Papal Transitions and Traditions
The Papal Transition information has been moved further down on the page so that more recent information regarding Pope Francis and his outreach to our young Church can be included for your ministry use and reflection.
Enjoy!
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Top Ten Quotes from
World Youth Day Rio (July 2013)
-- as deemed by Catholic Vote, posted at http://www.catholicvote.org/top-10-rio-quotes-what-francis-said-and-why/
TOP 10 RIO QUOTES: WHAT FRANCIS SAID AND WHY
BY TOM HOOPES
Here are my favorite Pope Francis World Youth Day quotes, and my case for why they are important.
1. Since so many people are gloomy about the Church’s future after defeats, he said:
“Christians cannot be pessimists! They do not look like someone in constant mourning. If we are truly in love with Christ and if we sense how much he loves us, our heart will ‘light up’ with a joy that spreads to everyone around us.”
— Pope Francis, July 24, 2013, Mass in the Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Conception, Aparecida, Brazil
by BostonCatholic flickr
2. Because even hardcore Catholics are infected by today’s ubiquitous pop culture, he said:
“Nowadays, everyone, including our young people, feels attracted by the many idols which take the place of God and appear to offer hope: money, success, power, pleasure. Often a growing sense of loneliness and emptiness in the hearts of many people leads them to seek satisfaction in these ephemeral idols. Dear brothers and sisters, let us be lights of hope!”
— Pope Francis July 24, 2013, Mass in the Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Conception, Aparecida, Brazil
3. One great moment was when he repeated his insistence on not being duped by our hopeless world.
“To all of you, I repeat: Do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! Do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! And not only that, but I say to us all: let us not rob others of hope, let us become bearers of hope!”
— Pope Francis (July 24, St. Francis of Assisi of the Providence of God Hospital, Rio de Janeiro)
4. He warned against simplistic economic solutions to problems.
“The culture of selfishness and individualism that often prevails in our society is not, I repeat, not what builds up and leads to a more habitable world: rather, it is the culture of solidarity that does so; the culture of solidarity means seeing others not as rivals or statistics, but brothers and sisters.”
— Pope Francis (July 25 to the Community of Varginha [Manguinhos], Rio de Janeiro)
5. Because he sees ecclesial complacency as an enemy of the Gospel, he called young people to radical witness.
“Let me tell you what I hope will be the outcome of World Youth Day: I hope there will be noise. … I want you to make yourselves heard in your dioceses, I want the noise to go out, I want the Church to go out onto the streets, I want us to resist everything worldly, everything static, everything comfortable, everything to do with clericalism, everything that might make us closed in on ourselves.”
— Pope Francis (July 25, 2013, Meeting With Youth, Cathedral of San Sebastián, Rio de Janeiro)
6. Because he detests Christianity that is reduced to activism, he stressed interior change.
“Do not water down your faith in Jesus Christ…. With these two things you have the action plan: the Beatitudes and Matthew 25. You do not need to read anything else.”
— Pope Francis July 25, 2013, Welcoming Ceremony to the Young People on the Copacabana waterfront
7. He rightly worries about his bishops, and also about lay people who use bishops as their excuse.
“How horrible is a sad Bishop! How bad is that! So that my faith might not be sad, I came here to be filled with your contagious enthusiasm!”
— Pope Francis July 26, 2013, Angelus Domini, Archbishopric of St. Joaquin, Rio de Janeiro
8. Because he is painfully aware that the Church has grown irrelevant in many sectors of society, he said:
“We need a Church unafraid of going forth into their night. We need a Church capable of meeting them on their way. We need a Church capable of entering into their conversation. We need a Church able to dialogue with those disciples who, having left Jerusalem behind, are wandering aimlessly, alone, with their own disappointment, disillusioned by a Christianity now considered barren, fruitless soil, incapable of generating meaning.”
— Pope Francis, July 27, 2013, Meeting with the Bishops of Brazil
9. Because he knows that the media culture is trying to create an “entertain us” generation, he said:
“Dear young people, please, don’t be observers of life, but get involved. Jesus did not remain an observer, but he immersed himself. Don’t be observers, but immerse yourself in the reality of life, as Jesus did.”
— Pope Francis, July 27, 2013 Youth Prayer Vigil at Rio
10. Because he knows that Christianity will fail to the extent that it is a holiness club, he challenged:
“Do not be afraid to go and to bring Christ into every area of life, to the fringes of society, even to those who seem farthest away, most indifferent.
— Pope Francis, 2013, July 28, World Youth Day Mass
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Habemus Papam
Pope Francis, Pray for us!
Statement on the election of Pope Francis I - Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
March 13, 2013
The election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who has taken the name Francis I, marks a great milestone in our church. As successor to Peter, our first pope, Pope Francis I stands as the figure of unity for all Catholics wherever they reside. The bishops of the United States and the people of our 195 dioceses offer prayers for our new leader and promise allegiance to him.
Intense prayer from all around the world surrounded the election of Pope Francis I. The bishops of the United States thank God for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the inspired choice of the College of Cardinals.
With joy in our hearts, we declare "Ad Multos Annos!" (For many years!)
(http://www.usccb.org/about/leadership/holy-see/francis-i/index.cfm)
--------------------------------
Monday, February 11, 2013 -- Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation.
For the first time in centuries, we will have a Conclave not brought on by the death of a Holy Father (or even a political revolution) -- and the second time in a decade will Cardinals be gathered to discern the next Chair of Peter. Perhaps these resources/links can help you to answer the many questions coming your way (and you can even send seekers here to investigate their own answers!)
This page will be updated as new resources become available, so please check back.
Regarding Pope Benedict XVI:
--His letter:
Pope Benedict XVI on Monday said he plans on resigning the papal office on February 28th. Below please find his announcement.
(Full text of Pope's declaration)
"Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer".
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI
-- Bishop Murry's statement
http://doy.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=234%3Abp-murrys-statement-on-resignation-of-pope-benedict-xvi&catid=3%3Apress-release&Itemid=95
--Local newspaper article on Bishop Murry's press conference
http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/feb/12/by-linda-m-linonis-linonisvindycom/
-- His resignation explained
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/world/europe/pope-resignation-q-and-a/
Regarding selection of the new Holy Father
-- 4 minute video on How They Chose the Pope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xUtj8nd_pl4
-- America Magazine compilation of Questions and Answers
http://americamagazine.org/papal-transition
--NCR Overview of Selection Process
http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/update/conclave/ticktock.htm
--Catholic News Service Overview of Selection Process
http://www.catholicnews.com/jpii/stories/concl03.htm
-- Catholic News Service article with information on Cardinals
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1300575.htm
--NPR Overview of Papal Transition
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4570895
Other Resources
-- Fr. Barron video explains Papal Infallibilityhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qij6Y873Dl8#!
-- Can a Pope resign?
http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/can-pope-resign
-- A Popes Quiz (for fun)
http://www.cdowcym.org/documents/news/Pope_Quiz_2013.pdf
-- Vatican News -- keep up on the latesthttp://www.news.va/en
Enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Top Ten Quotes from
World Youth Day Rio (July 2013)
-- as deemed by Catholic Vote, posted at http://www.catholicvote.org/top-10-rio-quotes-what-francis-said-and-why/
TOP 10 RIO QUOTES: WHAT FRANCIS SAID AND WHY
BY TOM HOOPES
Here are my favorite Pope Francis World Youth Day quotes, and my case for why they are important.
1. Since so many people are gloomy about the Church’s future after defeats, he said:
“Christians cannot be pessimists! They do not look like someone in constant mourning. If we are truly in love with Christ and if we sense how much he loves us, our heart will ‘light up’ with a joy that spreads to everyone around us.”
— Pope Francis, July 24, 2013, Mass in the Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Conception, Aparecida, Brazil
by BostonCatholic flickr
2. Because even hardcore Catholics are infected by today’s ubiquitous pop culture, he said:
“Nowadays, everyone, including our young people, feels attracted by the many idols which take the place of God and appear to offer hope: money, success, power, pleasure. Often a growing sense of loneliness and emptiness in the hearts of many people leads them to seek satisfaction in these ephemeral idols. Dear brothers and sisters, let us be lights of hope!”
— Pope Francis July 24, 2013, Mass in the Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Conception, Aparecida, Brazil
3. One great moment was when he repeated his insistence on not being duped by our hopeless world.
“To all of you, I repeat: Do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! Do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! And not only that, but I say to us all: let us not rob others of hope, let us become bearers of hope!”
— Pope Francis (July 24, St. Francis of Assisi of the Providence of God Hospital, Rio de Janeiro)
4. He warned against simplistic economic solutions to problems.
“The culture of selfishness and individualism that often prevails in our society is not, I repeat, not what builds up and leads to a more habitable world: rather, it is the culture of solidarity that does so; the culture of solidarity means seeing others not as rivals or statistics, but brothers and sisters.”
— Pope Francis (July 25 to the Community of Varginha [Manguinhos], Rio de Janeiro)
5. Because he sees ecclesial complacency as an enemy of the Gospel, he called young people to radical witness.
“Let me tell you what I hope will be the outcome of World Youth Day: I hope there will be noise. … I want you to make yourselves heard in your dioceses, I want the noise to go out, I want the Church to go out onto the streets, I want us to resist everything worldly, everything static, everything comfortable, everything to do with clericalism, everything that might make us closed in on ourselves.”
— Pope Francis (July 25, 2013, Meeting With Youth, Cathedral of San Sebastián, Rio de Janeiro)
6. Because he detests Christianity that is reduced to activism, he stressed interior change.
“Do not water down your faith in Jesus Christ…. With these two things you have the action plan: the Beatitudes and Matthew 25. You do not need to read anything else.”
— Pope Francis July 25, 2013, Welcoming Ceremony to the Young People on the Copacabana waterfront
7. He rightly worries about his bishops, and also about lay people who use bishops as their excuse.
“How horrible is a sad Bishop! How bad is that! So that my faith might not be sad, I came here to be filled with your contagious enthusiasm!”
— Pope Francis July 26, 2013, Angelus Domini, Archbishopric of St. Joaquin, Rio de Janeiro
8. Because he is painfully aware that the Church has grown irrelevant in many sectors of society, he said:
“We need a Church unafraid of going forth into their night. We need a Church capable of meeting them on their way. We need a Church capable of entering into their conversation. We need a Church able to dialogue with those disciples who, having left Jerusalem behind, are wandering aimlessly, alone, with their own disappointment, disillusioned by a Christianity now considered barren, fruitless soil, incapable of generating meaning.”
— Pope Francis, July 27, 2013, Meeting with the Bishops of Brazil
9. Because he knows that the media culture is trying to create an “entertain us” generation, he said:
“Dear young people, please, don’t be observers of life, but get involved. Jesus did not remain an observer, but he immersed himself. Don’t be observers, but immerse yourself in the reality of life, as Jesus did.”
— Pope Francis, July 27, 2013 Youth Prayer Vigil at Rio
10. Because he knows that Christianity will fail to the extent that it is a holiness club, he challenged:
“Do not be afraid to go and to bring Christ into every area of life, to the fringes of society, even to those who seem farthest away, most indifferent.
— Pope Francis, 2013, July 28, World Youth Day Mass
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Habemus Papam
Pope Francis, Pray for us!
Statement on the election of Pope Francis I - Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
March 13, 2013
The election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who has taken the name Francis I, marks a great milestone in our church. As successor to Peter, our first pope, Pope Francis I stands as the figure of unity for all Catholics wherever they reside. The bishops of the United States and the people of our 195 dioceses offer prayers for our new leader and promise allegiance to him.
Intense prayer from all around the world surrounded the election of Pope Francis I. The bishops of the United States thank God for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the inspired choice of the College of Cardinals.
With joy in our hearts, we declare "Ad Multos Annos!" (For many years!)
(http://www.usccb.org/about/leadership/holy-see/francis-i/index.cfm)
--------------------------------
Monday, February 11, 2013 -- Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation.
For the first time in centuries, we will have a Conclave not brought on by the death of a Holy Father (or even a political revolution) -- and the second time in a decade will Cardinals be gathered to discern the next Chair of Peter. Perhaps these resources/links can help you to answer the many questions coming your way (and you can even send seekers here to investigate their own answers!)
This page will be updated as new resources become available, so please check back.
Regarding Pope Benedict XVI:
--His letter:
Pope Benedict XVI on Monday said he plans on resigning the papal office on February 28th. Below please find his announcement.
(Full text of Pope's declaration)
"Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer".
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI
-- Bishop Murry's statement
http://doy.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=234%3Abp-murrys-statement-on-resignation-of-pope-benedict-xvi&catid=3%3Apress-release&Itemid=95
--Local newspaper article on Bishop Murry's press conference
http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/feb/12/by-linda-m-linonis-linonisvindycom/
-- His resignation explained
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/world/europe/pope-resignation-q-and-a/
Regarding selection of the new Holy Father
-- 4 minute video on How They Chose the Pope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xUtj8nd_pl4
-- America Magazine compilation of Questions and Answers
http://americamagazine.org/papal-transition
--NCR Overview of Selection Process
http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/update/conclave/ticktock.htm
--Catholic News Service Overview of Selection Process
http://www.catholicnews.com/jpii/stories/concl03.htm
-- Catholic News Service article with information on Cardinals
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1300575.htm
--NPR Overview of Papal Transition
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4570895
Other Resources
-- Fr. Barron video explains Papal Infallibilityhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qij6Y873Dl8#!
-- Can a Pope resign?
http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/can-pope-resign
-- A Popes Quiz (for fun)
http://www.cdowcym.org/documents/news/Pope_Quiz_2013.pdf
-- Vatican News -- keep up on the latesthttp://www.news.va/en