Church – Francis – Movements Category

FRANCIS IN ROME, org. Last Sunday Pope Francis presided over the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica concelebrated with the new cardinals he ordained in the Consistory the previous day. In his homily, the Bishop of Rome recalled three key concepts that the Church imparts in the day's liturgy of the word: Jesus' compassion for the marginalized and his desire to re-integrate them. The way of the Church is always the way of Jesus, the way of mercy and integration, the Pope said. Therefore, he said, charity cannot be neutral, indifferent,Read More
FRANCIS IN ROME, org. On Saturday, 14 February, Pope Francis ordained fifteen new elector cardinals and another five non-elector cardinals. He exhorted them to reject all forms of injustice and to practice charity with magnanimity and benevolence. The rite was held in St. Peter's Basilica and was attended by Pope Emeritus Joseph Ratzinger, whom Pope Francis embraced at the start to the ceremony. After the profession of faith and the oath, the pope gave each one of them a red biretta, the symbol of the cardinalate, and the ring. SomeRead More
VATICAN, vis. In his catechesis during the general audience on 10 February in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis continued his reflections on the family, this time saying that children are a gift from God to parents and society. After emphasizing that a child is love because he is a child, and not because he is beautiful, healthy, good, or because he thinks about incarnating his parents' desires, the Bishop of Rome recalled that being children enables us to discover the free dimension of love, of being loved before having doneRead More
VATICAN, mda. It was a mistake to have that second expresso at the hotel. Early morning traffic in Rome on Wednesday 4 February, after a night of torrential rain and strong winds, was worse than usual. Stopping my car at a non-functional traffic light, I sent a Whatsapp message to Fr. Simon, who works at the Secretariat of State and had managed to get me an entry for the Pope's weekly audience, promising me a good seat: "I won't be able to make it on time…" He replied: "I needRead More
VATICAN, mda. A positive and conclusive profile of the father figure was Pope Francis' chosen theme for his catechesis during his Wednesday general audiences in the Pope Paul VI Hall. "His catechesis on paternity - from the audiences on 28 January and 4 February - is a gift from God and confirms Fr. Kentenich's charism," commented Fr. José María García. The Holy Father provides encourages fathers, to be present in the family, in the first person. In order to be a good father, the first thing is to be "presentRead More
VATICAN, aleteia.org. The intermittent rains that have fallen over the Italian capital over the last few days did not go unnoticed by Pope Francis. In the most recent initiative in support of the poor, who circulate around the Vatican and Rome, the Office of Papal Charities distributed 300 umbrellas to the homeless in response to the pontiff’s request.    Read More
FRANCIS IN ROME, mda. Before heading to the Paul VI Hall for the customary Wednesday General Audience on January 21, the Pope - following a centuries-old tradition - blessed two lambs at the entrance to Domus Sanctae Marthae.  Their wool will be used to make the palliums for the new archbishops who will be installed on 29 June during the feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  Francis used the audience on 21 January to talk about his apostolic visit to Sri Lanka and the Philippines and invited those presentRead More
org. Every part of the Church, and many others outside of her - believers or non-believers - have received Pope Francis` clear and hope-filled words. They are also words that motivate us to assume the responsibility we all have to build a world in accordance to the Will of God, in the strength of the Spirit and through the way of Christ. Cardinals and bishops, priests, men and women religious, novices and seminarians, families, the youth and elderly, communities and institutes have received this challenge to go out "onto theRead More
mda. "Distribute the book of the audience”. Maria Paz Leiva, Madrid, wrote those words on her card on “the next practical steps” during the planning meeting of Schoenstatt.org. She can do it, because the Spanish edition is ready, printed and can be distributed. At just the right moment after the Spanish Catholic newsportal, CAMINEO, publicised an announcement on this little book. A thousand extra copies of the Spanish edition will be printed in Argentina so that the delivery there and in its neighbouring countries can happen more quickly. The firstRead More
VATICAN, rd. Following on the back of the toilets and showers for homeless people below the columns in St. Peters’, Pope Francis has now surprised everyone with a barber for those who are destitute.Read More