Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Pope Francis Roundup!

News

  • Pope Francis’ ‘Economic Examination of Conscience’, by Edward Pentin. National Catholic Register 06/04/13. Pope Francis has castigated the idolatry of money that plagues many societies today and called for solidarity with the poor and financial reform along ethical lines.
  • Francis Visited by Children, Parents and Staff from Local Hospital Zenit. 06/04/13. On Friday evening, Pope Francis had a private meeting with a group of 22 sick children who are being treated at the Department of Pediatric Oncology at the Agostino Gemelli Hospital in Rome. Parents, hospital staff, priests and religious were also in attendance during the visit. The group are on their way to pilgrimages to Lourdes and the Marian Shrine of Loreto.
  • Pope John XXIII's life shows faith leads to interior peace, pope says, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service 6/3/13. Joining a pilgrimage of 3,000 people from the late pope's home diocese -- Bergamo, Italy -- Pope Francis prayed at the tomb of Blessed John June 3, the 50th anniversary of his death. See also: Full text of Pope Francis' address on the Anniversary of Pope John XXIII's death.
  • Vatican: Why no text for Pope Francis' daily homilies National Catholic Reporter 05/31/13:
    “First of all,” said Lombardi, “it is necessary to keep in mind the character that the Holy Father himself attributes to the morning celebration of Mass at St. Martha's. It is a Mass attended by a, not small, group of faithful (usually over 50 persons), but the Pope wants to maintain its familiar atmosphere. That is why, notwithstanding the requests that have been received, he has specifically requested that the live video and audio not be broadcast.”

    “Regarding his homilies, they are not given from a written text but spontaneously and in Italian, a language that the Pope knows well but which isn't his mother tongue. A 'complete' publication, therefore, would necessarily entail a transcription and a reworking of the text at various points, given that the written form is different from the spoken one, which in this case is the original form chosen intentionally by the Holy Father. In short, it would entail editing by the Holy Father himself, but the result would clearly be 'something else', which isn't what the Holy Father intends to do [with his daily homily] each morning.”

    See also: Keeping up with Francis: The nuances of Vatican communications, by Francis X. Rocca. Catholic News Service 05/31/13.
  • Pope's June Prayer Intentions Focus on New Evangelization Zenit 05/29/13:
    The Apostleship of Prayer announced the intentions chosen by the Pope for June

    His general intention is " that a culture of dialogue, listening, and mutual respect may prevail among peoples"

    For his mission intention, the Holy Father prayed “so that where secularization is strongest, Christian communities may effectively promote a new evangelization.”

  • Pope Francis plans to complete encyclical on faith, spokesman says, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service. 05/28/13. Continuing a papal tradition of finishing a predecessor's work in progress, Pope Francis intends to complete an encyclical -- on the virtue of faith -- begun during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.
  • Full Text: Pope Francis' Homily for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi Zenit. 05/31/13.

Commentary

  • Insights Into Pope Francis Since the election of Pope Francis publishing houses have rushed to print with books about the new head of the Catholic Church. Father John Flynn offers his impressions. Zenit 05/31/13.
  • Francis and the perils of an improv pope, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 06/3/13:
    In the early days after the election of Pope Francis, it was jokingly said in Rome that the only people not charmed were his security personnel, who found themselves scrambling to keep up with a pontiff determined to break protocol and to expose himself to the crowds.

    More and more, Vatican spin doctors probably have to be added to the list of aides at risk of heart attacks over the perils of an improvisational pope. ...

  • The Meaning of “Salvation” according to Pope Francis, by Fr. Thomas Rosica. Salt & Light 05/23/13.