Posted On 2013-06-27 In Francis - Initiatives and Gestures

Grace which becomes commitment: Pope Francis’ first 100 days

mda. “We are only 100 days into this ‘revolution of goodness.’  This was one of the headlines on 21 June, when almost every newspaper, website and television programme was talking about Pope Francis’ first 100 days in office.  It has been 100 days since 13 March when he introduced himself to the world with words that caught everyone’s attention:  “And now, we take up this journey: Bishop and People…A journey of fraternity, of love, of trust among us. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world, that there may be a great spirit of fraternity.” With a simple gesture, he made a powerful impact when he leaned towards the people of God and asked them: “Pray for me.”

“A Pope who changes the Church” was the headline of a program on Germany’s public channel ZDF.  BBC World said that he has “won over the faithful who see in him a humble pontiff who cares about the poor and weakest.”  Argentina has published a book on Pope Francis’ first 100 days in office, entitled: “Our faith is revolutionary.”

Pastors who are close to the people

On 21 June, Pope Francis told a group of nuncios: “In the delicate task of carrying out the selection process for the episcopal appointments, you must ensures that candidates are pastors who are close to the people.  This is the first criterion.  Pastors who are close to the people.  He can be a man, a great theologian, a great mind, an academic, who will much good.  But above all he must be pastoral, right? We need this.  They must be priests and brothers, approachable, patient and merciful, they must love poverty, inner freedom for the Lord, external simplicity and a life of poverty, and they shouldn’t think that they are “Lords of all.”

A Spanish journalist summarized Francis’ pontificate in 10 points, highlighting his style and the direction the Church will take in the near future:

1. Simplicity – he reaches out to everyone as an equal
2.  Concern and tenderness for others
3.  Humility
4.  Strength – he does what must be done
5.  Freedom – he is not driven by ambition and isn’t worried about what others say about him
6.  Collegiality – he listens to everyone with respect and attention and leads responsibly
7.  Prayer – he wakes up at 5am to prepare for the 7am Mass in St. Martha’s and visits the Blessed Sacrament several times during the day.
8.  Depth of his reflections which are expressed in gestures and words “for the common man.”
9.  Mission
10. A Life of consistency

His agenda is born from real life, said one of the collaborators for www.schoenstatt.org, who on 31 May sealed a covenant of love in solidarity with Pope Francis.  He has conquered the world’s media and has also changed schoenstatt.org, not only  by adding a new category — “Francis for the pilgrims 2014— putting itself at the service of this pastoral Pope who incarnates, proclaims and shows the Church what Fr. Kentenich dreamt of; this Church which is on pilgrimage, is poor, fraternal, Marian, acts in solidarity, and is guided by the Holy Spirit…

María Paz Leiva and Miguel Ángel Rubio, responsible for the 2014 Team in Spain, wrote the following in their weekly 10 reasons to attend the Jubilee: “Because I want to seal the Covenant of Love in solidarity in the Original Shrine and with Pope Francis.”

“We have the Pope we need, I would even say that we do not deserve him,” said José María Arnáiz, SM, one of the participants at the meeting between Pope Francis and CLAR (Latin American Confederation of Men and Women Religious).  After explaining the purpose of the meeting, he said: “It has been a grace which has transformed itself in me as commitment.”

With words and gestures…

Grace converted into commitment, into commitment with Francis.  From 23-30 June, the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires will hold a Week of Prayer for Pope Francis, under the theme: “We pray with the Pope for the Church and with the Church for the Pope.”  In order to contribute to the Pope’s aid ministries for catastrophes, famine and other circumstances caused by natural causes, a special collection called Pope’s Charity (formerly known as Peter’s Pence) will be taken up in all churches around the world on the weekend of 29-30 June.

The jar from Rosario at the Belmonte Shrine – in solidarity with Pope Francis

The team for the shrine “that belongs to all of us” in Belmonte put the jar from Rosario (Argentina) into the Shrine as the “jar from Francis’ home country” as a symbol of special unity with him during this time.  “The jar should remind us that we must offer many contributions to the capital of grace for our Pope Francis,” said Fr. Stefan Mueller, the shrine’s rector.  They honour Francis’ request: “Pray for me” during daily Mass.

Night of Eucharistic Adoration at the Madrid Shrine

A group from the Professional Men’s Branch in Madrid, Spain held a Night of Eucharistic Adoration at the Madrid Shrine on 17 and 18 June.  “The purpose of this night of Adoration is to be united to the Holy Father, to offer our prayers in solidarity to Jesus Christ for all of his pastoral initiatives,” Manuel de la Barreda Mingot said in his invitation.  The different shifts were taken by the members of the Men’s group as well as other members of the Schoenstatt Family in Madrid, starting with Adoration at 22.00 and ending with morning Mass at 7.30 on 18 June.  They prayed with texts by Pope Francis and Fr. Kentenich on the mission of serving the Church.

In Covenant Solidarity with Francis

It was a holy night of prayer in covenant solidarity with and for the intentions of the Holy Father, an intention that Pope Francis himself summarizes during the 21 June Mass at St. Martha:

“May the Lord make all these pieces of heart of stone filled with worries human with the wholesome desire to carry on, to find him and allow ourselves to be found by Him.  May the Lord change our hearts! And in this way, save us.  Save us from the treasures that cannot help us reach Him, by serving one another and give us the light to know and discern the true treasure: his truth.  May the Lord change our hearts to find real treasure and thus, convert us into people of light and not into people of darkness.”

100 days of Francis.

Grace transformed into commitment.

Grace transformed in Covenant Solidarity with Francis.

Translated from the Spanish by Sarah-Leah Pimentel, South Africa

Quotations by Pope Francis: Took previously translated passages from Vatican website, except for 2nd and final Pope Francis passage which were not available and self-translated.


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Francis for the Pilgrims 2014

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