Francis (2024-25)

This is a continuation of Francis 2023

These are Pope Francis’ Prayer Intentions for 2024 (ACI Africa)

January: For the gift of diversity in the Church... February: For the terminally ill... March: For new martyrs... April: For the dignity of women... May: For the formation of men and women religious and seminarians... June: For those fleeing their own countries... July: For the pastoral care of the sick... August: For political leaders... September: For the cry of the earth... October: For a shared mission... November: For those who have lost a child... December: For pilgrims of hope...

Pope Francis: Catholic News Media Can’t Be "neutral" in the Message they Convey (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis said people working in Catholic media must not refrain from being involved in the evangelizing mission of the Church and that, therefore, “they cannot remain ‘neutral’ with respect to the message they convey”... According to Vatican News, the Holy Father also explained that “interreligious dialogue, ecumenism, and the defense of peace, freedom, and human dignity” should be the goals of communication professionals, especially if they are Catholic. “How many conflicts today, instead of being extinguished by dialogue, are fueled by fake news or inflammatory statements in the media! That’s why it’s all the more important that you, strong in your Christian roots and in living the faith daily, ‘demilitarized’ in your heart by the Gospel, support the disarmament of language,” the pope said in his discourse, which he gave in writing to the delegation. To achieve this “demilitarization” of language, he shared four guidelines that Catholics in the media can put into practice: “Foster a tone of peace and understanding, build bridges, be available to listen, and engage in respectful communication toward others and their reasons.” He also noted that Catholic journalists have a fundamental role to play in situations involving tension and disputes by “providing correct information” to resolve misunderstandings and contributing to the construction of peace in society, “helping mutual understanding and not setting people in opposition to each other.” Pope Francis was also emphatic in asking Catholic journalists not to be turned in on themselves but to go out and “bring the Christian message to all areas of life” using the enormous resources, platforms, and communication tools available to the modern world. “A Church concerned above all with itself becomes ill with self-referentiality,” he warned. In that regard, the pontiff pointed to the weakest in society as the center of attention of communication professionals. In these peripheries, Pope Francis commented, is found “the God of love, waiting for the good news of our charity.” The Holy Father pointed out the need for journalists “who highlight the stories and faces of those to whom few or no one pays attention.” Catholics in the media should “always think of the faces of the people, especially the poor and the simple, and start from them, their reality, their dramas, and their hopes, even if doing so means going against the current” and sparing no effort, he concluded.

Pope Francis warns against ideological splits in the Church, says focus on the poor, not ‘theory’ (AP)

Amid resistance to some Vatican policy by more conservative factions of the Catholic church, Pope Francis on Saturday cautioned the faithful against fracturing into groups “based on our own ideas.” He issued the call to abandon “ecclesiastical ideologies” in his homily in St. Peter’s Basilica during Epiphany Day Mass, the last major Christmas season holiday. Francis also warned against “basking in some elegant religious theory” instead of finding God in the faces of the poor... Francis said the Church needed to ensure that “our faith will not be reduced to an assemblage of religious devotions or mere outward appearance.” “We find the God who comes down to visit us, not by basking in some elegant religious theory, but by setting out on a journey, seeking the signs of his presence in everyday life,” especially in the faces of the poor, the pontiff said... He has dedicated much of his nearly 11-year-old papacy to encouraging attention to marginalized people, including the poor...

Pope Francis Calls for Greater Dialogue and Cooperation Between Christians, Marxists (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis this week called for cooperation between Christians and Marxists as a way to achieve greater “dialogue” and help in the search for the “common good.” “I thank you for your commitment to dialogue,” the pope said in a private meeting on Jan. 10 with 15 representatives of DIALOP (Transversal Dialogue Project), an association of European leftist politicians and academics that seeks to bridge Catholic social teaching and Marxist theory. “There is always a great need for dialogue, so do not be afraid,” the pope said during the event at the Paul VI Audience Hall. Highlighting the nexus between social, economic, and ecological issues, the pope said that “politics that is truly at the service of humanity cannot let itself be dictated to by finance and market mechanisms.” The pope buttressed his call for a more inclusive participation in economic and political decision-making by suggesting that “instead of rigid approaches that divide, let us cultivate, with open hearts, discussion and listening”...

Pope Francis: "War itself is a crime against humanity" (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis made a strong appeal for peace on Sunday calling modern warfare “a crime against humanity” that sows death among civilians and destroys cities. Speaking at the end of his Angelus address on Jan. 14, the pope urged people to pray for all who are suffering due to “the cruelty of war,” especially in Ukraine, Palestine, and Israel. “We pray that those who have power over these conflicts will reflect that war is not the way to resolve them because it sows death among civilians and destroys cities and infrastructure. In other words, war today is in itself a crime against humanity,” Pope Francis said. “Let’s not forget this: War itself is a crime against humanity. People need peace. The world needs peace”...

Pope Francis Issues New Regulations Setting Spending Limits for Vatican Offices (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis amended the Vatican’s financial regulations on Tuesday, enshrining a spending limit into law that requires Vatican offices to get permission before making large purchases...

Return to God’s Word Rather than Social Media’s "violence of words": Pope Francis (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis has called Catholics to spend more time with the saving power of God’s word as society and social media amplify “the violence of words.” Speaking of the “immense power” that the word of God can unleash in people’s lives, Pope Francis encouraged us to always “have the Gospel within easy reach.” “While society and social media accentuate the violence of words, let us draw closer to and cultivate the quiet word of God that brings salvation, that is gentle, that does not make a loud noise and that enters into our hearts,” Pope Francis said on Jan. 21. The word of God, he said, “does not leave us self-absorbed but expands hearts, changes courses, overturns habits, opens up new scenarios, and discloses unthought-of horizons”... “The word of God unleashes the power of the Holy Spirit,” Pope Francis said. “Christ’s word not only liberates us from the burdens we bear, past and present; it also makes us mature in truth and in charity. It enlivens the heart, challenges it, purifies it from hypocrisy, and fills it with hope,” he said.

SECAM President Explains How Rejection of Fiducia Supplicans in Africa was Handled (ACI Africa)

I think it's worth reading the whole article, as it demonstrates how a disagreement between some bishops and the pope was handled sensitively and discreetly without resorting to social media, culture war or ideology. Above all it emphasises respect and communion, as well as synodality, resulting in a response which was agreed amicably between the African bishops' conference, the Dicastery for Doctrine and Faith, and the Holy Father. “The Episcopal Conferences of all Africa... have strongly reaffirmed their communion with Pope Francis".

Pope upholds legacy of Don Milani, a “restless and disturbing” priest (Vatican News)

Pope Francis meets members of the Committee for the Centenary of the birth of Italian pioneer priest and educator, Don Lorenzo Milani, and recalls his dedication to the education of the poor and excluded in society...

Oh for more “restless and disturbing” priests!

Pope Francis: Blessings Don’t Require "moral perfection" (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis on Friday clarified the Vatican’s position on same-sex blessings, affirming the recent declaration Fiducia Supplicans and emphasizing that “moral perfection” isn’t a requirement for receiving a blessing... “The intent of the ‘pastoral and spontaneous blessings’ is to concretely show the closeness of the Lord and of the Church to all those who, finding themselves in different situations, ask help to carry on — sometimes to begin — a journey of faith,” Pope Francis said... The Holy Father emphasized that these blessings, which come “outside of any context and form of liturgical character, do not require moral perfection to be received.” “When a couple spontaneously approaches to ask for it, the union is not blessed, but simply the people who have requested it together. Not the union, but the people, naturally taking into account the context, the sensitivities, the places in which one lives and the most suitable ways to do so,” Pope Francis continued...

I can't recall the number of times I have been walking along with a bishop or a priest and complete strangers have come and asked for a blessing from him. Never have I heard one of these clergy quiz the supplicant about their moral status. And that's how it should be.

Edited to add: Pope says LGBT blessings are for individuals, not approval of unions (Reuters)

Pope Francis on Friday defended a Vatican document on blessings for same-sex couples but said they were not an approval of a lifestyle the Church sees as potentially sinful but of individuals seeking to get closer to God... The intentions of the blessings, Francis said were "to concretely show the closeness of the Lord and the Church to all those who, finding themselves in different situations, ask for help to continue - sometimes to begin - a journey of faith"...

Edited again to add:

Pope says Africans are 'special case' when it comes to LGBT blessings (Reuters)

Pope Francis said in an interview published on Monday that Africans were a "special case" in the opposition of bishops and many other people in the continent to homosexuality. But he said he was confident that, except for Africans, critics of his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples would eventually understand it... "Those who protest vehemently belong to small ideological groups," Francis told Italian newspaper La Stampa. "A special case are Africans: for them homosexuality is something 'bad' from a cultural point of view, they don't tolerate it". "But in general, I trust that gradually everyone will be reassured by the spirit of the 'Fiducia Supplicans' declaration by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: it aims to include, not divide," the pope said... He said that when the blessings are given, priests should "naturally take into account the context, the sensitivities, the places where one lives and the most appropriate ways to do it". In the interview with La Stampa, Francis said he was not concerned about the risk of conservatives breaking away from the Catholic Church due to his reforms, saying that talk of a schism is always led by "small groups." "We must leave them to it and move on...and look forward", he said...

Turning to Israel and the Palestinians, he said "true peace" between them will not materialise until a two-state solution is implemented and lamented that their conflict was widening...

To be "scandalized" by Gay Couple Blessings is "hypocrisy": Pope Francis (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis this week again defended the Vatican’s controversial document authorizing blessings for same-sex couples, with the Holy Father arguing that humans “must all respect each other” and stating that blessings should be extended to “everyone”... When asked by editor Father Vincenzo Vitale about Fiducia Supplicans — the December document published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) that authorized nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples and others in “irregular situations” — the pope said that “the gravest sins … are those that disguise themselves with a more ‘angelic’ appearance.” “No one is scandalized if I give a blessing to an entrepreneur who perhaps exploits people: and this is a very serious sin,” the Holy Father said. “Whereas they are scandalized if I give it to a homosexual … This is hypocrisy! We must all respect each other. Everyone.” “I don’t bless a ‘homosexual marriage,’” the pope said. “I bless two people who love each other and I also ask them to pray for me.” “Always in confessions, when these situations arrive, homosexual people, remarried people, I always pray and bless,” he continued. “The blessing is not to be denied to anyone. Everyone, everyone. Mind you, I am talking about people: those who are capable of receiving baptism,” Francis continued...

Pope at Angelus: ‘Reach out to the suffering with actions, not words’ (Vatican News)

During the Sunday Angelus marking the 32nd World Day of the Sick , Pope Francis invites the faithful to listen and reach out to the suffering, reminding them that Jesus' style with those who suffer is few words and concrete actions. Love needs concreteness, presence, encounter, time, and space offered gratuitously” Pope Francis said at the Angelus on Sunday. “It cannot be reduced to nice words, images on a screen, selfies of a moment, or hasty messages”...

Pope: Humans find meaning in relationships, not technology (Vatican News)

At an audience with members of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Pope Francis reflects on humanity’s search for meaning and says relationships with others lie at the heart of our existence...

Suluhu Heads To Vatican Monday For Talks With Pope Francis (Capital News)

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu will on Monday begin a working visit to the Vatican as part of the efforts to strengthen relations between the two countries. Tanzania’s Foreign Minister January Makamba confirmed Suluhu’s visit to the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday. Makamba disclosed that Suluhu’s visit comes in response to an invitation extended by Pope Francis. “When she arrives, she will be officially received by Pope Francis at the Papal Offices and hold a private meeting with him,” Makamba said... Alongside state officials, Suluhu will be accompanied by representatives of the Catholic Church from Tanzania.

President Suluhu is Tanzania's frst female Muslim president, and initiated a number of democratic reforms following the death of her authoritarian predecessor, the Christian John Magufuli, a COVID denier who reportedly claimed that Jesus Christ was the antidote to COVID, and who subsequently died from COVID. Members of this LT group are probably aware that Tanzania's first president, who served from 1964 to 1985 and was one of the first African presidents to stand down gracefully and peacefully from the position, was a staunch Catholic, and his politics was influenced by his Catholic faith. In 2005 Pope Benedict XVI declared him a Servant of God, the first step on the path to canonisation.

Pope prays for Sudan, northern Mozambique as Catholic church attacked (Vatican News)

Pope Francis urges global leaders to push for peace in Sudan and northern Mozambique, where a Catholic mission was set ablaze. “Wherever fighting occurs, people are exhausted, tired of war, which as always is pointless and inconclusive, and will only bring death, only destruction, and will never solve the problem”...

Pope Francis: Lent is a Time to "encounter wild beasts and angels" (ACI Africa)

On the first Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis focused his Angelus address on the temptation of Jesus in the desert to highlight that it is an invitation for us to enter the proverbial desert to come “in contact with the truth.” Observing that during the 40 days in the desert Christ was in the company of both “wild beasts and angels,” the pope reflected that when we enter this symbolic “inner wildness,” we too “encounter wild beasts and angels.” These wild beats assume a deeply symbolic meaning in our “spiritual life,” and so “we can think of them as the disordered passions that divide our heart, trying to take possession of it. They entice us, they seem seductive, but if we are not careful, we risk being torn apart by them,” the pope said to the nearly 15,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square on Sunday. Expanding upon this idea of “disordered passions,” the pope suggested that we can conceive of them also as “the various vices,” such as “the lust for wealth” or “the vanity of pleasure.” “They must be tamed and fought, otherwise they will devour our freedom,” the pope emphasized...

Cooperation and service at heart of priestly ministry, says Pope (Vatican News)

In an address to deacons preparing for the priesthood in the diocese of Rome, Pope Francis highlights faithful cooperation, service to the People of God, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as key aspects of priestly ministry...

Pope Francis: "Today the ugliest danger is gender ideology" (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis on Friday morning gave an address on the importance of building a culture that protects human and Christians vocations, things he suggested were at risk due to contemporary cultural challenges including gender ideology. “It is very important that there is this meeting, this meeting between men and women, because today the ugliest danger is gender ideology, which cancels out differences,” the pope said... Gender ideology, which seeks to blur differences between men and women through movements such as transgenderism, “makes everything the same,” Francis said. “Erasing differences is erasing humanity. Man and woman, however, are in a fruitful ‘tension,’” Francis told the assembly...

Pope opens Vatican judicial year: Doing justice requires the virtue of courage (Vatican News)

Addressing officials of the Tribunal of Vatican City State at the inauguration of its 95th judicial year, Pope Francis reminds them that the administration of justice requires the virtue of courage and humility in pursuing the truth and even in facing criticism...

Pope Francis: Thomas Aquinas' thought more relevant than ever (Vatican News)

What does the thought of one of the most distinguished theologians in the history of the Church have to do with the development of social sciences? The work of a philosopher with the ways in which human relationships are articulated and grow? More than you might think, as the Pope has pointed out in a letter to the participants in a workshop organised by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences...

Pope Francis Takes on Critics in Forthcoming Memoir, Says He Won’t be Resigning (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis has no plans to resign from office — though he says some in the Church wish he would. The pontiff addresses the topic in “Life: My Story Through History,” his forthcoming autobiography... In the book, Pope Francis says that despite the criticism and medical issues he has faced during his 11-year pontificate, he considers the Petrine ministry to be “for life” and sees no conditions for resignation, barring serious physical impairment. “Over the years, perhaps some people have hoped that sooner or later, perhaps after hospitalization, I would make an announcement like this, but there is no such risk: Thanks to the Lord, I enjoy good health, and God willing, there are many projects still to realize.” The pope says that some are already focusing on who might succeed him, which he says was “only human,” but he also warns that this kind of speculation can be motivated by personal gain or “for profit in the newspapers.” Addressing criticism leveled against him during his more than 10 years as pontiff, the Argentinian pope acknowledges that he was hurt by those who claim that he is “destroying the papacy.” But he says that he would have to go to the psychologist once a week if he paid attention to all of the criticism, which he suggests is motivated by opposition to his desire to make the Church more pastoral and less monarchical. The pope also writes that it has “pained” him to see Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned in 2013 and lived in the Vatican as pope emeritus before passing away on Dec. 31, 2022, used against him for “ideological and political purposes” by “unscrupulous people who, not having accepted his resignation, have thought of their own gain and their own little garden to cultivate, underestimating the dramatic possibility of a fracture within the Church.” In the new book, Pope Francis also defends arguably the most divisive move of his papacy: the Vatican’s recent controversial approval of blessings for same-sex couples. The pope said that the promulgation of Fiducia Supplicans confirms that “God loves everyone, especially sinners,” and that if some decide not to implement the guidance, as many bishops and some entire episcopal conferences have, “it does not mean that this is the antechamber of a schism, because the doctrine of the Church is not called into question.” While the pope says that marriage between people of the same sex is not a possibility, he reiterates his approval of civil unions, stating that “it is right that these people who live the gift of love can have legal coverage like everyone else”...

In “Life: My Story Through History,” Pope Francis also states his views on some of the most pressing issues facing the Church and society. He reiterates his description of abortion as “a criminal act” akin to hiring “hitmen.” “No more abortions, please! It is essential to always defend and promote conscientious objection.” The pope also condemns surrogacy as “inhuman,” as it “threatens the dignity of men and women, with children treated as commodities.” On the topic of the protection of creation, Pope Francis writes that “time is running out” to save the planet but urges activists to not resort to violence or “defacing works of art” in their efforts to push for change. The pope also emphasizes the need for the Church to follow Christ’s example of going to people on the margins in its care for same-sex-attracted and trans-identifying people, “who are often marginalized within the Church.” “Make them feel at home, especially those who have received baptism and are to all intents and purposes part of the people of God”...

Edited to add: Pope: ‘I’m not considering resigning but would be ‘bishop emeritus of Rome’ (Vatican News)

the Pope clarified that were he to resign, he would not choose to be called “Pope Emeritus” but simply “Bishop Emeritus of Rome." In that case, he would live in the Basilica of St. Mary Major “to return to being a confessor and bring communion to the sick.” The Pope clarified this possible scenario in case of his resignation, which, however, he emphasized, "is a distant hypothesis" because there are no "so serious reasons" to consider this possibility, which he said he never considers, "despite moments of difficulty." There are no "conditions for a resignation," according to Pope Francis, unless "a serious physical impediment" arose, in which case a "letter of resignation" deposited in the Secretariat of State signed by Bergoglio at the beginning of his pontificate would apply. He added that the possibility remains remote, since the Pope "is in good health and, God willing, there are many projects still to be realized"...

Pope Francis: God’s glory does not correspond to human success (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis said Sunday that God’s glory and our true happiness are not found in success, fame, or popularity but in loving and forgiving others. In his Angelus address on March 17, the pope asked: How it is possible that God’s glory is manifest in the humiliation of the cross? “One would think it happened in the Resurrection, not on the cross, which is a defeat, a failure,” he said. “Instead, today, talking about his passion, Jesus says: ‘The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified’ (Jn 12:23). What does he mean?” The pope explained that “for God, glory is to love to the point of giving one’s life.” “Glorification, for him, means giving himself, making himself accessible, offering his love,” he said...

Pope Francis Implores Public Broadcasters to Serve the Common Good and Combat "fake news" (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis on Saturday spoke on the important role public broadcasting plays in the transmission of information, serving the common good, and as an instrument to fight the spread of “fake news.” “Your work is intended above all to be a response to the needs of the citizens, in a spirit of universal openness, with action capable of extending throughout the territory without becoming localist, respecting and promoting the dignity of each person”...

Full text of Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi Blessing for Easter 2024 (ACI Africa)

A few excepts:

The tomb of Jesus had been sealed with a great stone. Today too, great stones, heavy stones, block the hopes of humanity: the stone of war, the stone of humanitarian crises, the stone of human rights violations, the stone of human trafficking, and other stones as well... This is the amazing discovery of that Easter morning: The stone, the immense stone, was rolled away. The astonishment of the women is our astonishment as well: The tomb of Jesus is open, and it is empty! From this, everything begins anew! A new path leads through that empty tomb: The path that none of us, but God alone, could open: the path of life in the midst of death, the path of peace in the midst of war, the path of reconciliation in the midst of hatred, the path of fraternity in the midst of hostility...

My thoughts go especially to the victims of the many conflicts worldwide, beginning with those in Israel and Palestine, and in Ukraine. May the risen Christ open a path of peace for the war-torn peoples of those regions. In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for the sake of all! I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on 7 October last and for an immediate cease-fire in the Strip. Let us not allow the current hostilities to continue to have grave repercussions on the civil population, by now at the limit of its endurance, and above all on the children... Why all this death? Why all this destruction? War is always an absurdity, war is always a defeat! Let us not allow the strengthening winds of war to blow on Europe and the Mediterranean. Let us not yield to the logic of weapons and rearming. Peace is never made with arms, but with outstretched hands and open hearts...

May the Lord open paths of peace on the African continent, especially for the suffering peoples in Sudan and in the entire region of the Sahel, in the Horn of Africa, in the region of Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in the province of Capo Delgado in Mozambique, and bring an end to the prolonged situation of drought, which affects vast areas and provokes famine and hunger...

No surprises really, except to see it confirmed by the Pope?

Pope exposes confidential details of past conclaves and settles scores with Pope Benedict XVI’s aide
NICOLE WINFIELD | April 2, 2024

https://apnews.com/article/pope-conclave-benedict-gaenswein-2d67127e9e336a7cefd4...

Gender-affirming surgery threatens ‘unique dignity’ of a person, Vatican says (CNN)

The Vatican has issued a strong warning against “gender theory” and said that any “sex-change intervention” risks threatening “the unique dignity” of a person, in a new document signed off and approved by Pope Francis. Titled “Dignitas Infinita” (Infinite Dignity) the declaration focuses on what it describes as a range of threats to human dignity, including poverty, the death penalty, war, assisted dying, abortion, sexual abuse and the abuse of women. The text, published by the Vatican doctrine office on Monday, states that attempts to obscure “the sexual difference between man and woman,” including gender-affirming surgery, should be rejected. “It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception,” it adds. The document is largely a re-stating of Catholic teaching on these topics but does not seek to isolate one issue – such as abortion – but says it emphasizes the equal dignity of all people, regardless of their circumstances. On abortion, it strongly reiterates what the pontiff has said in the past, that the “defense of unborn life is closely linked to the defense of each and every other human right”...

I think that last part is important. It's not about single issues but about what Daniel Berrigan described as a "consistent ethic of life", or as this Vatican document puts it, "the defence of each and every human right".

Edited to add: New Vatican doc ‘Dignitas Infinita’: What it says on gender theory, surrogacy, poverty and more (America Magazine)

The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has issued an important new doctrinal declaration on human dignity, approved by Pope Francis, that not only reaffirms the Catholic Church’s traditional teaching on abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide, but also updates it by denouncing some newer forms of violation of that dignity in the 21st century, such as surrogacy and the promotion of gender theory... Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández said went through several preparatory drafts over the past five years, and which he presented at a Vatican press conference on April 8. He revealed in a preface to the text that Pope Francis explicitly asked that the document “highlight topics closely connected to the theme of dignity, such as poverty, the situation of migrants, violence against women, human trafficking, war and other themes.” Thus the declaration goes beyond the focus on single issues and throws a spotlight on the much broader field of violations of human dignity. Commenting on this in an editorial on Vatican Media, Andrea Tornielli, its editorial director, said: “The new text contributes to overcoming the dichotomy that exists between those who concentrate exclusively on the defense of life that is unborn or dying and forget the other attacks against human dignity, and those, on the other hand, who focus only on the defense of the poor and migrants and forget that life has to be defended from conception to natural death”...

The full text of Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith “Dignitas Infinita” on Human Dignity can be found here

Unnecessarily hurtful... I take it the people who want to be hurtful have upper hand as the Pope becomes ever more frail...

Transgender Catholics say new Vatican document shows no understanding of their lives
DAVID CRARY | April 8, 2024
https://apnews.com/article/religion-catholic-lgbtq-transgender-gender-theory-e36...

As for surrogacy I agree that inequality that leads to sale of living kidneys as well as wombs is worthy of opposition, but some of us provide tissues and organs, and, yes, use of wombs for the best and kindest of reasons--something to be celebrated, not condemned.

"Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith “Dignitas Infinita” on Human Dignity, 08.04.2024" does not have weight of infallibility, I trust.

New Vatican Document Highlights Church’s "ever-greater understanding of human dignity" (ACI Africa)

The new document states that “the Church’s magisterium progressively developed an ever-greater understanding of the meaning of human dignity, along with its demands and consequences, until it arrived at the recognition that the dignity of every human being prevails beyond all circumstances.” At the same time, Fernández explained, the document reflects Pope Francis’ pastoral priorities, noting that the theme of human dignity is “so present in the thought of Pope Francis” as well as “in his attitudes, in his way of treating the sick, the criminals, the forgotten, in the way he listens”...

So, has the RC hierarchy discussed this with children who owe their existence to an assist from medical technology? Would they prefer not to exist?

Pope Francis Slams Women Who Think They Have 'Right to a Child'
Apr 08, 2024

"First and foremost, the practice of surrogacy violates the dignity of the child... Because of this unalienable dignity, the child has the right to have a fully human (and not artificially induced) origin and to receive the gift of a life that manifests both the dignity of the giver and that of the receiver. Moreover, acknowledging the dignity of the human person also entails recognizing every dimension of the dignity of the conjugal union and of human procreation... Considering this, the legitimate desire to have a child cannot be transformed into a 'right to a child' that fails to respect the dignity of that child as the recipient of the gift of life."

https://www.newsweek.com/pope-francis-slams-surrogacy-vatican-declaration-188814...

Surprise: Pope claims abolished title of honour for himself (katholisch.de)

Without prior notice, Pope Francis has reversed something that his predecessor Benedict XVI (2005-2013) had changed during his pontificate. The Pope now once again bears the historic title of"Patriarch of the West" (Patriarca dell'Occidente), as he last did in 2005. Benedict XVI had this title removed from the list of papal titles in the first year of his pontificate, causing irritation among the churches of the East. With the title "Patriarch of the West", the Pope puts himself on an equal footing in ecumenical dialogue with the Patriarch of Constantinople and other patriarchs of Eastern churches that do not recognise the Pope as their head. The current Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, whom Pope Francis has already addressed as "brother" on several occasions, was apparently one of the first to be informed of the move...

Pope Francis Decries How "the unborn with disabilities are aborted" in Throwaway Culture (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis decried how “the unborn with disabilities are aborted” in a speech on Thursday to a Vatican conference on disability inclusion. The pope warned that “the throwaway culture” turns into “a culture of death” when people “presume to be able to establish, on the basis of utilitarian and functional criteria, when a life has value and is worth being lived.” He pointed out that we see this today especially on the two extremes of the spectrum of life — “the unborn with disabilities are aborted and the elderly close to the end are administered an ‘easy death’ by euthanasia”... “Every human being has the right to live with dignity and to develop integrally. Even if they are unproductive, or were born with or develop limitations, this does not detract from their great dignity as human persons, a dignity based not on circumstances but on the intrinsic worth of their being,” Pope Francis said...

What happened to the Pope who saw the elephant in the room? Because we fail to act, climate change will kill millions and millions of us and our descendents -- slowly as water and food is lost, and quickly through disasters and most spectacularly, through wet bulb temperatures...

Scold UKRAINE to negotiate? Scold transgender people and infertile women for use of medical technologies? Aai-yi-yi. In his decline, the once bold, science-educated thinker is not being served well by his advisors and staff.

Hopefully, they will not undo his legacy of a successor capable of providing the moral leadership this sorry old world needs.

Let us pray.

>30 margd:

Do you see it as "scolding"? I would tend to see it as raising concerns which are often ignored in the rough and tumble of social media culture wars, about issues where there is still no universal agreement including from scientifc and medical quarters.

I'm not aware that the pope has backtracked at all on his climate concerns. As for Ukraine, like virtually all conflicts this one will end in negotiations, and there's nothing wrong with encouraging the protagonists to reach that point as early as possible before more lives are senselessly lost and, incidentally, before more environmental damage is done. This may not sit well with those who still believe that a military victory is possible for one side or the other, but will give encouragement to all those ordinary people in both Russia and Ukraine who oppose the military option.

As for "what has happened" to the pope, he has faced ten years of vitriolic abuse from the right wing, including within his own Church, and especially in north America. He must be getting tired, but I would say that his fundamental direction has not changed in the least. He is a pastor who loves and accepts everyone, but he also has a responsibility to raise concerns about things based on the Christian and Catholic understanding of life, the universe and everything.

But he is not is a social media influencer, nor a culture warrior on either side - and nor should he be. Indeed, let us pray.

And "the right wing, including within his own Church, and especially in north America" have Francis right where they want him, poor old guy.

Instead of scolding sheep, the Vatican should be cleansing the temple -- taking to task money changers like Putin, Netanyahu, combatants in Sudan, people despoiling our planet for a buck, et al.

Too feeble to get out anymore, the Good Father is obviously being advised by Pharisees, not "shepherds with the 'smell of the sheep'"...
_______________________________

ETA: Spokesperson of the triumphant right...my spidey-sense was correct. Fr. de Souza has been called gateway to the right-wing opponents of Pope Francis.

Pope Francis Shuts Down the Cafeteria
The pope affirms that Catholics can’t pick and choose between life and social ethics.
{Father} Raymond J. de Souza | April 11, 2024
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pope-francis-shuts-down-the-cafeteria-dignitas-infi...

>32 margd:

Fair comment, but I don't see any let up in his outspokenness about "Putin, Netanyahu, combatants in Sudan, people despoiling our planet for a buck, et al". And incidentally, I think he would see all of them as also being his "sheep". As for the "Pharisees", well, he won't be the first pope who hasn't succeeded in his efforts to change the right wing establishment in the Vatican, although he has made more progress than most.

Cardinal Fernández explains the ‘novelty’ of new Vatican doc on dignity (America magazine)

The 116 footnotes in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s declaration on human dignity reflect the fact that most of the content of the 12,700-word text is not new Catholic teaching. But, as has been true with many documents issued during Pope Francis’ papacy, there was plenty of reaction from people who had hoped to see significant changes in the church’s position, particularly on gender issues, and from people who claimed Pope Francis was overturning centuries of church teaching, particularly on the death penalty... Pointing to all the footnotes, a journalist asked the cardinal why the document was necessary since it seemed to be just a list of things that had already been said about human dignity and the sacredness of human life and against abortion, surrogacy and sex-change surgery. The declaration, he responded, summarizes “the most important teachings about human dignity and organizes them around a central point, which is the dignity of every human being ‘beyond all circumstances,’” an affirmation from Pope Francis’ encyclical “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.” The text takes “this principle that Pope Francis wanted to emphasize and develops the question around that principle -- this is the novelty of the document,” Cardinal Fernández said... another reporter asked the cardinal if people could expect that in another 80 years the teaching in the document would change again. “I would not phrase it that way,” Cardinal Fernández responded. “But I would say one could understand it better” as time goes on. “One can go deeper into that inexhaustible well that is the Gospel. The Gospel is an inexhaustible well. And we still have so much to find there, so much that we have not understood.” The idea, particularly as explained by St. John Henry Newman, is that while revelation does not change, the church’s understanding of it can grow and deepen or be phrased in new ways to respond to new questions. “Human dignity is a central question in Christian thought,” Cardinal Fernández told reporters. “It has had a magnificent development over the past two centuries along with the (development) of the social doctrine of the church.” The cardinal used the example of slavery, which was accepted in the Bible and by popes for centuries...

Pope Francis announces biggest restructuring of the Catholic church in Ireland in 900 years (Irish Times)

Pope Francis has announced a series of episcopal changes in the Irish hierarchy resulting in the most extensive restructuring of the Catholic church here in roughly 900 years... The scaling back of the number of episcopal positions may be the first step in a more far-reaching and wider process of restructuring for the Irish church in light of concerns that the current diocesan boundaries no longer reflect the distribution of the Catholic population. The Catholic church on the island of Ireland is divided into 26 dioceses, the boundaries of which have remained essentially unchanged since the 12th century. Some ecclesiastical experts have called for a streamlining of this number in light of falling mass attendances and the decline in vocations. The Archbishop of Tuam Francis Duffy said the development was “new” but not “sudden” as it has been the subject of discussion for some time. “It’s really the Catholic Church in the west of Ireland and in Ireland responding to the signs of the times, looking at what we have, our resources, our structures and are these adequate for the situation which we find ourselves and we feel that these changes are important and valuable and will allow us to continue into the 21st century in the west of Ireland in particular, responding to those challenges,” he said...

Papal Foundation Announces Nearly $15 million in Global Grants, Humanitarian Aid, to "grow Catholic faith” (ACI Africa)

The Papal Foundation, a U.S.-based organization that provides funding for Catholic projects around the world, announced on Friday the distribution of nearly $15 million in grants, scholarships, and charitable aid “to care for those in need and grow the Catholic faith around the world”... Among the beneficiaries include efforts at “providing for basic needs such as access to clean water,” “constructing schools and renovating classrooms,” and “translating Church teachings for evangelization.” The money will also go toward “restoring Churches, convents, and seminaries in desperate need of repairs,” “providing students in remote areas with transportation to further their education,” and “building health care facilities”...

Pope Francis reinstates papal title ‘Patriarch of the West’ in Pontifical Yearbook
Matthew Santucci | Apr 12, 2024

...Following Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to drop the title in 2006, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (then the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity) issued a statement noting that it had become “obsolete” and “no longer usable.”

The dicastery argued that the cultural and geographic understanding of the West had expanded from Western Europe to also cover North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

“The renunciation of this title is intended to express historical and theological realism and, at the same time, to be the renunciation of a claim, a renunciation that could be of benefit to ecumenical dialogue,” the dicastery said at the time.

The title “Patriarch of the West” was adopted in the year 642 by Pope Theodore and was used for centuries, though it was not until 1863, during the pontificate of Pope Pius IX, that the title first appeared in the Annuario Pontificio...

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/257360/pope-francis-reinstates-papal-tit...
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Papal title ‘Patriarch of the West,’ dropped by Pope Benedict, reappears in 2024 Vatican yearbook
Cindy Wooden | April 11, 2024

...When Pope Benedict dropped the title “Patriarch of the West,” the then-Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity issued a statement, which said, “The title “Patriarch of the West” was adopted in the year 642 by Pope Theodore. Thereafter it appeared only occasionally and did not have a clear meaning. It flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries in the context of a general increase in the pope’s titles and appeared for the first time in the Annuario Pontificio in 1863.

While patriarchates have always been tied to a specific location and jurisdiction over it, “the term West currently refers to a cultural context not limited only to Western Europe but including North America, Australia and New Zealand, thus differentiating itself from other cultural contexts,” the pontifical council said. “If we wished to give the term West a meaning applicable to ecclesiastical juridical language, it could be understood only in reference to the Latin Church. In this way, the title ‘Patriarch of the West’ would describe the bishop of Rome’s special relationship with the Latin Church and could express the special jurisdiction he has over her.”

Members of the synod of bishops of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople expressed concern over the decision, however. In a June 2006 statement, the chief secretary of the synod said dropping “Patriarch of the West” while retaining the titles “Vicar of Jesus Christ” and “Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church” is “perceived as implying a universal jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome over the entire church, which is something the Orthodox have never accepted.”

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/04/11/pope-patriarch-west-papal-title...
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Pope Francis reinstates papal title ‘Patriarch of the West’ in Pontifical Yearbook
Matthew Santucci | Apr 12, 2024

...Nikos Tzoitis, an analyst in the press office of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and former spokesperson for Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, argued in an April 6 article* that the pope’s decision to reintroduce the honorific of Patriarch of the West “is part of the rediscovery of confraternity.”

“In this way, he wants to emphasize the importance of the lost synodality in the Lord’s Church, which expresses his Body and has synodality as a tool,” Tzoitis wrote.

Pope Francis has cemented ecumenical dialogue as one of the main priorities of his pontificate.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/257360/pope-francis-reinstates-papal-tit...

* (Google translation fr Greek)
Pope Francis: Reinstates title 'Patriarch of Old Rome'
Nikos Tzoitis | 6 April 2024
https://fosfanariou.gr/index.php/2024/04/06/papas-fragkiskos-epanaferei-ton-titl...

>30 margd:

On transgender issues, it might be worth referring to an authoritative independent report in the UK by a renowned paediatrician concerning the treatment of gender-questioning children, which I think is relevant given how the media have picked up on that section of Dignitas Infinita.

Thanks to Cass, evidence not ideology will be used to guide children seeking gender advice (Guardian)

Cass finds a childhood diagnosis of gender dysphoria is not predictive of a lasting trans identity and clinicians told the review they are unable to determine in which children gender dysphoria will last into adulthood. If this is indeed impossible, is it ever ethical to put a young person on a life-altering medical pathway? If there are no objective diagnostic criteria, on what basis would a clinician be taking this decision other than a professional hunch?... Cass has also commented on the intense toxicity of the debate... she says medical professionals were scared of being called transphobic, or accused of practising conversion therapy, if they took a more cautious approach in a climate where activists and charities like Stonewall were quick to level accusations of bigotry at people flagging concerns...

>36 John5918: Not all interventions are life-altering. Actually, I have experienced a drug used for kids questioning their gender identity. In my case to reduce estrogen and shrink fibroids before surgery as a perimenopausal woman. My understanding is that this "puberty pause" for a young person with gender dysphoria may have the only downside of extra height-gain as a prepubescent if the young person then decides to stop the "pause". {I agree nothing permanent for underage persons.}

Men in skirts might want to do their homework. The blood of desperate teenagers may be at stake.

{Years ago, a male colleague worried about a new boss of ours who was gay, making a pass at him. "What should I do??" I kidded him he should ask for a raise. :D Later my friend realized that we are what we are, i.e., nobody could have convinced him as a teen that men were as attractive as girls. Gays and trans are no doubt driven by similar drives as cis and hetero-folk. Leave them alone.}

>37 margd:

I think the whole point of Dr Cass' report is that the blood of desperate teenagers is at stake. She is not a culture warrior for or against transgender therapy. She is an experienced paediatric expert calling for more research and understanding.

Your disparaging reference to "men in skirts" might be considered offensive by some Scots. Beware of fuelling "the intense toxicity of the debate" which Dr Cass also flags as a problem for medical professionals trying to discern the best and safest ways to treat desperate teenagers.

Council of Cardinals commences April meetings in the Vatican (Vatican News)

April 15 marks the start of the April working session of the C9 - Council of Cardinals, in the presence of Pope Francis...

>38 John5918: "Men in skirts". One of the southern states sought to outlaw drag queens by banning "men in skirts". Forget whether law actually went through, not least because many men wear skirts as part of cultural and religious tradition. For a while, my dad wore a kilt as part of Black Watch dress uniform.

(According to legend, the Germans on the WW1 Western Front called the Black Watch "devils in skirts" because they wore kilts and were such ferocious fighters. Nothing compared to tunic-wearing Sikh soldiers according to my dad, who served with them as UN peacekeepers in the Sinai: "Glad they are on our side.")

>40 margd:

I don't have Scottish ancestry, but I've worn a kilt for Burns Night celebrations. The Black Watch is one of the tartans which can be worn by anyone, regardless of clan. Very comfortable - I often wish I had a wee drop of Scottish blood in me so I could wear one regularly!

>41 John5918: If members of FB group Scottish Genealogy are any guide, anyone can wear tartan of their choosing. Many members are death on North Americans who take tartan choice seriously, claim clan membership or relationship to nobility or famous folks, or ::gasp:: are Outlander fans... In North America, we think of clan as family, ex., Nova Scotia has "Gathering of the Clans, which is a cultural affair (bagpipes, dances, athletic competition). Boy, did I get hooted at when I mentioned Gathering of the Clans in Scottish Genealogy group!

(There are some non-Scottish tartans, apparently. One for the St Lawrence River can only be bought in Clayton, NY: https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanLargeImage . As handsome as it is, I think it might look better as a kilt than this NY assemblyman's suit? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuLbExo2htM )

>42 margd: Yes, I believe they're right. I think it was a Victorian romanticisation which brought about that convention. I have no idea what Outlander is - some film or TV offering? In Africa we are very familiar with the concept of clan, which is found in many traditional cultures and is usually a kinship grouping. And yes, there are non-Scottish tartans - the kilt is worn by Irish, Cornish, Breton, and probably other Celtic communities. Maasai in Kenya wear a (usually red) tartan blanket, a development of the traditional shuka which would originally have been made of animal skin. There are several tales of how and why they adopted the current cloth version.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldan. A series of books (a violent, sexy version of Brigadoon?) in which a British woman is whisked from 1945 back to Scotland in 1743, before the Battle of Culloden. Made into a TV series--PG, I was surprised to note. Theme song uses melody of the Skye Boat Song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGgMMUBX6kY (2:17). There are tours now in Scotland for fans. Scots shake their heads at the fans, I think, though their business is welcome? (Ever thus in tourist areas...)

The Vatican’s Bewildering New Declaration
Michael F. Pettinger | April 16, 2024

It’s raised controversy with its unfortunate treatment of trans people. But its own arguments support their right to self-determination.

...As explained in a foreword to the declaration, the document was originally conceived five years ago, when the DDF was still known as the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, under the leadership of Cardinal Luis Ladaria. It’s not clear what the original scope of the document was intended to be, though {longtime Vatican observer Gerard O’Connell} suggests that it might have been narrowly focused on gender theory and surrogacy. What is clear is that when a version of the document was finally submitted for Francis’s approval last November, he insisted (in the words of the text’s introduction) that “more attention be given to the grave violations of human dignity in our time,” explicitly singling out many of the issues listed above.

He also specified that this final draft be carried out “in light of the encyclical Fratelli Tutti.” That encyclical, subtitled “on Fraternity and Social Friendship,” addresses the problems of social fragmentation. It’s clear that while Dignitas Infinita makes constant reference to “religious” sources, it also makes a significant effort to engage those outside the church by appealing to “reason” and referring to the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights. While this is probably not enough to convince anyone of the justice of its condemnation of gender theory and gender affirmation, it might be enough to engage curious readers. Unlike other recent declarations on issues of sexuality, it does not enjoin any particular action, but is intended “to offer some points of reflection that can help us maintain an awareness of human dignity.”...

https://www.thenation.com/article/society/vatican-declaration-gender-pope/

Pope Francis tells nuns and monks: ‘Nostalgia’ will not save your monasteries from closing (America Magazine)

Longing for the past will not save contemplative religious orders from closing their monasteries or experiencing shifts in vocations, Pope Francis said. Discerning how to adapt the structures of a centuries-old religious order to the modern age “means not relying solely on human strategies, defensive strategies, when it comes to reflecting on a whether a monastery should be saved or abandoned, on community life or about vocations,” the pope told the superiors and other delegates from Discalced Carmelite monasteries who were meeting in Rome to review their order’s constitutions. “Defensive strategies are the fruit of a nostalgic return to the past; this does not work, nostalgia does not work,” he said...

>45 margd:

Two further comments on this issue from The Tablet.

The dangers of demonisation in the trans debate

The Cass report finds that for most young people a medical pathway will not be the best way to manage their gender-related distress. The report by Dr Hilary Cass into the care of children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria should awaken Britain to a serious deficiency in the way it treats young people. The present generation is one of the least happy on record, and the incidence of mental ill-health is running far ahead of the capacity to deal with it. Gender confusion makes the headlines because of a bitter ideological wrangle between advocates of so-called gender theory and their opponents. This is made worse by attempts to gain political advantage for and against what is called “woke”, initially referring to those who had “awoken” to the implicit racism of American society, now more often used pejoratively...

Dignitas Infinita has offended progressives and traditionalists

It’s striking how much the idea that humans, by their very nature, might have inherent, even infinite, dignity, offends both kinds of Catholics...

Interesting review of the concept of "dignity" in Wikipedia: from a religious (and philosophical) perspective--Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist--much is made of free will, e.g.,

"...The Catechism of the Catholic Church...states...that "the right to the exercise of freedom belongs to everyone because it is inseparable from his or her dignity as a human person"...The Catholic Church's view of human dignity is like Kant's, insofar as it springs from human agency and free will,... with the further understanding that free will in turn springs from human creation in the image of God..."

Must be some conflict in Rome between free will and the idea that we are made in image and likeness of God--and shouldn't mess with that? But to single out procedures on trans folk, and not chide cosmetic surgery, which, say, might let a disfigured person live comfortably in a community IMO probably reflects societal bias more than any concern for dignity of trans folk?

"The Catechism of the Catholic Church insists that the "dignity of the human person is rooted in his or her creation in the image and likeness of God". "All human beings", says the Church, "in as much as they are created in the image of God, have the dignity of a person.""

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dignity#See_also

Pope to future priests: Become shepherds with Christ's loving heart

With Christ's loving heart, open arms and with a smile, be shepherds to your people, suggests Pope Francis when addressing seminarians of Seville, Spain, on the eve of Good Shepherd Sunday...

Pope remembers Pius VII, a man of communion in difficult times

Pope Francis on Saturday paid tribute to the unwavering faith and dedication to the Church of the Servant of God Pope Pius VII (1742-1823) , who was elected to the Papacy in 1800 in one of the most turbulent years of Europe’s and the Church’s history, marked by the French Revolution and Napoleon's rule. A Benedictine monk and a renowned theologian, Pius VII, born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, is remembered along with his predecessor Pius VI for his unyielding opposition to Napoleon's attempts to subjugate the Church that cost him his arrest and imprisonment in 1809...

Both from Vatican News

Pope Francis: Christ the Good Shepherd ‘looks for us until he finds us’ when we’re lost (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis reflected on the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd during his Regina Caeli address Sunday, noting that it is a role characterized by his sacrificial love. “Jesus explains that he is not a hired man who cares nothing for the sheep but a man who knows them,” the pope said on April 21, the fourth Sunday of Easter, which is traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday because it is the theme of the day’s Gospel. “It is true, he knows us, he calls us by our name and, when we are lost, he looks for us until he finds us.” Pope Francis explained that Christ’s role as a shepherd introduced a new logic, observing that he is not acting as a guide or “the head of the flock” but is instead “living in symbiosis” with his people. “This is what the Lord wants to tell us with the image of the Good Shepherd: not only that he is the guide, the head of the flock, but above all that he thinks of each of us as the love of his life,” the pope said to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square...

Another of my favourite gospel passages.

Catholic students, theologians, ministers write an open letter to Pope Francis (NCR)

Your Holiness and Your Eminence, the peace of Christ be with you. We write today as a collective of students of Catholic divinity and theological schools and trained ministers. We love this church, we love our Catholic faith, and we ground our ministry in our baptismal call to holiness. We are also trans, nonbinary, and queer and those who love and accompany them. Personally, professionally and ministerially, we are concerned with Dignitas Infinita's statements on gender theory and sex change. We, along with other people of goodwill, write to you today. We read with gratitude the document's insistence on inalienable human dignity for migrants, the poor, and others whose dignity is consistently violated. We are saddened, therefore, that the document fails to recognize the dignity of trans and gender-nonconforming people. In its condemnation of gender "ideology" and "sex change," the document marginalizes the infinite dignity in people of all genders and their authentic self-expression and inadvertently perpetuates the harm it aims to overcome...

A Negotiated Peace is Better than an Endless War: Pope Francis to Russian President, Vladimir Putin (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis also talked about climate change and said that those who deny it do so “because they don’t understand it or for what benefits them,” and stressed that “climate change exists.” Regarding those who don’t see a place for themselves in the Catholic Church anymore, the Holy Father responded that in the Church “there is always a place,” noting that “the Church is very big. It’s more than a church building … you shouldn’t flee from it”...

Pope to parish priests: 'The Church couldn't go on without your dedication'

"The Church could not go on without your dedication and your pastoral service." With these words, Pope Francis offered heartfelt thanks to parish priests in a letter he sent them on the occasion of the International Meeting “Parish Priests for the Synod”...

Armed Priest Arrested as He Tried to Enter the Vatican for Pope Francis’ Regina Caeli (ACI Africa)

A priest armed with several weapons and dressed in a cassock tried to enter St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican to participate in the Regina Caeli prayer with Pope Francis on Sunday, May 5. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the priest, who is from the Czech Republic, tried to pass through the metal detector carrying an air pistol, two knives, a cutter, and a screwdriver...

In Papal Bull Titled “Hope Does Not Disappoint”, Pope Francis Announces How, When Church’s 2025 Jubilee Will Begin (ACI Africa)

The Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee was officially proclaimed on Thursday by Pope Francis, who presided over a formal reading of the Jubilee’s papal bull of indiction. The papal bull, titled “Spes Non Confudit,” meaning “Hope Does Not Disappoint,” declares that the Jubilee Year will officially begin with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve 2024... The 2025 Jubilee will officially conclude with the closing of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica on Jan. 6, 2026, on the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord... In the papal bull, Pope Francis urged the need for peace in the world, which he said is “immersed in the tragedy of war.”

Love, Charity “culmination” of Theological Virtues: Pope Francis at Wednesday General Audience (ACI Africa)

During his general audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis reflected on charity — what he described as the “culmination” of the theological virtues — observing that it is the highest expression of Christian love, predicated on truth and underscored by forgiveness. “Love is charity. We immediately realize that it is a difficult, indeed impossible love to practice if one does not live in God. Our human nature makes us love spontaneously what is good and beautiful,” Pope Francis said to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on a sunny morning in Rome. Pointing to the Sermon on the Mount and repeating twice the Christian maxim “love your enemy,” the pope noted that this teaching represents the highest expression of Christian love, as it “embraces what is not lovable; it offers forgiveness”...

Sadiq Khan and Pope Francis share message of hope and action on climate (Tablet)

Pope Francis is highly regarded as a leader on addressing issues of climate change, not just by Catholics but by members of all faiths and none, according to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. In Rome to meet the Pope for the first time and attend a climate summit at the Vatican with leaders of other cities from around the world, Khan told The Tablet it was “a huge privilege and honour to spend time with Pope Francis”. He said he was “very impressed” by the depth of the Pope’s knowledge of the climate crisis and related issues but also loved “his ability to be hopeful”. Khan, a practising Muslim, said: “He is not just a leader for the Catholic world. For those of us who are not Christian, not Catholic, he is a leader for us as well”...

Conservative Critics Have a "suicidal attitude": Pope Francis (ACI Africa)

In an interview with “60 Minutes” airing this Sunday, Pope Francis takes aim at his “conservative critics” in the United States, reportedly saying a conservative is someone who “clings to something and does not want to see beyond that.” “It is a suicidal attitude,” the pope said... “Because one thing is to take tradition into account, to consider situations from the past, but quite another is to be closed up inside a dogmatic box”...

Orthodox Patriarch Anticipates Pope Francis Visit to Turkey for Council of Nicaea Anniversary (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis might be traveling to Turkey next year for the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, according to Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew in comments he made on Thursday. Although the Holy See has not confirmed any travel plans, the ecumenical patriarch told a group of reporters that a committee is being established to organize a visit, according to the Orthodox Times. The referenced council took place in the ancient city of Nicaea in 325 A.D. in the former Roman Empire, which is now the present-day city of İznik in Turkey. “His Holiness Pope Francis wishes for us to jointly celebrate this important anniversary,” Bartholomew said. The Council of Nicaea was the first ecumenical council in the Church. It is accepted by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and other Christian communities that accept the validity of early church councils. It predates the Chalcedonian Schism — which separated the Oriental Orthodox communion from Rome — by more than 100 years and predates the Great Schism — which separated the Eastern Orthodox Church from Rome — by more than 700 years...

“One of the most terrible scourges of our time”: Pope Francis Lambasts Scourge of Human Trafficking (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis today urged the abolition of human trafficking, “one of the most terrible scourges of our time” that disrespects and disregards human dignity and delivers “large profits to people without moral scruples”... For Pope Francis, trafficking is a “systemic” evil and as such “we can and must eliminate it through a systematic, multilevel approach.” “Trafficking is reinforced by wars and conflicts,” the pontiff said, “benefits from the effects of climate change and socioeconomic disparities, and takes advantage of the vulnerability of people forced to migrate or the conditions of inequality in which they find themselves, especially women and girls”...

Pope Francis says Italian seminaries should reject gay applicants
Gerard O’Connell | May 27, 2024
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/05/27/pope-francis-homosexual-seminar...

On shock talk, what if Pope Francis knows exactly what he’s doing?
John L. Allen Jr. | Jun 2, 2024

...Not only had the pope used a vulgar Italian term roughly meaning “faggotry,” but, according to those reports, he also used another pejorative Italian term in the same conversation, checche, referring to stereotypically effeminate homosexual men, to suggest that even “semi-oriented” gays should be weeded out of Catholic seminaries.

As if that weren’t enough, yet another bit of papal shock talk made the rounds a few days later, this one involving not gays but women.

Once again according to media reports, Pope Francis told a group of recently ordained priests in Rome on May 29 that gossip – he used the colloquial Italian term chiacchiericcio, roughly meaning “petty little chatter” – is a “women’s thing,” adding, apropos of men, that “we wear the trousers, we have to say things.”

...three popular theories to explain the apparent gaffes...
1. the 87-year-old Francis is beginning to lose his grip ... reverting to expressions of Latin American machismo
2. Francis is not a native Italian speaker and doesn’t understand the shock value or negative v
3. iolations of the pope’s confidence ... ripped out of context and put into circulation by enemies seeking to destabilize and weaken the papacy.

...{OTOH} at 87, and facing a concentric series of health challenges, Francis has to be considering the question of what might come after him. If he wants to clear a path for someone cut from the same cloth to succeed him, part of the electoral math may be reassuring centrist and right-leaning figures in the College of Cardinals that his agenda isn’t actually as radical as it’s been styled in some circles.

...The sight of this pope being skewered by the liberal elite, even if only for a moment and only half-heartedly, might therefore serve his purposes in terms of trying to shape the landscape for the next conclave ... presumes a pope who knows exactly what he’s doing, even if it upends people’s expectations or offends their sensibilities...

https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2024/06/on-shock-talk-what-if-pope-francis-kno...

"Go ahead with your vocation": Pope Francis Tells Gay Man Rejected from Seminary (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis has reportedly encouraged a 22-year-old gay man to continue to pursue a vocation to the priesthood after he was not accepted into a Catholic seminary... The pope’s handwritten note was sent June 1 as an email attachment. According to news reports, it condemned clericalism and worldliness and said: “Jesus calls all, all.” According to Il Messaggero, Pope Francis told the 22-year-old that “some people think of the Church as a customs house, and this is terrible. The Church should be open to everyone. Brother, go ahead with your vocation”... The pope, in his note, also said he was struck by an expression Caruso used in his own email: “toxic and elective clericalism.” “It’s true!” Francis continued. “You know that clericalism is a scourge? It’s an ugly ‘worldliness.’” He added that “worldliness is the worst thing that can happen to the Church, worse even than the era of concubine popes,” attributing the quote to “a great theologian,” by whom he likely meant Jesuit Father Henri de Lubac...

Pope Francis tells priests to keep homilies short as ‘people fall asleep’ (Guardian)

Priests should keep their homilies short and speak for a maximum of eight minutes to prevent members of the congregation from nodding off, Pope Francis has said. The homily, or message delivered during a church service, “must be short: an image, a thought, a feeling”, the pope said during his weekly audience on Wednesday. It should not last longer than eight minutes “because after that time attention is lost and people fall asleep, and they are right,” said the 87-year-old pontiff. “Priests sometimes talk a lot and you don’t understand what they are talking about”...

I taught homiletics part-time more than thirty years ago, and I used to say exactly the same thing. But having said that, different cultures have different approaches. In much of northern Europe and north America, we appreciate short and to-the-point orations, whereas in much of Africa, which still has an oral tradition, long orations are the norm in many fields of life.

Pope calls on G7 leaders to ban use of autonomous weapons (Guardian)

Pope Francis has made a historic address to G7 leaders urging them to recognise they have the power to decide if artificial intelligence becomes a terrifying or creative tool, and calling on them to ban the use of autonomous weapons in war. In the first address by a pope to a meeting of G7 leaders, he said it should never be for machines to decide whether human beings live or die...

Italian archbishop says he faces Vatican trial over Pope Francis criticism (Guardian)

A former Catholic church diplomat and virulent critic of Pope Francis has said the Vatican is putting him on trial for denying the pontiff’s legitimacy. Carlo Maria Viganò, 83, an ultra-conservative who was the Vatican’s ambassador to the US from 2011 to 2016, said the powerful department of doctrine had summoned him on Thursday to hear the charges. In posts in several languages on X, Viganò said the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith had set out accusations “of having committed the crime of schism” – that is, splitting the Catholic church. He was also charged with “having denied the legitimacy of ‘Pope Francis’, of having broken communion ‘with Him’, and of having rejected the Second Vatican Council” in the 1960s, which set the church on a modernising path, Viganò wrote...

Note the inaccuracy of the headline. As the substantive article says, he is not being summoned for criticising the pope, but for schism, that is, splitting the Catholic Church, as well as denying the legitimacy of the pope and rejecting the teaching of the Church, both of which are fundamental to the Catholic Church and one would expect an archbishop to be in communion with them.

After falling out with him, Pope gives new job to Benedict's ex-aide (Reuters)

Pope Francis has given a new job to the former secretary of the late Pope Benedict XVI, in an apparent sign of reconciliation with the prelate after publicly falling out with him. Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, 67, was appointed "nuncio", or Vatican ambassador, to Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, a statement from the Vatican press office said on Monday...

Ukraine updates: 10 held by Russia, Belarus return to Kyiv
DW | 29 June 2024

Some of those released were jailed in 2017 after being arrested in Russian-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the Vatican for its help in freeing 10 Ukrainians from prison in Russia and Belarus.

The freed included Nariman Dzhelyal, a leader of the Crimean Tatars, and two priests.

Five of those held by Russia were originally arrested in Belarus, Russia's close ally, including on charges of providing intelligence about Russian military movements to Kyiv...

https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-updates-10-held-by-russia-belarus-return-to-kyiv/l...
------------------------------------

Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa | 7:45 AM · Jun 29, 2024 {X}:

These days we were able to accomplish a task that seemed almost impossible to many. We have returned from Russian captivity 90 of our warriors and 10 civilians.

And among them are Christian priests, Bohdan Heleta and Ivan Levitsky. They are here with us now. They both preached the Word of God in Berdyansk, in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church parish of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On November 16, 2022, the occupiers abducted them and have kept them in captivity since. Thanks to the efforts of our team and the mediation of the Holy See, to which I am especially grateful, we were able to bring them back to freedom. We believed it was possible. We worked for it...

7:43 Zelenskyy remarks Prayer Breakfast (https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1807017628826812645)

Pope Francis Asks Sacred Heart of Jesus to Convert Hearts Who Want War (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis prayed for the intercession of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Sunday to convert “the hearts of those who want war” to projects of dialogue and peace...

"God is hidden in human misery": Pope Francis Highlights Dignity of Migrants, Prisoners (ACI Africa)

In the face of a sometimes “anesthetized,” consumerist society, we must recall the “scandal” of our Christian faith — that God became man and dwells in each of us, especially the weakest, Pope Francis said in the northern Italian city of Trieste on Sunday. “We need the scandal of faith,” the pontiff said at a Mass on July 7. “A faith rooted in the God who became man and, therefore, is a human faith, a faith of flesh, which enters history, which touches people’s lives, which heals broken hearts, which becomes a leaven of hope and the seed of a new world”... Francis said Catholics need “a faith that awakens consciences from slumber, that puts its finger in the wounds, in the wounds of society ... a restless faith that helps overcome mediocrity and sloth of the heart, a faith which becomes a thorn in the flesh of a society often anesthetized and stunned by consumerism”...

Pope: Reconsider the development of lethal autonomous weapons (Vatican News)

Pope Francis sends a message to a Hiroshima conference on "AI Ethics for Peace," emphasising the symbolic importance of discussing peace in a city scarred by atomic tragedy...

Archbishop Georg Gänswein declares loyalty to Pope Francis after banishment from Rome (Irish Times)

Pope at mosque in Indonesia: May we cultivate friendship as pilgrims on our way to God (Vatican News)

Pope Francis visits Indonesia’s Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta for an interreligious meeting, and pays tribute to the people’s “great gift” of working for dialogue, mutual respect, and harmonious coexistence, to which we are all called...

Orthodox firebrand reminds Argentine Pope it takes two to tango(Crux)

If ever proof were needed of Pope Francis’s indefatigable commitment to outreach, the fact that today he’s traveling to Vanimo in Papua New Guinea, the most remote corner of a country which already represents the world’s peripheries, to meet with people utterly unaccustomed to having world leaders come calling, surely delivers it. This is a pope, in other words, literally willing to go the extra mile for an outstretched hand. From another part of the world, however, recent days also have offered the pontiff a reminder of a hard truth about such outreach, which is that sometimes when you extend your hand, the other party is more inclined to slap it away than to grasp it. The point arises in Ukraine, after Pope Francis recently spoke out against a new law banning Moscow-aligned religious organizations, which is clearly targeted at what remains of the Russian Orthodox Church in the country. Notably, the pope risked the ire of his own flock, which had backed the new law, in order to voice solidarity with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which traditionally has been part of the Moscow Patriarchate... Kovalenko’s open contempt is a reminder that there’s a hard core in the broader Russian Orthodox universe that simply will never accept any overtures from Rome, no matter how ardently a pope may propose them...

Pope Francis gets rockstar welcome in the world’s most Catholic nation outside of Vatican City (CNN)

Pope Francis received a rapturous welcome from the tiny Southeast Asian nation of East Timor, one of the world’s most Catholic countries, where more than half the population is expected to turn out for an open-air mass on Tuesday... East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, is one of the world’s youngest countries and has deep ties to the Catholic Church, which was influential in its tumultuous and bloody fight for independence from Indonesia. The country of just 1.3 million people is the second-most Catholic country in the world, with 97% of the population identifying as Catholic, the highest share outside of the Vatican...

Pope at Mass in Timor-Leste: Children show us the importance of 'smallness' (Vatican News)

In a homily delivered to an estimated 600,000 people – or nearly half the population of Timor-Leste – Pope Francis says that children are both a blessing and a sign...

Pope criticizes Harris and Trump and tells US Catholics to choose ‘lesser evil’ (Guardian)

Pope Francis on Friday criticized Donald Trump over his plan to deport millions of immigrants and Kamala Harris over her stance supporting abortion rights. Asked about the US presidential election on his flight back to Rome from Singapore, the pope said not welcoming migrants is a “grave” sin, and likened having an abortion to an “assassination“. He said US Catholics would have to “choose the lesser evil” when they vote in November, without elaborating... Despite criticizing both candidates, he said Catholics should vote. “Not voting is ugly,” the 87-year-old pontiff said. “It is not good. You must vote...

Pope urges Catholics to pick 'lesser evil' between Trump and Harris (BBC)

Pope Francis has called both major US presidential candidates "against life" and advised Catholic voters to choose the "lesser evil" when casting their ballots in the November election. The pontiff said not welcoming migrants - seemingly referring to Trump - is a "grave" sin, and compared Kamala Harris's stance on abortion to an "assassination". “Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,″ the Pope said in rare political comments... But he encouraged Americans to vote. "Not voting is ugly. It is not good. You must vote," he said. "You must choose the lesser evil. Who is the lesser evil? That lady, or that gentleman? I don't know. Everyone, in conscience, (has to) think and do this"... The Pope has frequently criticised abortion... And this is not his first time making critical comments about Trump. During the 2016 election, he described Trump as "not Christian" because of the presidential contender's anti-immigrant language...

Pope slams both Harris and Trump as ‘against life’ and urges Catholics to vote for ‘lesser evil’ (AP)

Pope Francis on Friday slammed both U.S. presidential candidates for what he called anti-life policies on abortion and migration, and he advised American Catholics to choose who they think is the “lesser evil” in the upcoming U.S. elections. “Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,″ Francis said... Francis has made the plight of migrants a priority of his pontificate and speaks out emphatically and frequently about it. While strongly upholding church teaching forbidding abortion, Francis has not emphasized church doctrine as much as his predecessors... Francis said migration is a right described in Scripture and that anyone who does not follow the Biblical call to welcome the stranger is committing a “grave sin”...

Pope Francis Urges Release of Hamas Hostages, End of Conflict in Israel and Palestine (ACI Africa)

During his Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis appealed for the release of the remaining Hamas hostages as he remembered 23-year-old American Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five others whose bodies were recovered by Israeli military in Gaza last month... “Cease the conflict in Palestine and Israel, cease the violence, cease the hatred, release the hostages, continue negotiations, and find peace solutions,” he added...

Vatican confirms plans for Belgium, Luxembourg trip after pope cancels audiences due to illness
NICOLE WINFIELD | September 23, 2024

https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-ill-belgium-luxembourg-843dfa87718f376da...

Pope Francis at Vigil: We are here as beggars of God’s mercy (Vatican News)

At a penitential service marked by testimonies of those wounded by abuse, war and lack of charity, Pope Francis asked forgiveness from God and from those who have been wounded by our sin... During the ceremony, seven cardinals expressed shame and asked forgiveness “on behalf of all in the Church” for sins against peace, against the environment, against the dignity of women, and against the poor; for sins of abuse and for using doctrine as a “stone to hurl” at others; and for sins against synodality. “I wanted to write down the requests for abuse that were read by some of the cardinals,” the Pope said, “because it is necessary to call our chief sins by name.” In his reflection following the confession of sins, the Holy Father emphasized that the Church, “in its essence of faith and proclamation, is always relational – and it is only by healing sick relationships that we become a synodal Church.” “How could we be credible in mission,” he asked, "if we do not acknowledge our mistakes and stoop to heal the wounds we have caused by our sins?” Reflecting on the Gospel reading, which recounted Jesus’ parable of the proud Pharisee and the repentant publican, Pope Francis invited the faith to consider how often we in the Church have acted like the former...

Pope Francis enlarges college of cardinals with 21 new appointments (Guardian)

Among those named by Francis... were the heads of several major dioceses and archdioceses in South America... In contrast, only one new cardinal from North America was named: the archbishop of Toronto... the archbishop of Tehran, Iran... the bishop of Bogor, Indonesia... the archbishop of Tokyo... the bishop of Caloocan in the Philippines... Africa will have two new cardinals... “Francis has again continued to extend the reach of the college of cardinals,” said Prof Christopher Bellitto, a church historian at Kean University in Union, New Jersey. “Like his predecessors, but even more so, he’s making sure that Catholic leaders from the church’s edges have a voice at the big table”...

Pope's diverse choices of new cardinals won't smooth path for successor (Reuters)

But while Francis, 87, has now named some 80% of the prelates who will choose the next pope, those who study the church say his choices - often of low-profile churchmen from distant countries, many of whom barely know each other - are not meant to smooth the way for a preferred heir. "The idea that the pope is capable of influencing his successor is not real," said Alberto Melloni, a church historian at the University of Modena-Reggio Emilia. "It is not even his agenda." Geographic diversity is important to Francis, an Argentinian born an ocean away from Rome. Among new cardinals that Francis has named over his 11 years as pope, some two dozen have been the first ever chosen from their home countries, which include Haiti, Myanmar, the Central African Republic and Mongolia... "It's more about geography than about theology," said Massimo Faggioli, a professor at Villanova University in Philadelphia who has chronicled the Francis papacy. "It's generally about giving voice to those who are in the peripheries ... more than a particular vision of the Church"... Often the choices appear to be influenced by Francis' preference for what he has called a Church that is "bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets"... Unlike previous popes, Francis has only rarely called the entire College of Cardinals to Rome for consultation. This, coupled with their geographic spread across the globe, means they are often little known to each other. Many have never met face to face. "The fact that Francis generally avoids convening cardinals in Rome limits the amount of pre-conclave manoeuvring," said John Thavis, a former Rome bureau chief for the Catholic News Service who has reported extensively on three papacies. "The pope's biggest influence on a future conclave will be in broadening participation and making the election of a pope a more global event."

Zelenskyy appeals to Pope Francis for help in freeing Ukrainian PoWs (Guardian)

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked Pope Francis during a meeting at the Vatican for help in securing the release of Ukrainians held captive by Russia...

Pope on World Day of the Poor: Every act of compassion is a sign of hope (Vatican News)

In his homily during the Mass for the World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis calls on us to recognise God’s presence in the suffering of the poor and to act with hope and compassion in the face of injustice...

Pope Francis Calls for Study of Church History Free from Ideologies (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis has published a letter addressed especially to priests in formation to promote the renewal of the study of Church history, emphasizing its importance in better interpreting reality... the Holy Father refers to the need to promote a “genuine sense of history” that takes into account the “historical dimension that is ours as human beings”... In this context, the Holy Father states that we must abandon an “angelic” conception of the Church and embrace its “stains and wrinkles” in order to love the Church as it is. In short, Pope Francis invites the faithful to see the real Church “in order to love the Church as she truly exists,” a Church that has learned “and continues to learn from her mistakes and failures.” According to the Holy Father, this can “serve as a corrective to the misguided approach that would view reality only from a triumphalist defense of our function or role.” In the letter Pope Francis criticizes the manipulation of history by ideologies that “destroy (or deconstruct) all differences so that they can reign unopposed.” These ideologies seek to lead young people to “spurn the spiritual and human riches inherited from past generations” and ignore everything that came before them, he says. For the pope, this also leads to posing “false problems” and seeking “inadequate solutions,” especially in an era marked by a tendency “to dismiss the memory of the past or to invent one suited to the requirements of dominant ideologies.” “Faced with the cancellation of past history or with clearly biased historical narratives, the work of historians, together with knowledge and dissemination of their work, can act as a curb on misrepresentations, partisan efforts at revisionism, and their use to justify” any number of evils, including wars and persecutions, the Holy Father indicated. The pope thus points out that “we cannot come to grips with the past by hasty interpretations disconnected from their consequences” and that reality “is never a simple phenomenon reducible to naive and dangerous simplifications”...

Pope: Church history cannot be reduced to mere chronological facts (Vatican News)

Pope Francis calls for a renewed study of Church history, and emphasizes collective memory, reconciliation, and a deeper engagement with primary sources to navigate the present with wisdom and faith....

At General Audience, Pope Francis Pleads for Ukraine's Children

Pope Francis called on Italian children to pray for their Ukrainian peers facing a harsh winter amid ongoing war at his general audience on Wednesday.“Think of the Ukrainian children and young people who suffer at this time without heating in a very harsh winter,” the pope said on Nov. 27, addressing youngsters gathered around him in St. Peter’s Square at the start of the weekly event. The pontiff broadened his appeal for peace: “Let us not forget the tormented Ukrainian people, who suffer so much,” he urged. “And let’s also pray for peace in the Holy Land, Palestine, Israel, where people are also suffering so much”...

Thank you for being our Father: Youths in Southern Africa Pen “love letter” to Pope Francis

Members of the youth ministry at the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC), which includes South Africa, Botswana, and Eswatini, have written to Pope Francis, expressing their gratitude to the Holy Father for his leadership as the Vicar of Christ over the past 11 years. In the letter, SACBC Youth and Young Adults Chairperson Lesego Zikhali conveyed the sentiments of young people in the region to the 266th Pontiff of the Catholic Church saying that his “teachings are immensely powerful.” “We are writing this love letter to you, to show our gratitude to you, for being our Father for the past 11 years of your ministry as the Vicar of Christ,” the youths said in the letter dated Sunday, November 24, adding, “Your teachings are immensely powerful.” They emphasized how Pope Francis had inspired them to live as true ambassadors of Christ, saying “You have helped us to see Christ in others to proclaim good news to the captive.” They also noted how the Holy Father’s example of humility had motivated them to serve others with kindness and creativity...

Both from ACI Africa

Homilies must be short, about Jesus, inspired by the Spirit, pope says (NCR)

Homilies must be prepared with the help of the Holy Spirit, be shorter than 10 minutes and put the spotlight on the Lord, not oneself, Pope Francis said. Those who preach must convey "one idea, one sentiment and an invitation to action," he said. Preaching loses its power and starts to ramble after eight minutes, he said...

God is our hope: Pope Francis on Christmas 2024 (ACI Africa)

Hope lives, Pope Francis said in his homily for Christmas Eve Mass at the Vatican as he reflected on the incredible fact that the infinite God became a small Child. “God is Emmanuel, he is God-with-us,” the pope said in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24. “The infinitely great has become small; the divine light has shone through the darkness of the world; the glory of heaven has appeared on earth. And how? In the littleness of a Child. And if God comes, even when our hearts resemble a poor manger, then we can say: Hope is not dead, hope is alive, and it envelops our lives forever”...

Here are Pope Francis’ Prayer Intentions for 2025 (ACI Africa)

January: For the right to an education: Let us pray for migrants, refugees, and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, might always be respected... February: For vocations to priestly and religious life... March: For families in crisis... April: For the use of the new technologies... May: For working conditions... June: That the world might grow in compassion... July: For formation in discernment... August: For mutual coexistence: Let us pray that societies where coexistence seems more difficult might not succumb to the temptation of confrontation for ethnic, political, religious, or ideological reasons... September: For our relationship with all of creation: Let us pray that, inspired by St. Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect... October: For collaboration between different religious traditions: Let us pray that believers in different religious traditions might work together to defend and promote peace, justice, and human fraternity... November: For the prevention of suicide... December: For Christians in areas of conflict...

Pope Francis to teaching sisters: Leave ‘vinegar faces’ behind, embrace joy (CNA)

Pointing to the perils of pastoral pessimism, Pope Francis urged a congregation of teaching sisters on Saturday to cultivate joy in their ministry, warning them that stern countenances drive people away from the faith... Francis emphasized three essential qualities for religious educators: holiness, preparation, and friendliness...

>90 John5918:. While Francis is probably right about effect on others, I'm reminded of traditional pressure on women to be cheerful regardless of what's going on. The Taming of the Shrew?

>91 margd:

Yes, it was an unfortunate choice of words. He could have emphasised "holiness, preparation, and friendliness" without the negative connotations. And "vinegar faces" are found amongst priests and religious brothers as well as amongst nuns.

Pope Francis Appoints First-ever Woman to Head Vatican Dicastery (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis has named for the first time a woman, Sister Simona Brambilla, to head a dicastery of the Roman Curia, continuing to add to the number of women in leadership roles at the Vatican, a hallmark of his pontificate... Pope Francis appointed the Italian sister prefect of the department on Monday. She will lead the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life together with Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, who was named pro-prefect on Jan. 6... Brambilla, who trained as a nurse before entering religious life, was a missionary in Mozambique in the late 1990s. She then returned to Italy, where, with her advanced degree in psychology, she taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University in its Institute of Psychology. She was head of the institute of Consolata Missionary Sisters from 2011 until May 2023...

>93 John5918: Good. Another article said cardinal appointed as deputy was expected to get the appointment.

Pope appoints Trump critic to be archbishop of Washington, DC, and appoints first female leader of a Vatican department (CNN)

Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy, a vocal defender of migrants and critic of Donald Trump’s first administration, as the next archbishop of Washington, DC. Cardinal McElroy, 70, is a strong supporter of Francis’ priorities on refugees, the environment and welcoming LGBTQ Catholics. He will succeed Cardinal Wilton Gregory, 77, who was the first African-American Archbishop of Washington, DC... McElroy, who holds a doctorate in political science from Stanford University along with a doctorate in theology from a Roman university, can be relied on by the pope to articulate Catholic teaching on matters such as migration and protection of the most vulnerable in society...

Pope to Roman Rota: ‘Discern annulment cases with charity’ (Vatican News)

Pope Francis calls upon judges to exercise prudence, justice, and charity, remarking that every just ruling contributes to strengthening the culture of indissolubility affirmed by the Church’s teaching on marriage. Pope Francis reiterated Friday the critical importance of simplifying processes of annulment of marriages and of making them more accessible while upholding the Church’s teachings on the indissolubility of marriage...

"Let us do penance for peace": Pope Francis at Wednesday Audience (ACI Africa)

Pope Francis held his general audience in the Vatican on Wednesday despite bronchitis affecting his breathing, with the Holy Father urging people to pray and do penance for peace in the world. Making the effort to use his own voice at the end of the audience, the pope earnestly pleaded with Catholics to “do our best” to bring an end to all conflicts. “Let us pray for peace, let us even do penance for peace,” the 88-year-old pontiff told pilgrims inside the Paul VI Audience Hall. Expressing particular concern for the people of Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Holy Father reminded his listeners that “war is always a defeat”. “I am thinking about many countries at war,” the pontiff shared with his listeners. “We were not born to kill but to make people grow”...

Pope Francis is hospitalized to treat bronchitis and undergo tests as weekend events are canceled
NICOLE WINFIELD | February 14, 2025

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was hospitalized Friday to treat a weeklong bout of bronchitis and undergo diagnostic tests ...

https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-bronchitis-hospital-757f28cabc6a...

Pope appoints Sr Petrini as President of Pontifical Commission and Governorate of Vatican City State (Vatican News)

Pope Francis has appointed Sister Raffaella Petrini as the new President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State... With this appointment, she becomes the first woman to hold the highest leadership position within the Vatican’s administrative structure...

Pope Francis now in a critical condition after respiratory crisis, Vatican says
Associated Press | 22 Feb 2025

The pontiff is in hospital for a complex lung infection and has been given high flows of oxygen and blood transfusions

The Vatican has said Pope Francis is in a critical condition after he suffered a long asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high flows of oxygen.

Francis has been hospitalised for a week with a complex lung infection.

The Vatican said on Saturday that Francis has received blood transfusions after tests showed a condition associated with anaemia. The 88-year-old pope has been in hospital for a week with a complex lung infection

The statement said the “Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis is reserved.”

... Dr Sergio Alfieri, the head of medicine and surgery at Gemelli hospital, said the biggest threat facing Francis was that some of the germs that are located in his respiratory system pass into the bloodstream, causing sepsis. The illness can lead to organ failure and death.

“He knows he’s in danger,” Alfieri added. “And he told us to relay that.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/22/pope-francis-now-in-a-critical-con...

A weak Pope Francis is wielding power and rewriting the narrative of how popes exercise authority (AP)

During his first foreign trip in 2013, Pope Francis made headlines when he carried his own black leather briefcase as he boarded the Alitalia charter bound for Brazil, since popes never carry bags and until the 1970s were themselves carried on thrones... But he seemed baffled that something as normal as an airplane passenger carrying a briefcase could create such a fuss. “I have always taken a bag with me when traveling – it’s normal,” he told his first news conference as pope. “We must get used to being normal. The normality of life.” Over 12 years, Francis has sought to impose a kind of normality on the papacy with his informal style and disdain for pomp, while ensuring that he still wields the awesome power held by Christ’s vicar on Earth and Europe’s last absolute monarch. The way Francis has managed his five-week hospitalization for pneumonia has followed that same playbook, and on Saturday allowed his doctors to announce the very normal news that the 88-year-old pope would be released the following day... And yet Francis has never been shy about showing his weaknesses, age or infirmities in ways that seem unthinkable for public figures for whom any sign of fragility can threaten their authority and undermine their agenda... Francis’ willingness to show his weaknesses while exercising supreme authority is consistent with his Jesuit training and the biblical teaching of St. Paul that “when I am weak, then I am strong”...

Pope encourages confessors to be ministers of mercy (Vatican News)

Pope Francis invites confessors to be “ministers of mercy” as they accompany the faithful on their path of reconciliation and renewal... Pope Francis reflected on the privileged role of confessors, especially during the 2025 Holy Year...

Pope Francis does not accept Cardinal Koch’s resignation: could continue at least until anniversary of Council of Nicea (Zenit)

Koch has served as the head of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity since 2010, overseeing the Vatican’s efforts to foster dialogue and collaboration among Christian denominations. His extended tenure suggests that Francis values continuity in the Church’s ecumenical work at a time when unity is both a theological and practical challenge...

Pope Francis' plans to reform the church are alive and well (NCR)

Just when it looked like the anti-Francis forces would have their chance to "fix" the Catholic Church, Pope Francis left Gemelli Hospital. It was a close call, but Francis' reforms will outlast him. That includes his major reform, the synod on synodality, the worldwide program of prayer and conversation about how the church can live its mission going forward. Over the past three years, hundreds of thousands of Catholics have spent countless hours in their parishes, dioceses, religious orders, schools and other organizations talking about church — what it is, what it means, how best to spread the Gospel... Could it be that the pope's synodal vision works? Just when the most conservative Catholics thought all this talking would end, and when certain clerics thought the church would be able to return to a more sensible (and efficient) methodology of pray-pay-obey, Francis has announced a three-year implementation phase of synodality leading up to a final "ecclesial assembly" in October 2028. This is in keeping with the synod’s October 2024 final document that called for the kind of participation that strikes at the heart of clericalism and all its trappings. Synodality, it held, is central to the church's mission, which means greater lay participation. Pastoral councils should be mandatory. Seminary formation needs a close examination. Oh, and let's talk a little more about women in ministry... "The Ecclesial Assembly will more or less mirror the demographics of the Ecclesia (Church) in which the clergy, let alone the bishops, make up a tiny fraction of the number of baptized Catholics"...

Pope: The Church is a ‘new and reconciled humanity’ (Vatican News)

In a message for the Jubilee Pilgrimage organised by Charis, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal International Service, Pope Francis says that the Holy Spirit is “the source of communion, harmony and fraternity”...

King Charles and Queen Camilla pay recovering Pope Francis surprise visit (Guardian)

King Charles and Queen Camilla paid a surprise private visit to a convalescing Pope Francis on Wednesday afternoon during their four-day state visit to Italy. The royal couple visited Francis, 88, at his home in Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City, where he is recovering from a serious bout of pneumonia in both lungs. An official audience had previously been removed from the royals’ schedule due to the pontiff’s ill health...

RIP.

Pope Francis, trailblazing Jesuit with a heart for the poor, dies at 88
Gerard O’Connell | April 21, 2025

When the cardinals voted to elect Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the 265th successor of St. Peter on the evening of March 13, 2013, few of them imagined what kind of pope he would be. They surprised the world by electing the first Latin American and first-ever Jesuit pope. But the 76-year-old archbishop of Buenos Aires surprised them in even bigger ways from the moment of his election by choosing a name no previous pope had dared to take—Francis. He continued to surprise them right up to the very end of his 13-year pontificate.

His death on April 21, 2025, concluded a momentous and at times turbulent papacy that both supporters and detractors of the pontiff would agree has changed the church in significant ways ...

Dismantling the Papal Court
The World’s Parish Priest
The Poor at the Center
Seeking Conversion
Implementing Vatican II
Reform of the Curia and Vatican Finances
Reform of the Roman Curia
Affirming the Role of Women
The Second-Most-Traveled Pope
Provisional Agreement with China
Seeking Peace
Ecumenical Outreach
Interreligious Initiatives
Combating the Abuse Crisis
Opening to the L.G.B.T. Community
Francis Encounters Opposition

... Pope Francis asked to be buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, close to the revered ancient icon of Our Lady, Protectress of the Roman People, an image to which the Jesuit order has been particularly devoted from its beginning. As a cardinal Pope Francis used to pray there on his visits to Rome before becoming pope, and where he went to pray more than 100 times during his pontificate, including before and after his foreign trips. It is perhaps fitting, therefore, that the first Jesuit pope will be laid to rest in this basilica, where St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, celebrated his first Mass as a priest on Christmas night, 1538, and where Francis so often prayed.

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/04/21/pope-francis-dead-249946

>107 margd:

Thanks, margd. I've also opened a thread for tributes to Pope Francis in the Christianity group at https://www.librarything.com/topic/370295. I'll repost this one there.

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Beautiful, although I wonder whether it is really bigger than the mural on the decommissioned cooling towers in South Africa's Soweto?

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The Francis Connection: How a Name Shaped a Pontificate (EWTN)

When Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in 2013, he introduced himself to the world not only as a new Pope, but under a new name. By choosing “Francis,” he offered an early and unmistakable clue to the spiritual compass of his pontificate—a compass pointing toward poverty, peace, creation, and dialogue...