Pope Francis made the apology at his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square, but did not specify which scandals.
He is thought to be referring to a senior Polish priest who was dismissed from his Vatican post after announcing he was in a gay relationship.
The Pope's spokesman said the pontiff had not been referring to the recent resignation of Rome's mayor.
Federico Lombardi admitted to reporters that the Pope's apology had been "broad and generic" but said it did not refer to "political" situations involving Mayor Ignazio Marino, who resigned earlier this week over an expenses scandal.
Father Lombardi said the Pope was referring to scandals in which there is a "responsibility of men of the Church".
To thousands of people who had gathered for his weekly address, Pope Francis said: "Before I begin the Catechism, in the name of the Church, I want to ask you for forgiveness for the scandals that have occurred recently either in Rome or in the Vatican. I ask you for forgiveness."
He also said: "The word of Jesus is strong today, woe to the world because of scandals. Jesus is a realist. He says it is inevitable that there will be scandals. But woe to the man who causes scandals."
His words left Vatican observers scratching their heads in deciding exactly which scandals he meant, the BBC's David Willey reports from Rome.
Rome's mayor has come under criticism recently for the slow start in the city's preparations for the holy year due to begin in the second week of December. Millions of pilgrims are expected to travel to Rome for a series of Church events, and this will require extra policing and provision of accommodation and food and water, our correspondent notes.
But he was most likely referring to the announcement from Monsignor Krzysztof Charamsa - a theologian who had worked in the Vatican's doctrinal office since 2003 - earlier this month that he was a practising homosexual, our correspondent adds.
Msgr Charamsa, 43, said he was in a relationship and was "happy and proud" of his identity, and wanted to challenge the Church's "backwards" attitude to homosexuality.
His revelations came on the eve of a major meeting to define the Catholic Church's teaching on family, which would consider issues of homosexuality and contraception.
The Vatican called his actions "very serious and irresponsible" and stripped him of doctrinal responsibilities.
Rumours, accusations and denials about a so-called Vatican gay lobby circulated during the much-heralded meeting of bishops and cardinals from around the world, our correspondent says.
Psalm 38
A psalm of David. A petition.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
5 My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful folly.
6 I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.
7 My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.
9 All my longings lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
all day long they scheme and lie.
13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait for you;
you will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies without cause[b];
those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil
lodge accusations against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
21 Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior.
Showing posts with label Pope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pope. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Who am I to JUDGE!
The Pope Francis Statement That Changed the Church on LGBT Issues
Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
Over the last two years, the Catholic Church has become more open to welcoming the LGBT community
“If someone is gay and searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Two years ago Tuesday, Pope Francis uttered these words, sending shockwaves throughout the Catholic Church and the world. His position stood in contrast to that of his predecessors: Months earlier, Pope Benedict XVI suggested that gay marriage was a threat to global peace.
Under the leadership of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church is evolving on LGBT issues. As theologian David Cloutier has noted, the process isn’t political—it’s spiritual. The church is beginning to discern more deeply the full measure of God’s presence in LGBT individuals and, yes, couples, too. There have been five notable moments in this evolution.
1. Pope Francis said that God doesn’t condemn LGBT individuals — Sept. 30, 2013
In an interview with America Magazine, Pope Francis revealed his pastoral approach toward the LGBT community:
A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. Here we enter into the mystery of the human being.
2. Pope Francis suggested the church could be open to civil unions — March 5, 2014
Francis said in an interview that the church could be open to same-sex civil unions, a view he had first voiced as archbishop of Buenos Aires. The pope reiterated the church’s teaching that a “marriage is between a man and a woman” but argued that on civil unions, “we have to look at different cases and evaluate them in their variety.”
3. The Francis effect goes global — Summer of 2014
The summer of 2014 was a remarkable period during which a number of high-ranking Catholic prelates signaled that Pope Francis’s more open posture had permeated throughout the Catholic world. In May, a top-ranking Italian bishop said that the church should listen to same-sex marriage arguments. A few weeks later, Brazilian Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, said he “didn’t know” whether Jesus would oppose gay marriage. In early September, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan approved the St. Patrick Day Parade Committee’s decision to allow a gay group to march in the 2015 parade under their own banner. (Twenty-one years earlier, one of Dolan’s predecessors, Cardinal John O’Connor, said that to allow a gay group to march would be a slander to the Apostles’ Creed.)
4. The Synod on the Family’s interim report affirmed the “gifts and qualities” of LGBT individuals — October 2014
The bishops gathered for Pope Francis’s Synod on the Family in October 2014 issued a report suggesting that the church should create a more inclusive space for LGBT Catholics. In the document, they said that the LGBT community has “gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community,” and they asked, “Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities?” Though this language was rejected in the final draft, it sparked a conversation that the church could formally change its stance toward the LGBT community when the bishops meet again this October.
5. The pope began a series of meetings and dialogues with LGBT individuals and activists — 2015
Throughout the first months of 2015, Pope Francis had several encounters with LGBT individuals and groups, including a transgender man from Spain who was excluded from his parish community, and gay and transgender prisoners in Naples. The Vatican also gave the VIP treatment to a pro-LGBT American Catholic group visiting Rome and the pope met with a gay Paraguayan activist during his recent trip to South America.
Collectively these events signal a church that is more open to welcoming the LGBT community and the diverse realities of the modern family than it was two years ago. After the Supreme Court’s ruling in support of same-sex marriage last month, Blase Cupich, Pope Francis’s handpicked archbishop of Chicago, said the church’s respect for LGBT individuals “must be real, not rhetorical, and ever reflective of the Church’s commitment to accompanying all people.” Such language would have been rare two years ago. Today it’s expected. Thank God.
Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
Over the last two years, the Catholic Church has become more open to welcoming the LGBT community
“If someone is gay and searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Two years ago Tuesday, Pope Francis uttered these words, sending shockwaves throughout the Catholic Church and the world. His position stood in contrast to that of his predecessors: Months earlier, Pope Benedict XVI suggested that gay marriage was a threat to global peace.
Under the leadership of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church is evolving on LGBT issues. As theologian David Cloutier has noted, the process isn’t political—it’s spiritual. The church is beginning to discern more deeply the full measure of God’s presence in LGBT individuals and, yes, couples, too. There have been five notable moments in this evolution.
1. Pope Francis said that God doesn’t condemn LGBT individuals — Sept. 30, 2013
In an interview with America Magazine, Pope Francis revealed his pastoral approach toward the LGBT community:
A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. Here we enter into the mystery of the human being.
2. Pope Francis suggested the church could be open to civil unions — March 5, 2014
Francis said in an interview that the church could be open to same-sex civil unions, a view he had first voiced as archbishop of Buenos Aires. The pope reiterated the church’s teaching that a “marriage is between a man and a woman” but argued that on civil unions, “we have to look at different cases and evaluate them in their variety.”
3. The Francis effect goes global — Summer of 2014
The summer of 2014 was a remarkable period during which a number of high-ranking Catholic prelates signaled that Pope Francis’s more open posture had permeated throughout the Catholic world. In May, a top-ranking Italian bishop said that the church should listen to same-sex marriage arguments. A few weeks later, Brazilian Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, said he “didn’t know” whether Jesus would oppose gay marriage. In early September, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan approved the St. Patrick Day Parade Committee’s decision to allow a gay group to march in the 2015 parade under their own banner. (Twenty-one years earlier, one of Dolan’s predecessors, Cardinal John O’Connor, said that to allow a gay group to march would be a slander to the Apostles’ Creed.)
4. The Synod on the Family’s interim report affirmed the “gifts and qualities” of LGBT individuals — October 2014
The bishops gathered for Pope Francis’s Synod on the Family in October 2014 issued a report suggesting that the church should create a more inclusive space for LGBT Catholics. In the document, they said that the LGBT community has “gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community,” and they asked, “Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities?” Though this language was rejected in the final draft, it sparked a conversation that the church could formally change its stance toward the LGBT community when the bishops meet again this October.
5. The pope began a series of meetings and dialogues with LGBT individuals and activists — 2015
Throughout the first months of 2015, Pope Francis had several encounters with LGBT individuals and groups, including a transgender man from Spain who was excluded from his parish community, and gay and transgender prisoners in Naples. The Vatican also gave the VIP treatment to a pro-LGBT American Catholic group visiting Rome and the pope met with a gay Paraguayan activist during his recent trip to South America.
Collectively these events signal a church that is more open to welcoming the LGBT community and the diverse realities of the modern family than it was two years ago. After the Supreme Court’s ruling in support of same-sex marriage last month, Blase Cupich, Pope Francis’s handpicked archbishop of Chicago, said the church’s respect for LGBT individuals “must be real, not rhetorical, and ever reflective of the Church’s commitment to accompanying all people.” Such language would have been rare two years ago. Today it’s expected. Thank God.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
The 15 Diseases of Leadership by Pope Francis
Pope Francis has made no secret of his intention to radically reform the administrative structures of the Catholic church, which he regards as insular, imperious, and bureaucratic. He understands that in a hyper-kinetic world, inward-looking and self-obsessed leaders are a liability.
The Catholic Church is a bureaucracy: a hierarchy populated by good-heart, but less-than-perfect souls. It that sense, it’s not much different than your organization. That’s why the Pope’s counsel is relevant to leaders everywhere.
The leadership team is called constantly to improve and to grow in rapport and wisdom, in order to carry out fully its mission. And yet, like anybody, it is also exposed to diseases, malfunctioning, infirmity. Here are some of these “[leadership] diseases.” They are diseases and temptations which can dangerously weaken the effectiveness of any organization.
1. The disease of thinking we are immortal, immune, or downright indispensable, [and therefore] neglecting the need for regular check-ups
2. The disease of excessive busyness
3. The disease of mental and [emotional] “petrification.”
4. The disease of excessive planning and of functionalism
5. The disease of poor coordination
6. The disease of rivalry and vainglory
7. The disease of gossiping, grumbling, and back-biting
8. The disease of idolizing superiors
9. The disease of indifference to others
10. The disease of hoarding
11. The disease of closed circles
12. The disease of extravagance and self-exhibition
13. The disease of existential schizophrenia
14. The disease of a downcast face
15. The disease of “leadership Alzheimer’
So, are you a healthy leader? Use the Pope’s inventory of leadership to find out. Ask yourself, on a scale of 1 to 5, to what extent do I . . .
As in all health matters, it’s good to get a second or third opinion. Ask your colleagues to score you on the same fifteen items. Don’t be surprised if they say, “Gee boss, you’re not looking too good today.” Like a battery of medical tests, these questions can help you zero in on opportunities to prevent disease and improve your health. A Papal leadership assessment may seem like a bit of a stretch. But remember: the
responsibilities you hold as a leader, and the influence you have over others’ lives, can be profound. Why not turn to the Pope — a spiritual leader of leaders — for wisdom and advice?
The Catholic Church is a bureaucracy: a hierarchy populated by good-heart, but less-than-perfect souls. It that sense, it’s not much different than your organization. That’s why the Pope’s counsel is relevant to leaders everywhere.
The leadership team is called constantly to improve and to grow in rapport and wisdom, in order to carry out fully its mission. And yet, like anybody, it is also exposed to diseases, malfunctioning, infirmity. Here are some of these “[leadership] diseases.” They are diseases and temptations which can dangerously weaken the effectiveness of any organization.
1. The disease of thinking we are immortal, immune, or downright indispensable, [and therefore] neglecting the need for regular check-ups
2. The disease of excessive busyness
3. The disease of mental and [emotional] “petrification.”
4. The disease of excessive planning and of functionalism
5. The disease of poor coordination
6. The disease of rivalry and vainglory
7. The disease of gossiping, grumbling, and back-biting
8. The disease of idolizing superiors
9. The disease of indifference to others
10. The disease of hoarding
11. The disease of closed circles
12. The disease of extravagance and self-exhibition
13. The disease of existential schizophrenia
14. The disease of a downcast face
15. The disease of “leadership Alzheimer’
So, are you a healthy leader? Use the Pope’s inventory of leadership to find out. Ask yourself, on a scale of 1 to 5, to what extent do I . . .
- Feel superior to those who work for me?
- Demonstrate an imbalance between work and other areas of life?
- Substitute formality for true human intimacy?
- Rely too much on plans and not enough on intuition and improvisation?
- Spend too little time breaking silos and building bridges?
- Fail to regularly acknowledge the debt I owe to my mentors and to others?
- Take too much satisfaction in my perks and privileges?
- Isolate myself from customers and first-level employees?
- Denigrate the motives and accomplishments of others?
- Exhibit or encourage undue deference and servility?
- Put my own success ahead of the success of others?
- Fail to cultivate a fun and joy-filled work environment?
- Exhibit selfishness when it comes to sharing rewards and praise?
- Encourage parochialism rather than community?
- Behave in ways that seem egocentric to those around me?
As in all health matters, it’s good to get a second or third opinion. Ask your colleagues to score you on the same fifteen items. Don’t be surprised if they say, “Gee boss, you’re not looking too good today.” Like a battery of medical tests, these questions can help you zero in on opportunities to prevent disease and improve your health. A Papal leadership assessment may seem like a bit of a stretch. But remember: the
responsibilities you hold as a leader, and the influence you have over others’ lives, can be profound. Why not turn to the Pope — a spiritual leader of leaders — for wisdom and advice?
Thursday, September 12, 2013
To serve is to cut down red tapes
Pope Francis, 'Cold-Call Pope,' Offers Comfort And Baptism To Anna Romano, Pregnant Woman In Need
Of all the novelties that Pope Francis has brought to the Vatican, few have endeared him to the public — and unsettled his aides — as much as his penchant for picking up the phone and calling someone out of the blue.
The pontiff with the pastor’s touch has phoned his cobbler in Argentina to inquire about a shoe repair, called to cancel his newspaper subscription and phoned a woman who was raped by a local police officer to counsel her. Just this week, Francis phoned a pregnant Italian woman whose fiance had pushed her to have an abortion.
Anna Romano instead dumped the guy, wrote to the pope about her problems, and on Tuesday (Sept. 3) received a surprise call from the Holy Father, who offered encouragement and even said he would baptize the baby if she couldn’t find a willing priest.
“Hello, Anna,” the voice on the other end of the line said, “this is Pope Francis.”
“I was petrified,” the 35-year-old told Il Messaggero, a Rome daily. “I recognized his voice and I knew right away that it really was the pope.”
On the other hand, two days in a row this week the Vatican also had to deny reports of papal phone calls that were either hoaxes or rumors.
On Thursday, the Argentinian daily Clarín – usually well-informed on all things relating to Francis, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires – wrote that the pontiff had spoken by phone with Syrian President Bashar Assad as part of the Vatican’s diplomatic effort to avoid a U.S. military strike against the country.
But, according to the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, the news was was “absolutely unfounded.”
Then on Friday, Lombardi had to refute a newspaper report that Francis had called a young gay man in France who had confessed his troubles as a gay Catholic in a letter to the pope.
“I can deny with certainty that the pope has called a young man in France,” Lombardi said.
Speaking to Religion News Service, Lombardi said that as a matter of course he would not comment – nor confirm or deny the authenticity – about every person claiming to have heard the words “Hello, this is Pope Francis” when they answered the phone.
He said that instead he would intervene only when the alleged Francis calls touched on matters of “international relevance,” as in the case of Assad, or seemed to go against Catholic doctrine, as in the case of the French youth who asserted the pope had told him: “Your homosexuality doesn’t matter.”
“There is always the risk that people pretend to be the pope over the phone,” Lombardi told the French daily Le Figaro when asked about the story.
But that danger doesn’t seem to have dissuaded Francis — whose dialing habits have earned him the nickname “the cold-call pope” — from continuing to use his cell phone to reach beyond the walls of a Vatican that he feels can isolate him from his global flock.
This summer Francis called an Italian man who has struggled to forgive God after the murder of his brother, and the pope also phoned an Italian engineering student who wrote to him about his fears of not finding work even with his degree. The two “laughed and joked” for eight minutes, the teen said, and Francis told the young man to use the informal “tu” with him.
In late August, the pontiff called an Argentine woman who had been raped.
This week’s episode with Romano was typical: When she found out in June that she was pregnant, her fiance urged her to have an abortion. Then she learned that he was in fact married and already had a family of his own.
In July, Romano wrote in desperation to Francis, knowing that he sometimes responds personally to the thousands of people who write to him. On the envelope she put: “Holy Father Pope Francis, Vatican City, Rome.” No ZIP code, nothing else. It was enough, apparently. When her phone rang Tuesday, it was a local number that Romano did not recognize, but she answered anyway.
Recovering from the shock of hearing the pope’s voice, Romano again told him how she felt “betrayed, humiliated.” The pope, she said, spoke to her as informally as “a dear, old friend” would, and in their conversation Francis “reassured me, telling me that the baby was a gift from God, a sign of Providence. He told me I would not be left alone.”
When Romano told the pope that she wanted to have the child baptized but was afraid she could not because she is divorced and on her own, the pope told her he was sure that she could find a willing pastor.
“But if not,” Francis reportedly added, “you know there’s always me.”
Though she doesn’t know whether she will have a girl or a boy, Romano told the newspaper she thinks it’s a boy, and it’s clear what she will name him: “Francis.”
Mark 10:43-45 "Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Reconciliation is an effort right from the Top
We pray to God for World Peace, to love thye Neighbour but every time a bomb goes off... the tension resurfaced. The problem is self preservation, everyone wants to out live the other; But can we coexist? Of course!
Pope Francis Adds a Personal Touch to Eid Al-Fitr Greetings
Pope Francis is pressing ahead with his efforts to strengthen ties between Muslims and Catholics. In his personal message for Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that comes at the end of Ramadan, the Pope touched upon the theme of “Promoting Mutual Respect Through Education.” I find this particularly exciting because it speaks to the effort that I and other Muslims have been involved in the Twin Cities through the Islamic Resource Group (IRG) and other organizations. The IRG’s mission is to build bridges of understanding through education, one very similar to the Pope's call.
The Pope’s renewed call for dialogue is another opportunity for the Catholic community to take the dialogue with Muslims to the next level and I am confident that the Catholic leadership will find the IRG and several other Muslim organizations willing partners in this effort to promote mutual respect through education.
Eid Mubarak to all who are celebrating.
Below is the text of Pope Francis’s message to Muslims worldwide:
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
Pope Francis Adds a Personal Touch to Eid Al-Fitr Greetings
Pope Francis is pressing ahead with his efforts to strengthen ties between Muslims and Catholics. In his personal message for Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that comes at the end of Ramadan, the Pope touched upon the theme of “Promoting Mutual Respect Through Education.” I find this particularly exciting because it speaks to the effort that I and other Muslims have been involved in the Twin Cities through the Islamic Resource Group (IRG) and other organizations. The IRG’s mission is to build bridges of understanding through education, one very similar to the Pope's call.
The Pope’s renewed call for dialogue is another opportunity for the Catholic community to take the dialogue with Muslims to the next level and I am confident that the Catholic leadership will find the IRG and several other Muslim organizations willing partners in this effort to promote mutual respect through education.
Eid Mubarak to all who are celebrating.
Below is the text of Pope Francis’s message to Muslims worldwide:
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
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Casting out Demons
Vatican denies that Pope Francis performed exorcism
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
The Vatican is adamantly denying that Pope Francis performed an exorcism on a man in St. Peter's Square, saying Wednesday that the claim is "absolutely false."
Suspicions arose that the pope had performed an exorcism after video surfaced of Francis laying his hands on a man's head and reciting a prayer, upon which the man heaved deeply a half-dozen times, shook, then slumped in his wheelchair.
"The Pope had no intention of doing an exorcism, so it is absolutely false that this has been done," Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi told Catholic News Agency. "He simply prayed for the sick person."
The man, who uses a wheelchair, was identified by the Associated Press as a 43-year-old husband and father who traveled to Rome from Mexico to attend Francis' Mass on Sunday in St. Peter's Square. According to the Rev. Juan Rivas, the priest who brought him, the man was possessed by the devil.
But Rivas maintains no exorcism was performed, saying Francis merely said a prayer to free the man from the devil.
"Since no one heard what he said, including me who was right there, you can say he did a prayer for liberation but nothing more," Rivas wrote on his Facebook page, which was confirmed by his religious order, the Legionaries of Christ.
The Rev. Gabriele Amorth, a leading exorcist for the diocese of Rome, said he performed a lengthy exorcism of his own on the man Tuesday morning and ascertained he was possessed by four separate demons. The case was related to the legalization of abortion in Mexico City, he said.
But Amorth told RAI state radio that even a short prayer, without the full rite of exorcism being performed, is in itself a type of exorcism.
"That was a true exorcism," he said of Francis' prayer. "Exorcisms aren't just done according to the rules of the ritual."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/22/vatican-denies-that-pope-francis-performed-exorcism
The Authority to drive out Demons
Mark 3:13-15; And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
The Vatican is adamantly denying that Pope Francis performed an exorcism on a man in St. Peter's Square, saying Wednesday that the claim is "absolutely false."
Suspicions arose that the pope had performed an exorcism after video surfaced of Francis laying his hands on a man's head and reciting a prayer, upon which the man heaved deeply a half-dozen times, shook, then slumped in his wheelchair.
"The Pope had no intention of doing an exorcism, so it is absolutely false that this has been done," Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi told Catholic News Agency. "He simply prayed for the sick person."
The man, who uses a wheelchair, was identified by the Associated Press as a 43-year-old husband and father who traveled to Rome from Mexico to attend Francis' Mass on Sunday in St. Peter's Square. According to the Rev. Juan Rivas, the priest who brought him, the man was possessed by the devil.
But Rivas maintains no exorcism was performed, saying Francis merely said a prayer to free the man from the devil.
"Since no one heard what he said, including me who was right there, you can say he did a prayer for liberation but nothing more," Rivas wrote on his Facebook page, which was confirmed by his religious order, the Legionaries of Christ.
The Rev. Gabriele Amorth, a leading exorcist for the diocese of Rome, said he performed a lengthy exorcism of his own on the man Tuesday morning and ascertained he was possessed by four separate demons. The case was related to the legalization of abortion in Mexico City, he said.
But Amorth told RAI state radio that even a short prayer, without the full rite of exorcism being performed, is in itself a type of exorcism.
"That was a true exorcism," he said of Francis' prayer. "Exorcisms aren't just done according to the rules of the ritual."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/22/vatican-denies-that-pope-francis-performed-exorcism
The Authority to drive out Demons
Mark 3:13-15; And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
New wine, New wineskins Pls!
When one steps down, others will be chosen to step up and lead, just like when Moses leaves his legacy and Joshua takes over. "Be Strong and Courageous" God reminded us to step out of our comfort zone to lead when the time comes.
Unfortunately, today many Christians in churches and ministries are silenced because of the fear of the leadership that someone else may be doing the Lord’s work with proficiency and may show the leadership up. Fear-based leadership is absolutely destructive to any organization, and that not only applies to ministries and churches, but to business as well. To quell a person who shows ability is the most absurd thing a leader can do. It is nothing more than personal pride.
In Deuteronomy 31:14, God gives Moses the Word that he is to begin the process of the transfer of leadership. God was going to take the life of Moses and now was the time for Moses to begin to hand over the reins to Joshua. He and Joshua were summoned to the tabernacle to appear before the Lord. Notice the word God uses in speaking about the coming death of Moses. “Behold, thy days approach that thou must die:…” God is telling Moses that he must die. This should be a warning to all those in headship positions in churches and ministries. Unless the Lord returns, we will all die and if we do not do as Moses did, choose a successor to the ministry or church, then if we die suddenly, the flock in the church or the people in the ministry will be without leadership and can cause a serious problem in the ongoing ministries. If someone heads up a ministry or church, and is approaching the age of 70 or 80 years old, they need to realize that they have to relinquish the reins of authority. It is time to step down but not out. I really admire those who know they are getting on in years who head up a full time ministry and pick their successor, and the transfer of authority goes smooth and the church or ministry continues to move forward.
Authority & Power pass on to the next leader
~Moses opened the red sea
Exodus 14:21 "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,"
~Joshua crossing the Jordan river
Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.
And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”
The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
The Catholic church gets a new POPE
Replacing Pope Benedict, who resigned last month.
Argentina's pope a modest man focused on the poor
The first Latin American pope, Argentina's Jorge Bergoglio is a theological conservative with a strong social conscience, known for his negotiating skills as well as a readiness to challenge powerful interests.
He is a modest man from a middle-class family who declined the archbishop's luxurious residence to live in a simple apartment and travel by bus.
He was also the main candidate against Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 conclave that elected the German to become Pope Benedict, backed by moderate cardinals looking for an alternative to the then Vatican doctrinal chief.
Described by his biographer as a balancing force, Bergoglio, 76, has monk-like habits, is media shy and deeply concerned about the social inequalities rife in his homeland and elsewhere in Latin America.
"He is absolutely capable of undertaking the necessary renovation without any leaps into the unknown. He would be a balancing force," said Francesca Ambrogetti, who co-authored a biography of Bergoglio after carrying out a series of interviews with him over three years.
"He shares the view that the Church should have a missionary role, that gets out to meet people, that is active ... a Church that does not so much regulate the faith as promote and facilitate it," she added.
"His lifestyle is sober and austere. That's the way he lives. He travels on the underground, the bus, when he goes to Rome he flies economy class."
The former cardinal, the first Jesuit to become pope, was born into a middle-class family of seven, his father an Italian immigrant railway worker and his mother a housewife.
He is a solemn man, deeply attached to centuries-old Roman Catholic traditions as he showed by asking the crowd cheering his election to say the Our Father and Hail Mary prayers.
He spends his weekend in solitude in his apartment outside Buenos Aires and is a member of well-known Argentine soccer club San Lorenzo.
"He was always a very pleasant and accessible person," said Roberto Crubellier, 65, a church employee in a downtown Buenos Aires church where Bergoglio used to go and pray.
"He used to walk from the cathedral (about 10 blocks) and he stayed, praying silently in the last rows of pews, as though he was just an ordinary guy."
In his rare public appearances, Bergoglio spares no harsh words for politicians and Argentine society, and has had a tricky relationship with President Cristina Fernandez and her late husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner.
TURBULENT TIMES
Bergoglio became a priest at 32, nearly a decade after losing a lung due to respiratory illness and quitting his chemistry studies. Despite his late start, he was leading the local Jesuit community within four years, holding the post of provincial of the Argentine Jesuits from 1973 to 1979.
After six years as provincial, he held several academic posts and pursued further study in Germany. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and archbishop in 1998.
Bergoglio's career success coincided with the bloody 1976-1983 military dictatorship, during which up to 30,000 suspected leftists were kidnapped and killed -- which prompted sharp questions about his role.
The most well-known episode relates to the abduction of two Jesuits whom the military government secretly jailed for their work in poor neighbourhoods.
According to "The Silence," a book written by journalist Horacio Verbitsky, Bergoglio withdrew his order's protection of the two men after they refused to quit visiting the slums, which ultimately paved the way for their capture.
Verbitsky's book is based on statements by Orlando Yorio, one of the kidnapped Jesuits, before he died of natural causes in 2000. Both of the abducted clergymen suffered five months of imprisonment.
"History condemns him. It shows him to be opposed to all innovation in the Church and above all, during the dictatorship, it shows he was very cosy with the military," Fortunato Mallimacci, the former dean of social sciences at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, once said.
His actions during this period strained his relations with many brother Jesuits around the world, who tend to be more politically liberal.
Those who defend Bergoglio say there is no proof behind these claims and, on the contrary, they say the priest helped many dissidents escape during the military junta's rule.
His brother bishops elected him president of the Argentine bishops conference for two terms from 2005 to 2011.
CONSERVATIVE THEOLOGY
In the Vatican, far removed from the dictatorship's grim legacy, this quiet priest is expected to lead the Church with an iron grip and a strong social conscience.
In 2010, he challenged the Argentine government when it backed a gay marriage bill.
"Let's not be naive. This isn't a simple political fight, it's an attempt to destroy God's plan," he wrote in a letter days before the bill was approved by Congress.
Bergoglio has been close to the conservative Italian religious movement Communion and Liberation, which had the backing of Popes John Paul and Benedict as a way to revitalise faith among young people.
Milan Cardinal Angelo Scola, who was believed to have the most support going into the conclave, is also close to the movement, but has taken some distance from it as it got mired in political scandals in Italy.
Bergoglio has addressed the group's annual meeting in Rimini and presented the books of its founder, Rev Luigi Giussani, to readers in Argentina.
His support contrasted to the critical view that another Jesuit, former Milan archbishop Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, had of Communion and Liberation during his life.
Martini died last year, leaving behind a posthumous interview saying the Church was "200 years behind the times."
Rev Gerard Fogarty, a Jesuit and Church historian at the University of Virginia, said he was "pretty sure I'd never see a Jesuit pope" and was surprised that Bergoglio had been chosen because of the criticism of his stand during the dictatorship.
The Jesuit order was founded in the 16th century to serve the pope in the Counter-Reformation and some members of the Society of Jesus, as the order is officially called, think no Jesuit should ever become pope.
Every Christian has a responsibility to prepare themselves to leave this world and to commit our ministries to the next generation. We saw this in the Moses-Joshua relationship. Moses was not threatened, nor was he angry about giving his ministry to Joshua. He knew it was his time to die because God told him, plus he knew his ministry would end before they went into the promised land. The time to begin preparing the next generation is today. If there are people in your church who show leadership promise, don’t truncate their ministries by bringing in someone from your Alma Mater and shutting them out. A flower blooms where it is planted and there are many Christians in home churches who are ready to bloom. All you need to do is water them and let God do the rest.
We need leaders with Humility & Conviction
Unfortunately, today many Christians in churches and ministries are silenced because of the fear of the leadership that someone else may be doing the Lord’s work with proficiency and may show the leadership up. Fear-based leadership is absolutely destructive to any organization, and that not only applies to ministries and churches, but to business as well. To quell a person who shows ability is the most absurd thing a leader can do. It is nothing more than personal pride.
In Deuteronomy 31:14, God gives Moses the Word that he is to begin the process of the transfer of leadership. God was going to take the life of Moses and now was the time for Moses to begin to hand over the reins to Joshua. He and Joshua were summoned to the tabernacle to appear before the Lord. Notice the word God uses in speaking about the coming death of Moses. “Behold, thy days approach that thou must die:…” God is telling Moses that he must die. This should be a warning to all those in headship positions in churches and ministries. Unless the Lord returns, we will all die and if we do not do as Moses did, choose a successor to the ministry or church, then if we die suddenly, the flock in the church or the people in the ministry will be without leadership and can cause a serious problem in the ongoing ministries. If someone heads up a ministry or church, and is approaching the age of 70 or 80 years old, they need to realize that they have to relinquish the reins of authority. It is time to step down but not out. I really admire those who know they are getting on in years who head up a full time ministry and pick their successor, and the transfer of authority goes smooth and the church or ministry continues to move forward.
Authority & Power pass on to the next leader
~Moses opened the red sea
Exodus 14:21 "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,"
~Joshua crossing the Jordan river
Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.
And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”
The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
The Catholic church gets a new POPE
The first Latin American pope, Argentina's Jorge Bergoglio is a theological conservative with a strong social conscience, known for his negotiating skills as well as a readiness to challenge powerful interests.
He is a modest man from a middle-class family who declined the archbishop's luxurious residence to live in a simple apartment and travel by bus.
He was also the main candidate against Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 conclave that elected the German to become Pope Benedict, backed by moderate cardinals looking for an alternative to the then Vatican doctrinal chief.
Described by his biographer as a balancing force, Bergoglio, 76, has monk-like habits, is media shy and deeply concerned about the social inequalities rife in his homeland and elsewhere in Latin America.
"He is absolutely capable of undertaking the necessary renovation without any leaps into the unknown. He would be a balancing force," said Francesca Ambrogetti, who co-authored a biography of Bergoglio after carrying out a series of interviews with him over three years.
"He shares the view that the Church should have a missionary role, that gets out to meet people, that is active ... a Church that does not so much regulate the faith as promote and facilitate it," she added.
"His lifestyle is sober and austere. That's the way he lives. He travels on the underground, the bus, when he goes to Rome he flies economy class."
The former cardinal, the first Jesuit to become pope, was born into a middle-class family of seven, his father an Italian immigrant railway worker and his mother a housewife.
He is a solemn man, deeply attached to centuries-old Roman Catholic traditions as he showed by asking the crowd cheering his election to say the Our Father and Hail Mary prayers.
He spends his weekend in solitude in his apartment outside Buenos Aires and is a member of well-known Argentine soccer club San Lorenzo.
"He was always a very pleasant and accessible person," said Roberto Crubellier, 65, a church employee in a downtown Buenos Aires church where Bergoglio used to go and pray.
"He used to walk from the cathedral (about 10 blocks) and he stayed, praying silently in the last rows of pews, as though he was just an ordinary guy."
In his rare public appearances, Bergoglio spares no harsh words for politicians and Argentine society, and has had a tricky relationship with President Cristina Fernandez and her late husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner.
TURBULENT TIMES
Bergoglio became a priest at 32, nearly a decade after losing a lung due to respiratory illness and quitting his chemistry studies. Despite his late start, he was leading the local Jesuit community within four years, holding the post of provincial of the Argentine Jesuits from 1973 to 1979.
After six years as provincial, he held several academic posts and pursued further study in Germany. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and archbishop in 1998.
Bergoglio's career success coincided with the bloody 1976-1983 military dictatorship, during which up to 30,000 suspected leftists were kidnapped and killed -- which prompted sharp questions about his role.
The most well-known episode relates to the abduction of two Jesuits whom the military government secretly jailed for their work in poor neighbourhoods.
According to "The Silence," a book written by journalist Horacio Verbitsky, Bergoglio withdrew his order's protection of the two men after they refused to quit visiting the slums, which ultimately paved the way for their capture.
Verbitsky's book is based on statements by Orlando Yorio, one of the kidnapped Jesuits, before he died of natural causes in 2000. Both of the abducted clergymen suffered five months of imprisonment.
"History condemns him. It shows him to be opposed to all innovation in the Church and above all, during the dictatorship, it shows he was very cosy with the military," Fortunato Mallimacci, the former dean of social sciences at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, once said.
His actions during this period strained his relations with many brother Jesuits around the world, who tend to be more politically liberal.
Those who defend Bergoglio say there is no proof behind these claims and, on the contrary, they say the priest helped many dissidents escape during the military junta's rule.
His brother bishops elected him president of the Argentine bishops conference for two terms from 2005 to 2011.
CONSERVATIVE THEOLOGY
In the Vatican, far removed from the dictatorship's grim legacy, this quiet priest is expected to lead the Church with an iron grip and a strong social conscience.
In 2010, he challenged the Argentine government when it backed a gay marriage bill.
"Let's not be naive. This isn't a simple political fight, it's an attempt to destroy God's plan," he wrote in a letter days before the bill was approved by Congress.
Bergoglio has been close to the conservative Italian religious movement Communion and Liberation, which had the backing of Popes John Paul and Benedict as a way to revitalise faith among young people.
Milan Cardinal Angelo Scola, who was believed to have the most support going into the conclave, is also close to the movement, but has taken some distance from it as it got mired in political scandals in Italy.
Bergoglio has addressed the group's annual meeting in Rimini and presented the books of its founder, Rev Luigi Giussani, to readers in Argentina.
His support contrasted to the critical view that another Jesuit, former Milan archbishop Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, had of Communion and Liberation during his life.
Martini died last year, leaving behind a posthumous interview saying the Church was "200 years behind the times."
Rev Gerard Fogarty, a Jesuit and Church historian at the University of Virginia, said he was "pretty sure I'd never see a Jesuit pope" and was surprised that Bergoglio had been chosen because of the criticism of his stand during the dictatorship.
The Jesuit order was founded in the 16th century to serve the pope in the Counter-Reformation and some members of the Society of Jesus, as the order is officially called, think no Jesuit should ever become pope.
Every Christian has a responsibility to prepare themselves to leave this world and to commit our ministries to the next generation. We saw this in the Moses-Joshua relationship. Moses was not threatened, nor was he angry about giving his ministry to Joshua. He knew it was his time to die because God told him, plus he knew his ministry would end before they went into the promised land. The time to begin preparing the next generation is today. If there are people in your church who show leadership promise, don’t truncate their ministries by bringing in someone from your Alma Mater and shutting them out. A flower blooms where it is planted and there are many Christians in home churches who are ready to bloom. All you need to do is water them and let God do the rest.
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