PICTURE OF LIGHT COMING FROM THE HOLY FATHER’S HEAD.PARAGUAY http://www.free-rosary.net/?author=1 PARAGUAY. The Pope Francisco visit to Paraguay was a historic event. He arrived on Friday, July 10 – and ended his agenda in the country on the afternoon of sunday, July 12, 2015. This is the second visit of a Pope to Paraguay in the History of the country. The Bishop of Rome attended a dozen events in public and private visits. He met civil and religious authorities (the Catholic Church), the diplomatic corps, representatives of different sectors of civil society, young people and residents of the poorer areas of the capital (city of Asuncion). The PrimiciasYa newspaper (from Argentina) talked the phenomenon with parapsychologist Alexander Morgan who commented: It is the light of the Holy Spirit descending upon the Pope. It is a dove on his head. He is protected by the Lord …
I have found the article below most interesting and containing quite a lot of information of which I was not aware: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2015/08/vatican/draper-text
Pretty fascinating interview with Archbishop Ganswein. What a role he plays- working directly with Emeritus Pope Benedict and Pope Francis. His insights into these men and the workings of the Church is amazing. I found his comments on the upcoming synod especially on his fellow German bishops to be very telling. It appeared to me tag the almost tipped the hand that Francis will play- no changes from what St. John Paul created 20 years ago. http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/fr..._campaign=Feed:+zenit/english+(ZENIT+English)
Another interesting MSM article on the Pope. I think he is spot on and the most shocking part of the article was the comment that many theologians think he goes "overboard" in talking about the devil. We need to hear more of these warnings and not just from the pope, but from the pulpit! http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/20/living/pope-francis-devil/index.html
I'm sure the Pope could care less, but interesting to see his "favorability" rating drop in the US. While the main reason behind it appears to be a huge drop in "conservatives", there are other groups as well who are becoming disenchanted. I'm not surprised and in fact I'm in a way glad about this because to me it shows the Pope is preaching the gospel message which is never "easy" to accept. It kind of reminds me of Jesus - initially "popular" with the crowds culminating in his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, but then as we know his message and himself was rejected by almost all. Now before anyone accusing me of comparing Francis to The Lord, I'm not...I just think what is happening hear is related. In fact, when you think of it, anyone of us who preaches Christ is often shunned and I'm sure that will soon escalate to persecuted. http://www.gallup.com/poll/184283/pope-francis-favorable-rating-drops.aspx
Vicar Of Christ To Anti-Catholic Pro-Abort Mayors: You Are The "Conscience Of Humanity!" July 21, 2015 The Mad Hatter's Tea Party: Moonbeam and Mayors Descend on the Vatican By Elizabeth Yore Pewsitter.com Vatican Abp. Sanchez Sorondo draws exclusively leftist mayors, politicians from around the world to save the planet, end slavery. Down another rabbit hole we tumble. California Governor Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown and 8 Democratic U.S. Mayors descend on the Vatican today to worship at the altar of the new religion of environmentalism. The Vatican’s latest selection of eco experts continues to get ‘curiouser and curiouser’. In Vatican Eco-wonderland, everything is turned upside down; left is right, wrong is right, moral is ecological. Despite Pope Francis’ assertion in Laudato Si that he is open to dialogue from all sides, no Republican mayors or governors were invited to the eco convention. Behind each door is a more radical, more anti Catholic politician invited by the Vatican to elicit support for its eco edict. The DRINK ME Potion of environmentalism is feasted on by Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS) as it sets the table for the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The leftist delegation of mayoral tree huggers led by the Governor Moonbeam, are featured as honored guests at the Vatican climate change pep rally. Jerry ‘Solar Panel’ Brown genuflects at the global warming altar: “Religion deals with the fundamentals. When you deal with fundamentals of what makes the atmosphere and the weather, and whether that permanently or radically changes, that’s very similar to a fundamental principle of right and wrong.” The newly christened ‘religion of environmentalism’ chanted by Governor Brown sets the stage to build momentum for the upcoming U.S. Papal visit, the UN Sustainable Development Summit, and the Paris Climate Treaty. Governor Brown anoints the new moral and religious force of the eco movement: “Pope Francis is bringing to climate change a moral and theological dimension that adds to the market and political calculations.” Yes, the global warming movement is immensely warmed by the arrival and presence of its long missing energy source, a moral voice, now supplied by Pope Francis. Yet, as the author and anthropologist, Michael Crichton cautioned about the dangers of deifying the climate change movement: “{S}cience offers us the only way out of politics. And if we allow science to become politicized, then we are lost. We will enter the Internet version of the dark ages, an era of shifting fears and wild prejudices, transmitted to people who don't know any better. That's not a good future for the human race. That's our past. So it's time to abandon the religion of environmentalism, and return to the science of environmentalism, and base our public policy decisions firmly on that.” These democratic pols share the papal world view of climate change and UN sustainable development. Curiously though, these Vatican hand picked and personally invited politicians are bitter enemies of the moral teaching of the Church, who actively and aggressively promote political policies and laws in direct contravention of the tenets of the Catholic Church. Take for example, Jerry “ex seminarian” Brown. Brown supports legalized abortion and same sex marriage. In 2013, Brown signed into law one of the most radical abortion laws in the country which gave California women more access to abortion, by allowing nurse practitioners and certain other non-physicians to perform the procedure during the first trimester of pregnancy. Brown also opposed a bill banning same sex marriage. Perchance, did Archbishop Gomez of LA place a call to the Vatican and ask why are you welcoming to the Vatican, a baptized catholic who as a politician has promoted abortion and same sex marriage in contravention of the faith and morals of the Catholic Church? This might be a sign of confusion and contradiction to faithful Catholics? How about Ed Lee, democratic mayor of San Francisco, environmentalist and abortion proponent? Did the Vatican check in with Archbishop Cordileone about the Ed Lee invitation? What about democratic Mayors Hodges (Minneapolis), Hales, (Portland), Liccardo (San Jose), Landrieu (New Orleans), all invited guests of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy on Social Sciences who all hold pro abortion, pro LGBT views in contravention of Catholic teaching. Are Catholics free to ignore and condone the anti-Catholic stances of these politicians? Are the mayors’ environmental beliefs more important to the Vatican than their position on abortion or same sex marriage? What are Catholics to believe when, in the words of Vatican Bishop Sorondo, “we can invite whomever we want.” Is that because the Pontifical Academy of Social Science has become a radical forum to elevate, not the tenets of the Catholic faith, but the new religion of environmentalism? Surely the papal invitation to Mayor Marty Walsh of Boston must have raised the ire of Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley, one of the 8 Cardinals in Pope Francis’ Cabinet. Was Cardinal O’Malley distressed by the papal invitation to Boston’s most prominent Catholic politician who is virulently pro abortion and refused to march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade because of the Church’s LGBT stance? Certainly, Pope Francis would respond to a phone call from Cardinal O’Malley about the Archdiocese’s political and moral adversary. Was the prominent and popular Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York displeased by the invitation to Mayor Bill de Blasio to speak at the Vatican. Cardinal Dolan is no shrinking violet and would certainly express his displeasure at the invite to a radical pro abortion, pro LGBT supporter. In fact, de Blasio is a longtime supporter of Nicaragua’s Marxist Sandinistas and de Blasio even honeymooned in Cuba, in violation of the U.S. travel ban. Cuba! No wonder, de Blasio was asked to speak at the conference. De Blasio supports same sex marriage and even officiated at a same sex marriage. He, too, like Mayor Marty Walsh refused to walk in the St. Pat’s parade in protest of the Church’s stance. Not to worry, de Blasio has the political credentials that the Vatican needs in its environmental campaign. These are the men that Pope Francis described during the conference as “the conscience of humanity”? Last week, Catholics learned that the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church was not offended by a hammer and sickle crucifix. This week the Pope hosts the early Democratic convention featuring the most radical anti-Catholic leftists in American politics. Crichton saw the danger of mixing environmentalism with religion, a theology dominating the Vatican during the Francis papacy: “We are energy sinners, doomed to die, unless we seek salvation, which is now called sustainability. Sustainability is salvation in the church of the environment.” This week the Vatican is hosting its 7th Sustainable Development Conference of the Francis papacy by inviting 60 leftist politicians from around the world. Bishop Sorondo, who is hosting the event, when asked whether the “exclusive presence of mayors of the left of center is not a sign of partiality.” Sorondo heatedly responded that “the invitation is open to everyone.” In the words of Lewis Carroll’s Alice, “I don't believe there's an atom of meaning in it.” ***** Elizabeth Yore is an international child rights lawyer who has handled human trafficking cases throughout her legal career. She was a member of the Heartland Institute Delegation that travelled to Rome to urge the Vatican to avoid the anti life UN Sustainable Development agenda. She served as Special Counsel at Harpo, Inc. In that position, she acted as Oprah Winfrey’s Child Advocate in South Africa at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. Elizabeth was General Counsel at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and General Counsel at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The Pope's message to the Bishops of England and Wales - For dignity in every stage of life 2015-07-23 L’Osservatore Romano More than 300,000 postcards will be distributed to parishioners in England and Wales this weekend offering guidance about end of life decisions. This initiative is part of the day for Life celebration to be held on Sunday, 26 July. For this Day, Pope Francis sent his best wishes and support to the Catholic Church in England and Wales. The Apostolic Nuncio in Great Britain, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, received a letter and conveyed it to the Bishop for Day for Life, Bishop John Sherrington, Auxiliary of Westminster. In the letter, the Holy Father imparts his apostolic blessing “upon all those persons who are participating in this significant event and working in any way for the promotion of the dignity of every human person from the moment of conception until natural death”. This Sunday is the last of the various initiatives of the Catholic Church in England regarding end of life topics. The Bishops chose “Cherishing Life – Accepting Death” as this year's theme. Indeed, on 11 September the U.K.'s House of Commons will be debating and voting on an assisted suicide bill. Presented by Rob Marris, the bill proposes allowing terminally-ill the possibility of ending their life with medical assistance.
Members and substitutes for the Synod of Bishops 2015-07-24 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday confirmed more members and substitutes for the Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will take place from October 4-25, 2015, under the theme "The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world." For a listing of other members and substitutes confirmed for the Synod on the Family, see our previous posts on 26 March and 16 June. The following is a list of the members and substitutes appointed by the competent entities and ratified by the Holy Father on 24 July. AFRICA Ivory Coast Member: Bishop Ignace BESSI DOGBO, of Katiola, President of the National Episcopal Commission for the Apostolate of the Laity Guinea Member: Bishop Juan MATOGO OYANA, C.M.F., of Bata Sudan Member: Archbishop Paulino LUKUDU LORO, M.C.C.J., of Juba Substitute: Bishop Michael Didi Adgum MANGORIA, of El Obeid Zimbabwe Member: Bishop Xavier Johnsai MUNYONGANI, of Gweru AMERICA Paraguay Member: Bishop Miguel Ángel CABELLO ALMADA, of Concepción in Paraguay Substitute: Bishop Pierre Laurent JUBINVILLE, C.S.Sp., of San Pedro ASIA India 2nd Substitute: Bishop Lawrence Pius DORAIRAJ, of Dharmapuri Iran Member: Archbishop Ramzi GARMOU, of Teheran of the Chaldeans, Patriarchal Administrator of Ahwaz of the Chaldeans Substitute: Titular Archbishop Neshan KARAKÉHÉYAN, of Adana of the Armenians, Patriarchal Administrator of Ispahan, Esfáan of the Armenians Thailand Member: Bishop Silvio Siripong CHARATSRI, of Chanthaburi Substitute: Archbishop Louis CHAMNIERN SANTISUKNIRAN, of Thare and Nonseng East Timor Member: Bishop Basílio DO NASCIMENTO, of Baucau, President of the Bishop's Conference Substitute: Bishop Norberto DO AMARAL, of Maliana EUROPE International Bishops' Conference of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Member: Bishop Ladislav NEMET, S.V.D., of Zrenjanin in Serbia Latvia Member: Archbishop Zbignevs STANKEVIČS, of Riga Substitute: Bishop Jānis BULIS, of Rēzekne-Aglona, President of Bishop’s Conference Scandinavia Member: Bishop Teemu SIPPO, S.C.I., of Helsinki in Finland Substitute: Bishop Czeslaw KOZON, of Copenhagen in Denmark OCEANIA Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands Member: Bishop Anton BAL, of Kundiawa, “Commission for Family Life” (from Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis: Multiply good works like the loaves and fishes 6 31Print 2015-07-26 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Before the recitation of the Marian Prayer before the faithful in St Peter's Square, Pope Francis recalled Sunday’s Gospel about the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes. The Pope explained that "Jesus satisfies not only material hunger, but the most profound of hungers, the hunger for meaning in life, the hunger for God." He went on to say that “in the face of suffering, loneliness, poverty and difficulties of so many people, what can we do?” Complaining, the Holy Father stressed, “does not solve anything, but we can offer what little we have. We certainly have a few hours of time, some talent, some expertise” ... “Who among us”, the Pope underlined, “does not have his or her "five loaves and two fish"? If we are willing to put them in the hands of the Lord, we will bring a little more love into the world a bit 'more love, peace, justice and joy. God is able to multiply our small gestures of solidarity and make us partakers of his gift. " (from Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis' strategy to influence international politics 2015-07-26 Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on pinterest_shareShare on email Every time Pope Francis becomes more involved with international politics, he gains even more acclaim. The reopening of Cuba and the United States' embassies in their respective countries was directly linked to the Pope, though he has downplayed his role. Now, Pope Francis has inserted himself into the fight to address climate change. And he's brought an even more bold strategy. His goal is to influence the upcoming climate change summit in Paris. "Laudato Si” was the opening move, and aVatican conference with some of the world's most important mayors was the next step. JUAN CARLOS VILLALONGA President, Agency of Environmental Protection (Argentina) "In recent years the cities have become a dynamic part of the discussion about climate change. And there is a reason for this. When a city suffers flooding due to more severe storms, the flooded resident will not complain to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) or the United Nations for the delay in negotiations. The resident will seek answers from the local government.” In addition to addressing climate change, the conference also dealt with the difficult issue of human trafficking. He said the two are interlocked, because people become susceptible to exploitation when environmental problems make them more vulnerable. POPE FRANCIS July 21, 2015 "There is a relationship of mutual incidence between the environment and the person and how the person treats the environment.” In order to influence the powerful, Pope Francis is using an unusual method: he is giving a voice to people who have been marginalized by human trafficking and climate change, along with those who directly represent them. EDUARDO ACCASTELLO Mayor of Villa Maria (Argentina) "We believe it's necessary for the U.N. to fundamentally determine that human trafficking is a crime against humanity and they are resisting that.” CHARO CASTELLO Popular Movements (Spain) "There are real barriers that we must identify and overcome. If we don't work on the local level, it doesn't make sense on the universal level. And if we don't have that universal dimension, the local work is restricted.” One of the most powerful moments from Pope Francis' trip to Latin America was his meeting with extremely poor people. He delivered one of his most powerful social speeches to them and again made the world focus on the most excluded. The question that remains to be seen is whether powerful leaders will embrace this way of doing politics. http://www.romereports.com/2015/07/26/pope-francis-strategy-to-influence-international-politics
The Pope's 7 most tender messages to grandparents 2015-07-27 Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on pinterest_shareShare on email During this year's feast of Jesus's grandparents, Saints Joachim and Anne, the Pope asked for a round of applause for grandparents. 1. GRATITUDE POPE FRANCIS July 26, 2015 "I want to greet all the grandmothers and grandfathers to thank them for their special place in families and for their importance to the new generations.” From the beginning, Pope Francis has been very mindful of the elderly. During the Mass at the start of his pontificate he asked for people to care for the elderly in particular since they are often pushed to the "margins of the heart.” A few months afterward, at World Youth Day in Brazil, he spoke to young people about the importance of listening to their elders. 2. CULTURAL EUTHANASIA POPE FRANCIS July 25, 2013 "This global civilization has gone too far, too far ... because such is the cult that has been built around the god of money that we are witnessing the development of a philosophy and a practice of excluding the two extremes of life that are the hopes of every community. The elderly aren't shown care because no one cares for them. But there is also a cultural euthanasia. No one lets them speak or act.” Pope Francis knows that grandparents play an essential role in the lives of children. And he knows this by experience thanks to the love of his grandmother Rosa. This is how he explained it in a catechesis dedicated to grandparents. 3. EXAMPLE POPE FRANCIS March 11, 2015"The words of grandparents contain something special for young people. And they know it. The words that my grandmother gave me in writing the day of my priestly ordination I still carry with me, always, in the breviary. And I read them often and they do me good.” This is why he never tires of denouncing the abuses committed against the elderly, who are marginalized in society. He even says that this is a sin. 4. MARGINALIZATION POPE FRANCIS March 4, 2015 "It's horrible to see the elderly tossed aside. It's ugly and it's a sin.” The elderly are of particular importance in the Pope's eyes as the collective memory of communities, and, above all, of families. 5. TRANSMITTERS OF THE FAITH POPE FRANCIS November 11, 2013 "We pray for our grandfathers, our grandmothers, who so often play a heroic role in the transmission of the faith in times of persecution. When mom and dad weren't home or when they had strange ideas, which the politics of the time taught them, it was the grandmothers who passed on the faith.” In fact, the Pope thinks that the elderly are so important that he was the first to organize an event in the Vatican dedicated to them. It was a very special day, and with a very rare appearance by Benedict XVI, whom Pope Francis tenderly called a 'wise grandfather.' 6. WISDOM POPE FRANCIS September 28, 2014 "I have said many times that I enjoy living here, in the Vatican, because it's like having a wise grandfather at home. Thank you.” The Pope lamented the forgetting of and the violence towards the elderly and he explained that the experience of grandparents is irreplaceable. 7. TENDERNESS POPE FRANCIS September 28, 2014 "One of the most beautiful things in life, in the family, in our lives, is caressing a child and letting yourself be caressed by a grandfather or a grandmother.” The Pope backs up his words with deeds. In general audiences, meetings, and trips,Pope Francis never misses an opportunity to greet the elderly or to listen to them. http://www.romereports.com/2015/07/27/the-pope-s-7-most-tender-messages-to-grandparents
Forty-five thousand sign up for WYD only a few hours after Pope Francis - Meeting on the field of mercy 2015-07-27 L’Osservatore Romano Less than 24 hours after registration opened for next year's World Youth Day (WYD), 45,000 people had already signed up. The first to register was Pope Francis himself who had previously announced that the theme of the meeting would revolve around mercy. According to the website's managers, thus far there are 250 “macrogroups” and 300 volunteers signed up. The countdown to the event is already surrounded by great enthusiasm. In exactly one year — from 26 to 31 July 2016 — young people will meet in Krakow for the 31st WYD. Twenty five years after its start, WYD will return to Poland, the land of the Pontiff who created it. Even if Pope Wojtyła loved to say that “it was the young people themselves who invented WYD”. In 1991 in Częstochowa, a strong wind of faith was announced to the young people and from them the faith blew beyond the iron curtain. The young Christians of eastern and western Europe experienced the first large-scale encounter after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Pope Wojtyła returned to his homeland for WYD which saw the participation of more than one million people. A true jubilee of young people will be celebrated on a global level. Pope Francis recalled this at the Angelus and Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, also underlined it in a message published on the dicastery's website. The theme of WYD is “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” is part of the extraordinary holy year which will begin on 8 December. WYD in Krakow will complete a three part series of themes dedicated to the Beatitudes. The theme in Rio in 2014 was “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. This year's theme for the 30th WYD on the diocesan level is “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”.
Calendar for the Jubilee of Mercy 2015-07-30 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization has published a calendar of "Great Events with Pope Francis" which will take place during the upcoming Jubilee of Mercy. The Jubilee will begin Tuesday 8 December, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, with the opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica. The following Sunday, 13 December, the Third Sunday of Advent, Holy Doors will be opened at the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran and in Cathedrals around the world. Highlights of the Jubilee include the sending forth of the Missionaries of Mercy on Ash Wednesday, 10 February, and World Youth Day, which will take place in Krakow, Poland from 26-31 July. The theme of next year’s World Youth Day is “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7). Special jubilee days throughout the year are dedicated to groups of people in the Church, including Jubilees for Consecrated Life, for young children, for the sick, and for catechists. There will also be a Marian jubilee on the Saturday and Sunday following the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Jubilee of Mercy will conclude with the closing of the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, on Sunday 20 November. The full schedule can be found on the official website for the Jubilee of Mercy. (from Vatican Radio) View attachment 3238
Pope Francis' prayer intentions for August t Vatican City, 31 July 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father's universal prayer intention for August is: “That volunteers may give themselves generously to the service of the needy”. His intention for evangelisation is: “That setting aside our very selves we may learn to be neighbours to those who find themselves on the margins of human life and society”.
To me as a practicing catholic, I find this state of affairs sad: Shutterstock.com LifeSiteNews.com Share on Facebook260 Share on Twitter Comment on this Article Share via Email Print this Page CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOMOSEXUALITYThu Jul 30, 2015 - 9:15 pm EST 405,000 people, 104 bishops sign petition to Pope Francis asking for ‘clarification’ on marriage Homosexuality July 30, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) - Over 405,000 people, including 104 prelates - cardinals, archbishops, and bishops - have so far signed the “Filial Petition” to His Holiness Pope Francis asking for “a word of clarification” as the “only way to overcome the growing confusion among the faithful” on the issues of marriage, divorce, and homosexual unions. In a press release, the organizers of the petition said today that “an intervention by the supreme authority is needed in order to counter the creeping advance of the Cultural Revolution promoted by anti-Christian forces, which for decades have sought to undermine people’s moral convictions based on the Gospel and the Natural Law.” Among the signatories is Cardinal Raymond Burke, who himself personally issued a call widely reported in the media for Pope Francis to clarify the Church’s teachings on sexuality last November. His call for clarification came after weeks of confusion during the Vatican’s Extraordinary Synod on the Family, where some bishops openly pushed for the Church to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive communion, seemingly with the tacit support of the pope. Others pushed for greater openness of the Church towards homosexuality. Cardinal Burke said at the time that he has heard from lay people that “there’s really just a growing confusion about what the Church really teaches, and we’re not coming to any clarity." “And the impression now is given that this will now go out to the dioceses and they will express their opinions and the bishops will come and vote on this. But that isn’t the way Church doctrine is formulated. And that’s not the way Church discipline is formulated. The Church is not a democracy,” Burke said. Click "like" if you are PRO-LIFE! Today's press release states that “the Church always keeps alight the torch of sound doctrine and consistent discipline based on the Lord’s teachings,” a torch that “paradoxically” has the effect of attracting “more and more numerous young people from the most diverse social contexts, who are tired of the noxious consequences of the sexual revolution and wish to start authentic Christian families.” However, said the organizers of the Filial Appeal, “at the Extraordinary Synod on the Family held in October 2014, the light of that torch, rather than being reinvigorated seemed to falter due to confused and dissonant opinions that emerged inside and outside the synod hall. These theses were immediately taken up and spread by the secularist propaganda machine.” The group of lay organizations behind the appeal have formed the “Filial Appeal Association.” Beyond the massive petition, the association also aims to spread worldwide the booklet entitled Preferential Option for the Family, authored by three bishops, Most Rev. Aldo di Cillo Pagotto, Most Rev. Robert F. Vasa, and Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider. It is a user-friendly manual in one hundred questions and answers. This initiative has also found broad support among ecclesiastical and civil personalities. The work has been translated into several languages and has been distributed to all residential bishops around the world. Copies of Preferential Option for the Family can be requested atsegreteria.supplicafiliale@outlook.com. You can also sign the petition to Pope Francis on www.filialappeal.org.
While I understand the need these people have for clarification I am still concerned that the demand for Pope Francis to speak now may not consider what Our Holy Father TRULY has in mind for October nor how such a demand for an immediate response could adversely affect his strategy. I have no confusion what the church teaches on these issues and I am sure Cardinal Burke is also clear on Church dogma and where Pope Francis stands. Politics is at play here and what may not be clear is how Pope Francis intends to deal with those who would deviate from church teaching and lead others to perdition. I trust that will become clear after October. Journalism likes to create drama and it us this drama that confuses and causes doubt and division. How can any person who calls himself a Catholic really believe that Our Holy Father supports or promotes sin in any form shape or degree. No he is totally opposed to sin but is also absultely in line with the Mercy shown by Jesus. Both sides of truth are evident in his pontificate 1 "Neither do I condemn you" 2 "Go and sin no more." Mercy and Justice but Mercy comes first, thank God. The day of Justice will come soon enough.
Pope to hold extra General Audiences during Year of Mercy 2015-08-01 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) The month of August promises to be a busy one for Pope Francis who is scheduled to be involved in a series of public events. Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, Prefect of the Pontifical Household, told Vatican Radio that the Pope will meet publically with the faithful in numerous occasions during the summer month and that preparations are underway to organize an extra General Audience each month (possibly on a Saturday) during the upcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy. Monsignor Gaenswein said that next Tuesday afternoon, August 4, Pope Francis will meet with some 12,000 German speaking participants of the International Pilgrimage of Altar Servers. On Wednesday, August 5, the Pope will resume his weekly General Audiences which see the participation of thousands of pilgrims from across the world. Archbishop Gaenswein pointed out that the General Audience on August 26 will mark the 100th such occasion for Pope Francis. Due to the heat, the August General Audiences will take place inside the Paul VIth Hall. On Friday, August 7, the Pope will receive in audience members of the Eucharistic Youth Movement. Archbishop Gaenswein also revealed that since the beginning of Pope Francis’ Pontificate in March 2013, fifteen million people have been present for his General Audiences, Angelus’ and special audiences in the Vatican. (from Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis: "Jesus is the bread of life" 2015-08-02 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged the faithful to look beyond material needs and turn to Jesus who is “the bread of life”. The Pope’s words came as he addressed the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus. Taking his cue from the Gospel reading of the day which tells of the crowd that went looking for Jesus, not because they saw the signs but because they had eaten the loaves of bread and were filled, Pope Francis pointed out that those people gave more value to the bread than to He who gave them the bread. He explained that before this spiritual blindness, Jesus highlights the need to look beyond the gift and discover the giver. God himself – the Pope said – is the gift and is also the giver. Jesus invites us – the Pope continued – to be open to a perspective which is not only that of daily preoccupation and material needs; Jesus speaks to us of a different kind of food, food which is not corruptible and that we must search for and welcome into our lives. He exhorts us not to work for food that perishes but “for the food that endures for eternal life which the Son of Man will give us” he said. With these words – Pope Francis continued – He wants us to understand that beyond a physical hunger, man has a different kind of hunger – “we all have this hunger” – a more important kind of hunger that cannot be satisfied with ordinary food. “It is the hunger for life - the hunger for eternity - that only He can satisfy because He is the bread of life” he said. And pointing out that the true meaning of our earthly existence is to be found at the end, in eternity, Pope Francis said that to be open to meeting Jesus every day of our lives will illuminate our lives and give meaning to small gifts, sufferings and preoccupations. And quoting from the Gospel of John, the Pope said “Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst”. “This – he said – refers to the Eucharist, the greatest gift that fulfills body and soul”. To meet and to welcome Jesus, “the bread of life” – Pope Francis concluded – gives meaning and hope to our lives that are sometimes tortuous; but this “bread of life” – he said - also gives us the duty to satisfy the spiritual and material needs of our brothers. To do this – he said- we must announce the Gospel everywhere, and with the witness of a fraternal attitude of solidarity towards our neighbor, we can make Christ and his love present amongst men. (from Vatican Radio) Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: (from Vatican Radio)
Friend of Pope Francis: 'What Happened in America Hurt Him' By Karen Araiza Read more: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...America-Hurt-Him-320448932.html#ixzz3hluz75Q1 Follow us: @nbcphiladelphia on Twitter | nbcphiladelphia on Facebook Updated at 6:43 AM EDT on Monday, Aug 3, 2015 When Pope Francis comes to Philadelphia, friend and former colleague Silvia Tuozzo expects he may bring a “healing message” that addresses deep wounds left by the priest sex abuse scandal. Before he was elected pope, Tuozzo was hired by Father Jorge Bergoglio in 2007 to help run the television station for the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She saw him or spoke with him almost daily. “What happened in America hurt him as a priest,” Tuozzo said from a balcony in the center of Buenos Aires that looks out over the Cathedral where Archbishop Bergoglio said Mass and served the people of his homeland. Although he was a stern boss who rarely smiled, according to Tuozzo, the themes you hear Pope Francis talk about when he visits Philadelphia the last weekend of September, will be themes he has believed in and preached about for years. "He has always spoken about a God of mercy. Since the first day. He really believes in a God of mercy. He really believes in love; love as healing. And I think he understands the pain in people," Tuozzo said. “I think he needs to heal the people [in the United States] and I think he will go with a healing program to America." NBC10’s Jim Rosenfield went to the homeland of Father Jorge to learn first-hand from friends, colleagues and critics about the man who became Pope Francis. Join us Tuesday at 7 p.m. on NBC10 for our half-hour report on Pope Francis: The People’s Pope.
Pope: Though Divorce, Remarriage Goes Against Sacrament, Church Welcomes as Loving Mother http://vatican.com/news/frame.aspx?...arriage-goes-against-sacrament-church-welcome “The Church knows well that the situation of the divorced who have entered a second union contradicts the Christian sacrament of Marriage. However, her gaze always draws from a mother's heart, which, animated by the Holy Spirit, always looks for the good and the salvation of people.” Pope Francis stressed this during his weekly General Audience this morning in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall. Marking the first General Audience after his summer break, the Pope continued his catechesis on the family, focusing on the situation of those who have divorced and entered a second union. In his discourse, Pope Francis said that given the role of the Church as Mother, “She feels the duty, ‘for the sake of truth, to ‘discern the situation.’ Francis noted how his predecessors expressed this, citing St. John Paul II as an example, who did so in his Apostolic ExhortationFamiliaris Consortio (no. 84). Pope Benedict XVI, Francis also pointed out, spoke on this issue, “calling for careful discernment and wise pastoral care, knowing that there are no ‘simple recipe’ during his address to the Seventh World Meeting of Families in Milan, June 2, 2012. The Holy Father said he is especially grateful to the many pastors, guided by his predecessors, who have worked diligently "to let these families know they are still a part of the Church.” “As these situations especially affect children, we are aware of a greater urgency to foster a true welcome for these families in our communities," the Pope said, noting the great number of little ones who are affected by this reality. “How can we encourage these parents to raise their children in the Christian life, to give them an example of Christian faith, if we keep them at arm’s length?" the Pope posed to the faithful gathered. While saying there is no easy solution for these situations, he underscored that we can and must always encourage these families to participate in the Church’s life. Some suggestions he offered on how to do this included prayer, listening to God's Word, and Christian education of their children. The biblical icon of the Good Shepherd presented in the Gospel of John, Francis said, sums up the mission that Jesus received from the Father to give his life for the sheep. “This attitude," Francis stressed, “is a model for the Church, which welcomes her children as a mother who gives her life for them.” As the Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep, so the Church as a Mother gives her life for all her children, by being always the “house of the Father, with doors wide open.” "No doors closed," the Pope told those gathered off the cuff. The Holy Father concluded, praying that everyone, especially Christian families, “imitate the Good Shepherd, who knows all his sheep and excludes no one from his infinite love.”
