Pope's General Audience: Each Christian must contribute in building the Temple of the Church

June 26, 2013. (Romereports.com)  During his weekly general audience, the Pope explained the views of the Church, as expressed by the Second Vatican Council. He said the Church can be considered a 'Temple,' where Christians are like 'living stones'  who reveal the beauty of the Christian message.

CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:

Speaker: “Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the Creed, today we consider the Church as God’s temple.  The great temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, a place of prayer and encounter with the Lord, was a prefigurement of the Church.  Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son who dwelt among us, is himself the definitive and living temple where we encounter God’s presence in our midst.  Christ makes us, the members of his mystical body, “living stones” for the construction of a “holy temple in the Lord” (Eph 2:21), in which we exercise our baptismal priesthood by offering spiritual sacrifices.   The Holy Spirit, in the variety of his gifts, unites us and enables us to contribute to the building up of the Church in holiness.  In this great work, each of us has a part to play; each of us, as a “living stone”, is needed for the growth and the beauty of God’s holy temple.  Let us ask the Lord to help us to take an ever more active part in the Church’s life and mission, guided by the Holy Spirit and with Jesus as our cornerstone.”

Holy Father: “Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini di lingua inglese presenti all’odierna Udienza, specialmente quelli provenienti da Inghilterra, Scozia, Galles, Sud Africa, Indonesia, Canada e Stati Uniti.   Il vostro soggiorno nella Città eterna vi confermi nell’amore di Cristo e della Chiesa.  Dio vi benedica tutti!”

“Speaker: I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, Indonesia, Canada and the United States.  May your stay in the Eternal City confirm you in love for our Lord and his Church.  God bless you all!”

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Pope calls for Christian Unity during general audience

June 19, 2013. (Romereports.com) With Rome's intense summer heat, Pope Francis made his way to St. Peter's Square, blessing children along the way. He even gave a baseball cap to a child to protect him from the high temperatures.

During his catechesis, Pope Francis described the Church as the Body of Christ.

POPE FRANCIS
“If the head is separated from the body, a person cannot survive. It's the same for the Church. We must always stay intensely connected to Jesus.”

The Pope added that the Church is not an NGO, or a cultural or political institution. He explained that the Church is a living Body, Jesus is the head who nurtures and guides it along the way. He also called for Christian unity.

POPE FRANCIS
“We Catholics should pray together, but we should also pray with other Christians. We must pray so that God may grant us all unity. Unity!

Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he said,  that unity is possible. But to start of, one must first look for unity at home, in one's family and parish.

POPE FRANCIS
“We shouldn't follow the path of division, nor the path of conflicts among us. No! We should all be united. All united despite our differences. Always united. That is the true path of Jesus.”

In light of his call for Christian unity, the Pope said that  very morning, he met with an Evangelical pastor. They both prayed together precisely for Christian unity.

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Pope's General Audience: God's goodness is stronger than any evil!

June 12, 2013. (Romereports.com) During his weekly general audience, Pope Francis talked about the mission of the Church, describing it as the People of God. In his catechesis on the Creed, he explained that through Baptism, one is called to transmit God's love, hope and joy to others.

CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:
Speaker:

Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the Creed, today we consider the Church as the People of God, called to new life in Christ.  We become part of this people through God’s gift of faith and spiritual rebirth in the waters of Baptism.  Our law is the twin commandment of love for God and neighbor.

 Our mission is to be a leaven of the hope born of God’s love in our world wounded by sin and evil.  Amid the darkness that so frequently surrounds us, we are called to be so many points of light, illumining all reality and showing the way to a better future.  God’s goodness is stronger than any evil!  Our destination is the Kingdom of God which Christ inaugurated on earth and which will attain its fullness in the joy of heaven.

This is what it means for the Church to be God’s People, an essential part of his loving plan for our human family.  May the Church always be a place where everyone can encounter God’s mercy and feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel.

I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Scotland, Ireland, Malta, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the United States.  May your stay in the Eternal City confirm you in love for our Lord and his Church.  God bless you all!

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Pope Francis: Believing in Christ, but not in the Church is a contradiction

May 29, 2013. (Romereports.com) During his weekly catechesis Pope Francis talked about the role of the Church. But before that, the Pope made his way through St. Peter's Square where about 90,000 people were gathered. Despite the rainy weather, the Pope maid a point to greet the crowds.

POPE FRANCIS
“I congratulate all of you for having the courage to come out in the rain. You're strong!

Even if the weather wasn't ideal, there was time for some endearing moments like this one, where a boy gave Pope Francis a puppet that resembled  the Pontiff himself.
During his catechesis the Pope addressed the popular notion of those who say they believe in Christ, but not in the Church.

POPE FRANCIS
“There are those who say, 'I believe in God, but not in priests. I believe in Christ, but not in the Church.' But it's the very Church that leads us to Christ. The Church is God's family. And yes, it's true that the Church also has human characteristics in its members. From pastors to the faithful, there are defects, imperfections and sins. Even I, the Pope, have them.  But the beautiful thing is that we recognize that we are sinners. When we accept that we are sinners, we find the mercy of God. God always forgives, never forget this: God always forgives ".

He went on to explain that despite human limitations and sins, it is through the Church, that God's message is announced.

POPE FRANCIS
“Ask yourself: Do you love the Church? Do you pray for Her? Do you feel part of this family? What do you do so that others can feel heard and understood?”

Towards the end of the general audience,  the Pope invited pilgrims to take part in the Corpus Christi procession which will take place on Thursday night. It will run through the streets of Rome, starting at the  Basilica of St. John Lateran and ending in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

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Pope Francis: The Holy Spirit leads us towards Truth

May 15, 2013. (Romereports.com) For about 40 minutes, Pope Francis made his way through St. Peter's Square in the popemobile, as he greeted the crowds in St. Peter's Square. In fact a pilgrim actually asked the Pope to bless two white doves before setting them free. But it seemed like one of the doves wanted to stay with the Pope.

Next Sunday, exactly 40 days after Easter, the Catholic Church celebrates Pentecost. So during his catechesis, the Pope talked about the power and importance of the Holy Spirit.

POPE FRANCIS
“The Holy Spirit, then, as Jesus promises, guides us 'into all truth.' He leads us not only to an encounter with Jesus, the fullness of Truth, but guides us "into" the Truth.”

The Pope explained that truth is not an idea that everyone agrees with, nor is it a possession, rather he said, it's an encounter that's made possible by the Holy Spirit.
POPE FRANCIS
“Let's ask ourselves: are we open to the Holy Spirit, do I pray to him to enlighten me, to make me more sensitive to the things of God? And this is a prayer we need to pray every day, every day!”

As thousands of people looked on, the Pope announced that in September, he plans to visit the Italian Island of Sardinia, to pray before the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bonaria. The Pope then talked about the connection between Our Lady and his native city of Buenos Aires.

POPE FRANCIS
“When the city of Buenos Aires was founded, the founder wanted to name the city the Holy Trinity, but the sailors who had took him there were Sardinian and they wanted the city to be named 'Our Lady of Bonaria.' They had their differences, but in the end they compromised. The name of the city was too long, it was 'The City of the Holy Trinity and the Port of Our Lady of Bon Aira.” So because the name was too long, it was just the last two words that stuck. 'Bon Aira' meaning Buenos Aires. But the root of the name honors our Lady.

At least for now, this will be the Pope's second trip outside of Rome. His first trip will be to Brazil from July 22nd to the 29th, where he will lead World Youth Day.

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Pope: Learn to listen to the Holy Spirit

May 8, 2013. (Romereports.com) More than 70,000 people flocked to St. Peter's Square for the Pope's weekly general audience. For about 45 minutes, the Pope greeted the crowds.

On several occasions, he even got out of the Popemobile to greet ill or disabled children.

Before the start of the audience, a girl who was wearing her first communion dress, gave the Pope a bouquet of flowers. The Pope placed them at the feet of Our Lady of Luján, who is actually the Patroness of Argentina. Today, the Church celebrates her day.

During his greeting in Spanish, the Pope asked the crowd for a warm applause in honor our Our Lady.

POPE FRANCIS
“This day in which we celebrate Our Lady of Luján, the heavenly patroness of Argentina, let's give her a warm applause. Louder, I can't hear you! Louder. On this day in which we honor Our Lady of Luján, I extend my sincere affection to all the children of this dear land of Argentina. At the same time, I place before her all your joys and worries.”

As part of his catechesis on the Year of Faith, the Pope talked about the power of the Holy Spirit, inviting people to learn to listen.

POPE FRANCIS
“We have to listen to the Holy Spirit. It's within each one of us. Listen! What does the Holy Spirit tell us? That God is good, God is the Father, God loves us, that God always forgives. Listen to the Holy Spirit!”

It's through the Holy Spirit, explained the Pope, that Christians can strengthen their spirituality, by inspiring love, joy, understanding, service, loyalty and self-control.

POPE FRANCIS
“The Holy Spirit teaches us to see life with the eyes of Christ. To live life the way Christ wants us to live it. The Spirit teaches us to understand life, as Christ understood it.”

Among the thousands of people attending the general audience in Peter's Square, there were pilgrims from China, Iran, Indonesia and India.

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Pope: "Jesus is like our advocate. He will always defend us, even from ourselves"

April 17, 2013. (Romereports.com) On Wednesday morning, St. Peter's Square was especially busy, during the Pope's general audience. More than 50,000 people came out to the Vatican to hear the Pope's catechesis.

But before getting started, the Pope greeted some of the pilgrims, for about 30 minutes, as he made his way in the popemobile. Among the crowds, one pilgrim gave him a 'papal hat' as a gift. The Pope, in return, gave him the one he had on.

The Pope talked about the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. As usual, the Pope improvised quite a bit. The Pope said there is no need to fear Jesus, because He is like our personal lawyer.

POPE FRANCIS
“We have someone who always defends us from the traps of the devil, from ourselves and our sins. Dear brothers and sisters, He is our advocate. We should not be afraid to ask for forgiveness or to ask for blessings, to ask for mercy. He will always forgive us. As our lawyer, He will always defend us. We must not forget this.”

Thousands of young people were also in the Square. The Pope gave them a special greeting, calling them to live out their faith with enthusiasm.

POPE FRANCIS
“To the many youths and students who are here today, be ready to follow Jesus with enthusiasm. Part of being young is being enthusiastic. So, follow our Lord with enthusiasm. Allow Him to look after you.”

Towards the end of the general audience, the Pope talked about a group of Italian pilgrims who didn't make it to the audience, because of a delayed flight.

POPE FRANCIS
“A visit from the Archbishop of Sassari, from Sardinia was expected today. As well as that of employees from the 'Eon' society. But their plane was delayed three hours, so they couldn't make it. But still, we have them in our hearts.”

The Pope also prayed for the victims of the 7.8 earthquake that struck Pakistan and Iran, which killed at least 40 people and injured dozens more.

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Pope's General Audience: God is our Strength, God is our Hope

April 10, 2013. (Romereports.com)-During Wednesday's general audience, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on faith. He explained that Christianity is not just about following the ten commandments, but about being transformed by the love, grace and hope of God.

With more than 30,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope explained that faith needs to be cared for and nourished on a daily basis, through reflection, prayer, charity and the Sacraments.

CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:

“In our continuing catechesis on the Creed during this Year of Faith, we now consider the meaning of Christ’s resurrection for us and for our salvation.  The Lord’s death and resurrection are the foundation of our faith; by his triumph over sin and death, Christ has opened for us the way to new life.

Reborn in Baptism, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and become God’s adoptive sons and daughters.  God is now our Father: he treats us as his beloved children; he understands us, forgives us, embraces us, and loves us even when we go astray.

Christianity is not simply a matter of following commandments; it is about living a new life, being in Christ, thinking and acting like Christ, and being transformed by the love of Christ!

But this new life needs to be nourished daily by hearing God’s word, prayer, sharing in the sacraments, especially Penance and the Eucharist, and the exercise of charity.  God must be the center of our lives!

By our daily witness to the freedom, joy and hope born of Christ’s victory over sin and death, we also offer a precious service to our world, helping our brothers and sisters to lift their gaze heavenward, to the God of our salvation.”

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