Francis – Initiatives and Gestures Category

org. "We need the sandals of missionaries in order to get out of ourselves and spend our strengths in carrying out our mission!" In which of his addresses did Pope Francis say those words? To the youth last night on the rain-soaked Copacabana beach when these young people showed that rain and cold meant nothing where Jesus Christ was concerned? Or was it in the Favela? Or with the Argentinean youth when he challenged them to cause chaos? Neither the one nor the other, and not by Francis. But byRead More
JMJ-BRASIL, mda. Pope Francis entrusted the “life of the Latin American people” and World Youth Day, which is being held in Rio de Janeiro until this Sunday with around 2,000,000 young people participating,  to the protection of Our Lady of Aparecida.   And he exhorted pastors, parents and educators to help youths to build a united, “more just, and  fraternal world.  Upon celebrating the Mass in the Marian shrine, located 250 kilometers from Rio, the Pope said that to accomplish these goals, three “simple attitudes were needed:  hopefulness, openness to beingRead More
JMJ-BRASIL, mda. The Alitalia airplane descended punctually at 4:00 p.m.at the Galeao Air Base, the airplane was makred with the letters “JM” and it carried the one who left as Jorge Mario Bergoglio a little more than four months ago from the Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires, and returned to his beloved Latin America, to Brazil, as Pope Francis, where thousands of youths waited for him.  He arrived as Pope Francis, and he arrived just as he was:  being himself, spontaneous, authentic, available for any request, humble and without fearRead More
mda. "Dear Young People, I know that many of you are already on your way to Rio. ... May the Lord accompany you on your journey. Many of you, dear young people, have already arrived in Rio, and many of you are arriving. We will meet in three days' time!" In his Tweets this week Pope Francis addressed the youth from every continent who were on pilgrimage in these days to Rio de Janeiro. They are days filled with hope, anticipation, and days of powerful gestures. On Saturday afternoon PopeRead More
mda. Francis' visit to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, on July 8, 2013, is called "Francis' first encyclical". It was a visit filled with words and gestures that were so simple as well as clear and prophetic. "I believe that I have never felt so much as Church as within the Covenant solidarity", said María Paz Leiva, from Madrid.Read More
BRAZIL, Maria Rita Vianna/mda. “It's official.  Our Fr. Alexandre Awi de Mello will form part of the Papal entourage.  He was personally chosen by Pope Francis to be his translator during World Youth Day.  We will post an interview with Fr. Alexandre on the website of the Brazilian Schoenstatt Boys' Youth. Watch this space!" These were the words on the Facebook page of the Schoenstatt Boys' Youth IGNIS meeting.  The news began to spread like wildfire on 21 July.  Fr. Alexandre Awi de Mello, the national spiritual director for theRead More
org. Yesterday, Pope Francis visited the Italian island of Lampedusa, for some years now an entry point for many immigrants, a significant number of whom have lost their lives in the surrounding seas. He proceeded to Cala Pisana by car, where he boarded a boat in order to arrive at the Port of Lampedusa by water. The Holy Father was accompanied by fishermen in their boats. During the journey he committed a wreath to the sea in memory of those immigrants who have lost theirRead More
BRAZIL, aciprensa. Catholics can send their prayer intentions to the National Shrine of our Lady of Aparecida, Patronness of Brazil, for the Mass with Pope Francis on 24 July.      Read More
ROME, VIS. "Lumen Fidei", Light of Faith: The Holy Father Francis` first enciclical letter was published today, in the middle of the Year of Faith;  it was signed on 29 June, the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, first witnesses to the faith of the Church of Rome, where Peter's Successor is called to confirm all brothers in the unity of faith. “'Those who believe, see'. This expression … encapsulates the teaching of Pope Francis in this, his first encyclical. It is a text situatedRead More
BRAZIL,aciprensa. Catholics can send their intentions to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, Patroness of Brazil, to be offered at the Holy Eucharist that the Holy Father will celebrate there on July 24th.    Read More