

Homily at Mass with Seminarians, Novices and those discerning their Vocations (Full Text)
Saint Peter’s Basilica, 7 July 2013
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/07/07/pope_francis:_sunday_angelus_(full_text)/en1-708337

2013-07-07 14:38:26
Pope Francis: Sunday angelus (full text)

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed the Angelus with pilgrims and tourists gathered in St Peter's Square this Sunday. Ahead of the traditional prayer of Marian devotion, Pope Francis spoke of the common missionary mandate of all the baptized, as well as the special way in which those called to priesthood and religious life respond to the common Christian vocation. The Holy Father also praised the courage of those discerning vocations, and asked for the prayers of all the faithful in their behalf. After the Angelus, Pope Francis returned to discuss his Encyclical, Lumen fidei, which he released this past Friday. Below, please find Vatican Radio's English translation of his remarks.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/07/08/pope_on_lampedusa:_“the_globalization_of_indifference”/en1-708541

2013-07-08 11:41:17
Pope on Lampedusa: “the globalization of indifference”

(Vatican Radio) In his homily at Mass celebrated with the residents of Lampedusa and the immigrants who have sought refuge there, Pope Francis spoke out against the “globalization of indifference” that leads to tragedies like the deaths of so many migrants seeking a better life.

Below, please find Vatican Radio’s full text of the Holy Father’s homily:

Immigrants who died at sea, from that boat that, instead of being a way of hope was a way of death. This is the headline in the papers! When, a few weeks ago, I heard the news – which unfortunately has been repeated so many time – the thought always returns as a thorn in the heart that brings suffering. And then I felt that I ought to come here today to pray, to make a gesture of closeness, but also to reawaken our consciences so that what happened would not be repeated. Not repeated, please! But first I want to say a word of sincere gratitude and encouragement to you, the residents of Lampedusa and Linosa, to the associations, to the volunteers and to the security forces that have shown and continue to show attention to persons on their voyage toward something better. You are a small group, but you offer an example of solidarity! Thank you! Thanks also to Archbishop Francesco Montenegro for his help and his work, and for his pastoral closeness. I warmly greet the Mayor, Mrs Giusy Nicolini. Thank you so much for all you have done, and for all you do. I give a thought, too, to the dear Muslim immigrants that are beginning the fast of Ramadan, with best wishes for abundant spiritual fruits. The Church is near to you in the search for a more dignified life for yourselves and for your families. I say to you “O’ scia’!” [trans.: a friendly greeting in the local dialect].
 

[grace-land]

Photos at the link

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2359424/Pope-demands-brand-new-life-size-statue-Buenos-Aires-cathedral-taken-does-wish-celebrity.html

Pope demands brand new life-size statue of him at Buenos Aires cathedral is taken down as he 'does not wish to become a celebrity'
PUBLISHED: 09:05 EST, 10 July 2013  | UPDATED: 10:29 EST, 10 July 2013

At the age of 76 he became a household name and a magazine cover star.

But Pope Francis is apparently desperate to avoid becoming a celebrity – he has ordered the removal of a new life-size statue of him in Buenos Aires cathedral.

Since its installation two weeks ago believers visited the statue in the cathedral’s garden to pay homage to the pontiff, while tourists posed for photos alongside it.
 
 

[grace-land]

Photo of the Vanity Fair Italia magazine's cover at the link

http://www.latinospost.com/articles/23330/20130710/pope-francis-named-man-year-vanity-fair-italia.htm

Pope Francis Named 'Man of the Year' by Vanity Fair Italia
First Posted: Jul 10, 2013 04:02 PM EDT

The Italian version of Vanity Fair magazine declared Pope Francis "Man of the Year" in its latest issue, which was published on Tuesday. The magazine's cover reads "Francis, Pope Courage," reffering to the unconventional gestures and the clear words of the Argentine pope. According to the magazine, the pope has reached the top list of international personalities that have made history after only 100 days as pontiff.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-invites-200-homeless-to-dinner-at-the-vatican/

Pope Francis invites homeless to dine at Vatican

Vatican City, Jul 9, 2013 / 12:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On July 1 Pope Francis invited a group of 200 homeless individuals to dinner at the Vatican, where they were served in his name by Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello.

 Cardinal Bertello, president of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State, spent the entire evening with the special guests, with whom he chatted at length and shared personal experiences, according to the July 3 edition of L'Osservatore Romano.

“I welcome you in the name of the Pope. As you know, this is your home, and he is pleased that you are here,” he told the group of homeless persons before dinner was served.
 

[Sister]

Photos at the link

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2359424/Pope-demands-brand-new-life-size-statue-Buenos-Aires-cathedral-taken-does-wish-celebrity.html

Pope demands brand new life-size statue of him at Buenos Aires cathedral is taken down as he 'does not wish to become a celebrity'
PUBLISHED: 09:05 EST, 10 July 2013  | UPDATED: 10:29 EST, 10 July 2013

At the age of 76 he became a household name and a magazine cover star.

But Pope Francis is apparently desperate to avoid becoming a celebrity – he has ordered the removal of a new life-size statue of him in Buenos Aires cathedral.

Since its installation two weeks ago believers visited the statue in the cathedral’s garden to pay homage to the pontiff, while tourists posed for photos alongside it.
 
 

I think this speaks loudly about who he is and who he does not want to become.  Good for him.

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/07/11/pope_francis_issues_motu_proprio_on_criminal_law_matters_in_vatican/en1-709480

2013-07-11 12:00:29
Pope Francis issues Motu Proprio on criminal law matters in Vatican

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has issued a Motu Proprio on criminal law matters and administrative sanctions within Vatican City State and the Holy See. In a statement by the Holy See’s Press Office, it was announced that on this same date, the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State has adopted the following laws:

Law No. VIII containing Supplementary Norms on Criminal Law Matters;
Law No. IX containing Amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code;
Law No. X containing General Provisions on Administrative Sanctions.

The note from the Holy See Press Office goes on to clarify the following points:
The Motu proprio makes the criminal laws adopted by the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State applicable also within the Holy See.

The criminal laws adopted today are a continuation of the efforts to update Vatican City State’s legal system, building upon the measures adopted since 2010 during the pontificate of Benedict XVI.

These laws, however, have a broader scope, since they incorporate into the Vatican legal system the provisions of numerous international conventions including: the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, on the conduct of war and war crimes; the 1965 Convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination; the 1984 Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the 1989 Convention on the rights of the child and its optional protocols of 2000.

Of particular note in this context is the introduction of the crime of torture and a broader definition of the category of crimes against minors (including: the sale of children, child prostitution, the recruitment of children, sexual violence and sexual acts with children, and the production and possession of child pornography).

A section of the legislation introduces a list of crimes against humanity, in particular, the crimes of genocide and apartheid, following broadly the definitions adopted in the 1998 Statute of the International Criminal Court. The section of the Criminal Code regarding offences committed in the exercise of public administration has also been revised in light of the 2003 United Nations Convention against corruption. With regard to penalties, that of life imprisonment has been abolished and it has been replaced with a maximum penalty of 30 to 35 years of imprisonment.

In line with the most recent developments at the international level, the new legislation also introduces a system of penalties for juridical persons who profit from the criminal activities of their constituent bodies or personnel, establishing their direct liability and providing as penalties a set of interdictions and pecuniary sanctions.

In the area of criminal procedure, the general principles of presumption of innocence and due process within a reasonable time have been recognized explicitly, while the power of the judicial authorities to adopt precautionary measures has been increased by bringing up to date the provisions for confiscation and the freezing of assets.

Also of importance is the modernization of the rather dated norms governing international judicial cooperation, with the adoption of measures in line with the standards of the most recent international conventions.

The law on administrative sanctions is of a general nature so as to serve as a common framework that provides for the possibility of sanctions in different areas intended to promote respect for the norms, to render them effective and to protect the public interests.

As a whole, these normative efforts form part of broader process aimed at modernizing further the Vatican legal system with a view to enhancing its consistency and effectiveness.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/11/world/europe/vatican-child-abuse/index.html

Pope Francis lays down the law on child sex abuse on Vatican grounds 
updated 3:37 PM EDT, Thu July 11, 2013

Rome (CNN) -- Pope Francis has laid down a law making it a crime to abuse children sexually or physically on Vatican grounds, the Holy See announced Thursday.

The acts were already crimes under church law, but are now specifically outlawed within the Vatican city-state, which is home to hundreds of people.

The legislation also covers child prostitution and the creation or possession of child pornography.

But it has a "broader scope," according to Radio Vatican.

It adds provisions of international laws against war crimes, racial discrimination and humiliating treatment or punishment to the Vatican's legal system.

It includes wording from the Geneva Conventions.

Francis issued the new laws as a "moto proprio," meaning that the document was his own initiative, Vatican Radio said.

The new criminal laws are part of an ongoing update of the Vatican's legal system, which began under Pope Benedict XVI.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a U.S. advocacy group for victims of abuse by priests and other clergy, dismissed the law as "a feel good gesture."
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/07/14/pope_in_castelgandolfo:_open_the_doors_to_hope/en1-710434

2013-07-14 18:09:04
Pope in Castelgandolfo: Open the doors to hope



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday visited the hill top town of Castelgandolfo, urging the thousands of locals and visitors to be visible signs of hope and peace in the world. Some ten thousand people, led by the mayor and bishop of nearby Albano, gathered in the square and side streets surrounding the papal summer residence ahead of the Holy Father’s arrival on Sunday morning.

Greeting each and every well-wisher in Castelgandolfo, Pope Francis thanked especially the religious and civil authorities, as well as all the staff who work in the Pontifical Villa where popes have traditionally spent time over the summer period – in particular he remembered his two immediate predecessors, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Blessed Pope John Paul II.

Speaking at the midday Angelus prayer, Pope Francis reflected on the Sunday Gospel which recounts the story of the Good Samaritan and recalled the figure of a 16th century Italian priest who is popularly known as a patron saint of the sick and all who care for them.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/14/pope-spends-day-in-hill-t_0_n_3594451.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

Pope Francis At Castel Candolfo Jokes Informally, Talks About Upcoming World Youth Day In Rio (PHOTOS)
07/14/13 09:29 AM ET EDT

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy -- Abandoning the traditional Sunday greeting to crowds in St. Peter's Square for a day, Pope Francis opted for an informal front-door encounter with residents in a hill town outside Rome that hosts the papal summer palace.

Unlike his predecessors, Francis isn't spending the summer at the Vatican residence in Castel Gandolfo, a lakeside town about a 30-minute drive to the Alban Hills southeast of Rome. Instead, he came for the day, escaping the stifling humid weather in the Italian capital for a few hours.

Usually when in Castel Gandolfo on Sundays, pontiffs appear at a window overlooking an inner courtyard or on a balcony facing the town's main square. This time, Francis spoke to people at their level, standing at the main entrance, chatting and bending down to kiss babies in strollers.
 
The Argentine-born pontiff mentioned that he would soon go to Brazil to join young people for the Church's World Youth Day jamboree.

"I'll leave in eight days, but many young people will head to Brazil even before," Francis said of his July 22-29 pilgrimage to Rio de Janeiro. He asked for prayers so that participants will be "guided in their steps," and that they would "open their hearts to the mission that Christ will give them."

The gathering, which often draws hundreds of thousands of participants, is held every other year in a different part of the world and serves as a kind of pep rally to energize the youngest members of the Catholic church. The Vatican is concerned that many people in South America, where Catholicism is the predominant religion, are joining evangelical Protestant churches seen as more dynamic and attentive to the needs of people in the developing world.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/07/12/update_on_the_case_of_mons._nunzio_scarano./en1-709895

2013-07-12 14:15:17
Update on the case of Mons. Nunzio Scarano

(Vatican Radio) The Director of the Press Office of the Holy See has given an update this morning about the ongoing investigations by the competent Vatican authorities on the case of Mons. Nunzio Scarano.

By court order on the 9th of July, the Vatican Promoter of Justice has frozen funds at the
IOR attributed to suspended Vatican employee Nunzio Scarano as part of an ongoing
investigation by the Vatican judicial authorities. The investigation was triggered by several
suspicious transaction reports filed with AIF and could be extended to additional individuals.
IOR commissioned an objective review by Promontory Financial Group of the facts and
circumstances of the accounts in question and is fully cooperating with the Vatican Financial
Intelligence Unit AIF and judicial authorities to bring full transparency in this matter.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2013/07/pope-francis-early-riser/

Pope Francis, Early Riser
July 15, 2013

From Vatican Insider:

Francis’ alarm clock goes off at 4:45 every morning in room 201 in St. Martha’s House, when everything is still pitch black. Such an early start to the day means Francis has to have a siesta after lunch. Juan Perón called this time of rest an “almost liturgical must” which made it possible for him to fit “two mornings” into his day.

The first few hours of Francis’ day are dedicated to prayer and meditation on the Readings which the Pope comments on, in the brief homilies he gives in his morning masses in the chapel of the place he likes to call the “boarding school”, commonly known as St. Martha’s House: a simple and modern building decorated with light-coloured marble and stained glass. The Bishop of Rome sits in the pews at the back of the chapel to pray.

These spontaneous but not completely improvised morning preachings are one of the most important changes of the new pontificate. And this is where the third leg of our journey begins. The Pope is assisted by cardinals, bishops or visiting priests and the masses are attended mostly by Vatican staff – from IOR staff to rubbish collectors – and their families. Francis greets all of them one by one and then has breakfast in the St. Martha’s House “common room”. For Francis, being with people and hugging them one by one is in no way a chore or a waste of time: in Argentina he would spend whole nights listening to confessions without wearing his cardinal’s insignia, so anonymously, when big pilgrimages to Our Lady of Luján would take place.