Pope Francis just doesn’t seem to understand that some things can’t be done.
When a couple asked the Pope to try on their gift, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the Archbishop of Washington, politely said, “No, no, he can’t do that.” But the Pope did try it on, and kept it on. He decided to give his ‘old’ hat to the couple.
Pope gives his papal hat to and American Couple.
During the evening Mass at a prison for minors in Rome, Pope Francis washed the feet of 12 young people of different nationalities and faiths, including at least two Muslims and two women, who are housed at the juvenile detention facility.
“I am at your service,” the pope said.
The pope greeted the residents with hugs and gave each of the young detainees a large chocolate egg and a traditional Italian Easter cake shaped like a dove.
The detainees, who range in age from 14 to 21, then gave the pope a wooden crucifix and kneeler they made in the detention center’s woodshop.
After he was greeted by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians, Pope Francis thanked him for his remarks, referring to him as “my brother Andrew.”
This was significant because Andrew is the patron saint of Constantinople and Peter is the patron saint of Rome; the two represent two ancient churches who are trying to retrieve the fraternal relationship that the two brother apostles had. Andrew and Peter were brothers. Andrew is the “first one to be called” and Peter is the “first one among the apostles”.
Historically, this was most probably the first time ever that an ecumenical patriarch was present at the inaugural Mass of a pope.
Locally, this is a reference to “my” Andrew, “our” Andrew, St. Andrew, the patron of my parish, our parish.
Pope Francis @Pontifex
17 March
Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me. Pope Francis.
Pope Francis @ Pontifex
19 March
Let us keep a place for Christ in our lives, let us care for one another and let us be loving custodians of creation.
Pope Francis @ Pontifex
19 March
True power is service. The Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable.
Pope Francis seems to like a good laugh and seems to like getting other people to laugh.
Don’t you wonder what they were really saying to each other?
You’re good! Real good!
Let us pray for government leaders.
May almighty God, by his wisdom, enlighten their minds and lead them to help build the civilization of love.
We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
When we journey without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, when we profess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord, we are worldly: we may be bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord.
Be merciful to souls who come to you. They need you. Mercy, mercy, mercy.
Let us never yield to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day; let us not yield to pessimism or discouragement: let us be quite certain that the Holy Spirit bestows upon the Church, with his powerful breath, the courage to persevere and also to seek new methods of evangelization, so as to bring to Gospel to the uttermost ends of the earth.
At your disposal you have the means to hear and to give voice to people’s expectations and demands, and to provide for an analysis and interpretation of current events. Your work calls for careful preparation, sensitivity and experience, like so many other professions, but it also demands a particular concern for what is true, good and beautiful. This is something which we have in common, since the Church exists to communicate precisely this: Truth, Goodness and Beauty “in person.” It should be apparent that all of us are called not to communicate ourselves, but this existential triad made up of truth, beauty and goodness.
We ask for the grace of never tiring of asking pardon, for He never tires of pardoning.
Let us not forget this word: God never tires of forgiving us, but we sometimes tire of asking Him to forgive us. Let us never tire of asking.
We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness! Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!
In order: to the Cardinals Electors; to the Confessors in St. Mary Major Basilica; to the College of Cardinals; to 5,000 journalists and media; to the parishioners of the parish of St. Anna in the Vatican; to the crowds at the Angelus; at the Mass for the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry of the Bishop of Rome
What I really like about Pope Francis is that he reminds me of a parish priest. He loves being with the people, the real people.
On his first Sunday as Pope he celebrated Mass at St. Anne, the local parish church.
His first Sunday Mass was not celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica, but in the tiny parish church of residents and workers of Vatican City.
During the Mass he spoke warmly and simply of God’s mercy, “We ask for the grace of never tiring of asking pardon, for He never tires of pardoning.”
After Mass he was outisde the church, greeting everyone who had been at Mass – just like a parish priest!
The Holy Spirit and the Cardinals cooperated divinely.
As my mother would have said, “Pope Francis is just what the doctor ordered.” Or more appropriately in this case, “He is just what the Divine Physician ordered for his Church.”
We passed out home-designed and commissioned prayer cards.
As we imagined Pope Francis with his head bowed, after requesting that we pray for him, we prayed, “Lord, make Pope Francis an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let him sow love … for it is giving that he receives; it is pardoning that he is pardoned; and it is dying that he is born to eternal life. Amen.”
The prayer cards were a hit! From our little church 1,400 prayer cards went out – for continued prayer and for gifting to others.
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How I would like a church that is poor and for the poor.
Francis of Assisi is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and guards creation.
With Open Doors 