Pope Francis celebrates First Vespers in St Peter's Basilica
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday celebrated First Vespers for the Solemnity of Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God.In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on a passage from St Paul’s letter to the Galatians: “But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”These words, the Pope said, “introduce us to God’s plan for us: He wants us to live as His sons and daughters.” Pope Francis said the “logic of the manger” is a logic of “encounter and closeness” that leaves no room for exclusion and division.Pope Francis invited us all “to contemplate how God has been present throughout this year and to remind ourselves that every age, every moment is the bearer of graces and blessings.”The ceremony also included the chanting of the Te Deum, traditionally sung at the end of the civil year ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday celebrated First Vespers for the Solemnity of Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God.
In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on a passage from St Paul’s letter to the Galatians: “But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
These words, the Pope said, “introduce us to God’s plan for us: He wants us to live as His sons and daughters.” Pope Francis said the “logic of the manger” is a logic of “encounter and closeness” that leaves no room for exclusion and division.
Pope Francis invited us all “to contemplate how God has been present throughout this year and to remind ourselves that every age, every moment is the bearer of graces and blessings.”
The ceremony also included the chanting of the Te Deum, traditionally sung at the end of the civil year in Thanksgiving for the blessings of the year.
Following the liturgy, Pope Francis made his way outside the Basilica to the larger-than-life Nativity Scene on display in St Peter’s Square. After spending a few moments in silent prayer, the Holy Father enjoyed a selection of traditional Christmas hymns and carols, and had the opportunity to greet members of the faithful gathered in the Square.
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Pope Francis waves while traveling by boat in Venice, Italy, for a meeting with young people at the Basilica della Madonna della Salute on April 28, 2024. Earlier in the day he met with inmates at a women's prison. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNARome Newsroom, Apr 28, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).Pope Francis opened his one-day visit to Venice on Sunday morning with a meeting with female inmates where he reaffirmed the importance of fraternity and human dignity, noting that prison can be a place of new beginnings. "A stay in prison can mark the beginning of something new, through the rediscovery of the unsuspected beauty in us and in others, as symbolized by the artistic event you are hosting and the project to which you actively contribute," the pope said to the female inmates gathered in the intimate courtyard of the Women's Prison on the Island of Giudecca. Pope Francis left the Vatican by helicopter at approximately 6:30 in the mo...
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Pope Francis prays in front of the tomb of St. Mark the Evangelist inside St. Mark's Basilica in Venice on April 28, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNARome Newsroom, Apr 28, 2024 / 09:35 am (CNA).Pope Francis had a full slate of events Sunday during his day trip to Venice, a trip that tied together a message of unity and fraternity with the artistic patrimony of a city that has been a privileged place of encounter across the centuries. "Faith in Jesus, the bond with him, does not imprison our freedom. On the contrary, it opens us to receive the sap of God's love, which multiplies our joy, takes care of us like a skilled vintner, and brings forth shoots even when the soil of our life becomes arid," the pope said to over 10,000 pilgrims gathered in St. Mark's Square. Framing his homily during the Mass on the theme of unity, one of the central points articulated throughout several audiences spread across the morning, Pope Francis reminded Christians: "Remaining ...
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Prayer house at San Simeone, Italy, September 2012. / Credit: Courtesy of Ricostruttori nella preghieraRome, Italy, Apr 28, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).Across Italy there are houses of prayer run by the Ricostruttori (Reconstructors) community, a Catholic movement dedicated to people who are far from the Church but attracted to spirituality, particularly Eastern meditation and Buddhist practices. The Reconstructors was founded in 1978 by Jesuit Father Gian Vittorio Cappelletto. "During the postconciliar period, the Church was faced with the need for new forms of evangelization and apostolate, to reach out to people who were drifting away," Don Roberto Rondanina, priest and superior of the Ricostruttori, explained to CNA. "It was a time when Eastern meditation, Hinduism, Buddhism, the New Age ... were beginning to spread in Europe." "Father Cappelletto, who lived in Turin, sought to understand the meaning of this 'flight to the East' and felt the need to find new forms of sp...
