Pope Francis

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-general-audience-catechesis-prayer.html

Pope: ‘we never pray alone: Jesus prays with us’
28 October 2020, 10:18

Pope Francis continues his catechesis on prayer inviting the faithful to persevere in prayer in every moment of their lives, even in the most difficult, and in those in which we feel the burden of our sins.
By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis on Wednesday told the faithful that prayer is the eternal expression of their dialogue of love with the Father, and he invited them to persevere in prayer at every moment of their lives.

Greeting those gathered in the Paul VI Hall for the weekly General Audience, before beginning his catechesis the Pope expressed his sorrow for not being able to come close to the faithful because of covid precautions, but assured them he was close in spirit and invited them to stay safe.

He then continued his series of catechises dedicated to prayer, reflecting on the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry that took place with His baptism in the river Jordan.

Noting that the evangelists are in agreement in attributing fundamental importance to this episode, he said they all narrate how the people came together in prayer, and pointed out that this gathering had a clearly penitential nature (Mk 1: 5; Mt 3: 8 ).
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2020-10/cameroon-bishop-attack-anglophone.html
Pope Francis prays for victims of Cameroon school shooting
27 October 2020, 16:57

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-welcome-life-even-when-it-requires-heroic-love.html
Pope: Welcome life even when it requires heroic love
28 October 2020, 12:48

Video and gallery of photos (multimedia link) at the link below--
https://zenit.org/2020/10/28/popes-general-audience-on-jesus-man-of-prayer-full-text/
POPE’S GENERAL AUDIENCE: On Jesus, Man of Prayer (FULL TEXT)
OCTOBER 28, 2020 12:28

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-francis-decrees-canonization-italy-brazil-poland-spain.html

Pope Francis authorizes decrees concerning nine causes of sainthood
28 October 2020, 12:09

Pope Francis approves the promulgation of decrees which bring four women and five men a step closer to sainthood.
By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis has authorized the promulgation of several decrees regarding nine people who are on the path toward canonization.

The news came Wednesday following a meeting between the Pope and Cardinal-elect Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Three miracles

The Pope recognized the following three miracles:

- the miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Giustino Maria Russolillo, Priest and Founder of the Society of Divine Vocations and the Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Vocations. He was born on January 18, 1891, in Pianura di Napoli (Italy) and died there on August 2, 1955;

- the miracle, attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Maria Lorenza Requenses in Longo, Foundress of the Hospital of the Incurables in Naples and the Capuchin Nuns. She was born circa 1463 in Lleida (Spain) and died in Naples (Italy) on December 21, 1539;

- the miracle, attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Elżbieta Czacka (born Róża), Foundress of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters Handmaids of the Cross. She was born on October 22, 1876, in Bila Tserkva (Ukraine) and died in Laski (Poland) on May 15, 1961.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-francis-mass-on-2-november-at-vatican-s-teutonic-cemetery.html

Pope Francis: Mass on 2 November at Vatican’s Teutonic Cemetery
28 October 2020, 14:55

The Pope will celebrate Mass in the Vatican for the feast of All Souls. There will be no faithful present due to Coronavirus restrictions.
By Vatican News

On the occasion of the feast of All Souls on November 2, Pope Francis will preside at Holy Mass for deceased faithful in the Vatican’s Teutonic Cemetery.

A communiqué from the Holy See Press Office said it would be strictly private, without the participation of the faithful.  Following the celebration, the Pope will pray in the cemetery before going to the Vatican Grottoes to remember deceased Pontiffs.

On the morning of November 5, at 11.00 a.m., Pope Francis will preside at Holy Mass for deceased Cardinals and Bishops.

Like the other liturgical celebrations in the coming months, the Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica, with a very limited participation of faithful and, will follow strict measures put in place in recent months to curb the spread of COVID-19.
 
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2020/10/pope-to-celebrate-private-mass-for-all-souls-at-vatican-cemetery/
Pope to celebrate private Mass for All Souls at Vatican cemetery
Catholic News Service  Oct 28, 2020

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https://zenit.org/2020/10/28/vatican-and-jewish-leaders-exchange-historic-messages/

Vatican and Jewish Leaders Exchange Historic Messages
Commemoration of 55th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate
OCTOBER 28, 2020 15:44

In a dramatic demonstration of Catholic-Jewish amity, the Vatican’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews (CRRJ) and the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC) on October 28, 2020, exchanged public messages in commemoration of the fifty-fifth anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the milestone document of the Catholic Church articulating a new and better era in Christian-Jewish relations.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of CRRJ since 2010, and Rabbi Noam Marans, Chair of IJCIC (2019-2021), issued statements affirming the reconciliatory themes of Nostra Aetate and praising the progress achieved during the past 55 years.

Cardinal Koch’s message states, “It is without doubt that ‘Nostra aetate’ (no.4) laid the foundation for relations between Catholics and Jews and can therefore rightly can be considered to be the ‘Magna Carta’ of Catholic-Jewish relations.”

Rabbi Marans’s message notes that “Nostra aetate” (no.4) “has been dramatically amplified by papal visits to synagogues, to the horrific yet sacred sites of the crimes of the Holocaust, and to the State of Israel following the establishment of Vatican-Israel diplomatic relations in 1993.” IJCIC praised Pope Francis’s leadership in condemning rising antisemitism and expressed solidarity with Christians facing persecution.
 
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2020/10/catholic-jewish-leaders-mark-55th-anniversary-of-nostra-aetate/
Catholic, Jewish leaders mark 55th anniversary of ‘Nostra Aetate’
Catholic News Service  Oct 28, 2020

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Update:  Pope Francis on civil unions in the documentary “Francesco."

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/after-pope-francis-civil-union-remarks-archbishop-recalls-argentinas-civil-unions-debate-90401
After Pope Francis' civil union remarks, archbishop recalls Argentina's civil unions debate

CNA Staff, Oct 28, 2020 / 05:00 pm MT (CNA).- After remarks in a newly-released documentary from Pope Francis on civil unions, the archbishop emeritus of La Plata, Argentina, has offered his recollection of a 2010 debate on civil unions which took place within the Argentine bishops’ conference, while the country’s legislature was preparing to approve a same-sex marriage bill.

In comments sent to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Archbishop Héctor Aguer noted that “the recent statement by the Supreme Pontiff promoting civil unions between people of the same sex caused a stir, in the Church and outside of it; i.e., proposing that they be granted a legal framework.”

The archbishop referred to comments published in “Francesco,” a documentary that premiered in Rome last week, in which Pope Francis was seen to call for civil unions legislation. The pope’s previously unpublished remarks were found to have come from a 2019 interview conducted by Mexican television network Televisa.

It has since been widely reported that Pope Francis supported the idea of civil unions legislation while he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as a compromise during the 2010 debate in Argentina over same-sex marriage.

Last week, Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, the current Archbishop of La Plata, posted on Facebook that “What the pope has said on this subject is what he also maintained when he was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires.”

The archbishop added that before he became pope, then-Cardinal Bergoglio “always recognized that, without calling it ‘marriage,’ in fact there are very close unions between people of the same sex, which do not in themselves imply sexual relations, but a very intense and stable alliance.”

“This can be contemplated in the law and is called ‘civil union’ [unión civil] or ‘law of civil coexistence’ [ley de convivencia civil], not marriage,” Fernandez wrote.

Archbishop Aguer, who led the Archdiocese of La Plata from 2000 to 2018, recalled the 2010 debate about civil unions.

“Cardinal Bergoglio, then being the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, proposed in a plenary assembly of the Argentine bishops’ conference to support the legality of civil unions of homosexual persons by the state, as a possible alternative to what was called - and is called - 'marriage equality.'”

“At that time, the argument against him was that it was not a merely political or sociological question, but that it involved a moral judgment; consequently, the sanction of civil laws contrary to the natural order cannot be promoted. It was also noted that this teaching has been repeatedly stated in the documents of the Second Vatican Council. The plenary of the Argentine bishops rejected that proposal and voted against it,” Aguer said.

The archbishop added that “in 2003 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that ‘respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions.’ It’s not unreasonable to think that such unions, to which it is proposed to grant legal recognition, are not ‘platonic’; therefore, it would be implicitly approving the coverage of homosexual activity in the law.”
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-holy-see-press-office-statement-nice-attack.html

Pope Francis close to the mourning community in Nice
29 October 2020, 13:14

Pope Francis sends a message through the Vatican Secretary of state assuring the Church in France of his closeness in the wake of the attack on the Catholic Basilica of Nice.
By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis expressed his sorrow and offered prayers for the Church in France following the tragic murders of three people at the Basilica of Notre Dame on Thursday.

A message addressed to Bishop André Marceau of Nice by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin conveyed the Pope’s closeness.

“Informed of the savage attack that was perpetrated this morning in a church in Nice, causing the death of several innocent people, His Holiness Pope Francis joins in prayer with the suffering of the families who were affected and shares their sorrow. He asks the Lord to bring them comfort and he commends the victims to his mercy.”

“Condemning such violent acts of terror in the strongest possible way, he assures the Catholic Community of France and all the French people of his closeness and he calls for unity. Confiding France to the protection of Our Lady, he wholeheartedly gives the Apostolic Blessing to all those affected by this tragedy.” 
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/two-dead-in-knife-attack-inside-french-basilica-46692
Three dead in terrorist attack at French basilica

CNA Staff, Oct 29, 2020 / 03:40 am MT (CNA).- An attacker killed three people at a church in Nice, police in the French city said Thursday.

The incident took place at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice Oct. 29 at around 9am local time, according to French media.
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/french-bishops-urge-churches-to-toll-bells-in-memory-of-three-killed-at-catholic-church-in-nice-78364
French Catholic bishops ask churches to toll bells in memory of three killed in basilica attack

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/pope-francis-letter-of-condolences-cardinal-fernandez.html

Pope expresses condolences for the death of Cardinal Fernandez
29 October 2020, 16:11

Pope Francis sends a letter of condolences for the death of Cardinal Anthony Soter Fernandez of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia
By Vatican News staff writer

Having learned "with sadness" of the death of Cardinal Anthony Soter Fernandez, Pope Francis expresses his "heartfelt condolences" in a letter to Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim, the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, and to the "clergy, religious and laity of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur."

In his letter, the Pope prays for the Cardinal's "eternal rest", expressing his gratitude for his "faithful witness to the Gospel, his generous service to the Church in Malaysia and his longstanding commitment to the promotion of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue."
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-10/pope-francis-general-audience-library-apostolic-palace.html

Pope Francis to resume live broadcast of General Audience
29 October 2020, 14:26

Pope Francis will be resuming his live broadcasts of his Wednesday General Audience as a precautionary measure, as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.
By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis' General Audiences will once again be broadcast live from the Library of the Apostolic Palace, beginning next Wednesday, 4 November, .

The news came in a statement released on Thursday by the Holy See Press Office. In the statement, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, explains that the decision was made after receiving reports of a positive case of Covid-19 during the General Audience on Wednesday 21 October, as well as "in order to avoid any possible future risk to the health of the participants."
 

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Update:  Cardinal Becciu

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal-angelo-becciu-says-he-has-had-no-communication-from-vatican-investigators-over-cecilia-marogna-41405
Becciu: 'No communication' from Vatican investigators over Cecilia Marogna
By Hannah Brockhaus

Rome Newsroom, Oct 29, 2020 / 08:00 am MT (CNA).- Lawyers for Cardinal Angelo Becciu released a statement late Wednesday contradicting an Italian news report that the former curial official has been summoned by the Vatican in connection with payments to a self-described geopolitical analyst and security consultant.

Becciu’s defense attorneys issued the statement in response to an Oct. 28 report by Italian newsweekly L’Espresso, stating that “according to Vatican judicial sources,” Becciu is being investigated in connection to a case against Italian Cecilia Marogna, and that he has “not yet presented himself” to Vatican prosecutors for questioning.

“In the interest of His Eminence the Cardinal, the defense attorneys once again reiterate that their client has not received any communication from the competent authority,” said lawyers Fabio Viglione and Agostinangelo Marras, in a statement later the same day.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/italian-cardinal-tests-positive-for-covid-19-47092

Italian cardinal tests positive for COVID-19
By Courtney Mares

Rome Newsroom, Oct 29, 2020 / 02:00 pm MT (CNA).- Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, the president of the Italian bishops’ conference, has tested positive for COVID-19.

Bassetti, the archbishop of Perugia-Città della Pieve, is 78 years old. His condition is being closely monitored, according to a statement released by the bishops’ conference Oct. 28.

“The cardinal lives this moment with faith, hope, and courage,” the bishops’ conference said, noting that those who had been in contact with the cardinal were being tested.

Bassetti is the fourth cardinal to test positive for the coronavirus this year. In September, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the head of the Vatican’s evangelization congregation, tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling to the Philippines. The Archdiocese of Manila announced that Tagle had recovered on Sept. 23.

Cardinal Philippe Ouedraogo of Burkina Faso and Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, both tested positive and recovered from COVID-19 in March.
 

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https://www.catholicnews.com/former-spiritual-adviser-to-medjugorje-visionaries-excommunicated/

Former spiritual adviser to Medjugorje visionaries excommunicated
By: Cindy Wooden
Date: October 26, 2020

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A former priest who had been an early spiritual adviser to the alleged visionaries of Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, has been excommunicated, according to an announcement by the Diocese of Brescia, Italy, where he lives.

“The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith formally communicated to the bishop of Brescia that on July 15, 2020, the congregation issued a declarative decree regarding Mr. Tomislav Vlasic. The decree declared that Mr. Vlasic incurred the penalty of excommunication,” said a statement published Oct. 23 by the Brescia diocesan press office.

In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI had laicized Vlasic, formerly a Franciscan priest who had served as a spiritual adviser to the Marian visionaries in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Pope Benedict, in a document issued “motu proprio” (on his own initiative), returned Vlasic to the lay state and dispensed him from his religious vows as a member of the Order of Friars Minor.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-says-more-action-coming-in-fight-against-vatican-corruption-43150

Pope Francis says more action coming in fight against Vatican corruption
By Hannah Brockhaus

Rome Newsroom, Oct 30, 2020 / 12:30 pm MT (CNA).- Pope Francis has said more changes are on the horizon as the Vatican continues to combat financial corruption inside its walls, but he is cautious about success.

Speaking to Italian news agency AdnKronos this week, Pope Francis said corruption is a deep, recurrent problem in the history of the Church, which he is trying to counter with “small, but concrete steps.”

“Unfortunately, corruption is a cyclical story, it repeats itself, then someone comes along to clean and tidy up, but then it starts again waiting for someone else to come and put an end to this degeneration,” he said in the interview, published Oct. 30.
 
In the Oct. 30 interview, Pope Francis responded to a question about recent criticism he has received, including the renewal of the Vatican-China deal and his apparent approval of the legalization of same-sex civil unions in a recently-released documentary. 

The pope said he wouldn’t be telling the truth if he said criticism does not bother him.

Nobody likes criticism given in bad faith, he added. “With equal conviction, however, I say that criticism can be constructive, and then I take it all because criticism leads me to examine myself, to make an examination of conscience, to ask myself if I was wrong, where and why I was wrong, if I did well, if I did wrong, if I could do better.”

https://zenit.org/2020/10/30/pope-francis-talks-coronavirus-and-corruption/
Pope Francis Talks Coronavirus and Corruption
Exclusive Interview by Italian News Agency Adnkronos
OCTOBER 30, 2020 18:39  JIM FAIR

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-10/christmas-tree-and-nativity-scene-unveiling-st-peters-square.html

St Peter's Square: Christmas tree and nativity scene to be inaugurated on 11 December
30 October 2020, 13:00

The Vatican announces the date for the inauguration of the Christmas tree and nativity scene. This year, the inauguration of the Christmas tree and Nativity scenes in St Peter's Square will be as important as ever, as the Vatican works to keep the Christmas spirits high, in difficult times.
By Vatican News staff writer

The virus has not stopped the spirit of Christmas, today ,more than ever, it is important to remain united and empathise with our sisters and brothers until we are able to return to life as we know it.

This is precisely what symbolises the Vatican's Christmas display this year more than others: hope, trust, love, family, and the awareness that Jesus will come among his people to save and console them.

On 11 December at 4.30 p.m., in compliance with anti covid-19 regulations, as is custom, the Nativity scene, donated by the Italian town of Castelli, the spearhead of the ceramic industry since the 16th century, and the Christmas tree, a 28m high majestic spruce (Picea abies) from Kočevje, in Slovenia, will be inaugurated.

The ceremony will be presided over by Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello and Bishop Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, respectively President and Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State. On the same day, in the morning, the delegations from Castelli and Kočevje will be received in audience by Pope Francis for the official presentation of the gifts.
 
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2020/10/vatican-christmas-details-of-stamps-nativity-scene-tree-released/
Vatican Christmas: Details of stamps, Nativity scene, tree released
Catholic News Service  Oct 30, 2020

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Update:  Cardinal Becciu

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/italian-security-consultant-cecilia-marogna-freed-from-jail-until-vatican-extradition-request-decided-57972
Italian 'security consultant' freed from jail until Vatican extradition request decided
By Hannah Brockhaus

Rome Newsroom, Oct 30, 2020 / 07:18 am MT (CNA).- An Italian woman under investigation by Vatican authorities for suspected embezzlement was released from a jail in Milan on Friday, as she awaits a decision on the Vatican’s extradition request.

A Milan court of appeal decided Oct. 30 to release Cecilia Marogna, 39, from Milan’s San Vittore jail on condition that she daily register her presence to local police, according to Il Fatto Quotidiano.

A self-described geopolitical analyst and security consultant, Marogna has been in custody following her arrest Oct. 13 on an international warrant issued by the Vatican through Interpol.

Vatican prosecutors requested Marogna’s extradition to the city state, which she has appealed. The appeal process is expected to take as long as a month.
 

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https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2020/10/pope-accepts-resignation-of-auxiliary-bishop-cisneros-of-brooklyn/

Pope accepts resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Cisneros of Brooklyn
Catholic News Service  Oct 31, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros of Brooklyn, New York.

The Cuban-born prelate is 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to turn in their resignation to the pope. Ordained a priest of the Brooklyn Diocese, he was named an auxiliary bishop for the diocese in 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI.

His resignation was announced in Washington Oct. 30 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Vatican nuncio to the United States.

Cisneros is the vice postulator for the sainthood cause of Father Felix Varela, a 19th-century Cuban priest who served in New York for almost 30 years, ministering to Irish immigrants in the early part of the 19th century. Varela lived in exile for many years in the United States and died in Florida in 1853. The bishop is a founding member and president of the Felix Varela Foundation.

He also is pastor of the parishes of Holy Child Jesus and St. Benedict Joseph Labre in Richmond Hill in the New York borough of Queens. He will remain as pastor and also will continue to serve as the diocese’s vicar for Hispanic concerns.
 

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https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2020/10/exorcism-increasingly-frequent-including-after-us-protests/

Exorcism: Increasingly frequent, including after US protests
David Crary  Oct 31, 2020
ASSOCIATED PRESS

In popular culture, exorcism often serves as a plot device in chilling films about demonic possession. This month, two Catholic archbishops showed a different face of exorcism – performing the rite at well-attended outdoor ceremonies to drive out any evil spirits lingering after acrimonious protests.

The events’ distinctive character gave a hint of how exorcism — with roots in ancient times — has evolved in some ways as it becomes more commonplace in many parts of the world.

In Portland, Oregon, Archbishop Alexander Sample led a procession of more than 200 people to a city park on Oct. 17, offered a prayer, then conducted a Latin exorcism rite intended to purge the community of evil. The event followed more than four months of racial justice protests in Portland, mostly peaceful but sometimes fueling violence and riots.

On the same day, 600 miles to the south, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone performed an exorcism ceremony outside a Catholic church in San Rafael, where protesters had earlier toppled a statue of Father Junipero Serra.

“We pray that God might purify this place of evil spirits, that he might purify the hearts of those who perpetrated this blasphemy,” Cordileone said.
 
The Catholic church is not ceding the practice of exorcism to these other faiths. Pope Francis has acknowledged the legitimacy of the practice, and a Vatican-approved university in Rome has been conducting exorcism training sessions during Francis’s papacy for priests from around the world.

In September, Francis named three new auxiliary archbishops for the archdiocese of Chicago; one of them was Jeffrey Grob, one of the top exorcism experts in the archdiocese.

In the United States, one of the premier Catholic entities focused on exorcism is the Pope Leo III Institute in the Chicago suburb of Libertyville. Though operating with approval of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, it is independent and privately funded, with a focus on training and educating priests about exorcism.

In a statement on its web site, the institute acknowledges there is some skepticism about exorcism and demonic possession.

“Many Catholics are even among those who don’t believe in the devil or his influence upon them,” it says. “It is important to recall that Pope Francis has never been shy about speaking about the devil, and has warned many times against naiveté in the fight against Satan, even in the 21st century.”
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/report-vatican-investigators-focus-on-longtime-investment-manager-77804

Report: Vatican investigators focus on longtime investment manager

CNA Staff, Oct 27, 2020 / 02:00 pm MT (CNA).- An Italian newsweekly said Friday that it has obtained a document in which Vatican investigators focus on a longtime investment manager for the Holy See as a central figure in the ongoing financial scandal. The investment manager has said there is nothing unusual about his work at the Vatican.

In a report published Oct. 23, L’Espresso said it had obtained a letter rogatory sent from the Vatican to Switzerland highlighting alleged activities of Enrico Crasso, an Italian-born Swiss citizen.

Letters rogatory are formal requests from courts in one country to the courts of another country for judicial assistance.

The magazine published a photograph purporting to show the cover of the document, which bore the emblem of the promoter of justice of the tribunal of Vatican City State. The document reportedly requested information about several figures caught up in an investigation into a controversial London property deal. The newspaper said the document was sent to Swiss authorities almost a year ago.

CNA has not verified the document’s authenticity.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/fr-michael-mcgivney-holy-priest-and-knights-of-columbus-founder-beatified-28453

Fr. Michael McGivney, ‘holy priest’ and Knights of Columbus founder, beatified
By Christine Rousselle

Hartford, Conn., Oct 31, 2020 / 12:30 pm MT (CNA).-  Fr. Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, was beatified October 31, at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut. He will now be known as “Blessed Michael McGivney” and his feast day will be observed August 13 in the Archdiocese of Hartford.

Fr. McGivney was formally beatified through an apostolic letter from Pope Francis that was read on Saturday by Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, the appointed representative of Pope Francis. Tobin was the principal celebrant of the beatification Mass at Hartford’s cathedral.

“Fr. McGivney’s life is an illustration of how a holy priest can provide the necessary and intimate connection, so crucial in the life and mission of a parish,” Tobin said. He described McGivney as a priest who loved his flock, and was happy to see them work together as a community.

“The signature accomplishment for which he is remembered, founding the Knights of Columbus, grew out of his ministry as a parish priest,” Tobin added.
 
Video at the link
https://zenit.org/2020/10/31/fr-michael-mcgivney-beatified/
Fr. Michael McGivney Beatified
Founder of Knights of Columbus
OCTOBER 31, 2020 17:57  JIM FAIR

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Update:  Cardinal Becciu

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-names-archbishop-tomasi-delegate-to-order-of-malta-60436
Pope Francis names Archbishop Tomasi delegate to Order of Malta
By Hannah Brockhaus

Vatican City, Nov 1, 2020 / 06:38 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis on Sunday named Archbishop Silvano Maria Tomasi his special delegate to the Order of Malta, following the resignation of Cardinal Angelo Becciu.

In a pontifical letter Nov. 1, Pope Francis said he had accepted the resignation of Becciu as delegate and appointed Tomasi in his place.

Tomasi, 80, will be elevated to cardinal at a consistory on Nov. 28. In 2016, he retired after 13 years as permanent ******* to the United Nations Office and Specialized Agencies in Geneva.

Cardinal Becciu had been the pope’s delegate to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta since February 2017, when he was appointed to oversee the nearly one-thousand-year-old order’s “spiritual and moral” renewal as it navigated a period of internal reform.

On Sept. 24, Pope Francis asked Becciu to resign as prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and from the rights of cardinals, following reports alleging he had used millions of euros of Vatican charity funds in speculative and risky investments.
 

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https://thecatholicuniverse.com/counting-cardinals-congregations-and-continents-represented-increase/

November 1, 2020
Counting cardinals: Congregations and continents represented increase

With Pope Francis’ new picks for the College of Cardinals, the body will be more religious than ever – in the sense that the number of cardinals coming from religious orders will rise to 51.

The Jesuit pope’s confreres do not lead the tally; in first place are members of the Salesian order, which has nine cardinals. The Jesuits come next with seven.

Thanks to Pope Francis’ nominations on 25th October, the cardinal-followers of St Francis of Assisi would be tied with the Salesians if it weren’t for the fact that they live out their vows in three different communities: the Friars Minor, the Capuchins and the Conventual Franciscans.

Two Capuchins, a Conventual Franciscan and a Scalabrinian are among the 13 new cardinals Pope Francis plans to create during a consistory on 28th November.

Those who will receive their red hats come from eight countries, including Brunei and Rwanda, which have never had cardinals before. They will bring the total number of cardinals to 231 from 91 countries.