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Pope Francis Celebrates The Lord’s Passion

April 4, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis Celebrates The Lord’s Passion

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis presided over the liturgy of Our Lord’s Passion in St Peter’s Basilica on Good Friday. The celebration, recalling the events leading up to Jesus’ Crucifixion and death on the Cross, included reflections given by the preacher of the Papal Household, Father Raniero Cantalamessa. Please find below an English translation (by Marsha Daigle Williamson) of Father Cantalmessa’s reflections: “ECCE HOMO!” We have just heard the account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate. There is one point in particular in that account on which we need to pause. Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe; they came up…Continue Reading

Pope: The Easter Triduum Is The Apex Of Our Christian Life

April 3, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope: The Easter Triduum Is The Apex Of Our Christian Life

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged the faithful to see the signs of the Risen Lord and open their hearts to a “present that is full of the future”. Speaking on Wednesday during the weekly General Audience, the Pope reflected at length on the celebration of the Sacred Triduum which begins on Holy Thursday, and during which we commemorate Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. The Easter Triduum – the Pope said – is the apex of our liturgical year and it is also the apex of our lives as Christians. We begin the Triduum – he continued – by celebrating the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, as we recall Christ’s offering of his body and blood to the Father, which…Continue Reading

Pope Francis to priests: Christ is our strength in ministry

April 2, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis to priests: Christ is our strength in ministry

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated the Chrism Mass on Thursday morning in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Chrism Mass is the liturgy in which the oils – of the infirm, of the catechumens, and the sacred chrism – are blessed for use in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and Annointing of the Sick, throughout the year. It is also an occasion on which bishops traditionally reflect on the nature of priestly ministry, with the priests of their diocese. In his homily, Pope Francis focused on three particular forms of weariness that can affect priests, especially, in their lives: the weariness of the crowd, which the Holy Father described as, “[A] good and healthy tiredness,” which is “the exhaustion of…Continue Reading

Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee of Mercy: 11 April in St. Peter’s Basilica

April 1, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee of Mercy: 11 April in St. Peter’s Basilica

Vatican City, 31 March 2015 (VIS) – Following the first announcement of the next extraordinary Holy Year by Pope Francis on 13 March, the Holy Father will proceed with the official indiction of the Jubilee of Mercy with the publication of the Bull of Indiction on Saturday 11 April, at 5.30 pm in St. Peter’s Basilica. The rite of publication will involve the reading of various passages of the Bull before the Holy Door of the Vatican Basilica. Pope Francis will subsequently preside at the celebration of First Vespers of Divine Mercy Sunday, thus underlining in a particular way the fundamental theme of the extraordinary Holy Year: God’s Mercy. The term bull (from the Latin bulla = bubble or, more…Continue Reading

Pope makes Curial nominations for Education, APSA

March 31, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope makes Curial nominations for Education, APSA

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis has named the former President of the Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the Holy See, Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, the new Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education. The Congregation for Catholic Education is responsible for houses of formation of religious and secular institutes; universities, faculties, institutes and higher schools of study, either ecclesial or civil dependent on ecclesial persons; and schools and educational institutes depending on ecclesiastical authorities. In addition, the Holy Father named Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Archbishop of Cologne, Germany as a new Member of APSA, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See. APSA is the office of the Roman Curia that administers “the properties owned by the Holy See in order to provide the…Continue Reading

Pope Francis on Palm Sunday: remember persecuted Christians

March 30, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis on Palm Sunday: remember persecuted Christians

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis remembered the persecuted Christians in the world on Sunday – Palm Sunday – during Mass in St. Peter’s Square. Following the proclamation of the Passion according to St. Mark, Pope Francis delivered a homily, in which he reflected on the plight of all those who endure humiliation because of their faithfulness to the Gospel, all those who face discrimination and pay a personal price for their fidelity to Christ. “We think too of our brothers and sisters who are persecuted because they are Christians,” he said, “the martyrs of our own time.” The Holy Father went on to say, “They refuse to deny Jesus and they endure insult and injury with dignity. They follow Him on…Continue Reading

Pope Francis: Palm Sunday Homily

March 29, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis: Palm Sunday Homily

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis delivered the homily at Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday – Palm Sunday – the beginning of Holy Week, 2015. Please find, below, the official English translation of the Holy Father’s prepared remarks. ***************************** At the heart of this celebration, which seems so festive, are the words we heard in the hymn of the Letter to the Philippians: “He humbled himself” (2:8).  Jesus’ humiliation. These words show us God’s way and the way of Christians: it is humility.  A way which constantly amazes and disturbs us: we will never get used to a humble God! Humility is above all God’s way: God humbles himself to walk with his people, to put up with their infidelity. …Continue Reading

Pope: Life Of St Teresa Of Avila Can Help Renew Consecrated Life

March 28, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope: Life Of St Teresa Of Avila Can Help Renew Consecrated Life

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said the life of St Teresa of Avila, characterized by “total self-giving to God,” is a “great treasure” that can help to renew consecrated life today. The pope spoke of the witness of St Teresa in a letter, issued Saturday, to the Superior General of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Fr Xavier Cannistrà, to mark the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the saint’s birth. Listen to the report by Laura Ieraci:   St Teresa of Avila, a Spanish nun and mystic and a reformer of the Carmelite Order, was born 28 March 1515. Also known as St Teresa of Jesus, her writings are among the classics of Christian spirituality and mysticism. Her most known spiritual…Continue Reading

Mass at Santa Marta- Ode to joy

March 27, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Mass at Santa Marta- Ode to joy

2015-03-26 L’Osservatore Romano Joy and hope are Christian traits. It is sad to find a believer who knows no joy, fearful in his attachment to cold doctrine. This was the very reason for Francis’ ode to joy during Mass at Santa Marta on Thursday, 26 March. At the beginning of Mass, the Pope acknowledged the Carmelite “Hour of Prayer for Peace”. “Dear brothers and sisters”, he said, “the day after tomorrow, 28 March, will be the fifth centenary of the birth of St Teresa of Jesus, Virgin Doctor of the Church”. And “at the request of the Superior General of the Discalced Carmelites, who is here today with Fr Vicari, on that day in all the Carmelite communities in the…Continue Reading

The exhibition of the Holy Shroud of Turin

March 26, 2015 breaking Comments Off on The exhibition of the Holy Shroud of Turin

(Vatican Radio/VIS) A press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office on Wednesday to present the upcoming exhibition of the Holy Shroud of Turin (Turin, 19 April – 24 June 2015), on the occasion of the second centenary of the birth of St. John Bosco, which will be specially dedicated to the young and to those who suffer. The Pope will also make a pilgrimage to Turin from 21 to 22 June. The speakers at the conference were the Archbishop of Turin, Cesare Nosaglia, Papal guardian of the Shroud; Elide Tisi, mayor of the city; Roberto Gottardo, president of the diocesan commission for the Shroud; and Rev. Luca Ramello, director of youth pastoral ministry for the diocese. Archbishop…Continue Reading