Pope Francis

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-bring-the-light-of-the-word-of-god-to

Pope Francis: Bring the light of the Word of God to the sick
2015-02-08 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) During his Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis spoke about Jesus’ ministry of preaching and healing.

In the day’s Gospel, Jesus heals many sick people who are brought to Him. This leads the Pope to a reflection on the meaning of illness, and a consideration of the World Day of the Sick, which takes place on Wednesday, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. In off-the-cuff remarks, the Holy Father asked for prayers for Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski who is seriously ill in Poland; Archbishop Zymowsk is the president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers, which organises many of the events surrounding World Day of the Sick.

Pope Francis emphasized that caring for the sick has always been considered and integral part of the Church’s mission. “To care for the sick, to welcome them, to serve them, is to serve Christ!” he said. The Pope concluded his remarks by saying we are all called “to bring the light of the Word of God and the power of grace” to all those who suffer, and to those who care for them.

Below, please find the full text of Pope Francis’ Angelus address for Sunday, 8 February:
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-prays-for-victims-of-human-traffickin

Pope Francis prays for victims of human trafficking
2015-02-08 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Following the Angleus prayer on Sunday, Pope Francis spoke about first International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, the promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, the Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace” and the International Union of Superiors General (UISG).

The Day of Prayer occurs on 8 February, the liturgical memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese sister who, as a child, was herself a victim of slavery and human trafficking.

In his remarks, the Holy Father called for help for “the many men, women, and children who are enslaved, exploited, abused as instruments of labour or of pleasure, who are often tortured and mutilated.”

He called on government leaders to act decisively “to remove the causes of this shameful wound… a wound that is unworthy of civil society,” and said that everyone is called to be “a voice for these our brothers and sisters.”
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/parish-dedicated-to-romes-poor-gets-a-visit-from-pope-francis-77600/

Parish dedicated to Rome's poor gets a visit from Pope Francis

Rome, Italy, Feb 8, 2015 / 12:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis traveled in the eastern outskirts of Rome on Sunday afternoon to hear confessions and say Mass at a parish known for its commitment to the city's poor and the marginalized.

The Feb. 8 visit to San Michele Arcangelo in Pietralata marks the third time a Pope has gone to the parish: Bl. Paul VI celebrated the Christmas Mass there in 1963, while St. John Paul II visited the parish Nov. 1991.

In an off-the-cuff homily, Pope Francis reflected on the themes of teaching and healing, as presented in the day’s Gospel reading (Mark 1:29-39).
 
Before Mass, the Holy Father heard confessions, and also met with young members of the parish community and their families, including the sick children, the newly-baptized, those preparing to receive their first communion, and some 80 scouts.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-the-devil-is-the-root-of-jealousy-war

Pope Francis: The devil is the root of jealousy, war
2015-02-09 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday evening visited the parish of San Michele Arcangelo in the eastern Roman district of Pietralata. The parish is on the peripheries of Rome, and home to 8,000 families.

On his way to the parish, the Holy Father made a surprise visit to a shantytown called  “Campo Arcobaleno”, where he visited with residents for about 10 minutes.

After arriving at the Parish Hall, Pope Francis met with a group of homeless people who are cared for by the Sant’Egidio Community.

“The fact that people do not know your name, and call you ‘homeless’ and you carry this: It is your cross, and your patience,” said Pope Francis. “But there is something in the heart of all of you - of this, please be assured - there is the Holy Spirit.”

He then held a meeting with parents whose children had been baptized in the previous year, and asked them to teach them the Faith well, and lamented there are “Christian children who cannot make the sign of the cross.”

In his meeting with older children, many of whom were part of the Scouting movement, Pope Francis pointed out that wars are not only those – and he asked them to make a list - which kill children in Iraq, Ukraine, and Africa. Wars are come about much earlier in people who do not possess God.

“Who is the father of war?” Pope Francis asked.  “The devil!” the children answered.

Pope Francis said the devil is the “father of hate”, “the father of lies” who seeks disunity.

“But God wants unity,” Pope Francis said. “If in your heart you feel jealousy, this is the beginning of war.  Jealousies are not of God.”

And this is the theme Pope Francis continued during his homily at Mass.
 
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-homily-at-mass-at-roman-parish-of-st-michael-the-archangel
Pope's Homily at Mass at Roman Parish of St. Michael the Archangel
Vatican City,  February 09, 2015

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-makes-a-surprise-visit-to-shantytown

Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to shantytown on outskirts of Rome
2015-02-09 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday evening made a surprise visit to a shantytown, a few minutes before he celebrated Mass at the parish of San Michele Arcangelo in the eastern Roman district of Pietralata.

The settlement– called  “Campo Arcobaleno”[ Camp Rainbow] – is 300 metres from the parish church.

"He got out of the car and people were shocked when they saw him in front of their shacks," said Father Aristide Sana, the pastor of the parish who quickly traveled to the camp when he got word of the visit.

Pope Francis received a boisterous welcome.

“Viva la Papa!” the crowd shouted, engulfing the Pope, chanting and shaking his hand.  Pope Francis asked how many spoke Spanish, and the crowd shouted out “All of us!”
 
The ten-minute visit ended with a recitation of the Our Father in Spanish.

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-mass-protecting-creation-a-christian-responsi

Pope Mass: Protecting Creation a Christian responsibility
2015-02-09 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Christians are called to care for God's creation. That was the Pope’s message at Mass this Monday morning at the Casa Santa Marta. The Holy Father also spoke about the "second creation", the one performed by Jesus that he "re-created" from what had been ruined by sin.

God creates the universe but creation does not end, "he continues to sustain what he has created." That was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily as he dwelt on a passage from Genesis, in the first reading, which recounts the creation of the universe. “In today's Gospel”, the Pope commented, we see "the other creation of God", "that of Jesus, who came to re-create what had been ruined by sin."

We see Jesus among the people, he said, and "those who touched him were saved" it is the "re-creation". "This 'second creation' Pope Francis, is even more wonderful than the first; This second work is wonderful. "Finally, there is "another job", that of "perseverance in the faith" that which the Holy Spirit works on:

"God works, continues to work, and we can ask ourselves how we should respond to this creation of God, which is born of love, because he works through love. In the 'first creation' we must respond with the responsibility that the Lord gives us: 'The earth is yours, take it forward; let it grow '. Even for us there is a responsibility to nurture the Earth, to nurture Creation, to keep it and make it grow according to its laws. We are the lords of creation, not its masters. "

The Pope warned, however, that we must be "careful not to become masters of Creation, but to make it go forward, faithful to its laws." Therefore, he added, "this is the first response to the work of God: to be protectors of Creation":

"When we hear that people have meetings about how to preserve creation, we can say: 'No, they are the greens!' No, they are not the greens! This is the Christian! This is 'our response to the' first creation 'of God. And' our responsibility. A Christian who does not protect Creation, who does not let it grow, is a Christian who does not care about the work of God, that work that was born from the love of God for us. And this is the first response to the first creation: protect creation, make it grow. "
 

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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-address-to-the-pontifical-council-for-culture

Pope's Address to the Pontifical Council for Culture
Vatican City,  February 09, 2015

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, received in audience the participants of the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Culture, which concludes its works today on the theme: “Women's Cultures: Equality and Difference.” After the address of tribute of the President, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the Pope gave to those present the address we translate below.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am pleased to receive you at the end of your Plenary Assembly, which has seen you committed in reflection and research on the theme “The Feminine Cultures: Equality and Difference.” I thank Cardinal Ravasi for the words ha addressed to me, also on behalf of you all. I wish to express my gratitude in particular to the women present, but also to all those – and I know that they are many – who have contributed in different ways to the preparation and realization of this work.

I have very much at heart the theme you have chosen, and already on different occasions I have been able to touch upon it and to invite to further reflection on it. It is about studying new criteria and ways so that women do not feel as guests but fully participant in various realms of social and ecclesial life. The Church is woman, it is she, not he. This is a challenge, which can no longer be deferred. I say this to the Pastors of the Christian communities representing the universal Church here, but also to the lay women and men committed in different ways in culture, in education, in the economy, in politics, in the world of work, in families and in religious institutions.

The order of the topics planned by you for the development of your work these days – a work that will certainly continue also in the future – enables me to indicate to you an itinerary, to offer you some guidelines to develop this commitment everywhere on earth, in the heart of all cultures, in dialogue with the various religious memberships.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pontifical-commission-for-protection-of-minors-hol

Pontifical Commission for Protection of Minors holds Plenary
2015-02-09 Vatican Radio



(Vatican Radio)  Members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors gathered in Rome for their Plenary Assembly February 6-8.  A statement issued by the Vatican said the members who took part in the Assembly were: Cardinal Seán O'Malley OFM Cap. (United States), President; Mons. Robert Oliver (United States), Secretary; Rev. Luis Manuel Ali Herrera (Colombia); Catherine Bonnet (France); Marie Collins (Ireland); Gabriel Dy-Liacco (Philippines); Sheila Hollins (England); Bill Kilgallon (New Zealand); Sr. Kayula Lesa, MSC (Zambia); Sr. Hermenegild Makoro, CPS (Zimbabwe); Kathleen McCormack (Australia); Claudio Papale (Italy); Peter Saunders (England); Hanna Suchocka  (Poland); Krysten Winter-Green (United States); Rev. Humberto Miguel YÁÑEZ, SJ (Argentina) and Rev. Hans Zolliner, SJ (Germany).

The statement went on to say that this year’s meeting was the first opportunity for all 17 members of the recently expanded Commission to come together and share their progress in the task entrusted them by the Holy Father, namely to advise Pope Francis in the safeguarding and protection of minors in the Church.

During the meetings, members presented reports from their Working Groups of experts, developed over the past year.  The Commission then completed their recommendations regarding the formal structure of the Commission and agreed upon several proposals to submit to the Holy Father for consideration.

The Working Groups are an integral part of the Commission’s working structure. Between Plenary Sessions, these groups bring forward research and projects in areas that are central to the mission of making the Church ‘a safe home’ for children, adolescents, and vulnerable adults. These include: pastoral care for survivors and their families, education, guidelines in best practice, formation to the priesthood and religious life, ecclesial and civil norms governing allegations of abuse, and the accountability of people in positions of responsibility within the Church when dealing with allegations of abuse.
 

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http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/riforma-curia-concistoro-2015-39052/

02/ 9/2015
Curia reform: C9 holds meeting in view of the Consistory


A meeting of the Council of Cardinals

Pope Francis has invited cardinals from all over the world to attend the upcoming Consistory (Thursday to Friday) that will precede the new cardinal creations and will be dedicated to Curia reform. The cardinals were sent a preparatory document several days ago. The document was not the draft for a new Apostolic Constitution but a summary of the work carried out by the C9 – the Council that assists the Pope in the government of the universal Church – last year and the criteria it followed. The nine cardinals who met the Pope this morning, talked about how they would present the results of their work to their confreres during the Consistory.

The proposals are already known. The details of these have already been presented to heads of Roman Curia dicasteries, who mostly approved them, despite the resistance understandably shown by those who it seems will definitely be affected by the mergers. The second step in Curia reform - after the structural reform already carried out, which involved the creation of the Secretariat for the Economy – is to reduce the number of Pontifical Councils by means of mergers, creating two big dicasteries: one will be dedicated to the laity and will be in charge of family and life related issues. The other will be dedicated to charity and justice and will merge together the Pontifical Councils for Justice and Peace, Cor Unum, Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People and Assistance to Healthcare Workers. Each of these big new bodies will be subdivided into secretariats and duties will remain the same though there will be fewer heads of dicasteries. It is possible therefore that the number of Curia cardinals will drop. In the future, the two new bodies will give more space to lay people and families, who will be able to hold positions of responsibility.
 

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According to the article below from February 5, this week will be very busy for Pope Francis--

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/vatican-cardinals-meeting-next-week-focus-curial-reform

Vatican: Cardinals' meeting next week to focus on curial reform
Feb. 5, 2015

Vatican City --   A two-day meeting in Rome next week of the world's Catholic cardinals will focus mainly on discussing reform of the church's central bureaucracy, the Vatican spokesman said Thursday.
 
Speaking to reporters briefly on a number of topics, Vatican spokesman Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi also said there was no other theme for the meeting, called by Pope Francis for Feb. 12-13.

The meeting, known as a consistory, is expected to see hundreds of the church prelates gather in Rome before Francis formally names 20 new cardinals in a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica Feb. 14.

The pontiff has embarked on a program of reforming the Vatican bureaucracy, known as the Roman Curia. He has been soliciting advice for the reform from a group of nine prelates he has appointed to a special group called the Council of Cardinals.

That group, which includes Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley, is to meet at the Vatican Feb. 9-11, just before the full cardinals' meeting.

While it remains unclear just where the Cardinals' council is in presenting a new organizational structure of the Vatican, Lombardi's announcement that the full group of cardinals will be discussing reform seems to indicate Francis may be fairly close to developing some sort of program to go forward and is seeking input.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-santa-marta-the-courage-of-a-restless-hear

Pope at Santa Marta: The courage of a restless heart
2015-02-10 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) If you are looking for God you won’t find him sitting on a comfortable couch flicking through a magazine, or sitting at your computer.  The search for God means having the courage to set out on a risky path, it means following our restless hearts, said Pope Francis at Mass Tuesday morning at Casa Santa Marta.

The restless will see God

Pope Francis began his reflections drawing on the reading from Genesis that speaks of man's creation "in the image of God" . He spoke of the right and wrong paths that a Christian can take in search of his origins and identity. Pope Francis noted that we certainly cannot find the image of God “on a computer, or in encyclopedias”.  Instead, there is only one way to find it and to “understand our own identity” that is to “set out on a journey”.  Otherwise, said Pope Francis, “we will never know the face of God”:

"Those who never set out on this journey, will never know the image of God, will never find the face of God. Sedentary Christians, lethargic Christians will not know the face of God: They do not know Him. They say: 'God is like this...', but those who are lethargic do not know Him. The lethargic. You need a certain restlessness to set out on this path, the same restlessness that God placed in each of our hearts and that brings us forward in search of Him”.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/council-of-9-cardinals-continues-work-on-curial-re

Council of 9 cardinals continues work on Curial reform
2015-02-10 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Discussions about the future of the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Vatican media have been at the top of the agenda during a meeting of the group of nine cardinals that Pope Francis appointed as his top advisors. The Pope is taking part in the three day meeting, which began on Monday, at the Casa Santa Marta.

Fr Federico Lombardi, head of the Vatican press office, briefed journalists on Tuesday noting that the first morning meeting was dedicated to the preparation of a presentation on the Curial reforms for a meeting of the full college of cardinals which will take place on Thursday and Friday this week. That closed door encounter will be followed by a consistory for the creation of 20 new cardinals on Saturday and Sunday.
 

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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/c9-meeting-to-discuss-curia-reform-is-underway

C9 Meeting to Discuss Curia Reform Is Underway
Vatican City,  February 10, 2015

The Vatican confirmed today that active discussions regarding curial reform are taking place, but that “nothing formal has been decided.”

During a briefing held this afternoon in the Holy See Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, informed journalists about the meeting of the C9.

The plenary assembly of the Pope's "Council of Cardinals," often called the "C9," began yesterday and ends tomorrow in the Vatican.

The C9 is revisiting guidelines and proposals made for the reform of the Curia. Father Lombardi reiterated that the cardinals are continuing to discuss reforming the Curia, but noted there is nothing yet decided.

Yesterday afternoon, the Vatican spokesman said, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, spoke to the C9. The discussion was said to explore how some of the dicasteries could be grouped together.

This morning, Fr. Lombardi added, Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, spoke to the C9 on media in the Vatican. Fr. Lombardi explained that Monsignor Tighe presented an interim report to the cardinals on Vatican communications and offered some reflections.

However, Father Lombardi stressed there are not specifics yet on how Vatican communications will be reformed and noted the newly formed Vatican media committee will be continuing its work and research.
 
Following the plenary, the C9 will present and share what it has done and its reflections related to the Curia with the College of Cardinals, gathered for meetings Feb. 12-13. This meeting will be followed by the consistory for the creation of new cardinals Feb. 14-15. This marks the second consistory under Pope Francis' pontificate.

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http://www.news.va/en/news/declaration-of-the-director-of-the-holy-see-pres-3

Declaration of the director of the Holy See Press Office on the situation in Ukraine



Vatican City, 10 February 2015 (VIS) - “The Holy See is following attentively the situations of crisis in various parts of the world, including the eastern regions of Ukraine. In the presence of an escalation of the conflict that has claimed many innocent victims, the Holy Father Francis has renewed his appeal for peace on several occasions. By these interventions, while inviting the faithful to pray for those who have been killed and injured as a result of the hostilities, the Pope also underlined the urgency of resuming negotiations as the only possible way out of the logic of mounting accusations and reactions.

“Faced with differing interpretations of the Pope’s words, especially those of Wednesday 4 February, I consider it useful to specify that he has always wished to address all the interested parties, trusting in the sincere efforts of each one to implement agreements reached by common consent and invoking the principle of international law, to which the Holy See has referred several times since the beginning of the crisis. As St. John Paul II often repeated, humanity must find the courage to substitute the right to force with the power of law.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/vatican-world-day-of-the-sick-the-church-runs-115

World Day of the Sick: the Church runs 115 352 health care and social assistance institutes in the world

Vatican City - February 11 is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes and it is also the XXIII World Day of the Sick. Pope John Paul II initiated the day in 1992 to encourage people to pray for those who suffer from illness and for their caregivers. The theme chosen by Pope Francis for this world-wide day of prayer is "I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame", taken from the book of Job . In his Message, Pope Francis invites the ill, as well as the professionals and volunteers in the field of the health care, to reflect on the wisdom of the heart “sapientia cordis”. Among other things he says: "I would like once again to stress “the absolute priority of ‘going forth from ourselves toward our brothers and sisters’ as one of the two great commandments which ground every moral norm and as the clearest sign for discerning spiritual growth in response to God’s completely free gift" . The missionary nature of the Church is the wellspring of an “effective charity and a compassion which understands, assists and promotes” .
 

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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/vatican-publishes-directory-to-help-improve-homilies

Vatican Publishes Directory to Help Improve Homilies
Vatican City,  February 10, 2015

The Vatican has given priests a handbook on how to give better homilies.

During a press conference held this morning in the Holy See Press Office, Father Ciro Benedettini, vice-director of the Holy See Press Office, Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, Monsignor Arthur Roche, the congregation’s secretary, and Father Corrado Maggioni, its undersecretary, presented the homiletic directory.

“Often, for many of the faithful, it is the time of the homily, felt as good or bad, interesting or boring, that makes them decide whether or not the entire celebration was good,” the cardinal stressed.

The dicastery prefect noted how good homilies and preaching have been big priorities of Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI, and how this booklet is a fruit of that.

“Certainly, the Mass is not the homily,” Cardinal Sarah admitted, “but this is an important moment for the purpose of participation in the holy mysteries, that listening to the Word of God and communion with the Body and Blood of the Lord."

“The directory is not born without a reason. It aims to offer a response to the need to improve the service of liturgical preaching," he said, noting the bishops made this known during the Synod of Bishops in 2005.

The vice-director of the Holy See press office joked that one of its priorities is to ensure that homilies will not make the faithful fall asleep.

When ZENIT asked if more light could be shed on which nations preachers were in greatest need of this directory, Cardinal Sarah responded, “The directory is for all nations, for the universal Church. It is not aimed for one more than others.”

He added, “The scope is not limited. It is for all nations. It was asked for by the bishops during the synod in 2005.”

When asked how the guidance will be implemented, the cardinal explained that is the responsibility of the bishops to ensure that priests are following the guidance.
 
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/omelia-homily-homilia-direttorio-directives-39081/
02/10/2015
Vatican: Homily should not be an abstract or moralist sermon

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http://www.news.va/en/news/audience-children-a-gift-for-the-family-the-church

Audience: Children, a gift for the family, the Church and society
2015-02-11 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Continuing his catechesis on the family this Wednesday Pope Francis spoke about the joy of children in family life and how the choice to have children is not irresponsible but vital for a healthy, happy society.

Below a Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Father’s Catechesis

Dear brothers and sisters,

After reflecting on the figures of mother and father, in this catechesis on the family I would like to mention the child or, rather, the children. I draw inspiration from a beautiful image from Isaiah. The prophet writes: "Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you— your sons from afar, your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall throb and overflow"(60, 4-5a).

It is a beautiful image of the happiness that is realized in the reunion between parents and children, walking together towards a future of freedom and peace, after a long period of deprivation and separation.

In fact, there is a close bond between a people’s hope and the harmony between generations. There is a very close link between a people’s hope and inter-generational harmony. The joy of children makes their parents hearts throb and reopens the future.

Children are the joy of family and society. They are not a problem of reproductive biology, or one of many ways to realize oneself in life. Let alone their parent’s possession. Children are a gift. Do you understand? Children are a gift!
 
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/general-audience-on-the-gift-of-children
General Audience: On the Gift of Children
Vatican City,  February 11, 2015

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-appeals-for-solidarity-and-aid-for-mi

Pope Francis appeals for solidarity and aid for migrants
2015-02-11 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has appealed for solidarity and aid for migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea in search of refuge.

His call for increased attention and aid follows news of the death of over 300 migrants who have drowned or died of hypothermia  in the latest deadly tragedy of the sea.

In his appeal at the end of the weekly General Audience, the Pope said he is “following with preoccupation news from Lampedusa where there have been more deaths amongst the migrants caused by cold during their journey across the Mediterranean”.

“I wish to assure my prayers for the victims and once again encourage solidarity so that no one is without necessary aid” he said.
 

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February 11, 2015 Tweet
https://twitter.com/roccopalmo

Thomas Rosica retweeted 
Zenit English @zenitenglish 
  ·   13h  13 hours ago   
'Vergelts Gott, Heiliger Vater!' -Remembering Pope Benedict's Resignation Two Years Later http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/vergelts-gott-heiliger-vater …


Vergelts Gott, Heiliger Vater!
Remembering Pope Benedict's Resignation Two Years Later
Rome,  February 11, 2015  (Zenit.org)  Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, is the CEO of Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation and the English Language Assistant to the Holy See Press Office.

The momentous occasion of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation two years ago on February 11, 2013, stands as an important moment in the life of the Catholic Church and in the life of the world. To his brother Cardinals gathered in consistory that February morning last year, he startled them, the Church and the entire world with these moving words:

“After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering.
 

Videos at the link
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2015/02/11/a-monsignor-sobbed-then-silence-fell-an-eyewitness-account-of-benedict-xvis-resignation/#.VNs9QVJ8d0s.twitter
A monsignor sobbed, then silence fell: an eyewitness account of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation

This is what it was like to witness the moment Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign in 600 years

February 11 is a holiday in the Vatican. It is the day when the Holy See celebrates the settlement in 1929 of the so-called “Roman Question”, the resolution of the 59-year stand-off between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See after the fall of Rome in 1870 to the Kingdom’s troops and the effective end of the ancient Papal States in central Italy.

By chance it was also the day Pope Benedict XVI chose to resign.
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/two-years-into-retirement-the-legacy-of-father-benedict-lives-on-44605/

Two years into retirement, the legacy of Father Benedict endures

Vatican City, Feb 11, 2015 / 12:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Two years to the day since Pope Benedict XVI told the world of his historic decision to step down from the papal office, those impacted by his pontificate say that his legacy is still burning bright.

“Pope Benedict's legacy is really very massive,” said Archbishop Arthur Roche, secretary for the congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

“His teaching, his balance, his ability to get to the bottom of so many things with such clarity” are among the marks that remain from Benedict’s pontificate, the archbishop told CNA.

While Feb. 11 is normally set aside as a holiday in the Vatican for the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the day took on huge added significance in 2013, when Benedict used the opportunity to announce his retirement at a relatively routine consistory – most of the prelates in the room had expected to hear little more than the dates for some upcoming canonizations.

Three weeks later, on Feb. 28, Benedict XVI would greet the crowds from the balcony of the papal palace at Castel Gandolfo for the last time as the reigning pontiff. Shortly thereafter, the resignation took effect, and the See of Peter was vacant until the election of Pope Francis on Mar. 13, 2013.

Since his retirement, Benedict’s days have been filled with prayer and study, largely out of the public view. He now goes by the simple title, “Fr. Benedict.” However, some see the legacy of the Pope Emeritus as continuing to resonate in complementarity to that of his successor, Pope Francis.

Archbishop Roche reflected on what he sees as the lasting impact of the former Pope.