Pope Francis

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-mass-christian-life-is-a-continuous-battle

Pope at Mass: Christian life is a continuous battle against the devil
2014-10-30 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis described Christian life as a continuous battle being waged against Satan, the world and the passions of the flesh. His comments came during his homily at Mass celebrated on Thursday morning at the Santa Marta residence. He stressed that the devil exists and we must fight against him with the armour of truth.

Pope Francis's reflections during his homily were taken from the words of St Paul in his letter to the Ephesians where the apostle urged Christians to put on the full armour of God in order to resist Satan’s temptations.  A Christian life, he said, has to be defended and it requires both strength and courage. It’s a continuous battle against the three main enemies of Christian life which are the devil, the world and the passions of the flesh.

“From whom do I have to defend myself? What must I do?  Pauls tells us to put on God’s full armour, meaning that God acts as a defence, helping us to resist Satan’s temptations.  Is this clear?  No spiritual life, no Christian life is possible without resisting temptations, without  putting on God’s armour which gives us strength and protects us.”

Saint Paul, continued the Pope, underlines that our battle is not against little things but against the principalities and the ruling forces, in other words against the devil and his followers.   
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-meets-with-leaders-of-old-catholic-bishops-co

Pope meets with leaders of Old Catholic Bishops Conference
2014-10-30 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met for the first time on Thursday with a delegation of the Old Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Union of Utrecht, reflecting on the shared ecumenical journey since the group broke away from Rome in the 18th century over questions of papal authority. The group was led by the Archbishop of Utrecht Dr Joris Vercammen, president of the International Old Catholic Bishops Conference.

Noting that the International Dialogue Commission between Rome and the Old Catholic Church has helped build “new bridges” of mutual understanding and practical co-operation, Pope Francis said convergences and consensus have been found, and differences between the two groups have been more clearly identified. At the same time though, he said we are also saddened when we recognize “new disagreements” that have emerged on matters of ministry and ethical discernment, making the theological and ecclesiological questions harder to overcome.

The challenge for Catholics and Old Catholics, Pope Francis said, is to persevere in dialogue and to walk,  pray and work together in a deeper spirit of conversion.  Noting that there have been “grave sins” on the part of both sides, the Pope said in a spirit of mutual forgiveness and humble repentance, we need now to strengthen our desire for reconciliation and peace.  The path towards unity begins with a change of heart,  he stressed and on the spiritual journey from encounter to friendship, from friendship to brotherhood, from brotherhood to communion, change is inevitable if we are willing to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/the-sistine-chapel-new-breath-new-light

The Sistine Chapel: New breath, new light
2014-10-30 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) A two day conference marking the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Michelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel opened on Thursday in Rome.

The event organised by the Vatican Museums is entitled “The Sistine Chapel 20 years later: New breath, new light.”

The conference will examine the current state of frescoes, as well as new methods being taken to protect the priceless artistic treasure.

On Wednesday evening in the Sistine Chapel the world’s media was invited to view the new lighting and air systems that have been installed, in order show the frescos off to their best advantage and protect the Chapel against humidity.
 

[grace-land]

October 30, 204 Tweets
https://twitter.com/roccopalmo

Rocco Palmo @roccopalmo     ·  10h 10 hours ago   
Paragraph vote counts included, Vatican's full English translation of final Synod report emerges: http://bit.ly/1vkUowN  (via @LukeCoppen)

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2014/10/18/0770/03044.html

Synod14 - "Relatio Synodi" of the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: “Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization” (5-19 October 2014), 18.10.2014
[B0770]

   TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Part I

Listening: The Context and the Challenges of the Family

          The Socio-Cultural Context

          The Importance of Affectivity in Life

          Pastoral Challenges
         
Part II

Looking at Christ: The Gospel of the Family

          Looking at Jesus and Divine Pedagogy in the History of Salvation

          The Family in the God’s Salvific Plan

          The Family in the Church’s Documents

          Indissolubility of Matrimony and the Joy of Sharing Life Together

          The Truth and Beauty of the Family and Mercy Towards Broken and Fragile Families

Part III

Facing the Situation: Pastoral Perspectives     

           Proclaiming the Gospel of the Family Today in Various Contexts

           Guiding Engaged Couples in Their Preparation for Marriage

           Accompanying Married Couples in the Initial Years of Marriage

           Pastoral Care for Couples Civilly Married or Living Together

           Caring for Broken Families (Separated, Divorced and Not Remarried,   
                Divorced and Remarried, Single-Parent Families)

           Pastoral Attention towards Persons with Homosexual Tendencies

          The Transmission of Life and the Challenges of the Declining Birthrate

           Upbringing and the Role of the Family in Evangelization

Conclusion
 

[Sister]

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2014/10/20/photos-from-pope-paul-vis-beatification-ceremony/

Photos from Pope Paul VI's beatification ceremony
October 20, 2014 

I enjoyed looking at this pictures.  Maybe one day I will visit there in person!
Thank you for all the posts.  I do read them.

 

Thank you for reading the articles and sharing your thoughts!   
Oh, Sister, I know you would enjoy visiting Rome and the Vatican!  I hope you make plans soon; it's a trip of a lifetime!!

Have you been?

Yes, I visited Rome and the Vatican years ago.  I thoroughly enjoyed the various ancient sites and the catacombs in Rome.  The visit to the Vatican was inspirational and spiritually uplifting.   I felt like a small ant standing in St. Peter's Square--so huge and magnificent!  When the pope entered the assembly hall for the General Audience, I blinked my eyes in disbelief and pinched myself--yep, the pope was real and I was  looking at him!  He looked so kind; and when he spoke, I felt like he was speaking to me.  Words fail me in describing the experience of visiting St. Peter's Basilica--so big, beautiful and spiritually uplifting.  My visit to the Vatican ended with visits to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel--awesome!  The trip to the Vatican concluded a 9-day trip to Italy with a pilgrimage group from my city (The trip also included a visit to Florence, Sorrento, Isle of Capri and Pompeii).  On the return trip home, I thought that I would never again see a pope face to face--until Pope John Paul II came to the United States!

grace-land, when I was reading your words and came to "a small ant" -- I have often thought about that with God.  Yet God knows the heart and mind of each of us small ants and calls us by name.  How amazing!

[grace-land]

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2014/10/20/photos-from-pope-paul-vis-beatification-ceremony/

Photos from Pope Paul VI's beatification ceremony
October 20, 2014 

I enjoyed looking at this pictures.  Maybe one day I will visit there in person!
Thank you for all the posts.  I do read them.

 

Thank you for reading the articles and sharing your thoughts!   
Oh, Sister, I know you would enjoy visiting Rome and the Vatican!  I hope you make plans soon; it's a trip of a lifetime!!

Have you been?

Yes, I visited Rome and the Vatican years ago.  I thoroughly enjoyed the various ancient sites and the catacombs in Rome.  The visit to the Vatican was inspirational and spiritually uplifting.   I felt like a small ant standing in St. Peter's Square--so huge and magnificent!  When the pope entered the assembly hall for the General Audience, I blinked my eyes in disbelief and pinched myself--yep, the pope was real and I was  looking at him!  He looked so kind; and when he spoke, I felt like he was speaking to me.  Words fail me in describing the experience of visiting St. Peter's Basilica--so big, beautiful and spiritually uplifting.  My visit to the Vatican ended with visits to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel--awesome!  The trip to the Vatican concluded a 9-day trip to Italy with a pilgrimage group from my city (The trip also included a visit to Florence, Sorrento, Isle of Capri and Pompeii).  On the return trip home, I thought that I would never again see a pope face to face--until Pope John Paul II came to the United States!

grace-land, when I was reading your words and came to "a small ant" -- I have often thought about that with God.  Yet God knows the heart and mind of each of us small ants and calls us by name.  How amazing!

 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/10/31/pope_love_and_justice_count_more_than_attachment_to_laws/1109859

Pope at Mass: Love and justice are more important than attachment to the laws
31/10/2014

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis lamented the case of Christians who are so attached to the laws that they neglect the concepts of love and justice. His words came on Friday during his homily at the morning Mass celebrated in the Santa Marta residence. 

Taking his cue from the day’s gospel reading where Jesus asked the Pharisees whether it was lawful to heal a sick person on the Sabbath, the Pope reflected on how love and justice are the path to Christ rather than an excessive attachment to the laws.  He reminded how Jesus described the Pharisees as hypocrites for criticizing him behind his back after he healed a sick man on the Sabbath.   

“This way of life of being attached to the laws, distanced them from love and from justice.  They followed the laws and they neglected justice.  They followed the laws and they neglected love.  They were the models.  And for these people Jesus had only one word (to describe them): hypocrites. On one hand, you travel across the world looking for proselytes: you’re looking for them.  And then?   You close the door.  Closed-minded men, men who are so attached to the laws, to the letter of the law that they were always closing the doorway to hope, love and salvation… Men who only knew how to close (doors).”
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-seek-the-unity-which-is-the-work-of-the-holy

Pope: Seek the unity which is the work of the Holy Spirit
2014-10-31 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) On Friday Pope Francis met with members of the “Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowship.” The group is in Rome for its Sixteenth International Conference, which has for its theme “Praise and charismatic worship for a New Evangelization.”

The Holy Father touched on several themes in his address to the group, beginning with the idea of “unity in diversity.” “Unity does not imply uniformity,” the Pope said. “It does not necessarily mean doing everything together or thinking in the same way. Nor does it signify a loss of identity. Unity in diversity is actually the opposite: it involves the joyful recognition and acceptance of the various gifts which the Holy Spirit gives to each one and the placing of these gifts at the service of all members of the Church.”

Pope Francis also spoke about the Church’s need for the Holy Spirit. “Every Christian in his or her life requires a heart open to the sanctifying action of the Holy Spirit.” He encouraged his listeners to share their experience of the Holy Spirit with others.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-receives-president-of-the-european-parliament

Pope receives President of the European Parliament
2014-10-31 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday received the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schultz, in private audience in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.

The meeting between Pope Francis and President Schultz was an occasion for the two men to look ahead to the Pope’s journey to Strasbourg scheduled to take place next month.

They had already met here in the Vatican exactly one year ago when Schultz’s visit coincided  with the publication of an essay written by him to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Saint Pope John II’s visit to the European Parliament back  in 1988.

“It would be a great honour” – Schultz wrote in an editorial at the time – to hear again the message of the Holy Father, his words of foresight, solidarity and hope”. And it was in that occasion that he invited Pope Francis to address the plenary yet again, something he will do in the morning of November 25 before going on to give another address to members of the Council of Europe.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-angelus-on-all-saints-pray-for-peace-in-je

Pope at Angelus: On All Saints, pray for peace in Jerusalem
2014-11-01 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Marking the Feast of All Saints Saturday with the traditional recitation of the midday Angelus with pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis’ thoughts turned to the Holy City of Jerusalem which has witnessed a spike in tensions in recent days.

Pope Francis said: “Today's liturgy speaks of the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem. I invite you to pray that the Holy City, dear to Jews, Christians and Muslims, which in recent days has witnessed diverse tensions, always be a sign and foretaste of the peace which God desires for the whole human family”.

Before the Marian prayer, the Pope spoke of the pilgrim Church on Earth and the Heavenly Jerusalem as one great family.  He said: “The communion of saints…unites all those who belong to Christ by Baptism. It is a spiritual union that is not broken by death, but continues in the next life. In fact there is an unbreakable bond between us living in this world and those who have crossed the threshold of death”.

Pope Francis added that the Liturgy expresses this spiritual bond: “Today we praise God for the countless host of holy men and women of all ages: simple men and women, who sometimes were the "last" for the world, but "first" for God”.

“This beautiful communion between heaven and earth takes place in the highest and most intense way in the Liturgy, and especially in the celebration of the Eucharist, which expresses and fulfills the deepest union between the members of the Church”.

Below please find a Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Father’s All Saints Angelus address:
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-presides-over-holy-mass-at-romes-vera

Pope Francis presides over Holy Mass at Rome's Verano cemetery
2014-11-01 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) On the evening of  All Saints and on the eve of All Souls, as he did last year, Pope Francis presided over Holy Mass at Rome's Verano cemetery. It was an occasion for the exposition of  the relics of Saints John XXIII and John Paul by a statue of Our Lady that stands in the cemetery.

Earlier on Saturday the pope himself commented on the meaning of this visit to Rome's Verano cemetery: "This afternoon I will go to the Verano cemetery and will celebrate Mass for the souls of the dead. In visiting Rome’s main cemetery, I am united in spirit with those who in these days visit the graves of their dead in cemeteries around the world."
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-celebrates-all-saints-day-in-verano

Pope celebrates all saints day in Verano
2014-11-01 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated mass at the Cemetery of Verano today to commemorate the feast of All Saint.

In his homily, Pope Francis spoke off the cuff, drawing from the Mass’s first reading taken from the book of Apocalypse, he focused on three images. The first was the warning against the devastation of the Earth to the four angels. Pope Francis said that there is a phrase that lies in the hearts of all of us: “we can destroy the world better than you” that is, Man has the capacity to devastate the world worse than the angels. “Devastate life, culture, values, hope” .

He remarked “how much do we need this strength of the Lord, so that he would sign us with his love to destroy this insane career of destroying creation.”

Pope Francis then moved on to speak about an innumerable crowd mentioned in the reading. He compared them to the forgotten and thrown away in this life. “It seems that the people, the hungry and sick children do not count. They seem to be of a different species, not even human.This multitude stands before of God”.

He exhorted in his homily that we think about the saints unknown to us. “Those who come from great tribulation in the many parts of the world. The Lord sanctifies these people through tribulation”, he said.

Finally, Pope Francis offered a third image from the homily, that is God.  “We are sons of God, but what we will be has not yet been revealed. But we have the hope that we will be like Him. The blessing of the Lord is hope. The hope that He will have mercy on His People”.
 

[Sister]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-celebrates-all-saints-day-in-verano

Pope celebrates all saints day in Verano
2014-11-01 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated mass at the Cemetery of Verano today to commemorate the feast of All Saint.

In his homily, Pope Francis spoke off the cuff, drawing from the Mass’s first reading taken from the book of Apocalypse, he focused on three images. The first was the warning against the devastation of the Earth to the four angels. Pope Francis said that there is a phrase that lies in the hearts of all of us: “we can destroy the world better than you” that is, Man has the capacity to devastate the world worse than the angels. “Devastate life, culture, values, hope” .

He remarked “how much do we need this strength of the Lord, so that he would sign us with his love to destroy this insane career of destroying creation.”

Pope Francis then moved on to speak about an innumerable crowd mentioned in the reading. He compared them to the forgotten and thrown away in this life. “It seems that the people, the hungry and sick children do not count. They seem to be of a different species, not even human.This multitude stands before of God”.

He exhorted in his homily that we think about the saints unknown to us. “Those who come from great tribulation in the many parts of the world. The Lord sanctifies these people through tribulation”, he said.

Finally, Pope Francis offered a third image from the homily, that is God.  “We are sons of God, but what we will be has not yet been revealed. But we have the hope that we will be like Him. The blessing of the Lord is hope. The hope that He will have mercy on His People”.
 

BBM

had never thought of the crowd in that manner.

[grace-land]

Sister, I think that Pope Francis had the poor, refugees, homeless, persecuted, etc. on his mind and incorporated his concern for this great multitude of people suffering today into the homily--identifying them as unknown saints.

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/11/02/pope_francis’_homily_at_verano_cemetery_/1109971

Pope Francis’ homily at Verano cemetery
02/11/2014

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis marked the Feast of All Saints with Mass at Rome’s monumental Verano cemetery during which he hailed the world’s refugees and homeless as unknown saints and slammed the pervading ‘industry of destruction’ that excludes God and destroys the earth.

Below please find the Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Father’s unscripted homily: 

When in the First Reading we heard this voice of the Angel who cried out loud o the Four Angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, "Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees" (Rev 7:3), this brought to mind a phrase that is not here but in everyone’s heart: men are capable of doing this better than you. We are capable of devastating the Earth far better than the Angels. And this is exactly what we are doing, this is what we do: we destroy creation, we devastate lives, we devastate cultures, ​​we devastate values, we ravage hope. How greatly we need the Lord's strength to seal us with His love and His power to stop this mad race of destruction!

Destroying what He has given us, the most beautiful things that He has done for us, for us to carry forward, to nurture, to bear fruit ... When I looked at the pictures in the sacristy of 71 years ago [depicting the WWII bombing of the area of San Lorenzo where the cemetery is situated], I thought, 'This is so grave, so painful. This is nothing in comparison to what is happening today. Man takes possession of everything, believes he is god, believes he is the king. And wars, the wars that continue raging, not exactly helping to sow the seed of life but to destroy. It is an industry of destruction. It is also a system of life, that when things can't be fixed they are discarded: we discard  children, we discard the old, the young are discarded without a job ... This devastation that is the result of the culture of waste. We discard people.  This is the image that came to my mind as I listened to the First Reading".

The second image, in the same Reading: "This great multitude which no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language (7:9) ... The nations, the people ... It's starting to get cold: these poor people, who have to flee for their lives, their homes, their people, their villages, in the desert ... and they live in tents, they feel the cold, without medicine, hungry ... because the “god-man” has taken control of Creation, of all that good that God has done for us. But who pays for this party? They do! The young, the poor, those who are discarded. And this is not ancient history: it is happening today. 'But Father, it is far away ...' - It's here too! Everywhere. It is happening today. I will say more: it seems that these people, these children who are hungry, sick, do not seem to count, it's as if they were of a different species, as if they were not even human. And this multitude is before God and begs, 'Please, salvation! Please, peace! Please bread! Please work! Please, children and grandparents! Please, young people with the dignity of being able to work! '".
 

[grace-land]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/11/02/pope_at_angelus_pray_for_the_world’s_forgotten_souls_p/1109977

Pope at Angelus: Pray for the world’s forgotten souls
02/11/2014

(Vatican Radio)  On the Feast of All Souls, Pope Francis has asked people to pray for the world’s forgotten dead,  “those who no one remembers”, the “victims of war and violence; the many "little ones" of the world crushed by hunger and poverty” and “the anonymous who rest in common graves”.

Above all he has asked people to offer prays of suffrage and the celebration of the Eucharist for those “our brothers and sisters killed because they are Christians; and those who sacrificed their lives to serve others. We especially entrust to the Lord, those who have left over the last year”.

Below a Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Father’s Angelus address:

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good day!

 Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, and today the liturgy invites us to commemorate the faithful departed. These two occurrences are intimately linked to each other, just as joy and tears find a synthesis in Jesus Christ, that is the foundation of our faith and our hope. On the one hand, in fact, the Church, a pilgrim in history, rejoices through the intercession of the saints and blessed who support her in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel; on the other, she, like Jesus, shares the tears of those who suffer the separation from loved ones, and like Him and through Him echoes thanks to the Father who has delivered us from the dominion of sin and death.
 

[grace-land]

Hmm, is he thinking about the disagreements between some of the bishops and cardinals who attended the Extraordinary Synod of the Family--and others who have made comments about it?

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-santa-marta-rivalry-and-vainglory-weaken-t

Pope at Santa Marta: Rivalry and vainglory weaken the Church
2014-11-03 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Rivalry and vainglory are two worms that weaken the Church; instead we must act in a spirit of humility and harmony, without seeking our own interests said Pope Francis Monday morning at Mass in Casa Santa Marta.

Taking a cue from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, the Pope noted that a bishop’s joy lies in seeing love, unity and harmony in his Church. "This harmony - he said - is a grace, which the Holy Spirit creates, but we must do our part, we must do everything to help the Holy Spirit to create this harmony in the Church". This is why St. Paul calls the Philippians to do nothing "out of selfishness or out of vainglory" or "fight against each other, just to be seen, to give themselves the air of being better than others". "You see – he noted - this is not just something new to today", but "goes way back".

"And how often in our institutions, in the Church, in the parish, for example, in schools, do we find that, no? Rivalry; the need to be seen; vainglory. We see that there are two worms that eat the fabric of the Church, weakening her. Rivalry and vainglory go against this harmony, this agreement. Instead of rivalry and vainglory, what does Paul recommend? ‘Rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves’. He felt this himself. He qualifies himself as ‘not worthy to be called an apostle,' the least [among others]. He even strongly humbles himself there. This was his sentiment: He thought others were superior to him".

The Pope then quoted St. Martin de Porres, a "humble Dominican friar," whom the Church remembers today: "His spirituality was in service, because he felt that all the others, even the greatest sinners, were superior to him. He really felt this". St. Paul then urges everyone not to look out for his own interests: 

"Look for the good of others. Serving others. But this is the joy of a bishop, when he sees his Church like this: the same sentiment, the same charity, being in unanimous accord. This is the air that Jesus wants in the Church. You can have a different opinion, that’s fine, but always within this air, this atmosphere: humility, charity, without despising anyone".
 

[grace-land]

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-francis-homily-at-mass-for-deceased-cardinals-and-bishops

Pope Francis' Homily at Mass for Deceased Cardinals and Bishops
Vatican City,  November 03, 2014

At 11:30 this morning, Pope Francis presided over the Eucharistic Celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica for the souls of Cardinals and Bishops who died in the course of the year.

Here is a translation of the Pope’s homily during the course of the Holy Mass.
* * *
Thanks to the Word of God, this celebration is altogether illuminated by the faith in the Resurrection. A truth that made its way with difficulty in the Old Testament, and that emerges explicitly in the episode we heard, the collection for the expiatory sacrifice in favor of the dead (2 Maccabees 12:43-46).

The whole divine Revelation is the fruit of dialogue between God and His People, and faith in the Resurrection is also connected to this dialogue, which supports the journey of God’s People in history. It is not astonishing that such a great, such a decisive, such a superhuman mystery as that of the Resurrection required all the itinerary, all the necessary time up to Jesus Christ. He could say: “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), because not only is this mystery revealed fully in Him, but it is acted, happens, becomes for the first times and definitively a reality. The Gospel we heard, which unites -- according to Mark’s writing -- the account of the Death of Jesus and that of the empty tomb, represents the culmination of that whole journey: it is the event of the Resurrection, which responds to the long search of the People of God, the search of every man and of the whole of humanity.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-prays-at-tombs-of-his-predecessors

Pope prays at tombs of his predecessors
2014-11-03 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) At sunset on Sunday, Pope Francis descended into the grottoes beneath the high altar of St Peter’s basilica to pray, as is tradition on the Feast of All Souls, before the tombs of his predecessors.

The moment of prayer began at 6pm Rome time with a reading from Scripture and the recitation of the prayer for the dead by Pope Francis.   

The Pope then paused for a moment of silent prayer before the tombs of his predecessors beginning with that of St. Peter.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1404527.htm

Nov-3-2014
Pope Francis to open Vatican conference on traditional marriage

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A month after closing a Synod of Bishops on the family stirred by controversy over divorce, same-sex unions and other nonmarital relationships, Pope Francis will open an interreligious conference dedicated to traditional marriage.

The Vatican-sponsored gathering, on the "Complementarity of Man and Woman," will take place Nov. 17-19 and feature more than 30 speakers representing 23 countries and various Christian churches, as well as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Taoism and Sikhism.

The conference will aim to "examine and propose anew the beauty of the relationship between the man and the woman, in order to support and reinvigorate marriage and family life for the flourishing of human society," according to organizers.

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia and the Rev. Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church in California, will be among the participants.

Other Americans at the conference will include Russell D. Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention; Henry B. Eyring, president and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and Mercy Sister Prudence Allen, former chair of the philosophy department at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, whom Pope Francis named to the International Theological Commission in September.

Other notable speakers will include Lord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of Great Britain, and Anglican Bishops N.T. Wright and Michael Nazir-Ali.

Pope Francis will address the conference and preside over its first morning session Nov. 17, following remarks by Cardinal Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The conference was an initiative of Cardinal Muller, who proposed it to Pope Francis in November 2013, according to Helen Alvare, a professor at George Mason University School of Law in Virginia, who is handling press relations for the event.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-santa-marta-fear-of-gods-gratuity

Pope at Santa Marta : Fear of God’s gratuity
2014-11-04 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) At Mass in Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday morning Pope Francis noted that deep down people are afraid of God’s gratuity, we find excuses not to go to Him and end up thinking the world revolves around us.

The Pope based his homily on the parable recounted in the Gospel of the Day of the man who gave a great banquet to which he invited many. The Pope said that this parable makes us think, because “we all like being invited to dinners”.  But there was something about this dinner that three guests did not like, and these guests are an example of many of us.

One says that he has to go and examine his field, he needs to see it in order to feel “powerful, vanity, pride and he prefers this to sitting at table among others”. Another guest had just bought five oxen and thus is taken up with his business and doesn’t want to waste time with other people. The last guest excuses himself saying that he is married and doesn’t want to bring his bride to the dinner.  He wanted to keep her affection all to himself: selfishness”.