NEWS ABOUT THE CHURCH & THE VATICAN

Self-absorption is root of evils within church, future pope said

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Evils within the church are caused by a self-centeredness and "theological narcissism" that forget to share Christ with people outside of the church, Pope Francis said in the days before his election.

"When the church is self-referential, inadvertently, she believes she has her own light," he said in a summary of a speech he gave to the College of Cardinals before the start of the conclave that ended in his election.

When the church ceases to be "the mysterium lunae," that is, to depend on Christ for receiving and reflecting his -- not its own -- light, the church then "gives way to that very serious evil, spiritual worldliness, which according to (Jesuit Cardinal Henri-Marie) De Lubac, is the worst evil that can befall the church," said then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

The church then "lives to give glory only to one another" and not the rest of the world, he said.

The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, and Vatican Radio published March 27 the future pope's comments, which were in the handwritten outline of the speech he gave during the pre-conclave meetings, called general congregations. The meetings, which ran March 4-11, gave the cardinals a chance to discuss the main challenges facing the church.

Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana "had been so impressed" by then-Cardinal Bergoglio's speech that he asked for a copy of it, according to Vatican Radio. The radio said Cardinal Ortega received the pope's permission to share the contents of the speech's outline.

The outline said evangelization presupposes that the church does not want to be locked up inside herself, but wants to go "to the peripheries, not only geographically, but also the existential peripheries: the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance and indifference to religion, of intellectual currents, and of all misery."

"When the church does not come out of herself to evangelize, she becomes self-referential and then gets sick," he wrote, adding a note of reference to St. Luke's Gospel account of Jesus curing the crippled woman on the Sabbath.

In the passage, Jesus is criticized for healing on the Sabbath, the day dedicated to rest. Jesus calls his critics hypocrites, asking why they can interpret the law to allow them to untie and release their animals on the Sabbath and not let a woman be unleashed from the binds of the devil who caused her illness.

The future pope wrote, "The evils that, over time, happen in ecclesial institutions have their root in self-referentiality and a kind of theological narcissism."

"In Revelation, Jesus says that he is at the door and knocks. Obviously, the text refers to his knocking from the outside in order to enter, but I think about the times in which Jesus knocks from within so that we will let him come out," he wrote.

"The self-referential church keeps Jesus Christ within herself and does not let him out," he added.

The pope wrote, "Put simply, there are two images of the church: a church which evangelizes and comes out of herself" by hearing the word of God with reverence and proclaiming it with faith; and "the worldly church, living within herself, of herself, for herself."

"This should shed light on the possible changes and reforms which must be done for the salvation of souls," he wrote.

Then-Cardinal Bergoglio told the College of Cardinals that the next pope "must be a man who, from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ, helps the church to go out to the existential peripheries, that helps her to be the fruitful mother, who gains life from 'the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing.'"

The College of Cardinals elected Pope Francis, reportedly beyond the two-thirds required, on March 13, on the fifth round of conclave voting.

I have forgotten the today's GA but when I read what all happened (or not happened) I am not sure if I ever will watch a GA again.
I am not very happy with all those new customs. Since I read different reports about the time Francis spent in Germany and how well he has written letters in German to the couple he had rented a room from at that time I was hoping for a German speech at the GA as usual.
But he does everything different, sometimes he seems to me like a steam roller, no sensitivity for traditions, no realization that he is the pope of a world church where the faithful are speaking different languages. He may call it efficient that he lets his staff translate his speeches or give communion to the people, but I would call it polite to talk at least to a few groups in their own language.
The only positive thing for me is that Francis spoke again with deep respect about Papa.
I also have a feeling that poor Guido Marini needs to get used to a new job soon.
I have to admit that I don't know anymore in which way JPII did his GAs even though I have been there once in 1989. Do some of you remember?

You may call me silly or coo-coo but my main problem is that I miss Papa terribly.
Never again we had and never again we will have a pope like he was.
That is why I can't think straight anymore.

CHRISM MASS: POPE FRANCIS WARNS PRIESTS THAT INSATISFACTION COMES FROM NOT GOING OUT OF ONESELF

Vatican City, 28 March 2013 (VIS) – This morning, Pope Francis warned Catholic priests around the world that “the reason why some priests grow dissatisfied, lose heart and become in some sense collectors of antiques or novelties” comes from seldom going out of oneself, which leads to “missing out on the best of our people”. Instead, he strongly urged priests to be “shepherds who have the smell of their sheep'.”

The solemn Holy Thursday Chrism Mass celebrated in the Vatican Basilica opens the Paschal Triduum of Holy Week. During the course of the Mass, celebrated in all the churches and cathedrals throughout the world, priests renew the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience that they made at their ordination. Also, the oil used to anoint catechumens and the oil used to anoint the sick as well as the chrism oil—olive oil scented with balsam—used to anoint those being baptised, confirmed, or receiving Holy Orders is blessed.

The Chrism Mass presided over by the Holy Father was concelebrated by the over 2,000 cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and priests present and was attended by over 10,000 faithful. Francis pointed out to them that the “clear proof” to recognizing a good priest is “by the way his people are anointed”. He added that “it is not in soul-searching or constant introspection that we encounter the Lord: self-help courses can be useful in life, but to live our priestly life by going from one course to another, from one method to another, leads us to become pelagians and to minimize the power of grace, which comes alive and flourishes to the extent that we, in faith, go out and give ourselves and the Gospel to others”.

He developed this theme throughout his homily, which he began by recalling that this Mass was a reminder to all priests—including himself—of the day of their ordination. In this context the Pope explained what it means to be anointed ones, to “be for” others, and he focused on the meaning of the liturgical vestments. “When we put on our simple chasuble, it might well make us feel, upon our shoulders and in our hearts, the burdens and the faces of our faithful people, our saints and martyrs, of which we have so many in our times.”

At the same time, he noted how “the beauty of all these liturgical things ... is not so much about trappings and fine fabrics” as it is destined to the action expected of priests. “The ointment, dear brothers, is not intended just to make us fragrant, much less to be kept in a jar, for then it would become rancid … and the heart bitter.”

The Holy Father also gave concrete details to inspire priests in their pastoral mission, commenting that: “our people like to hear the Gospel preached with 'unction', they like it when the Gospel we preach touches their daily lives, when it runs down like the oil of Aaron to the edges of reality, when it brings light to moments of extreme darkness, to the 'outskirts' where people of faith are most exposed to the onslaught of those who want to tear down their faith. People thank us because they feel that we have prayed over the realities of their everyday lives, their troubles, their joys, their burdens and their hopes. And when they feel that the fragrance of the Anointed One, of Christ, has come to them through us, they feel encouraged to entrust to us everything they want to bring before the Lord: '“Pray for me, Father, because I have this problem', 'Bless me, Father', 'Pray for me'.”

“What I want to emphasize,” the Pope said, “is that we need constantly to stir up God’s grace and perceive in every request, even those requests that are inconvenient and at times purely material or downright banal—but only apparently so—the desire of our people to be anointed with fragrant oil, since they know that we have it. To perceive and to sense, even as the Lord sensed the hope-filled anguish of the woman suffering from haemorrhages when she touched the hem of his garment.”

Before finishing his homily, the Holy Father also addressed the lay faithful, urging them to “be close to your priests with affection and with your prayers, that they may always be shepherds according to God’s heart.”

I don't think there is any church law against a pope washing women's feet in a public ceremony. What a goofy headline!


Pope washes women's feet in break with church law

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
March 28, 2013

ROME (AP) — In his most significant break with tradition yet, Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of two young women at a juvenile detention center — a surprising departure from church rules that restrict the Holy Thursday ritual to men.

No pope has ever washed the feet of a woman before, and Francis' gesture sparked a debate among some conservatives and liturgical purists, who lamented he had set a "questionable example." Liberals welcomed the move as a sign of greater inclusiveness in the church.

Speaking to the young offenders, including Muslims and Orthodox Christians, Francis said that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion in a gesture of love and service.

"This is a symbol, it is a sign. Washing your feet means I am at your service," Francis told the group, aged 14 to 21, at the Casal del Marmo detention facility in Rome.

"Help one another. This is what Jesus teaches us," the pope said. "This is what I do. And I do it with my heart. I do this with my heart because it is my duty. As a priest and bishop, I must be at your service."

In a video released by the Vatican, the 76-year-old Francis was shown kneeling on the stone floor as he poured water from a silver chalice over the feet of a dozen youths: black, white, male, female, even feet with tattoos. Then, after drying each one with a cotton towel, he bent over and kissed it.

Previous popes carried out the Holy Thursday rite in Rome's grand St. John Lateran basilica, choosing 12 priests to represent the 12 apostles whose feet Christ washed during the Last Supper before his crucifixion.

Before he became pope, as archbishop of Buenos Aires, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio celebrated the ritual foot-washing in jails, hospitals or hospices — part of his ministry to the poorest and most marginalized of society. He often involved women.

Photographs show him washing the feet of a woman holding her newborn child in her arms.

That Francis would include women in his inaugural Holy Thursday Mass as pope was remarkable, however, given that current liturgical rules exclude women.

Canon lawyer Edward Peters, who is an adviser to the Holy See's top court, noted in a blog that the Congregation for Divine Worship sent a letter to bishops in 1988 making clear that "the washing of the feet of chosen men ... represents the service and charity of Christ, who came 'not to be served, but to serve.'"

While bishops have successfully petitioned Rome over the years for an exemption to allow women to participate, the rules on the issue are clear, Peters said.

"By disregarding his own law in this matter, Francis violates, of course, no divine directive," Peters wrote. "What he does do, I fear, is set a questionable example."

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said he didn't want to wade into a canonical dispute over the matter. However, he noted that in a "grand solemn celebration" of the rite, only men are included because Christ washed the feet of his 12 apostles, all of whom were male.

"Here, the rite was for a small, unique community made up also of women," Lombardi wrote in an email. "Excluding the girls would have been inopportune in light of the simple aim of communicating a message of love to all, in a group that certainly didn't include experts on liturgical rules."

Others on the more liberal side of the debate welcomed the example Francis set.

"The pope's washing the feet of women is hugely significant because including women in this part of the Holy Thursday Mass has been frowned on — and even banned — in some dioceses," said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author of "The Jesuit Guide."

"It shows the all-embracing love of Christ, who ministered to all he met: man or woman, slave or free, Jew or Gentile."

For some, restricting the rite to men is in line with the church's restriction on ordaining women priests. Church teaching holds that only men should be ordained because Christ's apostles were male.

"This is about the ordination of women, not about their feet," wrote the Rev. John Zuhlsdorf, a traditionalist blogger. Liberals "only care about the washing of the feet of women, because ultimately they want women to do the washing."

Still, Francis has made clear he doesn't favor ordaining women. In his 2011 book, "On Heaven and Earth," then-Cardinal Bergoglio said there were solid theological reasons why the priesthood was reserved to men: "Because Jesus was a man."

On this Holy Thursday, however, Francis had a simple message for the young inmates, whom he greeted one-by-one after the Mass, giving each an Easter egg.

"Don't lose hope," Francis said. "Understand? With hope you can always go on."

One young man then asked why he had come to visit them.

Francis responded that it was to "help me to be humble, as a bishop should be."

The gesture, he said, came "from my heart. Things from the heart don't have an explanation."

Amid the generally positive reaction to Pope Francis, Monday brought a dissenting note. The most celebrated convert of the Benedict years announced he has abandoned the Catholic church, primarily for what he sees as its overly indulgent view of Islam as well as distaste for the "papal idolatry" aroused by Francis' election.
Magdi Cristiano Allam, an Egyptian-born politician and essayist in Italy, rose to fame by styling Islam not as a religion but a violent ideology akin to fascism and communism. He was personally received into the church by Benedict XVI during the Easter vigil of 2008 and announced in the pages of Il Giornale on Monday that he now considers his Catholicism "expired in conjunction with the end of his papacy."

Allam adds that a positive reference by Francis to Islam in a recent speech to diplomats was the straw that broke the camel's back. He remains a Christian, but no longer identifies himself as Catholic.

Reaction has tended to splinter into three broad streams:

Pious backlash saying that if Allam is leaving for these reasons, he never understood what it meant to be Catholic in the first place.
More neutral essays saying the defection illustrates the challenge Francis faces of trying to hold a fractious church together.
A bit of insider schadenfreude over the embarrassment to Italian Archbishop Rino Fisichella, who engineered both Allam's conversion and Benedict's personal involvement.
Unfortunately, in thinking about why Allam took this step, most people haven't gotten past the headline. If you consider the entire essay he published March 25 outlining his thinking, it makes for very interesting reading.

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Allam says he's leaving Catholicism because of what he describes as four "physiological" features of the church he can no longer tolerate:

"Relativism," meaning the fact that the church "welcomes inside itself an infinity of communities, congregations, ideologies and material interests that translate into containing everything and the opposite of everything."
"Globalism," meaning the church "takes positions ideologically contrary to nations as identities and civilizations that must be preserved, preaching the overcoming of national boundaries."
A tendency to being "do-gooders," meaning "putting on the same level, if not actually preferring" the interests of people outside one's community with the community's own interests.
A "temptation to evil," which Allam blames on "imposing behaviors in conflict with human nature ... such as priestly celibacy, abstaining from sex outside marriage and the indissolubility of marriage, along with the temptation of money."
Here's the thing. Aside from the fourth point, which is a gratuitous blast against Catholic morality, Allam is basically right on the money on the other three.

First, the church is not "relativist" in the strict sense because it has a body of teachings it regards as absolutely true. But as Allam correctly notes, Catholicism contains within itself multitudes of different interpretations and applications of this teaching, which at times does indeed seem like "everything and the opposite of everything."

Catholicism is a church rather than a sect, meaning that membership in the family of the faith has always been more fundamental than ideological purity. Catholicism embraces both hawks and doves on Islam, both libertarians and interventionists on the economy, both hardliners and moderates on the culture wars.

This doesn't mean absolutely anything goes, and negotiating the limits of this diversity is a constant source of heartburn. The point, however, is that anyone who enters the Catholic church or who remains in it expecting it to behave like a political party is destined for disappointment.

Second, Allam is right that Catholicism is unapologetically globalist. While the church encourages its members to be good citizens, including a moderate dose of national pride, the fact of being a planetary religious body encourages Catholics to think well beyond national borders in terms of their moral concern.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, the theologian recently cited by Pope Francis during his first Angelus address, once expressed the Catholic view of things by saying that an overly strong identification of the Gospel with a particular culture or nation is actually an "ecclesiological heresy." (He made the remark in 2005, when some Orthodox insisted that creating Catholic dioceses in Russia violated their "canonical territory.")

Once again, anyone who doesn't want to experience a degree of tension between their national loyalties and their religious identity is never going to be completely comfortable in Catholicism.

Finally, the Italian word used by Allam that I translated above as being "do-gooders" is actually buonista, which has the sense not only of doing good deeds but of being a bit weak, seeking compromise even with irreconcilably opposed positions for the sake of avoiding conflict.

Of course, Catholicism can and does at times draw lines in the sand, even at the price of arousing opposition. Yet Allam is correct that most of the time, that's not the church's first instinct, and it's always leavened by pastoral concern for the people on the other side of these breaches.

Anyone who would prefer that Catholicism function like an interest group or a social club in which there's free license to demonize -- or, at least, to dismiss -- people on the other side of whatever fault line is at issue is unlikely ever to be fully satisfied.

A line comes to mind that they teach at the Accademia, the Vatican's elite school for diplomats in Rome: "Not every sentence of a heretic is heresy." In other words, wisdom can be gleaned even from people violently opposed to the church on some fronts. If that's buonismo, it's also classically Catholic.

Given Allam's discomfort with these three points, his decision to leave seems a bit more rational.

After all, the current love affair with Francis will likely fade the first time he has to make a hard decision, and there's precious little evidence that his brief and generic reference to Islam heralds complete surrender. There's every reason to believe that the press for greater religious freedom in Muslim societies will be a prime social and political commitment of the church for the foreseeable future.

On the other hand, these three "physiological" features of Catholicism are hard-wired into the church's DNA, and it certainly isn't just Allam who sometimes finds them irritating.

In fact, I wonder if some of the angst in Catholic life today suggests that, whether we want to admit it or not, there's actually a little Magdi Allam in all of us.

* * *

I'll be in Argentina next week doing some background reporting on the kind of pope Francis might turn out to be based on his record in his home country. Watch the NCR Today website for my reports.

Vatican: Passion of Our Lord Sermon

Vatican Radio
March 29, 2013

In silent procession, wearing red vestments, Pope Francis made his way down the nave of St Peter’s basilica as the sunset over the dome on Friday evening. There before the High Altar, he lay prostrate in prayer. This was the opening act of the liturgy of Our Lord’s Passion, the central commemoration of Good Friday, the memorial of Christ’s suffering and death for the salvation of mankind.

The Holy Father stood as three deacons, two Franciscans and a Dominican, chanted the account of the Passion according to St. John. As is tradition, the papal preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, delivered the Good Friday Sermon, this year titled "Justified as a Gift through Faith in the Blood of Christ".

He began by describing the Easter Triduum as the ‘high point’ of the current Year of Faith: “Today we can make the most important decision in our lives: to believe… that Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our justification”. Unlike Adam and Eve, he added, we must not hide from the presence of God, because of our sin. Instead we must recognize our need to be justified; that we cannot justify ourselves.

Fr. Cantalamessa continued that faith in the Risen Christ, like satellite images and infrared photography, helps us see world in new light. It helps us to see beyond misery, injustice; because we know “in Christ dead and risen, the world has reached its final destination” a new heavens, a new earth have begun

The Papal preacher then turned his attention to the Cross as a powerful tool for Evangelization.

He noted that while the Cross sometimes separates unbelievers from believers, seen as madness by some and the ultimate symbol of love by others, “in a deeper sense it unites all men”, because “Christ died for everyone”. Thus, evangelization is a mystical gift that comes from the cross of Christ. It is not a conquest, not propaganda; it is sharing gift of God to world through Christ.

Citing Kafka, Fr. Cantalamessa said we must do everything to prevent Church from becoming a structure that impedes the Gospel message with dividing walls, ‘starting with those that separate the various Christian churches from one another, the excess of bureaucracy, the residue of past ceremonials, laws and disputes, now only debris’.

The Franciscan Friar concluded: “We must have the courage to knock them down and return the building to the simplicity and linearity of its origins. This was the mission that was received one day by a man who prayed before the Crucifix of San Damiano: "Go, Francis, and repair my Church".

Below we publish the official text of the 2013 Good Friday Sermon in St. Peter's Basilica, preached by Capuchin Friar Raniero Cantalamessa, Preacher of the Papal Household:


JUSTIFIED AS A GIFT THROUGH FAITH IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith in his blood. He did this to show his righteousness [...] to prove at the present time that he is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus”(Rom 3:23-26).

We have reached the summit of the Year of Faith and its decisive moment. This is the faith that saves, "faith that overcomes the world" (1 Jn 5:5)! Faith – the appropriation by which we make ours the salvation worked by Christ, by which we put on the mantle of his righteousness. On the one hand there is the outstretched hand of God offering man His grace; on the other hand, the hand of man reaching out to receive it through faith. The "new and everlasting Covenant" is sealed with a handclasp between God and man.

We have the opportunity to make, on this day, the most important decision of our lives, one that opens wide before us the doors of eternity: to believe! To believe that "Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our justification" (Rom 4:25)! In an Easter homily of the 4th century, the bishop pronounced these extraordinarily modern, and one could say existentialist, words: “For every man, the beginning of life is when Christ was immolated for him. However, Christ is immolated for him at the moment he recognizes the grace and becomes conscious of the life procured for him by that immolation” (The Paschal Homily of the Year 387 : SCh, 36 p. 59f.).

What an extraordinary thing! This Good Friday celebrated in the Year of Faith and in the presence of the new successor of Peter, could be, if we wish, the principle of a new kind of existence. Bishop Hilary of Poitiers, converted to Christianity as an adult, looking back on his past life, said, "before meeting you, I did not exist".

What is required is only that we do not hide from the presence of God, as Adam and Eve did after their sin, that we recognize our need to be justified; that we cannot justify ourselves. The publican of the parable came to the temple and made a short prayer: "O God, have mercy on me a sinner". And Jesus says that the man returned to his home "justified", that is, made right before him, forgiven, made a new creature, I think singing joyfully in his heart (Lk 18:14). What had he done that was so extraordinary? Nothing, he had put himself in the truth before God, and it is the only thing that God needs in order to act.

* * *

Like he who, in climbing a mountain wall, having overcome a dangerous step, stops for a moment to catch his breath and admire the new landscape that has opened up before him, so does the Apostle Paul at the beginning of Chapter 5 of the letter to the Romans, after having proclaimed justification by faith:

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we
boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
And not only that, but we
also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom 5: 1-5).

Today, from artificial satellites infrared photographs of whole regions of the Earth and of the whole planet are taken. How different the landscape looks when seen from up there, in the light of those rays, compared to what we see in natural light and from down here! I remember one of the first satellite pictures published in the world; it reproduced the entire Sinai Peninsula. The colors were different, the reliefs and depressions were more noticeable. It is a symbol. Even human life, seen in the infrared rays of faith, from atop Calvary, looks different from what you see "with the naked eye".

"The same fate”, said the wise man of the Old Testament, “comes to all, to the righteous and to the wicked...I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well"(Ecc 3:16; 9:2). And in fact at all times man has witnessed iniquity triumphant and innocence humiliated. But so that people do not believe that there is something fixed and sure in the world, behold, Bossuet notes, sometimes you see the opposite, namely, innocence on the throne and lawlessness on the scaffold. But what did Qoheleth conclude from all this? " I said in my heart: God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for everything" (Ecc 3:17). He found the vantage point that puts the soul in peace.

What Qoheleth could not know and that we do know is that this judgement has already happened: "Now”, Jesus says when beginning his passion, “is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself" (Jn 12:31-32).

In Christ dead and risen, the world has reached its final destination. Human progress is advancing today at a dizzying pace and humanity sees new and unexpected horizons unfolding before it, the result of its discoveries. Still, it can be said that the end of time has already come, because in Christ, who ascended to the right hand of the Father, humanity has reached its ultimate goal. The new heavens and new Earth have already begun.

Despite all the misery, injustice, the monstrosities present on Earth, he has already inaugurated the final order in the world. What we see with our own eyes may suggest otherwise, but in reality evil and death have been defeated forever. Their sources are dry; the reality is that Jesus is the Lord of the world. Evil has been radically defeated by redemption which he operated. The new world has already begun.

One thing above all appears different, seen with the eyes of faith: death! Christ entered death as we enter a dark prison; but he came out of it from the opposite wall. He did not return from whence he came, as Lazarus did who returned to life to die again. He has opened a breach towards life that no one can ever close, and through which everyone can follow him. Death is no longer a wall against which every human hope is shattered; it has become a bridge to eternity. A "bridge of sighs", perhaps because no one likes to die, but a bridge, no longer a bottomless pit that swallows everything. "Love is strong as death", says the song of songs (Sgs 8:6). In Christ it was stronger than death!

In his "Ecclesiastical History of the English People", the Venerable Bede tells how the Christian faith made its entrance into the North of England. When the missionaries from Rome arrived in Northumberland, the local King summoned a Council of dignitaries to decide whether to allow them, or not, to spread the new message. Some of those present were in favor, others against. It was winter and outside there was a blizzard, but the room was lit and warm. At one point a bird came from a hole in the wall, fluttered a bit, frightened, in the hall, and then disappeared through a hole in the opposite wall.

Then one of those present rose and said: "Sire, our life in this world resembles that bird. We come we know not from where, for a while we enjoy the light and warmth of this world and then we disappear back into the darkness, without knowing where we are going. If these men are capable of revealing to us something of the mystery of our lives, we must listen to them". The Christian faith could return on our continent and in the secularized world for the same reason it made its entrance: as the only message, that is, which has a sure answer to the great questions of life and death.

* * *

The cross separates unbelievers from believers, because for the ones it is scandal and madness, for the others is God's power and wisdom of God (cf. 1 Cor 1:23-24); but in a deeper sense it unites all men, believers and unbelievers. "Jesus had to die [...] not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God"(cf. Jn 11:51f). The new heavens and the new Earth belong to everyone and are for everyone, because Christ died for everyone.

The urgency that comes from all this is that of evangelizing: "The love of Christ urges us, at the thought that one has died for all" (2 Cor 5:14). It urges us to evangelize! Let us announce to the world the good news that "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because the law of the spirit which gives life in Christ Jesus has delivered us from the law of sin and death" (Rom 8:1-2).

There is a short story by Franz Kafka that is a powerful religious symbol and takes on a new meaning, almost prophetic, when heard on Good Friday. It's titled "An Imperial Message". It speaks of a king who, on his deathbed, calls to his side a subject and whispers a message into his ear. So important is that message that he makes the subject repeat it, in turn, into his hear. Then, with a nod, he sends off the messenger, who sets out on his way. But let us hear directly from the author the continuation of this story, characterized by the dreamlike and almost nightmarish tone typical of this writer:

" Now pushing with his right arm, now with his left, he cleaves a way for himself through the throng; if he encounters resistance he points to his breast, where the symbol of the sun glitters. But the multitudes are so vast; their numbers have no end. If he could reach the open fields how fast he would fly, and soon doubtless you would hear the welcome hammering of his fists on your door. But instead how vainly does he wear out his strength; still he is only making his way through the chambers of the innermost palace; never will he get to the end of them; and if he succeeded in that nothing would be gained; he must next fight his way down the stair; and if he succeeded in that nothing would be gained; the courts would still have to be crossed; and after the courts the second outer palace; and so on for thousands of years; and if at last he should burst through the outermost gate—but never, never can that happen—the imperial capital would lie before him, the center of the world, crammed to bursting with its own sediment. Nobody could fight his way through here even with a message from a dead man. But you sit at your window when evening falls and dream it to yourself”.

From his deathbed, Christ also confided to his Church a message: "Go throughout the whole world, preach the good news to all creation" (MK 16:15). There are still many men who stand at the window and dream, without knowing it, of a message like his. John, whom we have just heard, says that the soldier pierced the side of Christ on the cross "so that the Scripture may be fulfilled which says 'they shall look on him whom they have pierced"(Jn 19:37). In the Apocalypse he adds: "Behold, he is coming on the clouds, and every eye will see him; they will see him even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the Earth will lament for him "(Rev 1:7).

This prophecy does not annouce the last coming of Christ, when it will no longer be the time of conversion, but of judgment. It describes the reality of the evangelization of the peoples. In it, a mysterious but real coming of the Lord occurs, which brings salvation to them. Theirs won't be a cry of despair, but of repentance and of consolation. This is the meaning of that prophetic passage of Scripture that John sees realized in the piercing of the side of Christ, and that is, the passage of Zechariah 12:10: "I will pour out on the House of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and consolation; they will look to me, to him whom they have pierced".

The evangelization has a mystical origin; it is a gift that comes from the cross of Christ, from that open side, from that blood and from that water. The love of Christ, like that of the Trinity of which it is the historical manifestation, is "diffusivum sui", it tends to expand and reach all creatures, "especially those most needy of thy mercy." Christian evangelization is not a conquest, not propaganda; it is the gift of God to the world in his Son Jesus. It is to give the Head the joy of feeling life flow from his heart towards his body, to the point of vivivfying its most distant limbs.

We must do everything possible so that the Church may never look like that complicated and cluttered castle described by Kafka, and the message may come out of it as free and joyous as when the messenger began his run. We know what the impediments are that can restrain the messenger: dividing walls, starting with those that separate the various Christian churches from one another, the excess of bureaucracy, the residue of past ceremonials, laws and disputes, now only debris.

In Revelation, Jesus says that He stands at the door and knocks (Rev 3:20). Sometimes, as noted by our Pope Francis, he does not knock to enter, but knocks from within to go out. To reach out to the "existential suburbs of sin, suffering, injustice, religious ignorance and indifference, and of all forms of misery."

As happens with certain old buildings. Over the centuries, to adapt to the needs of the moment, they become filled with partitions, staircases, rooms and closets. The time comes when we realize that all these adjustments no longer meet the current needs, but rather are an obstacle, so we must have the courage to knock them down and return the building to the simplicity and linearity of its origins. This was the mission that was received one day by a man who prayed before the Crucifix of San Damiano: "Go, Francis, and repair my Church".

"Who could ever be up to this task?" wondered aghast the Apostle before the superhuman task of being in the world "the fragrance of Christ"; and here is his reply, that still applies today: "We're not ourselves able to think something as if it came from us; our ability comes from God. He has made us to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; because the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life"(2 Cor 2:16; 3:5-6).

May the Holy Spirit, in this moment in which a new time is opening for the Church, full of hope, reawaken in men who are at the window the expectancy of the message, and in the messengers the will to make it reach them, even at the cost of their life.

Way of the Cross with Pope Francis at the Colosseum

BY Edward Pentin
National Catholic Register
3/29/13 at 4:14 PM

"Sometimes it may seem as though God does not react to evil, as if he is silent," said Pope Francis at the end of the Via Crucis at the Colosseum this evening.

"And yet, God has spoken, he has replied, and his answer is the Cross of Christ: a word which is love, mercy, forgiveness. It also reveals a judgment, namely that God, in judging us, loves us. If I embrace his love then I am saved, if I refuse it, then I am condemned, not by him, but my own self, because God never condemns, he only loves and saves."

He added: "Christians must respond to evil with good, taking the Cross upon themselves as Jesus did."

The Holy Father addressed the faithful after prayers and meditations on the 14 traditional Stations of the Cross prepared by two Lebanese youth under the direction of Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church.

The torches alongside the Cross were carried by two young people from the Diocese of Rome and two young Lebanese, while the Cross was carried in turns by Cardinal Agostino Vallini, Vicar of Rome, two Chinese seminarians, two Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land, two nuns from Africa, two nuns from Lebanon, two young people from Brazil, two families from Italy and India, and by someone suffering with an illness from UNITALSI, an Italian organisation that takes the sick to Lourdes and international Marian shrines.

The ceremony closed with a papal blessing and singing by a Lebanese male choir.

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Pope Francis's brief remarks at the end of the ceremony:

"Dear Brother and Sisters,

Thank you for having taken part in these moments of deep prayer. I also thank those who have accompanied us through the media, especially the sick and elderly.

I do not wish to add too many words. One word should suffice this evening, that is the Cross itself. The Cross is the word through which God has responded to evil in the world. Sometimes it may seem as though God does not react to evil, as if he is silent. And yet, God has spoken, he has replied, and his answer is the Cross of Christ: a word which is love, mercy, forgiveness. It also reveals a judgment, namely that God, in judging us, loves us. If I embrace his love then I am saved, if I refuse it, then I am condemned, not by him, but my own self, because God never condemns, he only loves and saves.

Dear brothers and sisters, the word of the Cross is also the answer which Christians offer in the face of evil, the evil that continues to work in us and around us. Christians must respond to evil with good, taking the Cross upon themselves as Jesus did. This evening we have heard the witness given by our Lebanese brothers and sisters: they composed these beautiful prayers and meditations. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to them for this work and for the witness they offer. We were able to see this when Pope Benedict visited Lebanon: we saw the beauty and the strong bond of communion joining Christians together in that land and the friendship of our Muslim brothers and sisters and so many others. That occasion was a sign to the Middle East and to the whole world: a sign of hope."

We now continue this Via Crucis in our daily lives. Let us walk together along the Way of the Cross and let us do so carrying in our hearts this word of love and forgiveness. Let us go forward waiting for the Resurrection of Jesus."

Welcome Jesus as a Friend, Pope Encourages at Easter Vigil

The Holy Father baptized four people, including one American citizen.

BY ESTEFANIA AGUIRRE
CNA/EWTN NEWS
3/30/13

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis called on Christians to let the risen Jesus enter their lives and to welcome him with trust as a friend during the Church’s most holy night of the year.

“If up until now you have kept him at a distance, step forward ... he will receive you with open arms,” Pope Francis said at Saint Peter’s Basilica during the Easter Vigil Mass.

“If you have been indifferent, take a risk, you won’t be disappointed,” he told thousands gathered at the Vatican on March 30.

At the opening of the liturgy — which Pope Francis concelebrated with numerous cardinals — candles were lit among the faithful and passed in complete silence, illuminating the church as the Easter candle procession reached the altar.

Over 40,000 flowers and plants from Holland were used to decorate the basilica including daffodils and lilies.

Pope Francis also baptized four people during the service, including a 17-year-old U.S. citizen of Vietnamese descent, a 30-year-old Albanian, a 30-year-old Russian and a 23-year-old Italian.

After the baptisms, a white cloth was placed over each of the four and flame from the main Easter candle was shared with smaller candles that were given to them to hold. Pope Francis then confirmed them as Catholics, making the sign of the cross on their forehead with oil and kissing them each on the cheek. The four also received their first Holy Communion during the Mass.



Holy Father’s Homily

During his homily, the new Pope said that if following Christ seems difficult, “don’t be afraid.”

“Trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.”

If people remember what God has done for them, he noted, they will not fear what lies in store for their lives.

“To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled is what opens our hearts to hope for the future,” he said.

The Pope observed that “newness often makes us fearful, including the newness which God brings us, the newness which God asks of us.”

“We are afraid of God’s surprises ... he always surprises us!” he exclaimed. However, “Let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up.”

Pope Francis reflected on the resurrection narrative from the Gospel reading where the women were sad and afraid to find the tomb of Jesus opened and empty after his death.

“Jesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future, he is the everlasting ‘today’ of God,” he emphasized.

Because of this, Pope Francis explained, sadness is the wrong place to look for life. “How often does Love have to tell us ‘why do you look for the living among the dead?’” he asked.

“Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness,” Pope Francis noted. That “is where death is” and “is not the place to look for the one who is alive.”

“Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life!”


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Pope Francis' Easter Vigil Homily - Full Text

BY POPE FRANCIS
Reprinted in National Catholic Register
3/30/13

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

1. In the Gospel of this radiant night of the Easter Vigil, we first meet the women who go the tomb of Jesus with spices to anoint his body (cf. Lk 24:1-3). They go to perform an act of compassion, a traditional act of affection and love for a dear departed person, just as we would. They had followed Jesus, they had listened to his words, they had felt understood by him in their dignity and they had accompanied him to the very end, to Calvary and to the moment when he was taken down from the cross. We can imagine their feelings as they make their way to the tomb: a certain sadness, sorrow that Jesus had left them, he had died, his life had come to an end. Life would now go on as before. Yet the women continued to feel love, the love for Jesus which now led them to his tomb. But at this point, something completely new and unexpected happens, something which upsets their hearts and their plans, something which will upset their whole life: they see the stone removed from before the tomb, they draw near and they do not find the Lord’s body. It is an event which leaves them perplexed, hesitant, full of questions: "What happened?", "What is the meaning of all this?" (cf. Lk 24:4). Doesn’t the same thing also happen to us when something completely new occurs in our everyday life? We stop short, we don’t understand, we don’t know what to do. Newness often makes us fearful, including the newness which God brings us, the newness which God asks of us. We are like the Apostles in the Gospel: often we would prefer to hold on to our own security, to stand in front of a tomb, to think about someone who has died, someone who ultimately lives on only as a memory, like the great historical figures from the past. We are afraid of God’s surprises; we are afraid of God’s surprises! He always surprises us!

Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be closed to the newness that God wants to bring into our lives! Are we often weary, disheartened and sad? Do we feel weighed down by our sins? Do we think that we won’t be able to cope? Let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up: there are no situations which God cannot change, there is no sin which he cannot forgive if only we open ourselves to him.

2. But let us return to the Gospel, to the women, and take one step further. They find the tomb empty, the body of Jesus is not there, something new has happened, but all this still doesn’t tell them anything certain: it raises questions; it leaves them confused, without offering an answer. And suddenly there are two men in dazzling clothes who say: "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; but has risen" (Lk 24:5-6). What was a simple act, done surely out of love – going to the tomb – has now turned into an event, a truly life-changing event. Nothing remains as it was before, not only in the lives of those women, but also in our own lives and in the history of mankind. Jesus is not dead, he has risen, he is alive! He does not simply return to life; rather, he is life itself, because he is the Son of God, the living God (cf. Num 14:21-28; Deut 5:26; Josh 3:10). Jesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future; he is the everlasting "today" of God. This is how the newness of God appears to the women, the disciples and all of us: as victory over sin, evil and death, over everything that crushes life and makes it seem less human. And this is a message meant for me and for you, dear sister, dear brother. How often does Love have to tell us: Why do you look for the living among the dead? Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness... and that is where death is. That is not the place to look for the One who is alive!

Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.

3. There is one last little element that I would like to emphasize in the Gospel for this Easter Vigil. The women encounter the newness of God. Jesus has risen, he is alive! But faced with empty tomb and the two men in brilliant clothes, their first reaction is one of fear: "they were terrified and bowed their faced to the ground", Saint Luke tells us – they didn’t even have courage to look. But when they hear the message of the Resurrection, they accept it in faith. And the two men in dazzling clothes tell them something of crucial importance: "Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee… And they remembered his words" (Lk 24:6,8). They are asked to remember their encounter with Jesus, to remember his words, his actions, his life; and it is precisely this loving remembrance of their experience with the Master that enables the women to master their fear and to bring the message of the Resurrection to the Apostles and all the others (cf. Lk 24:9). To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled; this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future. May we learn to remember everything that God has done in our lives.

On this radiant night, let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who treasured all these events in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19,51) and ask the Lord to give us a share in his Resurrection. May he open us to the newness that transforms. May he make us men and women capable of remembering all that he has done in our own lives and in the history of our world. May he help us to feel his presence as the one who is alive and at work in our midst. And may he teach us each day not to look among the dead for the Living One. Amen.

POPE FRANCIS: GOD’S MERCY CAN MAKE EVEN THE DRIEST LAND FLOWER

Vatican City, 31 March 2013 (VIS) – At 10:15 this morning, Easter Sunday, the Holy Father Francis celebrated the Mass of the Lord's Resurrection in St. Peter's Square. Faithful from Rome and pilgrims from around the world participated in the celebration, which began with the "Resurrexit" rite—in which an icon of the Risen Lord, placed next to the papal altar, is opened and venerated to recall St. Peter's witness of the resurrection. The Pope did not give a homily since immediately after the Mass he gave his Easter message and “Urbi et Orbi” blessing (to the city and to the world).

In honour of the feast, St. Peter's Square was decorated with splendid floral arrangements. More than 40,000 flowers, donated by Dutch horticulturists, transformed the area around the altar into a magnificent garden. Yellow daffodils and white lilies highlighted, the colours of Easter and the papal flag that represent the purity of Jesus' sacrifice and the glory of his resurrection. The pink flowers—delphinium and cherry blossoms—symbolized the light of the risen Christ who destroys darkness.

At noon, from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father Francis addressed the over 250,000 people overflowing St. Peter's Square and those who were following the celebration by radio or television. He delivered his Easter proclamation—“God’s mercy can make even the driest land become a garden!”—and made a strong appeal for peace throughout the world. He then imparted the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing.


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Pope: Christ is Risen, Peace to this our Earth!

Vatican Radio
March 31, 2013

“Christ is our peace, and through him we implore peace for all the world”: Peace for the people of Syria, torn apart by bloodshed, for the Middle East and Iraq; Peace in Africa, for Mali, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic; Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean Peninsula.

In the first Urbi et Orbi message of his pontificate this Easter Sunday, Pope Francis invited people of all ages, from all walks of life to “ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace”.

Sunday morning St Peter’s Square was transformed into an open air garden by a multitude of flowers and a mercifully warm sun after a night of storms. Despite the threat of more rain, the people came in their tens of thousands filling the square and the long boulevard that leads to Bernini’s columns to take part in Pope Francis’ first celebration of Easter Mass.

The mood was of solemn participation until the end of the celebration when the Holy Father made a brief tour of the square, and the multitude exploded in a unanimous cheer. Suddenly the flags of the world were unfurled and banners from parishes and catholic associations greeting the Pope were held on high.

The tour was brief, as the Holy Father entered the basilica to make his way to the central loggia of the hall of blessings from where he delivered his first ever message as Pope to the city of Rome and to the world.

And Pope Francis implored God for Peace.

“Peace for the Middle East, and particularly between Israelis and Palestinians, who struggle to find the road of agreement, that they may willingly and courageously resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long. Peace in Iraq, that every act of violence may end, and above all for dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort. How much blood has been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution to the crisis will be found?

Peace for Africa, still the scene of violent conflicts. In Mali, may unity and stability be restored; in Nigeria, where attacks sadly continue, gravely threatening the lives of many innocent people, and where great numbers of persons, including children, are held hostage by terrorist groups. Peace in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in the Central African Republic, where many have been forced to leave their homes and continue to live in fear.

Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean peninsula: may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow.

Peace in the whole world, still divided by greed looking for easy gain, wounded by the selfishness which threatens human life and the family, selfishness that continues in human trafficking, the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century. Peace to the whole world, torn apart by violence linked to drug trafficking and by the iniquitous exploitation of natural resources! Peace to this our Earth! Made the risen Jesus bring comfort to the victims of natural disasters and make us responsible guardians of creation”.

The transforming power of the Easter message was also the focus of Pope Francis homily for the Great Easter Vigil, Saturday night. He had appealed to people not to be closed to the newness that God wants to bring into our lives, through Christ’s resurrection.

As the Exultet or Easter Proclamation, broke through the silence of Holy Saturday and the Paschal candle which he blessed and carried illuminated the dark of St Peter’s basilica, the Holy Father invited men and women, believers and those who have fallen away from the to welcome " God’s surprises" in our lives and not be afraid".

Reflecting on the fear of the women who found the empty tomb and the amazement of Peter on hearing the news as recounted in the Gospel, he noted “Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness... and that is where death is. That is not the place to look for the One who is alive!”. He said “Let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up: there are no situations which God cannot change, there is no sin which he cannot forgive if only we open ourselves to him".

On Easter Sunday he concluded: “Dear brothers and sisters, who have come from all over the world to this Square, the heart of Christianity, and all of you joining us via communications media, I renew my wishes for a Happy Easter! Bring to your families and your nations the message of joy of hope and peace that each year is powerfully renewed on this day. May the Risen Lord, who defeated sin and death, support us all especially the weakest and those most in need. Thank you for your presence and the witness of your faith. A thought and a particular thanks for the gift of these beautiful flowers from the Netherlands. I affectionately repeat to all of you: May the Risen Christ guide you and all humanity on the paths of justice, love and peace!”

And then to the delight of those gathered he imparted his Apostolic Blessing and wished a Happy Easter to all!


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Pope: Urbi et Orbi Message, Easter, 2013 [Full text]

Vatican Radio
March 31, 2013

Below we publish the full text of the Holy Father’s Urbi et Orbi Message, Easter 2013.


Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Easter!

What a joy it is for me to announce this message: Christ is risen! I would like it to go out to every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons …

Most of all, I would like it to enter every heart, for it is there that God wants to sow this Good News: Jesus is risen, there is hope for you, you are no longer in the power of sin, of evil! Love has triumphed, mercy has been victorious!

We too, like the women who were Jesus’ disciples, who went to the tomb and found it empty, may wonder what this event means (cf. Lk 24:4). What does it mean that Jesus is risen? It means that the love of God is stronger than evil and death itself; it means that the love of God can transform our lives and let those desert places in our hearts bloom.

This same love for which the Son of God became man and followed the way of humility and self-giving to the very end, down to hell - to the abyss of separation from God - this same merciful love has flooded with light the dead body of Jesus and transfigured it, has made it pass into eternal life. Jesus did not return to his former life, to earthly life, but entered into the glorious life of God and he entered there with our humanity, opening us to a future of hope.

This is what Easter is: it is the exodus, the passage of human beings from slavery to sin and evil to the freedom of love and goodness. Because God is life, life alone, and his glory is the living man (cf. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, 4,20,5-7).

Dear brothers and sisters, Christ died and rose once for all, and for everyone, but the power of the Resurrection, this passover from slavery to evil to the freedom of goodness, must be accomplished in every age, in our concrete existence, in our everyday lives. How many deserts, even today, do human beings need to cross! Above all, the desert within, when we have no love for God or neighbour, when we fail to realize that we are guardians of all that the Creator has given us and continues to give us. God’s mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14).

So this is the invitation which I address to everyone: Let us accept the grace of Christ’s Resurrection! Let us be renewed by God’s mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish.

And so we ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace. Yes, Christ is our peace, and through him we implore peace for all the world.

Peace for the Middle East, and particularly between Israelis and Palestinians, who struggle to find the road of agreement, that they may willingly and courageously resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long. Peace in Iraq, that every act of violence may end, and above all for dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort. How much blood has been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution to the crisis will be found?

Peace for Africa, still the scene of violent conflicts. In Mali, may unity and stability be restored; in Nigeria, where attacks sadly continue, gravely threatening the lives of many innocent people, and where great numbers of persons, including children, are held hostage by terrorist groups. Peace in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in the Central African Republic, where many have been forced to leave their homes and continue to live in fear.

Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean peninsula: may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow.

Peace in the whole world, still divided by greed looking for easy gain, wounded by the selfishness which threatens human life and the family, selfishness that continues in human trafficking, the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century. Peace to the whole world, torn apart by violence linked to drug trafficking and by the iniquitous exploitation of natural resources! Peace to this our Earth! May the risen Jesus bring comfort to the victims of natural disasters and make us responsible guardians of creation.

Dear brothers and sisters, to all of you who are listening to me, from Rome and from all over of the world, I address the invitation of the Psalm: “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever. Let Israel say: ‘His steadfast love endures for ever’” (Ps 117:1-2).

Dear brothers and sisters, who have come from all over the world to this Square, the heart of Christianity, and all of you joining us via communications media, I renew my wishes for a Happy Easter! Bring to your families and your nations the message of joy of hope and peace that each year is powerfully renewed on this day. May the Risen Lord, who defeated sin and death, support us all especially the weakest and those most in need. Thank you for your presence and the witness of your faith. A thought and a particular thanks for the gift of these beautiful flowers from the Netherlands. I affectionately repeat to all of you: May the Risen Christ guide you and all humanity on the paths of justice, love and peace!

Pope Francis: Regina coeli (full text)

Vatican Radio
April 1, 2013

Pope Francis prayed the Regina coeli with pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square on Monday. The focus of his remarks before the traditional Eastertide prayer of Marian devotion was twofold: the reality of the resurrection and of Christ's grace; the need for us to cooperate with that grace so that it can become effective in our lives and in the world. Below, please find Vatican Radio's English language translation.


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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Happy Easter to you all! Thank you for coming today, in such large numbers, to share the joy of Easter, the central mystery of our faith. Let us pray that the power of the resurrection of Christ might reach everyone - especially those who suffer - and every place that is in need of trust and hope.

Christ has conquered evil fully and finally, but it is up to us, to people in every age, to embrace this victory in our lives and in the realities of history and society. For this reason it seems important to point out that today we ask God in the liturgy: “O God, who give constant increase to your Church by new offspring, grant that your servants may hold fast in their lives to the Sacrament they have received in faith.” (Collect for Monday in the Octave of Easter).

Indeed, the Baptism that makes us children of God, and the Eucharist that unites us to Christ, must become life. That is to say: they must be reflected in attitudes, behaviors, actions and choices. The grace contained in the Sacraments Easter is an enormous source of strength for renewal in personal and family life, as well as for social relations. Nevertheless, everything passes through the human heart: if I allow myself to be reached by the grace of the risen Christ, if I let that grace change for the better whatever is not good in me, [to change whatever] might do harm to me and to others, then I allow the victory of Christ to affirm itself in in my life, to broaden its beneficial action. This is the power of grace! Without grace we can do nothing – without grace we can do nothing! And with the grace of Baptism and Holy Communion can become an instrument of God's mercy – that beautiful mercy of God.

To Express in our lives the sacrament we have received: behold, dear brothers and sisters, our daily work – and, I would say, our daily joy! The joy of being instruments of the grace of Christ, as branches of the vine which is Christ himself, inspired by the sustaining presence of His Spirit! We pray together, in the name of the dead and risen Lord, and through the intercession of Mary Most Holy, that the Paschal mystery might work deeply in us and in our time, in order that hatred give way to love, lies to the truth, revenge to forgiveness, sadness to joy.


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Pope Francis set to go down to tomb of Saint Peter ...

On the afternoon of April 1st, Easter Monday, Pope Francis is scheduled to make a private visit to the Necropolis located underneath Saint Peter's Basilica.

It's there that the tomb of Saint Peter is located and there that the Holy Father will spend time in prayer by the tomb of the first Pope in history.

Pope Francis will be accompanied by the Archpriest of Saint Peter's Basilica , Cardinal Comastri .

Pope Francis tours excavated area near St. Peter's tomb


Pope Francis greets the crowd as he arrives to lead the "Regina Coeli" today at the Vatican. (CNS/Paul Haring)

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis became the first pope to tour the excavated necropolis where St. Peter is buried, said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman.

With explanations from the two directors of the necropolis, the pope walked down the central path between the mostly second-century burial chambers April 1, then went up a slight incline toward the tomb of Peter, which is directly under the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica.

In the Clementine Chapel, "the place closest to the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles, the pope paused in silent prayer and in a deep and moving moment of reflection," Father Lombardi said.

Pope Francis spent 45 minutes in the necropolis and in the grotto, where he paid homage at the tombs of several popes, including Popes Benedict XV, Pius XI, Pius XII, Paul VI and John Paul I, Father Lombardi said.

The entrance to the grotto and necropolis is across a parking lot from the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where the pope is living. The pope walked there and back, Father Lombardi said.

The necropolis is a burial ground where St. Peter's tomb has been venerated since early Christian times and where the first church dedicated to the saint was built. The tomb is two levels below the main altar of the modern basilica.

On the level between the necropolis and the basilica is the Vatican grotto, the place where many popes and a few Catholic nobles have been buried since the 10th century.

The necropolis was excavated in the 1930s and '40s, which led to discovery of a double row of mausoleums and niches decorated with paintings, stucco and mosaics, along with a section of simpler graves.

The archaeologists also discovered a bit of graffiti scrawled on a piece of red-tinted wall; dated to sometime shortly before the year 200; it reads "Petros Eni" (Peter is here). Nearby were found the remains of the altar the Emperor Constantine was believed to have ordered erected over St. Peter's tomb in 324.

The bits of human bones found near the red wall and ancient altar were studied for years and became the object of intense debate among Catholic archaeologists. After almost 20 years of further excavation and study, Pope Paul announced in 1968 that the relics of St. Peter "have been identified in a manner which we believe convincing."

Since 1998, the Vatican has been repairing and restoring the tombs, labyrinthine lanes and funerary artwork in the necropolis using state-of-the-art techniques. It also has set up a complete conservation and lighting system that controls the climate of the necropolis to prevent further damage.

Audience: The fundamental role of women in the Church

Vatican Radio
April 3, 2013

For the third time this week Pope Francis returned to the topic of women in the Church in his general audience catechesis. On Holy Saturday he had dedicated his Easter Vigil Homily to the women as the first witnesses to the novelty of the Resurrection. On Tuesday morning he had spoken of the tears of the Magdalene and how we should follow her example of faith in our life’s journey. On Wednesday he expanded his reflections to the women of the world, whom he said have a special and fundamental role in the Church and the transmission of the faith . Departing from his scripted text, as is now his very own tradition, he appealed: “Mothers go forward with this witness to the Risen Christ!”.

Looking out over the tens of thousands present, Pope Francis returned to the catechesis on teh Year of Fith and in particular the Creed. He spoke of how the in the professions of faith of the New Testament, only men are remembered as witnesses of the Resurrection, the Apostles, but not the women. “This is because, according to the Jewish Law of the time, women and children were not considered reliable, credible witnesses. In the Gospels, however, women have a primary, fundamental role. Here we can see an argument in favor of the historicity of the Resurrection: if it were a invented, in the context of that time it would not have been linked to the testimony of women. Instead, the evangelists simply narrate what happened: the women were the first witnesses. This tells us that God does not choose according to human criteria: the first witnesses of the birth of Jesus are the shepherds, simple and humble people, the first witnesses of the Resurrection are women. This is beautiful, and this is the mission of women, of mothers and women, to give witness to their children and grandchildren that Christ is Risen! Mothers go forward with this witness! What matters to God is our heart, if we are open to Him, if we are like trusting children. But this also leads us to reflect on how in the Church and in the journey of faith, women have had and still have a special role in opening doors to the Lord, in following him and communicating his face, because the eyes of faith always need the simple and profound look of love. The Apostles and disciples find it harder to believe in the Risen Christ, not the women however! Peter runs to the tomb, but stops before the empty tomb; Thomas has to touch the wounds of the body of Jesus with his hands. In our journey of faith it is important to know and feel that God loves us, do not be afraid to love: faith is professed with the mouth and heart, with the word and love”.

The crowds had formed queues since early morning around the entrance to St Peter’s Square and spilled through the barricades under the eyes of the Pontifical Swiss Guard to guarantee their place closer to where the Pope would pass in his open topped jeep, hoping to be able to personally greet the Holy Father.

The audience began promptly at 10:30 and - as has become the norm with Pope Francis - was in Italian with speakers from the Secretariat of State translating summaries into the main languages.

This morning’s audience was also enlivened by the presence of Gospel choirs composed of young people from the US and Great Britain. Reflecting the Easter spirit, they sang the Alleluia, to the joy and appreciation of Pope Francis who applauded them from the raised dais in front of St Peter’s basilica.

And indeed, noting the large presence of young people at Wednesday’s audience, the Pope added an extra unscripted greeting for them at the end of his main catechesis: “I see that there are many young people in the Square! Young boys and girls, to you I say bring forth this certainty to the world: the Lord is Alive and walks beside us on our life’s journey! Bring forth this hope, be anchored in this hope, the hope that comes from heaven! Be anchored and bring forth the hope! You witnesses of Christ bring forth hope to this world that is aged by wars and sin! Go forward young people!”.


Below we publish a Vatican Radio transcript and translation of the full text of Pope Francis’ Wednesday General Audience:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we turn to the Catechism of the Year of Faith. In the Creed we repeat this phrase: "He rose again on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures". This is the very event that we are celebrating: the Resurrection of Jesus, the center of the Christian message that has resounded since the beginning and has been handed down so that it may reach us today. Saint Paul writes to the Christians of Corinth: "For I handed on to you …what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve"(1 Cor 15:3-5). This brief confession of faith announces the Paschal Mystery, with the first appearances of the Risen Christ to Peter and the Twelve: the Death and Resurrection of Jesus is the heart of our hope. Without this faith in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus our hope would be weak, but it wouldn’0t even be hope, the Death and Resurrection of Jesus is the heart of our hope. The Apostle says: "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins" (v. 17).

Unfortunately, there have often been attempts to obscure faith in the Resurrection of Jesus, and doubts have crept in even among believers themselves. A watered down faith, as we would say, not a strong faith. This is because of superficiality, sometimes because of indifference, occupied by a thousand things considered more important than the faith, or because of a purely horizontal vision of life. But it is the Resurrection that gives us the greatest hope, because it opens our lives and the life of the world to the eternal future of God, to full happiness, to the certainty that evil, sin, death can be defeated. And this leads us to live everyday realities with more confidence, to face them with courage and commitment. The Resurrection of Christ shines a new light on these daily realities. The Resurrection of Christ is our strength!

But how was the truth of faith in Christ’s Resurrection transmitted? There are two kinds of witness in the New Testament: some are in the form of the profession of the faith, namely, synthetic formulas that indicate the center of the faith. Instead, others are in the form of an account of the event of the Resurrection and the facts connected to it. The form of the profession of faith, for example, is what we have just heard, or that of the Letter to the Romans where Paul writes: " for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved "(10.9). From the earliest days of the Church, faith in the Mystery of Death and Resurrection of Jesus is steadfast and clear.

Today, however, I would like to dwell the second, on testimony in the form of the accounts that we find in the Gospels. First, we note that the first witnesses to this event were the women. At dawn, they go to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, and find the first sign: the empty tomb (Mk 16:1). This is followed by an encounter with a Messenger of God who proclaims: Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified One, he is not here, he is risen (cf. vv. 5-6). The women are driven by love and know how to accept this proclamation with faith: they believe, and immediately transmit it, they do not keep it for themselves. They cannot contain the joy of knowing that Jesus is alive, the hope that fills their heart. This should also be the same in our lives. Let us feel the joy of being Christian! We believe in the Risen One who has conquered evil and death! Let us also have the courage to "go out" to bring this joy and light to all the places of our lives! The Resurrection of Christ is our greatest certainty, it is our most precious treasure! How can we not share this treasure, this beautiful certainty with others! It’s not just for us it’s to be transmitted, shared with others this is our testimony!

Another element. In the professions of faith of the New Testament, only men are remembered as witnesses of the Resurrection, the Apostles, but not the women. This is because, according to the Jewish Law of the time, women and children were not considered reliable, credible witnesses. In the Gospels, however, women have a primary, fundamental role. Here we can see an argument in favor of the historicity of the Resurrection: if it were a invented, in the context of that time it would not have been linked to the testimony of women. Instead, the evangelists simply narrate what happened: the women were the first witnesses. This tells us that God does not choose according to human criteria: the first witnesses of the birth of Jesus are the shepherds, simple and humble people, the first witnesses of the Resurrection are women. This is beautiful, and this is the mission of women, of mothers and women, to give witness to their children and grandchildren that Christ is Risen! Mothers go forward with this witness! What matters to God is our heart, if we are open to Him, if we are like trusting children. But this also leads us to reflect on how in the Church and in the journey of faith, women have had and still have a special role in opening doors to the Lord, in following him and communicating his face, because the eyes of faith always need the simple and profound look of love. The Apostles and disciples find it harder to believe in the Risen Christ, not the women however! Peter runs to the tomb, but stops before the empty tomb; Thomas has to touch the wounds of the body of Jesus with his hands. In our journey of faith it is important to know and feel that God loves us, do not be afraid to love: faith is professed with the mouth and heart, with the word and love.

After the apparitions to women, there were others: Jesus becomes present in a new way: He is the Crucified One, but his body is glorious; He did not return to an earthly life, but a new condition. At first they did not recognize him, and only through his words and deeds were their eyes opened: the encounter with the Risen Lord transforms, it gives new strength to faith, an unshakable foundation. The Risen Christ also reveals Himself to us with many signs: Sacred Scripture, the Eucharist, the other Sacraments, charity, these gestures of love bring a ray of the Risen One.

Let us be enlightened by the Resurrection of Christ, let us be transformed by His power, so that through us the signs of death give way to signs of life in the world! I see that there are many young people in the Square! Young boys and girls, to you I say bring forth this certainty to the world: the Lord is Alive and walks beside us on our life’s journey! Bring forth this hope, be anchored in this hope, the hope that comes from heaven! Be anchored and bring forth the hope! You witnesses of Christ bring forth hope to this world that is aged by wars and sin! Go forward young people!


Below we publish the English summary of the Wednesday General Audience catechesis.

Taking up the series of Catechesis on the Creed, we now turn to the passage: “He rose again on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures”. Our belief in Christ’s Resurrection is the very heart of our faith, the basis of our hope in God’s promises and our trust in his victory over sin and death. The first witnesses of the Resurrection were women: moved by love to go to the tomb, they accept with joy the message of the Resurrection and then tell the good news to the Apostles. So it must be with us; we need to share the joy born of our faith in the Resurrection! In Church’s history, women have had a special role in opening doors to faith in Christ, for faith is always a response to love. With the eyes of faith, we too encounter the risen Lord in the many signs of his presence: the Scriptures, the Eucharist and the other sacraments, and the acts of charity, goodness, forgiveness and mercy which bring a ray of his Resurrection into our world. May our faith in the risen Christ enable us to be living signs in our world of the triumph of life and hope over evil, sin and death.

* * *

I offer a warm welcome to all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Australia, the Philippines, Canada and the United States. In a special way I greet the newly-ordained deacons from the Pontifical Irish College and their families. My greeting also goes to the delegation from the United States Senate. I thank the choirs for their praise of God in song. With great affection I invoke upon all of you the joy and peace which are the abiding gifts of the risen Lord.

In case you were wondering why no singing, no other languages, here is one explanation:


Can't chant, can't speak English? Pope says it's because he's tone-deaf

Catholic News Service
April 2, 2013

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After a musically proficient and polyglot Pope Benedict XVI, it came as a surprise to many that Pope Francis doesn't sing or chant at Mass or speak foreign languages in public.

From his first Mass as pope -- his liturgy with the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel March 14 -- the pope has not chanted or sung during the usual moments of the liturgy, such as before the eucharistic prayer.

His ditching any musical pitch was even more evident during the "Regina Coeli" April 1, when he spoke, rather than intoned, the Marian prayer.

And as bishop of Rome, he has been sticking with Italian in his public speeches and remarks.

Journalists had been asking the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, for an explanation for some time.

The spokesman recently joked that there was a saying about Jesuits, that a Jesuit "'nec rubricat, nec cantat,' meaning Jesuits are famed for not being enthusiastic about liturgical song or experts in detailed liturgical rubrics."

Father Lombardi said Pope Francis, a fellow Jesuit, may share some of those traits.

Previously, Father Lombardi dispelled rumors that the 76-year-old pope's singing capacity or current state of health was impaired by an operation he had when he was 21 in which the upper half of his right lung was removed after cysts caused a severe lung infection.

More recently, Father Lombardi said he believes the pope's lack of singing is due to "a certain hoarseness" or huskiness in his voice.

He reads aloud very well and effectively, he said, "but it is not the voice of Pope John Paul II, it's not the resonant voice of an actor."

It turns out the pope himself gave the explanation a few years ago -- hidden away in one line in a book that was recently republished under a new title after his election March 13.

Currently unavailable in English, the book, "Pope Francis: Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio" by Sergio Rubin and Francesca Ambrogetti, was originally published in 2010 under the title "El Jesuita" ("The Jesuit").

In the book, which is a series of interviews with the then-cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires, the future pope is asked what languages he speaks.

In reply, the future pope downplayed his perfect fluency in Italian and said he used to speak French "rather well" and "got by" with German, but said the lack of practice hurt his current proficiency.

"The one language that always caused me big problems was English," he said, especially its pronunciation, "because I am very tone-deaf."

He continued that he understands the Italian dialect of his father and maternal grandparents who came from the Piedmont region.

Elsewhere in the book, the future pope said he understands a little dialect from the Genoa region, but that almost all of it is "off-color."

One of his uncles on his mother's side was "a shameless old man who taught us obscene folk songs in Genovese dialect. That's why none of the words of the little Genovese I know is repeatable," he said.

His hesitancy in speaking anything other than Italian in public has emerged as another feature of Francis' pontificate.

He did not give Easter greetings in dozens of languages March 31 like his past two predecessors had and he no longer reads out summaries of his general audience talk in anything other than Italian, not even in Spanish, which is his mother tongue.

Father Lombardi said, "It's pretty clear that he wishes to not discriminate" and show any favoritism by choosing to speak some languages and not others, even his native Spanish.

"Evidently he doesn't think it's necessary -- either for reasons of preparation or exertion -- that he personally needs to read all the summaries in the different languages" during the general audience in which Vatican officials from the Secretariat of State now read the summaries in their native tongues, the spokesman said.

Homebody, soccer fan, tango-lover -- some papal pastimes revealed

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
April 3, 2013

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Here are a few of Pope Francis' favorite things, which he revealed in a series of interviews granted while he was archbishop of Buenos Aires.

The interviews are in the book, "Pope Francis: Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio" by Sergio Rubin and Francesca Ambrogetti, which was originally published in 2010 under the title "El Jesuita" ("The Jesuit"). It is not yet available in English.

-- Favorite sports: When he was young, the future pope played basketball, but he loved going to the stadium to watch soccer with his whole family to see their favorite team, San Lorenzo. He lamented that the fan scene is not what it used to be. At the worst, "people would yell at the referee that he was a bum, a scoundrel, a sellout ... nothing in comparison to the epithets they use today," he said.

-- Favorite city: "I love where I live. I love Buenos Aires." He has traveled in Latin America and parts of Europe, including Ireland "to improve my English." However, he said, "I always try to avoid traveling ... because I'm a homebody" and got homesick easily.

-- Favorite way to stay informed: Newspapers. He said he turned on the radio only to listen to classical music. He had thought he'd probably start using the Internet like his predecessor, the late-Cardinal Juan Carlos Aramburu of Buenos Aires, did -- "when he retired at 75."

-- Favorite mode of transport as cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires: The subway, which he would always take to get around "because it's fast; but if I can, I prefer the bus because that way I can look outside."

-- Favorite pastime: As a boy, he liked to collect stamps. Today, "I really like reading and listening to music."

-- Favorite authors and books: "I adore poetry by (Friedrich) Holderlin," a 19th-century lyric poet; Alessandro Manzoni's "The Betrothed" ("I Promessi Sposi"), which he said he has read at least four times; Dante Alighieri's "The Divine Comedy"; and anything by Fyodor Dostoevsky and Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.

The pope recalled that even though Borges was an agnostic, "he'd recite the 'Our Father' every evening because he had promised his mother he would, and died with a sense of 'religious comfort.'"

-- Favorite music: "Leonore" Overture No. 3 by Ludwig van Beethoven conducted by the late-Wilhelm Furtwangler, "who, in my opinion, is the best conductor of some of (Beethoven's) symphonies and works by Wagner."

-- Favorite dance style: tango, which he said he loves "very much. It's something that comes from within." He said he danced the tango when he was young "even though I preferred the milonga," which is an older form of tango with a faster rhythm.

-- Favorite movie: "Babette's Feast" because it shows the transformation of a group of people who took denial too far and didn't know what happiness was, he said. The sumptuous meal helps free them from their fear of love, he said. He also likes Italian neorealism films, which often confronted the social, economic and moral consequence of World War II, but added that as archbishop he didn't have much time to go to the movies.

-- Favorite painting: "The White Crucifixion" by Marc Chagall. The scene "isn't cruel, rather it's full of hope. It shows pain full of serenity. I think it's one of the most beautiful things Chagall ever painted."

-- Favorite person: His grandmother Rosa, who helped raise him when he was little, taught him his first words of Italian and passed on her deep religious sensibility.

-- Favorite saint he turns to in time of need: St. Therese of Lisieux. He kept a photo of her on his library shelf with a vase of white roses in front of it. "When I have a problem I ask the saint, not to solve it, but to take it in her hands and help me accept it."

-- Favorite virtue: "The virtue of love, to make room for others with a gentle approach. Meekness entices me enormously! I always ask God to grant me a meek heart," he said.

-- Worst vice to avoid: "The sin that repulses me most is pride" and thinking of oneself as a big shot. He said when it has happened to him, "I have felt great embarrassment and I ask God for forgiveness because nobody has the right to behave like this."

-- Typical reaction to unexpected announcements: He freezes. When Pope Francis was elected pope and appeared at the central balcony, many noticed he looked rather stiff. Turns out that's how he reacted when he was named auxiliary bishop in 1992 and how he reacts "to anything unexpected, good or bad, it's like I'm paralyzed," he said.

-- Things he would rescue in event of a fire: His breviary and appointment book, which also contains all of his contacts, addresses and telephone numbers. "It would be a real disaster to lose them."

"I'm very attached to my breviary; it's the first thing I open in the morning and the last thing I close when I go to sleep."

He also keeps tucked safe between its pages his grandmother's letters and her last words to her grandkids before she died. She said that in times of sadness, trouble or loss, to look to the tabernacle, "where the greatest and noblest martyr is kept," and to Mary at the foot of the cross so that they may "let fall a drop of salve on the deepest and most painful wounds."

LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS TO BE PRESIDED OVER BY POPE: APRIL–MAY

Vatican City, 3 April 2013 (VIS) – Following is the calendar of celebrations scheduled to be presided over by the Holy Father in the months of April and May, 2013.

APRIL

7 April, Second Sunday of Easter, or Divine Mercy Sunday: 5:30pm, Mass in the Basilica of St. John Lateran for the Bishop of Rome to take possession of the Roman cathedra.

14 April, Sunday:5:30pm, Mass in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls

21 April, Sunday:9:30am, Mass and priestly ordinations in St. Peter's Basilica.

28 April, Sunday:10:00am, Mass and confirmations in St. Peter's Square.

MAY

4 May, Saturday:6:00pm, Recitation of the Rosary in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

5 May, Sunday:10:00am, Mass for Confraternities in St. Peter's Square.

12 May, Sunday:9:30am, Mass and canonizations of Blesseds Antonio Primaldo and Companions; Laura di Santa Caterina da Siena Montoya y Upegui; and Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala.

18 May, Saturday:6:00pm, Pentecost Vigil in St. Peter's Square with the participation of ecclesial movements.

19 May, Pentecost Sunday: 10:00am, Mass in St. Peter's Square with the participation of ecclesial movements.

Pope: The joyful wonder of being Christian

Vatican Radio
April 4, 2013

Pope Francis celebrated morning Mass Thursday in Domus Sanctae Marthae together with staff of the Vatican Typography during which he spoke of the wonder of our encounter with the Risen Lord.

Continuing his reflections on the Pascal Mystery as presented in the Liturgy of the Word, Thursday in the Octave of Easter, Pope Francis noted how all of the readings speak of amazement and wonder: the crowds' amazement at Peter’s healing of the crippled man and the wonder of the disciples at the Risen Christ’s appearance to them.

"Wonder is a great grace, the grace that God gives us in our encounter with Jesus Christ. It is something that draws us outside of ourselves with joy ... it is not a mere enthusiasm" like that of sports fans "when their favorite team wins", but "it's something deeper". It is having an inner experience of meeting the Living Christ and thinking that it is not possible: "But the Lord helps us understand that is the reality. It is wonderful! "

"Perhaps, the opposite experience is more common, the [experience] that human weakness and even mental illness, or the devil, lead us to believe that ghosts, fantasies, are reality: that is not of God. This joy, that is so unbelievably great, is of God. And we think, 'No, this can’t be real!'. This is the Lord's. This wonder is the beginning of the habitual state of Christians. "

Pope Francis continued, "of course we cannot live forever in [a state of] wonder. No, we really cannot. But it is the beginning. Then, this astonishment leaves an impression in the soul and spiritual consolation. It is the consolation of those who have encountered Jesus Christ”.

Pope Francis concluded: "First wonder, then spiritual consolation and finally, the last step: peace. Even in the most painful tests, a Christian never loses the peace and presence of Jesus. With a little 'courage' we can pray: 'Lord, grant me this grace which is the hallmark of our encounter with you: spiritual consolation and peace'. A peace that we cannot lose because it is ours, it is the Lord's true peace that cannot be bought or sold. It is a gift from God. This is why we ask for the grace of spiritual consolation and peace of mind, that starts with this joyful wonder of our encounter with Jesus Christ. So be it. "

Pope Francis to Visit Rome’s Basilicas Before Pentecost (2013)
The Holy Father will canonize three saints, two of whom are Hispanics.



by ESTEFANIA AGUIRRE AND DAVID UEBBING/CNA/EWTN NEWS 04/04/2013 Comment

Pope Francis celebrates Palm Sunday Mass on March 24 in St. Peter's Square.
– Sabrina Fusco/CNA
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will be praying or celebrating Mass at all four of Rome’s major basilicas between now and Pentecost, as well as holding four public Masses in St. Peter’s Square.
The Holy See Press Office released on April 3 the places and times the Holy Father will be presiding over the seven public Masses that will be held between now and May 19.
After he was elected pope in 2005, Benedict XVI ordained priests for the Rome Diocese and celebrated Mass for Pentecost.
In 2005, Pope Benedict beatified two women, Sisters Marianne Cope and Ascension Nicol Goñi.
But Pope Francis will be going a step further and canonizing three saints, two of whom are Hispanics, even though canonizations typically take place during the month of October.
The future saints include Colombian Sister Laura di Santa Caterina da Siena Montoya and Upegui and Mexican Sister Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala.
Blessed Antonio Primaldo and Companions, from Italy, will also be canonized in the same Mass on May 12. He was an artist who led 800 men in refusing to convert to Islam during the 840 Turkish invasion of Italy, resulting in their martyrdom.
The new Pope will also preside over Masses or prayers in the four major basilicas of Rome.
On April 7, he will celebrate Mass in the Basilica of St. John Lateran at 5:30pm and officially take possession of the Roman cathedral as the Bishop of Rome.
The following Sunday, April 14, he will preside over Mass at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls at the same time of day.
On April 21, he will ordain priests at a 9:30am Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, and, the next Sunday, he will celebrate the sacrament of confirmation at a 10am Mass in St. Peter’s Square.
The weekend of May 4-5 will be a busy one, with Pope Francis leading the Rosary in the Basilica of St. Mary Major at 6pm on Saturday and then celebrating a Mass for confraternities in St. Peter’s Square at 10am on Sunday.
Pope Francis will finish off his string of public liturgies by celebrating the vigil of Pentecost on May 18 and Mass the next day for the solemnity itself. Both of the liturgies will take place in St. Peter’s Square and will include the participation of the numerous Church movements.

Pope: Learning to trust in the name that saves

Vatican Radio
April 5, 2013

We can only be saved in the name of Jesus Christ, no-one else can save us, not fortune tellers or tarot card readers. On Friday Pope Francis continued his reflections on how the Resurrection shapes our lives and human history during morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae chapel with employees from the Vatican Pharmacy. Emer McCarthy reports:

Commenting on the readings of the Friday the Octave of Easter, the Pope recalled St. Peter's words: " There is no salvation through anyone else." Peter, who had denied Jesus, now with courage, in prison, gives his testimony in front of the Jewish leaders, explaining that it is thanks to the invocation of the name of Jesus that he has healed a cripple. It is "the name that saves us."

However, Peter does not pronounce that name on his own strength, rather he is "filled with the Holy Spirit." In fact - said the Pope - "we cannot profess Jesus, we cannot talk about Jesus, we cannot say anything of Jesus without the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that impels us to profess Jesus, to speak about Jesus, to have faith in Jesus. Jesus who is always with us on our life’s journey”.

Pope Francis then told a story: "A humble man works in the curia of Buenos Aires. He has worked there for 30 years, he is the father of eight children. Before he goes out, before going out to do the things that he must do, he always says, 'Jesus!'. And I once asked him, 'Why do you always say' Jesus '?'. 'When I say' Jesus '- this humble man told me - I feel strong, I feel I can work, and I know that He is with me, that He keeps me safe'”.

Pope Francis continued: “This man never studied theology, he only has the grace of Baptism and the power of the Spirit. And this testimony, did me a lot of good too, because it reminds us that in this world that offers us so many saviors, it is only the name of Jesus that saves”.

Pope Francis concluded: “In order to solve their problems many people resort to fortune tellers and tarot cards. But only Jesus saves and we must bear witness to this! He is the only one. "

"Mary always leads us to Jesus," as she did at Cana when she said: "Do whatever he tells you”. Let us trust in the name of Jesus, let us invoke the name of Jesus, and let the Holy Spirit push us to say this prayer trusting in the name of Jesus ... it will do us all good."

A tale of two popes

Comparing Pope Emeritus Benedict, Pope Francis makes Catholics lose focus on important lessons

By Greg Erlandson
OSV (Our Sunday Visitor) Newsweekly
4/14/2013

I remember the excitement I felt when I was able to cover a papal election for the first time.

Standing in St. Peter’s Square on April 19, 2005, I saw the white smoke, saw the balcony doors open and heard the words Habemus Papam. As soon as we heard the name Joseph, most of us in the square knew who it was: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. The crowd cheered as the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Pope John Paul II’s right-hand man for two decades greeted them in his softly accented Italian.

But not all in the square were happy. Next to me was a group of American religious order priests and seminarians. While the seminarians whooped and hollered, the older priests were clearly less than enthusiastic. “That’s OK,” said one older guy to another as they left the square and the seminarians. “We’ll be back in five years.”

Pope Benedict XVI, I am willing to guess, confounded at least some of their dark imaginings. His encyclicals were unexpected (“God is Love”) and powerful (“Love in Truth”). His writings and talks had an engaging clarity to them as well as an intellectual breadth and depth that mark him, I believe, as one of our most brilliant theologian popes.

But for those unhappy middle-aged clerics, all of this was unforeseen.

Fast-forward eight years to the election of Pope Francis. The shoe, in many ways, is on the other foot now. Those who liked the liturgical adjustments of Pope Emeritus Benedict, who appreciated his intellectual rigor and the return to more traditional trappings and forms, are now the disappointed ones guessing how quickly they might return to the square.

It has not helped that those publications and commentators so suspicious of Pope Emeritus Benedict are now shouting hosannas to Pope Francis. Indeed, much of the negative reaction on one side of the aisle seems to be inspired by the celebrations on the other. If they like him, the logic goes, something must be wrong.

Whatever happened to all that rhetoric about the Holy Spirit?

I think it is time for all of us to take a deep breath. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a surprising choice. This might be the time to pay attention to what the Spirit may be telling us.

A few observations:

First, radicals are not elected popes. It’s not in the job description. St. Francis was a radical. The job of Pope Francis is to conserve. But popes can also demand our attention. Popes by themselves don’t engineer wild changes in direction or content, but they can refocus our attention on parts of the Gospel or Tradition.

Blessed Pope John Paul II gave us the New Evangelization. Pope Benedict XVI deepened this reflection and gave us the Year of Faith. Pope Francis may be showing us how to do what his predecessors have been teaching, pointing us outward by example of service, unity and love. By choosing the name Francis, he set the bar high for himself, but he also signaled to us that we might be more about evangelizing, serving and loving than determining who among our fellow Catholics are sheep and who are goats.

Second, the Church is wary of “ex-popes” for good reason. There is a painful history of anti-popes and disunity. Those who now seek to pit Pope Emeritus Benedict versus Pope Francis, or who claim that they are “Benedict men,” rather than “Francis men,” do a terrible disservice.

The Church can handle robust debate and discussion. What it needs is for all of us to observe what Pope Francis is trying to show us, and to reflect on what lessons he is trying to teach. Just maybe, this is what the Spirit feels we should be paying attention to.

Pope: “Faith cannot be negotiated, it requires courageous testimony”

Bergoglio said this during today’s homily in St. Martha’s House, nominating Franciscan leader, Carballo, as Secretary of Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life

STAFF
Vatican Insider
April 6, 2013

Courageously testifying faith in its entirety: this is the invitation Pope Francis sent out during the mass he presided in St. Martha’s House this morning. The Pope stressed that although some live faith superficially, martyrs of the Church do exist in today’s world. The mass was attended by an Argentinean family and some nuns from the Daughters of St. Camillus and the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity.

In his homily – Vatican Radio reports – the Pope commented on the reading in which Peter and John courageously testify the faith before Jewish leaders despite the threats made against them, while in the Gospel, the Risen Jesus condemns the apostles’ disbelief. So the Pope asked this question: “How is our faith going? Is it strong? Or is it sometimes a little bit superficial?” When the going gets tough “are we courageous like Peter or a bit lukewarm?” Peter – he pointed out– did not keep his faith on the low and did not make any compromises because “faith cannot be negotiated.” “Throughout history, the people of God have always been tempted to chop a piece off faith,” the Pope said. More or less everyone is tempted “not to be too rigid.” “But when we start to cut down on faith, to negotiate faith, selling it to the highest bidder – he emphasised – we take the path of apostasy, we begin to lack faith, lack faith in the Lord.”

Pope Francis emphasised that the Church has had many martyrs throughout its history, “because to find martyrs one doesn’t have to go down to the catacombs or to the Colosseum: martyrs are alive now, in many countries. Christians – Pope Francis stated –are persecuted for their faith. In some countries they cannot wear a cross: if they do so they are punished. Today, in the 21st century, our Church is a Church of martyrs.”

The Holy See Press Office reported that today, Pope Francis made his first Curia nomination: he chose the Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor (O.F.M.), José Rodriguez Carballo as Secretary for the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, raising him also to the dignity of Archbishop of Belcastro.

Fr. José Rodriguez Carballo was born in Lodoselo, in the diocese of Orense (Spain), on 11 August 1953 and entered the minor Seminary of the Franciscan Province of St. James of Compostela, in Castroverde de Campos (Zamora), in 1964. The following year he moved on to the Seminary of Herbon (La Coruña) and did his novitiate at the Ponteareas Convent, professing his temporary vows on 9 August 1971.

Carballo was elected Provincial Ministero f Santiago de Compostela in 1992 and was President of the Union Franciscan Provincial Ministers of Europe from 1993 to 1997. He was elected General Definer (adviser) of the Order in 1997 and was appointed Secretary General for Formation and Studies and Delegate of the Great Chancellor for the Pontifical Antonianum University (Rome). On 5 June 2003 he was elected Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, 119th successor of St. Francis of Assisi;on 4 June 2009 he was re-elected for another six years; on 23 November 2012 he was elected President of the Union of Superiors General. A Member of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, he took part in the Synods of Bishops of 2005, 2008 and 2012 and in the Synod for the Middle East in 2010. He also attended the 5th General Conference of the Latin American Episcopate in Aparecida, in 2007. Carballo has published some books and a number of articles on Consecrated and Religious Life, Pastoral Theology, sacred Scriptures and Franciscan spirituality; he speaks Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese and knows Latin and Biblical Greek and Hebrew.

Meanwhile, Martin Nesirky, the spokesman for the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, has announced that Ban will be received by Pope Francis in the Vatican this coming Tuesday. This will be the first face to face meeting between Jorge Mario Bergoglio and the UN Headquarters IN New York’s number one man and former South Korean minister of foreign affairs. Nesirky said the meeting will mainly deal with “development of UN-Holy See cooperation.” On the same day, Ban Ki-moon will also meet Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in the PM’s residence, Palazzo Chigi.

Pope Francis: do not be afraid to go forth and announce the Risen Christ

Vatican Radio
April 7, 2013

Pope Francis on Sunday urged the faithful to be courageous in proclaiming their faith.

Speaking to crowds of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Regina Coeli prayer, the Pope highlighted the fact that the eighth Sunday of Easter is also Divine Mercy Sunday, and he renewed his Easter greetings with the words of the Risen Christ: Peace be with you.

These words – he said – are not a simple greeting: they are a gift – the precious gift that Christ offered to his disciples after he rose from the dead.

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you…” And the Pope said "this peace is the fruit of the victory of God’s love over evil, it’s the fruit of forgiveness". And he said this is the true peace that comes from having experienced God’s mercy.

And speaking of the peace Jesus gave to the Apostles so that they could spread it in the world the Pope said we too must have the courage to be witnesses of the faith in the Risen Christ. We must not be afraid – he said – to be Christians and to live as Christians.

Pope Francis urged those listening to have the courage to go forth and to announce the Risen Christ because He is our peace, He made peace possible with his love and his forgiveness, with his blood and with his mercy.

And Pope Francis concluded his address announcing he would be celebrating Mass in the afternoon in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, and he invited those present to pray for the bishop and for the people of Rome in their journey of faith and charity.


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Pope: We are part of those who believe without seeing

Vatican City, Apr 7, 2013 / 07:12 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On the Feast of Divine Mercy, Pope Francis emphasized that when Jesus said “blessed are those who do not see and yet believe,” he was also referred to those who believed the testimony of the Apostles and everyone today who hears the witness of Christians and believes.

“And who were they who believed without seeing? Other disciples, men and women of Jerusalem that, while they did not meet the resurrected Jesus, believed in the testimony of the Apostles and the women,” Pope Francis said April 7 before a crowd of around 100,000 people.

The Pope made his remarks before praying the Regina Caeli from the window of the papal apartment that overlooks St. Peter’s Square.

He focused on the Gospel reading for today, which recalls the encounter between St. Thomas and Jesus after the resurrection.

When he first heard the news of the resurrection, the Pope noted that Thomas responded, “If I do not see and do not touch, I will not believe.”

But eight days later, Jesus appeared to the Apostles in the upper room and invited Thomas to look at his wounds, to touch them, and he exclaimed: “My Lord my God.”

“Jesus replied, ‘because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.’”

“This is a very important word on faith,” Pope Francis stated, adding that “we can call it the beatitude of faith.”

“At all times and in all places are blessed are those who, through the Word of God proclaimed in Church and witnessed by Christians, believe that Jesus Christ is the love of God incarnate, Mercy incarnate.

“And this is true for each of us!” he exclaimed.

The Pope then focused on the Christ’s mission for the Church of passing on to men “the remission of sins, and so grow the Kingdom of love, sowing peace in hearts.”

And this mission also extends to “relationships, societies and institutions,” he added.

Pope Francis concluded his reflections before the Regina Caeli by urging all Christians not to “be afraid of being a Christian and living as a Christian!”

After the Easter-time Marian prayer, Pope Francis offered a special greeting to parishioners from the nearby church of Santo Spirito in Sassia, which is a center of devotion to the Divine Mercy in Rome.

“Dear brothers and sisters, be witnesses and messengers of mercy God!” he encouraged them.

Finally, he welcomed the numerous ecclesial movements that were present, mentioning the Neocatechumenal Way members who will be engaged in evangelizing in the streets of Rome in the coming days.

Pope: have the courage to return to God

Vatican Radio
April 7, 2013

Pope Francis on Sunday celebrated Mass in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, during which he officially took possession of the Basilica.

Find below the full text of the Pope's homily.

It is with joy that I am celebrating the Eucharist for the first time in this Lateran Basilica, the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. I greet all of you with great affection: the very dear Cardinal Vicar, the auxiliary bishops, the diocesan presbyterate, the deacons, the men and women religious, and all the lay faithful. I offer my greetings, too, to the mayor and his wife, and to all the civil authorities. Together let us walk in the light of the risen Lord.

1. Today we are celebrating the Second Sunday of Easter, also known as “Divine Mercy Sunday”. What a beautiful truth of faith this is for our lives: the mercy of God! God’s love for us is so great, so deep; it is an unfailing love, one which always takes us by the hand and supports us, lifts us up and leads us on.

2. In today’s Gospel, the Apostle Thomas personally experiences this mercy of God, which has a concrete face, the face of Jesus, the risen Jesus. Thomas does not believe it when the other Apostles tell him: “We have seen the Lord”. It isn’t enough for him that Jesus had foretold it, promised it: “On the third day I will rise”. He wants to see, he wants to put his hand in the place of the nails and in Jesus’ side. And how does Jesus react? With patience: Jesus does not abandon Thomas in his stubborn unbelief; he gives him a week’s time, he does not close the door, he waits. And Thomas acknowledges his own poverty, his little faith. “My Lord and my God!”: with this simple yet faith-filled invocation, he responds to Jesus’ patience. He lets himself be enveloped by divine mercy; he sees it before his eyes, in the wounds of Christ’s hands and feet and in his open side, and he discovers trust: he is a new man, no longer an unbeliever, but a believer.

Let us also remember Peter: three times he denied Jesus, precisely when he should have been closest to him; and when he hits bottom he meets the gaze of Jesus who patiently, wordlessly, says to him: “Peter, don’t be afraid of your weakness, trust in me”. Peter understands, he feels the loving gaze of Jesus, and he weeps. How beautiful is this gaze of Jesus – how much tenderness is there! Brothers and sisters, let us never lose trust in the patience and mercy of God!

Let us think too of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus: their sad faces, their barren journey, their despair. But Jesus does not abandon them: he walks beside them, and not only that! Patiently he explains the Scriptures which spoke of him, and he stays to share a meal with them. This is God’s way of doing things: he is not impatient like us, who often want everything all at once, even in our dealings with other people. God is patient with us because he loves us, and those who love are able to understand, to hope, to inspire confidence; they do not give up, they do not burn bridges, they are able to forgive. Let us remember this in our lives as Christians: God always waits for us, even when we have left him behind! He is never far from us, and if we return to him, he is ready to embrace us.

I am always struck when I reread the parable of the merciful Father; it impresses me because it always gives me great hope. Think of that younger son who was in the Father’s house, who was loved; and yet he wants his part of the inheritance; he goes off, spends everything, hits rock bottom, where he could not be more distant from the Father, yet when he is at his lowest, he misses the warmth of the Father’s house and he goes back. And the Father? Had he forgotten the son? No, never. He is there, he sees the son from afar, he was waiting for him every hour of every day, the son was always in his father’s heart, even though he had left him, even though he had squandered his whole inheritance, his freedom. The Father, with patience, love, hope and mercy, had never for a second stopped thinking about him, and as soon as he sees him still far off, he runs out to meet him and embraces him with tenderness, the tenderness of God, without a word of reproach: he is back! And that is the joy of the Father. In that embrace of the son there is all of this joy: he is back! God is always waiting for us, he never grows tired. Jesus shows us this merciful patience of God so that we can regain confidence, hope – always! A great German theologian, Romano Guardini, said that God responds to our weakness by his patience, and this is the reason for our confidence, our hope (cf. Glaubenserkenntnis, Würzburg, 1949, p. 28). It is like a dialogue between our weakness and the patience of God, a dialogue that, if we will engage in it, gives us hope.

3. I would like to emphasize one other thing: God’s patience has to call forth in us the courage to return to him, however many mistakes and sins there may be in our life. Jesus tells Thomas to put his hand in the wounds of his hands and his feet, and in his side. We too can enter into the wounds of Jesus, we can actually touch him. This happens every time that we receive the sacraments with faith. Saint Bernard, in a fine homily, says: “Through the wounds of Jesus I can suck honey from the rock and oil from the flinty rock (cf. Deut 32:13), I can taste and see the goodness of the Lord” (On the Song of Songs, 61:4). It is there, in the wounds of Jesus, that we are truly secure; there we encounter the boundless love of his heart. Thomas understood this. Saint Bernard goes on to ask: What can I count on? On my own merits? No, “My merit is God’s mercy. I am by no means lacking merits as long as he is rich in mercy. If the mercies of the Lord are manifold, I too will abound in merits” (ibid., 5). This is important: the courage to trust in Jesus’ mercy, to trust in his patience, to seek refuge always in the wounds of his love. Saint Bernard even states: “So what if my conscience gnaws at me for my many sins? ‘Where sin has abounded, there grace has abounded all the more’ (Rom 5:20)” (ibid.). But some of us may think: my sin is so great, I am as far from God as the younger son in the parable, my unbelief is like that of Thomas; I don’t have the courage to go back, to believe that God can welcome me and that he is waiting for me, of all people. But God is indeed waiting for you; he asks of you only the courage to go to him. How many times in my pastoral ministry have I heard it said: “Father, I have many sins”; and I have always pleaded: “Don’t be afraid, go to him, he is waiting for you, he will take care of everything”. We hear many offers from the world around us; but let us take up God’s offer instead: his is a caress of love. For God, we are not numbers, we are important, indeed we are the most important thing to him; even if we are sinners, we are what is closest to his heart.

Adam, after his sin, experiences shame, he feels naked, he senses the weight of what he has done; and yet God does not abandon him: if that moment of sin marks the beginning of his exile from God, there is already a promise of return, a possibility of return. God immediately asks: “Adam, where are you?” He seeks him out. Jesus took on our nakedness, he took upon himself the shame of Adam, the nakedness of his sin, in order to wash away our sin: by his wounds we have been healed. Remember what Saint Paul says: “What shall I boast of, if not my weakness, my poverty? Precisely in feeling my sinfulness, in looking at my sins, I can see and encounter God’s mercy, his love, and go to him to receive forgiveness.

In my own life, I have so often seen God’s merciful countenance, his patience; I have also seen so many people find the courage to enter the wounds of Jesus by saying to him: Lord, I am here, accept my poverty, hide my sin in your wounds, wash it away with your blood. And I have always seen that God did just this – he accepted them, consoled them, cleansed them, loved them.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us be enveloped by the mercy of God; let us trust in his patience, which always gives us more time. Let us find the courage to return to his house, to dwell in his loving wounds, allowing ourselves be loved by him and to encounter his mercy in the sacraments. We will feel his tenderness, so beautiful, we will feel his embrace, and we too will become more capable of mercy, patience, forgiveness and love.

After the Mass, from the Loggia of the Archbasilica, the Holy Father greeted the faithful gathered outside the church, and offered them his blessing:

Brothers and sisters,

Buona sera! I thank you so much for your company in today's Mass. Thank you so much! I ask you to pray for me. I need it. Don't forget this. Thanks to all of you! And let us all go forward together, the people and the Bishop, all together, going forward always in the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus. He is always at our side.

May God bless you!

(He blessed the people.)

Many thanks! See you soon!

Pope Francis celebrates Mass of the Annunciation

Vatican Radio
April 8, 2013

For the Christian, "making progress" means "lowering oneself" on the road of humility in order allow God’s love to emerge and be clearly seen. This was the central focus of Pope Francis’ homily on Monday morning at Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae chapel. The liturgy was attended by some of the Sisters of Charity, who renewed their vows, the staff of the Vatican Television Center, the Brazilian Program of Vatican Radio, and the long-time Papal photographer, Arturo Mari.

The way of Christian humility rises up to God, as those who bear witness to it “stoop low” to make room for charity. The liturgical feast of the Annunciation occasioned this reflection from Pope Francis, as he celebrated the Annunciation Mass on Monday morning. The Pope said that the road taken by Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the imperial census was a road of humility. There was the humility of Mary, who “did not understand well,” but “[entrusted] her soul to the will of God.” Joseph was humble, as he “lowered himself” to take on the “great responsibility” of the bride who was with child.

“So it is always with God’s love,” said Francis, “that, in order to reach us, takes the way of humility.” This was the same way that Jesus walked, a way that humbled itself even unto the Cross. Pope Francis went on to say that, for a Christian, “[T]his is the golden rule,” according to which progress and advancement always come through lowering oneself. “One can take no other road,” he said, adding, “if I do not lower myself, if you do not lower yourself, you are not a Christian.”

Pope Francis went on to say, “Being humble does not mean going on the road,” with “downcast eyes.” Such was not the humility of Jesus, or his mother or his foster father, Joseph. The Holy Father underlined that the way of humility is the one that leads to the triumph of the Resurrection. “Let us ask God for the grace of humility,” he prayed, “that humility, which is the way by which charity surely passes,” for, “if there is no humility, love remains blocked, it cannot go [forward].”

Pope: The struggle to reject gossip

Vatican Radio
April 9, 2013

May the Holy Spirit bring peace to Christian communities and teach its members to be meek, refusing to speak ill of others. With this hope, Francis Pope concluded his homily at Mass Tuesday morning with staff from the Vatican medical services and office staff of the Vatican City Government. “The first Christian community is a timeless model for the Christian community of today, because they were of one heart and one soul, through the Holy Spirit who had brought them into a "new life". Emer McCarthy reports:

In his homily Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel passage that recounts the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, who did not immediately grasp how a man can be "born again”. Through the Holy Spirit, the Pope said, we are born into the new life which we ​​have received in Baptism." However, Pope Francis added, it is a life that has to be developed, it does not come automatically. We have to do all we can to ensure that our life develops into new life”, which may be “a laborious journey” but one that “depends chiefly on the Holy Spirit” as well as our ability to be “open to his breath”.

And this, the Pope pointed out, is exactly what happened to the early Christians. They had "new life", which was expressed in their living with one heart and one soul. They had, he said, "that unity, that unanimity, that harmony of feeling of love, mutual love ...". A dimension that needs to be rediscovered. He noted that today, for example, the aspect of "meekness in the community," is a somewhat ‘forgotten virtue’. Meekness is stigmatized, it has "many enemies”, the first of which is gossip.

Pope Francis further developed this reflection. “When we prefer to gossip, gossip about others, criticize others- these are everyday things that happen to everyone, including me – these are the temptations of the evil one who does not want the Spirit to come to us and bring about peace and meekness in the Christian community". "These struggles always exist" in the parish, in the family, in the neighborhood, among friends”. Instead through the Spirit we are born into a new life, he makes us “meek, charitable."

The Holy Father then outlined the correct behavior for a Christian. First, "do not judge anyone" because "the only Judge is the Lord." Then "keep quiet" and if you have something to say, say it to the interested parties, to those "who can remedy the situation," but "not to the entire neighborhood." "If, by the grace of the Holy Spirit – concluded Pope Francis - we succeed in never gossiping, it will be a great step forward" and "will do us all good".


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HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES, REGUGEES, HUMAN TRAFFICKING: CENTRAL THEMES OF POPE'S MEETING WITH UN SECRETARY-GENERAL

Vatican City, 9 April 2013 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience Mr. Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of the United Nations, with his wife and entourage. Secretary-General Ban later met with His Eminence, the Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop Antoine Camilleri, Under-Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States.

“The meeting,” reads the press communique, “which follows in the tradition of audiences granted by Popes to the various Secretaries-General of the United Nations who have held that position over the years, hopes to express the appreciation that the Holy See has for that Organization’s central role in the preservation of peace in the world, in the promotion of the common good of humanity, and in the defence of fundamental human rights.”

“During the course of the cordial conversations, issues of mutual interest were discussed, in particular: situations of conflict and serious humanitarian emergency, especially in Syria and other places such as the Korean peninsula and the African continent, where peace and stability are threatened. The problem of human trafficking was noted, in particular that of women, refugees, and migrants. The UN Secretary-General, who recently began his second term in this role, outlined his project for his second five-year mandate, which focuses, among other things, on conflict prevention, international solidarity, and equitable and sustainable economic development.”

“Pope Francis also recalled the Catholic Church’s contribution, beginning with her identity and through the means proper to her, in support of the entirety of human dignity and in promoting a Culture of Encounter that helps to realize the UN’s highest institutional goals.”

Audience: Living like God’s children [full text]

Vatican Radio
April 10, 2013

Below a Vatican Radio translation of the General Audience catechesis, Wednesday, April 10, 2013:


On the third day he rose again: the salvific meaning and purpose of the Resurrection

Dear Brothers and Sisters, good day!

in the last Catechesis we have focused on the event of the Resurrection of Jesus, in which women have played a special role. Today I would like to reflect on its meaning for salvation. What does the Resurrection mean for our lives? And why, without it, is our faith in vain? Our faith is based on the death and resurrection of Christ, just like a house built on foundations: if they give in, the whole house collapses. On the Cross, Jesus offered himself taking sins upon himself our and going down into the abyss of death, and in the Resurrection he defeats them, he removes them and opens up to us the path to be reborn to a new life. St. Peter expresses it briefly at the beginning of his First Letter, as we have heard: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you"(1:3-4).

The Apostle tells us that the Resurrection of Jesus is something new: we are freed from the slavery of sin and become children of God, that we are born to a new life. When does this happen to us? In the Sacrament of Baptism. In ancient times, it was normally received through immersion. Those to be baptized immersed themselves in the large pool within the Baptistery, leaving their clothes, and the bishop or the priest would pour water over their head three times, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then the baptized would emerge from the pool and put on a new vestment, a white one: they were born to a new life, immersing themselves in the death and resurrection of Christ. They had become children of God. In the Letter to the Romans Saint Paul writes: you " For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father! '"(Rom. 8:15). It is the Holy Spirit that we received in baptism that teaches us, leads us to say to God, "Father." Or rather, Abba Father. This is our God, He is a father to us. The Holy Spirit produces in us this new status as children of God, and this is the greatest gift we receive from the Paschal Mystery of Jesus. And God treats us as His children, He understands us, forgives us, embraces us, loves us even when we make mistakes . In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah said that even though a mother may forget her child, God never, ever forgets us (cf. 49:15). And this is a beautiful thing, beautiful!

However, this filial relationship with God is not like a treasure to be kept in a corner of our lives. It must grow, it must be nourished every day by hearing the Word of God, prayer, participation in the sacraments, especially the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist and charity. We can live as children! We can live as children! And this is our dignity. So let us behave as true children! This means that each day we must let Christ transform us and make us like Him; it means trying to live as Christians, trying to follow him, even if we see our limitations and our weaknesses. The temptation to put God to one side, to put ourselves at the center is ever-present and the experience of sin wounds our Christian life, our being children of God. This is why we must have the courage of faith, we must resist being led to the mentality that tells us: "There is no need for God, He is not that important for you". It is the exact opposite: only by behaving as children of God, without being discouraged by our falls, can we feel loved by Him, our life will be new, inspired by serenity and joy. God is our strength! God is our hope!

Dear brothers and sisters, we must first must firmly have this hope and we must be visible, clear, brilliant signs of hope in world. The Risen Lord is the hope that never fails, that does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5). God’s hope never disappoints!. How many times in our life do our hopes vanish, how many times do the expectations that we carry in our heart not come true! The hope of Christians is strong, safe and sound in this land, where God has called us to walk, and is open to eternity, because it is founded on God, who is always faithful. We should never forget this; God is always faithful! God is always faithful! Be risen with Christ through Baptism, with the gift of faith, to an imperishable inheritance, leads us to increasingly search for the things of God, to think of Him more, to pray more. Christianity is not simply a matter of following commandments; it is about living a new life, being in Christ, thinking and acting like Christ, and being transformed by the love of Christ, it is allowing Him take possession of our lives and change them, transform them, to free them from the darkness of evil and sin.

Dear brothers and sisters, to those who ask us our reasons for the hope that is in us (cf. 1 Pt 3:15), let us point to the Risen Christ. Let us point to Him with the proclamation of the Word, but especially with our resurrected life. Let us show the joy of being children of God, the freedom he gifts us to live in Christ, who is true freedom, freedom from the slavery of evil, sin and death! In looking to our heavenly home, we will also have a new light and strength in our commitment and in our daily efforts. It is a precious service that we give to our world, which is often no longer able to lift its gaze upwards, it no longer seems able to lift its gaze towards God.

Pope Francis: Mass with L'Osservatore Romano staff

Vatican Radio
April 11, 2013

Pope Francis continued his practice of celebrating morning Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he has been residing since the conclave that led to his election. In the congregation Thursday morning were employees of the Vatican’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano. The focus of his homily was the need to be attuned to the voice of God and docile to His promptings.

“To obey God,” said Pope Francis, “is to listen to Him, to have an open heart, to go on the road that God shows us.” The Holy Father went on to say, “This is what makes us free.” Pope Francis also spoke of the difficulties that often accompany our efforts to discern the true voice of God speaking to us. He said, “In our lives we hear things that do not come from Jesus,” adding, “our weaknesses at times lead us on [the wrong] road.”

Nevertheless, God does not leave us to our devices. He does not abandon us to our weakness and sinfulness. “It is precisely the Holy Spirit,” he said, “Who gives us the strength to go forward.” It is God who sends us His Spirit, “He sends His spirit without measure, [in order that we might] hear Jesus,” and walk in His way.

Pope Francis visits his Secretariat of State

Vatican Radio
April 12, 2013

On the eve of the 1-month anniversary of his election to the Papacy, Pope Francis visited the ‘Terza Loggia’ or Third Loggia of the Apostolic Palace Friday, home to his 'closest collaborators' and 'family', the Secretariat of State.

The two sections of the administrative arm of the Holy See are manned by 300 people under the guidance of the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

Cardinal Bertone greeted the Pope on behalf of his staff: “we are very pleased with this exceptional visit to the headquarters of the Secretariat of State. Here is the great family of your closest collaborators; the Secretariat of State that is, in fact, the real papal secretariat in the two sections: the General Affairs and the Section for Relations with States, with superiors and with all those responsible for the different sectors, with all employees. So you also see a variety of vocations that are represented here. We are grateful for your visit, we are excited by the momentum that you have given to the Petrine ministry and we hope that it will pervade, that it will animate us too in carrying out our mission not only with diligence, but above all with love and dedication for the good of the Church. We ask you for your blessing and pledge our devotion, our loyalty and our daily prayer”.

Pope Francis responded: “I thank Your Eminence for this greeting: Thank you so much for what you have expressed in this greeting…I thank you for welcoming me to the Secretariat of State. Why am I here today? To thank you, because I know that these days - tomorrow marks one month - you have worked a lot more, many hours more, and that you are not paid for this, because you have worked with your heart and this can only be repaid with a "thank you" but a “thank you” from the heart, no? So I wanted to come to greet you and thank you personally for all this work you have done. Thank you very much, from my heart. Thank you”.

The Holy Father then greeted each member of the 300 staff individually.

Pope: The unbreakable unity between Scripture and Tradition

Vatican Radio
April 12, 2013

On Friday Pope Francis received members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission at the end of their plenary assembly here at the Vatican on ‘inspiration and truth in the Bible’.

Pope Francis told them “the Holy Scriptures are the testimony in written form of God's Word, the canonical memorial that attests to the event of Revelation. The Word of God, therefore, precedes and exceeds the Bible. It is for this reason that the center of our faith is not only a book, but a history of salvation and especially a Person, Jesus Christ”.

Citing the Vatican II Dogmatic Constitution, Lumen Gentium, he said: “The interpretation of the Holy Scriptures cannot be only an individual scientific effort, but must always confront itself with, be inserted within and authenticated by the living tradition of the Church…. The texts inspired by God were entrusted to the Community of believers…to nourish the faith …respect for this profound nature of Scripture conditions the very validity and effectiveness of biblical hermeneutics”.

Thus the Holy Father concluded, any interpretation that is either “subjective or simply limited to an analysis incapable of embracing the global meaning that has constituted the Tradition of the entire People of God over the centuries” is simply insufficient.

In short there is an unbreakable unity between Scripture and Tradition.


Below a Vatican Radio translation of the full text of Pope Francis’ discourse to the Pontifical Biblical Commission, April 12, 2013.


Venerable Brother,
Dear Members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission,

I am pleased to welcome you at the end of your annual Plenary Assembly. I thank the President, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, for his greeting and summary of the topic that has been the subject of careful consideration in the course of your work. You have gathered again to study a very important topic: the inspiration and truth of the Bible. It is a matter that affects not only the individual believer, but the whole Church, for the life and mission of the Church is founded on the Word of God, which is the soul of theology and the inspiration of all Christian life .

As we know, the Holy Scriptures are the testimony in written form of God's Word, the canonical memorial that attests to the event of Revelation. The Word of God, therefore, precedes and exceeds the Bible. It is for this reason that the center of our faith is not only a book, but a history of salvation and especially a Person, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh. Precisely because the Word of God embraces and extends beyond Scripture to understand it properly we need the constant presence of the Holy Spirit who "guide us to all truth" (Jn 16:13). It should be inserted within the current of the great Tradition which, through the assistance of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Magisterium, recognized the canonical writings as the Word addressed by God to His people who have never ceased to meditate and discover its inexhaustible riches. The Second Vatican Council has reiterated this with great clarity in the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum: "For all of what has been said about the way of interpreting Scripture is subject finally to the judgment of the Church, which carries out the divine commission and ministry of guarding and interpreting the word of God "(n. 12).

As the aforementioned conciliar Constitution reminds us, there is an unbreakable unity between Scripture and Tradition, as both come from the same source: "There exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end. For Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity, so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known. Consequently it is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence "(ibid., 9).

It follows, therefore, that the exegete must be careful to perceive the Word of God present in the biblical texts by placing them within the faith of the Church. The interpretation of the Holy Scriptures cannot be only an individual scientific effort, but must always confront itself with, be inserted within and authenticated by the living tradition of the Church. This norm is essential to specify the correct relationship between exegesis and the Magisterium of the Church. The texts inspired by God were entrusted to the Community of believers, the Church of Christ, to nourish the faith and guide the life of charity. Respect for this profound nature of Scripture conditions the very validity and effectiveness of biblical hermeneutics. This results in the insufficiency of any interpretation that is either subjective or simply limited to an analysis incapable of embracing the global meaning that has constituted the Tradition of the entire People of God over the centuries, which “in credendo falli nequit" [cannot be mistaken in belief – ed](Conc Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. VAT. II, Dogmatic Cost. Lumen Gentium, 12).

Dear Brothers, I wish to conclude my talk by expressing my thanks to all of you and encouraging you in your important work. May the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, the Divine Teacher who opened the minds and hearts of his disciples to understand the Scriptures (cf. Lk 24:45), guide and support you always in your endeavors. May the Virgin Mary, model of docility and obedience to the Word of God, teach you to accept fully the inexhaustible riches of Sacred Scripture not only through intellectual pursuits, but in prayer and throughout your life of believers, especially in this Year of the Faith, so that your work will help to shine the light of Sacred Scripture in the hearts of the faithful. Wishing you a fruitful continuation of your activities, I invoke the light of the Holy Spirit and impart my Apostolic Blessing upon you all.

Pope Francis: triumphalism is a temptation of Christians

Vatican Radio
April 12, 2013

In following Christ, one walks with perseverance and without triumphalism, said Pope Francis in his homily during Friday morning’s Mass at Casa Santa Marta. The Mass was attended by personnel from Libreria Editrice Vaticana, including the director of the publishing house, Fr. Giuseppe Costa, as well as personnel from the Vatican pharmacy and perfume shop.

When God touches a person’s heart, the Pope said in his homily, he grants a grace that lasts a lifetime; he does not perform some “magic” that lasts but an instant. The Pope reflected on the climate of agitation immediately following the death of Jesus, when the behaviour and the preaching of the Apostles caught the attention of the Pharisees.

He picked up on the words of the Pharisee Gamaliel, cited in the Acts of the Apostles, who warns the Sanhedrin of the danger of attempts on the lives of Jesus’ disciples and reminds them how, in the past, the clamour generated by prophets found to be false subsided along with their followers. Gamaliel’s suggestion is to wait and see what will come of Jesus’ followers.

This “is wise advice even for our lives because time is God’s messenger,” Pope Francis observed. “God saves us in time, not in the moment. Sometimes he performs miracles, but in ordinary life, he saves us in time… in history … (and) in the personal story” of our lives.

The Pope added that God does not act “like a fairy with a magic wand”. Rather, he gives “grace and says, as he said to all those he healed, ‘Go, walk’. He says the same to us: ‘Move forward in your life, witness to everything the Lord does with us’ ”.

Pope Francis said “a great temptation” that lurks in the Christian life is triumphalism. “It is a temptation that even the Apostles had,” he said. Peter had it when he solemnly assured that he would not deny Jesus. The people also experienced it after the multiplication of the loaves.

“Triumphalism,” the Pope asserted, “is not of the Lord. The Lord came to Earth humbly; he lived his life for 30 years; he grew up like a normal child; he experienced the trial of work and the trial of the Cross. Then, in the end, he resurrected.”

“The Lord teaches that in life not everything is magical, that triumphalism is not Christian,” the Pope said. The life of the Christian consists of a normality that is lived daily with Christ.

“This is the grace for which we must ask: perseverance. Perseverance in our walk with the Lord, everyday, until the end,” he stated.

“That the Lord may save us from fantasies of triumphalism,” he concluded. “Triumphalism is not Christian, it is not of the Lord. The daily journey in the presence of God, this is the way of the Lord.”

Early Returns on Pope Francis’ Pontificate

NEWS ANALYSIS: It’s still too early to gauge what the Holy Father plans in some key areas, but after an impressive start a clearer picture is coming into focus.

BY EDWARD PENTIN
National Catholic Reporter
4/12/13

VATICAN CITY — Now that the world has had a chance to examine Pope Francis in some detail, a clearer picture of the Holy Father is emerging, one that gives some important clues about where this pontificate is heading.

Drawing on his words and actions, testimonies of those who know him, as well as his previous interviews and writings from the time he was cardinal, it’s clear that his overall concern, like that of every Successor of Peter, is to draw others to Christ and the Gospel.

“He will bring out the freshness of the Gospel,” says Father Alfonso Riobó Serván, director of the Spanish Catholic publication Palabra. “That’s his way.”

But his style and emphases differ from his predecessors. One consistent theme is his emphasis on the poor and reaching out to those on the margins of society — something most visibly and frequently seen in his warmth and affection for the disabled and the vulnerable in St. Peter’s Square.

“The Pope has always been centered on bringing Jesus to the actual people,” says Msgr. Mariano Fazio, head of Opus Dei in Argentina. “He has been called the ‘father of the poor, the pope of the people.’”

As archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio laid the foundation for an urban ministry that bore good fruit. His actions since becoming Pope, therefore, come as little surprise to those who know him.

Indeed, many would be surprised if he didn’t spontaneously minister to the homeless in Rome or invite the poor to have lunch with him at the Vatican (something, incidentally, that Benedict XVI did, but because the media didn’t cover these aspects of his pontificate, such gestures largely went unnoticed).

Further incidences of the Pope’s seemingly incongruous presence among the people can be expected. Ever since his election, he has sought to be closer to others than his predecessor, embracing the faithful literally and figuratively. He has preferred to describe himself as the “bishop of Rome” rather than pope, and has eschewed many of the externalities associated with the papacy, from wearing his own pectoral cross instead of the papal one, to choosing — at least for now — to live in a Vatican guesthouse rather than the apostolic palace. According to the website Vatican Insider, he recently confided to a friend that he prefers to live there because it is “less isolating” and so he can be “near the people.”

The Power of Service

This isn’t mere show either, but coherent with his own personal simplicity, professed love of meekness, and what he sees as a more effective method of evangelization. Stories abound of Cardinal Bergoglio’s simple and exemplary approach when interacting with others, and his readiness to pick up the telephone and be attentive to inquiries rather than have a secretary deal with such matters.

It’s also an approach consistent with his belief that true power is never imposed, but belongs to the one who serves.

“Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross,” he said at his inauguration.

He also wishes to teach the meaning of service through actions and gestures as much as through words. And when he does use words, he uses them sparingly and clearly. Pope Francis is no polyglot, nor is he a prolific writer like John Paul II or Benedict XVI. It’s conceivable, some say, that he may therefore not write an encyclical.

His liturgical tastes, too, are modest; he is said to be more interested in the heart of man than externals and canon law — an approach that has already unnerved some traditionalists. “His liturgical preferences are less solemn, more in the style of a parish priest,” says Father Riobó, but he believes that he “won’t touch” the Extraordinary Form of celebrating Mass and undo Benedict XVI’s work in that regard.

Even so, his devotion to the Eucharist, and particularly the sacrament of penance, are clear.

“The Pope has a great spiritual sense of worship and reaching out to every human being,” says Msgr. Fazio. “In Buenos Aires in recent years he has spontaneously promoted the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in parishes, and it is bearing spiritual fruit.” Furthermore, Msgr. Fazio is sure the Pope will “pay particular attention to Eucharistic adoration and the preaching of the Word.”

Curial Reforms

In terms of governance, Pope Francis is expected to reform the Roman Curia, despite it being an elusive goal for successive popes. The curia’s management and communications also need an overhaul. But most officials are people of integrity, despite the Vatileaks scandal drawing attention to a few “bad apples” who, according to some critics, hold Vatican positions. The Curia is the “least corrupt government that has been exemplary in many respects,” Cardinal Julian Herranz, one of the three to lead a commission of inquiry into Vatileaks, said in February.

Still, many such as papal biographer George Weigel believe reform is vital. “The cast of mind in the Roman Curia must be changed,” Weigel wrote in the journal First Things, “so that the entire Curia thinks of itself as its many good people now do: as servants of the New Evangelization, not as the twenty-first-century version of a papal court.”

But if Pope Francis does enact radical change, it will be a while in coming. In El Jesuita, a 2010 book of interviews with Cardinal Bergoglio, he said he distrusts his first impulses and has learned to take his time. “Once I am more tranquil, after I have passed through the crucible of solitude, I draw near to that which I must do,” he said. “But no one can save me from the solitude of decisions. One can ask for advice but, in the end, one must decide alone.”

Yet many contend he’s well suited to the task. As head of Argentina’s Jesuits in the 1970s — a troubled time throughout Latin America — then-Father Bergoglio showed some gritty resolve when it came to management and in opposing liberation theology, firm in the belief that it is the Gospel, and not ideology, that brings true liberty. As cardinal, Pope Francis reportedly administered well, and did much himself, rarely seeing the need for a secretary or outside help.

As Pope, his approach to appointments will be crucial. One common observation of Benedict XVI was that he would choose those he knew and trusted over others who might be better qualified, and would then remain fiercely loyal to them. While this had its advantages, it sometimes meant the best person for a position was overlooked.

Francis’ approach to choosing aides is likely to be based more on merit. He is said to have “an eye for talent,” but like Benedict, he also listens and consults.

Msgr. Fazio believes the Pope’s “austerity and a sense of personal practicality” will impact his probable approach to reform. But he adds: “We should not expect abrupt signs, but a practical continuity, solving problems and putting in order, step by step, those things that need to be sorted, while promoting those that need to be promoted.”

“Certainly,” Msgr. Fazio continues, “his vision, coming from outside the Curia, will serve to introduce a new atmosphere to those working in the Vatican.”

New Secretary of State

The key position that needs to be urgently filled is that of secretary of state, responsible for overseeing the running of the Curia and the diplomatic service. The outgoing secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, was regarded as an outsider — a theologian rather than a diplomat who usually fills the role.

Pope Francis is most likely, therefore, to revert to choosing a diplomat. Several names are being mentioned, including Archbishop Pietro Parolin, a respected former deputy “foreign minister” at the Vatican who now serves as the papal nuncio to Venezuela. But others are suggesting Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a former deputy governor of the Vatican who tried to root out internal corruption under Benedict, but appeared to be pushed out by those who resented his efforts, something the Vatican strenuously denied. In 2011, Viganò was sent to be apostolic nuncio to the United States, despite pleas to remain in the Vatican in order to root out malpractices.

Other names include Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president of the commission governing Vatican City State. and Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples — both respected diplomats with curial experience at the highest levels.

Another important Vatican figure Pope Francis may change is that of prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Currently it is headed by a friend of Benedict, German Archbishop Gerhard Müller. But Pope Francis may wish to have someone of similar mind to himself in such a pivotal position. Similarly, many believe he will change the priest in charge of papal liturgies — currently Msgr. Guido Marini — and replace him with someone who favors his own \approach to worship.

In El Jesuita, the Pope explains that he is not a great traveler (his first visit abroad wasn’t until 1970, to Colombia), and he describes himself as a casalingo — an Italian word, best described as “homebody” in English. For these reasons, sources say Pope Francis will travel less than his predecessors, although he already is visiting Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day in July and will most probably visit Argentina in December.

In terms of external issues, Pope Francis is unlikely to be any different to those of his predecessors, but there will be a change of emphasis. Father Robert Sirico, president and co-founder of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, foresees “a subtle shift away from the issues that preoccupy Europe, which is not to say renunciation, but a shift toward other issues that occupy the Americas and the developing world.”

Francis is hard to pigeonhole as a “conservative” or “liberal” when it comes to politics or economics, partly because he has written so little compared to his predecessors. He comes from a country that is “corporatist, mercantilist and almost fascist,” Father Sirico says, but although he feels the Pope will veer towards supporting the welfare state, he also has a “rich understanding of the importance of work and paying one’s bills.”

Moreover, Father Sirico notes that his fierce opposition to liberation theology and yet his closeness to the poor “tells you that there’s a different way of doing the Gospel than this movement that swept through Latin America.” In sum, Father Sirico, whose institute has close links with Argentina, believes Pope Francis takes a similar approach to such technical questions as he does to the liturgy. “He’s not really concerned with the details,” he says.

What to Expect

But the Holy Father is expected to uphold all the core Church teachings, as any other pope would. Unlike some of his fellow Jesuits, Jorge Bergoglio was not known to be a dissenter from Church teaching. Indeed, many of his associates are said to be concerned that he might set about reforming the Ignatian order. “If he accomplishes cleaning up the Curia and reforming the Jesuits, he will have achieved a great deal,” says Father Sirico. “I’m assured by people who know him that he will do it.”

As well as not tampering with the Church’s teaching on faith and morals, Francis is also very unlikely to change the Latin Church’s celibacy tradition. But given his recent remarks, he will probably step up Vatican’s initiatives in interreligious dialogue and ecumenism, particularly with Islam, Judaism and the Orthodox Church. He will also underline the importance of safeguarding creation and promoting peace, and continue Benedict XVI’s efforts to increase leadership roles for women in the Vatican (he has already praised the role of women in the Church several times).

But so far, he hasn’t addressed abortion, same-sex “marriage” and euthanasia, despite speaking out forcefully on these issues in Argentina. Nor has he mentioned threats to religious freedom. A possible reason can be found in El Jesuita where he recalls that Benedict XVI chose not to criticize the Spanish government’s anti-Church policies when he visited in 2006, preferring to focus on the positive, unifying issues both held in common.

Like his predecessor, he wishes to avoid portraying the faith as a series of prohibitions and instead draw attention to the wider and more positive picture. The Christian life, he says, is a treasure whose implications go “much further than mere sexual questions” and focus should be on these. “We overlook a very rich catechesis, with the mysteries of the faith, the creed, and we end up concentrating on whether or not to participate in a demonstration against a draft law in favor of the use of condoms,” he says.

Such an approach already appears to be bearing fruit. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, a former Marxist who once participated in the militant activities of the communist group National Liberation Command, came to Rome for Pope Francis’ inauguration on March 19th. But she did so reluctantly, sources tell the Register, and really did not wish to have a meeting with the Holy Father. Although the Brazilian government has generally good relations with the Church, Rousseff and her ministers differ with the Church on its teachings on issues such as same-sex “marriage” and abortion.

But sources who attended the meeting between the two leaders say Rousseff was “moved to tears” when the Pope praised her for her concern for the poor, and in particular her decision to break off from a scheduled trip to meet victims of a nightclub fire in southern Brazil that killed more than 230 people in January.

“She was very moved,” a Vatican official said. “He thanked her for all she had done for the poor, and said he was going to visit Brazil and visit the national shrine in Aparecida.”

Impressive Start

It remains to be seen how the Holy Father will keep detractors onside when these issues have to be raised, but for now he has made an impressive start.

Already a pontificate is emerging very much in “spiritual continuity” with past popes, but also with a distinctive, reforming style, aimed at winning hearts and minds not for himself, but for Christ.