Pope Francis

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https://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/coronavirus-latest-italys-bishops-call-for-all-churches-to-be-closed

Mar. 18, 2020
Coronavirus Latest from Rome
Latest updates from the Eternal City in lockdown since March 10.
Edward Pentin

UPDATES (Rome time)
 
March 18, 10.36pm

Pope Francis joined the Italian bishops today in promoting a moment of prayer for the whole country in light of the current health emergency.

Speaking at his weekly general audience televised from the apostolic palace, the Pope said he invited “every family, every faithful, every religious community” to recite the Rosary with the Mysteries of Light tomorrow, the Feast of St. Joseph, at 9pm local time.

“We are led to the luminous and transfigured face of Jesus Christ and His Heart by Mary, Mother of God, health of the sick, to whom we turn with the prayer of the Rosary, under the loving gaze of Saint Joseph, Guardian of the Holy Family and of our families,” the Pope said.

“And we ask him to take special care of our family, our families, especially the sick and the people who are taking care of them: doctors, nurses, and volunteers, who risk their lives in this service.”
 

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Photo at the link

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2020/03/as-coronavirus-empties-churches-italian-priest-fills-pews-with-photos-of-parishioners/
As coronavirus empties churches, Italian priest fills pews with photos of parishioners
Elise Ann Allen  Mar 18, 2020

ROME - Amid the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in Italy, Pope Francis on Sunday praised the “creativity” of priests who, despite the suspension of Masses and heavy restrictions on movement, are finding unique and effective ways to be with their people.

Father Giuseppe Corbari - pastor of the Saints Quirico and Giulitta parish in Robbiano, on the periphery of Milan in Italy’s Lombardy region, which is at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak - could easily fall into this category.

When the coronavirus broke out in Lombardy last month, prompting the Feb. 24 suspension of all public Masses in the region, Corbari wanted to find a way to be with his 5,500 registered parishioners, even though they were not able to come to Mass.

Speaking to Crux, Corbari said that shortly after Masses were suspended, “the need arose to at least see the faces of the people in my parish, because celebrating Mass looking at the empty pews was sad.”

He issued a clarion call through the parish’s Telegram account for people to send him photos and selfies so he could tape them to the pews inside his parish, he said, explaining that he received around 100 pictures, which he now looks at every time he says Mass.

“This gesture meant a lot to the people, who even in staying home, were still present,” Corbari said, noting that soon after, word got out about what he had done and people from other parishes and cities began to send their pictures too.
 
Referring to Pope Francis’s applause for pastoral “creativity” amid the coronavirus outbreak, which was given during his Sunday Angelus address, Corbari said he doesn’t know the specifics of who the pope was referring to, but news of his gesture broke a few days before the pope’s speech, “so I don’t exclude that the Holy Father was informed about this initiative and that he was perhaps referring to this.”
 
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/drive-thru-confessions-outdoor-masses-heroic-priests-find-creative-ways-to-nourish-faithful
Drive-thru confessions, outdoor Masses: Heroic priests find creative ways to nourish faithful
Dedicated clergy find ingenious ways to bring the sacraments to the people during the pandemic.
Tue Mar 17, 2020 - 7:57 pm EST

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https://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/coronavirus-latest-italys-bishops-call-for-all-churches-to-be-closed

Mar. 19, 2020
Coronavirus Latest from Rome
Latest updates from the Eternal City in lockdown since March 10.
Edward Pentin

UPDATES (Rome time)
 
March 19, 1.53pm

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg has been placed in quarantine after an employee of the archdiocese tested positive for the virus, ACIStampa reports.
Cardinal Hollerich, a Jesuit whom Pope Francis elevated to the College of Cardinals last October, also serves as president of the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences in the European Union (COMECE).

He told a journalist on the phone that he would like to see more solidarity among European nations to deal with the crisis, and stressed the importance of keeping churches open at this time.
 
March 19, 1.20pm

San Marcello al Corso, the church where Pope Francis prayed on Sunday at the foot of a Miraculous Crucifix that, in 1522, protected Rome from the Great Plague, is closed to the public due to a March 12 decree issued by Vicariate of Rome closing all non-parish churches, the journalist Diane Montagna has tweeted after confirming it with the church.

The Vicariate had changed an earlier decree to allow parish and mission churches in Rome to remain open last week, but not non-parish ones and religious houses which remain inaccessible to the public or those not permanently resident.  (Photo: Vatican Media)
 

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Video, with English commentary, at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2020-03/pope-homily-joseph-mystery-adoration.html

Pope at Mass: "St Joseph entered God's mystery"
19 March 2020, 08:57

Once again, Pope Francis offered his Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Thursday morning for those in prison saying, “they suffer a lot from uncertainty and pain”. (Playback included)
By Vatican News

On Thursday morning, Pope Francis offered Mass at the Casa Santa Marta for prisoners. “We pray today for our brothers and sisters who are in prison”, he said. “They suffer a lot”, he continued, “because of the uncertainty of what's happening inside the prison. They are also thinking of their families and how they are doing, some of them are sick, wondering if they need anything. Let’s be near those in prison today. They are suffering a lot during this uncertain and painful moment”.

His homily focused on the saint whose Solemnity the Church celebrates today: St Joseph.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/st-josephs-holiness-entering-into-the-mystery-concreteness-pope-francis-reminds-at-santa-marta-full-text/
St. Joseph’s Holiness: Entering into the Mystery, Concreteness–Pope Francis Reminds at Santa Marta (Full Text)
On Feast of St. Joseph, Speaks of Great and Beloved Saint
March 19, 2020 12:45  Deborah Castellano Lubov

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/pope-francis-bergamo-bishop-beschi-coronavirus-closeness.html

Bishop Beschi: Bergamo always in the heart of the Pope
19 March 2020, 13:49

The northern Italian city of Bergamo is the hardest hit by the coronavirus or Covid-19 pandemic in Europe. Pope Francis called Bishop Francesco Beschi of Bergamo on the phone to express his closeness to the people. By Robin Gomes

Pope Francis has Bergamo in his heart and prays for its people every day, said Bishop Francesco Beschi of the northern Italian city.  In a post on the diocesan website, the bishop said that the Holy Father called him on the phone on Wednesday to express his support and sympathy for one of Italy's communities hardest hit by the coronavirus.

The Holy Father, he said, was “very affectionate in showing his paternal closeness to me, to the priests, to the sick, to those who care for them and to all our community," the bishop told Vatican Radio.

Although he was "very well informed", the bishop continued, the Pope asked for details about the situation the people are living through. He said the Pope was greatly struck by the number of dead and the social distancing that families and their members are forced to go through in such a painful way.

“He begged me to bring to each and every one his blessing that comforts and bears grace, light and strength.”
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/medjugorje-visionary-says-monthly-apparitions-have-come-to-an-end-63003

Medjugorje 'visionary' says monthly apparitions have come to an end

Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mar 18, 2020 / 03:40 pm (CNA).- A woman who claims to be a visionary of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Bosnian town of Medjugorje has said that Mary will no longer appear to her on the second of every month, as she has reportedly done monthly since 1987.

Alleged Marian apparitions in Medjugorje have long been a subject of controversy in the Church, which have been investigated by the Church but not yet authenticated or rejected.

The alleged apparitions began June 24, 1981, when six children in Medjugorje, a town in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina, began to experience phenomena which they have claimed to be apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

According to these six “seers,” the apparitions contained a message of peace for the world, a call to conversion, prayer and fasting, as well as certain secrets surrounding events to be fulfilled in the future.
 

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Video, with English commentary, at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2020-03/pope-homily-return-father-daddy-hosea-confession-carlo-buti.html
Pope at Mass: “Let’s return to our Father”
20 March 2020, 09:05

Once again the Pope prays for healthcare providers in the hard hit Bergamo region of Italy during his Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Friday, and urges us to “return to our Father who is waiting for us”. (With link to playback of live broadcast)
By Vatican News

“Yesterday, I received a message from a priest from the Bergamo region who asked for prayers for the doctors working there…. They are at the end their strength…and are truly giving their lives to help those who are ill, to save others’ lives.” He also prayed for civil leaders who are managing the crisis and often “suffer from being misunderstood”. “They are the pillars helping us move out of the situation and are defending us from this crisis”, the Pope added. “So, let’s pray for them”.
 
Confession when a priest is not available

This habit of returning home “takes flesh in the Sacrament of Reconciliation”, the Pope explained.

“I know that many of you go to confession before Easter… Many will say to me: ‘But Father…I can't leave the house and I want to make my peace with the Lord. I want Him to embrace me… How can I do that unless I find a priest?’. Do what the catechism says. It's very clear. If you don't find a priest to go to confession, speak to God. He's your Father. Tell Him the truth: ‘Lord. I did this and this and this. Pardon me.’ Ask His forgiveness with all your heart with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘afterward I will go to confession.’ You will return to God's grace immediately. You yourself can draw near, as the catechism teaches us, to God's forgiveness,s without having a priest at hand.”

Return

At the end of his homily, the Pope expressed the hope that the word “return” might “echo in our ears today”.

“Return to your Daddy. Return to your Father. He’s waiting for you, and He will throw a feast for you.”

https://zenit.org/articles/cant-go-to-confession-pope-says-talk-to-god-your-father-ask-forgiveness-full-text-of-morning-homily/
‘Can’t Go to Confession?’ Pope Says Talk to God Your Father & Ask Forgiveness (Full Text of Morning Homily)
Recalling Catechism, Reminds Faithful the Lord Is Waiting for Them & Will Forgive Them Now
March 20, 2020 10:05  Deborah Castellano Lubov

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https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2020/03/vatican-says-general-absolution-may-be-permissible-during-pandemic/

Vatican says general absolution may be permissible during pandemic
Cindy Wooden  Mar 20, 2020
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

ROME - In places particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic and with severe limits on people leaving their homes, conditions may exist to grant general absolution to the faithful without them personally confessing their sins first, the Vatican said.

The Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican tribunal that deals with matters of conscience, including confession, issued a notice March 20 that while individual confession and absolution is the normal means for the forgiveness of sins, “grave necessity” can lead to other solutions.

In a separate decree, the Apostolic Penitentiary also offered the spiritual assistance of special indulgences to people afflicted with COVID-19, to those in quarantine, to medical personnel caring for coronavirus patients and to all those who are praying for them.

“This Apostolic Penitentiary holds that, especially in places most impacted by the pandemic contagion and until the phenomenon subsides, there are cases of grave necessity” meeting the criteria for general absolution, the notice about confession said.

Determining what constitutes grave necessity generally is up to the local bishop in consultation with his bishops’ conference. But throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the Vatican sought to limit the use of general absolution and encouraged increasingly strict definitions of what constituted an emergency situation.
 

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https://zenit.org/articles/plenary-indulgence-for-the-sick-with-coronavirus-health-agents-caregivers-and-faithful/

Plenary Indulgence for the Sick with Coronavirus, Health Agents, Caregivers, and Faithful
Decree of Pope Francis
March 20, 2020 17:22

The Holy Father is granting a Plenary Indulgence to the faithful sick with coronavirus, to health agents, relatives and all those taking care of the sick, who expose themselves to the risk of infection.

On Friday, March 20, 2020, the Holy See published the Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary, regarding special indulgences for the faithful in the present pandemic crisis. Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, Major Penitentiary, and Krzydztof Nykiel, Regent, signed the Decree on March 19.

The persons that will benefit from the Plenary Indulgence are the sick at home or in hospital, in quarantine by order of the Health Authority, “if, with a spirit detached from any sin, join spiritually through the media in the celebration of Holy Mass, the prayer of the Rosary, the pious practice of the Via Crucis or other forms of devotion, of if at least they pray the Creed, the Our Father and an invocation to the Most Holy Virgin Mary, offering this trial with a spirit of faith in God and charity to brethren.”

Always “with the will to fulfill the usual conditions (Sacramental Confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, as soon as it is possible,” states the Decree.

Health Agents and Carers

The Plenary Indulgence can be obtained by health agents, their relatives and all those that, “following the example of the Good Samaritan, expose themselves to the risk of infection, by caring for the sick with Coronavirus, and fulfilling the same conditions.

Given the present global epidemic, the Apostolic Penitentiary also grants the Plenary Indulgence, with the same conditions, to “those faithful that visit the Most Blessed Sacrament, engage in Eucharistic Adoration, or read Sacred Scripture for at least half an hour, or pray the Holy Rosary, or do the pious exercise of the Via Crucis, or pray the Divine Mercy chaplet, to implore Almighty God for an end to the epidemic, relief for the afflicted and eternal salvation for those the Lord has called to Himself.”

Here is a translation of the unabridged Decree.
 

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https://zenit.org/articles/vatican-issues-guidelines-for-easter-celebrations/

Vatican Issues Guidelines for Easter Celebrations
Issued by Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
March 20, 2020 17:53

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on March 20, 2020, issued the following guidelines for bishops in dealing with Eastern and its various celebrations during the current coronavirus pandemic. The document was presented by the Prefect of the Congregation, Cardinal Robert Sarah.
 

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Video, with English commentary, at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2020-03/pope-mass-families-pharisee-tax-collector-return-lord.html
Pope at Mass: “Prayer must begin with humility”
21 March 2020, 10:56

Pope Francis offers Mass on Saturday morning at the Casa Santa Marta for families, praying “that they might find a way of communicating and building loving relationships”. (Playback of live broadcast included)
By Vatican News

“Today, I would like to remember families who cannot leave their homes,” Pope Francis said at the beginning of the Saturday morning liturgy at the Casa Santa Marta chapel.

“Perhaps the farthest they can go is their balcony. …May they know how to find a way of communicating well, of building loving relationships within the family. And that they might know how to conquer the anguish of this moment together in the family. We pray for peace in families today during this crisis, and for creativity.”

During his homily, the Pope focused on the two different styles of approaching God presented in the day’s Gospel (Luke 18:9-14).
 

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https://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/coronavirus-latest-italys-bishops-call-for-all-churches-to-be-closed

Mar. 20, 2020
Coronavirus Latest: Pope Francis Announces Two Special Moments of Prayer
Latest updates from the Eternal City in lockdown since March 10.
Edward Pentin

UPDATES (Rome time)
 
Sunday, March 22

Pope Francis has called on all Christian leaders and every Christian community around the world to recite the Our Father at noon on Wednesday, the Feast of the Annunciation, as “humanity trembles at the threat” of the coronavirus pandemic “in these days of trial.”

Addressing the faithful through the media from the apostolic palace after reciting the Angelus today, the Pope said that as the prayer will take place “on the day when many Christians remember the annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word, may the Lord hear the unanimous prayer of all his disciples preparing to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ.”

Pope Francis will also preside over moment of prayer at the sagrato in front of St. Peter’s basilica at 6pm on Friday March 27 where “we will listen to the Word of God, we will raise our supplication, we will adore the Blessed Sacrament.”

The Pope said that at the end he will give his Urbi et Orbi blessing (to the city and to the world) “to which will be attached the possibility of receiving a plenary indulgence.”

The Holy Father, who usually only gives the Urbi et Orbi blessing at Christmas and Easter, said the prayer and blessing will be televised as the square will be empty owing to the current lockdown.

“We want to respond to the pandemic of the virus with the universality of prayer, of compassion, of tenderness,” the Pope said.
 

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Video, with English commentary, at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2020-03/pope-francis-blind-man-homily-augustine.html
Pope at Mass: Jesus passes by, let's not miss Him
22 March 2020, 08:59

Pope Francis reflects on the healing of the blind man at the Casa Santa Marta during the Mass he celebrated on Sunday morning for those who are dying alone. (Playback of the liturgy included)
By Vatican News

“In these days we're hearing the news of so many people who are dying…dying alone, without being able to say goodbye to their loved ones”. These were the words with which Pope Francis began his Mass on Sunday morning at the Casa Santa Marta.

“Let's think about them and pray for them. For families as well, who cannot accompany their loved ones on that journey. We pray in a special way for the dying and for their families.”

Jesus passes by

Pope Francis began his homily saying the 9th Chapter of John “speaks for itself”. It’s a “proclamation of Jesus Christ”, and a “catechesis”, he said. The rest of his homily was a reflection on the words of St Augustine which the Pope said “always touch” him: “I am afraid when the Lord passes by because I am afraid that He will pass and I might not notice Him”.

“One thing is true. In Jesus’ presence, the true sentiments of the heart come forth. Our true attitudes come out. This is a grace. Because of this St Augustine was afraid to let Him pass by without realizing it.”
 
Pick up the 9th chapter of John

Pope Francis concluded his homily with the invitation to “pick up the Gospel today…and read it calmly at home, one or two times, in order to really understand what happens when Jesus passes by.”

“May it provoke our sentiments to come out so we might understand well what Saint Augustine tells us, ‘I'm afraid when the Lord passes, because He might pass by and I may not recognize it and convert myself.' ”

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/pope-angelus-christ-light-brightens-darkness.html

Pope at Angelus: Christ is the light that brightens our darkness
22 March 2020, 13:36

Before reciting the Angelus prayer this Sunday, Pope Francis reflects on the theme of light and the gift of faith.
By Vatican News

“It is not enough to receive light”, said Pope Francis. We need to “become light… in order to manifest it with our whole life”.

The Light of the world

The Pope was reflecting on the liturgical readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent. St John’s Gospel recounts the episode of the man born blind to whom Jesus gives sight. “The theme of light”, said the Pope, is “at the centre” of this Sunday’s liturgy.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/pope-calls-for-christians-to-unite-in-prayer-for-end-to-pandemic.html
Pope announces extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing
22 March 2020, 12:30

https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-the-fourth-sunday-of-lent-the-theme-of-the-liturgy-is-light-full-text/
Angelus Address: On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the Theme of the Liturgy is Light (FULL TEXT)
March 22, 2020 15:02  Virginia Forrester

Video, with English commentary, at the link
Pope's Angelus of 22 March 2020
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/angelus/2020-03/pope-s-angelus-of-22-march-2020.html
or
Pope Francis - Angelus prayer 2020-03-22
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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Video, with English commentary, at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2020-03/pope-homily-families-prayer-faith-perseverance-courage.html
Pope Francis prays for families facing financial problems
23 March 2020, 09:07

During Mass on Monday morning at the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis prays for families facing financial difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic, and says prayer requires faith, perseverance and courage. (Playback of liturgy included)
By Vatican News

“Let us pray today for those persons who are beginning to experience economic problems because of the pandemic, because they cannot work.” This was Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the morning Mass he celebrated on Monday at the Casa Santa Marta. “All of this affects the family. We pray for those people who have this problem.”

During his homily, he spoke of the faith, perseverance and courage necessary to pray well.

Unless you see signs…

Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel of the healing of the functionary’s son in Cana in Galilee (John 4:43-54). After asking Jesus to cure his son, “the Lord reproves him a bit – everyone – but him as well…. Instead of staying silent, the functionary continues, saying ‘Lord, come down before my child dies’ ”. He then receives the assurance from the Lord that his child would live, the Pope said.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/the-three-elements-needed-for-praying-well-pope-francis-reminds-at-santa-marta-full-text-of-morning-homily/
The Three Elements Needed for Praying Well–Pope Francis Reminds at Santa Marta (Full Text of Morning Homily)
March 23, 2020 12:31  Deborah Castellano Lubov

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/the-apostolic-visit-pope-francis-malta-has-been-moved.html

Pope Francis’ visit to Malta postponed
23 March 2020, 13:05

The apostolic visit of Pope Francis to Malta has been moved to a later date due to the coronavirus pandemic.
By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

Pope Francis’ visit to Malta has been postponed.

The Pope’s apostolic journey to the Mediterranean island nation was previously scheduled for 31 May.

The Director of the Holy See Press office, Matteo Bruni made the announcement on 23 March.

“Due to the ongoing world situation, and in agreement with authorities and the local Church, the previously announced apostolic visit to Malta has been postponed to a later date to be determined,” reads the message.
 

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Video, with English commentary, at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2020-03/pope-doctors-heroes-paralytic-acedia-tepidity-water.html
Pope at Mass: “I thank God for their heroic example”
24 March 2020, 09:11

Medical personnel who have given their lives caring for coronavirus patients receive the Pope’s admiration during Mass on Tuesday at the Casa Santa Marta.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis began his Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday morning with these words:

“I received the news that in these days, a number of doctors and priests have died, I don't know if there were a few nurses. They were infected…because they were serving the sick. Let’s pray for them, for their families. I thank God for the example of heroism they give us in caring for the sick.”

He then reflected on the theme of water suggested by the readings of the fourth Tuesday of Lent (Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12; John 5 1-16).

Water heals

Pope Francis began his homily saying that the day’s readings present water as a sign and means of salvation. This water brings life, and heals the “waters of the sea”, making it “new water”.

It is beside a pool of water that Jesus encounters a paralyzed man. He’d been waiting beside that water to be healed for 38 years. Pope Francis then delved into the incongruity of a man who waited that long without doing anything to help himself.

“It makes us think. It's a bit long, isn't it? Because someone who wants to be healed would have organized things so that someone would help him….”
 
The paralysis of apathy

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/pope-francis-sends-message-for-world-day-of-prayer-for-vocations.html

Pope's message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations
24 March 2020, 16:31

Pope Francis sends a message to mark the 57th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, celebrated on 3 May.
By Francesca Merlo

Pope Francis begins his message by recalling a letter he wrote last year in which he chose four key words – pain, gratitude, encouragement, and praise – as a way of “thanking priests and supporting their ministry”. 

Today, he says, those same words can “be addressed to the whole people of God”, alongside a passage from Matthew’s Gospel that recounts the “remarkable experience of Jesus and Peter during a stormy night on the Sea of Galilee” (cf. Mt 14:22-33). Pope Francis says, “After the multiplication of the loaves, Jesus told his disciples to get into the boat and precede Him to the other shore, while hHe took leave of the people”. He explains: “The image of the disciples crossing the lake can evoke our own life’s journey”:

The boat of our lives slowly advances, restlessly looking for a safe haven and prepared to face the perils and promises of the sea, yet at the same time trusting that the helmsman will ultimately keep us on the right course.  At times, though, the boat can drift off course, misled by mirages, not the lighthouse that leads it home, and be tossed by the tempests of difficulty, doubt and fear.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-words-of-vocation-full-text/
Pope Francis: Words of Vocation (Full Text)
Message of his Holiness Pope Francis for the 2020 World Day of Vocations, May 3, 2020
March 24, 2020 15:19

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https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-asks-christians-worldwide-to-pray-our-father-on-march-25-in-response-to-coronavirus

Pope asks Christians worldwide to pray ‘Our Father’ on March 25 in response to coronavirus
Two days later, on March 27, he will grant a plenary indulgence through his 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing.
Mon Mar 23, 2020 - 5:27 pm EST
 
“In these trying days, while humanity trembles due to the threat of the pandemic, I would like to propose to all Christians that together we lift our voices towards heaven,” Francis said.

“I invite all the heads of the churches and the leaders of every Christian community, together with all Christian of the various confessions, to invoke the Almighty, the omnipotent God, to recite at the same time the prayer that Jesus, our Lord, taught us,” he continued.

“I, therefore, invite everyone to do this several times a day, but all together, to recite the Our Father this coming Wednesday, 25 March, at noon (Rome time), all together. On that day on which many Christians recall the annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word, may the Lord listen to the united prayer of all of His disciples who are preparing themselves to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ.”

Rome is on Central European Standard Time, which is five hours before Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and six hours before Central Daylight Time (CDT). Thus, the simultaneous prayer will take place at 7 a.m. in Toronto and New York, and 6 a.m. in Chicago.
 
Kindly recite the "Our Father" simultaneously with Pope Francis on March 25--

Eastern Daylight Time
Time zone in New York (GMT-4)
7 a.m.

Central Daylight Time
Chicago (GMT-5)
6 a.m.

Mountain Daylight Time
Denver (GMT-6)
5 a.m.

Mountain Standard Time
Phoenix (GMT-7)
4 a.m.

Pacific Daylight Time
Los Angeles (GMT-7)
4 a.m.

Alaska Daylight Time
Anchorage (GMT-8)
3 a.m.

Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time
Honolulu (GMT-10)
1 a.m.

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cdf-issues-new-eucharistic-prefaces-optional-saint-feasts-for-extraordinary-form-of-roman-rite-30683

CDF issues new Eucharistic prefaces, optional saint feasts for extraordinary form of Roman rite
By Hannah Brockhaus

Vatican City, Mar 25, 2020 / 10:20 am (CNA).- On Wednesday the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued two decrees giving new Eucharistic prefaces and provision for the optional celebration of more recently named saints in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass.

The decree Quo magis provides seven new Eucharistic prefaces for the extraordinary form of the Mass, which may be used for particular occasions, such as votive Masses or the feast days of saints, according to a note accompanying the rescript.

The second decree, Cum sanctissima, establishes a provision for the celebration of the third class feasts of saints canonized after July 1960, whose memorials were established after the 1962 Roman missal.

At the same time, Cum sanctissima includes a list of 70 third class feasts, equivalent to a memorial in the ordinary form, which should never be impeded by the celebration of other feasts.

According to the note accompanying the decree, these saints’ days were chosen because of their importance “in the plan of salvation or in the history of the Church” and “in terms of either the devotion they have generated or their writings,” or their long devotion in Rome.

“In choosing whether or not to make use of the provisions…” the decree said, “the celebrant is expected to make use of good pastoral common sense.”

The decrees are both signed by Cardinal Luis Ladaria, prefect of the CDF, and by Archbishop Giacomo Morandi, CDF secretary. They were approved by Pope Francis in December 2019.