Tag Archives: pope francis

Pope at Mass: we encounter the living God through His wounds

(Vatican Radio) To meet the living God we must tenderly kiss the wounds of Jesus in our hungry, poor, sick, imprisoned brothers and sisters. Study, meditation and mortification are not enough to bring us to encounter the living Christ. Like St. Thomas, our life will only be changed when we touch Christ’s wounds present in the poor, sick and needy. This was the lesson drawn by Pope Francis during morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta Wednesday as he marked the Feast of St. Thomas Apostle. Read more in this report from Vatican Radio.

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Sainthood in the offing for Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints has approved a 2nd miracle attributed to the influence of Blessed John Paul II, according to multiple reports in the Italian news media.

The Congregation also reportedly approved a 2nd miracle attributed to the influence of Blessed John XXIII.

If the reports are accurate, and Pope Francis adds his approval, both former Pontiffs could be canonized before the end of this year.

The prelates who compose the Congregation met on July 2, with a miracle attributed to Pope John Paul II reportedly on their agenda. The miracle had already been examined and tentatively approved by two panels of experts: one composed of doctors, the other of theologians. The prelates reportedly voted their final approval for the miracle.

The meeting’s agenda also reportedly included consideration of a miracle attributed to Blessed John XXIII. That miracle, too, was approved, sources said.

The Vatican has not announced the results of the July 2 meeting. The Congregation’s votes are technically secret, and do not officially take effect until the Pope authorizes the release of a decree. Cardinal Angelo Amato, the prefect of the Congregation, will meet with Pope Francis to present the vote for papal approval sometime in the near future.

Vatican-watchers have already begun theorizing that Popes John XXIII and John Paul II could be canonized at the same ceremony. Although earlier speculation had pointed toward the canonization of Blessed John Paul II in October, the advance planning required for the massive ceremony involving the canonization of two beloved Pontiffs could push the date back to December.

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Pope’s first encyclical letter to come on Friday

Pope Francis’ first encyclical, entitled “Lumen Fidei”, will be published on Friday 5 July. The document, described as “not very extensive” by the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., will be presented at a Press Conference by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization.

“Lumen Fidei” means “Light of Faith”

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Courage in spite of our weaknesses

Vatican Radio) Christians are called to be courageous in their weakness. We must recognize that we are weak and that, at times, we have to flee from sin without nostalgia, without looking back. We must not let temptation or fear keep us from God. Instead we must learn that ‘he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day!’ This was the lesson at the heart of Pope Francis’ homily at morning Mass on Tuesday. Here is the report from Vatican Radio.

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Pope’s Mass and Angelus for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis marked the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul with Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, during which he imposed the pallium on thirty-four of the metropolitan archbishops installed over the past year. The pallium is the white, shawl-like woolen liturgical vestment worn over the shoulders of a metropolitan archbishop, which is the peculiar sign of a metropolitan’s office: it specifically symbolizes authority and union with the Holy See. Each year on the feast, the Metropolitan archbishops installed during the course of the preceding year travel to Rome to receive the vestment. The solemnity is also one of the two days in the liturgical year in which the ancient bronze statue of St Peter in the basilica is symbolically vested in an ornate red silk cope and crowned with the triple tiara. Read more.

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Pope Francis: the mystery of God’s patience

(Vatican Radio) The Lord asks us to be patient, after all He is always patient with us. Moreover there is no “set protocol” for how God intervenes in our lives; sometimes it’s immediate, sometimes we just have to have a little patience. This was the lesson drawn by Pope Francis from the daily readings at Mass Friday morning in Casa Santa Marta. Read more from Vatican Radio report.

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Pope sets up commission to study reform of Vatican Bank.

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has established a Pontifical Commission charged with drawing up an “exhaustive” report into the juridical standing and activities of the Vatican’s financial institution, the Institute for Religious Works, more commonly known as the IOR. Read more from Vatican Radio.

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Pope Francis: resting our faith on the rock of Christ

(Vatican Radio) There are people who “masquerade as Christians,” and sin by being excessively superficial or overly rigid, forgetting that a true Christian is a person of joy who rests their faith on the rock of Christ. Some think they can be Christian without Christ; others think being Christian means being in a perpetual state mourning. This was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily at morning Mass on Thursday. Read more

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Pope Francis: Mass on the Feast of St. John the Baptist

(Vatican Radio) The church exists for courageously proclaiming -until martyrdom- Christ, to serve and “take nothing for herself”. In his homily at morning Mass on Monday, Pope Francis pointed to St. John the Baptist as model for Church: he didn’t claim the Truth, the Word as his own; he diminished himself so Christ could shine. Read more.

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Pope Francis celebrates Sunday Mass with Apostolic Nuncios

(Vatican Radio) This morning, Pope Francis celebrated mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. About 40 apostolic nuncios, who remained in the Vatican after the Pope’s meeting with them on Friday, were present. Commenting on the Sunday Gospel from Luke, in which Jesus asks the Apostles, “But who do you say that I am?”, the Pope underlined that we need to respond to Jesus from the heart, inspired by our veneration for him and from the rock of his love. Here is the report from Vatican Radio.

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