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Pope Francis: welcome ceremony in Brazil

July 22, 2013 – 5:29 pm

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday, beginning a week-long Apostolic visit to mark the twenty-eighth World Youth Day. After a brief formal greeting at Rio’s Galeão airport, the Holy Father proceeded to Guanabara Palace for the official Welcoming Ceremony, where he was received by the President of Brazil, Dilma Vana Rousseff Linhares, the Governor of Rio State, Sergio Cabral Filho, and the Mayor of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes.

In her formal remarks, the President expressed joy and gratitude at the Holy Father’s visit. The Holy Father returned those sentiments, and placed his visit in the context of World Youth Day. The Holy Father went on to offer particular encouragement to the young participants, to their families, and to those responsible for forming and empowering the new generation to take up their responsibilities as the future leaders of humanity.

After the exchange of speeches, the Pope and the President retired for a private meeting, during which Francis presented Mrs. Rousseff with a mosaic realized by the Vatican Mosaic Studio according to the centuries-old techniques used to apply the mosaics in St. Peter’s Basilica, and depicting a panoramic view of Rio from just behind and above the great Statue of Christ the Redeemer.

Read more, including full text of Pope Francis’ remarks.

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On the Papal Plane to Brazil

July 22, 2013 – 8:17 am

Here is a report from Catholic News Service on Pope Francis’ encounter with the journalists traveling on the papal plane to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day.

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Pope to young people on eve of departure for Rio

July 21, 2013 – 5:59 pm

(Vatican Radio) On the eve of his departure to Brazil for the World Youth Day celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis from the window of the apostolic palace asked those present in St Peter’s Square to accompany him spiritually in prayer for this his first Apostolic visit He also entrusted what he called “this new stage of the great pilgrimage of young people across the world”, to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who he added, is so loved and venerated in Brazil.

The Holy Father was speaking following the recitation of the Angelus underlining that at this time, young people should listen to the voice of Jesus. The week of World Youth Day said the Pope could also be called “World Youth Week as it is a week devoted to youth.Peering down at the huge crowds in St Peter’s Square Pope Francis noticed a banner held up by a group of pilgrims, which read “Buon Viaggio” or “have a good trip”. He smiled and thanked them for their good wishes.

The Pope on Sunday also focused his attention on the Gospel reading from Luke which recounts the story of Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus.

Pope Francis described how both sisters offered hospitality to Jesus on his visit to their house, but in different ways. Mary places herself at the feet of Jesus while Martha is busy preparing things. The Holy Father explained that both of these disciplines, service and prayer are needed to serve the Lord, “they are not two opposing attitudes but, on the contrary both are two aspects essential to our Christian life aspects that should never be separated, but lived in profound unity and harmony.”

Even in our Christian lives, continued the Pope, prayer and action are always deeply united. A prayer that does not lead to concrete action towards a poor brother, who is sick, and in need of help, is a prayer that is sterile and incomplete. But, equally, Pope Francis said, when in ecclesial service you are careful only to give more attention to objects, functions, and structures, and forget the centrality of Christ, you are likely to serve these earthy things and not God.At the end of the Angelus Pope Francis as has become traditional wished all present a good Sunday and a good lunch.

Vatican Radio

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Flying down to Rio

July 20, 2013 – 4:40 pm

(Vatican Radio) Final preparations are continuing in Rio De Janeiro for the opening of World Youth Day 2013. Pope Francis will depart from Rome to Brazil on Monday. While there the Pope will participate in numerous events including liturgies, the Via Crucis and a prayer vigil with young people. This will also be the Holy Father’s first apostolic journey. Thousands of young people have already arrived in Rio but there are still many who are on their way to be with the Pope in Brazil.

One of those getting ready to depart from Ireland is Anna Keegan who is a Faith Development officer in the Archdiocese of Dublin. Anna is no stranger to the WYD having been to four previous encounters. Anna told Lydia O’Kane that she is also looking forward to this event because it will be first time she will be attending a World Youth Day presided over by Pope Francis. “ Pope Francis seems to be really outgoing and really fun and I think because he is going to South America, you know, where he is from, I think it will be great and I am really looking forward to seeing what his message is, to be honest, to young people.”

Vatican Radio

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Pope Francis visits Pope-emeritus Benedict before getting ready for WYD

July 19, 2013 – 1:51 pm

Pope Francis today paid a visit to Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI. He asked Pope Benedict to join him in prayer and solidarity as the new Pontiff prepares to head to Brazil for World Youth Day, his first Apostolic Pilgrimage outside of Italy since being elected to the Chair of Peter.

Read more from Catholic News Service.

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Pope Francis, youth and Brazil

July 19, 2013 – 8:15 am

Brazil is in suspense waiting for the Pope’s visit. The visit is attracting attention especially because he is the first Latin American Pope and also because he chose the symbolic name of Francis, dear to believers and non-believers alike. The Pope’s smile and simplicity, his closeness to the poor and his systematic remembrance of them in his actions and words make him a pastor prepared to lavish zeal and love on his sheep. His simple, direct words, born from a heart imbued with profound pastoral fervour, reach to the very depths of people. They instantly identify with his words because they concern their own daily lives. The light tone in which he says them takes nothing from their clarity, depth and power, conferring fresh vigour on the Church and regenerating enthusiasm for faith. In Rio de Janeiro, alongside young people from every part of the world, we shall have the opportunity to come even closer to Francis to quench our thirst with the spirituality that shines out from his gestures and his words. Without any doubt the Pope’s visit will confer new ardour on the evangelization of young people who have deserved the special attention of the Church in Brazil in recent years. Although there are many young people who are active in our communities, we are worried by the number of those who are drifting away from them. It is not that they have stopped believing in God. Faith continues to be alive in their hearts, but they no longer feel the need for the Church’s mediation to express it and bear witness to it. The recent demonstrations in our country are a sign that in the face of the situation of suffering that affects so many Brazilians, young people have not let themselves be contaminated by the culture of well-being which leads to indifference to our neighbour, as the Holy Father recalled recently in Lampedusa.

L’Osservatore Romano (Vatican Newspaper)

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Pope Francis establishes special Pontifical Commission on the economic structures of the Church

July 19, 2013 – 8:09 am

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday established the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Organisation of the economic-administrative structure of the Holy See, a special commission to reform its economic and administrative departments. The Holy Father has already established a separate commission overseeing the Institute for the Works of Religion, commonly called the Vatican Bank.

Read more.

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Pope sends condolences to victims of WYD bus crash

July 18, 2013 – 3:04 pm

(Vatican Radio) “His Holiness Pope Francis shares wholeheartedly in the pain of the families afflicted by the death of one of their own, and in that of the leaders and organizers of the group.”
Pope Francis learned on Thursday of a tragic accident in French Guiana. A bus carrying young people to World Youth Day was hit head-on by a truck, leaving one young Parisian girl dead, and three other people in critical condition.

In a message of condolence sent by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone on the Pope’s behalf to the Bishop of Cayenne, the capital of French Guyana, the Holy Father assured all those involved in the accident of his prayers, and expressed his deepest sympathy for the victims, as well as for the rescue workers and all those around them. Pope Francis sent a special Apostolic Blessing to all those affected by the tragedy.

The accident occurred about sixty kilometres from Saint-Laurent du Maroni, on the main road connecting the city to Cayenne. The cause of the accident is not yet known.
On Thursday evening, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, the Archbishop of Paris, will lead a prayer vigil organised by the victims’ parish in France; while in French Guyana, the Bishop of Cayenne will offer Mass at the Cathedral.

Vatican Radio

Let us pray for these folks, too! The Concho Padre

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Pope sends message to Catholics in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales

July 17, 2013 – 1:24 pm

Vatican City, July 17, 2013 (Zenit.org)

Pope Francis sent a message today to the Catholics in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales on the occasion of the Day for Life. The event will be celebrated in Scotland, England and Wales on July 28th and in Ireland on October 6th.

The Pope’s message which was sent by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, was published today in a press release sent by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England in Wales (CBCEW.

Referencing the teachings of Saint Irenaeus which states that “glory of God is seen in a living human being,” Cardinal Bertone stated that Pope Francis encourages all Catholics in the region to “let the light of that glory shine so brightly that everyone may come to recognize the inestimable value of all human life.”

“Even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to live for ever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect,” the message stated.

Cardinal Bertone also assured the Holy Father’s prayers for the Day for Life, expressing his that they “will help to ensure that human life always receives the protection that is its due, so that ‘everything that breathes may praise the Lord.”

Life is Worth It

According to the CBCEW, over half-a-million leaflets on the Day for Life have been distributed to parishes in preparation for the event. The theme, “Care for Life – Its Worth It” was taken from a homily by then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 2005 to mark the feast of Saint Raymond Nonnatus, “the protector of Pregnant Women.”

“All of us must care for life, cherish life, with tenderness, warmth…to give life is to open (our) heart, and to care for life is to (give oneself) in tenderness and warmth for others, to have concern in my heart for others,” the future Pope said in 2005.

“Caring for life from the beginning to the end. What a simple thing, what a beautiful thing… So, go forth and don’t be discouraged. Care for life. It’s worth it.”

The Catholic Bishops Conference stated that “this year’s Day for Life focuses on care for unborn children and their mothers; care for people who are elderly and care for those who are suicidal and their families.”

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Pope Francis responds to 3-year-old’s letter

July 16, 2013 – 4:22 pm

A three-year-old girl, helped by her grandmother, decided to write a letter to Pope Francis. During her family’s pilgrimage to Rome, to observe the 50th anniversary of Pope John XXIII’s death, the Pontiff was doing his usual rounds greeting the faithful in Saint Peter’s Square, kissing and blessing many children, among whom was Alice Maria Rocca, the sender of the letter. While the Pope was kissing her tenderly on the head, she placed the letter in his hands directly.

Some days later, a happy surprise arrived for Alice’s family. In fact, in their mailbox was an envelope from the Secretariat of State of Vatican City and inside was a letter from Pope Francis, who blessed the little girl and all her dear ones.

“I never thought he would reply. We didn’t expect it, in fact, it was a surprise,” said the girl’s mother. She added, “Among the hundreds of thousands of letters that arrive for the Pope from all over the world every day, the Holy Father replied specifically to us.”

In her note to the Pope, Alice introduced herself and asked for a blessing for herself, her family, and the daycare she attends.

Answering her requests, the letter stated: “The Holy Father thanks you for your kind thoughts and invokes upon you the heavenly intercession of Blessed John XXIII, so that you can grow up happy and serene in friendship with Jesus and, while asking you to pray for him, imparts from his heart to you, to your parents and to your grandmother the Apostolic Blessing, gladly extending it to your dear ones, with a particular thought for your friends and teachers at the daycare.”

From zenith.org

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