// Papal Legacy
Pope Francis boarded a plane back to Rome on Sunday night, after a
six-day U.S. tour in which he called for gentler immigration policies,
quick action on global warming and more even distribution of wealth.
Though he spoke with power-brokers in Washington and at the U.N., he
also projected the image of an everyman's pope. Could it revitalize the church?
//
Snapchat and Twitter have celebrated the Pope's arrival in Washington DC by
making some irreverent cartoons and emojis of him
The cartoon Pope filter is quite cutePhoto: Snapchat
Pope Francis draws more than 1m to emotional farewell mass in Philadelphia
Pope Francis brought Philadelphia
to a standstill with an emotional farewell mass on the Benjamin
Franklin Parkway, drawing more than a million worshippers under an
autumn sky for the final act of a historic visit to the United States.
The city transformed into a thrumming sea of people
who had journeyed from across the Americas to witness, pray and rejoice
here, producing a dramatic coda to a visit which took the pontiff
closer to the centres of US power and history than any of his
predecessors.
Francis used his final homily to speak not as a political figure but
as a pastor, exhorting the Catholic church to show more tolerance,
openness and inclusiveness.
The so-called people’s pope, as he has become known in the US media,
cited Moses and Jesus in warning against a “narrow” approach to faith – a
coded rebuke to official sticklers in the Vatican, the US and elsewhere
in advance of next month’s synod on the family in Rome.
“The temptation to be scandalised by the freedom of God, who sends
rain on the righteous and the unrighteous alike, bypassing bureaucracy,
officialdom and inner circles, threatens the authenticity of faith.
Hence it must be vigorously rejected,” he said, speaking Spanish.
To raise doubts about faith in those who are not “like us” was a
dangerous temptation, Francis said. “Not only does it block conversion
to the faith; it is a perversion of faith!”
In softer tones he urged families to show love by attention to small
daily signs “which make us feel at home” – themes emblazoned on banners
which fluttered in a cool breeze across the city. “Faith grows when it
is lived and shaped by love. That is why our families, our homes, are
true domestic churches.”
Faith and family opened a happier, better world, he said. “Our common
house can no longer tolerate sterile divisions. The urgent challenge of
protecting our home includes the effort to bring the entire human
family together in the pursuit of a sustainable and integral
development, for we know that things can change.”
Earlier he focused on forgiveness and repentance – and the church’s sins – in a private meeting with victims of sex abuse by Catholic clerics, and in a visit to prisoners at a jail.
Francis beamed, waved and paused to kiss and bless numerous babies as
his popemobile swept past cheering throngs en route to the mass, a
jamboree organised by the World Meeting of Families, which will next
meet in Dublin in 2018.
Battalions of police, state troopers, national guards and other
security personnel sealed off Philadelphia to traffic and searched
pedestrians with airport-style checks, causing lengthy queues which
prevented thousands from entering the parkway.
In one section, Brazilians, Dominicans, Poles, Illinoisans, New
Yorkers and Virginians shuffled cheek by jowl inches at a time. A woman
in her 60s from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, called it “an exercise in
patience”.
“It’s one that I’m failing,” her husband joked. Others called the
delays “insane”. Nancy Loughlin, a retiree from Trumbull, Connecticut,
ended up following the mass on Jumbotrons outside the parkway. “I took
some pictures on the TV and they’re almost like being there. And this is
still an experience, at least.”
An Argentinian family who drove a minibus 13,000 miles to attend the
mass had more luck: a personal encounter with the pope, though he
jokingly questioned their sanity. “You are the family who travelled from
Buenos Aires? You are crazy.”
The mass capped a day of rapture and poignancy for those swept up in
six days of pope mania, a public relations triumph during which the
78-year-old Argentinian deftly mixed politics and pageantry to draw
attention to his priorities – poverty, injustice, pollution – and to
challenge the US to do better.
Pope Francis is seen on a huge screen on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP
As he prepared to fly back to Rome on Sunday night, with
Vice-President Joe Biden due to escort him to the chartered Alitalia jet
dubbed “Shepherd One”, the question was how the so-called “Francis
effect” would play out in tussles between conservatives and liberals in
the Catholic church, Congress and grassroots activism.
Francis, who had never visited the US before, deflected accusations
of anti-Americanism by cloaking his exhortations in the language and
symbols of US heroes, including the founding fathers, Abraham Lincoln
and Martin Luther King.
He was greeted with adulation by leaders and crowds in the White
House, Congress, the United Nations, Madison Square Garden and, finally,
the city of brotherly love.
He started his final day in Philadelphia with a sombre private meeting
with five victims of Catholic church sex abuse, only his second since
the beginning of his papacy. He vowed that those responsible will face
justice.
“I remain overwhelmed with shame that men entrusted with the tender
care of children violated these little ones and caused grievous harm. I
am profoundly sorry. God weeps,” he said.
Some critics were not mollified, however, saying Francis needed to do
more to tackle the legacy of decades of abuse and cover-ups.
Later he visited inmates at Curran-Fromhold correctional facility and
urged them to believe in the power of rehabilitation. Christ, he said,
“comes to save us from the lie that says no one can change”.
“Any society, any family that cannot share or take seriously the pain
of its children, and views that pain as something normal or expected,
is a society condemned to remain hostage to itself, prey to the very
things which cause that pain.”
Treating immigrants with compassion – another leitmotif of his visit –
left many Latinos lining his route to the parkway hopeful about the
future, regardless of continued xenophobia from Donald Trump, the
Republican presidential frontrunner.
“There won’t be a 180-degree change overnight, or in one month, but I
think some people will begin to open their minds,” said Fidel Huerta,
46, a Mexican-born resident of Houston who had travelled with 97 other
Latinos from Texas to see the pope. “He came at an important time. We
need him.”
// Vatican City, Sep 28, 2015 / 08:31 am (CNA/EWTN News).-
In
a 47 minute Q&A with journalists on his way back to Rome Pope
Francis touched on sensitive topics such as forgiving abusers and
conscientious objection, as well as the upcoming synod of bishops and
women’s ordination.
The Pope answered 11 questions posed in English, Spanish and Italian
Sept. 27 while on board his American Airlines overnight flight from
Philadelphia to Rome.
Among the themes addressed were the new, streamlined annulment process,
women’s ordination to the priesthood, the migrant crisis and whether or
not government officials have a right to conscientious objection.
He reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s position on women’s ordination to
the priesthood, saying that St. John Paul II led the lengthy reflections
and discussion on the topic and it “cannot be done,” though it’s not
because women “don’t have the capacity.”
Please read below for the full English transcription: Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi S.J. greeted everyone onboard
before going immediately into the questions and answers. He introduced
each of the journalists before their questions. Pope Francis: Good evening to all and thank you for the
work because you went about from one place to the other and I was in a
car but you…thank you very much. Elizabeth Dias, Time Magazine: Thank you so much Holy
Father, Elizabeth Diaz from TIME magazine. We are all so curious…this
was your first visit to the U.S. What surprised you about the U.S. and
what was different to what you might have expected? Pope Francis: It was my first visit. I’d never been
here before. What surprised me was the warmth, the warmth of the people,
so lovable. It was a beautiful thing and also different: Washington the
welcome was warm but more formal; New York was a bit exuberant.
Philadelphia very expressive. Three different kinds of welcome. I was
very struck by this kindness and welcome but also by the religious
ceremonies and also by the piety, the religiosity of the people...you
could see the people pray and this struck me a lot. Beautiful. Elizabeth Diaz, Time Magazine: Was there challenge that the United States presented that you didn’t expect? (The translator added “some provocation?”) Pope Francis: No thank God no…everything good. No challenge. No provocation. All polite. No insults and nothing bad. Elizabeth Diaz, Time Magazine: And the challenge? Pope Francis: We must continue to work with these
faithful people like we have always done so until now. Accompanying the
people in their growth through good times and also through their
difficulties, accompanying people in their joy and in their bad moments,
in their difficulties when there is no work, ill health and the
challenge of the Church…now I understand...the Church’s challenge is
staying close to the people, close to the people of the United
States...not being a detached Church from the people but close to them,
close, close, and this is something that the Church in the United States
has understood and understood well. David O’Reilly, Philadelphia Inquirer: Holy Father.
Philadelphia as you know has had a very difficult time with sex abuse.
It’s still an open wound in Philadelphia. So I know many people in
Philadelphia were surprised that you offered bishops comfort and
consolation and I think many in Philadelphia would ask you why did you
feel the need to offer compassion to the bishops? Pope Francis: In Washington I spoke to all the U.S.
bishops …they were all there no? I felt the need to express compassion
because something really terrible happened. And many of them suffered
because they didn’t know about this. And when the thing was discovered,
they suffered so much, men of the Church, of prayer…true pastors. I used
word from the bible from the apocalypse. You are coming from a large
tribulation. What happened was a great tribulation. But not only the
actual suffering, but what I said today to the victims of abuse. I
wouldn’t say it was an apostasy but almost a sacrilege. We know the
abuses are everywhere; in families, in the neighborhoods, in the
schools, in the gyms, but when a priest abuses it is very serious
because the vocation of the priest is to make that boy, that girl grow
toward the love of God, toward maturity and toward good, but instead of
that they squashed them and this is nearly a sacrilege. He betrayed his
vocation, the calling of the Lord. For this reason the church is strong
on this and one must not cover these things up. There are also those who
covered these things up, even some bishops who covered this up. It is a
terrible thing and the words of comfort were not to say “No, no don’t
worry it was nothing,” but “It’s a terrible thing I imagine that you
cried a lot” That was the sense of what I meant and today I spoke
strongly. Maria Antonieta Collins, Univision: You have spoken a
lot about forgiveness, that God forgives us and that we often ask for
forgiveness. I would like to ask you, after you were at the seminary
today. There are many priests that have committed sexual abuses to
minors and have not asked for forgiveness for their victims. Do you
forgive them? And on the other hand, do you understand the victims or
their relatives who can’t or don’t want to forgive? Pope Francis: If a person has done wrong, is conscious
of what he has done and does not say sorry, I ask God to take him into
account. I forgive him, but he does not receive that forgiveness, he is
closed to forgiveness. We must forgive, because we were all forgiven. It
is another thing to receive that forgiveness. If that priest is closed
to forgiveness, he won’t receive it, because he locked the door from the
inside. And what remains is to pray for the Lord to open that door. To
forgive you must be willing. But not everyone can receive or know how to
receive it, or are just not willing to receive it. What I’m saying is
hard. And this is how you explain how there are people who finish their
life hardened, badly, without receiving the tenderness of God. Maria Antonieta Collins, Univision: On victims or relatives who don’t forgive – do you understand them? Pope Francis: Yes, I do. I pray for them. And I don’t
judge them. Once, in one of these meetings, I met several people and I
met a woman told me “When my mother found out that I had been abused,
she became blasphemous, she lost her faith and she died an atheist.” I
understand that woman. I understand her, and God who is even better than
me understands her. And I’m sure that that woman has been received by
God. Because what was groped, destroyed, was her own flesh, the flesh of
her daughter. I understand her. I don’t judge someone who can’t
forgive. I pray and I ask God, because God is a champion in finding
paths of solutions. I ask him to fix it. Andres Beltramo, Notimex: Thanks, first of all for this
moment. We’ve all heard you speak so much about the peace process in
Colombia between the FARC and the government. Now, there’s a historic
agreement. Do you feel involved in this agreement and you’ve said that
you wished to go to Colombia when this agreement was made, right? Now
there are a lot of Colombians awaiting you. And a little one, how do you
feel when the trip is over and the airplane takes off? Pope Francis: When I heard the news that in March the
accord will be signed I said to the Lord, 'Lord, help us reach March.'
The willingness is there on both sides. It is there, even in the small
group, everyone is in agreement. We have to reach March, for the
definitive accord, which is the point of international justice. I was
very happy and I felt like I was a part of it because I’ve always wanted
this. I spoke to president Santos twice about this problem and not only
me but the Holy See. The Holy See was always willing to help and do
what it could.
The other questions, this is a bit a personal but I have to be sincere.
When the plane leaves after a visit, I see the faces of so many people. I
get the urge to pray for them and say to the Lord, 'I came here to do
something, to do good, perhaps I have done wrong, forgive me but protect
all those people who saw me, who thought of what I said, who heard me,
even those who have criticized me, all of them,' that is what I feel.
Excuse me, it’s a bit personal…you can’t say that in the newspapers. Thomas Jansen, CIC: Holy Father, I wanted to ask
something about the migrant crisis in Europe. Many countries are
building new barriers out of barbed wire. What do you think of this
development? Pope Francis: You used a word, crisis. It’s become a
state of crisis after a long process. For years, this process has
exploded because the wars which those people leave and flee are wars
waged for years. Hunger. It’s hunger for years. When I think of Africa,
this is a bit simplistic, but I saw it as an example. It comes to me to
think about Africa, “the exploited continent.” They went to pick up the
slaves there, then the great resources. It’s the exploited continent.
And, now the wars, tribal or not. But they have economic interests
behind them. And, I think that instead of exploiting a continent or a
nation, make investments instead so these people might have work and
this crisis would be avoided. It’s true, as I said at Congress, it’s a
refugee crisis not seen since World War II. It’s the biggest. You asked
me about barriers. You know what happens to all walls. All of them. All
walls fall. Today, tomorrow or in 100 years, they will fall. It’s not a
solution. The wall isn’t a solution. In this moment, Europe is in
difficult, it’s true. We have to be intelligent, and whoever comes…that
migrant flow. It’s not easy to find solutions, but with dialogue beween
nations they should be found. Walls are never solutions. But bridges
are, always, always. I don’t know. What I think is that walls can last
for a long time or a little time. The problem remains but it also
remains with more hate. That’s what I think. Jean Marie Guenois, Le Figaro: Holy Father, you
obviously cannot anticipate the debate of the synod fathers, we know
that well but we want to know just before the synod, if your heart as a
pastor, if you really want a solution of the divorced and remarried. We
want to also know if your ‘motu proprio’ on the speeding of annulments
has closed this debate. Finally, how do you respond to those who fear
that with this reform, there is a de-facto creation of a so-called
'Catholic divorce?' Thank you. Pope Francis: I’ll start with the last one. In the
reform of the procedure and the method, I closed the door to the
administrative path, which was the path through which divorce could have
entered. You could say that those who think this is 'Catholic divorce'
are wrong because this last document has closed the door to divorce by
which it could have entered. It would have been easier with the
administrative path. There will always be the judicial path. (Continuing with the third question) The document…I don’t remember the third but you correct me. Jean Marie Guenois, Le Figaro: The question was on the notion of catholic divorce, if the motu proprio has closed the debate before the synod on this theme? Pope Francis: This was called for by the majority of
the synod fathers in the synod last year: streamline the process because
there are cases that last 10-15 years, no? There’s one sentence, then
another sentence, and after there's an appeal, there's the appeal then
another appeal. It never ends. The double sentence, when it was valid
that there was an appeal, was introduced by Pope Lambertini, Benedict
XIV, because in central Europe, I won’t say which country, there were
some abuses, and to stop it he introduced this but it's not something
essential to the process. The procedure changes, jurisprudence changes,
it gets better. At that time it was urgent to do this, then Pius X
wanted to streamline and made some changes but he didn’t have time or
the possibility to do it. The synod fathers asked for it, the speeding
up of the annulment processes. And I stop there. This document, this
‘motu proprio’ facilitates the processes and the timing, but it is not
divorce because marriage is indissoluble when it is a sacrament. And
this the Church cannot change. It's doctrine. It’s an indissoluble
sacrament. The legal trial is to prove that what seemed to be a
sacrament wasn't a sacrament, for lack of freedom for example, or for
lack of maturity, or for mental illness, or, there are so many reasons
that bring about (an annulment), after a study, an investigation. That
there was no sacrament. For example, that the person wasn't free.
Another example: now it’s not so common but in some sectors of common
society at least in Buenos Aires, there were weddings when the woman got
pregnant: 'you have to get married.' In Buenos Aires, I counselled my
priests, strongly, I almost prohibited them to celebrate weddings in
these conditions. We called them “speedy weddings,” eh? (They were) to
cover up appearances. And the babies are born, and some (marriages) work
out, but there's no freedom and then things go wrong little by little
and they separate (and say) 'I was forced to get married because we had
to cover up this situation’ and this is a reason for nullity. So many of
them.
Cases of nullity, you have, you can find (the reasons) on the Internet,
there are many, eh? Then, the issue of the second weddings, the
divorcees, who make a new union. You read what, you have the
“instrumentum laboris.” What is put in discussion seems a bit simplistic
to me to say that the synod, that the solution for these people is that
they can receive communion. That's not the only solution (being asked).
What the “Instrumentum laboris” proposes is a lot and also the problem
of the new unions of divorcees isn't the only problem. In the
instrumentum laboris, there are many (problems to be addressed). For
example, young people don’t get married. They don’t want to get married.
It's a pastoral problem for the Church. Another problem: the affective
maturity for a marriage. Another problem: faith. 'Do I believe that this
is for ever? Yes, yes, yes, I believe.' 'But do you believe it?' the
preparation for a wedding: I think so often that to become a priest
there's a preparation for eight years, and then, its not definite, the
Church can take the clerical state away from you. But, for something
lifelong, they do four courses! Four times…Something isn't right. It’s
something the synod has to deal with: how to do preparation for
marriage. It’s one of the most difficult things. There are many
problems, they're all are listed in the “Instrumentum laboris.” But, I
like that you asked the question about 'Catholic divorce.' That doesn't
exist. Either it wasn't a marriage, and this is nullity – it didn't
exist. And if it did, it's indissoluble. This is clear. Thank you. Terry Moran, ABC News: Holy Father, thank you, thank
you very much and thank you to the Vatican staff as well. Holy Father,
you visited the Little Sisters of the Poor and we were told that you
wanted to show your support for them and their case in the courts. And,
Holy Father, do you also support those individuals, including government
officials, who say they cannot in good conscience, their own personal
conscience, abide by some laws or discharge their duties as government
officials, for example in issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples?
Do you support those kinds of claims of religious liberty?
Pope Francis: I can’t have in mind all cases
that can exist about conscientious objection. But, yes, I can say
conscientious objection is a right that is a part of every human right.
It is a right. And if a person does not allow others to be a
conscientious objector, he denies a right. Conscientious objection must
enter into every juridical structure because it is a right, a human
right. Otherwise we would end up in a situation where we select what is a
right, saying 'this right that has merit, this one does not.' It
(conscientious objection) is a human right. It always moved me when I
read, and I read it many times, when I read the Chancon Roland, when the
people were all in line and before them was the baptismal font – the
baptismal font or the sword. And, they had to choose. They weren’t
permitted conscientious objection. It is a right and if we want to make
peace we have to respect all rights.
(Editor’s note: He’s referring to provencal poem: Song of
Roland in which Crusaders forced Muslims to choose between being
baptized or being killed by the sword. The Pope says they were not
allowed to choose conscientious objection)
Terry Moran, ABC News: Would that include government officials as well?
Pope Francis: It is a human right and if a government official is a human person, he has that right. It is a human right. Stefano Maria Paci, Sky News: Holiness, you used very
strong words at the U.N. to denounce the world’s silence on the
persecution of Christians, who are deprived of their homes, thrown out,
deprived of their possessions, enslaved and brutally killed. Yesterday,
President Hollande announced the beginning of a bombing campaign by
France on ISIS bases in Syria. What do you think of this military
action? Also, the mayor of Rome, city of the Jubilee, declared that he
came to the World Meeting of Families because you invited him. Can you
tell us how it went? Pope Francis: I will start with your second question. I
did not invite Mayor Marino. Is that clear? I didn’t do it and I asked
the organizers and they didn’t invite him either. He came. He professes
to be a Catholic and he came spontaneously. That’s the first thing. But
it is clear, heh? And now about bombardments. Truly, I heard the news
the day before yesterday, and I haven’t read about it. I don’t know much
about the situation. I heard that Russia took one position and it
wasn’t clear yet about the United States. I truly don’t know what to say
because I haven’t fully understood the situation. But, when I hear the
word bombing, death, blood…I repeat what I said in Congress and at the
U.N., to avoid these things. But, I don’t know, I can’t judge the
political situation because I don’t know enough about it. Miriam Schmidt, German DPA Agency: Holy Father, I
wanted to ask a question about the relationship of the Holy See with
China and the situation in this country which is also quite difficult
for the Catholic Church. What do you think about this? Pope Francis: China is a great nation that offers the
world a great culture, so many good things. I said once on the plane
when were flying over China when we were coming back from Korea that I
would very much like so much to go to China. I love the Chinese people
and I hope there is the possibility of having good relations. We’re in
contact, we talk, we are moving forward but for me, to have as a friend a
great country like China, which has so much culture and has so much
opportunity to do good, would be a joy. Maria Sagrarios Ruiz de Apodaca, RNE: Thanks. Good
evening, Holy Father. You have visited the U.S. for the first time, you
had never been there before. You spoke to Congress, you spoke to the
United Nations. You drew multitudes. Do you feel more powerful? And
another question, we heard you draw attention to the role of religious
women, of the women in the Church in the United States. Will we one day
see women priests in the Catholic Church as some groups in the U.S. ask,
and some other Christian churches have? Pope Francis: He’s telling me not to answer in Spanish (referring to Fr. Federico Lombardi).
The sisters in the United States have done marvels in the field of
education, in the field of health. The people of the United States love
the sisters. I don’t know how much they may love the priests, (laughs)
but they love the sisters, they love them so much. They are great, they
are great, great, great women. Then, one follows her congregation, their
rules, there are differences. But are they great. And for that reason I
felt the obligation to say thank you for what they have done. An
important person of the government of the United States told me in the
last few days: “The education I have, I owe above all to the sisters.”
The sisters have schools in all neighborhoods, rich and poor. They work
with the poor and in the hospitals. This was the first. The second? The
first I remember, the second? Maria Sagrarios Ruiz de Apodaca, RNE: If you feel powerful after having been in the United States with your schedule and having been successful? Pope Francis: I don’t know if I had success or not. But
I am afraid of myself. Why am I afraid of myself? I always feel – I
don’t know – weak in the sense of not having power and also power is a
fleeting thing, here today, gone tomorrow. It’s important if you can do
good with power. And Jesus defined power, true power is to serve, to do
service, to do the most humble services, and I must still make progress
on this path of service because I feel that I don’t do everything I
should do. That’s the sense I have of power.
Third, on women priests, that cannot be done. Pope St. John Paul II
after long, long intense discussions, long reflection said so clearly.
Not because women don’t have the capacity. Look, in the Church women are
more important than men, because the Church is a woman. (Using
masculine and feminine articles in Italian) It is “la” Church, not “il”
Church. The Church is the bride of Jesus Christ. And the Madonna is more
important than popes and bishops and priests. I must admit we are a bit
late in an elaboration of the theology of women. We have to move ahead
with that theology. Yes, that’s true. Mathilde Imberty, Radio France: Holy Father, you have become a star in the United States. Is it good for the Church if the Pope is a star? Pope Francis: The Pope must…Do you know what the title
was of the Pope, which ought to be used? Servant of the servants of God.
It’s a little different from the stars. Stars are beautiful to look at.
I like to look at them in the summer when the sky is clear. But the
Pope must be, must be the servant of the servants of God. Yes, in the
media this is happening but there’s another truth. How many stars have
we seen that go out and fall? It is a fleeting thing. On the other hand,
being servant of the servants of God is something that doesn’t pass.
//
http://www.popefrancisvisit.com/
http://www.popefrancisvisit.com/schedule/white-house-welcoming-ceremony/
Turkey’s first lady Hayrunnisa Gul, wife of President Abdullah Gul, April 13, 2010 visited the Omani Women’s Association. She exchanged cordial conversations with the chairperson and members of the association. First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül, accompanying President Gül on his visit to Bulgaria, conducted some programs with her Bulgarian counterpart, Mrs. Zorka Parvanova, after the official welcoming ceremony at Alexander Nevski Square. http://main.omanobserver.om/node/6071 Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5qTF4lQIsQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNG3YGk5Wwc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idSgn2al2qU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADbna8MlEEA&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lttDK9BgTTc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CruBkltdQBw&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6icg-NYpcbA&feature=related
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