Pope Francis

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/27/pope_francis_on_the_family:_an_inestimable_and_irreplacable_good/en1-741180

2013-10-27 13:23:26
Pope Francis on the family: an inestimable and irreplacable good

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass in St Peter's Square on Sunday, October 27th, 2013, to mark the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time and the World Family Day at the close of the 21st Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family, which met in Rome this past week to reflect on the theme of living the joy of the Faith. In his homily, the Holy Father spoke of the Christian family as an institution that prays, keeps faith, and experiences joy. Listen: RealAudioMP3

Over 100 thousand people were in St Peter’s Square on Sunday morning under a late October sky that was at first overcast and threatening before giving way during the course of Mass to brilliant sunshine. In his homily, Pope Francis challenged families to pray together:. “It is,” he said, “a matter of humility: of realizing that we need God.” The Holy Father went on to call families to lives of Christian witness, asking them to model their lives on St the example of St. Paul, who kept the faith by sharing it. “ Christian families are missionary families,” said Pope Francis, “in their everyday life, in their doing everyday things, as they bring to everything the salt and the leaven of faith!”

Pope Francis concluded his homily with a reflection on the joy of living as a Christian family. He said, “The family which experiences the joy of faith communicates it naturally.” He went on to say, “That family is the salt of the earth and the light of the world, it is the leaven of society.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/28/pope_francis:_jesus_continues_to_pray_and_intercede_for_us/en1-741365

2013-10-28 12:46:12
Pope Francis: Jesus continues to pray and intercede for us

(Vatican Radio) At the centre of Pope Francis’ homily on Monday morning was the passage from the Gospel of Luke during which Jesus remained in prayer throughout the whole night before choosing the twelve apostles, and he pointed out that Jesus continues to pray and to intercede for us.
Listen to Linda Bordoni's report... RealAudioMP3

Speaking to those gathered at Casa Santa Marta for Mass, the Pope said that by praying to God to choose his apostles, Jesus was “putting together his team together” – and afterwards a great number of people came to be with Him and to be healed by Him, because “power was coming Him and healing them all”. And he referred to three different rapports Jesus has: “Jesus and the Father, Jesus and his Apostles, Jesus and the people”. And the Pope pointed out that “Jesus prayed to the Father for the Apostles and for the people”. And he said: he is still praying.

Jesus has saved us, he said, with his prayers, with his sacrifice, with his life. He is gone now and he continues to pray – the Pope said – but does that mean that Jesus is a spirit? Jesus – he underlined – is not a spirit! He is a person, a man with flesh like our flesh, but in the glory of God. He said Jesus has wounds on his hands, on his feet and on his side. And when he prays he shows the Father the price of our salvation. Pope Francis said: “it is as if he is saying: Father, may this not be lost!”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/28/vatican_city_state_receives_elevated_standard_ethics_rating/en1-741479

2013-10-28 15:51:16
Vatican City State receives elevated Standard Ethics Rating

(Vatican Radio) The Standard Ethics independent rating agency has announced it has elevated the Standard Ethics Rating (SER) attributed to Vatican City State from “EE-” to “EE.”

The Standard Ethics Rating is a benchmarking tool on sustainability, social responsibility, governance and environment.

The sustainability ratings issued by Standard Ethics are the result of statistical and scientific work carried out to take a snapshot of the economic world in relation to ethical principles promoted by large international organisations.

In a note, Standard Ethics reported that since it was given a “positive outlook” last July, Vatican City State has successfully met international requests to provide greater financial and accounts transparency of its financial institutions.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/29/pope_francis:_hope_is_a_gift_from_the_holy_spirit/en1-741770

2013-10-29 14:05:37
Pope Francis: hope is a gift from the Holy Spirit

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday explained the true meaning of hope saying it’s much more than simple optimism for Christians, it is constant expectation, it’s a gift from the Holy Spirit, it’s a miracle of renewal that never lets us down.
Listen to Linda Bordoni's report... RealAudioMP3

Speaking at morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, the Pope reflected on the words of St. Paul in which he says: 'Never disappoint yourself'- Hope never lets you down. Why? Said the Pope: “Because it's a gift from the Holy Spirit”. And he continued: Paul tells us that hope has a name. Hope is Christ.

Elaborating on the meaning of hope the Pope said that it creates a tension directed towards the revelation of Jesus Christ, towards true joy that is eternal life.

And referring to the virtues of faith, hope and charity, the Pope said that often the virtue of hope is seen as the most humble of the three, because – he said – it is hidden in life. You can see faith – he added – you can feel it, you know what it is. And charity too – we know what that is. But what is hope? What is this attitude of hope? First of all - he said - we can say it is a risk, a risky virtue – as Saint Paul says: it is a virtue of ardent expectation for the Revelation. "It is not an illusion".

And he continued: “Jesus, the hope, renews everything. So hope is a constant miracle. "The miracle of what He’s doing in the Church. The miracle of making everything new: of what He does in my life, in your life, in our life. He builds and He rebuilds. And that is precisely the reason of our hope". "Christ is the one who renews every wonderful thing of the Creation; He's the reason of our hope. And this hope does not delude because He is faithful. He can't renounce Himself. This is the virtue of hope.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/29/vox_clara_committee_meeting_in_rome_/en1-741817

2013-10-29 15:51:17
Vox Clara Committee meeting in Rome

(Vatican Radio) The Vox Clara Committee is meeting this week in Rome. This Committee of senior Bishops from Episcopal Conferences throughout the English-speaking world was formed in 2001 in order to provide advice to the Holy See concerning English-language liturgical books and to strengthen effective cooperation with the Conferences of Bishops in this area.

“I think one of the main tasks we have is to explain to people why we need to have precise translations,” said Canada’s representative on the Committee, Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa.

Archbishop Prendergast spoke about the “richness” of the liturgical tradition, which was lost or obscured in earlier translations. “We want people to have a richer experience” of that tradition, he said.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/29/bishop_farrell:_unity_‘essential’_for_the_church/en1-741655

2013-10-29 10:45:30
Bishop Farrell: Unity ‘essential’ for the Church

(Vatican Radio) The 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) opens in Busan, South Korea, on Tuesday. About 4,000 delegates from nearly 350 member churches will participate in discussions around the theme, “God of life, lead us to justice and peace”.

Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, is leading a 20-member delegation from the Catholic Church. Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Council, is bringing a message from Pope Francis.

The Catholic Church is not a full member of the WCC, but participates in the assembly, which meets every seven years.

Vatican Radio’s Philippa Hitchen is in Busan, covering the assembly. She interviewed Bishop Farrell prior to her departure.

He said the theme of the meeting is a “reflection on the kind of activity and work” of the WCC’s member churches, which are at the “service of life”.

The assembly, which runs until 8 November, will consist of a series of plenary discussions and “ecumenical conversations”.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/28/vatican_sends_message_to_hindus_for_deepavali/en1-741422

2013-10-28 14:14:22
Vatican sends message to Hindus for Deepavali

(Vatican Radio) The Vatican has sent a message to Hindus as the celebrate the Feast of Deepavali.

In the Message, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran writes "Regardless of our ethnic, cultural, religious and ideological differences, all of us belong to the one human family."

The full text is below:
Christians and Hindus: fostering human relationships through friendship and solidarity

MESSAGE FOR THE FEAST OF DEEPAVALI
2013
Vatican City

Dear Hindu Friends,

1. In a spirit of friendship, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
extends to you best wishes and cordial greetings as you celebrate Deepavali on 3
November next. May God, the source of all light and life, illumine your lives and
deepen your happiness and peace.
 

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http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-archbishop-hartford-diocese-1029-20131028,0,6722417.story

Toledo Bishop Named New Archbishop In Hartford
1:32 p.m. EDT, October 29, 2013



BLOOMFIELD – Pope Francis on Tuesday announced the appointment of Bishop Leonard P. Blair, the bishop of Toledo, Ohio, as Hartford's new archbishop.

"Pope Francis appoints Bishop Leonard Blair as my successor,'' Hartford's current Archbishop, Henry J. Mansell, tweeted this morning. "He has my heartfelt congratulations, prayers and support."

Blair, 64, will not be officially installed until Dec. 16, but he joined church officials at a mid-morning press conference at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield. He displayed frequent flashes of humor during the hour-long appearance, reacted in good-nature when a bank of microphone failed to work properly and joking that he may never be able to master a New England accent.

But turning serious, Blair said, "I do pledge to you all my love and effort to serve Christ by serving you." He asked for prayers as he prepares take the helm in Hartford.

According to his biography on the Diocese of Toledo website, Blair was born in Detroit and was named the seventh bishop of Toledo on Oct. 7, 2003.

Blair was one of three bishops charged with assessing an organization that represents the majority of U.S. nuns. In that role, Blair oversaw a report in 2012 that was critical of the nuns' group, saying it undermined Catholic teaching on homosexuality and contraception and embraced radical feminism.

Christie A. Macaluso, Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford, called Blair "a very gifted and intelligent man of faith."
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/30/pope_francis_at_general_audience:_communion_of_saints_churchs/en1-742049

2013-10-30 12:43:32
Pope Francis at General Audience: Communion of Saints Church's deepest reality

(Vatican Radio) At his weekly General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis continued his series of catechetical reflections on the Creed, focusing this week on the Communion of Saints. In the English-language synthesis of the Holy Father’s remarks read out following the main catechesis in Italian, Pope Francis writes, “The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that the Communion of Saints is a communion “in holy things” and “among holy persons” (No. 948).

The Holy Father’s remarks go on to say that the Communion of Saints is the deepest reality of the Church, because in Christ, through Baptism, we are made sharers in the communion of life and love which is the Blessed Trinity: Listen: RealAudioMP3

As such, we are united to one another in the Body of Christ. Through this fraternal communion we draw nearer to God and we are called to support one another spiritually. The communion of saints does not only embrace the Church on earth; it also embraces all who have died in Christ, the souls in purgatory and the saints in heaven
 

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Oh dear, Pope Francis has the patience of a saint...
Video at the link

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/29/pope-francis-boy--stage-yellow-_n_4175486.html

Boy In Yellow Steals Pope Francis' Heart As Well As Ours At Vatican Celebration For Families (VIDEO)
Posted: 10/29/2013 6:23 pm EDT  |  Updated: 10/30/2013 12:25 pm EDT



This adorable little boy was on top of the world when he made friends with Pope Francis by wandering up onto the stage during the Pontiff's address to a crowd of families.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/31/pope_francis_says_mass_near_tomb_of_bl._pope_john_paul_ii/en1-742357

2013-10-31 11:48:33
Pope Francis says Mass near tomb of Bl. Pope John Paul II

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Thursday in St Peter’s Basilica, inside the St Sebastian Chapel where Blessed Pope John Paul II is buried.

Listen to Giulia Cirillo's report: RealAudioMP3

Every Thursday morning, a group of Polish worshippers takes part in a Mass celebrated in the St Sebastian Chapel. This week, the Mass was celebrated by Pope Francis himself. In his homily, the Pope focused on the love of God, and on two powerful images illustrating the two different ways in which this love might be received.

On the one hand, he said, we have the certainty of the apostle Paul: “no one can separate me from the love of Christ”. Paul lived through persecution, through illness, through betrayal, but the love of Christ was always at the centre of his life. On the other hand, Pope Francis continued, we have the sadness of Jesus as he looks upon Jerusalem, the unfaithful. And the heart of Jesus wept for this city that didn’t understand the love of God, for this love that was not received.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/31/pope_francis_meets_with_members_of_circolo_san_pietro/en1-742460

2013-10-31 14:04:09
Pope Francis meets with members of Circolo San Pietro

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the members of the St Peter’s Circle on Thursday in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican. The Circolo San Pietro as it is known in Italian was founded in Rome in 1869 through the efforts of a group of enthusiastic young men from the families of Roman nobility, who desired to witness to the world their fidelity to the Pope and to defend him during a difficult moment in the history of the papacy. Listen: RealAudioMP3

Today the Circle is essentially a charitable sodality: members distribute 50 thousand meals every year in three kitchens in various parts of the city of Rome; they offer family-style hospitality to parents whose children are admitted for care at the “Bambin Gesù” pediatric hospital, as well as to needy young women studying at university; the circle also distributes new clothing items to those in need through parishes, religious communities and other charitable organizations.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/31/new_cardinals_to_be_created_in_february_2014/en1-742446

2013-10-31 13:49:03
New Cardinals to be created in February 2014

(Vatican Radio) The Holy See Press Office has confirmed a Consistory to create new Cardinals will be held next February. Pope Francis had informed both the Council of Cardinals and the Council of the Synod of his intention earlier this month, according to statement issued by Rev. Federico Lombardi, SJ, the head of the Press Office.

The Consistory will be on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, February 22, 2014. Pope Francis decided to make the date known so that other meetings could be planned which involve Cardinals from around the world.

Father Lombardi said a Meeting of the Cardinals could be expected to happen before the Consistory, as has been customary with his predecessors. Prior to this meeting, will be the third meeting of the 8-member Council of Cardinals, while a meeting of the Council of the Synod will start two days after the Consistory.

Father Lombardi said a meeting of the 15 Member Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organisational and Economic Problems of the Holy See will also happen, as usual, in February. Although the date is not confirmed, it will probably be before the Consistory.
 

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http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=19546

Vatican's high-tech security made eavesdropping impossible at conclave
October 31, 2013

Contrary to a widely circulated report, the US National Security Agency (NSA) could not have eavesdropped on the conclave that elected Pope Francis, a veteran Vatican journalist has reported.

Andrea Tornielli of La Stampa writes that the Vatican had deployed sophisticated anti-bugging technology in the Sistine Chapel and throughout the apostolic palace in the days leading up to the conclave. The anti-bugging measures were already in place during the general congregations at which cardinals exchanged ideas prior to the opening of the conclave. Reporters who were in the building testified that internet connections were interrupted and cell-phone signals lost when the system was activated.
 

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http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/consistory-for-creation-of-new-cardinals-confirmed-for-february

Consistory for Creation of New Cardinals Confirmed for February
by Edward Pentin  Thursday, October 31, 2013 10:43 AM

 
Possible candidates for a "red hat" in the U.S. include Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, and Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles.

In the Vatican, very probable candidates are the new Vatican Secretary of State, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, and the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Gerhard Mueller.

The Church in the UK has been without a non-retired cardinal, eligible to vote in a conclave, for some time. A leading candidate for a red hat there is Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster.

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/01/pope_angelus:_to_be_saintly_is_a_vocation_for_everyone/en1-742714

2013-11-01 12:36:17
Pope Angelus: To be saintly is a vocation for everyone

(Vatican Radio) Speaking before the recitation of the Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square on Friday, Pope Francis reminded the faithful that the feast of All Saints, celebrated on November 1st, reminds us that the goal of our existence is not death, but Heaven.

The Saints the Pope said are “the friends of God,” and they assure us that his promise does not disappoint.

But the Holy Father also stressed that the Saints are not supermen, nor were they perfect, they were like you and me, he said. They were, the Pope continued people who before reaching the glory of heaven and who lived a normal life, with joys and sorrows , struggles and hopes.
But what changed their lives, added Pope Francis was the knowledge of the love of God , and they spent their lives enduring suffering and adversity without hate and responding to evil with good, spreading joy and peace.

The Holy Father underlined that “to be Saintly is not a privilege of a few, but a vocation for everyone. Therefore, he went on to say “we are all called to walk the path of holiness, and this pathway has a name and a face: it is Jesus Christ
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/01/pope_francis_celebrates_all_saints_mass_and_prays_for_migrants_who/en1-742840

2013-11-01 18:04:51
Pope Francis celebrates All Saints Mass and prays for migrants who perished

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Friday marking the solemnity of All Saints and afterwards prayed for the migrants who died in the desert or drowned at sea. The Mass was celebrated at the entrance of Rome’s Verano cemetery and took place exactly 20 years after the last papal visit there.
Listen to this report by Susy Hodges whose written text is below: RealAudioMP3

In his homily which was spoken entirely off the cuff, Pope Francis said our thoughts on this occasion go to “those who have preceded us and who are now in heaven with the Lord. “ And they are there, he continued, “because they were saved by Christ.” They were not saved merely because of their good works although they did those as well.

The Pope reminded us that “we can only enter the doors of Heaven thanks to the blood of Christ.” It is he who judges us and who opens the door to Heaven. This is our hope, he continued, and if we walk the path of Christ, accompanied by this hope, “He will never let us down.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/01/archbishop_welby:_no_sacrifice_too_great_to_obey_christ’s_call_to/en1-742687

2013-11-01 12:28:03
Archbishop Welby: no sacrifice too great to obey Christ’s call to unity



(Vatican Radio) The head of the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, said he hopes to “produce a few surprises” with Pope Francis in terms of ecumenical relations between the two churches, but declined to disclose any details.

The archbishop made the comment in an interview with Vatican Radio’s Philippa Hitchen at the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, currently underway in Busan, South Korea. Listen to the full interview: RealAudioMP3

He also reflected on the challenges and concessions that need to be made for the sake of Christian unity. The longer Christians “exist in different church communities around the world,” he said, “the more our different communities embed their own institutions and put down roots.”

“Perhaps we need to reimagine what it means to look like the church and to surrender some of the things that give us our sense of identity in the cause of Christ,” he said.

The churches need to be sure they are working on the important doctrinal and dogmatic differences between them “in the context of churches and ecclesial communities that say no sacrifice is too great to be obedient to the call of Christ that we may be one,” he said.

Read a transcript from the interview below:
 

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http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/news/detail/articolo/29155/

10/30/2013
Forbes ranks Francis as 4th most powerful person in the world

Pope Francis is the 4th ‘most powerful’ person in the world according to Forbes, the prestigious American business magazine, which has just released the names of those it ranks as ‘the 72 most powerful people’ on planet earth in 2013.

Forbes ranks him immediately after the Presidents of Russia, the USA and China.  It is a most extraordinary result for this humble leader of the Catholic Church who has never in his life sought position, power or status, has always lived as a poor man and, until his election as Pope used public transport, shuns mundane events and gives priority attention to the world’s poor.     

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was given the number 1 position in the Forbes list, followed by US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in the number 2 and 3 slots respectively.  Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel came in at Number 5, and is rated as the most powerful woman in the world.

Each year Forbes provides a ranking of the heads of state, financiers, philanthropists and entrepreneurs “who truly run the world”. It lists one for every 100 million of the world’s inhabitants, and since there are today 7.2 billion people on earth today,  it has come up with what it considers the 72 ‘most powerful’ among them.

Unlike Pope Francis who considers “power as service”, Forbes uses far different criteria to define ‘power’.  It outlines these criteria in an article published on-line October 30, in which it announced the 72 names. It explains that its editors measure ‘power’ along ‘four dimensions’.  First, they evaluate “whether the candidate has power over lots of people”. Next they assess “the financial resources controlled by each person, and see if they are relatively large compared to their peers”. Then they determine “if the candidate is powerful in multiple spheres”, being powerful in just one area is often not enough. Lastly, “they make sure that the candidates actively use their power.”
 

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http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/01/21276285-germanys-embattled-bishop-bling-moves-to-monastery-for-recuperation

15 hours ago
Germany's embattled 'bishop bling' moves to monastery for 'recuperation'

 
The Benedictine Abbey in Metten, where Tebartz-van Elst arrived this week, said in a statement Thursday that "the Benedictines are glad to see the bishop spending a spiritual period of recuperation" there.
 
Tebartz-van Elst was "taking part in the community and life of the monastery," the statement said, adding that he had spent clerical time there in the past.
 
In an interview with German broadcaster ZDF, Dean of Frankfurt Catholic Church Johannes zu Eltz said Catholics "need a bishop who trusts us, and who we can trust."

"We would like to elect a new bishop as soon as the Holy Father gives us permission to do so," he added.

Neither the Vatican nor the monastery said how long Tebartz-van Elst was expected to stay there.

Diocese officials in Limburg said the investigation would last until January. Tebartz-van Elst has denied any wrongdoing.