Francis – Initiatives and Gestures Category

CHILE, mda. It is “an invitation to draw closer in a spirit of faith -- both personally and as a community -- to a text that adds a climatic and providential message to the jubilee celebrations of the centenary of the Covenant of Love” (Prologue). It is a small book with 56 pages, which is coming onto the market in five languages in these days. It contains the message of Pope Franics to the Schoenstatt Movement “to an ecclesial movement of renewal during a moment of grace, both in theRead More
mda. Pope Francis surprises us and upends many of our secure outlooks on life. Stereotypical images of our enemies, about which we were so certain, such as, “the media who are always against the church and the Pope” collapse, while many “very” Catholic media and commentators, which liked to label themselves as “faithful to the Pope”, suddenly find that they are having difficulties with him. There are quite a number of Christian journalists and opinion makers who sow suspicion and accuse the Pope of creating confusion among the Faithful. OnRead More
FRANCIS - MESSAGE AND MESSENGER. Pope Francis decided to celebrate his 78th birthday with a gesture of love and solidarity with the poorest of Rome. The Argentinean Pontiff had 400 sleeping bags distributed among the homeless of the city to help them cope with the harsh Roman winter’s temperatures.Read More
PRAY FOR ME, mda. On 17 December Pope Francis turns 78 – a few days after the 45th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, which took place on the Third Sunday of Advent. What do you give to a Pope for his birthday, which he described as “a completely normal day”, a Pope who raffles his presents? You carry out his requests. Those who pay attention to what he says, or those who only took in the words he addressed to the Schoenstatt Movement during the audience on 25Read More
VATICAN. "Do not forget the poor” was the biblically inspired phrase Cardinal Claudio Hummes whispered in Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s ear, on the 13th of March 2013, after the conclave. Even now like a providential whisper of the mission of 266th Successor of Peter and which is translated into concrete deeds, these few simple words still resound in the mind of Pope Francis. On this particular occasion, the Bishop of Rome thinks about the poor in his own house. Some days ago, a newspaper of the Eternal City, Il Messaggero, announcedRead More
ARGENTINA, Monina Crivelli/mda. Father Alexandre Awi de Mello, the National Director of the Schoenstatt Movement in Brazil, has a book, a best seller and a treasure, already in its third edition that has been released in Portuguese. Edicoes Loyola edited the book about Pope Francis’ encounters with Mary. It contains the Holy Father’s testimonies about his love of Mary – “his mother” – gathered during a long interview – that was more an encounter – complemented perhaps by the most complete collection of Pope Francis’ Marian prayers. “I asked severalRead More
VATICANO, red. Following the call of Pope Francis of reaching out to the peripheries, the twenty couples united in marriage on September 14th in Saint Peter’s Basilica presented the Holy Father with a center for helping youth and families in difficulty.  Read More
ROME, José M. Vidal - RD/mda. Audience on 20 August in the Paul VI Hall. A mournful audience at the tragedy in Pope Francis' family with the death of his nephew's wife and his two small children. The emotion in the air is palpable. The Pope makes a reference to the incident and expresses gratitude for the condolences he received. The catechesis focuses on his recent trip to Korea, giving assurance that "Christ does not cancel cultures."Read More
TRIP TO SOUTH KOREA, RD/mda. His words move, inspire, question, call to action. His gestures speak just as loudly. Pope Francis' words and gestures form an authentic and inspiring message. His choice of vehicle during his five-day visit to South Korea has surprised many people in this country, where important people usually go out onto the streets only in luxury vehicles.Read More
ROMA, RD/mda. Recently, Pope Francis asked “the international community to protect all those suffering violence in Iraq” after the United States renewed military operations in the country. Pope Francis reiterated his request to all the devoted Christians of the world, so that they would pray for their co-religionists who are harassed by the Jihadists of the Islamic State (ISIS).    Read More