Pope Francis marked his third day as pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church by distributing 40,000 copies of the Gospel of Luke in St. Peter’s Square.
During his weekly blessing on Sunday, Pope Francis reinforced his message of mercy by telling the faithful about the Biblical story of the adulterous woman whom Jesus refused to condemn.
“This woman represents all of us, adulterers before God, traitors of his trust. And her experience represents the will of God for all of us: Not our condemnation, but our salvation through Jesus,” the pope said.
Pope Francis began his papacy in 2013 by stressing a mercy-over-morals message.
A report by Reuters, however, said three years after the election of Pope Francis, Catholic conservatives worry that “behind the gentle facade lies a dangerous reformer who is diluting Catholic teaching on moral issues like homosexuality and divorce.”
The report said conservatives are also worried about the pope’s drive to devolve decision-making power on several issues from the Vatican to regional, national or diocesan levels, in has been called “a healthy decentralization.”
US Secretary of State John Kerry, meanwhile, thanked Pope Francis for his role in renewing the country’s diplomatic ties with Cuba.
“The Holy Father was instrumental in encouraging talks between our two countries, and the United States will continue to seek his support as we proceed with our renewed bilateral relationship with Cuba,” Kerry said in a statement quoted by Vatican Radio.
Sources
Reuters
AP/NBC News
Fox News Latino
Vatican Radio
Image: Fox News Latino