Lawmakers in Malta introduced a bill this fall to allow civil unions and same-sex adoptions. The legislature is expected to continue debating the proposed law in the new year.
Times Of Malta
So just how gay-friendly is Pope Francis?
Consider this
Sunday, 29 December 2013
Pope Francis 'shocked' by gay adoption
by a bill that would allow gay couples to adopt children in Malta.
Times Of Malta
So just how gay-friendly is Pope Francis?
Consider this
Times Of Malta
So just how gay-friendly is Pope Francis?
Consider this
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
Pope Francis: Atheists are good if they do good
Pope Francis reached out to atheists with a story that concluded, "Just do good, and we'll find a meeting point."
VATICAN CITY — Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good, Pope Francis said Wednesday in his latest urging that people of all religions — or no religion — work together.
Read more ...
VATICAN CITY — Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good, Pope Francis said Wednesday in his latest urging that people of all religions — or no religion — work together.
Read more ...
Pope Francis holds a statue of baby Jesus as he celebrates the Christmas Eve Mass
Francis cradles a baby Jesus statue at start of his first papal Christmas Eve Mass at Vatican
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis lauded Jesus' humble beginning as a poor and vulnerable baby as he celebrated his first Christmas Eve Mass as pontiff Tuesday in St. Peter's Basilica.
"You are immense, and you made yourself small; you are rich, and you made yourself poor; you are all-powerful and you made yourself vulnerable," Francis said of Jesus as he delivered his homily in the basilica, packed with faithful.
Francis has dedicated much of his nine-month-old papacy to drawing attention to the plight of the poor, of children, and other vulnerable members of society.
He noted that the first to receive news of Jesus' birth were shepherds, who in society were considered "among the last, the outcast."
Monday, 16 December 2013
Pope Francis : more quotes
Pope Francis :
Every Friday is an opportunity to remember how much Jesus has suffered for us. Lord, never let us forget how much you love us.
The Christian life is not limited to prayer, but requires an ongoing dedication and courage born of prayer.
May sports always be a means of exchange and growth, never of violence and hate.
Never forget, young friends: The Virgin Mary is our Mother and with her help we can remain faithful to Christ.
Dear young friends, Christ has confidence in you and he entrusts his own mission to you:
Go and make disciples!
May the Lord always keep us all young at heart.
Every Friday is an opportunity to remember how much Jesus has suffered for us. Lord, never let us forget how much you love us.
The Christian life is not limited to prayer, but requires an ongoing dedication and courage born of prayer.
May sports always be a means of exchange and growth, never of violence and hate.
Never forget, young friends: The Virgin Mary is our Mother and with her help we can remain faithful to Christ.
Dear young friends, Christ has confidence in you and he entrusts his own mission to you:
Go and make disciples!
May the Lord always keep us all young at heart.
Jesus Sayings About The Poor
Luke 6:20-21
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: 'Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
'Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
'Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Luke 4:16-19
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.'
Matthew 25:34-36
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me."
Mark 10:21-22
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Mark 12:41-44
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."
Luke 14:12-14
He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Luke 16:19-25
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.
Luke 11:39-42
Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you. "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God .
Luke 12:16-21
Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."
Pope Francis Quotes On The Poor
Stealing from the tables of the the poor
Throwing food away is like stealing from the tables of the the poor, the hungry! I encourage everyone to reflect on the problem of thrown away and wasted food to identify ways and means that, by seriously addressing this issue, are a vehicle of solidarity and sharing with the needy.
Pope Francis Insists Church Must Help Poor, Not 'Speak Of Theology'
'Money Has To Serve, Not To Rule!'
Pope Francis has denounced the global financial system, blasting the "cult of money" that he says is tyrannizing the poor and turning humans into expendable consumer goods.
To live charitably means not looking out for our own interests, but carrying the burdens of the weakest and poorest among us.
We cannot sleep peacefully while babies are dying of hunger and the elderly are without medical assistance.
There are many people in need in today's world. Am I self-absorbed in my own concerns or am I aware of those who need help?
True charity requires courage: Let us overcome the fear of getting our hands dirty so as to help those in need.
The "throw-away" culture produces many bitter fruits, from wasting food to isolating many elderly people.
Poor Church For The Poor'
'Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor."
Pope Francis Wants "Poor Church And Church For The Poor"
If money and material things become the center of our lives, they seize us and make us slaves.
Let us ask the Lord to give us the gentleness to look upon the poor with understanding and love, devoid of human calculation and fear.
Men And Women Sacrificed To the Idols Of Profit
Man is not in charge today, money is in charge, money rules. God our Father did not give the task of caring for the earth to money, but to us, to men and women: we have this task! Instead, men and women are sacrificed to the idols of profit and consumption: it is the "culture of waste."
Take care of God's creation. But above all, take care of people in need.
'If Banks Fail It is A Tragedy, If People Die Of Hunger It's Nothing'
"Today, and it breaks my heart to say it, finding a homeless person who has died of cold, is not news. Today, the news is scandals, that is news, but the many children who don't have food - that's not news. This is grave. We can't rest easy while things are this way."
How marvellous it would be if, at the end of the day, each of us could say: today I have performed an act of charity towards others!
'Slave Labor Goes Against God'
"A headline that really struck me on the day of the tragedy in Bangladesh was 'Living on 38 euros a month'. That is what the people who died were being paid. This is called slave labour."
"Not paying fairly, not giving a job because you are only looking at balance sheets, only looking at how to make a profit. That goes against God!"
No More 'Profit At Any Cost':
My thoughts turn to all who are unemployed, often as a result of a self-centred mindset bent on profit at any cost.
Those Most In Need' :
The measure of the greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing apart from their poverty.
Choose A Humble Car
Pope Francis waves to faithful upon his arrival at the Pontiff's residence of Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, Sunday July 14, 2013, in a Ford Focus.
The down-to-earth Pope called for greater austerity from religious figures last week, saying, “It hurts me when I see a priest or nun with the latest-model car. You can’t do this. A car is necessary to do a lot of work, but, please, choose a more humble one. If you like the fancy one, just think about how many children are dying of hunger in the world." The Ford Focus is a compact car with a starting sticker price of just about $16,000.
Pope Francis' Car Shows His Commitment To Humility: Catholic Leader Chooses Ford Focus
Prayer, humility, and charity toward all are essential in the Christian life: they are the way to holiness.
We pray for a heart which will embrace immigrants. God will judge us upon how we have treated the most needy.
'Moral And Material Poverty' :
How many kinds of moral and material poverty we face today as a result of denying God and putting so many idols in his place!
'Culture of Waste' :
With the "culture of waste", human life is no longer considered the primary value to be respected and protected.
On Waste :
Consumerism has accustomed us to waste. But throwing food away is like stealing it from the poor and hungry.
Bombshell Pope Quotes
"Who Am I To Judge?"
Pope Francis has had a busy week at World Youth Day in Rio as he visited his slums and prisons, blessed the Olympic flag and brought three million people to Copacabana Beach for a final Mass on Sunday morning.
Now he has made another headline, this time when the pontiff said, "Who am I to judge a gay person?"
Read more from The Huffington Post
There Is No Catholic God
"And I believe in God, not in a Catholic God, there is no Catholic God, there is God and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my Being."
Read more from La Repubblica
Small-Minded Rules
“The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. "
Read more from America Magazine
Abortion, Gay Marriage, And Contraception
“We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time."
Read more from America Magazine
Humble Cars
The down-to-earth Pope called for greater austerity from religious figures last week, saying, “It hurts me when I see a priest or nun with the latest-model car. You can’t do this. A car is necessary to do a lot of work, but, please, choose a more humble one. If you like the fancy one, just think about how many children are dying of hunger in the world." The Ford Focus is a compact car with a starting sticker price of just about $16,000.
Read more from The Huffington Post
The Court Is The Leprosy Of The Papacy
"You know what I think about this? Heads of the Church have often been narcissists, flattered and thrilled by their courtiers. The court is the leprosy of the papacy."
Read more from The Huffington Post
War never again! Never again war!
Consider The Person
“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. "
Read more from America Magazine
With utmost firmness I condemn the use of chemical weapons.
Creativity
“Then, Holy Father, creativity is important for the life of a person?” I ask. He laughs and replies: “For a Jesuit it is extremely important! A Jesuit must be creative.”
Read more from America Magazine
A Poor Church
On his election to the papacy, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose to name himself after Francis of Assisi because the 12th-century saint "is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation," Pope Francis said Saturday.
"How I would like a church that is poor and for the poor," he told about 5,000 journalists gathered for an audience with the pope.
Read more from the National Catholic Reporter
Proselytism Is Solemn Nonsense
"Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us."
Read more from La Repubblica
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Pink Smoke at the Vatican - Part 2
Pink Smoke at the Vatican: Women Demand a Voice in Catholic Church Led by "Old Celibate Men"
There are so many women who have been marginalized in our church, not just women who seek larger roles like ordination, but women who’ve been divorced, lesbian women, girls who want to serve at the altar, women who use birth control. There are so many women who are left outside of the church and who have no place. So, our hope is, you know, Pope Francis will be a peacemaker, live up to his name, and really reach out to women.
Pink Smoke Over the Vatican - Part 1
Pink Smoke Over the Vatican: Women Demand Greater Role in the Catholic Church
The pink smoke is about women’s decision making and leadership in our church, which is so desperately needed. We need to hear voices of women. We need to hear the interpretation of the gospel, of the gospel, from women, living and dying. We need, as we have in our women’s masses, feminine images of God, who is beyond gender. But if we’re going to speak of God in anthropomorphic terms, it is sinful and idolatrous to speak of God in only masculine imagery.
Jesus was certainly a feminist for his time. He talked to women when it was really, you know, a huge taboo for a man to talk to women. And he welcomed women, along with the rest of the marginalized and outcasts, at his table fellowship.
Pope Francis: A Social Conservative
A Social Conservative: Pope Francis Led Effort Against Liberation Theology and Same-Sex Marriage
Complicity of Bergoglio with human rights violations during the dictatorship in Argentina?
Argentine journalist Horacio Verbitsky as saying he had "no reason to think he did something for our freedom but rather the opposite."
Adolfo Perez Esquivel, the Argentine who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his human rights advocacy in 1980 (while the military was still in power), said on his website that Bergoglio did not work with the dictatorship, but had also not spoken out strongly against it.
"I do not consider that Jorge Bergoglio was complicit in the dictatorship, but I believe he lacked the courage to join our struggle for human rights in the most difficult moments," he wrote after voicing his hope that the new pope "has the courage to defend the rights of the people in the face of the powerful without repeating the serious errors and even sins that the church committed."
Read more ...
Then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio led the opposition against Argentina’s law that gives same-sex couples the right to marry and adopt children. Before the law passed, Bergoglio wrote a letter, and addressed the monasteries in Argentina, in which he asked monks to pray fervently about a, quote, "situation whose outcome can seriously harm the family. ... At stake are the lives of many children who will be discriminated against in advance, and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in our hearts. ... Let us not be naive: this is not simply a political struggle, but it is an attempt to destroy God’s plan," he said
Legalization of gay marriage?
Bergoglio called to a holy war, una guerra de Dios, against this evil’s move.
Abortion and contraception?
Bergoglio was opposed
Now that he’s been elevated to pope, could he change in his perspectives on some of these issues? Or should we expect him to maintain the same populist conservatism that have marked his rise through the church hierarchy?
Friday, 6 December 2013
Pope Francis: Praised for Work with Poor
Pope Francis: First Latin American, Jesuit Pope Picked to Head Church; Praised for Work with Poor
He’s an academic. He started life as a—pursuing a career in chemistry, decided to join the Jesuits, rose quickly in their ranks.
He’s been in leadership positions, but not in Rome and not in the Vatican bureaucracy. So, it is, again, a very interesting choice because of all the firsts and the fact that he’s outside of the normal wheel of Vatican influence and that culture.
The significance of him being a Jesuit?
Jesuits are noted for intellectual accomplishments, for raising institutions of higher learning, and for the social justice component.
Jesuits have been strong social justice advocates in many areas of the world.
Francis didn’t take the big mansion. He gave up the driver and the car. He takes the bus to work, as they say, often takes the equivalent of the subway. He really does live a life identified with the poor. He lives in a simple apartment, cooks his own meals, and has really been identified with a very, very strong social justice current in Latin America. He has used language about the inequalities between countries and talks about Argentina as one of the most unequal places in the world, talks about the unjust distribution of goods as a social sin.
The significance of him choosing the name Francis?
It was for Francis of Assisi.
TOM ROBERTS: The significance, I think, cuts a number of ways. First of all, I think that it’s a recognition, if Francis is used as a reform figure, for the—the recognition of the need for reform in the church, a getting back to the gospel. He doesn’t like—and it’s been pretty well chronicled—doesn’t like rigid clericalism. He doesn’t like all the fuss of elaborate clothes. Again, simplicity is the order for him. And he came out in a plain white cassock, none of the—none of the other frills that can go along with that first entrance.
The other thing he did was he bowed in prayer to the group, to the crowd before him, and asked them to pray for him first before he gave them his blessing, which is a significant sign of humility. And the other thing he did, which I think was very endearing to Catholics worldwide, was that he asked them to pray with him, and he prayed very familiar prayers—you know, the Our Father and the Hail Mary. Catholics worldwide are familiar with those. And so, it was a meeting of someone we could understand. This was not elevated theology. This was not, you know, a triumphal entry. This was a very humble "Walk with me," as he said. "Let’s begin this journey together, and let’s pray the simple prayers that we all know. And before I, as pontiff, bless you, pray for me." So it was a really different—a different entrance of a new pontiff, introduction of a new pope.
Jackie Evancho - The Lord's Prayer
Sister Janet Mead - "The Lord's Prayer" 1973
Catholic "Hail Mary" Song
Ave Maria, Hail Mary - Catholic Hymns of Praise
Thursday, 5 December 2013
New pope greets crowds in Vatican City
Vatican Conclave Selects Pope Francis, First Pontiff from Latin America
Francis born Jorge Mario Bergoglio 17 December 1936.
Born in Buenos Aires as the son of Italian parents, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technician before entering seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1969.
A papal conclave has selected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to be the new pope. He replaces Pope Benedict XVI, who shocked the Catholic Church last month when he became the first pontiff to resign in almost 600 years. Bergoglio has taken the name Pope Francis. He is the first pope from Latin America and the first not to hail from Europe in more than 1,000 years. He’s also the first to come from the Jesuit order of priests, which is known for its work on social justice. He is viewed as a theological conservative who has staunchly opposed abortion, same-sex marriage and the ordination of women. In Argentina, he has long been dogged by reports that he aided the military dictatorship in the 1970s.
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