Pope Francis

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https://twitter.com/FatherRosica

Thomas Rosica‏ @FatherRosica · 11h  11 hours ago 

"And now I would like to give the blessing, but first I ask a favour of you: before the Bishop blesses his people, I ask you to pray to the Lord that he will bless me: the prayer of the people asking the blessing for their Bishop..." -March 13, 2013

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http://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-03/parolin--pope-francis--pontificate-of-joy.html#.Wqe3zYNNrzo.twitter

Parolin: Pope Francis, Pontificate of joy
13 March 2018, 12:20

Cardinal pietro parolin  (Vatican Media)
Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin is the Pope’s closest collaborator and on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of Pope Francis’ pontificate, he speaks about the most important features of his Magisterium:
By Luca Collodi

It has already been five years; they have passed very, very quickly, to the rhythm of many happy and sad events. The fact remains that the election of a Pope and his ministry are always a gift for the Church and for humanity, whose spiritual and ecclesial significance must be considered, evaluated, read in the light of faith and the action of Providence. This anniversary makes us think a little 'about what are the characteristic features of the Magisterium and the action of Pope Francis. Thinking about it, a thought came to me that has been on my mind for some time. It struck me that all the documents or at least the most important ones - I speak of Evangelii gaudium, which was something of a programmatic document for his Pontificate, but then “Amoris laetitia” and also, perhaps indirectly, “Laudato sì” –they always recall joy: Evangelii gaudium, Amoris laetitia, Laudato sì ', the praise that is born of joy from a soul full of joy. And then, perhaps, I would like to say that the fundamental characteristic of this Pontificate is precisely joy, a joy that does not arise evidently from carelessness, but from the fact of knowing that one is loved by the Lord. Then there is the other  feature of his Pontificate: mercy, that is, a personal and total love that God has for each of his creatures and on the other side, the joy of communicating this good news of the Gospel to others; the fact of announcing, bringing to others the announcement of the salvation of Jesus becomes a source of joy for those who receive it, but also for those who proclaim it. It is a shared joy. Then, the third aspect seems to me that of evangelization, that of the outward looking Church that must bring the Gospel to all of creation. It seems to me that these are in a few words, at least for me, the fundamental characteristics of this Pontificate.
 

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http://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-03/the-argentinian-jesuit-who-became-pope.html

The Argentinian Jesuit who became Pope
13 March 2018, 12:18

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio greeting the faithful in Buenos Aires.
Jesuit Fr. Bernd Hagenkord describes how Pope Francis’ Argentinian background and Jesuit formation have helped to shape the man and his papacy.
By Susy Hodges

A senior editorial official at Vatican News, Fr Bernd Hagenkord explores how Pope Francis'  joking description of himself  following his election as “coming from the end of the earth” helps lead us to a better understanding of his background as an Argentinian Jesuit. Although the newly-elected Pope was referring to the fact that as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he came from a country geographically was very distant from Rome, Fr Hagenkord said the Pope's background shaped his perspective on people and the world on many different levels. We bring you a selection of brief sound clips from the evening of the Pope's election on March 13th, 2013 followed by Veronica Scarisbrick's interview with Fr. Hagenkord.

His way of seeing the world

The Pope’s “way of seeing the world is shaped by where he grew up,” said Father Hagenkord.  As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he describes how the future Pope witnessed “at first-hand” the impact of a “brutal” dictatorship in his native Argentina, seeing “the violence” and “how people suffered.”
 

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Video at the link

Wim Wenders: ‘Pope speaks directly to viewer in new film’
13 March 2018, 13:01

Pope Francis and Director Wim Wenders on the film set
Wim Wenders, writer and director of the new film “Pope Francis – A Man of His Word”, in an exclusive interview with Vatican News, says the movie allows the Holy Father “to speak directly about all his concerns and all the issues that matter to him.”

As the Holy Father celebrates 5 years of his Papacy, we’re going to preview the trailer of your new film: “Pope Francis – A Man of His Word”. What does this film mean to you? How did the film come to be, and what do you expect?

WW: Not in my wildest dreams would I have expected to make a film about Pope Francis. When I got the letter with an invitation to come to the Vatican and discuss with Don Dario Viganó the possibility of a film about the Pope, I first took a deep breath, and then I walked around the block. It seemed that such a project would represent a huge responsibility, at least it would be a whole different kind of task than any film I had made before. But of course I would go and find out what Don Dario had in mind.
 

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https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2018/03/13/trump-sends-congratulations-to-pope-francis-on-5-year-anniversary/

Trump sends congratulations to Pope Francis on 5 year anniversary
Christopher White   Mar 13, 2018

(Credit: AP.)
NEW YORK - Despite perceptions in some quarters that they represent competing visions of the world, U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday reached out to Pope Francis, offering him congratulations on behalf of the American people on the fifth anniversary of his election to the papacy.

“My family and I treasure the memory of our visit to the Vatican last May. I was honored to discuss with you many of the urgent global issues of shared concern to the United States and the Holy See,” wrote Trump.

“Our conversation underscored the enduring importance of moral leadership in the international community, and of our continued close cooperation as we work to advance peace and defend human freedom around the world,” he continued.
 
https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/03/279181.htm
On the Anniversary of the Election of His Holiness Pope Francis

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Hmmm...

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/full-text-of-benedict-xvis-letter-to-mons.-vigano

Mar. 13, 2018
Full Text of Benedict XVI’s Letter to Msgr. Viganò

In a paragraph left out of a Vatican press release on a new book series on Pope Francis’ theology, the Pope Emeritus admits to not having fully read the 11 volumes.

Edward Pentin

The Holy See has yet to release the full text of the letter Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI sent to Msgr. Dario Vigano, the prefect of the Secretariat for Communications, on 11 short books on The Theology of Pope Francis, but it has now been published this afternoon by Sandro Magister on his blog, Settimo Cielo.

In the letter dated Feb. 7 and written in response to a request from Msgr. Viganò on Jan. 12, Benedict praises the initiative, saying the books oppose and react to a “foolish prejudice” in which Francis is “just a practical man without particular theological or philosophical formation, while I have been only a theorist of theology with little understanding of the concrete life of a Christian today.”
 

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http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2018/retired-pope-says-criticism-against-pope-francis-is-foolish-prejudice.cfm

Retired pope says criticism against Pope Francis is 'foolish prejudice'
By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service
3.12.2018 3:30 PM ET

CNS/Vatican Media
 
Msgr. Vigano read the letter during a presentation of the 11-volume series March 12.

Before reading the letter, Msgr. Vigano said he sent a message to Pope Francis and Pope Benedict regarding the publication of the book series.

He also asked if Pope Benedict would be "willing to write a page or a page and a half of dense theology in his clear and punctual style that would have liked to read this evening."

Instead, the retired pontiff "wrote a beautiful, personal letter that I will read to you," Msgr. Vigano said.

Pope Benedict thanked Msgr. Vigano for having given him a copy of "The Theology of Pope Francis" book series, which was authored by several notable theologians.
 

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https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2018/03/fraudulent-vatican-after-ap-report.html

Fraudulent Vatican: After AP report, Vatican admits photo of Benedict's praise of Francis was doctored

From the Associated Press:

Vatican doctors photo of Benedict's praise for Francis

By The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Mar 14, 2018, 3:20 PM ET

The Vatican admitted Thursday that it altered a photo sent to the media of a letter from retired Pope Benedict XVI about Pope Francis. The manipulation changed the meaning of the image in a way that violated photojournalist industry standards.

The Vatican's communications office released the photo of the letter on Monday on the eve of Francis' five-year anniversary. The letter was cited by Monsignor Dario Vigano, chief of communications, to rebut critics of Francis who question his theological and philosophical heft and say he represents a rupture from Benedict's doctrine-minded papacy.

In the part of the letter that is legible in the photo, Benedict praised a new volume of books on the theology of Francis as evidence of the "foolish prejudice" of his critics. The book project, Benedict wrote, "helps to see the interior continuity between the two pontificates, with all the differences in style and temperament."

The Vatican admitted to The Associated Press on Thursday that it blurred the two final lines of the first page where Benedict begins to explain that he didn't actually read the books in question. He wrote that he cannot contribute a theological assessment of Francis as requested by Vigano because he has other projects to do.
 
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/vatican-communication-office-altered-photo-of-benedicts-comments-on-francis
Vatican  |  Mar. 14, 2018
Vatican Communication Office Altered Photo of Benedict’s Comments on Francis
Portions of a letter written by Benedict XVI regarding Pope Francis’ philosophical and theological formation were blurred, the AP reported.
CNA/EWTN News

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http://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-03/pope-general-audience-14-march-2018.html

General Audience: Liturgy prepares us to receive Christ in Holy Communion
14 March 2018, 11:07

Pope Francis arrives in St Peter's Square for his weekly General Audience  (Vatican Media)
At his General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis continues his catechesis on the various parts of the Mass, focusing this week on the Our Father and the “breaking of the Bread.”
By Christopher Wells

Pope Francis dedicated his catechesis on Wednesday to the liturgical rites following the Eucharistic Prayer, which help us “to dispose our souls to participate in the Eucharistic banquet.”

The Our Father
 
Immediately following the Great Amen, the assembly recites together the Our Father, which was taught us by Christ Himself. This, the Pope said, is not just one Christian prayer among many. Rather, it is “the prayer of the children of God,” in which, as Jesus teaches us, we call God Father. The Our Father, recited not only in the Mass, but also in the Morning and Evening Prayer of the Church, gives a Christian character to the whole day, forming in us a filial attitude towards God, and a fraternal relationship with our neighbor.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-on-communion-rites/
GENERAL AUDIENCE: On the Our Father and ‘the Breaking of the Bread’ 
March 14, 2018

Video at the link below--
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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http://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2018-03/stephen-hawking-death-science-.html

Tributes to scientist Stephen Hawking, dead at 76
14 March 2018, 12:35

Pope Francis met with British scientist Stephen Hawking in November 2016  (AFP or licensors)

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/8731/church-leaders-praise-stephen-hawking-
14 March 2018 | by Carol Glatz, CNS   
Church leaders praise Stephen Hawking

Pope Francis greets Stephen Hawking at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican

Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who said he did not believe in God, was still an esteemed member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and fostered a fruitful dialogue between science and faith.

The academy, which Pope Pius IX established in 1847, tweeted, "We are deeply saddened about the passing of our remarkable Academician Stephen #Hawking who was so faithful to our Academy."

"He told the 4 Popes he met that he wanted to advance the relationship between Faith and Scientific Reason. We pray the Lord to welcome him in his Glory," @CasinaPioIV, the academy, tweeted March 14.

The Vatican observatory, @SpecolaVaticana, also expressed its condolences to Hawking's family.
 

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http://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-03/pope-at-mass--_prayer-requires-courage-and-patience.html

Pope at Mass: ‘Prayer requires courage and patience’
15 March 2018, 12:13

Pope Francis at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta  (ANSA)
In his homily at Mass on Thursday morning in the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis reflects on the power of prayer, starting with the dialogue between God and Moses.

“Courage and patience”, according to Pope Francis, are the two linchpins of prayer, which must be raised up to God “in freedom, like children”. The Holy Father made the comments in his homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Thursday. He took as his starting point the first reading from the Book of Exodus, which tells of the conversation between the Lord and Moses regarding the apostasy of God’s people.

Moses refuses to be deviated

The prophet tries to dissuade the Lord from acting on his “blazing wrath” against His people, who “had forsaken the glory of the living God to worship a golden calf.” In Moses’ bold dialogue, he reminds God of all He had done for his people, bringing them out of slavery in Egypt, and of the faithfulness of Abraham and Isaac.

In this “face-to-face” encounter, the Pope said, Moses’ preoccupation and love for God’s people is evident. He is not afraid to tell the truth and does not enter into the “deviation game”.

“God appreciates this”, said Pope Francis. “When God sees a person who continually prays for something, He is moved.”
 

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http://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-03/fr-cantalamessa--obedience-holds-the-christian-life-together-.html

Fr Cantalamessa: Obedience holds the Christian life together
16 March 2018, 13:10

Fr Raniero Cantalamessa  (Vatican Media)
In his fourth Lenten meditation on Friday, Fr. Cantalmessa focuses on the place of obedience in the Christian i8fe.

Fr Raniero  Cantalamessa focuses our attention on the theme of obedience as presented by Paul in the Letter to the Romans: reflecting on themes from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.”

Obedience to the Gospel

St Paul and the other disciples of Jesus were taking their first steps in society with an understanding that were following someone whose “kingdom was not of this world.”  They began to understand that “obedience to the state is a result and an aspect of a much more important and comprehensive obedience that the apostle calls ‘obedience to the gospel,’ ” says Fr  Cantalamessa. Every type of Christian obedience must be rooted not in obedience to human beings, but to God.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-03/pope-francis-seminarians-student-priests-.html

Pope stresses on human, spiritual formation in the life of seminarians, priests
16 March 2018, 16:55

During a relaxed and informal meeting with seminarians and student priests on Friday, Pope Francis answered questions on priestly life and formation.

Pope Francis on Friday told seminarians and priests studying in Rome to care for their ongoing human and spiritual formation while being always open to the Holy Spirit. The seminarians and student priests who come from around the world for ecclesiastical studies, reside in the pontifical colleges and ecclesiastical boarding schools of the city.

The relaxed question and answer session in which the Pope responded to 5 questions from the audience, was punctuated with jokes, laughter and cheer.   

On the move together with others

Responding to a French seminarian who wanted to know about how a priest could be a humble disciple and missionary at the same time, the Pope said that a priest must be a man who is on the move, who listens and who is never alone.  He must be humble enough to be accompanied.
 

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http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/8746/guam-archbishop-to-be-removed-from-office

16 March 2018 | by Christopher Lamb   
Guam archbishop to be removed from office

Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who led the Archdiocese of Agana in the US Pacific territory of Guam, was judged guilty of certain accusations against him

An archbishop accused of sexually abusing young men is to be removed from office and ordered off the island that he served on after being found guilty by a Vatican canonical trial.

Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who led the Archdiocese of Agana in the US Pacific territory of Guam, was judged guilty of certain accusations against him, although a statement announcing the verdict did not specify which ones. 

The canonical trial, conducted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, ruled that it had issued “its sentence of first instance” which the archbishop is permitted to appeal against. This includes “privation of office” and “prohibition of residence in the Archdiocese of Guam.” Apuron, 72, has always denied the charges of sexual abuse lodged against him.

The lack of clarity over what the archbishop has been found guilty of was exacerbated by what seems a relatively light sentence. Priests found guilty of child sexual abuse are routinely removed from public ministry or laicised.
 

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http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2018-03/synod-bishops-pan-amazon-region-repam-mauricio-lopez.html#.Wquj7zmCiCk.twitter

Pope asks Amazon bishops to open new pathways for the Church and for humanity
14 March 2018, 10:49

Preparations are underway to organize the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of the Pan-Amazon region that will take place in the Vatican in October 2019. One of the consultants appointed by Pope Francis to collaborate in setting things up is the Executive Secretary of REPAM, Mauricio Lopez who spelt out all the reasons this Special Assembly is so important.
By Linda Bordoni

“Amazonia: new pathways for the Church and for an integral ecology” is the theme announced by Pope Francis for the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of the Pan-Amazon Region.

That title contains a really strong call to undertake new action because, as the Pope has warned repeatedly in various occasions, failure to act and make radical changes in lifestyles and energy consumption will have grave consequences for all of us.

That’s why, in accordance with Latin American bishops he convened a Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that will involve prelates and consultants from Latin America’s Pan-Amazon region.
 

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http://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-03/the-pope-s-visit-to-pietrelcina-and-san-giovanni-rotondo.html

The Pope's visit to Pietrelcina and San Giovanni Rotondo
09 March 2018, 12:08

The faithful in front of the new Church of Saint Pio of Pietralcina a San Giovanni Rotondo 
On March 17, Pope Francis travels to Pietrelcina and San Giovanni Rotondo, following in the footsteps of Padre Pio.
 
Pietrelcina

The Pope will arrive by helicopter in Pietrelcina at 8 am: first there will be a brief prayer stop in the "Saint Francis" Chapel, then a meeting with the faithful in the square in front of the liturgical hall of Piana Romana. Finally he will greet the Capuchin community of Pietrelcina.

San Giovanni Rotondo

At 9.30 am, he will go to San Giovanni Rotondo. The first appointment is a hospital visit to the "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza".  From the square in front of the hospital, the Holy Father will greet and bless the sick from his car, then he will meet sick children.  The Pope will then travel to a Marian sanctuary where he will greet  the Community of  Capuchins and venerate the body of Saint Pio and the Crucifix of the Stigmata. Then there will be the Eucharistic Concelebration in the churchyard of the Church of Saint Pio. Pope Francis is due back in the Vatican at around 2pm Italian time.

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http://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-03/pope-francis-padre-pio-meeting-faithful-pietrelcina.html

Pope Francis at Pietrelcina: Preserve Christian testimony of Padre Pio
17 March 2018, 08:26

The Pope greeting the faithful in Pietrelcina  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis on Saturday began his pastoral visit in the footsteps of Padre Pio by greeting the faithful in Pietrelcina, the Italian town were the Saint grew up. Against the backdrop of an image of the young friar the Pope encouraged them to “preserve as a precious treasure the Christian and priestly testimony of Saint Pio."

In his remarks to the faithful and the Capuchin community gathered in the square in front of the liturgical hall of Piana Romana to greet him, Pope Francis recalled Padre Pio’s early life in Pietrelcina and his admission into the Capuchin Friars Minor where he said this friar “meditated with intensity on the mystery of God who loved us so as to give Himself for us.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-address-to-faithful-in-pietrelcina-full-text/
Pope Francis Address to Faithful in Pietrelcina (Full Text) 
March 17, 2018

Video at the link below--
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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http://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-03/pope-francis-padre-pio-homily-mass-san-giovanni-rotondo.html

Pope Francis: "The Christian life is not an 'I like' but an 'I give' "
17 March 2018, 11:56

Pope Francis arriving at the Shrine of St Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis chose three words from the biblical texts proclaimed during Saturday’s liturgy and expanded on them in his homily. These words are: prayer, littleness, and wisdom.

Prayer

The Gospel text from Matthew 11:25 presents Jesus praying. “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” Pope Francis describes his prayer as one that flowed spontaneously and was not optional. The Lord regularly went off by himself in solitary places to pray because “dialogue with the Father was a priority.”

Jesus’ disciples asked the Lord to teach them how to pray (Lk 11:1) because they saw that his prayer was natural and important for him. The Pope tells us, “If we want to imitate Jesus, we can also begin  where he began, that is, from prayer.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-homily-at-mass-in-san-giovanni-rotondo-full-text/
Pope Francis Homily at Mass in San Giovanni Rotondo (Full Text) 
March 17, 2018

Video at the link below--
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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https://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-venerates-body-of-st-padre-pio/

Pope Francis Venerates Body of St. Padre Pio 
March 17, 2018

© Vatican Media
 
The Holy Father visited the Shrine of Saint Mary of Graces where he was received by the provincial Minister of the Capuchins, Fr. Maurizio Placentino, the guardian Fr. Carlo Laborde, and the rector, Fr. Francis Dileo. In the Shrine the Pope greeted the religious Community of the Capuchins and venerated the body of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina and the Crucifix of the Stigmata, leaving as a gift a stole for the Exposition; he subsequently met with and greeted those Friars who were sick, before finally proceeding to the Saint’s room.

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At the link:  gallery of photos and video

http://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-03/pope-francis-padre-pio-s-giovanni-rotondo-children-cancer-ward0.html

Pope visits sick children of Padre Pio’s hospital
17 March 2018, 13:58

A highlight of the visit of Pope Francis to Pietrelcina and San Giovanni Rotondo in southern Italy, 17 March, was when he entered the children's cancer ward of the “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” hospital that popular Italian saint Padre Pio founded.

Pope Francis on Saturday visited Pietrelcina and San Giovanni Rotondo in southern Italy on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the stigmata and 50 year of the death of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, or simply Padre Pio.

The 81-yer old Cappuchin friar, venerated the world over for his holiness, simplicity and poverty,  was born on 25 May, 1887 in Pietrelcina, and died on 23 September, 1968 in San Giovanni Rotondo, where he started the hospital, “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza,” (Home for Alleviating Suffering).