Jesus loves those who put their trust in him, pope says at memorial Mass
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — God seeks and loves those who are humble because it allows him to be a part of their lives, Pope Francis said. “This is Christian humility, which is not simply one virtue among others, but the basic disposition of life: believing ourselves to be in need of God, making room for him and putting all our trust in him,” the pope said in his homily Nov. 3.
No one wins with war; each life lost represents defeat, pope says
ROME (CNS) — As the sun broke through the morning sky after a torrential downpour in Rome, Pope Francis was wheeled past dozens of gravestones that marked the final resting place of members of the military forces who died during and immediately after World War II. He carried a bouquet of large white roses and had an aide place it at the grave of Guardsman William Perkins, a member of the Welsh Guards who died at the age of 28 in 1944. The pope then continued along the green lawn, hands clasped briefly in prayer.
Pope expresses closeness to Mexican resort city devastated by hurricane
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — After dozens of people were killed and billions of dollars in damages were suffered due to a hurricane that hit Mexico’s Pacific coast, Pope Francis expressed his condolences and prayed that Christians would contribute, in a spirit of charity, to the reconstruction of affected areas. The pope was “deeply saddened to learn of the natural disaster that is affecting the coasts of Guerrero” in southern Mexico, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, wrote in a telegram to Archbishop Leopoldo González González of Acapulco Oct. 27.
God wants people to know, praise him in their own language, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Since the Gospel message touches every aspect of a person’s life, it must be proclaimed in a way people can understand, Pope Francis said. At his weekly general audience Oct. 25, the pope looked at the lives of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, two brothers from ninth-century Greece who became missionaries in central Europe. St. John Paul II named them co-patrons of Europe and wrote the encyclical “Slavorum Apostoli” (“The Apostles of the Slavs”) about them, affirming Eastern Europe’s Christian culture.
War defeats human dignity, avoids finding solution, Vatican cardinal says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Terrorism, violence, barbarism and extremism undermine the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. “War is always the defeat of dignity and an occasion for not reaching any solution,” he said, hoping that all weapons would be silenced and reason prevail so that there can be pause to reflect on the right way to achieve peace in Israel and Palestine.
Saying terrorism, war solve nothing, pope prays for peace
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — “War is a defeat,” Pope Francis insisted as he called for prayers for peace in Israel and Palestine. Speaking to thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square Oct. 8 for the recitation of the Angelus prayer, the pope said he is following events in Israel and Gaza “with apprehension and sorrow.” A day earlier, militants in Gaza launched a massive attack on southern Israel, firing rockets and breaching the border.
In book given at synod, Pope warns against idolatry camouflaged as sacred
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christian life is a battle each person must fight against the temptation to be self-sufficient and against a paganism disguised as sacredness, Pope Francis said in an introduction to a small book distributed to participants at the synod on synodality. Such “spiritual worldliness,” he wrote, “though it be camouflaged with the appearance of the sacred, it ends up being idolatrous because it does not recognize the presence of God as Lord and liberator of our lives and of the history of the world. It leaves us prey to our capricious desires.”
Pope writes to children about mission, invites them to Vatican in November
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Peering just over the windowsill of Pope Francis’ studio above St. Peter’s Square, five children aged 7-10 joined the pope to announce a special gathering of children at the Vatican in November. “As you can see, beside me today are five children who represent the five continents,” Pope Francis said Oct. 1 after reciting the Angelus. “I would like to announce along with them that on the afternoon of Nov. 6, in the Paul VI Hall, I will meet with children from all over the world.”
Hundreds stand in line to greet new cardinals from the “peripheries”
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — One consequence of Pope Francis choosing new cardinals from the “peripheries” is that friends, family and fans of the newly elevated are just as shocked and surprised as the new cardinals are themselves to have been given the honor. “I never dreamed this would happen,” Eugene Kurisinkal of Johor Bahru, Malaysia, said, wiping tears from his eyes, pointing to his uncle, Malaysian Cardinal Sebastian Francis of Penang. “We were at his episcopal ordination” in 2012 and thought that was going to be the high point of ceremonial celebrations of his 71-year-old uncle’s lifelong ministry serving in Malaysia, he told Catholic News Service.
God has the same love for all, pope says at Angelus
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — People often are tempted to think their relationship with God is some kind of commercial transaction where they buy God’s grace with their hard work, Pope Francis said. Another temptation is to judge others and presume that they have not worked as hard to deserve God’s love, the pope said Sept. 24 as he commented on the day’s Gospel reading before reciting the Angelus prayer with some 18,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
