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Pope at Angelus: It Doesn’t Matter Who You Know, to Get to Heaven, You Need a Good Life of Faith
Francis Makes Appeal for Amazon ‘Vital’ to Planet, & Greets Pontifical North American College
For us Christians, the Pope said this means that we are called to establish a true communion with Jesus, praying, going to church, approaching the Sacraments and nourishing ourselves with His Word. Since this keeps us in faith, nourishes our hope, and revives charity, he noted, that with God’s grace, “we can and must spend our lives for the good of our brothers, fighting against every form of evil and injustice.”
“May the Virgin Mary help us in this,” he highlighted.
“She went through the narrow door, who is Jesus. She welcomed Him with all her heart and followed Him every day of her life, even when she didn’t understand, even when a sword pierced her soul.” For this reason, he explained, we invoke Mary as “Door of Heaven.”
This ‘door,’ he reiterated, is that to God’s heart, which follows the ‘Way’ of Jesus. It is, Francis said, “demanding, but open to all.”
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The Pope and the One World Religion (The United Religions Organisation)…
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Thwarted: Plot to assassinate the Pope in 2015
Did you know that Santos Colon Jr., 17, plotted to kill the Pope during the Pope’s visit to Philadelphia on Sept 26-27, 2015? It was not carried out because the person he hired to be the sniper was an undercover FBI employee. FBI agents arrested Colon in 2015.
The Pope celebrated Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where hundreds of thousands of people gathered.
Santos Colon Jr., pleaded guilty as an adult to attempting to provide material support to terrorists. The Lindenwold resident faces up to 15 years in prison, but a sentencing date hasn’t been scheduled.
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USA TODAYVerified account @USATODAY
Santos Colon Jr. intended to have a sniper shoot the pope during a papal Mass.
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24 March 2017
3 year-old girl snatches Pope Francis’ zucchetto and he laughed heartily!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sdAiefi00k
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4 Dec 2016
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Met many leaders, Kings , Queens, celebs but today was incredible to meet Pope Francis. My Dad…
Instagram photo by Tony Fernandes • Dec 4, 2016 at 4:39am UTC
See this Instagram photo by @tonyfernandes
linkis.com
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Today I met an amazing leader. But yesterday was the story of a great man becoming a legend an…
Door to enter His holiness Pope Francis . Been quite a visit so far. Never thought I would see…
At the Vatican. An amazing historical and full of energy environment.
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AsiaOne Tony Fernandes meets Pope FrancisAsiaOnePETALING JAYA: AirAsia group chief executive officer T…
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28 July 2016
People MagazinePope FrancisFalls down during Mass in Poland—then keeps right on going http://peoplem.ag/NpiqC7M
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The famously humble Pontiff, 79, caused concern Thursday when he tripped and fell after apparently missing a step while leading a celebratory Mass in Czestochowa in honor of Poland’s 1,050th anniversary of becoming a Catholic country.
Pope Francis, who has only one lung and is known to suffer from sciatica, was helped back up by several priests and finished the Mass at the Jasna Gora Monastery, considered to be the country’s holiest site, without further interruption.
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18 June 2016
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WATCH: Tiger cub has a very special audience with
#PopeFrancis http://bit.ly/23fSUa2
TODAY —
29 May 2016
He invited Pope Francis to visit Singapore, to which the Pope said he would be pleased to accept.
President Tan, Pope stress inter-faith dialogue http://str.sg/4JDh
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Pontiff updated on Republic’s experiences in keeping harmony; he accepts invitation to S’pore
President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Pope Francis spoke at length about the importance of inter-faith dialogue in promoting harmony between different communities when they met here yesterday.
Dr Tan, who is on a state visit to the Holy See, also updated the Pope about Singapore’s experiences.
He later invited Pope Francis to visit Singapore, to which the Pope said he would be pleased to accept.
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/president-tan-pope-stress-inter-faith-dialogue
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24 April 2016
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‘Happiness not an app you can download’ – Pope tells teens Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/04/141220/happiness-not-app-you-can-download-pope-tells-teens …
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An estimated 70,000 teenagers were in Rome for a weekend of events to celebrate Francis’s Jubilee year dedicated to the theme of mercy.
Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/04/141220/happiness-not-app-you-can-download-pope-tells-teens
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Sixteen teenagers have gotten an unexpected opportunity to confess sins to Pope Francis http://bit.ly/1SqhTAA
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VATICAN CITY — Sixteen teenagers have gotten an unexpected opportunity to confess sins to Pope Francis.
The pontiff made a surprise appearance on Saturday (April 23) morning in St. Peter’s Square, where thousands of Catholics faithful, ranging in age from 13 to 16, were participating in a special Holy Year youth day, including confession near the famed Colonnade of Bernini.
Pope Francis and each of the 16 teenagers sat face-to-face in simple chairs set up in pairs for him and many others hearing confessions in the square. The teenagers seemed at ease, with the pontiff shaking hands warmly with the youths. In all, the pope spent more than an hour in the square.
http://www.todayonline.com/world/europe/teenagers-get-surprise-chance-confess-sins-pope
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16 April 2016
Pope brings message of hope to migrants on Lesbos http://str.sg/4kjz
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LESBOS (AFP) – Pope Francis told despairing migrants trapped on the Greek island of Lesbos they were “not alone” and pleaded for the world to show “common humanity” on Saturday (April 16) following a dramatic hardening of the EU’s stance on migrants.
The pontiff’s visit comes amid continuing criticism of a deal reached last month to end Europe’s refugee crisis by sending all irregular migrants who land in Greece back to Turkey.
An official from Greece’s state refugee coordination agency said Francis, who has repeatedly spoken out about the plight of the migrants, planned to offer a small group of refugees a new life at the Vatican.
Greek public television ERT said three families from Kara Tepe refugee camp on Lesbos, who were chosen in a draw, would be the ones to go.
There were emotional scenes as the 79-year-old leader of the Catholic Church visited the Moria migrant registration centre where around 3,000 people are being held.
“You are not alone… do not lose hope,” the pope, who was accompanied by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Ieronymos, the head of the Church of Greece, told the migrants.
One man broke into tears as he knelt at the pope’s feet, requesting his blessing. Another woman who slipped past security to approach the pontiff also broke down in tears as he paused to listen to her.
Some held handmade signs that read ‘We want freedom’, ‘Let my people go’ and ‘Papa cherche a nous sauver’ (‘Pope, try to save us’).
A group of small children presented the pope with a dozen drawings.
http://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/pope-brings-message-of-hope-to-migrants-on-lesbos
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14 April 2016
Before Pope Francis
Ask a Protestant if the Pope were Christian and the answers varied:
1. I suppose he must be, after all…
2. Well, is Jesus Christ his Lord and Saviour?
3. No, he is Catholic.
4. Yes, but…
Today, this Pope sounds very Christian to all Christians, whether Catholic or Protestant.
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JESUS SAVES Being a Christian isn’t just about following commandments: it’s about letting Christ take possession of our lives –Pope Francis
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Pope Francis: “There is no saint without a past and there is not a sinner without a future.”
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13 April 2016
The Lord’s presence dwells in families, with all their daily troubles and struggles, joys and hopes.
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Pope Francis in #AmorisLaetitia: http://ow.ly/10Df7P
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9 April 2016
Excerpts from “The Joy of Love”…
Vogue
11 Pieces of Relationship Advice We Learned From Pope Francis
On Friday morning, Pope Francis released an extensive document titled “Amoris Laetitia,” or “The Joy of Love” in Latin, which was celebrated for its inclusivity and understanding toward divorced couples, gays, and couples living together before marriage.
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…Below, we highlight the most inspiring relationship advice from “The Joy of Love.”
Always keep your eyes open in a relationship.
“A look of appreciation has enormous importance, and to begrudge it is usually hurtful….Love opens our eyes and enables us to see, beyond all else, the great worth of a human being.”
Don’t be so quick to swipe left.
“I think, for example, of the speed with which people move from one affective relationship to another….We treat affective relationships the way we treat material objects and the environment: Everything is disposable; everyone uses and throws away, takes and breaks, exploits and squeezes to the last drop. Then, goodbye.
Being polite makes a huge difference.
“In the family, three words need to be used. I want to repeat this! Three words: ‘Please,’ ‘Thank you,’ ‘Sorry.’ Three essential words!” he wrote. “Let us not be stingy about using these words, but keep repeating them, day after day.
Love is like a fine wine: It takes time to become its best version of itself.
“It is not helpful to dream of an idyllic and perfect love needing no stimulus to grow. A celestial notion of earthly love forgets that the best is yet to come, that fine wine matures with age.”
Listening is an art form.
“Take time, quality time. This means being ready to listen patiently and attentively to everything the other person wants to say. It requires the self-discipline of not speaking until the time is right. Instead of offering an opinion or advice, we need to be sure that we have heard everything the other person has to say…
Sometimes an opposite point of view is not a bad thing.
“Keep an open mind. Don’t get bogged down in your own limited ideas and opinions, but be prepared to change or expand them…”
How you say things is just as important as what you are saying.
“The ability to say what one is thinking without offending the other person is important. Words should be carefully chosen so as not to offend, especially when discussing difficult issues.
Looks fade, but the heart remains true.
“In the course of every marriage physical appearances change, but this hardly means that love and attraction need fade. We love the other person for who they are, not simply for their body.
Compromise, compromise, compromise.
“As love matures, it also learns to ‘negotiate.’
Don’t act defensively during a fight.
“Faced with a crisis, we tend first to react defensively, since we feel that we are losing control, or are somehow at fault, and this makes us uneasy.
Never ignore a person’s emotional baggage.
“Many people leave childhood without ever having felt unconditional love. This affects their ability to be trusting and open with others….When problems emerge in a marriage, before important decisions are made it is important to ensure that each spouse has come to grips with his or her own history.”
http://www.vogue.com/13424543/pope-francis-amoris-laetitia-relationship-advice/?mbid=social_twitter
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8 April 2016
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THIS POPE HAS A PASTOR’S HEART
Pope FrancisI encourage you to bear witness to Christ in your personal life and families: a witness of gratuitousness, solidarity, spirit of service.
The word of God is a source of comfort for every family that experiences difficulty or suffering.
VANITY FAIRPope Francis calls for the Catholic Church to be more welcoming toward divorcées, gay people http://vntyfr.com/IwIb7Mu
While he stopped short of accepting same-sex unions and birth control, Francis suggested that pastors be “attentive” to groups historically shunned by the Church.
In a much-anticipated new document released from the Vatican, Pope Francis signaled his desire for the Catholic Church to be a more inclusive institution, calling on priests to be more welcoming and empathetic towards single parents, divorced couples, unmarried and cohabiting straight couples, and gay people—groups that the 2,000-year-old church has historically shunned.
The apostolic encyclical Amoris Laetitia, published on Friday, laid out Francis’s case for the clergy to “avoid judgements that do not take into account the complexity of various situations,” urging priests to act less on behalf of strict, textualist Catholic dogma, and instead “be attentive, by necessity, to how people experience and endure distress because of their condition.”
Continuing his rhetorical break with past pontiffs, Francis suggested that priests should be supportive towards people in unusual family arrangements; specifically unmarried couples, single parents, divorcées, and homosexuals. “A pastor cannot feel that it is enough to simply apply moral laws to those living in ‘irregular’ situations, as if they were stones to throw at people’s lives,” he said, though he did not go further and suggest that divorced people be allowed to receive communion, as some Church-watchers had expected he might do.
While Francis has historically been sympathetic towards gay people, he stopped short of accepting same-sex marriage, saying “there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.” He did, however, condemn anti-gay violence and discrimination, asking that clergy be more welcoming to gay Catholics, “so that those who manifest a homosexual orientation can receive the assistance they need to understand and fully carry out God’s will in their lives.”
He also stopped short of accepting birth control, saying that the concept of “protection” for “safe sex” suggested that the creation of an “eventual child were an enemy to be protected against. This way of thinking promotes narcissism and aggressivity in place of acceptance.”
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A compassionate Pope.
Sky NewsAmerican girl who doesn’t realise she is gradually losing her sight meets Pope Francis http://trib.al/ZwwMrjR
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ABC7 News5-year-old girl losing her sight meets #PopeFrancis while traveling for “visual bucket list” http://abc7ne.ws/1VxDTOn
Pope Francis blesses eyes of 5-year-old Ohio girl going blind
Pope Francis on Wednesday blessed the eyes of a 5-year-old Ohio girl who suffers from a rare genetic disease that is gradually robbing her of her sight.
Lizzy Myers and her family, including 3-year-old sister Michaela, had special seats for Francis’ Wednesday general audience, and Francis spent several minutes with her at the end. He caressed her, hugged her, and placed his hands over her eyes. She gave him a meteorite chunk.
Lizzy doesn’t know she suffers from Usher’s Syndrome, which will take away her hearing and gradually make her blind. Her parents have made a “visual bucket list” to show her as many things as they can before she can no longer see.
Her mother, Christine Myers, said afterward that Lizzy was “awe-struck. She was totally big-eyed and it was a very powerful moment for her.”
http://abc7news.com/religion/pope-francis-blesses-eyes-of-5-year-old-girl-going-blind/1279372/
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISaCAen_VzI
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8-year-old S’porean girl skips school to meet Pope Francis
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SINGAPORE – If you could ask the Pope a question, what would it be?
For 8-year-old Faith Ng, it was: “Dear Pope Francis, why do you need that tall hat?”
And that was the question that won her an audience with Pope Francis in February at the Vatican.
Faith was among 14 children from 12 countries who were invited to meet with the pope, after they had sent in their questions which were to be a part of a children’s book project.
Faith’s mother, Mdm Jennifer Tan, 46, had submitted her question through their parish, the Church of St Ignatius in May 2015. It wasn’t until December that she received a letter inviting Faith to meet the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Two months later, the Primary 3 CHIJ Kellock student and her mother were on a flight to Rome.
On Feb 22 this year, Faith met Pope Francis in the Paul VI Audience Hall in St Peter’s Square, the papal enclave in Vatican City. But, Faith said, the “tall hat” was not in sight. Instead, Pope Francis was wearing a zucchetto – a form-fitting skullcap.
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/8-year-old-sporean-girl-meets-pope-francis
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weehingthong 