Pope Francis

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/vatican-updates-papal-itinerary-for-cuba-mexico-visit.cfm

Vatican updates papal itinerary for Cuba, Mexico visit
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
2.8.2016 10:55 AM ET
 
Here is the updated schedule as released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Standard Time in parenthesis when it is different from local time:

Wednesday, Feb. 17 (Mexico City, Ciudad Juarez)

-- 8:35 a.m. (9:35 a.m.) Departure by plane for Ciudad Juarez.

-- 10 a.m. (12 p.m.) Arrival at Abraham Gonzalez International Airport in Ciudad Juarez.

-- 10:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m.) Visit to Cereso prison. Speech by pope.

-- 12 p.m. (2 p.m.) Meeting with workers and employers at the Colegio de Bachilleres of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Speech by pope.

-- 4 p.m. (6 p.m.) Mass at the fairgrounds of Ciudad Juarez. Homily and greeting by pope.

-- 7 p.m. (9 p.m.) Departure ceremony at the Ciudad Juarez International Airport.

-- 7:15 p.m. (9:15 p.m.) Departure by plane for Rome.

Thursday, Feb. 18 (Rome)

-- 2:45 p.m. (8:45 a.m.) Arrival at Rome's Ciampino Airport.

Bumped

[grace-land]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oXaW2H0m5Q
Pope Francis in Mexico: Visit to the penitentiary of Ciudad Juárez - 2016.02.17
Scheduled for Feb 17, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Visit to the penitentiary of Ciudad Juarez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXeUU_ZoJ-A
Pope Francis in Mexico: Meeting with the world of labour - 2016.02.17
Scheduled for Feb 17, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Meeting with the world of labour at the Bachilleres College in the state of Chihuahua

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqznigeN5cg
Pope Francis in Mexico: Holy Mass - 2016.02.17
Scheduled for Feb 17, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Holy Mass at the Ciudad Juárez fairgrounds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRMrU5Sox9o
Pope Francis in Mexico: Farewell ceremony - 2016.02.17 
Scheduled for Feb 17, 2016
Pope Francis in Mexico: Farewell ceremony at the International Airport of Ciudad Juárez

Bumped

[grace-land]

Video at the link

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/the-moment-when-pope-francis-got-angry-in-mexico-28589/

The moment when Pope Francis got angry in Mexico

Mexico City, Mexico, Feb 17, 2016 / 01:12 pm (CNA).- A visibly upset Pope Francis had some tough words for a rowdy crowd when their shoving caused him to fall on a disabled boy during an event in Mexico. 

Following an encounter with young people in the city of Morelia, Pope Francis took time to greet those in the crowd, distributing rosaries as he went.

At one point, the jostling of the crowd trying to grab a rosary from the pontiff was so severe that the Pope lost his balance, falling forward on a boy in a wheelchair.

“What's going on with you? Don't be selfish! Don't be selfish!” Francis said forcefully as he got back up.

Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican Press Office, later told the media that the Pope’s response was natural, given the circumstances.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/in-silence-pope-remembers-those-who-cross-mexican-us-border.cfm

In silence, pope remembers those who cross Mexican-U.S. border
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
2.17.2016 7:28 PM ET

CNS/Paul Haring
Pope Francis prays at a cross on the border with El Paso, Texas, before celebrating Mass at the fairgrounds in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Feb. 17. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) See POPE-JUAREZ-MASS Feb. 17, 2016

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (CNS) -- At the border of Mexico and the United States, Pope Francis blessed a large cross in memory of all the people who have crossed the frontier.

The pope said nothing Feb. 17, but he clasped his hands tightly in prayer and bowed his head in silent prayer. He left a bunch of flowers on a table in front of the cross.

Then, to the great joy of people, including immigrants, gathered in El Paso, Texas, on the other side of the fence, the pope waved.

The whole thing lasted less than three minutes. But with hundreds of thousands of people waiting in a fairgrounds nearby for Mass, the pope was intent on taking the time to acknowledge the significance of the spot.

At the foot of the large cross were three small crosses, which the pope also blessed. They will go to the dioceses of El Paso, Ciudad Juarez and Las Cruces, New Mexico
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/02/18/pope_francis__‘no_border_can_stop_us_from_being_one_family’/1209507

Pope Francis : ‘no border can stop us from being one family’
18/02/2016 00:42

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has decried the grave injustices perpetrated against the thousands of migrants fleeing poverty and violence and condemned the trafficking of human beings.

Celebrating Mass in Ciudad Juárez, the last public event of his Mexican visit, the Pope spoke of the global phenomenon of forced migration.

“Here in Ciudad Juárez, as in other border areas - he said - there are thousands of immigrants from Central America and other countries, not forgetting the many Mexicans who also seek to pass over “to the other side”.  Each step, a journey laden with grave injustices: the enslaved, the imprisoned and extorted; so many of these brothers and sisters of ours are the consequence of a trade in human beings”.

The Pope’s homily came during a Mass in the Fair area of Juárez City filled with over 200,000 faithful.

He was also reaching out to the more than 30,000 faithful participating in the event thanks to a livestream of the ceremony being broadcast in a football stadium just across the border in the West Texas city of El Paso.

Please find below the translation of Pope Francis’ homily for the Mass at the Ciudad Juárez Fair Grounds:
 

[grace-land]

https://zenit.org/articles/words-at-end-of-popes-final-mass-in-mexico/

Words at End of Pope’s Final Mass in Mexico 
February 17, 2016

Here is a Vatican translation of the prepared text of a short address Pope Francis gave this evening at the end of Mass in Ciudad Juarez. He is scheduled to depart for Rome shortly.
__

Dear Bishop José Guadalupe Torres Campos of Juárez City,

Dear Brothers in the Episcopate,

Your Excellencies,

Dear friends,

Thank you very much, Your Excellency, for your kind words of farewell.  Now is the moment to give thanks to Our Lord for having granted me this visit to Mexico. Mexico is always a surprise. I do not want to leave without giving thanks for the efforts of all who made this pilgrimage possible.  I thank all the state and local authorities for your attention and solicitous assistance that have contributed to the smooth running of this pastoral visit just as I also thank wholeheartedly those who have offered their contribution in different ways.  To all those anonymous helpers who quietly gave of their very best to make these days a great family celebration: thank you.  I have felt welcomed and warmly received by the love, the celebration, the hope of this great Mexican family: thank you for having opened the doors of your lives to me, the doors of your nation.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/02/18/pope_francis_on_his_way_back_to_the_vatican/1209505

Pope Francis on his way back to the Vatican
18/02/2016 03:15

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has concluded his Apostolic Visit to Mexico.

The Aeromexico Boeing that is bringing Pope Francis back to the Vatican at the end of his 12th Apostolic Journey abroad has taken off from the International Airoport of Ciudad Juarez.
   
And it was the Mexican airline that flew him throughout his visit during which he travelled from Mexico City to Chiapas, Morelia, and Chihuahua.

As reported on the airline webpage, Pope Francis is an easy passenger: “Known for his humility and simple taste, very few special accommodations have been made to welcome the Pope onboard. Meal service has been arranged with suggestions from the Vatican, and the Boeing Dreamliner 787 has been equipped to host an onboard press conference. True to his reputation, the Pope has very humble needs for a head of state”.

Pope Francis is the third Pope to be flown by Mexico’s oldest airline, after Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
 
https://twitter.com/FatherRosica
Thomas Rosica ‏@FatherRosica  · 28m  28 minutes ago 
Adios, Misionero de Paz! We follow your flight back to Rome: https://it.flightaware.com/live/flight/AMX1612/history/20160218/0215Z/MMCS/LIRA …

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-venerates-icon-of-salus-populi-romani

Pope Francis venerates icon of Salus Populi Romani after Mexico trip
2016-02-18 Vatican Radio


Vatican Radio) Pope Francis stopped at the Archbasilica of Saint Mary Major after arriving in Rome from Mexico on Thursday afternoon. His plane landed at Rome’s Ciampino Airport, and the Holy Father went by car to the Basilica, before returning to the Vatican.

During his brief visit to the Church, Pope Francis placed a bouquet of flowers in front of the Marian Icon, Salus Populi Romani. 

[grace-land]

http://americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/pope-francis-wraps-mexico-trip-wide-ranging-press-conference?utm_content=bufferf3804&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Pope Francis Wraps up Mexico Trip with Wide-Ranging Press Conference
Feb 18 2016 - 1:43pm

Pope Francis held an hour-long press conference on the plane from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to Rome, and responded to wide range of questions, ranging from Donald Trump (see separate story) and St. John Paul II’s close relationship with an American woman, to his recent meeting with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and the subsequent negative reaction from some Greek Catholics in the Ukraine.

He revealed that in Buenos Aires he already knew about the relationship John Paul II had with Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka:

It is not a sin to have a friendship with a woman.... The pope is a man. The pope needs the thoughts [input] of women, too. And the pope, too, has a heart that can have a healthy, holy friendship with a woman.

He gave the longest response to the question of his meeting with Patriarch Kirill, the joint declaration that they issued and, in particular, the concerns of the Greek Catholic Church, which he said he understands, while again affirming the new relationship between Patriarch Kirill and him, and the significance of this.

The pope was asked to comment on proposals in Latin America that women should be able to use contraceptives or even have an abortion where there is a strong risk from the Zika virus. Here, Francis distinguished clearly between abortion and contraception, and in his answer appeared not to exclude the use of contraception, while expressing the hope that doctors could soon come up with a vaccine for this serious problem.

Other questions related to pedophilia, the Maciel case and what he would say to a bishop who transfers a priest who transfers a priest from one parish to another when he knows that the man has abused minors. Again the answers to these questions were long, but Francis gave a short, unequivocal answer to the question of the bishop, saying the man is “unconcious” to act in that way, and it would be best that he resign.

Responding to a question about the crisis in the European Union, first with the euro and now over immigration, Francis advocated a “re-founding” of the E.U., but asked where are there leaders today that are on par with Robert Schuman and Konrad Adenauers—founding fathers of the union.

He spoke about the church’s attitude to the divorced and remarried in response to a question and emphasized the important need “to integrate” them into the life of the church and then, he added, “all doors are open” though one cannot say that “from here on they can have communion.” He confirmed that he will address this question in the apostolic exhortation on the family, which should come “before Easter.”

The following is a translation of the press conference, which was conducted in Italian and Spanish, made by a number of English-speaking journalists on the plane, including America’s Vatican correspondent, Gerry O'Connell, who also revised the translation.
 

[grace-land]

http://americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/aboard-plane-home-mexico-pope-francis-responds-questions-donald-trump

Aboard Plane Home from Mexico, Pope Francis Responds to Questions on Donald Trump
Feb 18 2016 - 12:00pm

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel,” Pope Francis stated when responding to questions regarding Donald Trump.

These questions were prefaced by information that Trump has announced that if he were to become president of the United States he would deport 11 million illegal immigrants from the country, in that way separating families, and build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.

When asked “if an American Catholic could vote for a person like this?” Francis responded, “As far as what you said about whether I would advise to vote or not to vote, I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not Christian if he says things like that.” Then, in relation to Trump, he added, “We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.”

When told that Trump in a recent interview had said that Pope Francis is a political man, and indeed perhaps a pawn of the Mexican Government when it comes to the policy of immigration, he responded with humor:

Thank God he said I am a politician because Aristotle defined the human person as an 'animal politicus' (a political animal). So at least I am a human person. As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people.

Francis’ words are sure to resonate loudly in the U.S. political campaign, but it is worth noting that he never mentioned Trump by name and even said he gives him the benefit of the doubt as to whether he actually said such things regarding the immigration measures mentioned.

The pope refused to get involved in the U.S. presidential regarding how Catholics should vote, just as he refused to get drawn into the ongoing debate in the Italian parliament regarding same-sex marriages, and the adoption of children by homosexual couples. (The Parliament is about to vote on these questions.)
 

Translation of question and answer during the press conference on the plane...

http://americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/pope-francis-wraps-mexico-trip-wide-ranging-press-conference?utm_content=bufferf3804&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Pope Francis Wraps up Mexico Trip with Wide-Ranging Press Conference
Feb 18 2016 - 1:43pm
 
DONALD TRUMP

Today you spoke a lot and eloquently about the problem of immigrants. On the other side of the border there is an electoral campaign that is rather hard. One of the candidates for the White House, Donald Trump, in a recent interview said that you are a political man, and indeed perhaps a pawn of the Mexican Government when it comes to the policy of immigration. He said that if he were elected president he would build a 2,500-km wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants and, in that way separating families and so on. I would therefore like to ask, first of all, what you think of those charges against you, and if an American Catholic could vote for a person like this?

Thank God he said I am a politician because Aristotle defined the human person as an 'animal politicus' [a political animal]. So at least I am a human person. As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to your judgement and that of the people. And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the gospel. As far as what you said about whether I would advise to vote or not to vote, I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not Christian if he says things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.
 

[grace-land]

http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/vatican-spokesperson-responds-questions-about-papal-comments-donald-trump

Vatican Spokesperson Responds to Questions about Papal Comments on Donald Trump
Feb 19 2016 - 3:00pm

On Friday, Feb. 19, Vatican spokesperson Federico Lombardi, S.J., responded to a question about Pope Francis' comments on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The transcript (in Italian) and English translation were made available by Vatican Radio.

(Translation by Thomas Rosica, C.S.B., the English-language assistant to the Holy See Press Office.)

Interviewer: The Pope emphasized that those who only think of building walls, not bridges, is not Christian. Many have spoken about excommunication, if I may say, against the Republican candidate in the race for the White House, Donald Trump...

Fr. Lombardi: But the Pope said what we all know, when we follow his teaching and his position: that we should not build walls but bridges. He (the Pope) has always said this, continuously, and he has said this said about the issues of migration in Europe, many times. So it is not a specific issue, limited to this case. This is one of [the Pope’s] general attitudes, very consistent with what is a courageous following of the Gospel of welcome and solidarity. Of course, this was then raised, but it is not that the Pope wishes to be, in any way, a personal attack nor an indication of voting. The Pope has made it clear that would not enter into the [Presidential] election campaign in the United States and he has also said—which was not reported by many—if it were correct and true what he was told—he would give the benefit of the doubt over what had been reported about the Republican candidate’s expressions. Therefore the key point is welcome—the building of bridges instead of walls—that is characteristic of this Pontificate. It must be interpreted and understood in this way.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/papal-preacher-reflects-on-sacrosanctum-concilium

Papal preacher reflects on Sacrosanctum Concilium for Lent
2016-02-19 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) On Friday of the First Week of Lent, the Preacher to the Pontifical Household, Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap., offered the first Sermon for Lent 2016.

Father Cantalamessa’s sermon continued his reflections on the Second Vatican Council, speaking on the theme, "The Second Vatican Council, 50 years later: A revisitation from a spiritual point of view."
 
After focusing during Advent on the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium (on the Church), Fr Cantalamessa turned his thoughts to the Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium.

The full text of Father Raniero Cantalamessa’s sermon can be found below.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-video-message-for-mexicos-jesuits

Pope Francis: video-message for Mexico's Jesuits
2016-02-19 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) The Society of Jesus in Mexico has published a brief video message of the Pope addressed to the Jesuit community in the country.

In the message, Pope Francis asked his Jesuit brothers to continue to work for the dignity of all people: “Keep working for the dignity of Jesus,” he said, “which is working in every man and woman of Mexico.” He repeated, “keep working for the dignity of Jesus” who even on the Cross continued to work for those who crucified Him.

The Pope underlined the importance of Mexico’s youth, saying, “Mexico has a young face.”

He noted, too, that Mexico suffers. But, he continued, Mexico is great, filled with amazing riches. He recognized Mexico’s history, a history that is unique among Latin American countries.

Pope Francis said he was praying for his Jesuit brothers, and asked them to pray for him. He called on them to “make a mess,” repeating one of his most famous sayings. And he asked them, in conclusion, to work for the cause of Blessed Miguel Pro and to pray for the protection of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-reflects-on-voyage-to-mexico-at-sunday-angelu

Pope reflects on Voyage to Mexico at Sunday Angelus
2016-02-21 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis reflected on his Apostolic Voyage to Mexico during his Angelus address in St Peter’s Square on the Second Sunday of Lent.

The Sunday Gospel tells the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus; Pope Francis said his journey to Mexico was also “an experience of transfiguration,” where “the Lord showed the light of His glory through the body of His Church, of the holy People who live in that land.”

The Pope said the focus of his pilgrimage to Mexico was the visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Meditating before the miraculous image, the Holy Father reflected on the love and compassion the Blessed Virgin has for the many pilgrims who come to her with their sorrows. “From all over America,” he said, “they come to pray at the place where the “Virgen Morenita” showed herself to the Indian Juan Diego, giving a beginning to the evangelization of the continent and to its new civilization, the fruit of the encounter between different cultures.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/full-text-of-angelus-address-on-the-trip-to-mexico/
Full Text of Angelus Address: On the Trip to Mexico
February 21, 2016

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-offers-spiritual-medicine-to-pilgrims-at-ange

Pope offers "spiritual medicine" to pilgrims at Angelus
2016-02-21 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) It’s time for another dose of the “spiritual medicine” Misericordin. Following the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis offered the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square the gift of a small box, designed to look like a box of medicine, containing a small Rosary and an image of the Merciful Jesus.

“Lent is a good time to complete a journey of conversion, that has mercy at its centre,” the Pope said. He invited the faithful to “welcome this gift as a spiritual aid in order, especially during this Year of Mercy, to spread love, forgiveness, and brotherhood.”

It is the second time Pope Francis has offered Misericordin to the faithful. In November of 2013, the Pope encouraged the faithful to use the “spiritual medicine” in order “to make concrete the fruits of the Year of Faith” which was coming to an end.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-christians-called-to-work-to-abolish-death-pe

Pope: Christians called to work to abolish death penalty
2016-02-21 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has said that “all Christians and people of good will are called today to work not only for the abolition of the death penalty,” but also to improve conditions in prisons, out of respect for the human dignity of prisoners.

In particular, the Holy Father appealed “to the consciences of government leaders” that they might join the “international consensus for the abolition of the death penalty” — and spoke directly to Catholic leaders, asking them, as a “courageous and exemplary act,” to not carry out any death sentences during the Holy Year of Mercy.

The Holy Father made his remarks following the Angelus on Sunday, in the context of an international convention for the abolition of death penalty set to take place in Rome on Monday. The convention, promoted by the Sant’Egidio Community, has for its title “For a world without the death penalty.”
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-tells-curia-and-vatican-personnel-to-practice

Pope tells Curia and Vatican personnel to practice mercy daily
2016-02-22 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has told members of the Curia to tend to their flocks with generosity and mercy and has urged them to become a ‘model’ for all.

The Pope was speaking during his homily at Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on Monday morning, as he celebrated the Feast of the Chair of Peter and the Jubilee of Mercy for the Roman Curia and all the Institutions related to the Holy See.

Before participating in the Mass, all those present gathered in the Paul VI Hall for a meditation on the theme "Mercy in our everyday life", and together with the Holy Father walked in procession through the Holy Door and into the Basilica.

“Pastors are first of all required – the Pope said – to have God himself who takes care of his flock as a model.”

He reminded them that God goes in search of the lost sheep, re-conducts them to the fold, cares for the wounded and heals the sick ones.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/popes-homily-for-jubilee-of-the-curia-feast-of-chair-of-st-peter/
Pope’s Homily for Jubilee of the Curia, Feast of Chair of St. Peter 
February 22, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hki_DrbwEWY
Jubilee for the Roman Curia - 2016.02.22 
Streamed live 18 hours ago
Holy Mass with Pope Francis in Saint Peter's Basilica in the occasion of the Jubilee for the Roman Curia, the Governorate and the Institutions connected with the Holy See

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/father-federico-lombardi-to-bid-farewell-to-vatica

Father Federico Lombardi to bid farewell to Vatican Radio
2016-02-22 Vatican Radio

Vatican Radio)  Father Federico Lombardi is to bid farewell to Vatican Radio at the end of the month.

Father Federico Lombardi SJ will leave “the Pope’s Radio” after 26 years of extraordinary service, initially as Director of Programmes, and since 2005, as General Director.

He will continue to serve as Director of the Press Office of the Holy See.

This is not the only change Vatican Radio is facing at this time in history following the implementation of a major overhaul of the Vatican’s media sector, as signaled by Pope Francis last June when he established the Secretariat for Communications.

Another figure of reference due to leave Vatican Radio on February 29 is Alberto Gasbarri, Director of Administration.

Gasbarri, however, is perhaps best-known to the general public for having been the organizer and coordinator of Papal journeys for the last four decades.
 

https://cnstopstories.com/2016/02/22/jesuit-priest-remains-as-vatican-spokesperson-retires-as-head-of-radio/
Jesuit priest remains as Vatican spokesperson, retires as head of radio
Posted on February 22, 2016
 
Gasbarri’s responsibilities for organizing papal trips abroad will be assumed by Msgr. Mauricio Rueda Beltz, a 46-year-old Colombian priest, who works in the Vatican Secretariat of State.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-god-is-real-too-many-christians-are-f

Pope Francis: God is real, too many Christians are fake
2016-02-23 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday morning described Christianity as a religion that by its very nature must act for good, not a “religion of saying” made of hypocrisy and vanity. The Holy Father was speaking at Mass in the Chapel of the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican.

Following the readings of the day, Pope Francis reflected on God’s reality and the “fakeness” of so many Christians who treat the faith as though it were window dressing – devoid of obligation – or an occasion for aggrandizement rather than an opportunity for service, especially to our neediest neighbors.

The way of doing

Building on the reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah in concert with the passage proclaimed from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, the Holy Father sought to explain once again the “evangelical dialectic between saying and doing.” He placed emphasis on the words of Jesus, which  unmask the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees, calling the disciples and crowds to do as they say, though not as they do:

“The Lord teaches us the way of doing: and how many times we find people – ourselves included – so often in the Church, who say, ‘Oh, we are very Catholic.’ ‘But what do you do?’ How many parents say they are Catholics, but never have time to talk to their children, to play with their children, to listen to their children. Perhaps they have their parents in a nursing home, but always are busy and cannot go and visit them and so leave them there, abandoned. ‘But I am very Catholic: I belong to that association,’ [they say]. This is the religion of saying: I say it is so, but I do according to the ways of the world.”

What God wants
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-wealth-and-power-must-serve-common-go

Pope Francis: wealth and power must serve common good
2016-02-24 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis dedicated his General Audience on Wednesday to the theme of  proper disposition expected by Christian faith toward the goods of the world, saying that they serve the common good if used in accordance with the demands of justice, charity and mercy, though they become a source of corruption and death if used selfishly and arrogantly.
 

http://www.religionnews.com/2016/02/24/pope-francis-isaiah-was-not-a-communist/

Pope Francis: ‘Isaiah was not a communist!’
February 24, 2016

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Wading again into the fraught issue of economic inequality and biblical teachings, Pope Francis on Wednesday (Feb. 24) spoke passionately about Isaiah’s warning to the greedy and assured thousands who gathered in St. Peter’s Square that the prophet “wasn’t a communist!”

“Richness and power are realities that can be good and useful for the common good, if they are put to the service of the poor and all, with justice and charity,” Francis said during his weekly general audience in the Vatican.

“But when, as happens too often, they become lived as privilege, with egoism and presumption, they are transformed into instruments of corruption and death,” the pope explained.

Francis referred at one point to the famous reproaches to the greedy in the fifth chapter of Isaiah, and then in an impromptu addition said: “And the prophet Isaiah wasn’t a communist!”

The pontiff’s lines on the exploitation of the powerless drew wide applause and highlighted not only themes that he has often addressed but also the debates over whether the pope — and Catholic teaching — lean toward some form of Marxism.