(Vatican Radio) The Schedule for the 2015 Apostolic Voyage of Pope Francis to Sri Lanka and the Philippines was released on Friday. Pope Francis will leave Rome on January 12, and return on January 19. Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, said at a press conference in Manila on…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) The Catholic Church will open the Year for Consecrated Life on the first Sunday of Advent, with a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, will preside in the name of Pope Francis, who will be still on his apostolic trip to Turkey that day.
The first Sunday of Advent, which this year falls on 30 November, marks the start of the Church’s liturgical year. The Mass to inaugurate the Year for Consecrated Life will begin at 10 a.m.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Manila – “The papal visit will surely bring much blessing to the Filipinos, especially to the poor, the survivors of recent natural and human-caused calamities, and the victims of injustices. The concern and solidarity of Jesus the Good Shepherd will be palpable in the person and in the presence of Pope Francis”: says the Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, in a note sent to Agenzia Fides after the publication of the program of the papal visit, who will be in Sri Lanka from January 13 to 15 and then in the Philippines until 19 January 2015. Cardinal Tagle remarks: “The Pope’s visit draws all Christians to personal and social responsibility. As disciples of Jesus Christ driven by the Holy Spirit, we will be challenged to reach out with love to the neglected and abandoned, to help heal the wounds inflicted on children, women and families, to respect who differ from us, to form the youth in responsible freedom, to value life and creation, and to imbue our culture and society with mercy and compassion. With the Pope let us spread the Gospel of hope with joy”. Since the visit to the Philippines will be on the theme “mercy and compassion”, the Archbishop calls the faithful to live these values which need to be “purified and strengthened by constantly listening to the Word of God, by frequently participating in the Eucharist”, reconciling with God and with others, doing acts of justice and love….
(Vatican Radio) On Friday, Pope Francis met with a group of accountants and accounting experts, who are in Rome for their World Congress. Listent to Christopher Wells’ report: In his address to the group, the Holy Father drew attention to the question of employment. “From your professional observation,” he said, “you are well aware of…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has commissioned three showers to be built for use by the homeless in the area under St. Peter’s colonnades. The showers will be installed in an existing lavatory block used by pilgrims and tourists and the building works are set to begin on November 17th. The initiative was inspired by the…
Read more