Neonatal unit infants, and a hospice for the terminally ill received visits from Pope Francis last Friday, where he stressed the dignity of human life from conception to natural death. The visits are the latest in the Pope’s “Mercy Friday” initiatives, to spend time with various groups each month during the Jubilee of Mercy. In Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Pope Francis’
Day of prayer for clerical sexual abuse survivors
Friday, September 16th, 2016
A clerical sexual abuse survivor’s suggestion has led the Pope’s Commission for the Protection of Minors to adopt a Day of Prayer for victims of sexual abuse. Pope Francis announced the Day of Prayer on Monday, following a week-long meeting of the Commission. The Commission, has a mandate to develop and educate the church about Read more
Divorced remarried Catholics may receive Sacraments
Friday, September 16th, 2016
Divorced remarried Catholics and those living “in irregular situations” are able to receive holy communion in some cases, Pope Francis says. In a letter to the bishops of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis has praised their proposals for implementing Amoris Laetitia, including access to the sacraments for those in “irregular family situations,” Vatican Radio reports. The document Read more
Slain French priest may be made a saint
Friday, September 16th, 2016
Jacques Hamel, the French priest brutally slain by two ISIS sympathizers as he was celebrating Mass in late July, is a martyr, Pope Francis says. This suggests sainthood for the murdered priest may not be far off. The pontiff also said that killing in the name of God is “satanic.” On Wednesday morning, Francis celebrated Read more
Clergy seeking personal gain instead of helping others rebuked
Friday, September 16th, 2016Clergy seeking personal gain rather than helping those in need do not follow the spirit of Jesus who took upon himself the sufferings of others, Pope Francis said. Jesus often would rebuke leaders who use their positions for personal gain and warned his followers to “do what they say, but not what they do,” the Read more
Anglicans look to Pope as role model of Christian leadership
Tuesday, September 13th, 2016Anglicans see Pope Francis as a role model and are among the thousands of pilgrims and visitors present in St Peter’s Square for the Pope’s general audience. Last Wednesday a group of Anglicans from all over the world taking part in a week long study course on Christian leadership were among the pilgrims. Organised by Read more
World leaders, CEOs and Economists to meet at Vatican
Friday, September 9th, 2016
Global leaders, including presidents, chairmen, CEOs of the world’s top companies and also prestigious economists will be addressed by Pope Francis when they meet at the Vatican in December for the 2016 Fortune/Time Global Forum The unprecedented gathering will convene select global Fortune 500 CEOs, members of the Time 100 and non-profit, academic, religious and Read more
D.I.Y faith, using God to defend self-interest not good
Friday, September 9th, 2016
DIY faith and making Jesus into the person we want him to be creates obstacles to a true relationship with Christ and his mercy says Pope Francis. “The admonition of Jesus is always present: even today man constructs images of God that prevent him from enjoying his real presence,” the Pope said during the general Read more
St Teresa of Kolkata: pro-life and pro-poverty
Tuesday, September 6th, 2016
St Teresa of Kolkata may have just been made a saint but she has some strong adversaries. Some, like Christopher Hichens who once described her as “a lying, thieving Albanian dwarf”, say she was no friend of the poor but a friend of poverty. To others – both Catholic and otherwise, she “… was a Read more
Pope says its a sin to destroy nature
Tuesday, September 6th, 2016
Environmental destruction is a sin. In what can be called a very drastic and radical departure from traditional Catholic concepts of “sin,” “charity” and good deeds, Pope Francis has actually called the act of destroying environment a “sin.” This is perhaps the first time a leader of an Abrahamic religion has spoken so much about Read more