I should not have been but I was surprised by some of the things Pope Francis included in his Lenten Letter 2020
Pope Francis
Pope Francis and Ozanam on Systemic Change
What do Pope Francis (2020), Pope Pius XI (1927) and Bl. Frederic Ozanam (1848) have in common?
What Did Pope Francis Just Say?
“Hot button issues” vs. “Expanding horizons beyond conflicts”
Pope’s encyclical to be on the environment
The Vatican, through the pope's press spokesman, announced that Pope Francis is working on his first encyclical, dealing with the environment. Not surprising that he chose this topic since it is a theme he has often broached. On March 16, 2013, Francis stated he chose...
US Bishops celebrate Mass at border
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Migration, joined by bishops on the border, will travel to Nogales, Arizona, March 30-April 1 to tour the U.S.-Mexico border and celebrate Mass on behalf of the close to 6,000 migrants who have died in the...
Clerical abuse survivor named to Vatican
The Vatican Insider, among others, reports ... "An Irish woman who suffered sex abuse by a priest at the age of 13 talks to "Vatican Insider" about her experience. The Pope has nominated her a member of the Vatican Commission for the for the Protection of Minors" The...
Yet another top ten list for Pope
Mike Hayes writes on Busted Halo... "I watched as Pope Francis emerged on the balcony last March and bowed his head, asking the crowd to pray for him. I was taken aback at the new Holy Father’s humble gesture. Not only could you hear a pin drop in St. Peter’s Square...
Pope Francis writes on Lent
LENTEN MESSAGE OF OUR HOLY FATHER FRANCIS (2014) He became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich (cf. 2 Cor 8:9) Dear Brothers and Sisters, As Lent draws near, I would like to offer some helpful thoughts on our path of conversion as individuals and as a...
People react to homeless Jesus… your reaction?
The opening sentence from a Huffington Post piece... "This 'Homeless Jesus' statue has found a home after similar works were rejected from cathedrals in New York and Canada, but not all are welcoming it with open arms. The moving work by Timothy P. Schmalz has...
Pope uses smart phone to urge Unity
In an unusually informal video made on a smartphone held by a Pentecostal pastor, Pope Francis called on all Christians to set aside their differences, explaining his “longing” for Christian unity. The seven-minute video, which was posted on YouTube, was made during a...
“To Confirm in Unity”: President’s Day… and Pope’s Day
"To Confirm in Unity": President's Day... and Pope's Day The blog Whispers in the Loggia presents two key texts for President's Day in the US and also what it describes as the "Pope's Day". Rocco Palmo ties the two together with a phrase from Pope Francis "To...
WYD Message “Think Big! Open Your Hearts”
Pope Francis to Young People: "Think Big! Open Your Hearts" Holy See Releases Pontiff's Message for the 29th World Youth Day Zenit.org writes "The Holy See today published Pope Francis’ message for the 29th World Youth Day (WYD), which will take place on Palm Sunday,...
