Pope Francis

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-audience-we-look-with-hope-to-unity-not-divis

Pope Audience: We look with hope to unity not division
2017-01-18 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Wednesday that Christian Unity and reconciliation are possible. He was speaking during his weekly General Audience in the Paul the VI hall where he also continued his catechesis on Christian hope.

We look more 'to that' which unites us rather than that which 'divides us”. Those were Pope Francis’ words on Wednesday during his weekly General Audience as he recalled this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Inviting Christians to pray for this week and also recalling his visit to Lund in Sweden to Commemorate the Reformation, the Pope said “we continue the journey together to deepen our communion and to give it more and more a 'visible form.”

In Europe, the Holy Father stressed, this common faith in Christ is like a green thread of hope” adding that, “communion, unity and reconciliation 'are possible.”

As Christians, he said, “we are responsible for  'this message and we have to bear witness to it with our lives.”

The Pope made the comments while greeting an Ecumenical delegation from Germany.

Also during his audience and continuing his catechesis on Christian hope, Pope Francis reflected on the story of the prophet Jonah, who sought to flee from a difficult mission entrusted to him by the Lord.
 
http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-greets-bosnian-youth
Pope Francis greets Bosnian youth
2017-01-18 Vatican Radio

https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-on-jonah-hope-and-prayer/
GENERAL AUDIENCE: On Jonah: Hope and Prayer 
January 18, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-2abQKNKZI
2017.01.18 General Audience 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-christian-life-is-a-daily-struggle-against-te

Pope: ‘Christian life is a daily struggle against temptation’
2017-01-19 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday invited the faithful to let themselves be drawn by Jesus pointing out that Christian life is a daily struggle against temptation.

Speaking during the homily at morning Mass in the Casa Santa Marta, the Pope warned against the temptations that lead us down the wrong path.

Referring to the Gospel reading of the day, Pope Francis said Jesus came to destroy the influence of evil on our hearts.

Recounting the passage from the Gospel of Mark that tells of  how large numbers of people followed Jesus with enthusiasm, the Pope posed the question: ‘why were the crowds attracted?’

The Gospel, he said, tells us that some were sick and wanted to be healed but there were also people who liked listening to Jesus because he touched their hearts. This was because, he explained, the Father drew people to Jesus.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-luthers-intention-was-to-renew-the-church-not

Pope: Luther’s intention was to renew the Church, not divide her
2017-01-19 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday said that “the intention of Martin Luther five hundred years ago was to renew the Church, not divide her”.

Speaking to members of an Ecumenical Delegation from Finland who are in the Vatican to take part in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Pope recalled his visit to Sweden last October and said that the “gathering there gave us the courage and strength, in our Lord Jesus Christ, to look ahead to the ecumenical journey that we are called to walk together.”

The Pope ended his speech with off-the-cuff remarks thanking the bishop leading the delegation for having brought his grandchildren to the audience and pointing out that  "we need the simplicity of children: they will show us the path that leads to Jesus Christ."

The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place from 18 to 25 January focussing on a theme selected on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation: “Reconciliation – The Love of Christ Compels Us”.

The celebration concludes with Vespers, presided over by Pope Francis, in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls on January 25th.

Please find below the full text of Pope Francis’ address to the members of the Ecumenical Delegation from Finland:
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-mass-christians-need-to-overcome-a-self-cente

Pope Mass: ‘Christians need to overcome a self-centered mindset’
2017-01-20 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis has called on Christians to overcome the self-centered mindset of the doctors of the law who know only how to condemn. His words came at the morning Mass in the Casa Santa Marta.

Taking inspiration from the Letter to the Hebrews, Pope Francis said the new covenant which God makes with us in Jesus Christ renews our heart. God renews all things “from the roots, not only in appearance”, he said. “This new covenant has its own characteristics.” First, he said, “the law of the Lord is not an external way of acting”; rather, it enters the heart and “changes our mindset”, as well as causing “a change of heart, a change of feeling, of way of acting, and a different way of looking at things.”

Overcoming the egotistical mentality of the doctors of the law who know only how to condemn

The Holy Father offered the example of a work of art, which an architect can behold either with cold envy or with joy and goodness.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-meets-with-president-of-paraguay

Pope Francis meets with President of Paraguay
2017-01-20 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday met with the President of Paraguay, Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara.

The President subsequently met with the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.

A statement from the Holy See Press Office said the discussions “took place in a cordial atmosphere”, and highlighted the good existing relations between the Holy See and Paraguay.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/20/pope_francis_meets_with_irish_bishops_in_rome/1287138

Pope Francis meets with Irish Bishops on ad limina visit to Rome
20/01/2017 14:59

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Friday with Irish bishops who are in Rome this week on their ad limina visits – the first such visit since 2006.

Following the encounter, which lasted for over two hours, some of the bishops came to Vatican Radio to share their impressions and to talk about the most significant challenges facing their Church today.

Less than half of the bishops meeting with Pope Francis on Friday had been on an ad limina visit before. Yet all of them were clearly impressed by the level of openness and dialogue they discovered in all the offices of the Roman Curia and particularly in their closed door, informal and unscripted conversation with the Pope.

Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh is president of the Irish bishops conference:

“He said at the beginning, ‘I’ll throw in the ball and let’s see what happens’, so it turned out to be a conversation about the Church in Ireland, about the struggles and challenges we’re having, but also about the importance of a ministry of presence, a ministry of the ear, where we’re listening to the hopes, struggles and fears of our people….”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/20/pope_francis_sends_good_wishes_to_us_president_donald_trump/1287205

Pope Francis sends good wishes to US President Donald Trump
20/01/2017 18:40

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States in Washington, DC.

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent his good wishes to United States President Donald Trump, who was inaugurated in a ceremony at the US Capitol Building on Friday.
 
The full text of Pope Francis’ Message to US President Donald Trump is below

The Honorable Donald Trump
President of the United States of America
The White House
Washington

Upon your inauguration as the forty-fifth President of the United States of America, I offer you my cordial good wishes and the assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you wisdom and strength in the exercise of your high office.  At a time when our human family is beset by grave humanitarian crises demanding far-sighted and united political responses, I pray that your decisions will be guided by the rich spiritual and ethical values that have shaped the history of the American people and your nation’s commitment to the advancement of human dignity and freedom worldwide.  Under your leadership, may America’s stature continue to be measured above all by its concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need who, like Lazarus, stand before our door.  With these sentiments, I ask the Lord to grant you and your family, and all the beloved American people, his blessings of peace, concord and every material and spiritual prosperity.

                                                                       FRANCISCUS PP.

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-roman-rota-legal-and-sacramental-preparati

Pope to Roman Rota: Legal and sacramental preparation needed for married couples
2017-01-21 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday received members of the Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota on the occasion of the inauguration of the judicial year.

Addressing those gathered for the opening of the judiciary year of the Sacred Roman Rota, Pope Francis focused his attention on the relationship between faith and marriage.

Love and Truth

Quoting from his predecessors including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, he noted the importance of Love and Truth.

"Love needs truth”, Pope Francis said.  “Just as it is based on truth, love can last over time, overcome the ephemeral moment and stand firm to support a common path. If love has no relationship to the truth, the Holy Father explained, “it is subject to changing feelings and does not stand the test of time. True love, he added, “unifies all the elements of the person and becomes a new light towards a great and full life.

In his observations, the Pope underlined that, “the experiences of faith of those seeking Christian marriage are very different.” Faced with this situation, he said, “we need to find valid remedies.”

Prescribing the first of two remedies, the Holy Father pointed out that young people needed to be trained through an adequate process of preparation aimed at rediscovering marriage and the family according to God's plan.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-celebrates-800th-anniversary-of-founding-of-d

Pope celebrates 800th anniversary of founding of Dominicans
2017-01-21 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday celebrated Mass at the Cathedral Archbasilica of St John Lateran for the conclusion of the Jubilee for the 800th anniversary of the papal confirmation of the Order of Preachers – the Dominicans.

In his homily, the Holy Father contrasted two opposed “human scenarios”: a “‘carnival’ of worldly curiosity, on the one hand; and on the other, the “glorification of the Father through good works.”

Saint Paul, in the Letter to Timothy, warns against the worldly curiosity that sees men and women, with “itching ears,” always seeking after new teachers, “fables,” strange doctrines, ideologies. The very human tendency to seek novelties, the Pope said, “finds the ideal environment in the society of appearances, of consumption… Even the truth is “made-up”, covered with cosmetics to appear novel and attractive.
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gl4G88iImI
2017.01.21 Holy Mass for the 8th Centenary of the Dominican Order
Streamed live 12 hours ago
Pope Francis presides over the Eucharistic Celebration for the closing of the 8th Centenary celebrations to mark the foundation of the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans.

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/20/pope_francis_sends_support_to_march_for_life_in_paris_/1287151

Pope Francis sends support to March for Life in Paris, France
20/01/2017 16:08

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent his support to the March for Life taking place in Paris, France on 22 January 2017.

The message was went through the Apostolic Nuncio to France, Archbishop Luigi, who said the Holy Father sent his greetings to the participants of the pro-life march.

“The Church must never tire of being an advocate for life and must not neglect to proclaim that human life is to be protected unconditionally from the moment of conception until natural death,” the Message said, quoting Pope Francis’ words to the Bishops of Germany on 11 November 2015.
 

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http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/pope-francis-takes-will-wait-and-see-attitude-towards-president-trump

Blogs  |  Jan. 21, 2017
Pope Francis Takes ‘Wait and See’ Attitude Towards President Trump
Edward Pentin

On the heels of the presidential inauguration, Pope Francis has said he is taking a “wait and see” attitude about President Donald Trump and wants to deal with “specifics” before making a judgment on the new leader of the free world.
 
The Pope’s comments, excerpted below, were made in a lengthy exchange published today by the Spanish daily El Pais (see full English text here). The interview took place as President Trump was being inaugurated Jan. 20.
 

Full English text:
http://elpais.com/elpais/2017/01/21/inenglish/1485026427_223988.html

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-call-of-first-christians-inspires-us-to-share

Pope: Call of first Christians inspires us to share Gospel
2017-01-22 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) At the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis focused on the early days of Jesus ministry, in Galilee. This region, the Holy Father noted, was a kind of crossroads between the Mediterranean and the Mesopotamian hinterlands. Because of the presence of large numbers of pagans, for the Jews Galilee was seen as a geographical periphery. Little was expected from Galilee in terms of the story of salvation – but it was precisely here that the light of the Gospel began to be diffused throughout the world, not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles.

Here, following St John the Baptist, Jesus preached the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. But unlike the Baptist, who waited for the people to come to him, Jesus chose the life of a wandering prophet, going out to meet the people.

Pope Francis noted that Jesus didn’t simply proclaim the Gospel, He sought out companions to associate with Himself in His mission of salvation. He chose simple fisherman, Peter and Andrew, James and John, calling them not in an extraordinary manner, but in the routine of their daily lives. The fishermen, called to be “fishers of men”, responded immediately to Jesus call.

“We, Christians of today,” the Pope said, “have the joy of proclaiming and bearing witness to our faith because of that first announcement, because there were those humble and courageous men who responded generously to the call of Jesus.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-the-need-for-conversion-to-follow-jesus/
Angelus Address: On the Need for Conversion to Follow Jesus 
January 22, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv4nbakAuIk
2017.01.22 Angelus Domini 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-the-wonders-of-the-priesthood-of-chri

Pope Francis: the wonders of the priesthood of Christ
2017-01-23 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) The great wonders of the priesthood of Christ, who offered Himself, once for all, for the forgiveness of sins; and who now intercedes for us before the Father; and who will return to bring us with Him: those are the three stages of the priesthood of Christ highlighted by Pope Francis during his homily at the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. The Pope also warned of the “unforgivable blasphemy”: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

The priesthood of Christ was at the centre of the Pope’s homily on Monday. His reflection was taken from the day’s first Reading, from the Letter of Hebrews, which speaks about Christ as the Mediator of the Covenant God has made with human beings. Jesus is the High Priest, and the priesthood of Christ is the great wonder, the greatest wonder, which makes us sing a new song to the Lord, as the Responsorial Psalm says.

The three stages of the priesthood of Christ: He offers Himself; He intercedes for us; He will return to bring us to the Father
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/23/pope_mafia_oppoed_to_faith_and_the_gospel/1287701

Pope: Mafia expression of the culture of death that is opposed to Gospel
23/01/2017 15:18

(Vatican Radio) "The Mafia is an expression of the culture of death that is opposed to the Gospel." Those were Pope Francis' words to members of the Italian National Antimafia and Antiterrorism Directorate who he received on Monday in the Vatican.

Meeting with the Italian National Antimafia and Antiterrorism directorate in the Vatican on Monday, Pope Francis expressed his appreciation for the difficult and risky work they do in the fight against organized crime and terrorism.

He told those gathered that society needed to be healed from corruption, extortion, the illegal trafficking of drugs and arms, and the trafficking in human beings, including children.
 
The Pope described the Mafia, “as an expression of a culture of death, which is radically opposed to faith and to the Gospel which always promotes life and he prayed that God would touch the hearts of the men and women of the various mafias, so that their lives would be converted and they would cease to do evil.

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https://zenit.org/articles/dates-of-world-youth-day-2019-in-panama-announced/

Dates of World Youth Day 2019 in Panama Announced 
Will Be Hosted During Winter to Avoid Country’s Rainy Season
January 23, 2017

It’s official: the next international World Youth Day celebration, on the theme ‘“I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38),’ will be held in Panama from January 22 – 27, 2019.

Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta announced the dates on Friday.

According to the official World Youth Day website, this WYD is expected to be much smaller than previous WYDs. The Central American nation is expecting to host about 500,000 pilgrims, significantly fewer than the 2.4 million and 3.7 million pilgrims estimated to have attended WYD Krakow 2016 and Rio 2013, respectively.
 
On the NET:
Official Website: http://worldyouthday.com/

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/24/pope_francis_god_wants_us_to_be_true_with_him/1288008

Pope Francis: God wants us to be true with Him
24/01/2017 17:07

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis on Tuesday explained that doing God’s will doesn’t necessarily mean never getting angry with the Lord.

Speaking during morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta the Pope told the faithful that their relationship with God must be a true one so that when we eventually tell him: ‘Here I am!’ it's for real.

Commenting on the reading of the day – the Letter to the Hebrews –  Pope Francis said when Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, in burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no delight, Behold: here I am, I have come to do your will, Oh God.’

These words of Jesus, the Pope said, sum up a concatenated history of "here I am," the history of salvation.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/message-for-world-day-of-communications-communic-2

Message for World Day of Communications: Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time
2017-01-24 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) The Vatican has released Pope Francis’ Message for the 51st World Day of Social Communications. The theme of this year’s message is "Fear not, for I am with you": Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time. The World Day of Social Communications is celebrated in almost all countries on the Sunday before Pentecost. The message is being issued on  24 January, the feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of journalists.

Please find the full text of the message below:

"Fear not, for I am with you» (Is 43:5):
 Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time"

Access to the media – thanks to technological progress – makes it possible for countless people to share news instantly and spread it widely.  That news may be good or bad, true or false.  The early Christians compared the human mind to a constantly grinding millstone; it is up to the miller to determine what it will grind: good wheat or worthless weeds.  Our minds are always “grinding”, but it is up to us to choose what to feed them (cf. SAINT JOHN CASSIAN, Epistle to Leontius).
 

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https://twitter.com/roccopalmo
Rocco Palmo ‏@roccopalmo  · 1h  1 hour ago 
 
Verifying late-nite buzz, Reuters' @PhilipPullella confirms Order of Malta Grand Master resigns at Pope's request:

 
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-knights-idUSKBN159001
Tue Jan 24, 2017 | 8:30pm EST
Knights of Malta head resigns after dispute with Vatican

By Philip Pullella | VATICAN CITY

The head of the Knights of Malta, who has been locked in a bitter dispute with the Vatican, has resigned, a spokesperson for the Rome-based Catholic chivalric and charity institution said on Wednesday.

The spokesperson said Grand Master Matthew Festing, 67, had resigned after Pope Francis asked him to step down at a meeting on Tuesday. Grand masters of the institution, which was founded in the 11th century, usually keep their positions for life.

"The pope asked him to resign and he agreed," the spokesperson said, adding that the next step was a formality in which the group's Sovereign Council would have to sign off on the highly unusual resignation. The order would be run by its number two, or grand commander, until a new head is elected.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-greets-arnold-schwarzenegger-at-gener

Pope Francis greets Arnold Schwarzenegger at General Audience
2017-01-25 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Among those greeting Pope Francis at the General Audience on Wednesday was Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former governor of the US state of California.

Schwarzenegger has been promoting the “R20 - Regions of Climate Action”, an NGO he founded in 2010 which seeks to help sub-national governments around the world to develop and communicate low-carbon and climate resilient economic development projects.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-never-lose-faith-in-gods-providential

Pope Francis: 'never lose faith in God's providential care'
2017-01-25 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has invited believers to trust in God’s providential care while doing everything in their power to respond to the challenges that come their way.

He was addressing pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Hall for the weekly General Audience.

Resuming his ongoing catechesis on Christian hope Pope Francis recalled the courageous figure of Judith, and of how, during the siege of the city of Bethulia by the Assyrian general Holofernes, she urged the despairing population to reinforce its wavering hope in the Lord and ended up proposing a plan that led to victory over the enemy.

The example of this woman of great wisdom and courage, the Pope said, teaches us to trust in the Lord’s providential care, but also, in prayer and obedience, to discern his will and to do everything in our power to respond to the challenges that come our way. 

“How often have we felt our trust in God waver? How many times has each of us, perhaps in desperation, been tempted to lose faith and expect the worst?” he said.
   
Judith’s faith, Pope Francis continued, inspires us to commend ourselves to the Father with trust and obedience.

And remarking on Judith’s courage, the Pope mentioned that in his opinion, women are often more courageous than men…
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NtJa8yPgw0
2017.01.25 General Audience