Pope Francis

[grace-land]

This is one area I deeply disagree.
Communion is between the Lord and the partaker and IMO should not be denied to anyone who seeks it in earnest.
We are all sinners and have fallen short, not just in marriage vows but in other covenants with God.  JMO

 

It's difficult for me to explain it, but I found an article that might be helpful...

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/is-pope-francis-going-to-let-the-divorced-and-remarried-receive-communion

Is Pope Francis going to let the divorced and remarried receive Communion?
by Jimmy Akin  Tuesday, October 22, 2013 8:26 PM

 
1) What is the Church’s discipline regarding divorce, remarriage, and Holy Communion?

If a person gets divorced, that does not mean that he is unable to receive Communion.

However, if that person then gets married outside of the Church, without an annulment (and/or without a dispensation from the Catholic form of marriage), then the person is not ordinarily able to receive Communion.

2) Why?

Because Jesus taught was emphatic about the permanence of marriage. Simply getting a divorce in the eyes of men does not mean that you aren’t still married in the eyes of God.

Thus, unless special circumstances apply, the person’s first marriage will still be binding and his new marriage will be invalid.

If he’s leading a normal married life (involving sex) then, in Jesus’ own words, he is committing adultery against his former wife.

Don’t take my word on that: CHECK IT OUT. This teaching is from Jesus Christ himself.

Adultery is a grave sin, and any person living in unrepented, unconfessed grave sin is not eligible to receive Holy Communion.
 

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http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/31027/

01/ 4/2014
Pope abolishes honorary title of monsignor for diocesan priests under the age of 65

In a new move aimed at reforming the clergy and eliminating careerism in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has abolished the conferral of the Pontifical Honor of ‘Monsignor’ on secular priests under the age of 65. 

Henceforth, the only Pontifical Honor that will be conferred on ‘secular priests’  will be that of ‘Chaplain to His Holiness’ and this will be conferred only on ‘worthy priests’ who are over 65 years of age. (‘Secular priests’ are priests in a diocese, who are not monks or members of religious institutes or orders).

The Vatican’s Secretariat of State has communicated this news to Apostolic Nuncios around the world, and has asked them to inform all bishops in their respective countries of the decision in this regard taken by Pope Francis.   

Thus, for example, on January 2, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, wrote to all the bishops in Great Britain to inform them of the Pope’s decision.  He confirmed that “the privileges in this regard” that have already been granted by the Roman Pontiff to “physical or juridical persons” remain in force.  This would suggest that the papal decree is not retroactive, those who are already monsignors will not lose their title.

The decision does not come as a surprise to those who know Pope Francis.  A humble man, he has always been averse to ecclesiastical titles, and when he was bishop and later cardinal in Argentina he always asked people to call him ‘Father’,  instead of ‘My Lord’, ‘Your Grace’ or ‘Your Eminence’; he is convinced that the name ‘Father’ best reflects  the mission that has been entrusted to a priest, bishop or cardinal.  Indeed, during his tenure as archbishop of Buenos Aires (1998-2013), he never asked the Holy See to confer the title of ‘monsignor’ on any priest in the archdiocese.

In taking this decision, Pope Francis is building on the reform in this area of ecclesiastical titles that was introduced by Paul VI in 1968, in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Before Paul VI’s reform there were 14 grades of ‘monsignor’, he reduced them to the three ranks that exist today: Apostolic Protonotary, Honorary Prelate of His Holiness, Chaplain of His Holiness.   The original titles dated back to the pontificate of Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644).

These three honors are granted by the Pope, usually on the proposal of the local bishop, to Catholic priests who have rendered particularly valuable service to the Church.  The priests are given these Pontifical Honors may be addressed as ‘Monsignor’ and has certain privileges, such as those regarding ecclesiastical dress and vestments.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/05/pope_announces_papal_visit_to_holy_land/en1-761418

2014-01-05 12:29:24
Pope announces papal visit to Holy Land

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will make a papal visit to the Holy Land in May of this year. The Holy Father made the announcement after the recitation of the Sunday Angelus overlooking a rainy St Peter’s Square. Speaking to pilgrims who braved the elements to hear his words, the Pope said, “in the climate of joy, typical of this Christmas season , I wish to announce that from 24 to 26 May next, God willing, I will make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land .

The Holy Father went on to say that the main purpose of the trip is to commemorate the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, which took place on January 5th , 50 years ago.

During his journey, Pope Francis told those present, that he would be visiting Amman, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. He also said there would be an Ecumenical Meeting held at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with the representatives of the Christian Churches of Jerusalem, together with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. He ended his announcement by saying, “As of now I ask you to pray for this pilgrimage.”
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/04/bishop_william_shomali_on_popes_visit_to_holy_land/en1-761227

2014-01-05 12:45:44
Bishop William Shomali on Pope's visit to Holy Land

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis announced his upcoming pilgrimage to the Holy Land on Sunday, following his usual Angelus address. The Pope’s three-day trip will run from May 24 to May 26, and will include a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as well as meetings with the Muslim and Jewish communities.

The auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, William Shomali, told Vatican Radio that the community in the Holy Land is “expecting a lot from this visit”.

“Christians, Jews and Muslims (in the Holy Land) are counting on this visit to intensify the ecumenical and the interreligious relationships,” he said.

He said one of the highlights will be the encounter between Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, along with all of the bishops and patriarchs of the Holy City.

He also expressed the hope that this visit would advance relations with the Orthodox Church.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/04/past_papal_visits_to_holy_land/en1-761334

2014-01-05 19:11:08
Past papal visits to Holy Land

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has announced his upcoming trip to the Holy Land just one day after the 50th anniversary of the first ever papal trip to the region. Pope Paul VI began his visit – which included the main holy sites in Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth – on January 4th 1964. This was the first journey outside Italy for a Pope who would eventually visit six continents and become the best-travelled Pope in history up to that point, and also marked the first time a Roman Pontiff had ever travelled by plane. Even more importantly, this historic pilgrimage marked a fundamental shift in Catholic-Orthodox relations: Paul VI met with the head of the Orthodox Church at the time, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Athenagoras I, in the Garden of Olives in Jerusalem, an encounter which led to the lifting of the mutual excommunications declared after the East-West Schism in 1054.

No less historic was the following papal visit the to Holy Land, made by Pope John Paul II during the Jubilee year 2000. This visit was undertaken both as a personal, spiritual pilgrimage to the roots of faith, and as a diplomatic visit intended to promote reconciliation between Christians, Muslims and Jews living side by side in the Middle East. Among the most memorable images from this trip is the moment when John Paul II prayed at the so-called Wailing Wall in the traditional Jewish way, leaving a written prayer in one of its cracks. Remarkably, this prayer contained a plea for God’s forgiveness for Christian sins against the Jewish people.

Pope Benedict XVI followed his predecessors to Jerusalem in May 2009, visiting, among other sites, the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. There he met with Holocaust survivors, and said the Church must help ensure that hatred is never allowed to reign again.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/06/pope_epiphany_mass:_follow_the_light_that_leads_to_christ/en1-761607

2014-01-06 14:27:17
Pope Epiphany Mass: Follow the light that leads to Christ

(Vatican Radio) Against the majestic surroundings of St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis celebrated Mass on the feast of the Epiphany. On this the day when the Church remembers the revelation of Jesus to humanity in the face of a child, the Pope began the celebration by kissing a statue of the Baby Jesus which was put pride of place in front of the altar.
At the heart of the Holy Father’s Homily, was the message that we must never be blinded by the forces of darkness but instead be transformed by the light of Christ.
The Pope was referring to the journey the Magi made, whose path was illuminated by a star which brings them in search of the great light of the Lord Jesus.
These three wise men, continued Pope Francis were able to overcome the darkness of King Herod, and his fear of a fragile child’s birth because they believed in the scriptures.
The Holy Father also noted that we as Christians need to be spiritually astute just like the Magi were. They, he said were able to use a light of awareness to avoid the danger of Herod’s dark palace on their way back from visiting the Christ child.
The Pope then went on to underline the importance of what we can learn from these three Kings saying, “ they teach us how to defend ourselves against the darkness that seeks to envelope our lives”, they also teach us not to settle for “a mediocre life”, but aim for a life that is fascinated by good, truth, and beauty.
Concluding his Homily, Pope Francis urged Christians to follow the example of the Magi and search for the great light of Christ with our little lights.
Below is the English language translation of the Pope's Homily during Mass on the Feast of the Epiphany.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/06/pope’s_angelus:_“jesus_is_the_epiphany”,_the_lord_does_not/en1-761536

2014-01-06 13:40:02
Pope’s Angelus: “Jesus is the Epiphany”, the Lord does not proselytize but loves

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis greeted tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered on a bright crisp day in St. Peter’s Square Monday for the recitation of the Angelus Prayer and to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany with the Holy Father.
Listen to Tracey McClure's report on what the Holy Father had to say at the Angelus and in his Homily at the morning mass on the Feast of the Epiphany: RealAudioMP3

In his address, the Pope referred to Pope Benedict Emeritus’s book, “Jesus of Nazareth: the Infancy Narratives” which he said “magnificently” recounts the biblical coming of the Magi from the East to Bethlehem to pay homage to the Christ Child. The Epiphany, Pope Francis said, marks the first “manifestation” of Christ to the people and as a consequence, points to the universal salvation brought by Jesus.

In today’s feast, we see a “dual movement,” the Pope noted: of God who comes “towards the world, towards humanity” and of men who seek closeness to God: “the religions, the search for truth, the way of people towards peace, justice, liberty.”
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/06/fr._lombardi:_current_debate_over_papal_comments_on_education/en1-761682

2014-01-06 17:32:05
Fr. Lombardi: current debate over Papal comments on education “forced” and “manipulated”

(Vatican Radio) The Director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi has issued an explanatory note following extensive debate in the Italian media after the publication by the Jesuit journal Civiltà Cattolica of a conversation between Pope Francis and religious superiors on November 29th. Many comments focused on gay unions.

In his note, Fr. Lombardi says in his conversation with the religious superiors, the Pope took up the consideration that the situation in which young people and children today are educated is very different from the past because they live in many difficult family situations: with separated parents, new “anomalous” unions, and "sometimes even homosexual unions and so on."

“Education and the proclamation of faith,” notes Lombardi, “of course cannot ignore this reality and must be attentive to the welfare of future generations, affectionately accompanying them in their current context,” so that they will not react negatively to the faith.

Several Italian media reported on this very “general conversation on the educational role of the Church November 29th,” comments Lombardi, who notes that only “in recent days” has the question has been raised in the debate regarding the recognition of civil unions of same-sex couples .

The topic was quite obviously “forced” Fr. Lombardi observes, “so as to appear in some cases as a manipulation.” Speaking of an "openness to gay couples " is paradoxical, Fr. Lombardi states, “because the Pope's speech is overall general (in nature) and because even the small concrete example made by the Pope about (a girl who is sad because her mother’s girlfriend does not love her ) alludes to the suffering of children ...”
 

[grace-land]

http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/

Saturday, January 04, 2014
As "Scarlet Bowl" Nears, The Watch Begins....

 
With a 22 February Consistory already announced, this weekend begins the time-honored waiting-game for Francis to reveal his first batch of new cardinals so the necessary public prep for the rites can duly get underway.

If prior practice holds, the biglietto (literally, the "ticket" listing the cardinals-designate in specific order of precedence) will be read out by the Pope either at an Angelus or Wednesday Audience within the next two weeks. In recent rounds, the choices have been privately tipped off a day in advance by their local Nuncio, or the Secretariat of State for those resident in Rome.
 

[grace-land]

Another article about the limiting of the honorary title, "Monsignor."

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/reported-papal-limit-on-monsignor-could-be-return-to-older-tradition/

Reported Papal Limit on ‘Monsignor’ Could Be Return to Older Tradition
by CARL BUNDERSON/CNA/EWTN NEWS 01/06/2014

VATICAN CITY — Commenting on Pope Francis allegedly restricting the honorary title of “monsignor” to priests over the age of 65, one historian has suggested that the move could be a return to traditional practice.

On Jan. 4, the Italian daily La Stampa reported that, “henceforth, the only pontifical honor that will be conferred on ‘secular priests’ will be that of ‘Chaplain to His Holiness,’ and this will be conferred only on ‘worthy priests’ who are over 65 years of age.”
 
James Hitchcock, professor emeritus of history at St. Louis University, told CNA/EWTN News Jan. 6 that the honorary title had been one given “almost always to senior priests, very few in number.”

“Monsignor” is an honorary title bestowed on priests that makes them members of the papal household; the title is granted by the Pope on the recommendation of local bishops and entitles priests to certain privileges of dress and precedence in choir.
 
According to La Stampa, Pope Francis has further reformed the practice, such that the sole remaining grade of monsignor is “Chaplain to His Holiness.” However, the Vatican has not publicly released any document or statement confirming the modification.
 

[grace-land]

Official statement regarding the granting of the title, "Monsignor."

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/07/pope_francis_reforms_ecclesiastical_honours/en1-761830

2014-01-07 13:22:47
Pope Francis reforms ecclesiastical honours

(Vatican Radio) The Secretariat of State of the Holy See on Tuesday issued a statement explaining the change in practice Pope Francis has instituted regarding the granting of the title of Monsignor. By circular letter sent to the world’s Nunciatures, the Secretariat of State has informed Bishops’ conferences that, in the world’s Dioceses, the only ecclesiastical title henceforth to be conferred shall be “Chaplain of His Holiness”, to which the appellation, “Monsignor”, shall correspond. The title shall be conferred only upon priests who have reached the age of 65.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/07/pope_francis:_test_the_spirits/en1-761803

2014-01-07 12:38:00
Pope Francis: Test the spirits

(Vatican Radio) The Christian knows to guard his heart in order to distinguish what comes from God and what comes from the false prophets. That was the message of Pope Francis in the morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, the first after the holiday season. The Pope said the way of Jesus is that of service and humility, a path that all Christians are called to follow.

Pope Francis took the words “Remain in the Lord,” from the first Reading from the Apostle John, as the starting point for his homily. It is a “counsel for life,” the Pope said, that John repeats “almost obsessively.” The Apostle shows “one of the attitudes of the Christian who wants to remain in the Lord: to understand what’s happening in one’s own heart.” For this reason he warns us, “Do not to trust every spirit, but test the spirits.” It is necessary, the Pope said, to know “the discernment of spirits,” to discern whether something helps us “remain in the Lord or takes us away from Him.” “Our heart,” he added, “always has desires, has cravings, has thoughts.” But “are these from the Lord or do some of these things take us away from the Lord?” That’s why the Apostle John exhorts us to “test” what we think and desire:
 

[grace-land]

Awww...hope the little lamb enjoyed it as much as the pope.

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1400057.htm

Jan-7-2014
Pope meets baby Jesus, carries lamb during visit to live Nativity scene


A lamb sits around the neck of Pope Francis as he visits a Nativity scene at the Church of St. Alfonso Maria dei Liguori in Rome Jan. 6. (CNS/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Surrounded by cheese sellers, shoemakers and bleating, baying animals, Pope Francis immersed himself in a lively re-enactment of a special day in Bethlehem.

He even let a lamb rest on his shoulders and greeted a tiny baby named Francis, who played the part of Jesus, when he visited a live Nativity scene Jan. 6 at the Church of St. Alfonso Maria dei Liguori on the northern outskirts of Rome.
 
-----------------
Many photos of the event...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/07/pope-francis-lamb_n_4554696.html?utm_hp_ref=religion#slide=3298483
Posted: 01/07/14 EST  |  Updated: 01/07/14 EST   
Photos Of Pope Francis And Lamb At The Nativity Scene On Epiphany Make Us So Happy
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Video of the event at the link...

http://www.romereports.com/pg155324-pope-makes-surprise-visit-to-a-live-nativity-scene-in-rome--en
Pope makes surprise visit to a 'live Nativity Scene' in Rome
2014-01-07

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http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-francis-sets-busy-slate-for-2014/

Pope Francis Sets Busy Slate for 2014
01/07/2014

VATICAN CITY —  Pope Francis has a packed agenda for 2014, including a consistory to create new cardinals, a trip to the Holy Land and the canonizations of Blessed Popes John XXIII and John Paul II.

The papal year begins, as usual, with a distinctly international emphasis, when the Holy Father gives his annual “survey of the world” to diplomats from 180 countries accredited to the Holy See.

Many of the concerns he raised in his address and blessing urbi et orbi (to the city of Rome and the world) on Christmas Day will figure highly in the Jan. 13 address, in particular the conflict in Syria and the current peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. Francis is also expected to highlight the importance of international solidarity, especially for victims of war and natural disasters, underline the need for social justice and the plight of refugees and the increasing persecution of Christians worldwide.

Mention will also be made at the meeting of two important anniversaries this year: the 50th anniversary of the Holy See becoming a permanent ******* at the United Nations, which falls on April 6, and the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I.

On Jan. 13, the Vatican will also host a summit of international experts to look at ways of resolving the Syrian conflict. The Pope, most probably through his secretary of state, is expected to voice his particular concerns, not least for Christians in the country who fear they are being targeted by Islamist militants
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/08/pope_francis:_our_baptism_gives_us_a_new_and_glorious_hope/en1-762092

2014-01-08 11:22:40
Pope Francis: Our baptism gives us a new and glorious hope

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday reflected on the great gift we received when we were baptized.

Speaking to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the weekly General Audience, the Pope began a series of catecheses on the Sacraments, starting with Baptism.

Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni... RealAudioMP3

He said that the Second Vatican Council tells us that the Church herself is a “Sacrament”, a grace-filled sign which makes Christ’s saving work present in history, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/on-the-sacrament-of-baptism--2

On the Sacrament of Baptism
Vatican City,  January 08, 2014

Here is the translation of the Holy Father’s catechesis on the Sacraments given at today’s General Audience in St. Peter’s Square.
* * *
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today we begin a new series of Catecheses on the Sacraments, and the first is Baptism. By a happy coincidence, next Sunday marks the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

1. Baptism is the sacrament in which our faith is founded upon and which engages us as living members in Christ and in His Church. Together with the Eucharist and Confirmation, they form the so-called “Christian Initiation”, which constitutes as a single, great sacramental event that configures us to the Lord and makes of us a living sign of His presence and His love.

But a question may arise in us: is Baptism truly necessary to live as Christians and to follow Jesus? Isn’t it basically a simple rite, a formal act of the Church to give a name to a boy or a girl? It is a question that may come to us. In this context, it is illuminating what the Apostle Paul writes: “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom. 6,3-4). Therefore, it is not a formality! It is an act that profoundly touches our existence. A baptized child and a non-baptized child is not the same! A baptized person and a non-baptized person is not the same! With Baptism we come immersed in that inexhaustible source of life that is the death of Jesus, the greatest act of love in all of history; and thanks to this love we can live a new life, no longer at the mercy of evil, of sin and death, but in the communion with God and with the brothers.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/07/pope-francis-mayan-mass_n_4557206.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

Pope Francis Approves Mayan Mass, Opens Up Liturgy In Indigenous Languages Tzotzil And Tzeltal
Posted: 01/07/2014 10:29 pm EST

The Catholic Church has officially recognized the liturgy conducted in Mayan languages Tzotzil and Tzeltal, seven years after the Diocese of San Cristobal led the call for the Vatican to accept it. Pope Francis approved it in October 2013, and now mass and important Catholic rituals like confession and baptism can be officially conducted in the two indigenous languages.

This is of huge importance to the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, where San Cristobal is located. 65% of the population of Chiapas is native Maya, and most of those people speak little Spanish, though it is the official language of the liturgy along with Latin.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/09/pope_francis:_christian_love_is_concrete/en1-762444

2014-01-09 12:37:32
Pope Francis: Christian love is concrete

(Vatican Radio) Christian love is always “concrete,” Pope Francis said in his homily at the morning Mass celebrated at the Casa Santa Marta. Love, then, consists “more in actions than in words, more in giving than in receiving.”

Love is not a kind of romanticism: either it is a selfless and solicitous love which rolls up its sleeves and looks to the poor, preferring to give rather than to receive; or it has nothing to do with Christian love.

Pope Francis took as the starting point for his reflection the words of the First Letter of John, in which the Apostle insists: “if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is brought to perfection in us.” The experience of faith, the Pope said, is found in this double “remaining”:

“We are in God and God is in us: this is the Christian life. Not remaining in the spirit of the world, not remaining in superficiality, not remaining in idolatry, not remaining in vanity. No, no, remaining in the Lord. And He reciprocates: He abides in us. But He remains in us first. Many times we push Him out and we cannot remain in Him. It is the Spirit that remains.”

Having clarified the dynamics of the spirit that prompts the love of Christians, Pope Francis goes on to examine the application. “Remaining in the love of God,” he says, is not so much an ecstasy of the heart, a nice thing to feel:
 

[grace-land]

http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2014/01/ewtn_plans_documentary_on_pope.html

EWTN airs documentary on Pope Francis: 'The Pope From the New World'
on January 09, 2014 at 9:19 AM, updated January 09, 2014 at 11:17 AM

IRONDALE, Alabama - Birmingham-based EWTN Global Catholic Network will air a documentary on Pope Francis beginning Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 8:30 p.m. Central.
 
The documentary “Francis: The Pope From the New World,” features interviews with his close friends, fellow priests, co-workers, his biographer, and the poor of Buenos Aires.

EWTN will air repeats of “Francis: The Pope From the New World” at 9 a.m. Central, Thursday, Jan. 16, and 5 p.m.  Central, Saturday, Jan. 18. The hour-long documentary was filmed mostly in Argentina. The first airing of the documentary will be preceded at 7 p.m. Central with a special “EWTN Live,” featuring Executive Producers Andrew T. Walther and Alejandro Bermudez.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/10/pope_francis:_friday_mass_at_casa_santa_marta/en1-762743

2014-01-10 11:46:38
Pope Francis: Friday Mass at Casa Santa Marta

(Vatican Radio) “Faith makes all things possible,” but we must place our trust completely in God. This was the central focus of Pope Francis’ remarks following the readings of the day at Mass on Friday morning in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican.

Pope Francis concentrated especially on the 1st Letter of St John, in which he speaks of the faithful Christian as the one who is truly victor over the world. Pope Francis explained that genuine faith must be total and complete, not partial, and must express itself as an abiding in the Lord, abiding in Love:

“Whoever abides in God, whoever is begotten by God, whoever abides in love, has victory over the world – and this victory is our faith – on our part, it is the faith. On God’s part, [it is] the Holy Spirit who makes this [abiding, this victory] possible through faith. For our part, faith: it is powerful! The strength of faith has overcome the world! Our faith can do everything! It is victory! It would be beautiful to repeat this, even to ourselves, because we are often [as] Christians defeated. The Church is full of defeated Christians who do not believe in this, that faith is the victory - who do not live this faith, because if you do not live this faith, there is defeat, the world wins, the prince of this world.”