Pope Francis

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/04/council_of_cardinals:_day_3/en1-752664

2013-12-04 14:38:44
Council of Cardinals: Day 3



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday met for the third time with the 8-member Council of Cardinals to discuss the proposed reforms of the Roman Curia. The meeting will last until Thursday. The first meeting took place in October ,the second on Tuesday.

In a press briefing, the head of the Holy See Press Office Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, stated that the Cardinals have continued in the discussions as foreseen, with a meeting on Tuesday afternoon in the presence of the Holy Father, and one on Wednesday morning that the Pope did not attend because he was holding the General Audience.

Describing the atmosphere as cordial and open-minded, Father Lombardi said the Cardinals are focussing on the various Dicasteries of the Curia, tackling the various issues “one after the other, without a criteria of priority or for any particular motive”. Thus, they have started talking about the Congregations, and then they will be focussing on Pontifical Councils and on other Dicasteries.

Father Lombardi revealed that amongst the issues the Cardinals have talked about are the causes for Saints, Catholic education and evangelization of peoples. The work is proceeding rapidly, and tomorrow – he said – “I will be able to tell you if they have concluded their argumentations on the Congregations”.
 

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http://saltandlighttv.org/blog/category/fr-thomas-rosica

Pope Francis and the Sexual Abuse Crisis
December 4, 2013 by salt and light

by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

In response to numerous inquiries about Pope Francis words on sexual abuse in his meeting with Dutch Bishops on Monday of this week, as well as requests regarding Pope Francis stance on the sexual abuse crisis, I have prepared the following response. 

Monday Pope Francis met with Dutch bishops in a 90-minute private session in the library of the Papal Apartment in the Apostolic Palace.  The meeting took place in a very open, cordial, fraternal spirit that consisted of conversation, questions and answers.  At the conclusion the Pope presented the bishops with a printed address which certainly contained some of the thoughts that had been exchanged among the bishops during their long, private meeting with the Pope.
 
To intimate that this is the first time the Pope addressed the sexual abuse crisis is incorrect.  We have all seen how freely and openly Pope Francis engages with people, speaks openly and courageously, and is unafraid to address many of the very difficult problems and questions of our times. Some of these matters are addressed in a public format, i.e., through Ad Limina addresses, documents, public letters.  Most of the issues are dealt with, however, in countless pastoral settings and meetings with heads of Curial departments, bishops and Cardinals, those responsible for dealing with the painful issues of sexual abuse around the world, and individuals who have been deeply affected by the crisis.

From the very beginning of his Pontificate in March, Pope Francis has clearly followed the line of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, in addressing head-on the sexual abuse crisis, dealing with victims, offering healing to them, and facilitating the work of the Vatican’s response to the crisis through the special office in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  Pope Francis was fully aware of Pope Benedict’s high priority in addressing the crisis, and he has made it his own priority as well.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/05/pope_francis_establishes_commission_on_protection_of_minors/en1-753041

2013-12-05 14:23:43
Pope Francis establishes commission on protection of minors



(Vatican Radio) At the briefing on Thursday morning, 5 December, at 1 p.m., alongside the Director of the Holy See Press Office, there participated Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, member of the Council of Cardinals, who gave the following Declaration:

“Continuing decisively along the lines undertaken by Pope Benedict XVI, and accepting a proposal presented by the Council of Cardinals, the Holy Father has decided to establish a specific Commission for the protection of minors, with the aim of advising Pope Francis on the Holy See’s commitment to the protection of children and in pastoral care for victims of abuse. Specifically, the Commission will:

1. study present programmes in place for the protection of children.

2. formulate suggestions for new initiatives on the part of the Curia, in collaboration with bishops, Episcopal conferences, religious superiors and conferences of religious superiors.

3. indicate the names of persons suited to the systematic implementation of these new initiatives, including lay persons, religious and priests with responsibilities for the safety of children, in relations with the victims, in mental health, in the application of the law, etc.

The composition and competences of the Commission will be indicated shortly, with more details from the Holy Father in an appropriate document.”

Cardinal O’Malley then quoted some of the lines of action proposed by the Commission under constitution.
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vatican-launches-new-commission-for-the-protection-of-minors/

Vatican launches new commission for the protection of minors

Vatican City, Dec 5, 2013 / 07:34 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Earlier today, Pope Francis accepted a proposal for a new commission which will advise him on the protection of children from abuse, as well as how to offer help to those who are already victims.

“Accepting a proposal that has been presented by the Council of Cardinals, the Holy Father has decided to establish a very specific commission for the protection of children,” Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley told journalists in a Dec. 5 press conference announcing the new initiative.

Cardinal O’Malley is the archbishop of Boston, Mass., USA, and is a member of the Council of Eight Cardinals which was formed by Pope Francis earlier this year to advise him on matters of Church reform and governance.

The proposal for the new commission was originally proposed during yesterday’s evening session, and was officially approved by the Holy Father this morning, the cardinal revealed.

“The commission,” noted Cardinal O’Malley, “will be able to advise the Holy Father about the protection of children and the pastoral care for victims of abuse.”

“Among the responsibilities of the commission will be to study the present programs in place for protection of children and to come up with suggestions or new initiatives on the part of the curia in collaboration with the bishops and the episcopal conferences.”

Cardinal O’Malley emphasized that the goal of the commission is not to take over the role of the individual bishop in determining policies for their dioceses, stating that for this, the “competence lies with bishops.”

Their hope, he expressed, is that the work of the commission will be a “model” for practices which provide an “adequate, pastoral response” to situations of abuse.

When asked if the commission would deal directly with situations where there is a lack of accountability on the part of the bishop in reporting cases of abuse in their dioceses, Cardinal O’Malley stated that it is yet to be determined if this will be a duty of the new commission or of another Vatican body.

The cardinal revealed that the commission will be composed of “international experts” in various fields regarding the protection of minors, including that of psychology.

There is no date set for when the commission will officially begin their work, but Cardinal O’Malley explained that Pope Francis will soon release a document including new details.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/05/pope_francis:_put_christian_words_in_action/en1-752935

2013-12-05 11:45:19
Pope Francis: Put Christian words in action

(Vatican Radio) Anyone who utters Christian words without putting them into practice hurts oneself and others, because they are based on pride and cause division in the Church. Those were the Pope’s words during his homily at Mass this Thursday morning at the Casa Santa Martha. Lydia O’Kane reports RealAudioMP3

Taking his cue from Thursday’s liturgy, Pope Francis explained that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for knowing the commandments, but not implementing them in their lives.

They are " good words," he said, but if they are not put into practice "not only do they not serve us, but they hurt : they deceive us , they make us believe that we have a beautiful home, but without a foundation” .
The Holy Father went on to say that the Lord is our foundation. Our rock is Jesus Christ.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-calls-for-more-collegiality-decentralization

Pope calls for more collegiality, decentralization
2013-12-05 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has called the Church to a renewal of its structures in view of its mission to proclaim the Good News in his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. In the document, the Pope speaks of a Church that is “mission-oriented” and in a “permanent state of mission”.

This is not a new idea, said Catherine Clifford, professor of theology at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. French theologians of the 20th century spoke of the necessity of the Church to understand its vocation in the world, and the Second Vatican Council picked up on this idea, she noted.

However, the Pope has been clearly “critical of a Church that is inwardly focused”, that has forgotten its responsibility in the world and “risks getting hung up on things of a secondary importance”, such as doctrinal and liturgical issues, Clifford said.

“He’s not saying they’re unimportant,” she clarified. “But the Church’s structure of prayer and teaching are all at the service of its mission and all have to assist and enable the baptized to live the Gospel daily.”

“If we can’t see the connection between liturgy and life, Church teaching and daily practice and daily witness, and especially this call to be of service, to be a community that is a compassionate presence of God’s love… they we’ve lost the heart of the Gospel message,” said added.
The Pope is calling on Catholics to readjust their focus and “to put the message of the Good News first,” she continued. He is asking the Church to re-examine its structures so that they are truly at the service of the Gospel.

COLLEGIALITY
 

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Sad 

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/dutch-bishops-tell-pope-the-church-is-collapsing-as-they-face-hundreds-of-c/

Dutch bishops tell Pope the Church is collapsing as they face hundreds of closures
Thu Dec 05, 2013 17:11 EST

ROME, December 5, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Catholic bishops of the nation that pioneered legalized euthanasia for children, prostitution, and “gay marriage” have come to Rome to tell Pope Francis that he is facing a Church that has “drastically secularized” and hemorrhaging members.

One of the Catholic bishops of the Netherlands, who are conducting their official visit with the pope this week, told Vatican Radio they are facing the closure of hundreds of churches and an ongoing exodus of the faithful.

In an interview with Vatican Radio, Willem Jacobus Eijk Cardinal, Archbishop of Utrecht and chairman of the Dutch bishops’ conference, said that the Catholic Church in the Netherlands is facing a near collapse.

“The number of practicing Catholics is diminishing very quickly,” he said. “In the 1950s 90 percent of Catholics still went to church every Sunday. Now, it’s only five percent.”
 
Since the Second Vatican Council, which closed in 1965, the Dutch bishops - together with those of the neighboring Belgian, German and Austrian bishops’ conferences - have been known as some of the most “liberal” in the world, leading a universal charge away from the Church’s traditional emphasis on moral and ecclesiological doctrine and discipline.

In 1966, the Dutch Catholic bishops’ conference published the notorious Dutch Catechism, a teaching instrument that was heavily censured, but never banned, by the Vatican of the day. It focused on ecumenism, emphasizing the teachings shared by Catholics and Protestants, and downplaying doctrine that distinguished Catholics from other denominations. The Dutch Catechism became a huge international best-seller, translated into dozens of languages, even while it was being strenuously corrected by Rome, a conflict that became emblematic of the struggle in the Church overall since Vatican II.

Since the shift of the Dutch Catholic Church towards the “progressivist” model in the 1960s and '70s, the secular society of the Netherlands has led the advance of many Western European countries in the same direction. The process towards ultimate legalization of euthanasia, including of infants, began in the early 1970s with a series of court cases laying out “criteria” under which it was not illegal for physicians to “assist” the death of patients.

In the years following, the Netherlands became one of the first countries in the world to fully legalize prostitution and brothels and, in 2002, created same-sex “marriage.”

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/06/pope_francis_at_mass:_praying_is_a_bit_like_“annoying”_god/en1-753300

2013-12-06 12:50:22
Pope Francis at Mass: Praying is a bit like “annoying” God

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis spoke on the theme of prayer on Thursday, saying when we pray it’s a bit like annoying God so that he listens to us. His remarks came during his homily at the morning mass in the Santa Marta guesthouse.
Listen to the following report by Susy Hodges: RealAudioMP3

Speaking at Mass, Pope Francis said "prayer has two attitudes: it’s needy and at the same time it’s certain of the fact that God, in his own way and his own time, will answer our need." A person who prays, he continued, "doesn’t fear disturbing God and nourishes a blind faith in His love." The Pope recalled how Jesus himself taught us to pray like the annoying friend who begs for food at midnight or like the widow with the corrupt judge. Another example he quoted was the gospel account of how the lepers approached Jesus, saying to him, “if you want, you can cure us.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/06/pope_francis_receives_international_theological_commission/en1-753297

2013-12-06 13:09:51
Pope Francis receives International Theological Commission

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the participants in the Plenary Assembly of the International Theological Commission on Friday at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The three main themes the Commission is addressing throughout the course of its current five-year study period are: the relations between monotheism and violence; the social doctrine of the Church; and, the “sense of the faith” – which Pope Francis described in his remarks to the participants as, “a sort of ‘spiritual instinct’,” that makes it possible for those attuned to it to think with the Church and to discern that, which is in conformity with the Apostolic Faith and with the spirit of the Gospel.

Speaking of the possible perversions of authentic faith in the one true God, Pope Francis said, “The definitive revelation of God in Jesus Christ makes every recourse to violence in God’s name ultimately impossible. It is precisely because of [Christ’s] refusal of violence, because of his having overcome evil with good, with the blood of his Cross, that Jesus has reconciled men to God and each other.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/06/unhcr_chief_after_meeting_with_pope:_francis_is_symbol_of_hope/en1-753362

2013-12-06 15:44:29
UNHCR chief after meeting with Pope: Francis is symbol of hope

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received in audience in the Vatican Friday the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres. Guterres is currently serving his second five year mandate at the helm of the U.N.’s agency for refugees. As High Commissioner, he heads one of the world's largest humanitarian organizations with more than 7,000 staff working in 126 countries providing protection and assistance to millions of refugees, returnees, internally displaced people and stateless persons. More than 85 per cent of UNHCR staff work in the field, often in difficult and dangerous situations.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/06/pope_francis_pays_tribute_to_nelson_mandela/en1-753306

2013-12-06 12:45:38
Pope Francis pays tribute to Nelson Mandela

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday paid tribute to Nelson Mandela expressing his hope that the late President's example will inspire generations of South Africans to put justice and common good at the forefront of their political aspirations.

The Pope's words came in a telegramme of condolences that he sent to the South African President, Jacob Zuma.

Please find below the full text of the telegramme:
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/07/pope_francis:_use_internet_to_offer_real_reasons_for_hope/en1-753611

2013-12-07 12:00:32
Pope Francis: Use internet to offer "real reasons for hope"

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday met with the participants of the 26th Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, meeting under the theme “Proclaiming Christ in the digital age.”

Pope Francis said the rise and development of the internet raises the question of the relationship between faith and culture.

Looking back to the first centuries of Christianity, the Pope pointed out Christians encountered the “extraordinary legacy” of Greek culture.

“Faced with philosophies of great profundity and educational methods of great value – although steeped in pagan elements, the Fathers did not shut them out, nor on the other hand, did they compromise with ideas contrary to the Faith,” Pope Francis said. “Instead, they learned to recognize and assimilate these higher concepts and transform them in the light of God’s Word, actually implementing what Saint Paul asks: Test all things and hold fast to that which is good.”

He said this also applies to the internet.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/07/pope_receives_delegation_from_dignitatis_humanae_institute/en1-753806

2013-12-07 17:28:04
Pope receives delegation from Dignitatis Humanae Institute

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday received in audience a delegation from the Dignitatis Humanae Institute (DHI) which is celebrating its fifth anniversary.

The DHI, otherwise known as the Institute for Human Dignity, was founded in 2008 as a think tank with the aim of protecting and promoting an authentic vision of human dignity.

Addressing the delegates, the Pope warned against a “culture of waste” in which the victims are the unborn, the poor, the elderly, and the disabled. Such a culture leads to a “practical atheism”, he said, whereby man denies that he is made in God’s image and likeness.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/07/popes_message_for_2014_world_day_of_the_sick_released/en1-753617

2013-12-07 12:13:13
Pope's message for 2014 World Day of the Sick released

Pope Francis in 2014 is commending the 22nd World Day of the Sick to the intercession of Mary, so that she will help sick people to live their own suffering in communion with Jesus Christ.

The theme for this world day is Faith and charity: " We too must give our lives for the brethren" and in his message to mark this occasion, the Holy Father turns his attention especially to the sick and all those who provide them with care and treatment.

The Pope begins his five point message by saying “the Church sees in you, dear sick people, the special presence of the suffering Christ and he goes on to say that God gives us the courage to face each adversity with him and united to Him

In his second point, Pope Francis underlines the fact that although the Son of God made man has not taken away human disease and suffering, he has taken them on to himself, transforming and reducing them because, as the Holy Father explains, they no longer have the last word.

The true test of faith in Christ, continues the Pope is the gift of oneself to spread the love for one's neighbour, especially for those who do not deserve it , for those who suffer, and for those who are marginalized.
 

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Video at the link

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/07/prayer-wave-pope-francis_n_4386080.html

'Prayer Wave' Led By Pope Francis To End Hunger Begins On December 10, Human Rights Day
Posted: 12/07/2013 9:41 am EST

On Dec. 10th, 2013, Pope Francis is inviting the world to join him in a global wave of prayer to end world hunger that will begin at noon in Tonga, progressing around the world until reaching American Samoa 24 hours and 164 countries later.

Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, president of Vatican-based federation of charities Caritas Internationalis, believes that world hunger can be eliminated by 2025. In a video message he said, "There is enough food to feed the planet. We believe that with your help and with the help of governments and the UN, we can end hunger by 2025."

A Dec. 10 event on the U.S. Capitol Lawn at noon has been organized by the Circle of Protection, a coalition of over 65 leaders of Christian faith groups. Eric Sapp of the American Values Network, which is working with the Circle of Protection, told The Huffington Post that the event is expected to draw a decent Congressional turnout. The timing of the call to end hunger is appropriate, as many are now feeling the pinch of the food stamps cuts that passed in September.
 

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An interesting article from July, 2013...

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/gmg-26605/

07/22/2013
Francis and the essence of CELAM’s concluding document at the 2007 Aparecida meeting

One of the major events of the Pope’s visit to Brazil for World Youth Day will be his visit to the shrine of Aparecida, the place where the Conference of Latin American bishops held their last meeting. The final document produced at this meeting practically outlined the programme of an entire pontificate.

 Andrea Tornielli
 vatican city

One of the events that was not initially included in the WYD programme prepared during Benedict XVI’s pontificate but was added later is the pilgrimage to Aparecida.

The Catholic Church’s first Latin American Pope will go to Nossa Senhora da Conceição, the most visited Marian shrine in Brazil, to ask the Virgin Mary to protect the World Youth Day. It was here that the last general assembly of the Conference of Latin American Bishops (CELAM) took place, in 2007. And Bergoglio, who was a cardinal at the time was one of the key figures who helped prepare the final document.

This document was key to the mission in the “Continent of hope” as it was called. But after Francis was elected Pope, the importance of this document extended beyond the confines of the Latin American continent: it reflects his vision for the future of evangelisation.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/08/angelus:_immaculate_conception_fruit_of_god’s_love/en1-753870

2013-12-08 12:26:15
Angelus: Immaculate Conception fruit of God’s Love

(Vatican Radio) The Immaculate Conception of Mary is “inscribed in God’s plan; it is the fruit of God’s love which saves the world.” These were Pope Francis’ comments during his weekly Angelus address for the second Sunday of Advent which coincides with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

On this Feast, the Holy Father said, our gaze turns to the “beauty of the Mother of Jesus, our Mother!” It is with great joy, he continued, that the Church contemplates the words of Saint Luke “full of grace” (Lk 1:28). Mary, moreover, guides us as we journey towards Christmas, teaching us “how to live this time of Advent waiting for the Lord.” Pope Francis went on to say that the Immaculate Conception was inscribed in God’s plan; it was the fruit of God’s love whereby the world was saved.
 
----------------------
Pope Francis arrives at the statue of the Immaculate Conception in Rome at the 14:00 time mark in the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyDSBFFijC0#t=1658

Homage to the Statue of the Immaculate Conception
Streamed live on Dec 8, 2013 

Pope Francis pays homage to the Statue of the Immaculate Conception with the Roman faithful

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/08/cardinal_turkson_to_attend_mandela_memorial/en1-753890

2013-12-08 13:46:39
Cardinal Turkson to attend Mandela memorial



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, as his special envoy to participate at an Official Ceremony in memory of the former President of the Republic of South Africa, Nelson Mandela who died on Thursday.
 

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http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/the-immaculate-conception-8-things-to-know-and-share-.-

The Immaculate Conception: 8 things to know and share . . .
by Jimmy Akin  Sunday, December 08, 2013 3:25 PM



December 8th is ordinarily celebrated as the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, but this year in the U.S., it's being celebrated on Monday, December 9th.

It celebrates an important point of Catholic teaching, and it is a holy day of obligation.

Here are 8 things you need to know about the teaching and the way we celebrate it.

1. Who does the Immaculate Conception refer to?

There's a popular idea that it refers to Jesus' conception by the Virgin Mary.

It doesn't.

Instead, it refers to the special way in which the Virgin Mary herself was conceived.

This conception was not virginal. (That is, she had a human father as well as a human mother.) But it was special and unique in another way. . . .

2. What is the Immaculate Conception?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it this way:

490 To become the mother of the Saviour, Mary “was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of grace”.  In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God's grace.

491 Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/09/pope_celebrates_mass_with_egyptian_patriarch/en1-754114

2013-12-09 12:59:00
Pope celebrates Mass with Egyptian Patriarch

(Vatican Radio) At his daily Mass on Monday, Pope Francis appealed for an end to division and hatred in the Holy Land and the Middle East. The Holy Father concelebrated the Mass with the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria (Egypt), Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, on the occasion of the public manifestation of “ecclesiastical communion” between the Patriarch and the Successor of Peter. The Pope spoke about his closeness to Egyptian Christians who are experiencing insecurity and violence, then renewed his appeal for religious liberty throughout the whole of the Middle East.

In his homily at the Mass, Pope Francis turned his thoughts immediately to the Coptic faithful, recalling the words of the Prophet Isaiah in the first Reading, which speak of a re-awakening of the heart in expectation of the Lord: