(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Jesus asks us to perform good deeds with humility and reject a “cosmetics” (maquillage) religion that is merely concerned with its outward appearance and pretending to be what it’s not. The Pope was speaking at his morning Mass on Tuesday celebrated in the Santa Marta residence.
Listen to this report by Susy Hodges that includes clips of the Pope’s voice:
The inspiration for the Pope’s homily was taken from the day’s readings of St Paul’s letter to the Galatians and the Gospel account of where Jesus rebukes a Pharisee for being totally concentrated on the outward appearance of cleanliness rather than on the inner substance of his faith.
Pope Francis noted that Jesus’s answer to that same Pharisee who criticized him for not observing the prescribed washing before the meal was unequivocal.
“’Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.’” And Jesus repeats this many times in the Gospel to these people: Your interior is wicked, is not good and is not free. ‘You are slaves because you have not accepted the justice that comes from God, the justice that Jesus has given us.'”
Mentioning another passage from the Gospel, the Pope noted that Jesus urges us to pray without being seen, without being show-offs or like those cheeky and shameless people who pray and give alms so they can be admired. Our Lord, he stressed, instead shows us the path of humility.
Pope Francis went on to explain that, as Jesus said, what is important is the freedom given to us by redemption.
No to a “cosmetics” religion, avoid outward show
“That inner freedom, that freedom to do good deeds in secret without blowing our trumpets because the path of true religion is Jesus’ path: humility and humiliation. And as Paul says to the Philippians, Jesus humiliates himself, empties himself. This is the only way to remove egoism, cupidity, arrogance, vanity and worldliness from ourselves. On the contrary, these people that Jesus rebukes are people who follow a “cosmetic” religion: (about) show, appearance and pretending to be something but inside… Jesus uses a very strong image to describe these people: “You are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of corruption.”
Ask the Lord to reject a religion of outward show
Continuing his reflections, Pope Francis pointed out that Jesus asks us to perform good deeds with humility. He said you can do all the good deeds you want but if you don’t do them with humility, as Jesus taught us, these good deeds count for nothing because they are born from you and your self-assurance rather than from the redemption that Jesus gave us.This same redemption comes via “the path of humility and humiliations because humility never comes without humiliation. And we see Jesus humiliated on the Cross.”
“Let us ask the Lord for us never to get tired of journeying along this path, to never get tired of rejecting this religion of show, of appearance, of pretending. And let us journey silently doing good, freely just as we freely received our inner freedom. And may HE guard this inner freedom for all of us. Let us ask for this grace.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) One of the first names Pope Francis pronounced when he announced 17 new cardinals was that of the Apostolic Nuncio in Damascus , Archbishop Mario Zenari , who – even after the Consistory of 19 November – will stay in his current post so he can continue to be close to the suffering people of Syria.
Cardinal designate Zenari spoke to Vatican Radio soon after learning of his nomination, his voice trembling with emotion:
“For me it was an emotional moment… It was a surprise! I sincerely thank the Holy Father, because this purple (gown) is for Syria, for the victims of Syria, for all those who suffer because of this terrible war. It’s for these people, for the many children who are suffering, for the many poor people who are paying the consequences of this tremendous conflict” he said.
Zenari says Pope Francis pronounces very strong messages regarding the situation in Syria and he says – in this case – by creating a Cardinal who is a Nuncio in the country, he is saying something very strong: “it is almost a warning”.
Zenari, who for many years has committed himself to seeking peace for the ravaged nation describes himself as a simple and humble person. He hopes – he says – that this nomination by Pope Francis is received as a signal and “used as much as possible”.
He says his commitment continues “encouraged and fortified” by the Pope’s support:
“This sign of closeness on the part of the Pope will most certainly produce some benefits as I pursue my mission” he said.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The recently appointed Prefect for the Pontifical Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life is one of the 17 men who will receive a red hat in the Vatican during the next Consistory.
Bishop Kevin J. Farrell was nominated by Pope Francis to become a new Cardinal during the Consistory on 19 November in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Bishop Farrell just left Dallas on October 6th to take up residence in Rome where he will serve as the new Prefect for the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. He had served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas since March of 2007.
Immediately after learning the news of his appointment, Bishop Farrell said in a statement:
“I am humbled by the news this morning that our Holy Father Pope Francis has named me to the College of Cardinals. I ask all in the Diocese of Dallas to please pray for me that I may to the best of my ability fulfill this sacred duty to our Church.”
Meanwhile, the Apostolic Administrator in the Diocese of Dallas, Bishop Greg Kelly announced the news to the priests of the Diocese saying, “It is with great joy that I share the news that Bishop Farrell will be made a cardinal in the next Vatican consistory on November 19, 2016. Please pray for him during this important moment in his priesthood and let us once again thank God for his nine years of service here with us.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin is asking for prayers as he prepares to be installed in the College of Cardinals in November.
The Archbishop of Indianapolis is one of the 17 nominated by Pope Francis to become a new Cardinal during the Consistory on 19 November in St. Peter’s Basilica.
A statement was released immediately after the announcement on Sunday by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
The statement also carries a message from the Archbishop himself:
“Early this morning I learned that Pope Francis had appointed me to the College of Cardinals. I will formally be installed in that service in a ceremony in Rome next month. I will continue as the Archbishop of Indianapolis. I have come to love deeply the people of the Catholic communities of central and southern Indiana and count as a precious blessing the numerous friendships I have with civic and religious leaders throughout the state. I ask all people of faith to pray for me. I hope this new responsibility will make me a better servant of all Hoosiers. I also offer my prayers and support to the other Cardinals-elect, especially Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago and Archbishop Kevin Farrell, of Dallas, who was recently appointed to a new position in Rome.”
Please find below a biography of Cardinal-designate Joseph W. Tobin:
The Most Reverend Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., was appointed Archbishop of Indianapolis by Pope Benedict XVI on October 18, 2012.
Before his appointment as Archbishop of Indianapolis, Archbishop Tobin served as the Archbishop Secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Archbishop Tobin, a Redemptorist priest, is a native of Detroit. He was born May 3, 1952 and is the oldest of 13 children. He was educated at Catholic schools. He studied at Holy Redeemer College in Waterford, Wis., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1975. He also studied at Mount Saint Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, N.Y., where he received a master’s degree in religious education in 1977 and a master of divinity degree in 1979.
Archbishop Tobin professed perpetual vows as a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists) on August 21, 1976 and was ordained a priest on June 1, 1978. He was ordained an archbishop on October 9, 2010 in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome following his appointment on August 2, 2010 by Pope Benedict as the Archbishop Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
As Archbishop Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Archbishop Tobin worked in the Vatican to oversee the more than 1 million men and women in the world’s religious orders.
Archbishop Tobin has served as a parish priest in the inner city in Detroit and Chicago. As associate pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in Detroit from 1979 to 1984, Father Tobin was responsible for ministering to the Hispanic community.
He served as pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish from 1984 to 1990. He then served as pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Chicago from July 1990 until October 1991.
Archbishop Tobin served as General Consultor of the Redemptorist congregation from 1991 to 1997 and as its Superior General from 1997 to 2009. He was appointed by the Pope to five Synods of Bishops in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005 and 2008.
Archbishop Tobin has served as the Co-Chairman of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation since June 2013. He has also been a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Sub-committee on the Church in Africa since June 2013. He is the chairmen-elect of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations and will become chairman following the USCCB’s fall general assembly in 2016.
On March 29, 2014, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Tobin a member of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) One of those designated by Pope Francis to become a new Cardinal during the Consistory on 19 November in St. Peter’s Basilica, is Chicago Archbishop Blase J. Cupich .
A statement released by the Archdiocese of Chicago immediately after the announcement says that Archbishop Cupich was appointed to head the Chicago archdiocese, the nation’s third largest, by Pope Francis on September 20, 2014.
The statement also carries a message from the Archbishop himself:
“The news this morning that Pope Francis has named me to the College of Cardinals is both humbling and encouraging. I offer my best wishes to the other Cardinals-elect, especially Kevin Farrell and Joseph Tobin, and I look forward to joining with them and the other cardinals as we work together with the Holy Father for the good of the Church.”
“When Pope Francis appointed me Archbishop of Chicago more than two years ago, the people of the archdiocese welcomed me as a friend and brother and I committed wholeheartedly to serve them. The role of Cardinal brings new responsibilities, but with your prayers and help, we will continue the task we have begun of renewing the Church in the archdiocese and preparing it to thrive in the decades ahead.”
Please find below a biography of Archbishop Cupich :
Archbishop Blase Joseph Cupich was born on March 19, 1949, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Blase and Mary (Mayhan) Cupich. He is the third of nine children, with five sisters and three brothers.
Archbishop Cupich was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Omaha on August 16, 1975. He was pastor of two large suburban parishes in Omaha. He was appointed Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, on July 7, 1998, and was ordained and installed on September 21, 1998. He was appointed the sixth Bishop of Spokane, Washington, on June 30, 2010, and officially installed on September 3, 2010. Archbishop Cupich was appointed Archbishop of Chicago on September 20, 2014, and was installed as the ninth Archbishop of Chicago on Tuesday, November 18, 2014.
Archbishop Cupich obtained his B.A. in Philosophy from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1971. He attended seminary at the North American College and Gregorian University in Rome, where he received his Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology in 1974, and his M.A. in Theology in 1975. Archbishop Cupich is a graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where, in 1979, he received his Licentiate of Sacred Theology degree in Sacramental Theology. He also holds a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree as well as in Sacramental Theology, from the Catholic University of America, awarded in 1987, with his dissertation entitled: “Advent in the Roman Tradition: An Examination and Comparison of the Lectionary Readings as Hermeneutical Units in Three Periods.”
Additionally, Archbishop Cupich served as a secretary at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C. He was also the Chair for the USCCB Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People from 2008-2011 and for the National Catholic Educational Association Board from 2006-2008.
On July 7, 2016, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Cupich to the Congregation for Bishops.
Archbishop Cupich also serves on many committees, including: the USCCB Communications Committee; the USCCB Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, National Dialogue Initiative with Muslims, Co-Chair; the USCCB Subcommittee for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, Chair; Catholic Church Extension Society, Chancellor; and The Catholic Mutual Relief Society, Executive Member. He is also Chancellor of the University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, Mundelein, Illinois.
(from Vatican Radio)…