Pope Francis

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-works-of-mercy-means-sharing-suffering-of-oth

Pope: works of mercy means sharing suffering of others
2017-06-05 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Doing works of mercy doesn’t mean just giving coins to assuage our consciences. Rather, it means sharing in the suffering of others, even at personal cost to ourselves. That message was at the heart of Pope Francis’ homily on Monday morning at his regular Santa Marta Mass.

Reflecting on the first reading from the book of Tobit, or Tobias, the Pope noted how Tobit was saddened and wept at the murder of a Jewish kinsman, whose body he brought inside to bury after sunset. Pope Francis went on to speak about the 14 corporal and spiritual works of mercy, saying that to do them properly means not just sharing what we possess, but also sharing in the sufferings of others.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-tells-missionaries-to-be-attentive-to-dialogu

Pope tells missionaries to be attentive to dialogue with Islam
2017-06-05 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged missionaries to reserve special attention for dialogue with Islam, to promote the dignity of women and the values of the family, to be sensitive to issues of justice and peace

The Pope was addressing Consolata Missionaries who have begun their 13th General Chapter in Rome. The Chapter will officially end on June 20th, the feast of Our Lady

Pope Francis expressed his joy at being able to welcome both the male and female branches of the Religious Family founded by Blessed Giuseppe Allamano and he highlighted his appreciation for their particular mission that takes them into challenging situations.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-hypocrisy-destoys-communities-and-hurts-the-c

Pope: hypocrisy destoys communities and hurts the Church
2017-06-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday urged Christians to be truthful,  warning them against the temptations of hypocrisy and flattery. His words came during the homily at morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta.

Hypocrisy – Pope Francis said – is not the language of Jesus, nor is it the language of Christians, in fact, he said, “the hypocrite is capable of destroying a community”.

The Pope explained that Jesus often uses the adjective “hypocrite” to describe the doctors of the law, because, as the etymology of the word illustrates, they claim to have higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case, they proffer their opinions and issue judgements but in reality they are false.

And reflecting on the Gospel reading of the day, the Pope said "The hypocrite always uses language to flatter” just as some Pharisees and Herodians who tried to ensnare Jesus in his speech.

“Hypocrites – Francis said – always begin with adulation, “exaggerating the truth, feeding into one’s vanity" and he recalled the case of a priest he met a long time ago whom, he said, “drank-up all the flattery; that, he said, was his weakness”.

Jesus makes us see reality which is the opposite of hypocrisy and ideology
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/07/pope_francis_god_is_a_father;_we_are_never_alone/1317458

Pope Francis: God is a Father; we are never alone
07/06/2017 14:10

(Vatican Radio) At the weekly General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis spoke on “The Fatherhood of God: the Wellspring of our Hope.” He was continuing his series of catechetical instruction on “Christian Hope.”

Pope Francis’ catechesis focused on the Christian prayer par excellence, the Our Father. “The whole mystery of Christian prayer,” he said, “is summed up here, in having the courage to call God Father.”

The ability to call God Father, the Pope said, is not insignificant. It would be normal for humans to invoke God using the highest titles, on account of His infinite greatness; instead, the use of the word “Father” puts us “in a relationship of trust with Him, as a child who turns to his dad, knowing he is loved and cared for by him.” The mystery of God’s transcendence always fascinates us, and makes us feel small, but, he said, we are no longer afraid, we do not feel crushed or anguished.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-on-gods-fatherhood-the-source-of-our-hope/
GENERAL AUDIENCE: On God’s Fatherhood, the Source of Our Hope
June 7, 2017

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-says-god-cannot-be-god-without-man.-and-we-need-another-clarif
Wed Jun 7, 2017 - 4:19 pm EST
Pope Francis says ‘God cannot be God without man’. And we need another clarification

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhYKjjcOlqI
2017.06.07 General Audience

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/07/pope_francis_appeals_for_‘one_minute_for_peace’_initiative/1317386

Pope Francis appeals for ‘One Minute for Peace’ initiative
07/06/2017 11:00

Pope Francis appealed for the 'One Minute for Peace' initiative at his General Audience

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis has appealed for prayers and international participation in the “One Minute for Peace” initiative to be held Thursday, 8 June, at 1:00 PM Rome time.

He said the initiative represents “a short moment of prayer on the recurrence of the meeting in the Vatican between me, the late Israeli President Peres, and the Palestinian President Abbas”.

Their encounter took place in the Vatican Gardens on 8 June 2014, during which the three men prayed together for peace.

The Holy Father said, “In our days, there is a great need to pray – Christians, Jews, and Muslims – for peace.”
 

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https://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-receives-venezuelan-bishops-to-discuss-the-situation-of-the-country/


https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/06/08/venezuelas-bishops-say-pope-backs-tensions-maduro/
Venezuela’s bishops say Pope has their backs in tensions with Maduro
June 8, 2017

ROME - Venezuela’s bishops said after a Thursday meeting with Pope Francis that the pontiff told them they have his “full trust,” seemingly a direct response to attempts by the government of Socialist President Nicolas Maduro to set the bishops, who have been sharply critical of the country’s economic and political crisis, in opposition to the pope.

“He told us that that he’s very close to us and very well informed about the situation of Venezuela, and very close to the suffering of the people,” said Archbishop Diego Padrón, president of the Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference, talking to reporters hours after the group met Francis.

“And he also told us that we have his full trust, and we have  a great communion with him and his magisterium, so there’s no distance between him and the conference,” he added. Though it might seem obvious to the sporadic *******, this was a direct response to those who, including Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, want to put the two sides in opposition to one another.

The bishops’ session with Francis lasted over 30 minutes and was put together at the request of the prelates.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/09/pope_francis_sends_condolences_to_tehran_attack_victims/1318014

Pope Francis sends condolences to Tehran attack victims
09/06/2017 15:21

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Friday sent his condolences for the victims of Wednesday's terrorist attack in Tehran, Iran, saying he "laments this senseless and grave act of violence".
 
Please find below the original English version of the telegramme:

Telegram of the Holy Father

His Holiness Pope Francis sends his heartfelt condolences to all those affected by the barbaric attack in Tehran, and laments this senseless and grave act of violence. In expressing his sorrow for the victims and their families, His Holiness commends the souls of the deceased to the mercy of the Almighty, and he assures the people of Iran of his prayers for peace.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin
 Secretary of State

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-in-moments-of-darkness-choose-the-path-of-pra

Pope: In moments of darkness choose the path of prayer, patience and hope in God
2017-06-09 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Friday urged Christians not to fall into the trap of vanity in moments of pain and sorrow but rather resort to prayer patience and hope in God.  Do not be misled by the "cosmetic beauty" of vanity, but let that "joy of God" enter your hearts, thanking the Lord for the "salvation" he grants us. Pope Francis made the exhortation in his homily at Mass Friday morning, in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta residence in the Vatican.

Reflecting on the first reading from the Book of Tobit, the Pope went through the story of a father-in-law and a daughter-in-law: Tobit, the father of Tobiah who became blind, and Sarah, Tobiah's wife, accused in the past of being responsible for the death of some men.  The Pope explained it’s a passage in which one understands how the Lord carries forward the "history" and "the life of persons, including ours”.  In fact, he said, Tobit and Sarah lived through “bad times” and “good times”, as “it happens in an entire life”.  Tobit was “persecuted,” “teased" and "insulted" by his wife, who after all, the Pope said, was not a bad woman, because she had to manage the house as he was blind. Even Sarah was insulted and suffered much.  Passing through some very bad times, both of them, the Holy Father said, thought “it’s better to die.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-central-role-of-women-interfaith-dial

Pope Francis: central role of women interfaith dialogue
2017-06-09 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Friday with participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, who have been discussing the key contribution of women to interfaith relations.

The Pope began by noting how often women’s work and dignity is threatened by violence and hatred which tears families and societies apart.

Faced with the challenges of our globalized world, he said, there is a vital need to recognize the abilities of women to teach values of unity and fraternity which can transform the human family. 

It is therefore to the benefit of society that women have a growing presence in social, political and economic life - as well as in the life of the Church - at national and international level, the Pope said. Women’s rights, he insisted, must be affirmed and protected, including, if necessary, through legal means.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/popes-address-to-plenary-assembly-of-the-pontifical-council-for-interreligious-dialogue/
Pope’s Address to Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
June 9, 2017

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/09/pope_francis_to_scholas_occurrentes_%E2%80%98education_not_only_for/1318074

Pope Francis to Scholas Occurrentes: ‘Education not only for elite’
09/06/2017 19:10

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday evening inaugurated the new Vatican office of the Scholas Occurrentes Foundation, which promotes an interface of education, art and sport to create a “culture of encounter for peace”.

For the occasion, Pope Francis connected with young members of the group from 9 countries via a live feed. Those joining the Holy Father included students from Italy, Colombia, Haiti, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates.

Speaking to young people of the Scholas Occurrentes via a live video feed, Pope Francis warned against making education something only for the “elite”.

Elitism in education

“There is a great danger in the area of education for young people: that of elitism. Gradually, monetary support for education in some places is eroded and an elite is created which can afford to pay for education.”

The Pope said this attitude “excludes young boys and girls who have no education”.

Rather, he said, “Education is not about knowing things or taking lessons but about being able to use three lingos: those of the head, the heart, and the hands.”

He said this means "learning so that you can think about what you feel and do, can feel what you think and do, and can do what you feel and think. Unity within a person."

Globalization like a polyhedron
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/10/pope_francis_visits_italian_president_matarella_at_quirinale/1318116

Pope Francis visits Italian President Matarella at Quirinale
10/06/2017 11:32

Pope Francis shakes hands with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, right as he arrives at the Quirinale presidential palace on the occasion of their meeting, in Rome. - AP

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis paid an official visit on Saturday to the President of Italy, Sergio Matarella at the Quirinale palace in Rome. During his visit he spoke of  “the Church in Italy as being strongly linked to the soul of the country.”

The last time Pope Francis visited the Quirinale, the residence of the President of Italy and of Popes of the past, was back in November 2013 during the Presidency of Giorgio Napolitano, but this time the Holy Father was paying a call on Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic since 2015.

In the majestic surroundings of this historic palace Pope Francis in a speech to the President spoke about Christian hope in a world of problems and risks.

The Pope said that Italy and the whole of Europe were being called to deal with problems such as international terrorism, “the widespread migratory phenomenon and the serious and persistent social and economic imbalances in many areas of the world.”
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzFrjSR7axA
2017.06.10 Visit to the President of the Italian Republic

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/10/pope_receives_delegation_from_nigerian_diocese_of_ahiara/1318206

Pope receives delegation from Nigerian Diocese of Ahiara
10/06/2017 15:20

Pope Francis blesses those present, at the conclusion of an Audience with a delegation from the Nigerian Diocese of Ahiara.
(Vatican Radio) At an audience for a delegation from the Nigerian Diocese of Ahiara, Pope Francis said he had been “deeply saddened” by the refusal of the diocese to accept the Bishop appointed for them.

During the audience, the Pope requested explicitly that the diocese receive Bishop Peter Ebere Okpaleke, who was appointed to Ahiara by Pope Benedict in 2012. In his address to the delegation, the Holy Father, while asking pardon for the harsh language, said the Church in Ahiara “is like a widow for having prevented the Bishop from coming to the diocese.” He called to mind the parable, from the Gospel of Matthew, of the murderous tenants who wanted to steal the inheritance. “In this current situation, the Diocese of Ahiara is without the bridegroom, has lost her fertility, and cannot bear fruit. Whoever is opposed to Bishop Okpaleke taking possession of the diocese wants to destroy the Church.”

In such a situation, Pope Francis continued, where the Church is suffering, “the Pope cannot remain indifferent.”

In response to that situation, which he described as “an attempted taking over of the vineyard of the Lord,” Pope Francis asked “every priest or ecclesiastic incardinated in the Diocese of Ahiara, whether he resides there or works elsewhere, even abroad, write a letter addressed to me in which he asks for forgiveness; all must write individually and personally. We all must share this common sorrow.”

Whoever fails to do so within thirty days, the Pope said, “will be ipso facto [by that very fact] suspended a divinis [‘from divine things,’  such as the celebration of the sacraments] and will lose his current office.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/on-trinity-sunday-pope-reflects-on-mystery-of-gods

On Trinity Sunday Pope reflects on mystery of God's identity
2017-06-11 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) On the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Pope Francis reflected on the “mystery of the identity of God” during the midday recitation of the Angelus in St Peter’s Square.

The Holy Father took as his starting point the greeting of St Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” This greeting, he said, was inspired by Paul’s personal experience of the love of God. The Apostle encouraged the Christian community, despite its human limitations, “to become a reflection of the communion of the Trinity, of its goodness and beauty.” But, the Pope said, this comes about only through the experience of the mercy and forgiveness of God.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-the-feast-of-the-most-holy-trinity/
Angelus Address: On the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity 
June 11, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBB_mgclA9Y
2017.06.11 Angelus Domini

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/12/pope_francis_hearts_open_to_gift_and_service_of_consolation/1318470

Pope Francis: hearts open to gift and service of consolation
12/06/2017 14:22

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on Monday morning. In remarks to the faithful following the Readings of the Day, the Holy Father reflected on the gift of consolation, focusing specifically on the spiritual aptitudes most conducive to receiving the gift of consolation from God and sharing the gift with our fellows.

Consolation is not autonomy

The reading from the 2nd Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians teaches us that consolation is not – Pope Francis said – “autonomous”:

“The experience of consolation, which is a spiritual experience, always needs ‘someone else’ in order to be full: no one can console himself, no one – and whoever tries to do it ends up looking into the mirror – staring into the mirror and trying to ‘make oneself up’. One ‘consoles’ with these closed things that do not let one grow, and the air that one breathes is that narcissistic air of self-reference. This is the made up consolation that does not let one grow – and it is no [real] consolation, because it is closed, it lacks an alterity.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/12/vaticans_ior_publishes_annual_financial_statement/1318558

Vatican's IOR publishes annual financial statement
12/06/2017 17:55

(Vatican Radio) A statement from the Institute for the Works of Religion, popularly known as the Vatican Bank, published its annual financial report on Monday, showing net gains of €36 million for the year 2016.

That figure is more than twice the €16.1 million income of the previous year, which the statement says was achieved through “a prudent approach in managing IOR’s investments in a year characterised by high volatility, global political uncertainty due to unexpected outcomes of major electoral events and low interest rates”.

The statement shows that in 2016 the IOR served nearly 15,000 clients worldwide, who entrusted to the Institute assets worth € 5.7 billion.

Please see below the full statement from the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR)
 

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Hmmm...

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/7268/0/francis-exerts-papal-authority-requesting-cardinals-inform-him-of-their-whereabouts-reveals-leaked-letter

Francis exerts papal authority requesting Cardinals inform him of their whereabouts, reveals leaked letter
12 June 2017 | by Christopher Lamb   

The request will give Francis advance warning of any important speech or intervention from a cardinal

Cardinals living in Rome should inform Pope Francis when they leave the city and provide him with their address when they are abroad, a leaked letter reveals.

The request is revealed in a letter sent by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, who informs the prelates that it is a “noble tradition” for them to keep both the Pope and the Holy See’s Secretariat of State up to date with their movements.

“Pope Francis has recently requested of the Dean of the Cardinalatial College to fraternally remind each single Cardinal the opportunity of keeping that practice, even more so in the case of an extended absence from Rome,” read the letter dated 31 May but revealed today by Francis Rocca of the Wall Street Journal.

Those living in Rome are in charge of Vatican departments, but many are frequent travellers who fly around the world giving talks and attending major Church summits.

Throughout his papacy, Francis has sought to govern the Church collegially with his fellow cardinals, and to that end set up a cardinal-advisory body - the C9 - which is this week meeting in Rome.

The letter re-affirms that collegiality cuts both ways and requires the Church’s most senior prelates to work with the Pope and inform him of their agenda. It also reveals a Jesuit Pope showing his tough side by calmly, but firmly, exerting the authority of the papacy.

The latest reminder will have the effect of giving Francis advance warning of any important speech or intervention from a cardinal, particularly those who are his critics.   
 

English translation of the letter to the cardinals living in Rome...
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/06/vatican-police-state-pope-wants-to-know.html
Vatican Police State: Pope wants to know where each Cardinal is at all times

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/13/pope_francis_at_mass_christian_witness_is_salt_and_light/1318718

Pope Francis at Mass: Christian witness is salt and light
13/06/2017 14:36

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday morning, with the members of the C-9 group of Cardinal-advisors who are working to reform the Church’s central governing apparatus.

In remarks following the Readings of the Day, the Holy Father focused on Christ’s call to all the faithful to be salt and light in and for the world.

Pope Francis began by stressing that the proclamation of the Gospel is “decisive” – that there are no “shades” to saying “yes” or “no” to the Gospel. Any attempt to offer a “nuanced” response to the Gospel will “lead you to seek artificial safety,” as is the case with “casuistry”.

The Holy Spirit leads us to Christian witness
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/13/pope_francis_the_poor_not_a_problem_but_a_resource/1318676

Pope Francis: The poor not a problem but a resource
13/06/2017 12:50

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis’ Message for the first World Day of the Poor, to be observed on November 19th, was presented to journalists on Tuesday at the Holy See press office.

In the message entitled, “Let us love, not with words but with deeds”, Pope Francis explains that at the conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy, he wanted to offer the Church a World Day of the Poor, “so that throughout the world Christian communities can become an ever greater sign of Christ’s charity for the least and those most in need.”

He goes on to invite “the whole Church, and men and women of good will everywhere, to turn their gaze on this day to all those who stretch out their hands and plead for our help and solidarity.”

Presenting the message to journalists at the Holy See press office on Tuesday, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, which organized the Jubilee of Mercy, explained that this World Day of the Poor was announced spontaneously by Pope Francis.
 
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/13/first_world_day_of_the_poor_message_released/1318626
First World Day of the Poor message released
13/06/2017 10:52

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/13/pope_francis_names_new_members_to_pontifical_academy_for_lif/1318725

Pope Francis names new members to Pontifical Academy for Life
13/06/2017 14:35

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday appointed 45 Ordinary Members to the Pontifical Academy for Life, as well as 5 Honorary Members.

The Pontifical Academy for Life was founded by Pope St. John Paul II and exists for "the promotion and defense of human life, especially regarding bioethics as it regards Christian morality".

The President of the Academy is Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia.

Please find below the full list of Members:

Professor Etsuko AKIBA, Professor of Law in the Department of Economics at the University of Toyama (Japan);

Professor Carl Albert ANDERSON, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Professor and Vice President of the United States Section of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Washington, DC (United States);
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/13/pope_francis_sends_well-wishes_to_patriarch_bartholomew/1318796

Pope Francis sends well-wishes to Patriarch Bartholomew for name day
13/06/2017 17:15

Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I
(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis has sent a handwritten message to Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, full of well-wishes for his name day.

The feast day of the apostle St. Bartholomew is celebrated in the Oriental Churches on 11 June.

"May Catholics and Orthodox continue on the path towards full communion, working together to promote peace, cooperation, and dialogue at all levels," the Pope wrote.

Recalling their recent trip to Egypt, Pope Francis wrote of their shared "conviction that the witness offered by Christians of their ever-greater fraternal bonds will be a sign of hope and consolation for the whole world".

Addressing the Patriarch as his "dear brother in Christ", the Pope recalled the words of an Orthodox hymn.