Church – Francis – Movements Category

FRANCIS IN ROME – YEAR OF MERCY • During his catequesis during the General Audience on 12 October, Pope Francis recalled his previous meditations dedicated to the great mystery of God’s mercy, and emphasised the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. “We reflected on the Father’s action in the Old Testament, and then, in the Gospel account, we saw how Jesus, in his words and actions, is the Incarnation of Mercy,” he told the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square. The Holy Father warned that “it is not enough toRead More
FRANCIS IN ROME • Pope Francis joyfully welcomed the participants in the General Chapter of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, better known as the Pallottine Fathers, together with other members that share the apostolate and charism of St. Vincent Pallotti on the morning of 10 October.  Schoenstatt was born out of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, took up much of the vision and objectives of St. Vincent Pallotti.  The gift of the Original Shrine by the Pallottines on the eve of the jubilee of the Covenant of Love,Read More
FRANCIS IN ROME • Not being tied to “rigid obedience” to the law, allowing the Holy Spirit to inspire us, opening ourselves without fear and allowing the Holy Spirit to take us forward are the three attitudes that Pope Francis advised in his homily during morning Mass in the house chapel at Casa Santa Marta on 6 October.  Francis reflected on the scripture readings for the day, which speak about the Holy Spirit, the “great gift from the Father,” the strength that makes the Church go out courageously, reaching “evenRead More
FRANCIS EN ASSISI, María Fischer • It was a quick turnaround plea, as is usual in the digital era, where each item of news, each piece of information, each call is shared within seconds on social networks. Francis is a man of this era, even though his Church is still getting used to the change of time, rhythms and speed. During the Angelus on Sunday, 18 September, Francis called his Church to show solidarity with him and religious leaders around the world in Assisi by praying for peace on TuesdayRead More
WORLD DAY OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION 2017 • «Fear not, for I am with you» (Is 43:5). Communicating hope and trust in our time: This is the motto chosen by Pope Francis for the World Day of Social Communication celebrated in 2017. The press release says:   Numbness of conscience or letting desperation get the better of us are two possible “diseases” that our current communication system can cause. It is possible that our conscience is cauterised, as Pope Francis comments in Laudato si’, as a result of the fact thatRead More
FRANCIS IN ROME • During his weekly General Audience this morning in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis repeated his appeals to help the suffering nation of Syria. According to Vatican Radio, at the conclusion of the audience, Francis lamented “the dramatic news concerning the fate of the people of Aleppo.” After a ceasefire collapsed last week, rebel-held areas of Aleppo were heavily bombarded, creating a plight for the areas’ 250,000 residents.  This morning, the Syrian military announced it was launching concentrated air strikes in Aleppo and nearby areas, targeting insurgent heldRead More
FRANCIS IN ROME, Maria Fischer • Pope Francis once again offered a glimpse of the works of mercy he undertakes every Friday as part of the Jubilee of Mercy.  This time he visited the neo-natal unit at the San Giovanni Hospital in Rome and a hospice that houses 30 terminally ill patients. Where babies fight for their lives The man in white dressed in green and visited babies who are fighting for their lives in incubators, and terminally ill patients who are waiting for the end of their lives.  FrancisRead More
FRANCIS IN ROME, AICA and editorial • At the Mass he celebrated in the house chapel of Santa Marta on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Pope Francis highlighted that the Virgin Mary cares for us because she is the mother of all Christians and “the devil cannot enter” under her mantle. The Holy Father recalled that the early Russian mystics counselled seeking refuge under Mary’s mantle because “she is mother and protects like a mother.” “The West later took this counsel and the first Marian antiphon “Sub tuumRead More
ITALY, WYD 2016,  Gianfrancesco Romano • Gianfrancesco, a Schoenstatter, the first historic leader of the Schoenstatt Boys’ Youth from Italy, relates his experience of World Youth Day as a leader of his parish group. A personal experience of 3 World Youth Days From Cologne to Krakow, passing through Madrid, no, this was not because of some flight plan; it was not even the unfortunate acquisition of improbable routes to save some Euros on the flight. It is my very own personal experience of three (!) different World Youth Days. OnRead More
Rome, Fr Rolando Montes • On Tuesday Schoenstatt is in Assisi. In covenant solidarity with Pope Francis. In view of Pope Francis’ urgent call to pray for peace this Tuesday, the Schoenstatt Family cannot remain inactive. While our Holy Father is in Assisi with many religious leaders to pray for peace in the world, we will build our own Assisi. Let us meet with friends for prayer, let us ask in our parishes whether there is a prayer for peace there, let us visit a shrine or have our meetingRead More