(Vatican Radio) As Pope Francis marks the second anniversary of his election, Cardinal Rodriquez Maradiaga, President of Caritas Internationalis, looks at one of the main hallmarks of his papacy, his desire “for a poor Church, for the poor.” It was only 3 days after his election on March 13th 2013 that Pope Francis spoke that much-quoted phrase during an audience with journalists and since then the Pope’s words and deeds have helped to reinforce that message in many different ways. Cardinal Mariadiaga, who’s a member of the C-9 group of cardinals tasked with helping the Pope to reform the Roman Curia, spoke to Susy Hodges.
Listen to the full interview with Cardinal Maradiaga, President of Caritas Internationalis:
Cardinal Maradiaga it was obvious “right from the very beginning” when the newly-elected Pope chose the name of Francis after the great Italian saint from Assisi who renounced his wealth and devoted his life to the poor that reaching out to the poor and marginalized would be a key hallmark of his papacy. Calling it a “great message”, the Honduran Cardinal said Pope Francis is trying “to change attitudes” and fight “the indifference” of so many in today’s society to this moral imperative to help the poor and marginalised.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) As Pope Francis marks the second anniversary of his election, Cardinal Rodriquez Maradiaga, President of Caritas Internationalis, looks at one of the main hallmarks of his papacy, his desire “for a poor Church, for the poor.” It was only 3 days after his election on March 13th 2013 that Pope Francis spoke that…
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(Vatican Radio) Friday 13th March marks two years since the election of Pope Francis to the See of Peter. To mark this occasion Veronica Scarisbrick finds out more about how the figure of Pope Francis is perceived across the ocean in the United States. To do this she turns to David Gibson, a New York based award-winning journalist, author and filmmaker who’s also national reporter for ‘Religion News Service’.
Listen to David Gibson in an interview with Veronica Scarisbrick :
David Gibson says Pope Francis has captured the imagination of both Catholics and non- Catholics in the United States as well as media attention. People are drawn to him, he remarks, and he’s been featured everywhere on every magazine cover.
This development, says Gibson, marks a landmark shift in the narrative of the Catholic Church in the United States which for the past ten of fifteen years has been focused on the clerical sexual abuse crisis.
People are suddenly saying things like: ‘hey you’ve got a really cool Pope’, this Catholicism thing is kind of interesting tell me about it’.
In a special way, the images and gestures Pope Francis projects through the media are strong and they’re right there with us. Despite the distance between Rome and the United States there’s a real sense of nearness. Not just because of the immediacy of modern day communications but because of the kind of person, pastor and Pope he is. His gestures are not just words or concepts, he really connects with people and there’s a way this is kind of amplified by the time it crosses the ocean.
A popularity which means that his forthcoming September visit to the United States which takes him to the East coast, a major media hub, has raised both interest and expectations. Especially as on this occasion he’ll become the first Roman Pontiff to address a joint meeting of Congress.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Friday 13th March marks two years since the election of Pope Francis to the See of Peter. To mark this occasion Veronica Scarisbrick finds out more about how the figure of Pope Francis is perceived across the ocean in the United States. To do this she turns to David Gibson, a New York based…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says a true Christian must not compromise: he must let himself be touched by God’s mercy and he must love his brother wholeheartedly or else he will end up being a hypocrite and do more harm than good. The Pope was speaking during Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Thursday morning. At the beginning through the Prophets, and later with the testimony of Saints, God has built up his relationship with men in time. And yet, the Pope pointed out, notwithstanding the excellence of those chosen to relay His message through their teachings and their actions – the history of Salvation is far from perfect, it is paved with hypocrisy and unfaithfulness. God weeps for hardened hearts
Pope Francis’ reflection swept across time, beginning with Abel and ending today. According to Jeremiah in the Gospel reading of the day, God states with bitterness that his own people did not obey nor did they pay heed and “walked in the hardness of their evil hearts”. “God gave them all” – Pope Francis said – but in return received only “bad things”. “Faithfulness had disappeared” he said. “This is the History of God. It’s as if God were weeping. And when Jesus looked at Jerusalem he too wept. Because in Jesus’ heart was this history where faithfulness had disappeared. We follow our will, but doing so our heart hardens and becomes of stone. And the Word of the Lord cannot penetrate. Thus the people get more and more distant. This is also the risk in our personal histories. Now, on this day of lent, we must ask ourselves: ‘do I listen to the voice of the Lord or do I do what I please?’”. From heretics to Saints
The Gospel reading from Luke also offers an example of a “hardened heart”, deaf to the voice of God. In it, Jesus drives out a demon from a man and in return receives an accusation: “By the power of the prince of demons, you drive out demons. You are a demoniac sorcerer.” This – Pope Francis said – is the typical excuse of “lawmakers” who think life is regulated by laws promulgated by themselves. “This has also happened in the history of the Church! Think of poor Joan of Arc: today she is a Saint! She was burnt at the stake because she was considered a heretic… the inquisitors, those who followed the rules, those Pharisees: they were far from the love of God. And closer in time to us think of the Blessed Antonio Rosmini: all of his writings were placed upon the Index. You could not read them; it was considered a sin to read them. Today he is a Blessed. In the History of God with his people the Lord sent forth the prophets to tell His people that He loved them. In the Church, the Lord sends forth the Saints. And it is the Saints who carry forward the life of the Church, not the powerful, not the hypocrites: the Saints”. There is no middle way
And Pope Francis said that Saints “are those who are not afraid to let themselves be caressed by the mercy of God. That’s why the Saints are men and women who understand pain, suffering and human misery, and they accompany the people of God. They do not despise the people”: “Jesus says: ‘Whoever is not with me is against me’. And there is no compromising. You are either on the path of love or on the path of hypocrisy. You either let yourself be loved by God’s mercy, or you do as you please according to your own heart that hardens days by day along this path. Whoever is not with me is against me: there is no third choice to be made. Either you are a saint or you take the other route. Whoever is not receptive loses out… No, it is worse: he wastes and wrecks. He is corrupt and he corrupts”. (from Vatican Radio)…