26/6/2013 Papa Francisco (‏@Pontifex_pt): Caridade, paciência e ternura

"A caridade, a paciência e a ternura são tesouros belíssimos. E, quando alguém os possui, quer dividi-los com os demais."

Papa Francisco (‏@Pontifex_pt)

26/6/2013 Papa Francisco (@Pontifex_es): Caridad, paciencia y ternura

"La caridad, la paciencia y la ternura son un gran tesoro. Quien lo tiene, lo comparte con los demás."

Papa Francisco (@Pontifex_es)

26/6/2013 Papa Francesco (@Pontifex_it): Carità, pazienza e tenerezza

"La carità, la pazienza e la tenerezza sono tesori bellissimi. E quando li hai, vuoi condividerli con gli altri."

Papa Francesco (@Pontifex_it) 

26/6/2013 Pape François (@Pontifex_fr): charité, patience et tendresse

'La charité, la patience et la tendresse sont de magnifiques trésors. Et quand tu les as, tu veux les partager avec les autres."

Pape François (@Pontifex_fr)

Pope says all who do good will be redeemed, including atheists. Doing good is cited as the principle that unites humanity.

Vatican City: 

Pope Francis rocked some religious and atheist minds today when he declared that everyone was redeemed through Jesus, including atheists.

During his homily at Wednesday Mass in Rome, Francis emphasized the importance of "doing good" as a principle that unites all humanity, and a "culture of encounter" to support peace.

Using scripture from the Gospel of Mark, Francis explained how upset Jesus' disciples were that someone outside their group was doing good, according to a report from Vatican Radio.

“They complain,” the Pope said in his homily, because they say, “If he is not one of us, he cannot do good. If he is not of our party, he cannot do good.” And Jesus corrects them: “Do not hinder him, he says, let him do good.” The disciples, Pope Francis explains, “were a little intolerant,” closed off by the idea of possessing the truth, convinced that “those who do not have the truth, cannot do good.” “This was wrong . . . Jesus broadens the horizon.” Pope Francis said, “The root of this possibility of doing good – that we all have – is in creation”

Pope Francis went further in his sermon to say:

"The Lord created us in His image and likeness, and we are the image of the Lord, and He does good and all of us have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil. All of us. ‘But, Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot do good.’ Yes, he can... "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!".. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.”

Responding to the leader of the Roman Catholic church's homily, Father James Martin, S.J. wrote in an email to The Huffington Post:

"Pope Francis is saying, more clearly than ever before, that Christ offered himself as a sacrifice for everyone. That's always been a Christian belief. You can find St. Paul saying in the First Letter to Timothy that Jesus gave himself as a "ransom for all."

But rarely do you hear it said by Catholics so forcefully, and with such evident joy. And in this era of religious controversies, it's a timely reminder that God cannot be confined to our narrow categories."

Of course, not all Christians believe that those who don't believe will be redeemed, and the Pope's words may spark memories of the deep divisions from the Protestant reformation over the belief in redemption through grace versus redemption through works.

The pope's comment has also struck a chord on Reddit, where it is the second most-shared piece.

(http://www.ucanindia.in/news/pope-says-all-who-do-good-will-be-redeemed-including-atheists/21049/daily)

23/6/2013 Pape François (@Pontifex_fr): Demandons au Seigneur de ne pas être hypocrites. Les hypocrites ignorent tout du pardon, de la joie, de l’amour de Dieu.

"Tous pécheurs, demandons au Seigneur de ne pas être hypocrites. Les hypocrites ignorent tout du pardon, de la joie, de l’amour de Dieu."

Pape François (@Pontifex_fr)

23/6/2013 Papa Francisco (‏@Pontifex_pt): Peçamos ao Senhor para não ser hipócritas, porque estes não sabem o que é o perdão, a alegria, o amor de Deus.

"Pecadores, somo-lo todos; mas peçamos ao Senhor para não ser hipócritas, porque estes não sabem o que é o perdão, a alegria, o amor de Deus."

Papa Francisco (‏@Pontifex_pt)

Our Lord says: 'I give you a new commandment: Love one another. By this love everyone will know that you are my disciples'.

Our Lord says: 'I give you a new commandment: Love one another. By this love everyone will know that you are my disciples'. And Saint Paul: 'Carry each other's troubles and you fulfill the law of Christ'. I have nothing to add. (The Way, 385)

If we look about us we could find reasons for believing that charity is a phantom virtue. But if we then consider things from a supernatural point of view, we can also see what is the root cause of this sterility: the absence of a continuous and intense, person‑to‑person relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ, and an ignorance of the work of the Holy Spirit in the soul, whose very first fruit is precisely charity.

In commenting on St Paul’s advice, ‘bear one another’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ’, one of the Fathers of the Church says, ‘By loving Christ we can easily bear the weaknesses of others, including those people whom we do not love as yet because they are lacking in good works.’

This is the direction taken by the path that makes us grow in charity. We would be mistaken were we to believe that we must first engage in humanitarian activities and social works, leaving the love for God to one side. ‘Let us not neglect Christ out of concern for our neighbor’s illness, for we ought to love the sick for the sake of Christ.’

Turn your gaze constantly to Jesus who, without ceasing to be God, humbled himself and took the nature of a slave, in order to serve us. Only by following in his direction will we find ideals that are worthwhile. Love seeks union, identification with the beloved. United to Christ, we will be drawn to imitate his life of dedication, his unlimited love and his sacrifice unto death. Christ brings us face to face with the ultimate choice: either we spend our life in selfish isolation, or we devote ourselves and all our energies to the service of others. (Friends of God, 236)

(http://www.opusdei.org.in/art.php?p=16913)

Fill the world with peace and love

"When I speak to you of good example, I mean to tell you, too, that you have to understand and excuse, that you have to fill the world with peace and love." (The Forge, 560) 

I really wish we Christians knew how to serve, for only by serving can we know and love Christ and make him known and loved.

How will we show him to souls? By our example. Through our voluntary service of Jesus Christ, we should be witnesses to him in all our activities, for he is the Lord of our entire lives, the only and ultimate reason for our existence. Then, once we have given this witness of service, we will be able to give instruction by our word. That was how Christ acted. “He began to do and to teach;” he first taught by his action, and then by his divine preaching.

If we are to serve others, for Christ’s sake, we need to be very human. If our life is less than human, God will not build anything on it, for he normally does not build on disorder, selfishness or emptiness. We have to understand everyone; we must live peaceably with everyone; we must forgive everyone. We shall not call injustice justice; we shall not say that an offence against God is not an offence against God, or that evil is good. When confronted by evil we shall not reply with another evil, but rather with sound doctrine and good actions: drowning evil in an abundance of good. (Christ is passing by, 182)

(http://www.opusdei.org.in/art.php?p=16914)

O matrimónio

O matrimónio não pode jamais ser dissolvido.

O vínculo matrimonial é estabelecido por Deus.

Este vínculo, resultante do acto humano livre dos esposos é, a partir de então, uma realidade irrevogável e dá origem a uma aliança garantida pela fidelidade de Deus.

A Igreja não tem poder para se pronunciar contra esta disposição da sabedoria divina.

Love everyone

“Love everyone: understanding, excusing, forgiving all”

Loving souls for God's sake will make us love everyone: understanding, excusing, forgiving all. We should have a love that can cover the multitude of failings contrived by human wretchedness. We have to have a wonderful charity, veritatem facientes in caritate, defending the truth, without hurting anyone. (The Forge, 559)

Each day, you will find, as I do, if you examine yourselves courageously in the presence of God, that you have many defects. If we struggle, with God’s help, to get rid of them we needn’t give them too much importance, and we will overcome them even though it may seem that we never manage to uproot them entirely.

Furthermore, over and above those weaknesses, if you are really determined to correspond to God’s grace, you will be helping to cure the big shortcomings of others. When you realize you are as weak as they are and capable of any sin, no matter how horrible, you will be more understanding and gentle with others.

We must completely reject any kind of partiality (we are interested in the souls of all men!) although it is only natural that we turn first to the people whom for whatever reasons (even though at times they may appear to be only human reasons) God has placed at our side. (Friends of God, 162)

(http://www.opusdei.org.in/art.php?p=16911)

Palavras absolutamente necessárias: O Papa Francisco estigmatiza o hábito dos que têm de impor aos fiéis "muitos preceitos". E os define "hipócritas da casuística".

O cristianismo não é uma "casuística" de preceitos: esta concepção impede de compreender e viver que Deus é alegria e magnanimidade, reiterou o Papa Francisco na Missa celebrada na manhã da quarta-feira 19 de Junho, na Casa S. Marta.

Os hipócritas que "levam o povo de Deus a uma estrada sem saída". O Papa faz a sua reflexão sobre a famosa passagem de S. Mateus que apresenta o contraste entre o comportamento dos escribas e fariseus - que se exibem em público, quando fazem a esmola, a oração e o jejum - e aquilo que, pelo contrário, Jesus indica aos discípulos como a atitude certa a tomar nas mesmas circunstâncias, ou seja, o "segredo", a discrição apreciada e recompensada por Deus. Em particular, para além da vaidade dos escribas e fariseus, o Papa Francisco estigmatiza o hábito que têm de impor aos fiéis "muitos preceitos". E os define "hipócritas da casuística", "intelectuais sem talento", que "não têm a inteligência para encontrar Deus, e explicar Deus com inteligência", e fazendo assim impedem a si próprios e aos outros de entrar no Reino de Deus:
"Jesus o diz: "Nem entrais vós e nem deixais que os outros entrem”. São moralistas sem bondade, não sabem o que é a bondade. Mas sim, são especialistas em ética, hein? "Deve-se fazer isto, e isto, e aquilo ...' Enchem-te de preceitos, mas sem bondade. E aqueles dos filactérios que vestem tantos tecidos, tantas coisas, para fingirem um pouco de "ser majestosos, perfeitos, não têm o sentido da beleza. Eles não têm o sentido da beleza. Chegam apenas a uma beleza para o museu. Intelectuais sem talento, moralistas sem bondade, portadores de beleza para museu. Estes são os hipócritas, aos quais Jesus repreende muito".

"Mas isso não termina aqui", continua o Papa Francisco. "No Evangelho de hoje – observa ele - o Senhor fala de uma outra classe de hipócritas, aqueles que vão para o sagrado":"O Senhor fala do jejum, da oração, da esmola: os três pilares da piedade cristã, da conversão interior, que a Igreja propõe a todos nós durante a Quaresma. Também nesta estrada estão os hipócritas, que se ostentam quando fazem jejum, dão esmola, e rezam. Eu penso que quando a hipocrisia chega a esse ponto no relacionamento com Deus, estamos bastante perto do pecado contra o Espírito Santo. Estes não sabem da beleza, não sabem do amor, não sabem da verdade: são pequenos, mesquinhos".

"Pensemos na hipocrisia dentro da Igreja: quanto mal nos faz a todos”, reconhece com franqueza o Papa Francisco que, pelo contrário, indica como "ícone" para imitar um personagem descrito numa outra passagem do Evangelho. Trata-se do publicano que com humilde simplicidade reza dizendo: "tem piedade de mim, Senhor, que sou pecador". "Esta - disse o Papa - é a oração que todos devemos fazer todos os dias, sabendo que somos pecadores", mas "com pecados concretos, não teóricos". E é esta oração, conclui o Papa, que nos ajudará a percorrer a "estrada contrária" à hipocrisia, uma tentação – nos lembra o Papa Francisco - que "todos nós temos":"Mas todos nós temos também a graça, a graça que vem de Jesus Cristo: a graça da alegria; a graça da magnanimidade, da generosidade. O hipócrita não sabe o que é a alegria, não sabe o que é a generosidade, não sabe o que é a magnanimidade".

(http://www.news.va/pt/news/o-cristianismo-nao-e-uma-casuistica-de-preceitos-p)

Strong and right words: Christianity is not the study of laws or commands

Christianity is not the study of laws or commands: this is an impediment to understanding and living the truth that God is joy and generosity. This was the message of Pope Francis at Mass celebrated this morning in Casa Santa Marta.

The hypocrites who “lead the people of God down a dead-end street” Pope Francis said, are the subject of today’s Gospel. The Pope reflected on the famous passage of Matthew’s Gospel that contrasts the behaviour of the scribes and Pharisees – who make a show of praying, fasting, and almsgiving – with the path indicated by Jesus, Who points out to His disciples the proper attitude to assume in the same circumstances: giving alms and praying “in secret.” “And your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you.”

 

Pope Francis criticized not only the vanity of the scribes and Pharisees, but also those who impose “so many precepts on the faithful.” He called them “hypocrites of casuistry,” “intellectuals without talent” who “don’t have the intelligence to find God, to explain God with understanding,” and so prevent themselves and others from entering into the Kingdom of God:

“Jesus says: ‘You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to others.’ They are ethicists without goodness, they do not know what goodness is. But they are ethicists, aren’t they? ‘You have to do this, and this, and this . . .’ They fill you with precepts, but without goodness. And those are some of the phylacteries, of the tassels they lengthen, so many things, to make a pretence of being majestic, perfect, they have no sense of beauty. They have no sense of beauty. They achieve only the beauty of a museum. They are intellectuals without talent, ethicists without goodness, the bearers of museum beauty. These are the hypocrites that Jesus rebukes so strongly.
 

“But He doesn’t stop there,” Pope Francis continued. “In today’s Gospel, the Lord speaks about another class of hypocrites, ‘holy rollers’ [It: quelli che vanno sul sacro]:

“The Lord speaks about fasting, about prayer, about almsgiving: the three pillars of Christian piety, of interior conversion, that the Church proposes to us all in Lent. There are even hypocrites along this path, who make a show of fasting, of giving alms, of praying. I think that when hypocrisy reaches this point in the relation with God, we are coming very close to the sin against the Holy Spirit. These do not know beauty, they do not know love, these do not know the truth: they are small, cowardly.”

Pope Francis

(http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-condemns-hypocrisy)

Lugar de misericordia y esperanza

"Que la Iglesia sea siempre lugar de misericordia y esperanza, donde cada uno se sienta acogido, amado y perdonado."

Papa Francisco (@Pontifex_es)

Lugar de misericórdia e esperança

"Que a Igreja seja sempre lugar de misericórdia e esperança, onde cada um se possa sentir acolhido, amado e perdoado."

Papa Francisco (‏@Pontifex_pt)

A place of mercy and hope

"Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven."

Pope Francis (@Pontifex)

Ready for the next digital quantum leap?

Do you realize that as you read this column you are involved in something changing the Church in ways that were impossible to imagine just a few years ago?

According to the head of Google, Eric Schmidt, seven billion of us, up from two billion right now, will be accessing the internet , mostly by hand held devices – smart phone and tablets - inside five years.

What is really new about what web access will be for the coming generation is how it will enable them to interact directly with others who share common concerns – social media platforms. It is the medium that will enable interactivity on a scale never known in human evolution.

As the last pope put it, the web is the new gathering place or assembly point – the agora. It is the place where messages can be transmitted.

To participate in it requires a changed mindset for Church leaders who are used to being listened to. Social media is now the tool for listening to the heartbeat of the Church. Miss it and you are just ignored.

And paradoxically, its capacity to provoke change is highest in closed societies that delude themselves into the belief that they can control the flow of information and contain interaction. Frustrations are highest among people who are blocked from what they want to do.

What difference will it make to Catholics and the Church’s operations when more than two thirds of the planet’s population is interacting in cyberspace? 

What we are witnessing is the exponential growth in the capacity of ordinary individuals – up to seven billion of them – to share a technology for information distribution and interaction. This is not only a technical change but the trigger to a cultural change that has always been the Trojan Horse in the advent of the web – the power of interactivity and the democratizing of access to information and the formation of opinion.

Cultural change is what makes or breaks the Church’s ability to proclaim the Gospel in compelling and persuasive ways. And our record isn’t great on that score.

It took 150 years for Vatican authorities to wake up to the invention of printing by Gutenberg. It was Luther who saw its potential, translated the Bible from Latin into national languages and put the Word of God into the hands of anyone who could read it. From this and for other reasons, the Protestant reformation flowed.

In Asia, one of the continents where the Catholic Church is growing, we are familiar with the impact of cultural change and its relevance to the mission of the Church.

The Church’s mission to proclaim and display the message of Jesus has never done so well as it has since the end of the colonial era in the middle of the last century. Becoming their own nations, Asian societies and their Catholic Churches have not had to carry the burden of being seen as a European import. Many have taken on shapes and languages and customs proper to the people of each country and nationality.

But now, by 2018, the communications landscape of Asia will be transformed by what the net can offer through cheap smartphones and tablets. Interactivity will so impact Asia that previously hierarchically structured and centrally controlled nations and cultures will be under an attack, the likes of which they have never faced before – from within.

 

The most immediate and obvious opportunity for the Church is to take seriously the Vatican II notion of the Church as the People of God and not define the Church beginning with the hierarchy.

Whether you like it or not and whether it’s an improvement or a deformation, the web means everyone has the opportunity to pose as an authority, to propose their campaign, to unite or divide communities and nations. The capacity to publish and interact and win and persuade whole populations is now in the hands of anyone who wants to grasp it – for good or for ill.

Miss this change in style and substance to the culture created by the web and the Church will do itself lasting damage.

Of course, virtual interaction is no substitute for actual, face-to-face encounter in the Church’s life. Just as you might make friends online, no one develops real relationships unless they can actually meet and learn about someone else in the flesh. Even online dating goes nowhere until there are real meetings. It’s the same with the Church.

But coming generations of Catholics will not take the word of authorities just because they’re authorities. The next generation of leadership of the Church will need to be skilled in offering invitations and being persuasive, rather than believing compliance with their directives will come simply by virtue of their office.

However, there’s an upside. With so many Catholics online in Asia, what connected people to parishes in the past (sodalities, prayer groups, social service outreach, administration, schools and many more) will have another layer to them – continuous virtual and interactive connection.

A French historian, Charles Peguy, said early last century of the Church that at the turn of each age, “she arrives a little late and a little breathless.” This time, what can be done with the changes in cyberspace are only restricted by the way we limit the possibilities.

(http://www.ucanews.com/news/ready-for-the-next-digital-quantum-leap/68509)

Pauvretés morales et matérielles

"Combien de pauvretés morales et matérielles viennent aujourd’hui du refus de Dieu et du fait de mettre à sa place tant d’idoles!"

Pape François (@Pontifex_fr)

Povertà morali e materiali

"Quante povertà morali e materiali oggi vengono dal rifiuto di Dio e dal mettere al suo posto tanti idoli!"

Papa Francesco (@Pontifex_it)

Pobrezas morais e materiais

"Quantas pobrezas morais e materiais de hoje se ficam a dever à rejeição de Deus, colocando no seu lugar tantos ídolos!"

Papa Francisco (‏@Pontifex_pt)