BLOG: Connect5,Pope Francis
Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass for Ash Wednesday at the Basilica of Santa Sabina on the Aventine hill in Rome. In his homily, the Holy Father said Lent is a path that “leads to the triumph of mercy over all that would crush us or reduce us to something unworthy of our dignity as God’s ...read more
On Sunday, February 26, 2017, the Holy Father Francis visited the Anglican Communion in the Church All Saints’ in Rome, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of that community. The rite, characterized by typical elements of Anglican sung Vespers, began with the welcome greeting and the Holy Father’s blessing of an icon of Christ (San Salvatore). ...read more
(CNS Photo: A rare full moon glows over Vatican City on Christmas Eve, 2015) Another marvellous cosmic discovery was made this week: seven earth-sized planets orbiting a red dwarf star just under 40 million light years away. Nasa’s discovery strengthened the popular hypothesis that other “earths,” that is, distant planets able to sustain life, most ...read more
Last Sunday, Pope Francis visited the parish of Santa Maria Josefa del Cuore di Gesù in Ponte di Nona, in the eastern outskirts of Rome, an area of ??town that suffers problems such as poverty and unemployment. It was his thirteenth visit to a parish in his diocese. John Paul II had also visited that ...read more
Catholics who remember the paradigm shift that took place at Vatican II often point to the transformation of the liturgy as its most concrete expression. That’s understandable. As Catholics, the Mass is the most frequented celebration in the life of the community.  Even if you didn’t follow the theological developments at the Council, you couldn’t escape the ...read more
Last Saturday the Pope appointed Henryk Hoser, Archbishop of Warsaw, as the special envoy to Medjugorje. In the official statement by the Holy See, it reads that: The mission has the aim of acquiring a deeper knowledge of the pastoral situation there, and above all, of the needs of the faithful who go there on pilgrimage, ...read more
Dozens of poster posted by anonymous protestors opposing the Pope were plastered along streets in the center of Rome last Saturday morning. The posters depict a very stern looking Pope Francis and a clear message – criticizing some of his policies, and referring to specific events, such as the most recent events concerning the Order ...read more
Read Pope Francis’ message for Lent 2017 below: The Word is a gift. Other persons are a gift. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ’s victory over death. This season urgently calls us to conversion. Christians are asked to return to God “with ...read more
On the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the Church also marked the World Day of Consecrated Life with Mass in Saint Peter’s basilica. In his homily, Pope Francis encouraged those present to rekindle “what originally set their hearts afire” to answer God’s call, which he came back to when meeting with a ...read more
Pope Francis presided at Holy Mass with the members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the XXI World Day for Consecrated Life. Find the full text of his prepared homily below: When the parents of Jesus brought the Child in fulfilment of ...read more