When news of the death of Pope Benedict XVI broke on December 31, the expectations of many were shattered in a corner of the Church. It was not the result of grief over the death of our pope emeritus, but because it meant future events would not occur in the way they thought they would.... Continue Reading →
Pope Francis decries German Synodal Way as ‘neither helpful nor serious’
While Pope Francis did not delve into details of the demands made in Germany, he plainly described the Synodal Way as perilous. “Here the danger is that something very, very ideological trickles in. When ideology gets involved in church processes, the Holy Spirit goes home, because ideology overcomes the Holy Spirit,” he said in the... Continue Reading →
Scripture shakes us: Pope’s homily for Word of God Sunday (full text)
In 2019, Pope Francis established the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time as Word of God Sunday. This January 22, for the feast, he celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Here is a Vatican translation of his homily: ~ Jesus leaves the quiet and hidden life of Nazareth and moves to Capernaum, a port city located... Continue Reading →
Pope Francis: World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon will open horizons, hearts
Organizers met with Pope Francis and Vatican officials in Rome last week to discuss final preparations for the six-day gathering, which expects to see hundreds of thousands of participants. In his Jan. 20 video message, Pope Francis noted that 400,000 young adults had already registered to attend World Youth Day. “It calls my attention and... Continue Reading →
Pope Francis prays for priest killed in Nigeria, asks for prayers for persecuted Christians
By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jan 18, 2023 / 03:05 am At the end of his Wednesday audience, Pope Francis asked for people to join him in praying for persecuted Christians around the world. The pope said on Jan. 18 that he was praying for Father Isaac Achi, a Catholic priest who died after bandits... Continue Reading →
Bishops of Rome, Petrine Popes, and Popes Emeritii
On January 6, in a move that was unnoticed by most of the world, but has sweeping implications for the Church in Rome and potentially for the global Church in the future, Pope Francis promulgated a new apostolic constitution, “In Ecclesiarum Communione” (“In the Communion of Churches”). In this document, which goes into effect at... Continue Reading →
Priest who was tortured in ISIS captivity elected bishop in Syria
Archbishop Jacques Mourad worked to foster dialogue between Christians and Muslims before the advent of ISIS.A Syrian priest who spent five months in captivity by the Islamic State jihadist group has been elected archbishop of a Syriac Catholic archdiocese.The Synod of Bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church elected Fr. Jacques Mourad as Archbishop of Homs,... Continue Reading →
Pope Francis on Epiphany: Get out of your comfort zone to seek God like the Magi
Pope Francis underlined that God however is found in “restless questioning” and seeking the answers to life’s bigger questions like, “Where do I find a love that does not fade away, a love that endures even in the face of frailty, failure, and betrayal? What hidden opportunities are present in the midst of my crises... Continue Reading →
Homily of Pope Francis at Pope Benedict XVI Funeral Mass – YouTube
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk 23:46). These were the final words spoken by the Lord on the cross; his last breath, as it were, which summed up what had been his entire life: a ceaseless self-entrustment into the hands of his Father. His were hands of forgiveness and compassion, healing and... Continue Reading →
Pope Francis: Benedict XVI brought us to ‘encounter with Jesus’
The Church commonly calls someone in this role a “spiritual director,” but Pope Francis said he prefers the name “spiritual companion.” “Discernment is an art, an art that can be learned and which has its own rules,” he said. “If learned well, it enables spiritual experience to be lived in an ever more beautiful and... Continue Reading →