(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will make a pastoral visit to Naples in the southern Italian region of Campania in March 2015. The Archbishop and pontifical delegate to the Virgin of the Rosary sanctuary in Pompeii, Tommaso Caputo says the Pope will begin his journey with a visit to the Marian shrine on March 21st. The…
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(Vatican Radio) In a communique published on Monday, the Prefecture of the Papal Household reports that during the year 2014, more than 5,900,000 faithful participated in the various encounters with Pope Francis: audiences, both general (1,199,000) and special (567,100); liturgical celebrations in the Vatican Basilica and St. Peter’s Square (1,110,700), and the Angelus and Regina Coeli (3,040,000). These data refer only to the encounters that took place in the Vatican and do not include other activities that involved a high level of participation among the faithful, such as the apostolic trips to the Republic of Korea, Turkey or the Holy Land, or the various trips in Italy and visits within the diocese of Rome. The total number of faithful involved in the Vatican events is estimated at 5,916,800.
The Prefecture of the Papal Household reiterates that these are approximate data, calculated on the basis of requests for attendance at events and the invitations distributed by the Prefecture. Similarly, the data regarding participation in the Angelus and large celebrations in St. Peter’s Square are based on estimates.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Vatican City, 29 December 2014 (VIS) – Pompeii will be the first port of call on Pope Francis’ trip to the Italian region of Campania. On 21 March the Holy Father will begin his pilgrimage to Naples, starting from the statue dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary in Pompeii, according to the prelate archbishop and pontifical delegate of the shrine, Tommaso Caputo, who added that the Pope’s visit constitutes an event of extraordinary ecclesial importance. “The filial and tender Marian devotion that the Pope continues to show is also at the root of the Church of Pompeii’s strong commitment towards the humblest and neediest among us”, explained the prelate. “Today, more than ever before, the motivating forces of charity, intimately linked to the needs of justice and respect for the dignity of every person, are strongly felt. Aside from our joy for his visit, we hope that Pope Francis will show us the path to take to be even closer to and more united with our people”. St. John Paul II also visited Pompeii on 21 October 1979, during his visit to Naples, and he returned there on 7 October 2003 for the conclusion of the Year of the Rosary. Benedict XVI also visited the shrine, again during the month of the Rosary, October 2008….
Vatican City, 29 December 2014 (VIS) – Pompeii will be the first port of call on Pope Francis’ trip to the Italian region of Campania. On 21 March the Holy Father will begin his pilgrimage to Naples, starting from the statue dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary in Pompeii, according to the prelate archbishop…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says he is praying for the success of the Taizé Community’s ecumenical meeting from 29 December to 2 January in Prague.
In a message to young people from around the globe gathered in the capital of the Czech Republic, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin says that through prayer and reciprocal dialogue, they are attempting to be “the salt of the earth” and the Pope encourages them in their efforts towards greater communion.
He reassures them that as they strive for this goal, they should not be overwhelmed by their “limitations and their poverty.”
Pope Francis recalls that the Czech Republic is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its “return to democracy” and invites young people in Prague to remember in their prayers the men and women martyrs who “sometimes at the cost of great suffering” gave freely of themselves so that their country would regain its freedom.
Pope Francis calls young people to imitate the willingness of the Virgin Mary to open themselves to God’s plan and says he is confident that with imagination and creativity, they will spread the word of the Gospel in their own countries. Calling them “travelers of the faith,” Pope Francis says it is wonderful that young people are “happy to bring Jesus to every street, to every square, to every corner of the earth!”
(from Vatican Radio)…