Category: +PopeFrancis

The Weekly Francis – 19 January 2014

Pope Francis is having his "Inaugural Mass"? What's happens in this Mass, and why is it important?This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 10 September 2013 to 18 January 2014.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Letters

Messages

Speeches

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

Papal Tweets

Pope Francis on the “parable” of the loaves and fishes: 11 things to know and share

francis-windowRecently Pope Francis has said a few things about the miracle of the loaves and the fishes that have concerned a few people.

They’ve thought he might be denying that it was an actual, physical miracle.

What’s more, the press can’t be blamed, because these statements weren’t the subject of media-distorting headlines or news stories.

They’re right there in the pope’s own words—in context!

So what should we make of these?

Here are 11 things to know and share . . .

 

1) What, precisely, did Pope Francis say?

He has said two things. One was in a Sunday Angelus he gave on June 2, where he stated:

This is the miracle: rather than a multiplication it is a sharing, inspired by faith and prayer. Everyone eats and some is left over: it is the sign of Jesus, the Bread of God for humanity.

This makes it sound like he’s advocating the lame “miracle of sharing” theory, according to which people in the crowd had food hidden on their persons and then shared it with others after Jesus’ disciples began distributing the five loaves and two fish.

This theory downgrades the miracle to a purely natural event.

I’ve written about that before. And not just once.

 

2) What was the other thing he said?

More recently, in a video appeal released in December to help a hunger relief project, he stated:

The parable of the multiplication of the loaves and fish teaches us exactly this: that if there is the will, what we have never ends. On the contrary, it abounds and does not get wasted.

This makes it sound as if he’s saying that the multiplication of loaves and fishes wasn’t even a natural event. Instead, it sounds like he’s saying it’s a mere parable—a fiction designed to teach a lesson.

 

3) What should we make of these?

KEEP READING.

The Yearly Benedict/Francis: The Audiences

benedict-francisThe pope’s weekly audiences offer a fascinating look at topics that often aren’t covered in the major papal documents.

Unfortunately, in recent years, the folks at the Vatican web site have not been giving titles to the audiences that indicate their content. All you get (normally) is a list of dates.

To help me navigate these in the future, here is an annotated version of Pope Francis’s 2013 audiences that indicates their content, as well as Pope Benedict’s final audiences.

Although these are found in reverse-chronological order on the Vatican web site (like a blog!), I’ve put them in chronological order here, since most of them form a walk though the Apostles’ Creed for the Year of Faith.

Incidentally, papal audiences like these seem to be pre-written, way in advance.

This means that Pope Francis was almost certainly delivering texts at his Wednesday audiences that were prepared for Pope Benedict.

He clearly took liberties with them. Many passages in Pope Francis’s audiences were expressed in his own voice, rather than Pope Benedict’s.

Now that the Year of Faith is concluded, we’re likely to get our first pure taste of Pope Francis’s style of audiences in 2014.

For now, here’s a review of 2013 . . .

 

Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Francis

The Weekly Francis – 22 December 2013

Pope Francis is having his "Inaugural Mass"? What's happens in this Mass, and why is it important?This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 30 November to 21 December 2013.

Angelus

General Audiences

Messages

Speeches

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

Papal Tweets

Pope Francis takes on allegations and rumors about his papacy: 9 things to know and share

francis-windowPope Francis has given a new interview in which he makes several important clarifications.

These concern allegations that he is a Marxist, suggestions that he will soon appoint women cardinals, and proposals to give Holy Communion to those who have divorced and remarried without an annulment.

He also makes several other interesting comments, including plans for an upcoming trip to the Holy Land, breastfeeding in public, and what happened right after he was elected.

Here are 9 things to know and share . . .

 

1) Who did he give the interview to?

He gave it to the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

You can read the full interview here (and should; it’s worth it!).

This interview is different than the recent one which was yanked from the Vatican web site. That one was conducted by an atheist publisher (Eugenio Scalfari) who relied on his memory to give a partly fictitious account of what the pope said.

This one is with a well-known and respected Catholic expert on the Vatican, Andrea Tornielli.

Much greater care appears to have been taken with this interview, and at one point the Pope goes out of his way to deliberately correct what was written in the other one.
2) What does the Pope say regarding a proposed trip to the Holy Land?

In addition to expressing concern for the plight of Christians in Bethlehem, he indicates that he plans to go, stating:

Fifty years ago, Paul VI had the courage to go out and go there and this marked the beginning of the era of papal journeys.

I would also like to go there, to meet my brother Bartholomew, the Patriarch of Constantinople, and commemorate this 50th anniversary with him, renewing that embrace which took place between Pope Montini and Athenagoras in Jerusalem, in 1964.

We are preparing for this.”

We may thus expect a papal visit to the Holy Land very soon.

On a side note, observe that he refers to Paul VI as “Pope Montini.” This custom of referring to a pope by his family name is an established one in Italy and is not considered disrespectful.

 

3) What did the pope say about breastfeeding in public?

Pope Francis refers to breastfeeding in public as part of a set of larger remarks about the scourge of world hunger.

In the course of discussing this very weighty problem, he tells the following story:

At the Wednesday General Audience the other day there was a young mother behind one of the barriers with a baby that was just a few months old.

The child was crying its eyes out as I came past.

The mother was caressing it. I said to her: Madam, I think the child’s hungry.

“Yes, it’s probably time…” she replied.

“Please give it something to eat!” I said.

She was shy and didn’t want to breastfeed in public, while the Pope was passing.

Though the subject of breastfeeding in public is tiny compared to world hunger, this statement is noteworthy.

Pope Francis apparently has no problem with public breastfeeding, even at a papal event. As one might expect from Francis, his attitude is: If the child is hungry, feed it!

 

4) What did the pope say about allegations that he is a Marxist?

KEEP READING.

The Weekly Francis – 15 December 2013

Pope Francis is having his "Inaugural Mass"? What's happens in this Mass, and why is it important?This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 28 November to 14 December 2013.

Angelus

General Audiences

Messages

Speeches

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

Papal Tweets

Other

The Weekly Francis – 8 December 2013

PopeFrancis-fingerThis version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 24 November to 7 December 2013.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Speeches

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

Papal Tweets

  • “Your sins are great? Just tell the Lord: Forgive me, help me to get up again, change my heart!” @pontifex, 2 December 2013
  • “We are all called to be friends with Jesus. Don’t be afraid to love the Lord.” @pontifex, 2 December 2013
  • “Fifty years ago, Vatican II spoke of communications. Let us listen to, dialogue with, and bring to Christ all those we encounter in life.” @pontifex, 2 December 2013
  • “Holiness doesn’t mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith.” @pontifex, 2 December 2013
  • “The cross is the price of true love. Lord, give us the strength to accept and carry our crosses!” @pontifex, 2 December 2013
  • “Dear young people, put your talents at the service of the Gospel, with creativity and boundless charity.” @pontifex, 2 December 2013

The Weekly Francis – 1 December 2013

pope-francisThis version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 16 November to 30 November 2013.

Angelus

Apostolic Exhortations

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Speeches

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

Papal Tweets

Pope Francis’ new document, Evangelii Gaudium: 9 things to know and share

francis-windowPope Francis has just released a new document titled Evangelii Gaudium.

It is his first apostolic exhortation, and it is devoted to the theme of the new evangelization.

Here are 9 things to know and share . . .

 

1) What does “Evangelii Gaudium” mean?

It’s Latin for “The Joy of the Gospel.”

 

2) What is an apostolic exhortation?

It’s a papal document that, as the name suggests, exhorts people to implement a particular aspect of the Church’s life and teaching.

Its purpose is not to teach new doctrine, but to suggest how Church teachings and practices can be profitably applied today.

Some apostolic exhortations are devoted to the pastoral challenges faced in particular parts of the world (Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas). Others are devoted to particular themes.

Previous apostolic exhortations include:

  • Paul VI’s Evangelii Nuntiandi (on evangelization today)
  • John Paul II’s Christifideles Laici (on the role of the laity)
  • John Paul II’s Redemptoris Custos (on St. Joseph)
  • Benedict XVI’s Sacramentum Caritatis (on the Eucharist)
  • Benedict XVI’s Verbum Domini (on the Word of God)

 

3) How much authority does an apostolic exhortation have?

It is one of the more important papal documents—more important, for example, than a Wednesday audience or a homily.

As it is of a pastoral nature rather than a doctrinal or legal nature, though, it is ranked lower than an encyclical or an apostolic constitution.

As with everything official that the pope writes, it is to be taken very seriously.

 

4) What leads a pope to write an apostolic exhortation?

KEEP READING.

The Weekly Francis – 17 November 2013

pope-francisThis version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 31 October to 16 November 2013.

Angelus

General Audiences

Speeches

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

Papal Tweets