September 26, 2015:
People drawn to the Pope's holy energy
Updated: Wed 7:02 PM, Sep 23, 2015
By: Amy Pflugshaupt –
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COMMENT: Cannot help but be reminded of this text of Scripture when first encountering the following articles: Revelation13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. Revelation 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? |
Madison, Wis. --- Even though the Pope is more than 800 miles away from Madison, his holy presence is being felt by some in Wisconsin. Catholics are watching Pope Francis as he experiences American culture for the first time.
At the Diocese of Madison, many gathered around to watch the Pope deliver mass and perform the first canonization on U.S. soil. Later this week, the Pope will travel to Philadelphia where he will take part in the World Meeting of Families.
Andy Galvin is the coordinator for marriage and family programs at the Diocese of Madison. He says the visit will have a big impact on young couples as many are from broken families.
"They haven't necessarily seen this image of family life and marriage that Pope Francis is really trying to lift up and show to everybody. I think that excites a lot of young people because they see that there is something far better, far different for them than perhaps what they may have had." Galvin continues, "Whether it's faith related or just the realities of their family life, they really want to live that out and experience that great joy."
In America, there are nearly 80 million Catholics. Polls show 63% of them have favorable views of the Pope, but he's also gaining rock star status even from those outside the religion. The latest Washington Post/CNN poll shows 63% of non-Catholics have favorable views of the Pope.
Click on Link:
http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/People-drawn-to-the-Popes-holy-energy-328923891.html
Young Catholics drawn to Pope Francis. Church life and dogma? Not so much
Megan Sweas September 24, 2015
LOS ANGELES (RNS) When Regina Bunye catches sight of Pope Francis in Philadelphia on Saturday (Sept. 26), it won’t be her first glimpse of the pontiff. Last year, she took part in a pilgrimage to Rome, where she got within 20 feet of Francis, who waved to her group.
“It’s kind of like seeing a rock star up close,” said Bunye, 36. “He is just a connection away from St. Peter and then Jesus … and he’s an incredible man.”
Click on Link:
http://www.religionnews.com/2015/09/24/young-catholics-drawn-pope-francis-church-life-dogma-not-much/
The Francis effect
Thomas Reese | Mar. 6, 2014
Pope Francis is the most talked about person in the world. He has been on the cover of almost every magazine, he makes the news almost every week, and he is a Twitter and Facebook sensation. He drew huge crowds in Rio de Janeiro and continues to draw large crowds in Rome.
But what impact is he actually having on the life of the church? In an attempt to answer that question, the Pew Research Center Religion & Public Life surveyed Americans' views of Pope Francis in February.
People overwhelming like the pope. Eighty-five percent of Catholics and 60 percent of non-Catholics view the pope favorably, numbers that would make politicians green with envy. Among Catholics, Pope Francis' ratings are up there with those of Pope John Paul II, who had favorable ratings between 91 and 93 percent in 1987, 1990, and 1996.
Click on Link:
http://ncronline.org/blogs/faith-and-justice/francis-effect
Major Impact: In Just A Year, Pope Francis Has Made Catholicism Cool For Many
Published March 13, 2014
Pope Francis marked his one-year anniversary with a simple tweet: "Please pray for me."
His appeal echoed his gesture on that rainy night one year ago when he came out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and introduced himself to the world. Rather than impart a blessing on the crowd below him, Francis asked first for a "favor" from the crowd, bowing his head and asking for the crowd to bless him.
From his simple sound bites to his breaking of Vatican rules, Pope Francis has made being Catholic cool in his first year.
He might not like his superstar status, but he certainly knows how to work a crowd and he has endeared himself to the public for looking out for the poor and radically shifting the church's focus to mercy rather than moralizing.
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The Pope, His Black Fiat and the Symbolism behind It
September 25, 2015 5:08 AM ET
Alejandro Cañadas, a professor of economics at Mount St. Mary's University, who has known the pope since his days in Argentina, said the little car doesn't surprise him.
Just look at the name, he said. The word "fiat" appears in the Bible.
It appears in Luke 1:38 after the angel Gabriel tells Mary that she will conceive and give birth to Jesus. Mary responds, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word."
In Latin, fiat translates roughly into "let it be done," and for Catholics that line has become known as Mary's fiat.
"I think for the pope, fiat is what he tries to do with his life," Cañadas said. "He tries to imitate the Virgin Mary, trying to do the will of God all the time. And the only way to do that is to be humble and to become poor with the poor in the way that he can do it."
