“To be children of God, and brothers and sisters to one another: this is the heart of the Christian experience.” @pontifex, 13 August 2013
“Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, and guide us on the way that leads to Heaven.” @pontifex, 15 August 2013
“We cannot sleep peacefully while babies are dying of hunger and the elderly are without medical assistance.” @pontifex, 17 August 2013
Note: Due to problems with using copyrighted material from the Vatican the eBook version of The Weekly Francis has been suspended. For users of the previous ebook volume I have some suggestions for alternatives on how to best read these documents especially on mobile platforms.
This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 19 May to 11 August 2013.
The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s The Weekly Francis. Jimmy Akin came up with this idea when he started “The Weekly Benedict” and I have taken over curation of it.
“The light of faith illumines all our relationships and helps us to live them in union with the love of Christ, to live them like Christ.” @pontifex, 5 August 2013
“With his coming among us, Jesus came close to us and encountered us; also today, through the Sacraments, he encounters us.” @pontifex, 7 August 2013
“We are all jars of clay, fragile and poor, yet we carry within us an immense treasure.” @pontifex, 9 August 2013
“One cannot separate Christ and the Church. The grace of Baptism gives us the joy of following Christ in and with the Church.” @pontifex, 11 August 2013
Note: Due to problems with using copyrighted material from the Vatican the eBook version of The Weekly Francis has been suspended. For users of the previous ebook volume I have some suggestions for alternatives on how to best read these documents especially on mobile platforms.
“I am back home, and I assure you that my joy is much greater than my exhaustion!” @pontifex, 29 July 2013
“What an unforgettable week in Rio! Thank you, everyone. Pray for me. #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 29 July 2013
“Now, young friends, we must continue to live day by day all that we have professed together at WYD.” @pontifex, 30 July 2013
“Dear young friends, it is worth wagering one’s life on Christ and on the Gospel, risking everything for great ideals! #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 31 July 2013
“The security of faith does not make us motionless or close us off, but sends us forth to bear witness and to dialogue with all people.” @pontifex, 2 August 2013
Note: Due to problems with using copyrighted material from the Vatican the eBook version of The Weekly Francis has been suspended. For users of the previous ebook volume I have some suggestions for alternatives on how to best read these documents especially on mobile platforms.
“I am arriving in Brazil in a few hours and my heart is already full of joy because soon I will be with you to celebrate the 28th WYD.” @pontifex, 22 July 2013
“Today we begin a wonderful week in Rio; may it be a time to deepen our friendship in Jesus Christ.” @pontifex, 22 July 2013
“Thank you to all of you and to all the authorities for a magnificent welcome in Rio. #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 23 July 2013
“The Church is young, as everyone can see at WYD. May the Lord always keep us all young at heart. #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 23 July 2013
“Dear young friends, Christ has confidence in you and he entrusts his own mission to you: Go and make disciples! #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 23 July 2013
“Never forget, young friends: The Virgin Mary is our Mother and with her help we can remain faithful to Christ. #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 24 July 2013
“Let us thank Blessed John Paul II for WYD and for the many vocations born during these 28 gatherings. #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 24 July 2013
“May sports always be a means of exchange and growth, never of violence and hate. #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 25 July 2013
“The Christian life is not limited to prayer, but requires an ongoing dedication and courage born of prayer. #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 25 July 2013
“The measure of the greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing apart from their poverty.” @pontifex, 25 July 2013
“What an unforgettable welcome in Copacabana! May God bless you all! #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 26 July 2013
“Every Friday is an opportunity to remember how much Jesus has suffered for us. Lord, never let us forget how much you love us.” @pontifex, 26 July 2013
“There is no cross, big or small, in our life which the Lord does not share with us. #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 26 July 2013
“Bishops are the pastors of the People of God. Follow them with trust and courage. #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 27 July 2013
“Dear young friends, learn to pray every day: this is the way to know Jesus and invite him into your lives. #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 27 July 2013
“We cannot keep ourselves shut up in parishes, in our communities, when so many people are waiting for the Gospel! #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 28 July 2013
“Dear young people, be true ”athletes of Christ“! Play on his team! #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 28 July 2013
“We need to model our lives on the life of Jesus, so as to share his sentiments and his thoughts. #Rio2013 #JMJ” @pontifex, 28 July 2013
Note: Due to problems with using copyrighted material from the Vatican the eBook version of The Weekly Francis has been suspended. For users of the previous ebook volume I have some suggestions for alternatives on how to best read these documents especially on mobile platforms.
“Prayer, humility, and charity toward all are essential in the Christian life: they are the way to holiness.” @pontifex, 16 June 2013
“God is so merciful toward us. We too should learn to be merciful, especially with those who suffer” @pontifex, 17 June 2013
“In this Year of Faith, let us remember that faith is not something we possess, but something we share. Every Christian is an apostle.” @pontifex, 18 June 2013
“Many of you have already arrived in Rio and many more are just arriving. We will see one another there in only three days.” @pontifex, 19 June 2013
“Dear young friends, I know that many of you are still travelling to Rio. May the Lord accompany you on your way.” @pontifex, 20 June 2013
“How many wish to be in Rio for WYD but can’t! May they feel at one with us in prayer.” @pontifex, 21 June 2013
Note: Due to problems with using copyrighted material from the Vatican the eBook version of The Weekly Francis has been suspended. For users of the previous ebook volume I have some suggestions for alternatives on how to best read these documents especially on mobile platforms.
“We pray for a heart which will embrace immigrants. God will judge us upon how we have treated the most needy.” @pontifex, 27 June 2013
“Christians are always full of hope; they should never get discouraged.” @pontifex, 27 June 2013
“If we wish to follow Christ closely, we cannot choose an easy, quiet life. It will be a demanding life, but full of joy.” @pontifex, 27 June 2013
“Lord, grant us the grace to weep over our indifference, over the cruelty that is in the world and in ourselves.” @pontifex, 27 June 2013
“In this Year of Faith let us aim to do something concrete every day to know Jesus Christ better.” @pontifex, 27 June 2013
“For a Christian, life is not the product of mere chance, but the fruit of a call and personal love.” @pontifex, 27 June 2013
Note: Due to problems with using copyrighted material from the Vatican the eBook version of The Weekly Francis has been suspended. For users of the previous ebook volume I have some suggestions for alternatives on how to best read these documents especially on mobile platforms.
“We cannot live as Christians separate from the rock who is Christ. He gives us strength and stability, but also joy and serenity.” @pontifex, 2 July 2013
“Christ’s love and friendship are no illusion. On the Cross Jesus showed how real they are.” @pontifex, 4 July 2013
“Jesus is more than a friend. He is a teacher of truth and life who shows us the way that leads to happiness.” @pontifex, 5 July 2013
“The Lord speaks to us through the Scriptures and in our prayer. Let us learn to keep silence before him, as we meditate upon the Gospel.” @pontifex, 6 July 2013
Pope Francis has just released his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei. Here are 14 things you need to know about it.
Pope Francis has just released his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei, or “the light of faith.”
The first encyclical of a pope is always closely watched, because it frequently signals the way in which he intends to govern the Church.
This new encyclical is even more intriguing because much of it was actually written by former Pope Benedict.
Here are 14 things you need to know . . .
1. What is an encyclical?
An encyclical is a kind of letter. Papal encyclicals usually deal with matters of Church teaching (doctrine). Popes write them when they feel they have something important to say about particular teachings.
Although they are not infallible, encyclicals are authoritative.
The word “encyclical” comes from the Greek word for “circle,” indicating that it is to be circulated among different people.
The encyclical Lumen Fidei is addressed to “the bishops, priests, and deacons, consecrated persons, and the lay faithful.” This indicates a broad audience.
The encyclical was originally begun by Pope Benedict in order to commemorate the Year of Faith and to complete a trilogy of encyclicals he had been writing on the three theological virtues—faith, hope, and charity.
The preceding two were Deus Caritas Est, on the theological virtue of charity, and Spe Salvi, on the virtue of hope.
Pope Benedict’s health did not allow him to remain in office, however, and so the draft of the encyclical was inherited by Pope Francis, who chose to complete it.
3. Has this ever happened before?
Yes. In fact, Pope Benedict’s first encyclical was based, in part, on an encyclical that John Paul II had begun preparing but had not finished.
4. Does Lumen Fidei acknowledge Pope Benedict’s role in its composition?
Yes. In it, Pope Francis writes:
These considerations on faith — in continuity with all that the Church’s magisterium has pronounced on this theological virtue — are meant to supplement what Benedict XVI had written in his encyclical letters on charity and hope. He himself had almost completed a first draft of an encyclical on faith. For this I am deeply grateful to him, and as his brother in Christ I have taken up his fine work and added a few contributions of my own. [LF 7].
“Are you angry with someone? Pray for that person. That is what Christian love is.” @pontifex, 17 June 2013
“Christians are ready to proclaim the Gospel because they can’t hide the joy that comes from knowing Christ.” @pontifex, 19 June 2013
“Let us never forget that it is the Lord who guides the Church. He is the one who makes our apostolates fruitful.” @pontifex, 21 June 2013
“If we have found in Jesus meaning for our own lives, we cannot be indifferent to those who are suffering and sad.” @pontifex, 22 June 2013
“We are all sinners. But may the Lord not let us be hypocrites. Hypocrites don’t know the meaning of forgiveness, joy and the love of God.” @pontifex, 23 June 2013
Notes
(1) This version of The Weekly Francis includes the daily homilies of the Holy Father. These homilies are not published in full and summaries are provided by Vatican Radio.
In a statement from Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi:
After careful reflection, therefore, it was decided that the best way to make the richness of the Pope’s homilies accessible to a wider public, without altering their nature, is to publish an ample synthesis, rich also in original quoted phrases that reflect the genuine flavor of the Pope’s expressions. It is what L’Osservatore Romano is committed to doing every day, whereas Vatican Radio, on the basis of its characteristic nature, offers a briefer synthesis, but accompanied also with some passages of the original recorded audio, as well as CTV which offers a video-clip corresponding to one of the inserted audios published by Vatican Radio.
(2) The full English translation of the General Audience on 5 June 2013 has still not been released.
