BLOG: Pope Francis
On September 27, 2014, as early as 7:00am, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from over 80 countries made their way to Madrid’s Parque de Valdebebas for the Beatification of Bishop Alvaro del Portillo, the first successor of the founder of Opus Dei, St. Josemaria Escriva. Our group of 50 Canadians travelled by Metro to the ...read more
Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Mass of Thanksgiving for the Equivalent Canonizationof Saints François de Laval and Marie de l’Incarnation Sunday, 12 October 2014 We have heard Isaiah’s prophecy: “The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces…” (Is 25:8).  These words, full of hope in God, point us to the goal, ...read more
On Sunday, October 12, 2014, Pope Francis will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving for the Canonization of two Canadian saints, St. Francis de Laval and St. Mary of the Incarnation. The Office of Liturgical Celebration released a statement announcing that other bishops and priests will concelebrate the Mass with the Holy Father, as indicated by ...read more
Today we celebrate the feast of the Archangels — St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael. Take some time today to look up  Scripture references to the different Archangels and meditate on the work of these heavenly messengers. For St. Michael flip to Revelations 12 (there’s also references in Daniel 10 and 12), St. Gabriel of ...read more
Historically speaking, the church had to take root somewhere. When in the early 30’s AD Jesus of Nazareth was executed, rose from the dead and sent his Spirit to be with his little band of disciples, Rome was the dominant political and social player. Peter and Paul brought the faith to Rome before being executed ...read more
Sebastian Gomes, Salt + Light writer/producer/director of The Francis Effect, gives us a glimpse into filming the documentary: There’s no way to sugarcoat it: the current situation in the Middle East is catastrophic, and there’s no end in sight. It’s a volatile mix of religious, political, historical, ethnic, social and economic elements all firing at the ...read more
This week, for the little corner of the church, Opus Dei, all roads lead to Madrid! With the Beatification of Bishop Alvaro Del Portillo, the first successor of St. Josemaria, happening in Spain, there is an estimated 100,000 people (according to the Catholic News Agency) coming to witness this momentous and God-glorifying moment. Every step of the way ...read more
During his final engagement of his one-day visit to Albania on Sunday, Pope Francis visited a residential centre for disabled and needy children, run by an Italian charity in the Albanian capital, Tirana. In his address at the Bethany Centre (full text found below), the pope spoke of how faith, working through charity, can dislodge ...read more
Pope Francis urges Albanian youth to say yes to acceptance and solidarity during his Angelus address. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Before concluding this celebration, I wish to greet each of you who have come from all over Albania and from nearby countries. I thank you for your presence and for the witness of your faith. ...read more
  Below you will find the full text of Pope Francis’ homily during his first trip to Albania. Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Holy Mass in Mother Teresa Square (Tirana, 21 September 2014) Today’s Gospel tells us that, as well as the Twelve Apostles, Jesus calls another seventy-two disciples and that he sends them ...read more