Pope Francis to write meditations for Good Friday Way of the Cross for the first time
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=274693&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
The Stations of the Cross at Rome's Colosseum, April 15, 2022. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNARome Newsroom, Mar 26, 2024 / 14:30 pm (CNA).Pope Francis for the first time in his 11-year pontificate will pen his own spiritual meditations for Friday's Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) against the dramatic backdrop of Rome's historic Colosseum.The reflection will be based on the theme "In Prayer with Jesus on the Way of the Cross." The pope will write a unique treatment for each station, "centered on what Jesus experiences in that moment," the Holy See Press Office announced.Vatican News observed that the pope's decision to write his own mediations this year dovetails with the spiritual dimension of the Year of Prayer, a period of reflection the pope has called in anticipation of the 2025 Jubilee Year.In 1985 Pope John Paul II started the tradition of delegating the writing of the Good Friday Way of the Cross reflections to different individuals and groups. But he interrupted this custom...
The Stations of the Cross at Rome's Colosseum, April 15, 2022. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA
Rome Newsroom, Mar 26, 2024 / 14:30 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis for the first time in his 11-year pontificate will pen his own spiritual meditations for Friday's Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) against the dramatic backdrop of Rome's historic Colosseum.
The reflection will be based on the theme "In Prayer with Jesus on the Way of the Cross." The pope will write a unique treatment for each station, "centered on what Jesus experiences in that moment," the Holy See Press Office announced.
Vatican News observed that the pope's decision to write his own mediations this year dovetails with the spiritual dimension of the Year of Prayer, a period of reflection the pope has called in anticipation of the 2025 Jubilee Year.
In 1985 Pope John Paul II started the tradition of delegating the writing of the Good Friday Way of the Cross reflections to different individuals and groups. But he interrupted this custom when he authored his own reflections for the "Great Jubilee," or Holy Year of 2000. Pope Benedict XVI continued with the tradition throughout his pontificate.
The setting for the papal Way of the Cross is rich with history and holds a special meaning for Rome's Christians.
The Colosseum, which also bears the name of the Flavian Amphitheater, was constructed during the first century A.D. during the reign of the Flavian dynasty. The massive elliptical structure sits in the heart of ancient Rome and was known as a site for gladiatorial battles, military reenactments, and dramatic productions.
Tradition holds that early Christians were martyred in large numbers at the Colosseum. Though the archaeological evidence of the Colosseum as a site for martyrdom is scarce, the world's largest ancient amphitheater still holds a central place in the Christian imagination, serving as a symbol of the persecution of the early Church.
In 1750 Pope Benedict XIV erected a large cross and the 14 stations of the cross there; in 1756 he dedicated the edifice to the memory of the passion of Christ and the martyrs. The tradition lasted for a century until the unification of Italy in 1861, when the Church lost its sovereign temporal authority over the city of Rome.
Pope John XXIII presided over the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum once in 1959. But it was not until 1964 with Pope Paul VI that the celebration became a permanent fixture of the pope's Holy Week itinerary.
In past years Pope Francis has entrusted the meditations to different groups and individuals reflecting a wide range of themes such as war and peace, migration, and the experience of the incarcerated.
Last year's Way of the Cross was centered on the theme "Voices of Peace in a World at War," incorporating the testimonies of victims of violence whom Pope Francis encountered during his international apostolic journeys over the past 10 years.
The full text of the meditations will be made available on Friday morning ahead of the service, which will begin at 9:15 p.m. Rome time.
Full Article
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&url=10&view=post&articleid=275709&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów is depicted as the patron saint of Poland in a miniature painted by Stanislaw Samostrzelnik of Mogila. / Credit: Polona Digital Library|Wikimedia|PD-ArtWashington, D.C. Newsroom, May 8, 2024 / 16:53 pm (CNA).Pope Francis during his Wednesday general audience invoked the intercession of St. Stanislaus, patron saint of Poland, for peace in Ukraine and Israel.Addressing Polish pilgrims in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, the pope said: "Today you celebrate the solemnity of St. Stanislaus, bishop and martyr, patron of your homeland.""St. John Paul II wrote of him," Francis went on, "that from high in heaven, he shared in the sufferings and hopes of your nation, sustaining its survival, especially during the Second World War."Francis prayed that the intercession of St. Stanislaus "obtain, even today, the gift of peace in Europe and throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East."What does Poland have to do with these wars? This co...
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&url=10&view=post&articleid=275708&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
null / Credit: ShutterstockCNA Staff, May 8, 2024 / 17:23 pm (CNA).A trio of Catholic radio networks has filed a petition against the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over new requirements that will soon mandate that all U.S. radio and television stations publish information about the race and gender of their employees.In a 3-2 ruling in February, the commissioners of the FCC reinstated a requirement that radio stations must annually file a document, known as Form 395-B, that lists the race and gender of their employees.The FCC governs radio stations transmitting on AM or FM frequencies, satellite radio and TV stations, cable networks, and broadcast TV stations. These entities are required to maintain a summary of publicly accessible information known as a public file, with varying requirements among the types of stations regarding what must be contained in the file.The FCC had not required Form 395-B since 2004, following a 2001 ruling by t...
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&url=10&view=post&articleid=275707&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
Servant of God Nino Baglieri. / Credit: ANS/SalesiansACI Prensa Staff, May 8, 2024 / 17:53 pm (CNA).The diocesan phase of the cause of beatification of the Servant of God Nino Baglieri has been closed in Modica, a town in southern Sicily. Overcoming his bitterness due to his quadriplegic condition, Baglieri gave himself to the mission of evangelizing through the means available to him. The closing of the diocesan phase, according to the Salesian News Agency, took place on Sunday, May 5, in Mother of St. Peter church, where a solemn Eucharist was celebrated by Salvatore Rumeo, the bishop of Noto. In his homily, the prelate related that on May 5, 1951, Baglieri received baptism, "becoming a Christian."Regarding the servant of God, he emphasized that "prayer for Nino was everything: Despite his suffering, like a light that shines and burns, he managed to infect others with the meaning of true prayer."Addressing the servant of God in prayer, Rumeo said: "We are grateful t...