Fr. Gary Wankerl, a priest of the Diocese of Madison, has presented a portrait of Pope Francis he painted recently to Bishop Robert C. Morlino and the diocese.
Tag: Pope Francis
Papa Francesco’s words of wisdom: Share joy of God’s love with others, especially the poor
Papa Francesco. That’s the name on the PDF document of the apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), written by Pope Francis. I went to the Vatican website and downloaded my own copy to read (readers might do the same at www.vatican.va).
The name Papa Francesco seems like such an appropriate way to think of our Holy Father. He speaks to us as a devoted parent, sharing his words of wisdom, just like a loving father would talk with his children.
Noise of the world drowns out God’s voice
Even though this is an upbeat document, Pope Francis — like the Holy Father he is — shows us where we are falling short as disciples of Christ. He observes that we often don’t share the joy of the Gospel with others. He also chastises Christians for letting God’s voice be drowned out by the noise of the world.
He says, “The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades.”
Church living in midst of confrontation
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| This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop. |
Dear Friends,
Last week at the meeting of the Bishops’ Conference in Baltimore, our Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who serves as the personal representative of Pope Francis in the United States, addressed us bishops on behalf of Pope Francis.
In the first place, I thought it was interesting that a great deal of his address to us was focused on quotations from Pope Paul VI and Blessed John Paul the Great.
This is a sure sign that Pope Francis wishes to be seen in continuity with his venerable predecessors, a fact which he made clear recently as he affirmed Archbishop Agostino Marchetto’s account of the hermeneutic of continuity as a proper interpretive key for the Second Vatican Council.
But, I want to focus on one particular thought that Archbishop Viganò raised.
Farewell to Year of Faith: It opened the door to deeper faith and a desire to share it
Since October 11, 2012, the Catholic Church throughout the world has been observing a special Year of Faith. In his apostolic letter Porta Fidei (“The Door of Faith”), Pope Benedict XVI asked Catholics to experience a conversion — to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him.
The pope noted that the “door of faith” is opened at Baptism, but during this Year of Faith Catholics were asked to open it again, to walk through it and rediscover and renew their relationship with Christ and his Church.
The first day of the Year of Faith coincided with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publishing of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict asked Catholics to study and reflect on the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism to deepen their knowledge of the faith.
Diocesan Pastoral Council welcomes new members
Bishop Robert C. Morlino’s Diocesan Pastoral Council (DPC) received a boost and an influx of fresh perspective as Kevin Kelly, chairman of the DPC, introduced 13 new members at the council’s recent meeting held at the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center.
A shrinking pie: Put poor and hungry people first in the new farm bill
In his message for World Food Day, which was observed on October 16, Pope Francis said that “it is a scandal that there is still hunger and malnutrition in the world.”
The Holy Father emphasized, “It is not just a question of responding to immediate emergencies, but of addressing together, in all areas, a problem that challenges our personal and social conscience, to achieve a just and lasting solution.”
Cuts in food assistance benefits
In the United States, there are increasing numbers of hungry people. Many of them rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. As of November 1, the benefits to individuals and families were cut for the first time since 1964. That’s because an increase in food aid approved in 2009 expired, and Congress hasn’t been able to pass a new farm bill for over a year (the farm bill includes provisions to fund food assistance programs in our country).
Bishop Morlino meets Pope Francis
Pope Francis meets […]
Overjoyed to meet Pope Francis
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This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop. |
Dear Friends,
Well it’s been seven months, but it was surely worth the wait! I was simply overjoyed in recent days to have my first moments with our Holy Father, Pope Francis. I hope to have some pictures to share with you by next week.
Simply put, I had never met Cardinal Bergoglio previously and, since his election as Bishop of Rome, I’ve had a tremendous desire to have a few moments with the man to whom my mission is so intricately tied.
I’ve spoken of it many times before, but I’ll recall here again that it is one of the key duties of the diocesan bishop to reach out and to act as a sort of glue which holds people fast to the heart of the Church and to be a sign of unity among the Body of Christ in His diocese. It is one of the key duties of the Pope to act as that glue and that sign of unity among all the bishops of the world and their people united with them.
Loving our neighbor: Following in the footsteps of St. Francis and Pope Francis
When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio received the 77 votes to become pope during the conclave on March 13, his friend, Cardinal Claudio Hummes of Brazil, told him, “Don’t forget the poor.”
Pope Francis took the words of his friend to heart and chose to be named after St. Francis of Assisi, “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation.”
Respect for all human life
Time and time again, Pope Francis has emphasized the need for respect for all human life at all its stages, but especially for children (pre-born and born), the poor, the disabled, the sick, and the elderly.
In his October 4 visit to Assisi, the home of his namesake, Pope Francis — as he often does — took time to meet personally with sick and disabled persons. Man of them reached out to him, clasped his hand, and talked with him.
I couldn’t help think that St. Francis would have been so happy to see Pope Francis — the Vicar of Christ on earth — living out the Gospel message he preached in Assisi.
Interview with Pope Francis offers much for reflection
To the editor:
To learn about Pope Francis’ extraordinary interview with the Jesuit magazine America, nobody needs to rely on reports from media outlets, secular or Catholic. The full interview can be found easily at America’s web site, and it rewards close reading by anyone interested in the pope’s view of the Church, and where he might lead it.
There is much to reflect on in the interview. Particularly striking are the pope’s harsh words for those who bring a spirit of pride and certainty to their faith and to their dealings with fellow Catholics: