Pope Francis

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/14/pope_francis_meets_with_engaged_couples_in_st._peters_square/en1-773203

2014-02-14 14:11:35
Pope Francis meets with engaged couples in St. Peter's Square



(VIS/Vatican Radio) Ten thousand engaged couples from all over the world gathered today, on the feast of St. Valentine, in St. Peter's Square to consider the vocation of marriage, with the theme “The joy of 'Yes' forever”, and to meet with Pope Francis. The event, organised by the Pontifical Council for the Family, takes as its starting point the idea that one does not get married once all problems are solved, but rather that one marries in order to face problems together, and concludes that it is still possible to take the risk of saying “forever”, that it takes courage, but “forever” is a prospect that brings joy and allows us to look to the future with hope.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/14/vatican_radio_interviews_archbishop_georg_gänswein/en1-773344

2014-02-14 17:58:02
Vatican Radio interviews Archbishop Georg Gänswein



(Vatican Radio) “In retreat, with my prayer, I will always be with you, and together we go forth with the Lord.” With these words, on February the 14th of last year, Pope Benedict XVI bade farewell to the priests of his diocese here in Rome, three days after the announcement of his resignation from the papal ministry. One year on, Vatican Radio’s Alessandro Gisotti spoke to Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Personal Secretary of the Pope Emeritus and Prefect of the Pontifical Household, to find out how Benedict XVI spent the first anniversary of that historic resignation.

Please find the interview text in English translation below:

February the 11th of this year was a day like any other: the morning started with Mass, then the breviary, then breakfast, and then the day continued. Of course, on this day there was also talk of February the 11th 2013, which was a historic day, unforgettable for all those who lived through it. We thought about it, we talked about it, but it made no difference to February the 11th 2014.

A year has passed since this historic move of resignation. How would you describe this unique period for Pope Benedict?
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/15/pope_francis_receives_president_of_cyprus:_statement_from_holy_see/en1-773495

2014-02-15 13:03:43
Pope Francis receives President of Cyprus: statement from Holy See Press Office

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, this morning at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. A communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See says the Pope and the President held cordial discussions in which they covered a number of topics, including the role of religion in society and the importance of religious liberty. The leaders expressed satisfaction at the resumption of negotiations to end the four-decade division of the island between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Below, please find the full text of the statement from the Press Office of the Holy See:
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/son-of-god-movie-brings-gospels-to-life-catholic-leaders-say/

'Son of God' movie brings Gospels to life, Catholic leaders say



Los Angeles, Calif., Feb 15, 2014 / 04:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A new movie about Jesus Christ – to be released by the makers of the popular History Channel television miniseries “The Bible” – has drawn praise from several Catholic bishops and leaders.

“It is the biggest, greatest story ever told,” said Roma Downey, a co-producer of “Son of God” who stars as Mary.

“The Story of the Son of God is one of the most-known stories in the history of the world,” added her husband and co-producer Mark Burnett. “And yet it never gets old. And the way we have told it is very connective, very young, very gritty and real. You really feel connected and can see yourself as these characters.”

The movie is based on the Bible and covers the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. A 20-minute preview of the video is already being distributed by 20th Century Fox.

The full movie will be released Feb. 28 in English, Spanish and Korean. Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado will play the role of Jesus. Morgado said the role is “overwhelming.”
 
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcIXCok9HPg

Son of God Movie Trailer 2014 - Official [HD]

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/16/pope_francis:_sunday_angelus/en1-773687

2014-02-16 12:53:36
Pope Francis: Sunday Angelus

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed the Angelus with the faithful in St Peter’s Square this Sunday. Bright sunshine and unseasonable warmth in the air encouraged 50 thousand people to gather beneath the window to the Papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace. Ahead of the traditional prayer of Marian devotion, they heard the Holy Father speak of the day’s Gospel reading, taken from that according to St. Matthew (5:17-37).

In that Gospel reading, Our Lord is delivering his Sermon on the Mount – specifically, the part of the sermon in which Jesus addresses the question of His relationship to the Law of Moses. “Jesus does not want to erase the commandments that the Lord gave through Moses,” explained Pope Francis. “Rather,” he continued, “He desires to bring them to their fulfilment – and He immediately adds that this ‘fulfillment’ of the Law requires a higher justice, a more authentic observance.
 
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/16/pope_francis:_visit_to_roman_parish_dedicated_to_st_thomas_the_apostle/en1-773723

2014-02-16 18:32:07
Pope Francis: visit to Roman parish dedicated to St Thomas the Apostle

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis visited the parish church of San Tommaso Apostolo in Infernetto this Sunday. Infernetto is a neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city near the site of the ancient port of Ostia. Listen to our report: RealAudioMP3

The Holy Father’s visit began at 4PM Rome Time.

The schedule of the visit included: a meeting with the children and young people of the parish, who are making their First Communion and Confirmation; an exchange of greetings with the parish faithful in the courtyard in front of the church; some time with children baptized in recent months and with their parents; with the elderly the sick, and with the Parish-sponsored association of families with disabled children. Pope Francis also made time to hear the confessions of several penitents before offering the Mass, which began at 6PM Rome Time.

The occasion of the visit is the 50th anniversary of the founding of the parish, dedicated to St. Thomas the Apostle
 
 

[grace-land]

The two articles below explain the Courage apostolate which ministers to persons with same-sex attraction.

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/courage-part-1

Courage (Part 1)
Rome,  February 13, 2014

Responding to the needs of a group of people who often feel alienated from the Church, the Courage apostolate ministers to men and women with same-sex attraction by helping them to move beyond the homosexual label and find unity with Christ

The international apostolate, which serves half the dioceses of the United States and 12 other countries, aims to offer its members a support system whereby they can live chaste lives in fellowship, truth, and love.

Since 2008, Fr. Paul Check has served as the director of Courage, having assumed the position from its founder, the late Fr. John Harvey.

In a recent interview with ZENIT, Fr. Check spoke about the origins of the apostolate, and the importance of approaching the definition of homosexuality with care and attentiveness:

ZENIT: Could you speak a little about the history of the Courage apostolate?

Fr. Check: In 1980, the then Cardinal Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Terence Cooke, had a sense that there was a need for the Church to express her maternal solicitude and her pastoral charity for a group of people who often feel as though they are estranged from the Church, even hated by the Church, and have no place in the Church. He called upon Fr. Benedict Groeschel, asking for his assistance in beginning an apostolate, a ministry, to help men and women with homosexual inclinations know that they are loved by Christ, that they have a place in the Church, that they are called to live chaste lives, and that God will give them the grace to do so.
 
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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/courage-part-2

Courage (Part 2)
Rome,  February 14, 2014
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/17/pope:_the_patience_of_god’s_people_keeps_the_church_going_/en1-773913

2014-02-17 13:55:09
Pope: the patience of God’s people keeps the Church going

(Vatican Radio) The people of God endure the challenges of daily life with faith and patience. That – Pope Francis said – is what keeps the Church going.

Speaking at morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta on Monday, the Pope commented on the Letter of St. James in which he says: “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds”. Patience he explained – has nothing to do with resignation – “when we endure trials with faith they ripen our lives”.

He who wants everything immediately – the Pope said – he who does not know the wisdom of patience and perseverance is like a spoilt child. That kind of person – he added – is a person who does not grow, who is incapable of facing life as it presents itself. And another temptation for those who have no patience – the Pope said – is in the omnipotence of getting what you want immediately, as in the case of the Pharisees who asked Jesus for a sign form heaven: “they wanted God to perform a miracle to show that God approved of him”.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/17/council_of_eight_cardinals_meets_at_start_of_busy_week/en1-773937

2014-02-17 14:38:52   
Council of eight Cardinals meets at start of busy week



(Vatican Radio) Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi on Monday briefed journalists about a meeting of the Council of Cardinals and other key encounters between Pope Francis and his closest advisers that are taking place throughout this week.

The Council of eight Cardinals, plus Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal-designate Pietro Parolin, concelebrated Mass at 7am on Monday morning with the Pope in the Chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, before beginning their work in an adjacent meeting room. The first session was dedicated to hearing a report from the Commission for Reference on the Organisation of the economic-administrative structures of the Holy See, presented by three members of that Commission. Fr Lombardi noted that no decisions have been taken by this Commission, composed mainly of lay people, but rather three of its members were able to report on the first seven months of work since it was established by Pope Francis in July last year.

On Tuesday the Cardinals are expected to receive a report from the second special commission set up by the Pope to oversee the Institute for Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican Bank. On Wednesday Pope Francis and the Council of Eight will meet with the 15 member Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational and Economic Questions of the Holy See.
 

[grace-land]

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/02/17/pope-francis-renews-his-passport-as-a-regular-argentine-citizen/

Pope Francis renews his passport as a regular Argentine citizen
February 17, 2014


(Pope Francis’ new national identification card and passport are seen in this undated handout photo taken by Argentina’s Interior Ministry and distributed on February 17, 2014. REUTERS/Interior Ministry/Handout)

Pope Francis wants to travel the world as a regular Argentine and not a privileged citizen of the Vatican City microstate, Argentina said on Monday.

The head of the Catholic Church and former bishop of Buenos Aires has asked his birth country to renew his passport and identification card, the country’s interior and transportation ministry said.
 
Francis already holds a passport issued by the Vatican, Randazzo said.

[grace-land]

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/council-of-cardinals-begins-third-set-of-reform-meetings/

Council of Cardinals Begins Third Set of Reform Meetings
by ELISE HARRIS/CNA/EWTN NEWS 02/17/2014

VATICAN CITY — Meeting for the third time since its institution, the council of eight cardinals has reconvened in Rome to address the economic affairs of the Holy See and will continue discussions over the next three days.

The council, chosen by Pope Francis to advise him on matters of Church governance and Curia reform, will be meeting Feb. 17-19, following an initial meeting in October and a second in December.
 
Feb. 22 Consistory

Father Lombardi also drew attention to the consistory that will be held on Saturday, Feb. 22, during which Pope Francis “will create 16 new cardinals,” who will celebrate Mass with the Holy Father the next morning.

Closing his remarks, the spokesman noted that on Monday and Tuesday of next week, “a meeting of the Secretariat of the Synod and the council of 15 will take place” and will continue preparations for the upcoming Synod of Bishops.

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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.”
 

BBM

 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/18/pope_francis:_resist_temptation_by_listening_to_jesus_word/en1-774220

2014-02-18 13:27:33
Pope Francis: resist temptation by listening to Jesus' Word

(Vatican Radio) Resisting the seduction of temptation is possible only “when listening to the Word of Jesus.” Those were the words of Pope Francis in his homily at the Mass this morning at Casa Santa Marta. Despite our weaknesses, the Pope repeated, Christ always gives us “confidence” and opens to us a horizon wider than our limitations.

Temptation manifests itself as a harmless attraction and ends up turning into a cage. Rather than trying to escape, more often we try to minimize the slavery, being deaf to the Word of God. In his homily, Pope Francis reaffirms a truth and a sequence described by St. James in the day’s reading. The truth is that man is tempted not by God, but by his passions. The sequence is produced by the same passions, which, the Apostle says, “conceive and produce sin. And sin, once committed, brings forth death”:

“Where does temptation come from? How does it work in us? The Apostle tells us that it is not from God, but from our passions, our inner weaknesses, from the wounds left in us by original sin: that’s where temptations come from, from these passions. It’s curious... temptation has three characteristics: it grows, is contagious and is justified. It grows: it begins with a tranquil air, and grows ... Jesus himself said this when He spoke about the parable of the wheat and the tares. The wheat grew, but so did the weeds sown by the enemy. And the temptation grows: it grows, it grows... And if one does not stop it, it fills everything.”
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/18/council_of_cardinals_discuss_ior/en1-774284

2014-02-18 15:22:41
Council of Cardinals discuss IOR

(VIS/Vatican Radio) Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, on Tuesday gave a briefing on the second meeting of the Holy Father and the Council of Cardinals (C8). The meeting was also attended by Archbishop Pietro Parolin, secretary of State, who will participate at all times, although he will be absent from this afternoon's session due to an official appointment at the Italian embassy to the Holy See.

Fr. Lombardi communicated that yesterday afternoon the Council reflected on the results of the Commission for Reference on the the Organisation of the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See (COSEA), presented during the preceding morning session. The president of the Commission, Joseph F.X. Zahra, was the only member of the Commission present. Msgr. Alfred Xuereb also attended today's meeting in his role as the papal delegate to the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Institute of Works of Religion.
 
Fr. Lombardi commented that it is important to bear in mind, considering the work of the two Commissions, that their aims are different but that they both fit into the contextual reality of the Holy See; for this reason the Holy Father wishes to obtain an overall view with regard to the reorganisation of its governance and structures.

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/bishop-affirms-that-traditional-mass-unites-church-in-worship/

Bishop affirms that traditional Mass unites Church in worship

Vatican City, Feb 18, 2014 / 12:13 am (CNA/EWTN News).- During a recent interview, Archbishop Arthur Roche spoke on the significance of the Traditional Latin Mass, explaining that the Mass nourishes us, and that the special rite brings us together in a unique way.

“It’s a common language, as it were, that brings us together, that holds us together,” the archbishop noted during a Feb. 13 interview with CNA, adding that “the Latin Mass…is a beautiful expression of the worship of God.”

Archbishop Arthur Roche is the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, and is helping to organize a special conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s apostolic constitution “Sacrosanctum Concilium.”

“Sacrosanctum Concilium” is the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, which was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1963 in order to foster a greater participation of lay people in the Mass by allowing them to hear the Gospel proclaimed in their own language. It also promoted a greater use of Gregorian chant.

During the conference, running from Feb. 18 – Feb. 20 and which has been organized by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, experts will discuss the impact the constitution has had in reforming the order of Mass and how Mass is said.
 
Turning his attention to Pope Francis take on the rite, the archbishop explained that “the Pope hasn’t expressed anything about the extraordinary form nor in fact about the ordinary form either.”

However, he “is a very open man, as you know, and a very fair minded man,” the archbishop noted, and is someone who “when he celebrates Mass, as is visibly seen, is taken up in what he is doing, is very attentive, and very recollected in the celebration of the Mass.”

“And that’s the important thing,” Archbishop Roche stated, “it’s the function of Peter to hold the Church in unity and he will be more aware of that than I am.”

Participants of the conference will have the opportunity to meet with Pope Francis on Wed. Feb. 19 during his weekly General Audience.

[Sister]

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.”
 

BBM

 

      

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/19/be_courageous..._go_to_confession!/en1-774635

2014-02-19 15:53:53
Be courageous... Go to Confession!

(Vatican Radio) At the General Audience, Pope Francis continued his series of catechesis on the Sacraments. After having discussed the Sacraments of Christian initiation — Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist — Pope Francis moved on to the Sacraments of Healing, speaking on Wednesday about the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

“When I go to Confession, it is to be healed,” he said. “To heal the soul, to heal the heart because of something I have done that is not going well.”

The Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Pope said, “flows directly from the Paschal Mystery.” He referred to Jesus' gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles when He appeared to them in the evening of the first Easter. Jesus said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” This passage, the Pope Francis explained, “reveals the deeper dynamics contained in this Sacrament.”

First, he said, it shows that we cannot forgive ourselves. Forgiveness must be requested: “it is a gift, a gift of the Holy Spirit, who fills us with the washing of mercy and grace that flows from the opened heart of the crucified and risen Christ.”
 
The Pope then asked the crowd when they had last been to Confession. “Don’t say it in a loud voice!” he said. “When was the last time you went to confession?... Two days? Two weeks? Two years? Twenty years? Forty years?... And if a lot of time has passed, don’t lose a day! Go ahead, the priest will be good! Jesus is there, right? And Jesus is better than the priest, it is Jesus who receives you. He receives you with great love. Be courageous, and go to Confession!”

Pope Francis concluded, “Dear friends, celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation means being wrapped in a warm embrace. It is the embrace of the infinite mercy of the Father.”

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/19/third_meeting_for_council_of_cardinals/en1-774580

2014-02-19 14:31:46
Third meeting for Council of Cardinals

(Vatican Radio) Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, on Wednesday gave a briefing on the third meeting of Pope Francis and the Council of Cardinals (C8) which took place on Tuesday afternoon.

After commenting on the fact that each day the number of journalists present for the briefings increases, probably – he said – due to the fact that many foreign journalists are arriving in town to follow the Consistory over the weekend, Fr. Lombardi communicated that on Tuesday afternoon the Council continued its work based on the reports received by the Commission for Reference on the Organisation of the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See (COSEA).

Father Lombardi explained that, based on the results of those reports, the Cardinals formulated their proposals and presented them to the Holy Father.

He said the two sectors on which they have focussed regard the organization of Vatican institutions related to economic and financial affairs, and the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), commonly known as the Vatican Bank – which Fr. Lombardi said – represents a much more specific and limited issue.

Father Lombardi pointed out that although the Cardinals have penned their proposals according to their own evaluations, the Pope himself will be the one to decide on how things proceed with eventual specifications and recommendations.

The Director of the Press Office also revealed that this afternoon a meeting of the Council of Fifteen - the 15 Councils who have already arrived in the Vatican in view of the upcoming Consistory- will take place in the Apostolic Palace’s “Sala Bologna”.
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/20/pope_francis:_to_know_jesus,_we_must_follow_him/en1-774911

2014-02-20 13:47:10
Pope Francis: To know Jesus, we must follow Him

(Vatican Radio) Jesus is known more by following Him than by studying Him. That was the message of Pope Francis at his homily during the Mass celebrated Thursday morning at Casa Santa Marta. Every day, he explained, Christ asks “who” He is for us, but it is only possible to answer by living as disciples.

It is the life of a disciple, more than a life of study, that allows a Christian to really know who Jesus is for him. A journey in the footsteps of the Master, where clear witness and even betrayals, falls and new impulses, can intersect. But it is not only an intellectual approach. Pope Francis took the example of Peter, who in the Gospel of the day portrays at the same time both as a “courageous” witness — who responded to Jesus’ question to the Apostles, “Who do you say I am for you?” by saying, “You are the Christ” — and immediately afterwards as an adversary, when he feels he has to reproach Jesus, who had just announced that he had to suffer and die, and then to rise. “Many times,” the Pope said, “Jesus turns to us and asks us: “But who am I for you?” and getting “the same response that Peter gave, the one we learned in the catechism.” But that is not enough:
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/20/pope_francis_greets_cardinals_at_beginning_of_consistory/en1-774775

2014-02-20 10:24:12
Pope Francis greets Cardinals at beginning of Consistory

(Vatican Radio) The Extraordinary Consistory of all the Cardinals began on Thursday morning, ahead of the creation of 19 new Cardinals on Saturday. In his remarks to the Cardinals, Pope Francis spoke about the topic of their reflections: The Family.

"Our reflections must keep before us the beauty of the family and marriage, the greatness of this human reality which is so simple and yet so rich, consisting of joys and hopes, of struggles and sufferings, as is the whole of life," Pope Francis said. "We will seek to deepen the theology of the family and discern the pastoral practices which our present situation requires."

The full text of the Pope's remarks are below