Glenn sent me a PM last night suggesting it might be a good idea on putting up a new forum on Pope Francis. Well of course for any Catholic forum it is a good idea to put up such a thing for the Pope. But for this Pope it seems especially apt. In the first place because he appears to be a really extraordinary reforming prelate doing so much in such a short time to increase the prestige of the Vatican and the Church. In the second place because he appears to be a saint , a very holy guy indeed. In the third because he has such charisma and interest, people, Catholics in particular are drawn to him and interested in all he says and gets up to. Another reason is that he is clearly such a strongly Marian Pope, clearly a Child of Mary and on a Marian Forum such as this he is a very attractive light. Lastly because he has come under attack for supposed, 'visionaries ' as anti-Christ and since this forum has a great interest in visions and the supernatural, supporting him will make up for this and contradict such nonsense as much as possible. Making up for these slanders at least a little. What better way to start the forum than to republish the now world famous photo of Good Pope Francis hugging the little boy with Cerebral Palsy?
Pope Francis at Mass: fighting evil with meekness and humility http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-at-mass-fighting-evil-with-meekness-a
Pope Francis: There Can Be No Dialogue With The Prince Of This World! http://www.courageouspriest.com/pope-francis-dialogue-prince-world
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...e-francis-finish-the-job-that-benedict-began/ (from the above article, Pope Francis on abuse): In his third tweet, Pope Francis stated: “True power is service. The pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable.” And when archbishop in Buenos Aires, Bergoglio commented on the responsibility of bishops regarding priests who have committed sexual abuse. “You must never look away” he said. “You cannot be in a position of power and use it to destroy the life of another person.” It would be a mistake, he added, to put the church’s reputation first, in a “corporate spirit … to avoid damaging the image of the institution.” After meeting for the first time with Archbishop Mueller, the head of the Vatican’s office responsible for prosecuting culpable clerics, whether priests, bishops, or even cardinals, Francis publicly confirmed his commitment to continue Benedict’s efforts to protect minors, assist victims of abuse, prosecute criminals according to due process, and to help bishops’ conferences around the world to implement the “necessary directives in this area that is so important for the church’s witness and credibility.”
Pope Francis exchanges skull caps with a young girl after stepping out of his pope-mobile to walk the last part of his way to the altar, to deliver his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, May, 8, 2013. Credit: AP View attachment 1057
Pope to visit slums of Brazil (and visit Aparacida to pray at the shrine to the Virgin Mary.) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/pope-to-visit-rio-slum_n_3228829.html
"I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance, says Jesus. This is where true wealth is found, not in material things!" — Pope Francis "Yo he venido para que tengan vida, y la tengan en abundancia, dice Jesús. Esta la verdadera riqueza, no la riqueza material!" — Papa Francisco 8 May 2013
I sure hope Pope Francis speaks up for wrongly --Father Gordon MacRae in new Hampsire falsely impisoned priests. Go the www. These Stone Walls What a travesty He looks for support in prayer. What a life he has had.We could write and support him. New info available
Having issues viewing this message? Please click here. May 8, 2013, Wednesday -- The Choice of a Word "The consecrated woman is a mother: she must be a mother and not an 'old maid'! Forgive me if I talk like this..." ("La consacrata è madre, deve essere madre e non zitella, scusatemi, parlo un po' così...") --Pope Francis, May 8, 2013, speaking to 800 superiors of women's orders from around the world Sometimes a single word can be the source of confusion. And it can cause one to miss the entire meaning of a talk. This morning, speaking in the Vatican to 800 women religious, all of them leaders of Catholic orders of nuns, representing hundreds of thousands of sisters from 75 countries around the world, Pope Francis (photo) may have chosen such a word. Already, some in Rome are saying this may be a reason for this still very new, and very genuine, Pope from Argentina to be more careful with regard to the words he chooses when he speaks in public. In other words, that Francis ought to prepare his talks in advance, and allow his advisors to edit them, rather than speak so often "off the cuff." Still, others are saying that his authenticity is so precious to the Church that he should continue to speak in his refreshing, natural, unscripted way, no matter what the cost. The word the Pope used this morning was "zitella." It is an Italian word with several meanings, ranging from "single woman" to "spinster," but the best way to translate it into English would seem to be "old maid." And soon the official translations were putting the word in quotations, to distance the Pope just a bit from such a colloquial term. The religious sisters listening to the Pope did not seem disturbed by his use of the word. After his talk, they applauded him. (Here is a video report on the address.) But within an hour or two, a minor controversy was brewing, stoked in part by the American media. "The Associated Press reports that in an audience Wednesday, 'Pope Francis has told nuns from around the world that they must be spiritual mothers and not ‘old maids,'" Melinda Henneberger of the Washington Post wrote. She continued: "I am at a loss to see how this could be other than insulting to women who’ve already given up having families of their own to serve God... Yes, Francis is a communications natural, but in this case, he broke the, um, cardinal rule: Know your audience." So Henneberger found Francis's choice of word "insulting to women." Henneberger's chief concern is that the role of women not be seen by the Church as exclusively "maternal." The Pope's words were "in keeping with earlier remarks by Francis on the role of women," she continued. "In a talk soon after he was installed as Pope," she said, "he noted that women have an important role in passing on the Catholic faith to their children. Of course, that isn’t our only role, right? Right?" She concluded: "As someone who is trying her darnedest to pass on the faith, can I just say that we could use a hand from the Church in convincing said offspring that the Church is not as constricted as advertised in its view of women? Remarks like these are not particularly helpful." But her analysis overlooks some profound, strikingly beautiful words spoken by Francis. “Rejoice, because it's beautiful to follow Jesus," Francis told the nuns. "It's beautiful to reflect the image of the Mother of God and of our Holy Mother, the Hierarchical Church.” So, in this case, the choice of a colloquial, popular Italian word to describe a condition of non-marriage and non-maternity ("zitella") -- a word the Pope himself seemed to recognize may have been inappropriate ("forgive me," he said immediately) -- became a source of polemics. This is unfortunate, because the central idea expressed by the Pope is a beautiful, lofty one: that chastity, far from being a condition of sterility, or of bitterness at lack of offspring, has a profoundly "fruitful," even "maternal" aspect. In the the key paragraph spoken by the Pope this morning to express this concept, Francis said: “Chastity for the Kingdom of Heaven shows how affection has its place in mature freedom and becomes a sign of the future world, to make God’s primacy shine forever. But, please, [make it] a ‘fertile’ chastity, which generates spiritual children in the Church. The consecrated are mothers: they must be mothers and not ‘old maids’! "Forgive me if I talk like this, but this maternity of consecrated life, this fruitfulness, is important! "May this joy of spiritual fruitfulness animate your existence. Be mothers, like the images of the Mother Mary and the Mother Church. You cannot understand Mary without her motherhood; you cannot understand the Church without her motherhood, and you are icons of Mary and of the Church.” The danger Pope Francis faces is that a single word, taken out of context, can be exploited to harm the larger message he is proclaiming with great fervor and eloquence. But it would perhaps be a still greater danger if this Pope were to succumb to considerable and growing pressure to "pre-digest" every homily or address. The essential point of the Pope is quite valid: that all Christians should be spiritually fruitful, should generate "offspring" through their joy and faith, should be, therefore, "maternal" (and also "paternal"). It is a shame that such a teaching could be misinterpreted as "insulting" -- and perhaps Henneberger herself might use a different word, like "challenging," rather than "insulting," if she were to rewrite her piece upon further reflection. Choosing the right word is not always easy, but the listener or reader should always pause to consider the entire context. Pope Francis thus far has chosen all the right words. This incident shows that he will have to choose his words with special care in the weeks and months ahead. =================================================
After reading the above I read the WHOLE speech and what Pope Francis ACTUALLY SAID--WAS BEAUTIFUL!! I'm disappointed in Moynahan for printing the garbage the secular media and renegade nuns say...
Pope Paul iv described priestly/religious chastity as, 'The jewel on the crown of the Church'. How right he was. It points towards a reality beyond this world. The very holy young chaplain at the University here said a wonderful and wise thing at mass yesterday. He said that there were TWO Vatican Councils. There was the one the Church actually held and then there was the Council that the media had decided for us that was held. He said that the media had fooled us into believing there version was the actual Council. However the last few Popes, he said are bringing to fruition the actual real council and dispelling the myth of the media Council, the Spirit of this World so that the real Council is being shown in its full magnificance. I think we see the same danger with Pope Francis. That there are two Popes. The Pope Francis that the media are creating. ..and the real holy Pope Francis who is our spiritual Father. We must never permit ourselves to get the two mixed up.
Oh yes, I know that council very well, in Chicago it was known as "the spirit of Vatican two". By their fruits you shall know them!
"The Holy Spirit pushes people and the Church forward but we resist this and do not want to change. [...] Submit to the Holy Spirit which comes from within us and makes go forward along the path of holiness.” - Pope Francis (April 16, 2013)
The "spirit of Vatican two" sounds great but involves dissent embodied by call to action, the seamless garment document, and the common ground project. All are so aptly described in pascendi and Padraig's latest piece on the Secrets of Fatima...piece.
Pope: Learn to listen to the Holy Spirit (video ) http://www.romereports.com/palio/po...he-holy-spirit-english-9973.html#.UYuLgTbD-Ul
Glenn, Are you familiar with call to action, the seamless garment document, or the common ground project and the dissent behind all these initiatives under the guise of "the spirit of vatican 2"?
— 2 popes praying: Egyptian Copt and Pope Francis VATICAN CITY — Two popes prayed together Friday at the Vatican, one Catholic and one Orthodox, in a sign of improving ties following the election of new leaders for both churches. Pope Francis welcomed the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, Pope Tawadros II, in the first such meeting at the Vatican in 40 years, saying his visit "strengthens the bonds of friendship and brotherhood" between the two churches. The Cop...tic and Catholic churches split in the fifth century over theocratic differences. Christians comprise about 10 percent of Egypt's population. The Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt counts about 10 million faithful, while the Coptic Catholic Church in Egypt — whose faithful are loyal to Pope Francis — counts about 165,000. Both, however, have complained about increased discrimination and attacks against them since the 2011 overthrow of longtime Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak, especially with the rise of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. With Francis in white and Tawadros in black, the two prayed together for peace Friday in the modern, mosaic-covered Redemptoris Mater Chapel inside the Apostolic Palace. Arabic chants dominated the simple ceremony. The occasion was to mark the 40th anniversary of a declaration for improving ties signed in 1973 at the Vatican by Pope Paul VI and Tawadros' predecessor, Pope Shenouda III, who died last year. The late Pope John Paul II visited Shenouda in Cairo in 2000. Francis on Friday referred to the "suffering" of Christians, saying their shared suffering can be a source of strength and unity. "From shared suffering can blossom forth forgiveness, reconciliation and peace, with God's help," he said. Since taking office last year, Tawadros has reached out to Egypt's Catholic community, attending the installation of the new Catholic patriarch and helping form a council of Christian churches in Egypt. Francis, for his part, has made several overtures to the Orthodox Church. The Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, attended Francis' installation ceremony in an important gesture of unity. In his remarks, Tawadros said he had wanted to come to Rome to congratulate Francis on his election, invite him to Egypt and to try to build both unity between the churches and peace in the region. "Working together to promote ecumenical dialogue and peace on earth will be our mutual aim," he said in English. Tawadros' presence inside the Apostolic Palace meant there were actually three popes inside the Vatican on Friday: Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI was in his retirement home in a monastery inside the Vatican gardens. - The Associated Press View attachment 1060
