Pope Francis

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-may-joseph-give-us-the-ability-to-dream-great

Pope: May Joseph give us the ability to dream great things
2017-03-20 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Saint Joseph gives young people “the ability to dream, to risk, and to undertake the difficult tasks that they have seen in dreams.” That was the message of Pope Francis during the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta.

The day’s liturgy commemorated the Solemnity of St Joseph, which is normally celebrated on 19 March, but which is transferred when that date falls on a Sunday in Lent. 

In his homily, Pope Francis focused on the figure of St Joseph, the guardian of weaknesses, and of the “dream of God.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/03/20/pope_francis_holds_audience_with_president_of_rwanda/1299855

Pope Francis holds audience with President of Rwanda
20/03/2017 13:22

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis received the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, in a private audience at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Monday.

President Kagame and his entourage subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, who was accompanied by Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.

A communique from the Holy See Press Office said their discussions were cordial:

“During the cordial exchanges, the good relations that exist between the Holy See and Rwanda were recalled. Appreciation was expressed for the notable path of recovery towards the social, political and economic stabilization of the country. Likewise noted was the collaboration between the State and the local Church in the work of national reconciliation and in the consolidation of peace, for the benefit of the whole Nation.”

Pope Francis, it went on, “conveyed his profound sadness, and that of the Holy See and of the Church, for the genocide against the Tutsi. He expressed his solidarity with the victims and with those who continue to suffer the consequences of those tragic events and, evoking the gesture of Pope St John Paul II during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, he implored anew God’s forgiveness for the sins and failings of the Church and its members, among whom priests, and religious men and women who succumbed to hatred and violence, betraying their own evangelical mission.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/03/20/bishops_of_el_salvador_meet_pope_francis_in_ad_limina_visit/1299939

Bishops of El Salvador meet Pope Francis on ad Limina visit
20/03/2017 15:42

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Monday received the Prelates of El Salvador, who are in Rome for their 'ad Limina Apostolorum' visit.

Their visit takes place ahead of the March 24th feast day of the former Archbishop of San Salvador, Blessed Oscar Romero, and the 37th anniversary of his assassination by hired gunmen at the height of El Salvador’s civil war.

El Salvador is a Latin American Republic with a population of around 6.5 million people, nearly 80 percent of whom are Catholic.

In an interview with Vatican Radio, Archbishop José Luis Escobar'Alas of San Salvador and President of the Episcopal Conference said the primary pastoral challenges in El Salvador are "the defense of life, understood in its full sense as justice, truth and peace in a society marked by violence."
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/apostolic-voyage-to-egypt-confirmed

Apostolic Voyage to Egypt confirmed
2017-03-18 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) A statement from Greg Burke, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, has confirmed that Pope Francis will visit Egypt at the end of April.

Here is the full text of Greg Burke’s statement: “In response to the invitation from the President of the Republic, the Bishops of the Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and the Grand Imam of the Mosque of Al Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayyib, His Holiness Pope Francis will make an Apostolic trip to the Arab Republic of Egypt from 28 to 29 April 2017, visiting the city of Cairo. The programme of the trip will be published shortly.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/03/20/vatican_releases_schedule_for_popes_fatima_visit/1299926

Vatican releases schedule for Pope's Fatima visit
20/03/2017 15:18

Pope Francis touches a statue of Our Lady of Fatima as he arrives for his General Audience in St Peter's square on May 13, 2015

(Vatican Radio)  The Vatican has released the schedule of Pope Francis' Apostolic Journey to Fatima in Portugal, due to take place on 12-13 May.

The Holy Father will arrive on Saturday by plane at the Monte Real air base in the afternoon, where he will be welcomed by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

He will then travel by helicopter to the Stadium of Fatima before travelling by car to the Fatima Shrine. Whilst there, the Pope will pray at the Chapel of the Apparitions, greet pilgrims present, and recite the Holy Rosary with them.

On Sunday, Pope Francis will meet with Prime Minister António Costa at the “Nossa Senhora do Carmo” House. Afterwards, he will travel to the Basilica of “Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Fatima” to celebrate Holy Mass.

His final stop is a lunch with the bishops of Portugal at the “Nossa Senhora do Carmo” House. Pope Francis will then return to Rome via Rome's Ciampino Airport.

The full schedule of the Pope's visit is below:
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/03/21/pope_the_confessional_is_not_like_the_dry_cleaners/1300117

Pope: The confessional is not like the dry cleaners.
21/03/2017 13:12

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis warned against treating the confessional like the dry cleaners, a place to make a quick transaction, wipe away our sins and steal a false pardon. He also stressed the need for Christians to be truly ashamed of their sins. The Pope's words came during his homily at his Tuesday morning Mass in the Santa Marta residence.

The Pope drew on the morning’s readings at Mass, beginning with the book of Daniel, which emphasized mankind coming before God with a humble and contrite spirit.

“Here is the shame of sins, a grace which we cannot attain by ourselves.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/03/21/tantur_oasis_of_interfaith_hospitality_in_the_holy_land/1300022

Tantur: Oasis of interfaith hospitality in the Holy Land
21/03/2017 09:31

Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew I pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the meeting between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I in Jerusalem on 25 May 2014 - EPA

(Vatican Radio) Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem this year marks the 50th anniversary of its establishment in the wake of Pope Paul VI’s historic visit to the Holy Land.

Offering a wide variety of conferences, study programmes and research opportunities, the institute aims to promote ecumenical and interfaith understanding among people from all religious backgrounds. It also provides a base from which to explore the places connected to the Old and New Testaments, while learning something of the complex political realities of the Holy Land today.
 

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http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/6880/0/jesus-tomb-unveiled-after-historic-restoration-project-

Jesus' tomb unveiled after historic restoration project
21 March 2017 | by Rose Gamble   

PICTURE: A pilgrim lights candles near the Altar of the Crucifixion in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, home to the shrine said to have housed the cave where Jesus was buried. The shrine has been subject to an extensive restoration project.

The restored shrine will be unveiled during a ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City on 23 March

Ahead of Easter, a Greek restoration team has completed a historic renovation of the Edicule, the shrine said to have housed the cave where Jesus was buried.

The restored shrine will be unveiled during a ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City on 23 March. Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, and a representative of Pope Francis will attend the service.

“If this intervention hadn’t happened now, there is a very great risk that there could have been a collapse,” Bonnie Burnham of the World Monuments Fund told Associate Press. “This is a complete transformation of the monument.”
 

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http://www.lastampa.it/2017/03/21/vaticaninsider/eng/inquiries-and-interviews/patton-the-holy-sepulchre-is-back-to-being-a-place-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-FixzL46BiJj7gjpmr8NAzN/pagina.html

Patton: “The Holy Sepulchre is back to being a place of prayer for Christian unity”
Interview with the Custos of the Holy Land a few days before the Thanksgiving Celebration of March 22, for the restoration work
Pubblicato il  21/03/2017

AP   The renovated Edicule is seen in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (ANSA/AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)

Nearly a year of work under the direction of Antonia Moropoulou, professor of the National Technical University of Athens, who coordinated a staff of about 30 colleagues of various departments of the NTUA, with the consulting of architect Osama Hamdan and Professor Eugenio Alliatas, historian and archaeologist, for the conservative restoration of the kiosk overlooking the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The site of Christ’s tomb, by far the holiest and most important for all Christendom. The works, which are bound to end these days, have been carried out thanks to a series of funding primarily provided by the Christian denominations in the Holy Land, namely the Catholic, Greek-orthodox and Armenian, which add up to those of public origin, such as the Greek administration or the Global Fund for the conservation of monuments (Wmf) and many other benefactors, including King Abdullah of Jordan.
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-when-we-want-to-give-up-god-helps-us-persevere-80268/

Pope Francis: When we want to give up, God helps us persevere

Vatican City, Mar 22, 2017 / 03:57 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Wednesday Pope Francis said each person must strive to imitate the perseverance and consolation of God, which not only gives us the strength to keep going, but also to help others who are in difficulty.

“Perseverance we can also define as patience; it’s the ability to support, to remain faithful, even when the weight seems to become too big, unsustainable, and we are tempted to negatively judge and abandon everything and everyone,” the Pope said March 22.

Consolation, on the other hand, “is the grace of knowing how to welcome and show in every situation, even those largely marked by delusion and suffering, the presence and compassionate action of God.”
 
At the end of his audience Pope Francis also gave a shout-out to those participating in the “Watershed” Conference currently taking place in Rome in honor of the U.N. World Water Day, and which is being co-hosted by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Argentinian Chapter of the Club of Rome.

“I am happy that this meeting is taking place,” he said, “for it represents yet another stage in the joint commitment of various institutions to raising consciousness about the need to protect water as a treasure belonging to everyone, mindful too of its cultural and religious significance.”

The Pope then made an appeal for his “24 hours for the Lord” event, which takes place each year on the fourth Friday and Saturday of Lent
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EzsqAdZ0zI
2017.03.22 General Audience

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-we-are-catholic-atheists-if-we-have-hardened

Pope: We are "Catholic Atheists" if we have hardened hearts
2017-03-23 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Listen to the Word of God to avoid the risk of a hardened heart. That was Pope Francis’ message in his homily at morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta on Thursday. The Pope pointed out that when we turn away from God and are deaf to His Word, we become unfaithful or even “Catholic atheists.”

Pope Francis drew inspiration from the First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah to meditate on the importance of listening to the Word of God. “When we do not stop to listen to the voice of the Lord we end up moving away, we turn away from Him, we turn our backs. And if we do not listen to the voice of the Lord, we listen to other voices.”

The Holy Father suggested that if we do not listen to God’s voice, then in the end we listen to the voices of idols. He noted bitterly that eventually, “we become deaf: deaf to the Word of God.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-receives-president-of-cameroon-2

Pope Francis receives President of Cameroon
2017-03-23 Vatican Radio

Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis received Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon, in a private audience at the Vatican on Thursday.

A communique from the Holy See Press Office said their discussions were "cordial".

"During the cordial discussions, the existing good relations between the Holy See and Cameroon were evoked, as was the important contribution the Church offers to the development of the country, especially in the fields of education and healthcare. Taking into consideration the peaceful co-existence and mutual respect between the various religious groups, attention was focused on the importance of promoting national cohesion, enhancing the richness of the various historic and cultural traditions of the country, with respect for human and minority rights."
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-telegram-of-condolence-for-london-att

Pope Francis: telegram of condolence for London attack
2017-03-23 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegram expressing his condolences to the victims of the terror attack at the House of Parliament in London on Wednesday, in which an attacker killed four people before armed police shot him dead.
 
******************************************
His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols
Archbishop of Westminster
President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

Deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and of the injuries caused by the attack in central London, His Holiness Pope Francis expresses his prayerful solidarity with all those affected by this tragedy.  Commending those who have died to the loving mercy of Almighty God, His Holiness invokes divine strength and peace upon their grieving families, and he assures the nation of his prayers at this time.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-approves-second-miracle-for-blessed-francisco-jacinta-marto-61276/

Pope clears way for canonization of Fatima visionaries

Blessed Francisco and Jacinta Marto. Credit: Public Domain.

Vatican City, Mar 23, 2017 / 06:44 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Thursday Pope Francis approved the second and final miracle needed to canonize Blessed Francisco and Jacinta Marto, two of the shepherd children who witnessed the Fatima Marian apparitions.

The Pope approved the miracle in a March 23 audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, during which he advanced six other causes, approving one other miracle, two causes for martyrdom and three of heroic virtue.

In addition, the Pope also approved a positive vote from members of the canonization causes for six martyrs who are already Blessed, but do not yet have a second miracle attributed to them.

However, the most significant of the causes approved is that of Francisco and Jacinta Marto. With the approval of the second miracle, the two may now be canonized Saints. It is likely Pope Francis will preside over their canonization himself while in Fatima May 12-13 for the centenary of the apparitions.

Francisco, 11, and Jacinta, 10, were the youngest non-martyrs to be beatified in the history of the Church.
 

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/heres-a-way-to-learn-more-about-mary-queen-of-heaven-86521/
Here's a way to learn more about Mary, Queen of Heaven
Charlotte, N.C., Mar 23, 2017 / 09:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A new, epic narrative about the life of Mary, Queen of Heaven has just been released with the hope of drawing individuals closer to the Mother of God during the upcoming 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima.
 

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https://zenit.org/articles/father-cantalamessas-3rd-lent-homily-2017/

Father Cantalamessa’s 3rd Lent Homily 2017
‘There is only one true remedy to death, and we Christians are robbing the world if we do not proclaim it by our words and our lives’
March 24, 2017

Here is the third Lenten homily given this year by the preacher of the Pontifical Household, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa.

* * *

Father Raniero Cantalamessa, ofmcap

Lent 2017

Third Sermon

THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS US INTO THE MYSTERY

OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST
1.The Holy Spirit in the Paschal Mystery of Christ

In the two preceding meditations we tried to show how the Holy Spirit leads us into the “fullness of truth” about the person of Christ, making him known as “Lord” and as “true God from true God.” In the remaining meditations our attention will shift from the person of Christ to the work of Christ, from his being to his acting. We will try to show how the Holy Spirit illuminates the paschal mystery.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/03/24/pius_xii_and_the_treaty_of_rome/1299262

Pius XII and 'The Treaty of Rome'
24/03/2017 11:39

Pius XII speaking through the microphones of Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Celebrations are underway here in Rome to mark sixty years since the 'The Treaty of Rome'. It was the 25th of March 1957 and when signed it established one of the foundation stones of the European Economic Community.

And to mark the occasion Pope Francis is set to receive 27 European Union heads of State and government during a private audience in the Vatican's 'Sala Regia' on Friday evening.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/03/24/pope_man_at_centre_of_european_project/1301052

Pope: Man at centre of European project
24/03/2017 19:03

In the Sala Regia, Pope Francis addresses heads of state and heads of government of EU nations.

(Vatican Radio) In his address to European leaders, Pope Francis spoke about embracing the past, but also looking to the future with hope.

Referring to the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties – the occasion for the meeting – Pope Francis said “Returning to Rome, sixty years later, must not simply be a remembrance of things past, but the expression of a desire to relive that event in order to appreciate its significance for the present.” He said, “We cannot understand our own times apart from the past, seen not as an assemblage of distant facts, but as the lymph that gives life to the present.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/03/24/pope_francis_address_to_eu_heads_of_state_and_government/1300895

Pope Francis: address to EU Heads of State and Government
24/03/2017 12:56

Pope Francis delivers his speech to heads of state and heads of government of EU nations.

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis addressed Heads of State and Heads of Government of European Union countries on Friday afternoon, the eve of the 60° anniversary of the signing of the treaties creating the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community – the first major structural steps toward creating the European Union.

Below, please find the full text of the Holy Father’s prepared remarks, in their official English translation
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGkwWqMYKRI
2017.03.24 Audience with European Union Heads of State and Government

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https://twitter.com/FatherRosica

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Pope and 27 EU leaders take group photo in Sistine Chapel, in front of Michelangelo's Last Judgement. Heavy background!

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/03/24/pope_mourns_death_of_wise_and_gentle_pastor/1300983

Pope mourns death of "wise and gentle pastor"
24/03/2017 15:47

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a letter of condolence to the Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, following the death of Cardinal William Keeler, who led the Archdiocese of Baltimore from 1989-2007.
 
To the Most Reverend William E. Lori
 Archbishop of Baltimore

Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Cardinal William H. Keeler, I offer heartfelt condolences to you and to the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese.  With gratitude for Cardinal Keeler’s years of devoted episcopal ministry in the local Churches of Harrisburg and Baltimore, his years of leadership within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and his long-standing commitment to ecumenical and interreligious understanding, I join you in commending the soul of this wise and gentle pastor to the merciful love of God our heavenly Father.  To all who mourn the late Cardinal in the sure hope of the Resurrection, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Lord.

FRANCISCUS PP.