Pope Francis

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-visits-larche-chicco-and-shares-a-sna

Pope Francis visits L’Arche ‘Chicco’ and shares a snack
2016-05-14 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) For his monthly ‘Mercy Friday’ in the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis visited on Friday the Community of ‘Chicco’ in Ciampino, on the outskirts of Rome.

L’Arche (The Ark) was founded by Jean Vanier in 1964 and is now present in over 30 countries on 5 continents. The organization provides loving homes for vulnerable people who live together in a supportive community.

The Chicco community was founded in 1981 and houses 18 people with intellectual challenges. The L’Arche philosophy is "the praise of imperfection," that is, to thrive amidst disabilities that the world doesn’t value. The residents of L’Arche are free to make their own way in life, to give and receive deep affection and to form lasting friendships. Pope Francis visited L’Arche as a move to emphasize the value of such principles over an ephemeral, disposable culture.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/piety-is-like-pity-says-pope-francis-saturday-audi

Piety is like pity, says Pope Francis - Saturday audience
2016-05-14 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) For those gathered at an extraordinary Jubilee General Audience at St Peter’s Square Saturday, Pope Francis said piety is not necessarily about devotion but more like “pity.” The pope’s catechesis for the occasion developed piety as one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

“When we hear this word,” he said, “we think of a certain religiosity or devotion, but its meaning is much richer; like our word ‘pity’, it has to do with compassion, with mercy.”

As a concept, piety has its roots in the Greco-Roman world, where piety meant an act of submission to superior authority. This submission was first to the gods, then of children to parents and the elderly. Today, the Pope said, we must be careful not to identify piety with a pietism which is just a superficial emotion. Also, piety should not be confused with the feelings some have for pets while remaining indifferent to the suffering of others.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/15/pope_gift_of_the_spirit_renews_our_relationship_with_god/1230020

Pope: Gift of the Spirit renews our relationship with God
15/05/2016 15:10

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis preached on the passage “I will not leave you orphans” (Jn 14:18) during his homily at the Mass for Pentecost Sunday in St Peter’s.

Beginning with the first reading from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans, the Pope said, “Here we see our relationship renewed: the paternity of God is re-established in us thanks to the redemptive work of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit.” He continued, “The Spirit is given to us by the Father and leads us back to the Father. The entire work of salvation is one of 're-generation', in which the fatherhood of God, through the gift of the Son and the Holy Spirit, frees us from the condition of being orphans into which we had fallen.”

Too often in this world we see “the signs of being orphans,” such as loneliness, the desire to be “free of God,” or the difficulty in seeing others as brothers and sisters.

But, the Pope said, “being children of God runs contrary to this, and is our primordial vocation – we were made to be God’s children, it is in our DNA.” This relationship, though, was ruined by sin, and it is only through death and resurrection of Jesus, God’s only-begotten Son, that that relationship can be reborn. It is precisely on account of Jesus’ death on the Cross that the Holy Spirit “has been poured out upon humanity like a vast torrent of grace.”
 
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/15/homily_for_pentecost_sunday_full_text/1229982
Homily for Pentecost Sunday: full text
15/05/2016 11:37

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uroy20yUap8
Mass of Pentecost - 2016.05.15

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/15/pope_world_mission_day_calls_us_to_missionary_discipleship/1230042

Pope: World Mission Day calls us to missionary discipleship
15/05/2016 17:20

(Vatican Radio) Pentecost Sunday provided Pope Francis with the occasion to release his annual Message for World Mission Sunday, set to take place later this year, on the third Sunday of October.

In his Message, the Holy Father said the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy invites us “to consider the missio ad gentes – the mission to the world – as a great, immense work of mercy, both spiritual and material.” World Mission Sunday, he continued, calls us “to ‘go out’ as missionary disciples, each generously offering their talents, creativity, wisdom and experience in order to bring the message of God’s tenderness and compassion to the entire human family.” He reminded us that “By virtue of the missionary mandate, the Church cares for those who do not know the Gospel, because she wants everyone to be saved and to experience the Lord’s love.”
 
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/15/pope_francis_message_for_world_mission_day_2016_full_text/1229979
Pope Francis' Message for World Mission Day 2016: full text
15/05/2016 11:27

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/15/regina_coeli_may_our_hearts_be_open_to_gift_of_the_spirit/1230001

Regina Coeli: May our hearts be open to gift of the Spirit
15/05/2016 12:45

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis focused on the Feast of Pentecost during his remarks before the Regina Coeli prayer on Sunday.

The day’s liturgy, Pope Francis said, “invites us to open our minds and our hearts to the gift of the Holy Spirit . . . the first and principle gift that He has obtained with His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven.”

In the Gospel, Jesus says to His disciples, “If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete to be with you always.” These words, the Pope said, “remind us above all that love for a person, and also for the Lord, is shown not with words but with facts.” The command to keep and observe the commandments must likewise be understood in such a way that they affect our whole life. In fact, the Pope said, “being Christians does not primarily mean pertaining to a certain culture or adhering to a certain doctrine, but rather, joining one’s very life, in every aspect, to the person of Jesus, and, through Him, to the Father.” It is precisely for this reason that Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit: it is through the gift of the Spirit, “the love which unites the Father and the Son, and proceeds from them,” that we are able to live the very life of Jesus.
 
The Holy Father concluded his remarks with the prayer that the Blessed Virgin Mary “might obtain for us the grace of being strongly animated by the Holy Spirit, that we might bear witness to Christ with evangelical frankness, and open ourselves more and more to the fullness of His love.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La9utk-CShs
Regina Coeli - 2016.05.15

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-opens-cei-general-assembly

Pope Francis opens CEI General Assembly
2016-05-16 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis presided over the opening of the 69th General Assembly of the Italian Bishops’ Conference – the “CEI” – on Monday afternoon, in the Synod Hall in the Vatican.

The main item on the agenda of the 69th CEI General Assembly is the renewal of the clergy through ongoing formation.

In remarks to the participants prepared for the occasion, the Holy Father encouraged the bishops of Italy to listen to their priests and to learn from their example. “This evening,” said Pope Francis, “I do not wish to offer you a systematic reflection on the figure of the priest: let us rather try to turn the perspective on its head, and make ready to listen. Let us approach – almost in tiptoe – one of the many parish priests who spend themselves in our communities, let us leave his visage to pass before the eyes of our heart, and let us ask with simplicity: what gives life its flavor? For whom and for what does he do such dedicated service? What is the ultimare reason for his self-giving?”

The answers Pope Francis articulated included the cultivation of authentic friendship with God, a recovery of the courageous leadership role that priests – especially diocesan clergy – are called to play in the fundamental missionary activity of the whole Church, which must be at the center of every Christian life, and finally the Kingdom of God as the horizon and goal of the whole work of the Church and of each man called to serve as a priest.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-no-to-social-climbers-money-and-power-harm-th

Pope: No to social climbers, money and power harm the Church
2016-05-17 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Saying Jesus' path is serving others, Pope Francis urged Christians on Tuesday to overcome the lure of worldliness and human ambition and warned against social climbers who are tempted to destroy the other in order to reach the top. His remarks came during his homily at the morning Mass celebrated in the Santa Marta residence.

The gospel reading where Jesus’ disciples were arguing among themselves over who was the greatest was used by the Pope for his reflections about the dangers of power, money, ambition and vanity. He noted that whereas Jesus was warning his disciples about his coming humiliation and death, they were concerned with worldly matters such as who would become the most powerful among them.

Christians must overcome the temptation to be social climbers, seeking power

In response to the apostles’ arguing, Pope Francis reminded of Jesus' warning to his disciples that "if anyone wishes to be first he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."

“Along the path where Jesus shows us to journey, the guiding principle is service. The greatest is the person who serves most, who serves others most, not the person who boasts, who seeks power, money… vanity, pride. No, these people are not the greatest. And this is what happened here with the apostles, even with the mother of John and James, it’s an event that happens every day in the Church, in every community. ‘But which of us is the greatest? Who’s in charge?’ Ambitions: there is always this desire to be a social climber, to have power, in every community, parish or institution.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-condolences-for-passing-of-card-coppa

Pope Francis: condolences for passing of Card. Coppa
2016-05-17 Vatican Radio

Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegram expressing his condolences for the death of Cardinal Giovanni Coppa, a long-serving diplomat and official of the Roman Curia, who died Monday at the age of 90. Cardinal Coppa was one of the chief Latinists of the II Vatican Council. He wrote several volumes on St. Ambrose of Milan, the Gospels, and the Fathers of the Church.

As Nuncio, he served in Czechloslovakia (later the Czech Republic).

In his telegram, addressed to the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Pope Francis remembers Cardinal Coppa as a dedicated and pastorally sensitive servant of the Church and the Papacy. “As Assessor of the Secretariat of State and as Delegate for the Pontifical Diplomatic Representations,” writes Pope Francis, “he showed pastoral wisdom and careful attention to the needs of others.” The Holy Father goes on to say, “When he was sent as Pontifical Representative to the Nunciature in Prague, he gave witness to a particularly intense and fruitful commitment to the spiritual good of that nation.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/la-croix-releases-english-translation-of-papal-int

La Croix releases English translation of Papal interview
2016-05-17 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has given an exclusive interview to the French Catholic La Croix newspaper. In the broad-ranging conversation with journalists Guillaume Goubert and Sébastien Maillard for La Croix, Pope Francis discussed matters ranging from healthy secularism and the right way to understand and live according to the Church’s universal missionary mandate, to the idea of Europe in relation to the migration crisis and the possibility of peaceful coexistence among Muslims and Christians.
 

http://www.la-croix.com/Religion/Pape/INTERVIEW-Pope-Francis-2016-05-17-1200760633
INTERVIEW Pope Francis
Translation Stefan GIGACZ for la CroixInterviewed by Guillaume Goubert and Sébastien Maillard (in Rome), le 17/05/2016 à 8h57

– In your speeches in Europe, you refer to the “roots” of the continent without ever describing them as Christian. Rather, you define “European identity” as “dynamic and multicultural.” In your view, is the expression “Christian roots” inappropriate for Europe ?

Pope Francis : We need to speak of roots in the plural because there are so many. In this sense, when I hear talk of the Christian roots of Europe, I sometimes dread the tone, which can seem triumphalist or even vengeful. It then takes on colonialist overtones. John Paul II, however, spoke about it in a tranquil manner.

Yes, Europe has Christian roots and it is Christianity’s responsibility to water those roots. But this must be done in a spirit of service as in the washing of the feet. Christianity’s duty to Europe is one of service. As Erich Przywara, the great master of Romano Guardini and Hans Urs von Balthasar, teaches us, Christianity’s contribution to a culture is that of Christ in the washing of the feet. In other words, service and the gift of life. It must not become a colonial enterprise.
 

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http://religionnews.com/2016/05/17/pope-francis-on-isis-the-gospel-sex-abuse-money-and-much-more/

Pope Francis on ISIS, the Gospel, sex abuse, money and much more
9 hours ago

VATICAN CITY (RNS) What do the tango, Islam and conscientious objection have in common? They are just three of the references that Pope Francis made in his latest blockbuster interview.

Speaking to the French Catholic newspaper La Croix, Francis reflected on issues affecting the church and society as a whole.

Here are the key points:

Child sexual abuse

Francis described a priest who abuses children as someone who “disseminates evil, resentment, distress” and said a zero tolerance approach was needed, with no statute of limitations on how long after a crime a pedophile could be convicted under canon law.

Focusing on the headline-making case of French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, who is accused of failing to report abusive priests years ago, the pope said it would be “imprudent” to seek the cardinal’s resignation:

“Based on the information that I have, I believe that Cardinal Barbarin in Lyon took the necessary measures and that he has matters under control. He is courageous, creative, a missionary. We now need to await the outcome of the civil judicial proceedings.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/17/vatileaks_ii_trial_continues/1230418

Vatileaks II trial continues
17/05/2016 14:06

The so called “Vatileaks II” trial continues in the Vatican courtroom. The trial is investigating how various confidential papers from the Vatican were leaked to Italian journalists in the year 2015.

The session on Monday 16th May began at about 15:30 pm. A panel of Vatican lawyers continued to investigate the accused parties, Mons. Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui and Nicola Maio.

The accused journalists Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigi Nuzzi were not present at the court session. They were instead represented by their lawyers.
 

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/17/furthur_details_on_vatileaks_ii/1230468
Furthur details on Vatileaks II"
17/05/2016 15:47

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-to-ignore-the-poor-is-to-despise-god

Pope Francis: ‘To ignore the poor is to despise God’
2016-05-18 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says that to ignore the poor is to despise God and that the Lord’s mercy for us is tightly connected to our own mercy for others.

Speaking on Wednesday morning at the weekly General Audience in St. Peter's Square the Pope also decried the inequality and contradictions in the world as he reflected on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

He noted that the lives of these two people seem to run on parallel tracks; their living conditions are opposite and totally non-communicating: the rich man’s front door is always closed to the poor man who hopes to eat some leftovers from the rich man's table. Every day the rich man – who wears luxurious clothes while Lazarus is covered with sores – fares sumptuously while Lazarus is starving.

This scene, the Pope said, reminds us of the harsh words of the Son of man during the final last judgment: “I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was [...] naked and you did not clothe me” (Mt 25, 42).

“Lazarus represents the silent cry of the poor of all times and the contradictions of a world where vast wealth and resources are in the hands of few”.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-greets-ukrainian-children-at-wednesday-audien

Pope greets Ukrainian children at Wednesday audience
2016-05-18 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) During this week’s general audience, Pope Francis extended a special greeting to a group of children from Ukraine, who had been brought to the Vatican by the international initiative Children for peace all over the world.

“I greet with special affection the children of Ukraine, orphans and refugees as a result of the armed conflict which still continues in the East of the country,” the Pope told the 80 children who were in St. Peter’s Square for the occasion.

“For the intercession of Mary Most Holy, I renew my prayer that we may strive for enduring peace, in order that it may relieve the so exhausted population, and offer a serene future for new generations.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-remembers-st-john-paul-iis-birthday

Pope Francis remembers St John Paul II’s birthday
2016-05-18 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) “Today, the day of Saint John Paul II’s birth, I cordially greet all the Polish persons here present.”

Pope Francis marked the 18 May birthday of St John Paul II at this week’s general audience, greeting in particular a group of Polish nationals, including Polish president Andrzej Duda, with soldiers and others who had taken part in a memorial Mass for the fallen held at the Polish cemetery of Montecasino.

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-the-rich-who-exploit-the-poor-are-bloodsucker

Pope: the rich who exploit the poor are bloodsuckers
2016-05-19 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Exploiting the working people to enrich oneself is like sucking blood; it’s a mortal sin. That was the message of Pope Francis during the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta.

The rich who suck the blood of the poor

The day’s first reading, taken from the Letter of Saint James, is a forceful warning to the rich who accumulate wealth by exploiting the people. “Riches in themselves are good,” the Pope explained, but they are “relative, not absolute” goods. He criticized the so-called “theology of prosperity”— according to which “God shows you that you are just if He give you great riches,” saying those who follow it are mistaken. The problem lies in being attached to wealth, because, as the Pope recalled, “You cannot serve both God and riches.” These become “chains” that “take away the freedom to follow Jesus.” In the reading, St James writes, “Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-to-new-ambassadors-creative-work-for

Pope Francis to new Ambassadors: creative work for peace
2016-05-19 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday received Letters of Credence from the Ambassadors to the Holy See from Estonia, Malawi, Namibia, the Seychelles, Thailand and Zambia.

In remarks prepared for the occasion and delivered Thursday morning in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, Pope Francis reflected with Ambassadors Väino Reinart of Estonia, Michael Barth Kamphambe Nkhoma of Malawi, Andreas B. D. Guibeb of Namibia, Thomas Selby Pillay of the Seychelles, Nopadol Gunavibool of Thailand, and Muyeba Shichapwa Chikonde of Zambia, on the concrete reminder of our common humanity that diplomatic service provides, and upon mindfulness of which effective diplomatic activity depends.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-understanding-for-sinners-no-negotiating-the

Pope: Understanding for sinners, no negotiating the truth
2016-05-20 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Announcing the word of God should never be dissociated from the understanding of human weakness. That was Pope Francis’ message during the daily Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. Commenting on the Gospel passage in which Christ speaks with the Pharisees about adultery, he said the Lord overcomes the human vision which would reduce the vision of God to a casuistic equation.

The Gospel, the Pope said, is full of examples of the Pharisees and the doctors of the law attempting to trap Jesus by catching Him off guard, seeking to undermine the authority and favour he enjoys with the people. One of those attempts is related in the day’s Gospel, in which the Pharisees tempt Him by asking if it is licit for a man to put away his wife.

Truth, not casuistry

Pope Francis speaks of the “trap” of “casuistry,” concocted by “a small group of enlightened theologians,” convinced that they “have all the knowledge and wisdom of the people of God.” It is a snare from which Jesus escapes, he says, by going “beyond,” “to the fullness of matrimony.” The Lord had already done so with the Sadducees, the Pope recalled, when they had questioned Him about the woman who had had seven husbands. At the resurrection, Jesus affirmed, she would not be the wife of any of them, because in heaven “they neither marry nor are given in marriage.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/papal-rescript-clarifies-procedure-for-establishin

Papal Rescript clarifies procedure for establishing diocesan religious Institutes
2016-05-20 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has issued a binding clarification of a question arising under Canon Law with regard to the proper procedure for the creation of new diocesan Institutes of Consecrated Life. Specifically, the Holy Father has, by way of Papal Rescript, established that prior consultation by the local Ordinary who desires to erect a new Institute of Consecrated Life within his jurisdiction and under his authority, must have prior consultation with the Holy See before deciding to erect any such new Institute.

The Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, told Vatican Radio the Rescript does not require local Ordinaries to obtain permission, per se, but only to consult with and hear from the Holy See (through the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life) before proceeding.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/20/pope_francis_telegram_of_condolence_to_egyptian_president/1231254

Pope Francis: telegram of condolence to Egyptian President
20/05/2016 14:30

 
His Excellency Abdel Fattah Al Sisi

President of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Cairo

Having learned with sadness of the tragic crash of the Egyptian passenger airliner, Pope Francis wishes to assure you of his prayers and solidarity at this difficult time and commends the souls of the deceased of various nationalities to the mercy of the Almighty. Upon the relatives of the passengers and all those involved in the search and rescue efforts, His Holiness invokes the divine blessings of strength and peace.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-meets-with-president-of-belarus

Pope Francis meets with President of Belarus
2016-05-21 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday morning met with the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, who subsequently met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States.

A statement from the Holy See Press Office called the discussions “cordial”, and said “satisfaction was expressed for the good state of bilateral relations and various themes of mutual interest were considered, with particular reference to the life of  the Church in Belarus and the peaceful co-existence between Catholic and Orthodox communities, and  with other religious confessions, in the country.”