Tag Archives: pope francis

Pope Francis visits Seraphic Institute in Assisi

October 4, 2013 – 11:14 am

(Vatican Radio) It was a moving scene this morning in the chapel of the Serafico Institute of Assisi, when Pope Francis warmly greeted a room full of children and young people with disabilities and their caregivers. The Pope approached each of the residents and held their hands, caressed their faces, signed the Cross on their foreheads and often kissed them on the cheek. One of the residents also kissed the Pope’s pectoral cross.

After words of welcome from the mayor of Assisi, Claudio Ricci, and the president of the Serafico Institute, Francesca Di Maolo, the Pope addressed the people gathered. He put aside his prepared message and, obviously inspired by his encounter, spoke off the cuff, comparing the scars of Christ to the suffering carried by the young people before him. “These scars (in the sick) need to be recognized and listened to,” he said. After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to his Apostles, who recognized him by his scars.

Referring to the Eucharist in the tabernacle, he said: “Jesus chooses to be present there in the simplicity and meekness of the bread. And Jesus is hidden in these children, these young people.”
“A Christian adores Jesus, seeks Jesus, knows how to recognize the scars of Jesus. “When Jesus rose he was beautiful,” he continued. “He didn’t have his wounds on his body, but he wanted to keep the scars, and he brought them with him to heaven. The scars of Jesus are here, and they are in heaven before the Father. We care for the scars of Jesus here, and he from heaven shows us his scars and tells all of us, ‘I am waiting for you’.”

The Pope concluded by giving all of those present his blessing, which was followed by applause and shouts of “Long live the Pope!”

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Meetings of the Council of Cardinals begins tomorrow, Oct. 1

September 30, 2013 – 9:55 am

Vatican City, 30 September 2013 (VIS) – The first of three meetings between Pope Francis and the Council of Cardinals, instituted by the Holy Father’s Chirograph of 28 September, will take place tomorrow, 1 October.

The council is composed of Cardinals Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State; Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, archbishop emeritus of Santiago de Chile, Chile; Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay, India; Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munich and Freising, Germany; Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; Sean Patrick O’Malley O.F.M. Cap., archbishop of Boston, USA; George Pell, archbishop of Sydney, Australia; Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, S.D.B., archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in the role of coordinator; and Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, Italy, in the role of secretary.

During the three days the Council will meet in the private library of the third loggia in the papal apartment, and the working sessions will take place in the morning and in the evening. The Holy Father will participate, except on Wednesday morning during the general audience, explained the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., who went on to clarify that the conversations will be private, so no communication is to be given at the end. He also emphasised that, as stated in the Chirograph published today, the Pope reserves the faculty of configuring the Council in the most suitable form, and may therefore increase the number of members.

He also observed that all the members of the Council, with the exception of the Secretary and Cardinal Bertello (who represents the Curia) are archbishops with large dioceses and in most cases with broad pastoral experience. “The institution of the Council of Cardinals”, he said, “is a further enrichment provided by the Pope to the governance of the Church”, and recalled that during his pontificate Francis has frequently made use of consultation, as is demonstrated by the case of the meeting with the heads of the dicasteries and his interest in reviving the working method of the Synod.

The Council has no relation with other Church institutions and is not an element of the architecture of the latter, but rather an organ of consultation for the Pope, Fr.Lombardi continued, explaining that since the announcement in April of the institution of a group of eight cardinals to assist the Pope in the governance of the Church, the members have received suggestions and proposals in their respective areas of competence. Furthermore, in preparation for the October meeting, contributions of various types have been sent to the Pope, the opinions of the heads of dicasteries have been sought, and the Secretary of State and College of Cardinals have been consulted. “The Council has eighty documents that have been circulated amongst its members, and the secretary, Bishop Semeraro, has prepared a comprehensive synthesis. Similarly, over these months the members have have also spoken with each other and on occasion with the Holy Father”.

From Vatican Information Service

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Pope officially institutes “Council of Cardinals”

September 30, 2013 – 9:50 am

Vatican City, 30 September 2013 (VIS) – We publish below the full text of the Chirograph by by which the Holy Father institutes a Council of Cardinals to assist him in the governance of the universal Church and to draw up a project for the revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor bonus on the Roman Curia.

“Among the suggestions that emerged from the General Congregations of Cardinals prior to the Conclave, mention was made of the expediency of instituting a limited group of Members of the Episcopate, from various parts of the world, with whom the Holy Father could consult, individually or collectively, on specific matters. Once elected to the See of Rome, I have had the opportunity to reflect on this issue on a number of occasions, and consider that such an initiative would be of significant use in fulfilling the pastoral ministry of Peter’s Successor entrusted to me by my brother cardinals.

“For this reason, on 13 April I announced the constitution of the aforementioned group, at the same time indicating the names of those who had been called to participate. Now, following reflection, I consider it opportune that such a group, by means of the present Chirograph, be instituted as a ‘Council of Cardinals’, with the task of assisting me in the governance of the universal Church and drawing up a project for the revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor bonus on the Roman Curia. It will be composed of the same persons previously nominated, who may be called upon, both in Council and singly, on matters that I will from time to time consider worthy of attention. The aforementioned Council which, with regard to the number of members, I will compose in the most appropriate way, will constitute a further expression of Episcopal communion and of the aid to the munus petrinum that the Episcopate, disseminated throughout the world, may offer”.

The chirograph is dated 28 September 2013, the first year of Francis’ Pontificate

From Vatican Information Service

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We must never resign ourselves to the pain of war

September 30, 2013 – 9:46 am

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday addressed participants of the International Meeting for Peace in the spirit of Assisi organised by the Rome-based Community of Saint Egidio.

The meeting, held from September 29 to October 1 sees the participation of religious leaders of all denominations and of men and women who are committed to building peace in the world. Read more

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Canonization dates for John XXIII and John Paul II

September 30, 2013 – 7:54 am

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday morning held the Public Ordinary Consistory for the forthcoming Canonization of Blessed Pope John XXIII and Blessed Pope John Paul II. During the course of the Consistory in the Vatican’s Consistory Hall, the Pope decreed that his two predecessors will be raised to Sainthood on April 27, 2014, the day on which the Church celebrates the Second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy.

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Angelus Message: Pope greets faithful, catechists, and Orthodox Patriarch

September 29, 2013 – 4:41 pm

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square at the end of Mass to mark the worldwide Day for Catechists, organised by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation. In his brief remarks, the Holy Father thanked the scores of thousands of catechists who came from all around the world to participate in the two-day catechetical conference sponsored by the same Pontifical Council, and make pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles. Pope Francis also had special greetings for His Beatitude, Youhanna X, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. The Pope said that the Patriarch’s presence offers an invitation to all the Christian faithful everywhere to renew their prayers for peace in Syria and throughout the entire Mideast region. Below, please find Vatican Radio’s translation of the Holy Father’s remarks before the Angelus prayer.
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Dear brothers and sisters,
Before concluding this celebration, I would like to greet you all and thank you for your participation, especially the catechists come from so many parts of the world.
A special greeting to my brother, His Beatitude Youhanna X, greek orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. His presence invites us to pray once again for peace in Syria and the Middle East.
I greet the pilgrims who have come from Assisi on horseback, as well as the Italian Alpine Club, on the 150th anniversary of its founding.
Saludo con afecto a los peregrinos de Nicaragua, recordando que los pastores y fieles de esa querida Nación celebran con alegría el centenario de la fundación canónica de la Provincia eclesiástica. [I greet with affection the pilgrims from Nicaragua, recalling that the pastors and the faithful of that beloved nation are celebrating with joy the hundredth anniversary of the canonical foundation of their Ecclesiastical Province.]
With joy we recall that yesterday, in Croatia, Miroslav Bulešić, a diocesan priest, who was martyred in 1947, was beatified. We praise the Lord, who gives the defenseless the strength to offer the ultimate witness.

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Pope Francis homily at Mass for catechists

September 29, 2013 – 4:38 pm

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Sunday morning in St Peter’s Square to mark the International Day for Catechists organised by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation in the context of the Year of Faith. The dangers of complacency and the need for catechists to have the core and essence of the Gospel at the centre of their lives and work were the themes of the Holy Father’s remarks. Read the official English translation of the Holy Father’s homily

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Pope Francis Saturday Morning Homily

September 28, 2013 – 3:39 pm

(Vatican Radio) Ask for the grace you need in order not to flee the Cross: this was the message of Pope Francis to the faithful at Mass on Saturday morning in the Domus Sanctae Marthae chapel in the Vatican. His remarks following the daily readings focused on the Gospel passage of the day, in which Jesus announces His Passion to the disciples. Read more from Vatican Radio.

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New Bishop for Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana

September 23, 2013 – 7:49 am

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday named Bishop Shelton Fabre as the new Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux in the United States. He replaces Bishop Sam G. Jacobs, whose resignation the Holy Father accepted upon having reached the age limit.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was born in New Road, Louisiana, in the Diocese of Baton Rouge on 25 October 1983. He studied at Saint Joseph Seminary College in Saint Benedict Louisiana before attaining his Baccalaureate and Master in Religious Studies at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.

e was ordained a priest of the diocese of Baton Rouge on 5 August 1989.

As a priest of the diocese, he undertook the following pastoral duties: Associate Pastor of St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish in Greenwell Springs (1989-1992); Director of the Office of Black Catholics (1991-2004); Associate Pastor of St. George Parish in Baton Rouge (1992-1994), of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish in Baker (1994-1995), and of St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge (1995-1996); Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Grosse Tete and of Immaculate Heart Parish in Maringouin (1996-2004); Defender of the Bond for the Tribunal of Baton Rouge (1997-2006); Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Baton Rouge (2004-2006).

Fabre was named titular Bishop of Pudenziana and Auxiliary Bishop for New Orleans on 13 December 2006, and was consecrated the following 28 February.
From 2007 he has served as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Bishop Fabre also serves at the U.S. Bishops’ Conference as President of the Subcommittee on African American Affairs

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Pope makes new key appointments to Roman Curia

September 21, 2013 – 1:16 pm

Vatican City (CWN)

The Vatican announced a series of key appointments in the Roman Curia on September 21, as Pope Francis began assembling his own Vatican leadership team.

The Pope confirmed the prefects of two Vatican congregations: Archbishop Gerhard Müller at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Cardinal Fernando Filoni at the Congregation for Evangelization. Shortly after his election the Pope had announced that the leaders of the Roman Curia should remain at their posts donec aliter provideatur–until other provisions are made. The appointments of these two prefects are no longer provisional.

The Pope transferred Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, who had been the prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, to a new role as head of the Apostolic Penitentiary. This appointment could raise some eyebrows, since the prefect of a major congregation has considerably more influence over everyday Vatican policies than the Major Penitentiary. The Apostolic Penitentiary is the Vatican tribunal with jurisdiction over matters involving the “internal forum”–the relationships involving matters of conscience between a penitent and confessor, or an individual and his spiritual director. Cardinal Piacenza replaces Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro, who is retiring at the age of 75.

To replace Cardinal Piacenza, the Pope named Archbishop Benjamin Stella, who has been head of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy (the training place for Vatican diplomats), the new prefect of the Congregation for Clergy. And to fill the opening created at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy he named Bishop Giampiero Gloder, a ranking official of the Secretariat of State.

In perhaps the most interesting change, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, who has been the secretary of the Congregation for Bishops, as Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops. He replaces Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, who is being sent to Germany to be apostolic nuncio there—again, a transfer that could be perceived as a demotion. Pope Francis has spoken of his desire to give the Synod of Bishops a more prominent role; he evidently chose Archbishop Baldisseri as his personal choice to carry out that role.

The Pope confirmed the secretaries, members, and consultors of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for Evangelization, leaving those two offices essentially intact. He did, however, make minor changes. Bishop Protase Rugambwa, who had been an official at the Congregation for Evangelization, is now the adjunct secretary. And Archbishop Augustine Di Noia, who was vice-president of the Ecclesia Dei commission, will now be an assistant secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The latter change could be significant, although Archbishop Di Noia was already working with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Pope Benedict XVI had named the American Dominican as vice-president of the Ecclesia Dei commission last year, in an evident attempt to reinvigorate dialogue with the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). By detaching him (at least formally) from the Ecclesia Dei commission, Pope Francis may be signaling that the talks with the SSPX are no longer a high priority.

From catholicculture.org

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