Pope Francis

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-the-cross-is-not-a-badge-of-belonging

Pope: 'the Cross is not a badge of belonging'
2017-04-04 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday told Christians not to wear the crucifix merely as a symbol of belonging, but to look to Jesus on the Cross as He who died for our salvation.

The Pope’s words came during morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta.

Three times, Pope Francis said, in today’s liturgical reading Jesus says to the Pharisees: “You will die in your sins”. That’s because their hearts were closed and they did not understand the mystery of the Lord. “To die in your sins” he said, is a bad thing.

Reflecting on the First Reading in which the Lord tells Moses to make a saraph serpent and mount it on a pole and “whoever looks at it after being bitten will live,” the Pope said the serpent is “the symbol of the devil,” the father of lies, he who caused humanity to sin.

And he recalled that Jesus said “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own.” This, Francis said, is the mystery of the Cross.

“The bronze serpent was the sign of two things: the sign of sin and of the seductive power of sin”, and it was a prophecy of the Cross, he said.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/04/04/pope_francis_meets_british_royals_charles_and_camilla/1303476

Pope Francis meets British royals Charles and Camilla
04/04/2017 19:48

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met in the Vatican on Tuesday with the heir to the British throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

The meeting came on the fourth day of an Italian tour which has taken the prince to the northern city of Vicenza for a First World War commemoration, to the earthquake hit town of Amatrice in central Italy, and to Florence, where he visited a Caritas-run project for immigrants, the elderly and single mothers.

The Duchess also spent a day in Naples meeting with trafficked women and youngsters with learning difficulties at a former Mafia villa which was confiscated by the State.

A press release from the British embassy to the Holy See said that during the papal audience in the Paul VI hall the pope and the prince talked about a number of topics of mutual interest.

They also exchanged gifts: Pope Francis gave the royal couple a bronze representation of an olive branch, and copies of his three major documents, ‘Laudato Sì’, ‘Evangelii Gaudium’ and ‘Amoris Laetitia’.

Prince Charles presented the Holy Father with a hamper of food from the royal estate at Highgrove, to be shared among the poor and homeless.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-receives-populorum-progressio-conference-part

Pope receives Populorum progressio conference participants
2017-04-04 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday received participants attending an International Conference marking the 50th anniversary of Blessed Paul VI social encyclical 'Populorum progressio', telling them that only the path of integration between peoples can bring about a future of peace and hope.

50 years ago Blessed Paul VI promulgated his social encyclical 'Populorum progressio' on the development of peoples. In it the Pope calls for all nations to initiate dialogue and collaboration so developing countries no longer risk being overwhelmed by debt. It also expresses the principle of solidarity.

To mark the milestone anniversary of this document an International Conference has been taking place this week aimed at studying the theological anthropological and pastoral perspectives of the encyclical and formulate guidelines for the activity of the new Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

And it was on this subject of Integral Human Development that Pope Francis addressed participants who have been attending this meeting.

He asked those present what does this phrase means today and in the near future?
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/new-pastoral-provisions-for-sacrament-of-marriage

New pastoral provisions for Sacrament of Marriage for SSPX
2017-04-04 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) The Holy See has established new provisions for the celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony by members of the faithful who are attached to the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX).

In a letter approved by Pope Francis, Cardinal Gerhard Müller says, “The Holy Father . . . has decided to authorize Local Ordinaries the possibility to grant faculties for the celebration of marriages of faithful who follow the pastoral activity of the Society.” The Pope's decision adopts a proposal by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, both of which are headed by Cardinal Müller.

The new provisions are part of a number of ongoing meetings and initiatives aimed at bringing the Society into full communion; Cardinal Müller’s letter mentions specifically the recent decision of Pope Francis to grant all priests of the Society the faculty to validly administer the Sacrament of Penance to the faithful in order “to ensure the validity and liceity of the Sacrament and allay any concerns on the part of the faithful.”
 

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Video at the link

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/04/04/popes_prayer_intention_for_april_youth/1303314

Pope's prayer intention for April: Youth
04/04/2017 15:00

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis’ prayer intention for April is dedicated to Youth: 'For young people, that they might know how to respond generously to the vocation God has given them, and immerse themselves in the great causes of the world.'

The Apostleship of Prayer has produced the Pope’s Video on this prayer intention.
 

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The English translation of the Pope’s catechesis is at the link.

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-audience-gods-love-basis-of-our-hope

Pope at Audience: ‘God's love basis of our hope’
2017-04-05 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis continued his catechesis on Christian hope during his Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, saying that God’s infinite love is the basis for all our hope.

Reflecting on the First Letter of the apostle Peter, Pope Francis at his General Audience invited Christians to imitate the Lord’s redemptive suffering by bearing witness to God’s infinite love as revealed on the Cross.

He said God’s love as sealed in the resurrection is the basis of all our hope.
 
http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-prays-for-victims-and-families-of-russia-bomb
Pope prays for victims and families of Russia bomb attack 
2017-04-05 Vatican Radio

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-decries-the-horror-of-syria-attacks-and-appea
Pope decries the horror of Syria attacks and appeals for political solution 
2017-04-05 Vatican Radio

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/04/05/pope_francis_recalls_anniversaries_of_jpii,_fatima/1303506
Pope Francis recalls anniversaries of JPII, Fatima
05/04/2017 10:30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSj_eubfJ3w
2017.04.05 General Audience 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-meets-with-catholic-muslim-delegation-from-br

Pope meets with Catholic-Muslim delegation from Britain
2017-04-05 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Wednesday with English Cardinal Vincent Nichols and four Muslim leaders from Britain who came to highlight the deep-rooted interfaith relations among the different religious communities in the UK today.

For the past three decades, Nichols and other Catholic leaders have been working to develop strong ties with local Muslim communities. Among some of the practical, grass roots initiatives that have resulted are the setting up of shared food banks for the needy and the welcoming of newly arrived refugee families.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-reflect-on-the-faithfulness-of-god

Pope Francis: Reflect on the faithfulness of God
2017-04-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) God is always faithful to His Covenant: He kept faith with Abraham and He is faithful to the salvation promised in His Son. That was the message of Pope Francis during the morning Mass on Thursday at the Casa Santa Marta. The Pope called on those present to pause during the day to reflect on their own life story, in order to discover the beauty of the love of God, even in the midst of difficulties, which afflict everyone in this life.

Pope Francis’ homily revolved around the figure of Abraham, who is at the centre of the day’s liturgy. The first Reading narrates the story of the Covenant God made with Abraham; while in the Gospel, both Jesus and the Pharisees refer to “Father” Abraham, because he is the father of “this people that today is the Church.” Abraham trusted and obeyed when he was called to go to a new land that he would receive as an inheritance.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-sends-letter-to-cardinal-cupich-prays

Pope Francis sends letter to Cardinal Cupich, prays for nonviolence
2017-04-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis has sent a letter to the Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago, Blasé J. Cupich, in support of local efforts to promote nonviolence.

The Chicago Archdiocese launched a campaign on nonviolence on 4 April to coincide with the 49th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The event culminates with a march for peace on Good Friday.

In his letter, Pope Francis assured the people of Chicago of his support for the initiative and of his prayers for those who “have lost loved ones to violence”.

He wrote that he will remember the city in prayer as he leads the Way of the Cross in Rome that same day.
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vatican-approves-special-fatima-feast-day-for-the-traditional-latin-mass-18774/

Vatican approves special Fatima feast day for the Traditional Latin Mass

Vatican City, Apr 6, 2017 / 06:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican office which governs the use of the extraordinary form of the Roman rite has given priests permission to say a special Mass for the feast of Our Lady of Fatima this year, noting the importance of the apparition's centenary.

In an April 5 decree the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei gave permission for any priest of the Latin Rite to celebrate a votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 13, 2017 – the 100th anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal.

The decision was made because “many of the Christian faithful who are attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite have a particular and fervent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima” and out of a wish “to encourage the devotion of the faithful to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima,” according to a translation of the decree made by Gregory DiPippo, editor of New Liturgical Movement.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-wash-feet-of-inmates-at-paliano-prison-on

Pope to wash feet of inmates at Paliano prison on Holy Thursday
2017-04-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will wash the feet of inmates at Paliano prison, south of Rome, during the Mass of Our Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday.

The Vatican announced on Thursday that the pope will travel to the penitentiary on the afternoon of April 13th for a private visit and the celebration of Mass marking Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples on the day before his Crucifixion.
 

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https://zenit.org/articles/popes-vigil-with-young-people-of-rome-and-lazio/

Pope’s Vigil with Young People of Rome and Lazio 
April 6, 2017

On the occasion of the 32nd World Youth Day, which this year is observed at the diocesan level, Pope Francis will preside over a Vigil of Prayer with young people of the Diocese of Rome and of other Dioceses of Lazio, at 5:00 pm on Saturday, April 8, in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, stated a Holy See press release.

It will be the Holy Father’s first meeting with young people, in preparation for the 15th General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, fixed for October 2018 on the theme “Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment,” and for the 34th World Youth Day, which will be held in Panama in 2019.

For this reason, the Vigil will reflect on the figure of the Beloved Disciple, chosen as evangelical “icon” of the Synod’s Preparatory Document, and of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who inspires the themes of the three forthcoming World Youth Days.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/fifth-lenten-sermon-of-fr-cantalamessa-to-papal-ho

Fifth Lenten Sermon of Fr. Cantalamessa to papal household: Full text
2017-04-07 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  The Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap., gave his fifth Lenten Sermon to Pope Francis on Friday morning in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel.

The theme of the Lenten meditations is: “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). This fifth iteration carried the title: 'The Righteousness of God has been Manifested: The Fifth Centenary of the Protestant Reformation, an Occasion of Grace and Reconciliation for the Whole Church.'

Please find below an English translation of the Sermon by Marsha Daigle Williamson:

Fifth Lenten Sermon 2017

“THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD HAS BEEN MANIFESTED”: The Fifth Centenary of the Protestant Reformation, an Occasion of Grace and Reconciliation for the Whole Church

1. The Origins of the Protestant Reformation

The Holy Spirit, who, as we saw in the preceding meditations, leads us into the fullness of truth about the person of Christ and his paschal mystery, also enlightens us on a crucial aspect of our faith in Christ, that is, on how we obtain in the Church today the salvation Christ accomplished for us. In other words, the Holy Spirit enlightens us on the important question of justification by faith for sinners. I believe that trying to shed light on history and on the current state of that discussion is the most useful way to make the anniversary of the Fifth Centenary of the Protestant Reformation an occasion of grace and reconciliation for the whole Church.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/cooperatores-veritatis-a-bithday-gift-to-the-pope

Cooperatores veritatis: a bithday gift to the Pope emeritus
2017-04-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI turns 90 years of age on April 16th. To mark the occasion the Vatican Foundation Joseph Ratzinger – Benedict XVI has edited a special festschrift volume of essays by Ratzinger Prize-winning theologians, which was presented on Thursday afternoon at the Augustinianum Patristic Institute of Rome.

Titled Cooperatores veritatis: Tributes to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI on his 90th Birthday, assembled under the editorship of Pierluca Azzaro and Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ and published by the Vatican Publishing House, the volume is at once a testament to the profound influence of the thought of the Pope emeritus across intellectual disciplines, and a genuine contribution to scholarship and intellectual endeavour.

Its main title, Cooperatores veritatis is taken from Pope emeritus Benedict XVI’s episcopal motto.

In remarks to Vatican Radio ahead of the presentation, the President of the Ratzinger Foundation, Fr. Federico Lombardi SJ, explained that the choice of the motto as the volume’s main title encapsulates the life, work, and legacy of the man who became the 264th Successor to St. Peter. “It is a[n episcopal] motto that came from his whole life prior [to consecration as a bishop], and represented his identity, his commitment as a theologian and as a servant of theology in the Church,” Fr. Lombardi said.
 

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http://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/04/07/read-pope-francis-new-interview-struggles-migrants-and-refugees

Read: Pope Francis’ new interview on the struggles of migrants and refugees
April 07, 2017

This interview with Pope Francis was published today in the Italian journal Libertàcivili. The conversation, which took place on March 28, focuses on the plight of refugees and the creation of a new Vatican department to guide the church’s response to this humanitarian crisis.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-leads-marian-vigil-for-roman-youth

Pope Francis leads Marian vigil for Roman youth
2017-04-08 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis presided over a prayer vigil in the Basilica of St. Mary Major on Saturday evening, to open the diocesan celebration of World Youth Day, which this year is being marked in dioceses all throughout the world on Palm Sunday.

The Rome diocese has chosen a special Marian theme for its world World Youth Day celebrations this year – celebrations that are also the official opening of preparations for the 2018 Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is focused on young people, discernment, and vocational accompaniment.
 
It was the originator of World Youth Day, Pope St. John Paul II, who decided to make Palm Sunday the day on which the diocesan iterations of World Youth Day would be celebrated in the years between the great worldwide gatherings of young people, the next of which is scheduled to be held in Panama City from January 22-29, 2019.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/the-church-needs-to-hear-your-voice-pope-francis-tells-youth-57714/
Pope to youth: The Church needs to hear your voice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbPqoG_Vyas
2017.04.08 Prayer vigil for World Youth Day 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-palm-sunday-homily-2

Pope Francis: Palm Sunday homily
2017-04-09 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis delivered the homily at Mass on Palm Sunday in St. Peter's Square. Below, please find the full text of his prepared remarks.
***************************************
Today’s celebration can be said to be bittersweet.  It is joyful and sorrowful at the same time.  We celebrate the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem to the cries of his disciples who acclaim him as king.  Yet we also solemnly proclaim the Gospel account of his Passion.  In this poignant contrast, our hearts experience in some small measure what Jesus himself must have felt in his own heart that day, as he rejoiced with his friends and wept over Jerusalem.
 
http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-prayers-for-victims-of-stockholm-terr
Pope Francis: prayers for victims of Stockholm terror attack
2017-04-09 Vatican Radio

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-condemns-cairo-terror-attack-on-copti
Pope Francis condemns Cairo terror attack on Coptic church
2017-04-09 Vatican Radio

https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-palm-sunday/
WYD: Young People of Krakow Hand Over the Cross to the Young People of Panama 
The Pope’s Words at the Angelus (Unabridged Translation)
April 9, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPJSQWWGblk&feature=youtu.be
2017.04.09 Palm Sunday celebration (English)
Streamed live 13 hours ago
Blessing of the palms and olive branches, Procession and Palm Sunday Mass presided over by Pope Francis followed by the Angelus.

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http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/6965/0/francis-appoints-american-archbishop-as-vatican-nuncio-to-great-britain

Francis appoints American archbishop as Vatican nuncio to Great Britain
08 April 2017 | by Christopher Lamb   

Archbishop Edward Adams is first native English speaker in role for 54 years

Pope Francis has appointed a career Vatican diplomat from the United States to be his next papal ambassador to Great Britain.

On Saturday, Archbishop Edward Adams was named to the role which requires him to be the Holy See’s representative to Government authorities in England, Wales and Scotland, while also playing a crucial role in the selection of bishops.

Archbishop Adams, a priest from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, will be the first native English speaker to hold the post for more than 50 years: the last one, Archbishop Gerald O’Hara, served from 1959-63 was also from Philadelphia.

His position will require him to keep the Vatican abreast of Brexit developments, with the Holy See taking a keen interest in the future of the European Union following Britain’s decision to leave the bloc.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/04/10/pope_warns_against_misuse_of_biotechnologies/1304673

Pope warns against misuse of biotechnologies
10/04/2017 12:32

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged scientists and experts in biotechnologies to always be aware of the effects their decisions can have on human life and on creation.

The Pope was addressing members of the National Committee for Biosafety, Biotechnology and Life Sciences at an audience in the Vatican.

The main issues addressed by the Committee’s various working groups include: genetic testing, gene therapy, tissue engineering, development of biotechnology, cloning, Italian and European legislation, clinical trials, GMOs, infrastructure, information, genetic testing, biobanks, and bio nanotechnology.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/04/10/pope_francis’_laundry_for_the_poor_opens_in_rome/1304760

Pope Francis’ Laundry for the poor opens in Rome
10/04/2017 15:52

Some of the washing machines at new laundry for the poor in Rome - RV

(Vatican Radio) The first washing machines and tumble dryers for the homeless in Rome whirred into action on Monday as ‘Pope Francis’ Laundry’ opened its doors to provide a much needed service.

One of the many difficulties for those who live on the streets is to be able to wash, dry and iron their clothes and blankets, and the Vatican-sponsored laundry is a response to Pope Francis’s invitation to give concrete signs of solidarity to our brothers and sisters in need.