Category: +Religion

The Weekly Francis – 06 January 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 1 December 2020 to 6 January 2021.

Angelus

Homilies

Messages

Papal Tweets

  • “We thank God for for the good things that have taken place during the pandemic, for the many people who, without making noise, have tried to make the weight of this trial more bearable.” @Pontifex 31 December 2020
  • “The blessing and praise that the Lord loves the most is love of neighbour. We praise him for this, because we believe and we know that all the good that is accomplished day after day on earth, in the end, comes from him.” @Pontifex 31 December 2020
  • Image-Happy New Year @Pontifex 1 January 2021
  • “Holy Mother of God, to you we consecrate this New Year. You, who know how to cherish things in your heart, care for us, bless our time, and teach us to find time for God and for others. Homily” @Pontifex 1 January 2021
  • “#Peace can become a reality if we begin to be in peace with ourselves and with those who are near us, removing the obstacles that prevent us from taking care of those who find themselves in need and in indigence. #WorldPeaceDay Message” @Pontifex 1 January 2021
  • “#WorldPeaceDay YouTube” @Pontifex 1 January 2021
  • “Jesus is the eternal Word of God, who has always thought of us and wanted to communicate with us. #Angelus” @Pontifex 3 January 2021
  • “As he did in Bethlehem, so too with us, God loves to work wonders through our poverty. He placed the whole of our salvation in the manger of a stable. He is unafraid of our poverty, so let us allow his mercy to transform it completely!” @Pontifex 4 January 2021
  • “In the Child Jesus, God shows Himself to be lovable, full of goodness and gentleness. We can truly love a God like that with all our hearts.” @Pontifex 5 January 2021
  • “Pope’s Prayer Intentions YouTube” @Pontifex 5 January 2021
  • “To worship the Lord, we first have to “lift up our eyes”: not to let ourselves be imprisoned by those imaginary spectres that stifle hope, knowing that the Lord is aware of our troubles, attentive to our prayers and not indifferent to the tears we shed.” @Pontifex 6 January 2021
  • “The first step towards an attitude of worship is to “lift up our eyes”. When we lift up our eyes to God, life’s problems do not go away, but we feel certain that the Lord grants us the strength to deal with them. [Homily[(http://vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2021/documents/papa-francesco_20210106_omelia-epifania.html)” @Pontifex 6 January 2021
  • “Like the Magi, we too are called to allow ourselves to be attracted, illuminated and converted by Christ: He is the journey of faith, through prayer and the contemplation of God’s works, which continually fill us with every new joy and wonder.” @Pontifex 6 January 2021
  • “Today we celebrate World Missionary Child Day. I thank all the children and boys and girls who are involved. I encourage you to be joyful witnesses of Jesus, seeking to always bring fraternity among your peers.” @Pontifex 6 January 2021

Papal Instagram

The Weekly Francis – 30 December 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 16 October 2020 to 30 December 2020.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Letters

Messages

Motu Proprio

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “The events of this year teach us the importance of caring for each other and creation. Therefore I have chosen, as the theme for the Message for the 54th #WorldPeaceDay, ”The culture of care as a journey of peace“. http://vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/documents/papa-francesco_20201208_messaggio–54giornatamondiale-pace2021.html” @Pontifex 17 December 2020
  • ““Our soul waits for the Lord: he is our help and shield. Yes, our heart is glad in him” (Ps 33:20–21). The confident expectation of the Lord allows us to find comfort and courage in the dark moments of our lives. #Adven” @Pontifex 17 December 2020
  • “Loving our neighbour as ourselves means being committed to building a world in which everyone has access to the goods of the earth, in which all can develop as individuals and as families, and in which fundamental rights and dignity are guaranteed to all. #MigrantsDay” @Pontifex 18 December 2020
  • “I encourage you to dedicate time to prayer, meditating in the light of the Word of God, so that the Holy Spirit who inhabits it might illuminate the path to follow and transform our hearts, as we await the birth of Our Lord Jesus. #Advent” @Pontifex 18 December 2020
  • “The Christmas tree and the Nativity scene are signs of hope, especially in this difficult time. Let us be sure we do not stop at the sign, but get to the meaning, that is, to Jesus, to the love of God that He revealed to us, the infinite goodness that he made shine on the world.” @Pontifex 19 December 2020
  • “#Solidarity finds concrete expression in service, which can take a variety of forms in an effort to care for others. And service means caring for the vulnerable members of our families, our society, our people. #HumanSolidarityDay” @Pontifex 20 December 2020
  • “Instead of complaining in these difficult times about what the pandemic prevents us from doing, let us do something for someone who has less: not the umpteenth gift for ourselves and our friends, but for a person in need whom no-one thinks of! #Angelus” @Pontifex 20 December 2020
  • “Jesus does not wait until we are good to love us, but gives Himself freely to us.” @Pontifex 21 December 2020
  • “Those who fail to view a crisis in the light of the Gospel simply perform an autopsy on a cadaver. They see the crisis, but not the hope and the light brought by the Gospel. Speech” @Pontifex 21 December 2020
  • “May the joyous expectation of the coming of the Saviour who became man, like us, fill our hearts with hope and peace. #Advent” @Pontifex 22 December 2020
  • “Christmas is the feast of God’s love for us: the divine love that inspires, directs and corrects change, and defeats the human fear of leaving ”safety“ to cast us back onto the ”mystery“.” @Pontifex 24 December 2020
  • “Follow the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord – Midnight Mass – Saint Peter’s Basilica at 19:30 (CET) Event” @Pontifex 24 December 2020
  • “God came among us in poverty and need, to tell us that in serving the poor, we will show our love for him. From this night onward, as a poet wrote, “God’s residence is next to mine, his furniture is love” (Emily Dickinson, Poems, XVII). #Christmas” @Pontifex 24 December 2020
  • “God came into the world as a child to make us children of God. What a magnificent gift! This day, God amazes us and says to each of us: “You are amazing”. #Christmas” @Pontifex 24 December 2020
  • “#Christmas Image” @Pontifex 24 December 2020
  • “The birth of Jesus is the “newness” that enables us to be reborn each year and to find, in him, the strength needed to face every trial. #Christmas” @Pontifex 24 December 2020
  • ““To us a child is born” (Is 9:6). He came to save us! He tells us that pain and evil are not the final word. To become resigned to violence and injustice would be to reject the joy and hope of Christmas.” @Pontifex 25 December 2020
  • “Thanks to this Child, all of us can speak to God and call him “Father”. We can all call one another brothers and sisters. We come from every continent, from every language and culture, with our own identities and differences, yet we are all brothers and sisters.” @Pontifex 25 December 2020
  • “Every other person is my brother or my sister. In everyone, I see reflected the face of God, and in those who suffer, I see the Lord pleading for my help. I see him in the sick, the poor, the unemployed, the marginalized, the migrant and the refugee.” @Pontifex 25 December 2020
  • “By his birth in the flesh, the Son of God consecrated familial love. My thoughts at this moment turn to families: to those who cannot come together today and to those forced to remain at home.” @Pontifex 25 December 2020
  • “May Christmas be an opportunity for all of us to rediscover the family as a cradle of life and faith, a place of acceptance and love, dialogue, forgiveness, fraternal solidarity and shared joy, a source of peace for all humanity.” @Pontifex 25 December 2020
  • “In the past few days I have received Christmas greetings from Rome and other parts of the world. Since it is impossible to respond to everyone, I express my gratitude to everyone, especially for the gift of prayer, which I willingly reciprocate.” @Pontifex 26 December 2020
  • “Saint Stephan is the first martyr, the first of a host of brothers and sisters who continue to bring the light into the darkness – while he was on the receiving end of the stones of hatred, reciprocated with words of forgiveness. He thus changed history.” @Pontifex 26 December 2020
  • “We too can change evil into good each day. Loving actions change history: even the ones that are small, hidden, everyday. For God guides history through the humble courage of those who pray, love and forgive.” @Pontifex 26 December 2020
  • “I have decided to declare a special year dedicated to the Family #Amorislaetitia, which will be inaugurated on the next Solemnity of Saint Joseph. Let us entrust this journey with families all over the world to the Holy Family of Nazareth.” @Pontifex 27 December 2020
  • “While humanity’s ruin is that everyone goes their own way, in the nativity scene everyone converges upon Jesus, Prince of Peace in the night of the world. #Nativityscene” @Pontifex 28 December 2020
  • “The Son of God was born an outcast, in order to tell us that every outcast is a child of God. He came into the world as each child comes into the world, weak and vulnerable, so that we can learn to accept our weaknesses with tender love.” @Pontifex 29 December 2020
  • “Yesterday, an earthquake in Croatia caused victims and caused serious damage. I express my closeness to the wounded and to those who have been affected by the quake and I pray in particular for those who have lost their lives and for their families.” @Pontifex 30 December 2020
  • “The #prayer of thanksgiving begins by recognizing that we were thought of before we learned how to think; we were loved before we learned how to love. If we view life like this, then “thank you” becomes the driving force of our day. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 30 December 2020
  • “The Son of God comes down from heaven and comes to earth to bring us to heaven! This is what we need to meditate on, contemplate, what we need to reflect on during #Christmas.” @Pontifex 30 December 2020

Papal Instagram

The Weekly Francis – 16 December 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 9 December 2020 to 16 December 2020.

Angelus

General Audiences

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “God listens to the cry of those who invoke Him. Even our reluctant questions, those that remain in the depths of our heart. The Father wishes to give us the Holy Spirit, which inspires every #prayer and transforms everything. It is a question of patience, of supporting the wait.” @Pontifex 9 December 2020
  • “Everyone is called to contribute with courage and determination to the respect for the fundamental rights of every person, especially the ”invisible“: of the many who are hungry and thirsty, who are naked, sick, outcast or imprisoned.” @Pontifex 10 December 2020
  • “Accompanied by the Mother of Jesus on the journey towards Christmas, in these times that are difficult for many, let us make an effort to rediscover the great hope and joy brought to us by the coming of the Son of God into the world. #Advent” @Pontifex 11 December 2020
  • “Looking at the image of Our Lady of #Guadalupe, we see these three realities reflected: abundance, blessing and gift. God always gives Himself in abundance in His blessings.” @Pontifex 12 December 2020
  • “The current pandemic and climate change affect above all the lives of the poor. We must promote a culture that places at its center human dignity and the common good. For this reason the Holy See joins in the objective of net zero emission. Video Message” @Pontifex 12 December 2020
  • “The Virgin Mary silently awaited God’s Word of salvation; she welcomed it; she listened to it; she conceived it. In her, God became close. This is why the Church calls Mary a “Cause of our joy”. #Angelus” @Pontifex 13 December 2020
  • “I bless the statuettes of Jesus, which will be placed in the Nativity scene. When you pray at home, before the Nativity scene with your families, allow yourselves to be drawn by the tenderness of Baby Jesus, born poor and frail among us, in order to give us his love.” @Pontifex 13 December 2020
  • “To pray is to light a candle in the darkness. #Prayer rouses us from the tepidness of a purely horizontal existence, lifts our gaze to higher things, makes us attuned to the Lord, allows God to be close to us; it frees us from our solitude and gives us hope.” @Pontifex 15 December 2020
  • “#Prayer during the time of #Advent helps us to remember we are not more righteous or better than others, but that we are all sinners who need to be touched by God’s mercy. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 16 December 2020
  • “I ask God to inspire, in the hearts of all, respect for the life of our brothers, especially the most fragile and helpless, and to give strength to those who receive them and care for them, even when this demands heroic love.” @Pontifex 16 December 2020

Papal Instagram

Music and Grieving

After my wife, Renee, passed on from cancer in 1992—at the startlingly young age of 27—I did a lot of grieving.

One of the things that helped me through that process was listening to the music of two Christian recording artists.

I’ve mentioned them a few times on Catholic Answers Live when people call in who are dealing with personal losses, and I thought I’d blog about them in hopes that the information could be helpful to others.

I’m not impressed by a lot of artists, but I am by these two. They’re both very talented musicians and songwriters—and not just about grieving. Their music deals with a lot of situations from life and is well worth listening to whether you’re grieving or not!

Their names are Mark Heard and Billy Sprague.

Both artists are Evangelicals (or, I should say, Mark Heard was Evangelical; he passed just a couple of weeks before Renee did).

They both lost people, and this informs their work. They have a sense of the reality of suffering, but framed with a Christian worldview that emphasizes hope and redemption.

This combination—suffering, hope, and redemption—made their music very helpful to me.

It can still make me tear up—in a good way. (In fact, I did writing this post.)

Here are a few notes on the artists, as well as some of the albums that I listened to—and particular songs that I found helpful.

These were a comfort to me, and I hope they will provide comfort to others.

Whether you’re grieving or not, I recommend both these artists!

 

Mark Heard

Heard’s music ranges across a variety of musical styles (rock, country, zydeco) and is very thoughtful.

It is filled with powerful images, complex emotions, and subtle biblical references.

I’ve blogged about it—in connection with Renee’s death—before. You can read about that here.

Here’s a recording of Mark’s song Treasure of the Broken Land.

 

Billy Sprague

Sprague’s music also ranges across a variety of musical styles, but it is primarily rock and orchestral rock-oriented. It is clear that one of his major influences has been the Beatles.

His music tends to be more overtly Christian (e.g., Sprague will just come out and say “Heaven Is a Long Hello”—whereas Heard will allude to being reunited with our loved ones by mentioning “miraculous circumstance where the blind ones see and the dry bones dance”).

Here’s a recording of Billy’s song Press On.

 

Comparison

Sprague tends to be more explicit, whereas Heard relies more on allusions. Both the more direct and the less direct approaches are helpful in reaching and processing emotions.

Both artists have music that is very beautiful and can be emotionally powerful for a grieving person (or anybody).

Both also have music that contains of sorrow and hope. Heard’s helped me process feelings of sorrow a little bit more, while Sprague’s helped me feel hope a little bit more.

This made them both good for the different stages of grieving.

 

Mark Heard Discography for Grieving

Album: Dry Bones Dance (1990)

Key Songs:

  • Rise from the Ruins
  • Dry Bones Dance
  • House of Broken Dreams
  • Strong Hand of Love

 

 

Album: Satellite Sky (1992)

Key Songs:

  • Satellite Sky
  • Orphans of God
  • Language of Love
  • Treasure of the Broken Land

 

 

Billy Sprague Discography for Grieving

Album: Torn Between Two Worlds (1992)

Key Songs:

  • Heaven Is a Long Hello
  • Waiting for the Day
  • For the One Who Sleeps
  • You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down

 

 

Album: The Wind and the Wave (1993)

Key Songs:

  • Press On
  • A Way Back
  • The Blessing (of the Fleet)
  • The Sacred Journey

The Weekly Francis – 09 December 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 17 November 2020 to 9 December 2020.

Angelus

Apostolic Letter

General Audiences

Letters

Messages

Motu Proprio

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “The first step of faith is to tell God that we need him, that we need him to be close to us. Thus, if we ask Jesus to come close to us, we will train ourselves to be watchful.” @Pontifex 3 December 2020
  • “Inclusion should be the “rock” on which to build programmes and initiatives of civil institutions meant to ensure that no one, especially those in greatest difficulty, is left behind. #IDPD” @Pontifex 3 December 2020
  • “To help our society to “build back better”, inclusion of the vulnerable must also entail efforts to promote their active participation. #IDPD Message” @Pontifex 3 December 2020
  • “Come, Lord Jesus, make our distracted hearts watchful. Awaken within us the desire to pray and the need to love.” @Pontifex 4 December 2020
  • “Just as before our birth, our loved ones awaited us, so now Love in person awaits us. If we are awaited in Heaven, why should we be caught up with earthly concerns? Why should we waste time complaining about the night, when the light of day awaits us?” @Pontifex 5 December 2020
  • “Conversion is a grace that we need to forcefully ask God for. We are converted to the degree in which we open ourselves up to the beauty, the goodness, the tenderness of God. Thus let us leave what is false and fleeting for what is true, beautiful and everlasting. #GospelOfTheDay” @Pontifex 6 December 2020
  • “I want to be close to all doctors and nurses during this time in which the pandemic calls us to be near all men and women who suffer. Thank you for drawing near to them, thanks for your tenderness, thanks for your professionalism in taking care of the sick.” @Pontifex 7 December 2020
  • “The uncontaminated beauty of our Mother is incomparable, but at the same time it attracts us. Let us entrust ourselves to her and say “no” to sin and “yes” to Grace once and for all. #Angelus” @Pontifex 8 December 2020
  • “150 years after the proclamation of St Joseph as Patron of the Catholic Church, I would like to share some personal reflections on this extraordinary figure, so close to our own human experience.
    Apostolic Letter” @Pontifex 8 December 2020

Papal Instagram

Why Do You Need a Priest for Confession?

Someone writes:

Why do we know that John 20:23–forgiving sins–pertains only to the apostles and their successors, but other things like the commandment to proclaim the gospel to al the world applies to lay people as well?

 

BACKGROUND ON JOHN’S GOSPEL

John’s Gospel avoids the term “apostle(s).” This term never appears in John. Instead, he refers on a few occasions to “the Twelve.” However, his preferred term for Jesus’ close circle of followers is “the disciple(s).” This appears over and over again, and it is clearly his favorite designation for people who have close ties with Jesus.

It also is the author’s preferred designation for himself: He is “the disciple” Jesus loved, not “the apostle” Jesus loved.

There is a significant case to be made that the author of the Gospel is not John son of Zebedee (i.e., not John the Apostle) but a different eyewitness of Jesus’ ministry known as John the Presbyter/Elder, who is discussed by some early Church Fathers and who apparently was a member of the Jerusalem aristocracy.

(Note that the beloved disciple is personally known to the high priest *and* his household staff–John 19:15-16–so he’s been to the house multiple times, enabling him to be recognized at night by the staff, and it took his intercession to get Peter admitted to the high priest’s courtyard; it is quite unlikely that an uneducated Galilean fisherman [Acts 4:13] would have this kind of relationship with the high priest; I may write more about the John the Presbyter theory; it’s been a special study of mine for awhile).

If this theory is true, it would explain John’s clear preference for the term “disciple” over “apostle.” The author is not an apostle or a member of the Twelve, but he is a disciple–a close follower of Jesus and an eyewitness to his ministry.

He thus frames his Gospel in a way that focuses on his qualifications as an author–he’s an eyewitness and a very close disciple of Jesus–rather than on factors that would cut against his qualifications (he’s not an apostle or a member of the Twelve).

 

INTERPRETING JOHN 20:23

As you’d expect, given the above, it is “the disciples” who are present when Jesus institutes the sacrament of confession (John 20:20).

Because of the ambiguity of the term, it could be understood as applying only to the Twelve or to the Twelve plus other core disciples, mirroring the fact that the minister of the sacrament is not only a bishop but also priests. (On this view, John the Elder may have regarded himself as a presbuteros/presbyter/priest, especially in view of his later activity in the Church–and also the fact he was present when Christ instituted the Eucharist and commissioned the first priests. In fact, he was the host of the dinner, as illustrated by his position at Jesus’ side.)

John 20:23 thus may provide even more direct support for the exercise of the sacrament by priests (rather than just bishops) than might first appear.

Whatever one makes of the exegesis of John 20:23 on its own terms, the early Church clearly associated the exercise of this sacrament with the episcopacy and priesthood. Ordinary believers could not absolve sins. They might be present at the absolution, if it was done in a public church service, but they themselves could not perform it.

The presumed logic behind this would be that a decision involving spiritual discernment had to be made. Jesus did not only give the ability to forgive sins but also the ability to retain sins. Therefore, discernment is called for: Are the person’s sins to be forgiven or retained? Is he genuinely repentant of them? (And, in an early Church context, has he done his assigned penance? And how much penance should he be assigned?)

These decisions fall naturally to the clergy, who have the spiritual expertise, endowment, and authority to make such determinations in a way the laity don’t.

It is clear that Jesus wanted certain functions in his Church reserved to its appointed ministers–otherwise, Jesus would not have instituted a hierarchy in his Church, which he did by appointing the Twelve–and in light of that decision, the faithful in the early Church had to ask themselves which functions were appropriately reserved to its ministers.

The Holy Spirit led them to recognize that the functions associated with the sacrament of confession were among these, and so it is partly by Tradition that we know this to be the case.

This Tradition was then declared infallibly when the Council of Trent defined that the minister of confession is a priest (Canons on Penance, can. 10).

 

THE EVANGELIZATION MANDATE

Properly speaking, the mandate of evangelization also falls on the clergy in a way that it does not fall on the laity.

Thus, Christ gives the Great Commission to “the Twelve” (Matt. 18:16; well, “the Eleven,” since Judas has killed himself).

However, it was made clear from the text of the New Testament that sharing the faith was something all Christians could and should–to the extent their skills and circumstances allowed–participate in. Thus, both Paul’s and Peter’s letters encourage ordinary Christians to act in ways that will win people to Christ and to be prepared to discuss their faith with outsiders.

We thus have explicit biblical mandate for evangelistic activity on the part of the laity as well as the clergy.

The Tradition has also emphasized this.

 

CONCLUSION
 
Scripture provides explicit support for both laity and clergy evangelizing, but it does not do the same thing for administering the sacrament of confession.

The Holy Spirit led the Church in a way that clarified the minister of that sacrament, and the clarification is manifest in Tradition.

This Tradition was then infallibly taught at Trent.

The presumed basis is the fittingness of having the clergy make the kind of decisions involving discernment that this sacrament requires, given the stakes involved (forgiveness vs. non-forgiveness).

If you’d like a modern, everyday parallel: Everybody at a car dealership can encourage you to buy a car (i.e., evangelize for the business), but only certain people are trusted to do the sensitive paperwork in making the actual transaction (i.e., the finance guys).

It makes sense in an organization for everyone to encourage its overall goals but to reserve its more sensitive functions to specially qualified individuals.

The Weekly Francis – 02 December 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 1 October 2017 to 2 December 2020.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “The earth and its poor urgently demand a sound economy and a sustainable development. Therefore, we are called to rethink our mental and moral priorities so that they are in conformity with God’s commandments and the common good.” @Pontifex 19 November 2020
  • “Every child needs to be welcomed and defended, helped and protected, from the moment of their conception. #WorldChildrensDay” @Pontifex 20 November 2020
  • “A pleasure to speak by phone yesterday with my brother @alimamaltayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. We reaffirm our support to human fraternity as the solution to erase violence, discrimination and hatred in the name of religion. Religions have nothing to do with these. #FratelliTutti” @Pontifex 20 November 2020
  • “Today we remember Mary’s Presentation in the Temple and celebrate #ProOrantibus Day. Thank you, contemplative sisters and brothers, because you are support for the weak, beacons that signal the port, torches that illuminate the dark night, sentinels who announce the new day.” @Pontifex 21 November 2020
  • “Dear young people, the effects of our actions and decisions affect you personally. Therefore, you can’t remain outside the places that are shaping the present and future. You’re either part of them or history will pass you by. #FrancescoEconomy Message” @Pontifex 21 November 2020
  • “Today, #ChristTheKing Sunday, the Cross and the icon of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, symbols of World Youth Days, begins a new pilgrimage which will lead to Lisbon in 2023. #takeupthecross” @Pontifex 22 November 2020
  • “Before pouring out His love for us on the cross, Jesus shares His final wishes. He tells us that the good we do to one of our least brothers and sisters – hungry, thirsty, strangers, in need, sick, imprisoned – we do to Him (Mt 25:37–40). #GospelOfTheDay” @Pontifex 22 November 2020
  • “Dear young people, let us not give up on great dreams. The Lord does not want us to narrow our horizons or to remain parked on the roadside of life. He wants us to race boldly and joyfully towards lofty goals. #takeupthecross Homily” @Pontifex 22 November 2020
  • “We were not created to dream about vacations or the weekend, but to make God’s dreams come true in this world. God made us capable of dreaming, so that we could embrace the beauty of life. The works of mercy are the most beautiful works in life.” @Pontifex 23 November 2020
  • “Let us care for the needs of every man and woman, young and old, with the same fraternal spirit of care and closeness that marked the Good Samaritan. #FratelliTutti” @Pontifex 24 November 2020
  • “Too often, women are insulted, beaten, raped, forced to prostitute themselves…. If we want a better world, that will be a peaceful home and not a battlefield, we all need to do a lot more for the dignity of each woman.” @Pontifex 25 November 2020
  • “When we pray, God opens our eyes renews and changes our hearts, heals our wounds and grants us the grace we need. #GeneralAudience #Prayer” @Pontifex 25 November 2020
  • “Lord, Father of our human family, you created all human beings equal in dignity: pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit. Move us to create healthier societies and a more dignified world, a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war. #FratelliTutti” @Pontifex 26 November 2020
  • “God is more patient than we are, and those who knock with faith and perseverance on the door of his heart will not be disappointed. #Prayer” @Pontifex 27 November 2020
  • “I invite everyone to pray for #Ethiopia where armed clashes have intensified and are causing a serious humanitarian situation. I appeal to the parties in conflict so that the violence might ceases, life may be safeguarded and the populations can regain #peace.” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “We do not live aimlessly and without destination. We are awaited. We are precious. God has prepared for us the most worthy and beautiful place: Paradise.” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “Follow the Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals – Saint Peter’s Basilica at 16 (CET) Event” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “The proclamation of the passion, death and resurrection (Mk 10:32–45) is a saving Word necessary for the Church in every age. We too, Pope and Cardinals, must always see ourselves reflected in this Word, it is painful, but it also heals, liberates and converts us. #Consistory” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “All of us love Jesus, all of us want to follow him, yet we must always be careful to remain on the road. For with our feet, with our bodies, we can be with Him, but our hearts can wander far afield and so lead us off the road. #Consistory” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “Conversion is precisely this: instead of being on the wrong road, we go on God’s road. Homily” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “#Advent is a continuous call to hope: it reminds us that God is present in history to lead it to its ultimate goal and to its fullness, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.
    ” @Pontifex 29 November 2020
  • “Praying and loving, that is what it means to be watchful. When the Church worships God and serves our neighbour, it does not live in the night.However weak and weary, she journeys towards the Lord. Let us now call out to him. Come, Lord Jesus, we need you! Homily” @Pontifex 29 November 2020
  • “#Advent is the Season in which we remember God’s nearness, that He came down toward us.” @Pontifex 30 November 2020
  • “Let us keep in mind that not even a murderer loses his personal dignity — God Himself guarantees it (see EV 9). The firm rejection of the death penalty shows to what extent it is possible to recognize the inalienable dignity of every human being. #FratelliTutti #NoDeathPenalty” @Pontifex 30 November 2020
  • “Let us frequently repeat the traditional #Advent prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20): before meetings, studying, work, and before making decisions, in the important moments or times of trial: Come, Lord Jesus!” @Pontifex 1 December 2020
  • “Video” @Pontifex 1 December 2020
  • “Today, as in the past, slavery is rooted in a notion of the human person that allows people to be treated like an object, it tramples their dignity. Slavery makes us ”un-dignified“ because it takes way everyone’s dignity.” @Pontifex 2 December 2020
  • “God’s grace changes lives: He takes us as we are, but He never leaves us as we are. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 2 December 2020
  • “I want to assure my prayers for #Nigeria. Last Saturday more than one hundred farmers were brutally killed. May God welcome them in His peace and comfort their families, and convert the hearts of those who commit similar atrocities which gravely offend His name.” @Pontifex 2 December 2020

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The Weekly Francis – 18 November 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 9 November 2020 to 18 November 2020.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Letters

Papal Tweets

  • “Generosity that supports the weak, consoles the afflicted, relieves suffering and restores dignity to those stripped of it, is a condition for a fully human life. #WorldDayOfThePoor” @Pontifex 12 November 2020
  • “The ability to stretch forth our hand shows that we possess an innate capacity to act in ways that give meaning to life. #WorldDayOfThePoor” @Pontifex 13 November 2020
  • “The Lord’s blessing descends upon us and prayer attains its goal when accompanied by service to the poor. #WorldDayOfThePoor [Message[(http://vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/poveri/documents/papa-francesco_20200613_messaggio-iv-giornatamondiale-poveri–2020.html)” @Pontifex 14 November 2020
  • “Hold out your hand to the poor, instead of demanding what you lack. In this way, you will multiply the talents you have received. (Mt 25:14–30) #WorldDayOfThePoor #GospelOfTheDay Homily” @Pontifex 15 November 2020
  • “I am near in prayer to the dear people of the #Philippines who are suffering because of the destruction, and especially because of the flooding caused by a strong #typhoon. I express my solidarity to the poorest families and those who are doing all they can to help them.” @Pontifex 15 November 2020
  • “Every form of fundamentalist intolerance damages relationships between individuals, groups and peoples. Let us be committed to living and teaching the value of respect, a love capable of welcoming differences, and the priority of the dignity of every human being. #TolleranceDay” @Pontifex 16 November 2020
  • “Even a smile that we can share with the poor is a source of love. An outstretched hand can always be enriched by the smile of those who quietly and unassumingly offer to help, inspired only by the joy of living as one of Christ’s disciples.” @Pontifex 17 November 2020
  • ““Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Lk 2:19). Everything that happens to her ends up in her heart so that it might pass through the sieve of #prayer and be transfigured by it. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 18 November 2020

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