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Pope Francis: Refusing to sign gay ‘marriage’ licenses is a human right

September 28, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis: Refusing to sign gay ‘marriage’ licenses is a human right

September 28, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis gave clear approval of Kim Davis’ stance against issuing homosexual “marriage” licenses as he traveled back to Rome Monday, calling it a “human right” for government officials to refuse to conduct a duty that violates their conscience. On the flight home from his first visit to the U.S., the pope was asked whether he supported individuals, including government officials, who decline to obey certain laws, for instance issuing “marriage” licenses to same-sex couples. “Conscientious objection must enter into every juridical structure because it is a right,” the Holy Father said in response. Religious liberty has been a hot-button issue in recent months in the United States as various small businesses across the country…Continue Reading

Pope Francis’ Message for World Youth Day 2016

September 28, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis’ Message for World Youth Day 2016

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7) Vatican City State, September 28, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Staff Reporter Here is the English translation of Pope Francis’ message for the XXXI World Youth Day which will be held in Krakow, Poland in 2016. * * * Dear Young People, We have come to the last stretch of our pilgrimage to Krakow, the place where we will celebrate the 31st World Youth Day next year in the month of July. We are being guided on this long and challenging path by Jesus’ words taken from the Sermon on the Mount. We began this journey in 2014 by meditating together on the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for…Continue Reading

Pope’s Homily at Conclusion of World Meeting of Families

September 27, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope’s Homily at Conclusion of World Meeting of Families

“Love is shown by little things, by attention to small daily signs which make us feel at home. Faith grows when it is lived and shaped by love. That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic churches” Philadelphia, September 27, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Staff Reporter Here is a Vatican translation of the homily Pope Francis gave this afternoon at the closing Mass of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. A ZENIT transcription and translation of the remarks he added off-the-cuff are included in brackets. * * * Today the word of God surprises us with powerful and thought-provoking images. Images which challenge us, but also stir our enthusiasm. In the first reading, Joshua tells Moses that two members…Continue Reading

Family Is the Most Beautiful Thing God Made, Says Pope Francis

September 27, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Family Is the Most Beautiful Thing God Made, Says Pope Francis

While There Is Always the Cross in a Family, There Is Also the Resurrection Philadelphia, September 26, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Kathleen Naab At the World Meeting of Families this evening, Pope Francis left aside his prepared address to speak about the truth, goodness and beauty of God, and the truth, goodness and beauty of families. After a handful of musical performances and presentations from families representing a variety of places and situations, Pope Francis enthusiastically addressed the crowd to tell them “the most beautiful thing that God made, the Bible says, was the family.” “All of the love that God has in Himself, all of the beauty that God has in Himself, all of the truth that God has in Himself,…Continue Reading

Philly eagerly awaits arrival of Pope Francis

September 26, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Philly eagerly awaits arrival of Pope Francis

Early Saturday morning, Pope Francis will be flying from New York to Philadelphia to take part in the World Meeting of Families, which began earlier this week. The Pope’s arrival is eagerly awaited in the city where later in the day he will celebrate Mass at Philadelphia’s Cathedral for clergy and religious. “Everybody is really thrilled about the arrival of the Holy Father here in Philadelphia,” said John Boyden, a parishioner at St Edmond’s Parish in the city. “It is a spectacular feeling that’s in the air right now. Just walking through centre city Philadelphia, I’ve been able to feel this thrill, this kind of excitement building over this past month – but especially in the past couple of days,…Continue Reading

Pope’s Address to the United Nations General Assembly

September 25, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope’s Address to the United Nations General Assembly

“Consequently, the defence of the environment and the fight against exclusion demand that we recognize a moral law written into human nature itself, one which includes the natural difference between man and woman, and absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions.” New York City, September 25, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Staff Reporter Here is the text of the Holy Father’s address to the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. * * * Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Morning. Thank you for your kind words. Once again, following a tradition by which I feel honored, the Secretary General of the United Nations has invited the Pope to address this distinguished assembly of nations. In…Continue Reading

Pope Francis’ Address to the US Congress

September 24, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis’ Address to the US Congress

       “It is important that today, as in the past, the voice of faith continue to be heard, for it is a voice of fraternity and love, which tries to    bring out the best in each person and in each society.” Washington, D.C., September 24, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Staff Reporter Here is the text of Pope Francis’ address to a Joint Session of the United States Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. * * * Mr. Vice-President, Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members of Congress, Dear Friends, I am most grateful for your invitation to address this Joint Session of Congress in “the land of the free and the home of the brave”. I would like to think that the reason for…Continue Reading

Pope to U.S. bishops: be shepherds in unity and dialogue

September 24, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope to U.S. bishops: be shepherds in unity and dialogue

(Vatican Radio) After an official welcome from U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday, Pope Francis met with the nation’s bishops, urging them to be shepherds who promote dialogue and foster unity at all levels of the Church and society. Speaking to the U.S. Church leaders in the Cathedral of St Matthew the Apostle, close to the White House, the Pope praised the generosity of the American Church and the support it has given to the spread of the Gospel in many suffering areas of the world. He talked of the “immense efforts” made to welcome and integrate immigrants, as well as the pain and difficulties caused by the sex abuse crisis. The Pope said he had not come to judge…Continue Reading

Pope Francis: My Visit is Pastoral, Not Political

September 23, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis: My Visit is Pastoral, Not Political

Rome, September 23, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Staff Reporter Pope Francis stressed that his Apostolic Visit to Cuba was pastoral and not political. The Holy Father held a brief press conference with journalists aboard his flight to Washington’s Andrews Air Force Base yesterday. Asked about why he did not meet with Cuban dissidents, the Pope said that he did not hold private meetings with anybody while he was there. “It was clear that I would not have given any private audience, not only to dissidents, but everyone else, including some heads of State who asked for one,” he said. However, the Pope did confirm that “the Nunciature made a telephone call to several dissidents to tell them that, upon arriving to the…Continue Reading

Pope Francis: A Red Line between the US Trip and the Synod

September 22, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis: A Red Line between the US Trip and the Synod

No time for Pope Francis to catch his breath! After his trip to Cuba and the United States the Synod will take place. And the Synod will be a real challenge for Pope Francis, as he is called to show that he can govern the different parties within the Church. The way these parties will seize upon Pope Francis’ messages during the US trip is yet to be seen. The Pope’s most awaited speeches in the US are those he will deliver at the United Nations and at a joint-session of the US Congress, the only two speeches out of 26 in which he is likely not to improvise. He did not improvise when he spoke out last November 25…Continue Reading