Demanding

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex23h

Let us ask Mary to help us fix our eyes intently on Jesus, to follow him always, even when this is demanding.

Silence

August 31, 2013 (Romereports.com) Each month the Vatican releases the Pope's prayer intentions. In September, the general prayer intentions will be so that “men and women today, often overwhelmed by hassles, will rediscover the value of silence and learn how to hear God and their brothers.”


Meanwhile, the missionary intentions will focus on persecuted Christians, “so that they can witness God's love.”

Center

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex11h

Faith is not something decorative or for show. To have faith means to put Christ truly at the centre of our lives

Face

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex29 Aug

The love of God is not something vague or generic; the love of God has a name and a face: Jesus Christ.

Gate

Let us allow Jesus into our lives, and leave behind our selfishness, indifference and closed attitudes to others.

Jesus is the gate opening up to salvation, a gate open to everyone.

Inclusion

August 26, 2013. (Romereports.com) Pope Francis addressed the topic of salvation and inclusion during Sunday's Angelus, before thousands of pilgrims at St. Peter's Square. Speaking on Sunday's Gospel he said that Jesus does not exclude anyone when it comes to salvation, and letting them through God's door to Heaven.

POPE FRANCIS

“Some of you might tell me, but Father, surely I will be excluded, because I am a great sinner, I've done bad things in my life. No! You are not excluded! Precisely for that reason you are preferred, because Jesus prefers the sinner, always, in order to pardon him, to love him. Jesus is waiting for you, to embrace you, to pardon you.” 

He went on to say that being a Christian is not just a label. A true Christian, he added, must be witness to faith through prayer, and by promoting charity and justice. 

At the end of the Angelus, and for the second week in row, he echoed his call for peace in Syria. His appeal comes at a time when international pressure mounts, amid claims that the Syrian government used chemical weapons. 

POPE FRANCIS 

“With great suffering and concern I continue to follow the situation in Syria. The increase in violence in a war between brothers, with the proliferation of massacres and atrocities, that we all have been able to see in the terrible images of these days, leads me once again raise my voice that the clatter of arms may cease. It is not confrontation that offers hope to resolve problems, but rather the ability to meet and dialogue.” 

He expressed his condolences for all the people affected by the war in Syria, but especially the children. Last week, the United Nations said that over one million children are now refugees from the conflict, while another two million have been displaced inside Syria. 

He closed off his remarks asking for people to keep the “hope of peace” alive, and for the international community to do all it can to help find a solution to the three-year conflict in Syria. 

Pure Mercy

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex3h

Don’t be afraid to ask God for forgiveness. He never tires of forgiving us. God is pure mercy.

Outside Ourselves

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex22h

Lord, teach us to step outside ourselves. Teach us to go out into the streets and manifest your love.

Beatitudes & 10 Virgins

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex21 Aug

An excellent program for our lives: the Beatitudes and Matthew Chapter 25

Part-time

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex19 Aug

We cannot be Christians part-time. If Christ is at the center of our lives, he is present in all that we do.

Egypt

POPE FRANCIS

“We continue to pray for peace in Egypt together, Mary Queen of Peace pray for us.”

During his Angelus remarks, Pope Francis spoke on the Gospel reading for the day, which, coincidentally, dealt with peace, and how violence is incompatible with faith.

He said the Gospel's message explained that Jesus set the criteria for which to live by peacefully: live for God or live for oneself, to serve or be served. But he added that living in peace, does not mean being neutral.

POPE FRANCIS

“Jesus does not portray neutrality. This peace is not a compromise at all costs. To follow Jesus, means to renounce all evil and egoism, to do good, and choose truth and justice.”

However, the Pope went on to condemn all forms of violence, saying that the words of the Gospel do not authorize the use of the force to spread the faith. 

POPE FRANCIS

“Just the opposite: the true strength of Christians is the power of truth and love, which means renouncing all forms of violence. Faith and violence are incompatible! Faith and violence are incompatible! Instead, faith and fortitude go hand in hand. A Christian is not violent.”

During his remarks, Pope Francis also added that faith is not meant to be a decorative or ornamental item, but that is should be at the center of each person's life. 

Hunger, Elderly

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex17 Aug

We cannot sleep peacefully while babies are dying of hunger and the elderly are without medical assistance.

struggle, resurrection, hope.

POPE FRANCIS 

“Through the light of this beautiful icon, of our mother, we can analyze the message inside the today's biblical readings. We can focus on three words, struggle, resurrection, hope.” 

The first term, according to Pope Francis, addresses the inherent struggle between good and evil, and how Our Lady plays an important role in guiding the world along this struggle. 

POPE FRANCIS 

“Mary joins us, she fights at our side. She supports Christians in the fight against the forces of evil. Especially through prayer, through the rosary. Hear me out, the rosary... Do you pray the Rosary each day? I don't know, are you sure? There we go!” 

The Pope continued saying that Our Lady had shared in the struggles of her son, Jesus Christ. She suffered along with him, and so when Jesus resurrected, she was also given redemption. 

POPE FRANCIS 

“Our Mother, we can add, represents us. she is our Sister, our first Sister to be granted redemption and taken to Heaven.” 

Because of her suffering and redemption, Our Lady is also the most iconic image of hope, Pope Francis said. She is close to those who suffer throughout the world, and she provides them the hope to overcome their struggle. 

POPE FRANCIS

“Unfortunately, painful news has come from Egypt. I wish to ensure my prayers for all the victims and their families, the injured and all those who are suffering. Let us pray together for peace, dialogue and reconciliation in that dear nation and throughout the world. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us. Let's all say it, Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.”

He issued his remarks before thousands of people who had gathered to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Liberty Square in Castel Gandolfo. The Pope also said that it has now been 25 years since John Paul II issued the Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem, about the dignity and vocation of women. He urged the faithful to analyze the role of women in the Church.

POPE FRANCIS

“This document is rich in ideas that deserve to be renewed and developed; and at the foundation of it all is the figure of the Virgin Mary.”

The Pope also said that each affirmative answer to God, as with the example of Our Lady, is one step closer to Heaven.

Mary

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex23h

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, and guide us on the way that leads to Heaven.

Children

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex13 Aug

To be children of God, and brothers and sisters to one another: this is the heart of the Christian experience.

Champions

POPE FRANCISCO
“People follow you, not just inside the field, but outside as well. This is a social responsibility. Let me explain: in the game, when you're in the field, you find beauty, gratitude and camaraderie. If a game is missing this, it loses strength, even if there's a winner.”

POPE FRANCIS
“Before being champions, you are men, human beings, with your virtues and defects, with a heart and ideas, aspirations and problems. So now, even though you are well known, always remember to be men, in sport and in life. Men, who display humanity.”

Make sense

August 12, 2013. (Romereports.com) Pope Francis prayed Sunday's Angelus before thousands of pilgrims that gathered at St. Peter's Square, despite the intense August heat in Rome. Following the days evangelical messages, the Pope explained where to find a true treasure and invited the faithful to discover the value of God's love. 

POPE FRANCIS

“A love that gives strength to the family, work, to friendship, art and all human activity. And that makes sense out of all the negative experiences, because it allows, this love, to

go beyond these experiences. To go beyond, and not remain prisoners in that evil, it allows us to move forward, it opens us to hope. God's love in Jesus always opens us to hope, to that horizon of hope, the horizon at the end of our pilgrimage. This way even fatigue and the falls can make sense. Even our

sins can find sense within God's love, because God's love in Jesus Christ always forgives us, He loves us so much, he

always forgives.”

After the Angelus, the Pope sent a special greeting to Muslims as they celebrated the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

POPE FRANCIS

“I would like to send a greeting to Muslims across the entire world, our brothers, who until recently had celebrated the conclusion of the month of Ramadan, dedicated in a particular way to fasting, to prayer and to charity. As I wrote in my message for this occasion, I wish that Christians and Muslims will work to promote mutual respect, especially through the education of newer generations.”

The Pope also reminded the faithful that on Thursday is the celebration for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, a feast he will celebrate at Castel Gandolfo, just as his predecessors did.

Separate

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex2h

One cannot separate Christ and the Church. The grace of Baptism gives us the joy of following Christ in and with the Church.

Clay

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex5h

We are all jars of clay, fragile and poor, yet we carry within us an immense treasure.

Mission

This year, as we celebrate World Mission Day, the Year of Faith, which is an important opportunity to strengthen our friendship with the Lord and our journey as a Church that preaches the Gospel with courage, comes to an end. From this perspective, I would like to propose some reflections. 

1. Faith is God’s precious gift, which opens our mind to know and love him. He wants to enter into relationship with us and allow us to participate in his own life in order to make our life more meaningful, better and more beautiful. God loves us! Faith, however, needs to be accepted, it needs our personal response, the courage to entrust ourselves to God, to live his love and be grateful for his infinite mercy. It is a gift, not reserved for a few but offered with generosity. Everyone should be able to experience the joy of being loved by God, the joy of salvation! It is a gift that one cannot keep to oneself, but it is to be shared. If we want to keep it only to ourselves, we will become isolated, sterile and sick Christians. The proclamation of the Gospel is part of being disciples of Christ and it is a constant commitment that animates the whole life of the Church. Missionary outreach is a clear sign of the maturity of an ecclesial community" (BENEDICT XVI, Verbum Domini, 95). Each community is "mature" when it professes faith, celebrates it with joy during the liturgy, lives charity, proclaims the Word of God endlessly, leaves one’s own to take it to the “peripheries”, especially to those who have not yet had the opportunity to know Christ. The strength of our faith, at a personal and community level, can be measured by the ability to communicate it to others, to spread and live it in charity, to witness to it before those we meet and those who share the path of life with us. 

2. The Year of Faith, fifty years after the beginning of the Second Vatican Council, motivates the entire Church towards a renewed awareness of its presence in the contemporary world and its mission among peoples and nations. Missionary spirit is not only about geographical territories, but about peoples, cultures and individuals, because the "boundaries" of faith do not only cross places and human traditions, but the heart of each man and each woman. The Second Vatican Council emphasized in a special way how the missionary task:, that of broadening the boundaries of faith, belongs to every baptized person and all Christian communities; since “the people of God lives in communities, especially in dioceses and parishes, and becomes somehow visible in them, it is up to these to witness Christ before the nations" (Ad gentes, 37). Each community is therefore challenged, and invited to make its own, the mandate entrusted by Jesus to the Apostles, to be his "witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8) and this, not as a secondary aspect of Christian life, but as its essential aspect: we are all invited to walk the streets of the world with our brothers and sisters, proclaiming and witnessing to our faith in Christ and making ourselves heralds of his Gospel. I invite Bishops, Priests, Presbyteral and Pastoral Councils, and each person and group responsible in the Church to give a prominent position to this missionary dimension in formation and pastoral programmes, in the understanding that their apostolic commitment is not complete unless it aims at bearing witness to Christ before the nations and before all peoples. This missionary aspect is not merely a programmatic dimension in Christian life, but it is also a paradigmatic dimension that affects all aspects of Christian life. 

3. The work of evangelization often finds obstacles, not only externally, but also from within the ecclesial community. Sometimes there is lack of fervour, joy, courage and hope in proclaiming the Message of Christ to all and in helping the people of our time to an encounter with him. Sometimes, it is still thought, that proclaiming the truth of the Gospel means an assault on freedom. Paul VI speaks eloquently on this: "It would be... an error to impose something on the consciences of our brethren. But to propose to their consciences the truth of the Gospel and salvation in Jesus Christ, with complete clarity and with total respect for free options which it presents... is a tribute to this freedom" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 80). We must always have the courage and the joy of proposing, with respect, an encounter with Christ, and being heralds of his Gospel. Jesus came amongst us to show us the way of salvation and he entrusted to us the mission to make it known to all to the ends of the earth. All too often, we see that it is violence, lies and mistakes that are emphasized and proposed. It is urgent in our time to announce and witness to the goodness of the Gospel, and this from within the Church itself. It is important to never to forget a fundamental principle for every evangelizer: one cannot announce Christ without the Church. Evangelization is not an isolated individual or private act; it is always ecclesial. Paul VI wrote, "When an unknown preacher, catechist or Pastor, preaches the Gospel, gathers the little community together, administers a Sacrament, even alone, he is carrying out an ecclesial act." He acts not "in virtue of a mission which he attributes to himself or by a personal inspiration, but in union with the mission of the Church and in her name" (ibid. 60). And this gives strength to the mission and makes every missionary and evangelizer feel never alone, but part of a single Body animated by the Holy Spirit. 

4. In our era, the widespread mobility and facility of communication through new media have mingled people, knowledge, experience. For work reasons, entire families move from one continent to another; professional and cultural exchanges, tourism, and other phenomena have also led to great movements of peoples. This makes it difficult, even for the parish community, to know who lives permanently or temporarily in the area. More and more, in large areas of what were traditionally Christian regions, the number of those who are unacquainted with the faith, or indifferent to the religious dimension or animated by other beliefs, is increasing. Therefore it is not infrequent that, some of the baptized make lifestyle choices that lead them away from faith, thus making them need a "new evangelization". To all this is added the fact, that a large part of humanity has not yet been reached by the good news of Jesus Christ. We also live in a time of crisis that touches various sectors of existence, not only the economy, finance, food security, or the environment, but also those involving the deeper meaning of life and the fundamental values that animate it. Even human coexistence is marked by tensions and conflicts that cause insecurity and difficulty in finding the right path to a stable peace. In this complex situation, where the horizon of the present and future seems threatened by menacing clouds, it is necessary to proclaim courageously and in very situation, the Gospel of Christ, a message of hope, reconciliation, communion, a proclamation of God's closeness, his mercy, his salvation, and a proclamation that the power of God’s love is able to overcome the darkness of evil and guide us on the path of goodness. The men and women of our time needs the secure light that illuminates their path and that only the encounter with Christ can give. Let us bring to the world, through our witness, with love, the hope given by faith! The Church’s missionary spirit is not about proselytizing, but the testimony of a life that illuminates the path, which brings hope and love. The Church – I repeat once again – is not a relief organization, an enterprise or an NGO, but a community of people, animated by the Holy Spirit, who have lived and are living the wonder of the encounter with Jesus Christ and want to share this experience of deep joy, the message of salvation that the Lord gave us. It is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church in this path. 

5. I would like to encourage everyone to be a bearers of the good news of Christ and I am grateful especially to missionaries, to the Fidei Donum priests, men and women religious and lay faithful - more and more numerous – who by accepting the Lord's call, leave their homeland to serve the Gospel in different lands and cultures. But I would also like to emphasize that these same young Churches are engaging generously in sending missionaries to the Churches that are in difficulty - not infrequently Churches of ancient Christian tradition – and thus bring the freshness and enthusiasm with which they live the faith, a faith that renews life and gives hope. To live in this universal dimension, responding to the mandate of Jesus: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28, 19) is something enriching for each particular Church, each community, because sending missionaries is never a loss, but a gain. I appeal to all those who feel this calling to respond generously to the Holy Spirit, according to your state in life, and not to be afraid to be generous with the Lord. I also invite Bishops, religious families, communities and all Christian groups to support, with foresight and careful discernment, the missionary call ad gentes and to assist Churches that need priests, religious and laity, thus strengthening the Christian community. And this concern should also be present among Churches that are part of the same Episcopal Conference or Region, because it is important that Churches rich in vocations help more generously those that lack them. At the same time I urge missionaries, especially the Fidei Donum priests and laity, to live with joy their precious service in the Churches to which they are sent and to bring their joy and experience to the Churches from which they come, remembering how Paul and Barnabas at the end of their first missionary journey "reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles" (Acts 14:27). They can become a path to a kind of "return" of faith, bringing the freshness of the young Churches to Churches of ancient Christian tradition, and thus helping them to rediscover the enthusiasm and the joy of sharing the faith in an exchange that is mutual enrichment in the journey of following the path of the Lord. The concern for all the Churches, that the Bishop of Rome shares with his brother Bishops finds an important expression in the activity of the Pontifical Mission Societies, which are meant to animate and deepen the missionary conscience of every baptized Christian, and of every community, by reminding them of the need for a more profound missionary formation of the whole People of God and by encouraging the Christian community to contribute to the spread of the Gospel in the world. 

Finally I wish to say a word about those Christians who, in various parts of the world, experience difficulty in openly professing their faith and in enjoying the legal right to practice it in a worthy manner. They are our brothers and sisters, courageous witnesses - even more numerous than the martyrs of the early centuries - who endure with apostolic perseverance many contemporary forms of persecution. Quite a few also risk their lives to remain faithful to the Gospel of Christ. I wish to reaffirm my closeness in prayer to individuals, families and communities who suffer violence and intolerance, and I repeat to them the consoling words of Jesus: "Take courage, I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33). 

Benedict XVI expressed the hope that: "The word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere" (2 Thes 3:1): May this Year of Faith increasingly strengthen our relationship with Christ the Lord, since only in him is there the certitude for looking to the future and the guarantee of an authentic and lasting love" (Porta fidei, 15). This is my wish for World Mission Day this year. I cordially bless missionaries and all those who accompany and support this fundamental commitment of the Church to proclaim the Gospel to all the ends of the earth. Thus will we, as ministers and missionaries of the Gospel, experience "the delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing" (PAUL VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 80). 

From the Vatican, 19 May 2013, Solemnity of Pentecost 

Needy

POPE FRANCIS 

“The theme speaks about the people who are most in need; those who are in greatest need of our help. Those who need us to look at them with affection, who need us to identify with their pain and anxieties, their problems. But the most important thing is not to look at them from afar or help them from afar. No, no. We need to meet them. That is the Christian way!” 

In his five minute speech, Pope Francis goes even further, explaining that entire communities must work to create a culture of these encounters with the needy. He asked pilgrims to follow the examples of Jesus and of St. Cajetan, an Italian priest that dedicated his entire life to the poor, the sick and the orphans. 

POPE FRANCIS 

“Your heart, when you meet with those in greatest need, becomes bigger, and bigger, and bigger! Because these encounters multiply the capacity to love. Go on!” 

Encounter

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex4h

With his coming among us, Jesus came close to us and encountered us; also today, through the Sacraments, he encounters us

Love

POPE FRANCIS
“I want to ask you to pray with me, that the young people that participated in World Youth Day will be able to translate this experience into their daily journey, in their everyday conduct; and that they will be able to translate it in the most important choices of their life, responding to the personal call of the Lord.”

The Pope said that the message young people took away from WYD will help counter the effects of vanity and consumerism, which he descried as a “poison of emptiness.” He added that joy, though the Church and Jesus, is the true value with which to measure a person's life.

POPE FRANCIS
“True wealth is the love of God, shared with others. That love that comes from God and makes us share among ourselves, and makes us help one another. Those who experience this do not fear death, and instead receive peace of heart.”

Light

Pope Francis ‏@Pontifex7m

The light of faith illumines all our relationships and helps us to live them in union with the love of Christ, to live them like Christ.

Ramadan

August 2, 2013. (Romereports.com) As the month of Ramadan comes to an end for Muslims worldwide, Pope Francis issued a message urging for more education to promote mutual respect between Islam and Christianity.

Within the message, Pope Francis referenced his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, to explain his outreach and calls for inter-religious dialogue between the two faiths.

He said that such dialogue must be based in teaching and promoting respect for each others religions, especially with younger generations. In his message, the Pope expressed how it pains him to see attacks on religious leaders and places of worship.

Each year, the Vatican issues a similar message to Muslims, to mark the end of Ramadan. However, the last time a Pope personally signed it was in 1991 with Pope John Paul II.

READ FULL MESSAGE:

To Muslims throughout the World, 

It gives me great pleasure to greet you as you celebrate ‘Id al-Fitr, so concluding the month of Ramadan, dedicated mainly to fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

It is a tradition by now that, on this occasion, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sends you a message of good wishes, together with a proposed theme for common reflection. This year, the first of my Pontificate, I have decided to sign this traditional message myself and to send it to you, dear friends, as an expression of esteem and friendship for all Muslims, especially those who are religious leaders.

As you all know, when the Cardinals elected me as Bishop of Rome and Universal Pastor of the Catholic Church, I chose the name of “Francis”, a very famous saint who loved God and every human being deeply, to the point of being called “universal brother”. He loved, helped and served the needy, the sick and the poor; he also cared greatly for creation.

I am aware that family and social dimensions enjoy a particular prominence for Muslims during this period, and it is worth noting that there are certain parallels in each of these areas with Christian faith and practice.

This year, the theme on which I would like to reflect with you and with all who will read this message is one that concerns both Muslims and Christians: Promoting Mutual Respect through Education.

This year’s theme is intended to underline the importance of education in the way we understand each other, built upon the foundation of mutual respect. “Respect” means an attitude of kindness towards people for whom we have consideration and esteem. “Mutual” means that this is not a one-way process, but something shared by both sides.

What we are called to respect in each person is first of all his life, his physical integrity, his dignity and the rights deriving from that dignity, his reputation, his property, his ethnic and cultural identity, his ideas and his political choices. We are therefore called to think, speak and write respectfully of the other, not only in his presence, but always and everywhere, avoiding unfair criticism or defamation. Families, schools, religious teaching and all forms of media have a role to play in achieving this goal.

Turning to mutual respect in interreligious relations, especially between Christians and Muslims, we are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values. Particular respect is due to religious leaders and to places of worship. How painful are attacks on one or other of these!

It is clear that, when we show respect for the religion of our neighbours or when we offer them our good wishes on the occasion of a religious celebration, we simply seek to share their joy, without making reference to the content of their religious convictions.

Regarding the education of Muslim and Christian youth, we have to bring up our young people to think and speak respectfully of other religions and their followers, and to avoid ridiculing or denigrating their convictions and practices.

We all know that mutual respect is fundamental in any human relationship, especially among people who profess religious belief. In this way, sincere and lasting friendship can grow.
When I received the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See on 22 March 2013, I said: “It is not possible to establish true links with God, while ignoring other people. Hence it is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions, and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam. At the Mass marking the beginning of my ministry, I greatly appreciated the presence of so many civil and religious leaders from the Islamic world.” With these words, I wished to emphasize once more the great importance of dialogue and cooperation among believers, in particular Christians and Muslims, and the need for it to be enhanced.

With these sentiments, I reiterate my hope that all Christians and Muslims may be true promoters of mutual respect and friendship, in particular through education. Finally, I send you my prayerful good wishes, that your lives may glorify the Almighty and give joy to those around you.

Happy Feast to you all!

From the Vatican, 10 July 2013

Dialogue

The security of faith does not make us motionless or close us off, but sends us forth to bear witness and to dialogue with all people.