Pope Francis

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/24/westminster_abbey_and_sistine_choirs_at_ecumenical_vespers/1288010

Westminster Abbey and Sistine choirs at Ecumenical Vespers
24/01/2017 17:03

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday afternoon presides at Vespers in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls for the closing of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. On that occasion, the Sistine Chapel choir will be joined by the men and boys of the Westminster Abbey choir, renowned as one of the finest choral music groups of its kind.

Ahead of this unprecedented event, pioneered by the two choirs are also performing a free concert on Tuesday evening in the Basilica of St John Lateran. Their collaboration grows out of recent years of deepening Anglican-Catholic relations, in particular following Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to London in September 2010.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/25/pope_urges_christians_to_pray,_proclaim_and_serve_together/1288150

Pope at Vespers urges Christians to pray, proclaim and serve together
25/01/2017 18:00

(Vatican Radio) Authentic reconciliation between Christians will only be achieved when we can acknowledge each other’s gifts and learn from one another with humility. That was Pope Francis’ message to representatives of all the different Christian Churches gathered in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls on Wednesday afternoon. The Pope was leading Vespers for the solemnity of the Conversion of St Paul and the close of the annual week of prayer for Christian unity.

In his homily Pope Francis reflected on the theme for this year’s week of prayer, which is ‘Reconciliation: the love of Christ compels us’. Reconciliation, he said, is a gift from Christ. Prior to any human effort by believers who strive to overcome their divisions, he said, reconciliation is God’s gift given freely to each one of us.

“How do we proclaim this Gospel of reconciliation today after centuries of division?”, the Pope asked. St Paul himself makes clear that reconciliation requires sacrifice and a revolution of our way of living, he said. Just as Jesus laid down his life for us, so we are called to lay down our lives, by living no longer for ourselves and our own interests, but living instead for Christ and in Christ.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu6C_7nqHb8
2017.01.25 Solemnity of the Conversion of St. Paul

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http://www.news.va/en/news/statement-concerning-the-resignation-of-the-grand

Statement concerning the resignation of the Grand Master
2017-01-25 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) The Holy See Press Office has released a statement concerning the resignation of Fra' Matthew Festing from the office of Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta:

"Yesterday, 24 January 2017, in audience with the Holy Father, His Highness Fra’ Matthew Festing resigned from the office of Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

"Today, 25 January, the Holy Father accepted his resignation, expressing appreciation and gratitude to Fra’ Festing for his loyalty and devotion to the Successor of Peter, and his willingness to serve humbly the good of the Order and the Church.

"The governance of the Order will be undertaken ad interim by the Grand Commander pending the appointment of the Papal Delegate."
 
http://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/breaking-knights-of-malta-grand-master-resigns
Knights of Malta Grand Master Resigns
by Christine Niles, M.St. (Oxon.), J.D.  •  ChurchMilitant.com  •  January 24, 2017

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/knights-of-malta-grand-master-to-resign-at-request-of-pope-francis-42917/
Knights of Malta Grand Master to resign at request of Pope Francis

[Sister]

interesting -- though a little confusing to this ole brain.

 

[grace-land]

interesting -- though a little confusing to this ole brain.

 

Sister! 

It is confusing.  I've been following this story for a while.  It seems to be a serious and sad situation in my opinion.  Hopefully, it has a good ending.

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-fear-of-everything-the-sin-that-paralyzes-chr

Pope: Fear of everything, the sin that paralyzes Christians
2017-01-27 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) God frees us from the sin that paralyzes us as Christians: faintheartedness, being afraid of everything, which keep us from having memory, hope, courage, and patience. That was the message of Pope Francis during the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Friday.

Remembering the God’s work of salvation in my life

Pope Francis said the day’s Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews exhorts us to live the Christian life with three points of reference: the past, the present, and the future. First, it invites us to remember, because “the Christian life does not begin today: it continues today.” Remembering is “to recall everything”: the good things, and those that are less good, and putting my own story “before the sight of God”: without covering up or hiding it:
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-calls-catholics-and-oriental-orthodox-to-work

Pope calls Catholics and Oriental Orthodox to work for peace
2017-01-27 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Wherever there is violence and conflict, Christians are called to work patiently to restore concord and hope. That was Pope Francis’ message on Friday to members of the Joint International Commission for theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

The group, which is meeting in the Vatican this week, includes representatives of the six ancient Churches of the East which have been separated from the rest of the Christian world since the middle of the fifth century.

In his words to the Catholic and Oriental Orthodox leaders, Pope Francis noted that many of them belong to Churches that witness daily the spread of violence and “brutality perpetrated by fundamentalist extremism”. We are aware, he said, “that situations of such tragic suffering more easily take root in the context of great poverty, injustice and social exclusion”
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-remember-holocaust-so-never-repeated

Pope Francis: ‘Remember Holocaust so never repeated’
2017-01-27 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis met with a delegation from the European Jewish Congress Friday on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which occurs annually on 27 January.

The Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, Fr. Norbert Hofmann, was present at the meeting.

In an interview with Vatican Radio (in Italian), he said the Pope “began the dialogue by mentioning the importance of this Day for the Jews, but also for us, because remembering the victims of the Holocaust is important so that this human tragedy never happens again”.

The delegation, he said, represents more than 2 million Jews in Europe.

Fr. Hofmann said the President of the Congress, Moshe Kantor, spoke about “the importance of ethics, that is, of the values which Christians and Jews have in common. He said that in our world we see much progress but also a decline in moral and ethical values. Therefore, we need to strengthen these values which we share. And then he spoke about the importance of education and the family.”

Pope Francis, Fr. Hofmann said, agreed completely with these themes and shared a story from his childhood.

“The Pope said that, in his family, his father often received Jews… and thus, already as a child, our Pope learned to have several Jewish friends.”
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-offers-prayers-sends-greetings-to-march-for-life-42575/

Pope Francis offers prayers, sends greetings to March for Life

Washington D.C., Jan 27, 2017 / 12:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis offered his greeting to participants at the 2017 March for Life in Washington, D.C., assuring them of his prayers and imparting his Apostolic Blessing upon all present.

In a papal telegram from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy Father thanked the marchers for their witness to life.

“Pope Francis sends warm greetings and the assurance of his closeness in prayer to the many thousands of young people from throughout America gathered in the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Arlington for the annual March for Life,” the message said.

“His Holiness is profoundly grateful for this impressive testimony to the sacredness of every human life.”

The text of the telegram was included in a letter from Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, sent to Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia.

The message quoted a passage from Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia: “so great is the value of a human life, and so inalienable the right to life of an innocent child growing in the mother’s womb, that no alleged right…can justify a decision to terminate that life.”

Pope Francis, the message continued, “trusts that this event, in which so many American citizens speak out on behalf of the most defenseless of our brothers and sisters, will contribute to a mobilization of consciences in defense of the right to life and effective measures to ensure its adequate legal protection.”
 

[grace-land]

http://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/01/26/pope-francis-has-ordered-review-new-mass-translation

Pope Francis has ordered a review of the new Mass translation
January 26, 2017

Pope Francis has ordered a review of “Liturgiam Authenticam,” the controversial decree behind the most recent translations of liturgical texts from Latin into English and other languages. The commission, established by the pope just before Christmas, is also tasked with examining what level of decentralization is desirable in the church on matters such as this.

The mixed commission includes bishops from all the continents. Significantly, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Arthur Roche, the secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, to be its president. The English-born archbishop is the number two official at the congregation; he has more experience in the liturgical field and a more open approach to liturgical questions than its prefect, Cardinal Robert Sarah.

The Vatican has not provided details on the commission, which is scheduled to hold its first meeting soon. Nor has it published the names of the commission’s members.
 

[grace-land]

A good read...

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/5377/an_order_of_malta_church_shake.aspx

Current Issue:  Analysis
Analysis
   
An Order of Malta Church Shake
January 27, 2017

Knights. Condoms. A forced resignation. Papal inquiry. Rebuffs. Tension. Another forced resignation. Papal intrigue. More tension. Germans. Confusion. Power. Freemasonry. Money. Whatever could be next?

Carl E. Olson
 

[grace-land]

The Order of Malta v The Vatican
The latest development:  the letter.

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/pope-francis-declares-all-of-fra-festings-recent-acts-null-and-void
Pope Francis Declares All of Festing’s Recent Acts ‘Null and Void’
Declaration made in a letter from Cardinal Parolin to the Order of Malta as details emerge about what happened during the Pope’s meeting with the Grand Master.
Edward Pentin

http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/01/last-chance-will-malta-knights-fold-or.html
De Mattei - Last Chance: Will the Malta Knights fold or resist? - Cardinal Parolin's Unconstitutional Letter
Corrispondenza Romana Special Edition
January 27, 2017

http://wtop.com/world/2017/01/knights-of-malta-insist-on-sovereignty-amid-papal-takeover/
Knights of Malta insist on sovereignty amid papal takeover
January 27, 2017 3:22 pm

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-greets-plenary-of-congregation-for-co

Pope Francis greets Plenary of Congregation for Consecrated Life
2017-01-28 Vatican Radio

Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday said the Church is facing a “hemorrhaging” of members of religious orders which is weakening consecrated life, and at the same time, the Church herself.

The Pope was speaking to the Plenary Session of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, which was discussing the theme “Fidelity and Abandonment,” which explored why people leave their vocation.

The Holy Father said although some leave for good reasons, because after discernment, they discover they do not have a vocation; but noted others leave years after making their final profession, and asks “What happened?”

“There are many factors which affect fidelity [to one’s vocation] in this era of change, which is not only a changing era, in which it is difficult to assume responsibilities which are serious and definitive,” Pope Francis said.
 

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Order of Malta -- Press Release

https://www.orderofmalta.int/2017/01/28/grand-master-fra-matthew-festing-resigns-office/

The Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing resigns from office
Rome, 28/01/2017

Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein assumes the office of Lieutenant ad interim, Albrecht Boeselager resumes his office as Grand Chancellor

The Sovereign Council, the government of the Sovereign Order of Malta, met this afternoon in the Magistral Palace in Rome. On the agenda was the resignation from Office of Grand Master presented by Fra’ Matthew Festing, in accordance with article 16 of the Constitution of the Order of Malta. The Sovereign Council accepted his resignation from office. Conforming to the Constitution, the Pope has been notified of the resignation of Fra’ Matthew Festing, which will be communicated to the 106 Heads of State with whom the Order has diplomatic relations. In accordance with Article 17 of the Constitution, the Grand Commander, Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein, has assumed the office of Lieutenant ad interim and will remain the Order of Malta’s head until the election of the successor of the Grand Master. The Sovereign Council thanked Fra’ Matthew Festing for his great commitment during his nine years in office.

Subsequently, the Sovereign Council presided over by the Lieutenant ad interim annulled the decrees establishing the disciplinary procedures against Albrecht Boeselager and the suspension of his membership in the Order. Albrecht Boeselager resumes his office as Grand Chancellor immediately.

In a letter sent yesterday, 27 January 2017, to Fra’ Ludwig Hoffman von Rumerstein and the members of the Sovereign Council, Pope Francis reaffirmed the special relationship between the Sovereign Order of Malta and the Apostolic See. The Pope affirmed that the Lieutenant ad interim assumes responsibility over the Order’s government, in particular regarding relationships with other States. Pope Francis noted precisely that his Special Delegate will be operating on “the spiritual renewal of the Order, specifically of its professed members.” The Sovereign Order of Malta ensures its full collaboration with the Special Delegate whom the Holy Father intends to appoint.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/knights-of-malta-appoint-interim-leader-reinstate-grand-chancellor-83652/

Knights of Malta appoint interim leader, reinstate Grand Chancellor
by Elise Harris

Vatican City, Jan 28, 2017 / 09:46 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After Pope Francis asked Knights of Malta Grand Master Matthew Festing to resign earlier this week, the Order has accepted the resignation, named an interim leader and reinstated their former Grand Chancellor, Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager.

According to a Jan. 28 press release from the Order of Malta, their Sovereign Council - in an extraordinary meeting held Saturday to vote on Festing’s request to step down from office - “accepted his resignation” and informed Pope Francis of the decision.

They also announced the appointment of Grand Commander Fra' Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein as the new “Lieutenant ad interim” until a new Grand Master is elected.

Along with Festing’s resignation, the decision to annul the decrees establishing “the disciplinary procedures” recently taken against former Grand Chancellor Albrecht Boeselager as well as “the suspension of his membership in the Order” was announced.

With the decision, “Albrecht Boeselager resumes his office as Grand Chancellor immediately,” the statement read.

According to media reports, the decision to reinstate Boeselager, who was dismissed in December, was requested by the Pope himself in a letter after meeting with Festing earlier this week to ask for his resignation.

In their statement, the Order of Malta said Pope Francis had written a Jan. 27 letter to Rumerstein and members of the Sovereign Council reaffirming “the special relationship” between the Order and the Apostolic See.

The Pope, it read, also affirmed that Rumerstein will assume the full responsibilities of Grand Master, “in particular regarding relationships with other States,” until a new leader is elected.

In his letter, Pope Francis made a point to emphasize that his special delegate, who has yet to be appointed, will be carrying out his role on “the spiritual renewal of the Order, specifically of its professed members.”

The Order ensured their “full collaboration” with the papal delegate, “whom the Holy Father intends to appoint” in due time.
 

[grace-land]

Hmmm...

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/order-of-malta-votes-to-accept-festings-resignation

Jan. 28, 2017
Order of Malta Votes in Favor of Accepting Festing’s Resignation
Albrecht von Boeselager reinstated as Grand Chancellor; Order to elect new Grand Master “soon”.
Edward Pentin

The Order of Malta’s Sovereign Council voted this afternoon to accept Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing’s resignation, with just a small number members voting against.

The Register understands from sources inside the Order that just a “handful” of members voted to reject the resignation, and that the Holy See applied “very strong and direct pressure” on the Sovereign Council to accept Fra’ Festing stepping down as it was unsure that a majority would vote in favor.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-humility-and-trust-in-god-are-essential-chris

Pope: humility and trust in God are essential Christian virtues
2017-01-29 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday dedicated his catechesis to the Gospel reading of the day  reflecting on the Beatitudes recounted in the Sermon on the Mount.

He was addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the recitation of the  Angelus prayer.

The Gospel of Matthew, Francis said, is the keystone of the New Testament. It tells of how Jesus manifested God’s will to show man the path to happiness.

He said this message was already contained in the words of the prophets who highlighted God’s liberating closeness to the poor and the oppressed.

But Jesus, he said, points to a different path which exhorts us all to trust in God as Christian happiness is to be found in the promise of salvation. 

Focusing on the first Beatitude “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, Pope Francis said he who is poor in spirit does not rebel, but knows how to be humble, obedient, and available to the grace of God.

And he pointed out that the happiness of the poor in spirit has two dimensions: first of all in respect to material goods that should be used with moderation:

Being weighed down by the need for voracious consumption that leads one to believe “the more I have, the more I want” is something, the Pope said, that kills the soul. The man or woman who has this attitude, he explained, will never be happy.

Poverty of spirit, he continued, is revealed in the way a Christian praises and acknowledges the love with which the Lord created us and the world. In the way he puts his trust in God.

“He who is poor in spirit is the Christian who does not trust in material riches, who is not obstinate in conveying his own opinions, but listens with respect and willingly defers to the decisions of others” he said.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-the-beatitudes/
Angelus Address: On the Beatitudes 
January 29, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2rRfagmFMQ
2017.01.29 Angelus Domini 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-small-persecuted-churches-the-strength-of-the

Pope: small, persecuted Churches, the strength of the Church
2017-01-30 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) The greatest strength of the Church today is in the little, persecuted Churches. That was the message of Pope Francis at the morning Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta. At the heart of the Pope’s homily were the martyrs: “Today there are more than in the first ages” – but the media says nothing about them, he continued, because it’s not news. Pope Francis invited us to remember those who suffer martyrdom.

“Without memory there is no hope,” the Pope said, basing his homily on the reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. The first Reading of the Mass is an exhortation to remember the whole history of the people of the Lord. The liturgy in these days focuses on the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, which speaks of memory – and first of all, a “memory of docility,” the memory of the docility of so many people, beginning with Abraham, who was obedient, who went out from his own land without knowing where he was going. In particular, the section of Hebrews 11 read in today’s Mass dealt with other memories: the memory of the great works of the Lord, accomplished by Gideon, Barak, Samson, David; “so many people,” the Pope said, “who have done great things in the history of Israel.

Today there are more martyrs than in the first ages: the media says nothing because they're not newsworthy
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-meets-bishops-of-serbia-montenegro-macedonia

Pope meets bishops of Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo in ad limina visit
2017-01-30 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday met with the bishops of Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, who are in Rome for their “ad limina apostolorum” visit.

The President of the International Bishops’ Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius, to which the bishops belong, spoke to Vatican Radio ahead of the ad limina visit.

Ecumenical and interreligious dialogue

Bishop Ladislav Nemét, SVD, of Zrenjanin, Serbia said ecumenical and interreligious dialogue is an important aspect of the Bishops’ Conference.

“As for Serbia, collaboration and ecumenical relations between the Holy See and the autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church is very good… In Kosovo, interreligious dialogue is more meaningful, because Catholics live among Muslims. In Montenegro and Macedonia it is difficult for the Catholic Church to maintain relations with the official Orthodox Church and even with two Orthodox churches, which are growing with large state aid.”

Four different countries

Bishop Nemét said the Conference has made a recent proposal to the Holy See to divide the international group into national conferences.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-expresses-condolences-following-quebe

Pope Francis expresses condolences following Quebec attack
2017-01-30 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) On Monday morning, following the usual Mass at the Pope’s residence in the Casa Santa Marta, the Holy Father met with Cardinal Gérald Cyprien LaCroix, assuring the Archbishop of Quebec City of his prayers for the victims of the attack on a mosque there on Sunday night.

Pope Francis stressed the importance of for all, Christians and Muslims, to be united in prayer. Following his meeting with the Pope, Cardinal Lacroix returned immediately to Canada.

The Holy Father also formally expressed his condolences for the victims of the terrorist attack in a telegram addressed to Cardinal Lacroix, and signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The full text of the telegram, written in French, is provided below in an English translation: