Pope Francis: Homily for Inaugural Mass of Petrine Ministry
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church … Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison.” By Pope Francis
Voice of the Faithful ® 
#1 by jan on March 20, 2013 - 10:16 AM
I’m all for pro-life and have marched in DC. God is forgiving of this horrible crime/sin/evil of abortion.
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#2 by glorybe1929 on March 20, 2013 - 1:37 PM
I agree! re : abortion. I believe that the SIN OF SEXUAL ABUSE of Children, the Handicapped and Marginalized is; the Sin Against the HOLY SPIRIT! ( the unforgiveable sin) I maybe wrong but the SPIRIT LIVES in those precious ones,ESPECIALLY!……FOR THERE IS NO CHOICE FOR THEM, WHEN THEY ARE LITTLE OR HANDICAPPED. I’d be Interested in anyone’s take on this.
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#3 by jan on March 20, 2013 - 11:54 PM
Interesting. I think if there is no remorse, it is unforgiveable?
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#4 by glorybe1929 on March 19, 2013 - 7:14 PM
I love animals as much as the next one. The Saints loved the animals and I’m sure, had they known, that people would someday use abortion as birth contriol and sexual desires would be satisified by men ane women of god, by taking advantage of ( sexually abusing) innocent children, the marginalized and the handicapped (blind, deaf, etc.) and their superiors allowing and condoning it as only a “sin to be forgiven in confession.. not the life of hell and SPIRITUAL MURDER that the innocent abused.. have had to live with their entire lives. This is unacceptable behavior for anyone let alone a man or woman of authority in the Roman Catholic church!
.Had this evil been done in ” their day”, they would have burned down the church, for allowing such evil to flourish……It’s going on right now as we speak. It must stop! God will not be Mocked and that’s whats happening ..
We who blog against this evil and there are thousands.( I have been doing it for 11 yrs) are the activist (so called ) saints of our time.
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#5 by jan on March 19, 2013 - 2:11 PM
St. Francis strived for peace in himself, for people and animals. We all know about how billions of God’s creatures are bred and raised in factories (they are not farms) suffering their entire lives until they take their last breath.
Some Catholic leaders such as Cardinal John Newman and Pope Pius V (1566-1572) shined their lights on God’s creatures which were snuffed out. Pope Pius V, on November 1, 1567, issued a papal bull entitled “An injunction forbidding bullfights and other similar sports with wild animals and the annulment of vows and oaths previously made.” The papal bull condemned bullfighting and other forms of animal fighting for entertainment as “cruel and base spectacles of the devil.” A profound statement was also made by Cardinal John Henry Newman: “Cruelty to animals is as if man did not love God…there is something so dreadful, so satanic, in tormenting those who have never harmed us, and who cannot defend themselves, who are utterly in our power.”
One excellent book was written by Holly H. Roberts, D.O., PhD, a retired physician, theologian and a prolific writer. She was encouraged to write ‘Vegetarian Christian Saints: Mystics, Ascetics & Monks’ which highlights one hundred and fifty compassionate lives —– among them—— St. Francis of Assisi.
I’m excited that we may be returning to the basics of Gospel living. St. Paul and St. Francis are good examples. Hopefully, animals will be one of the many issues Pope Francis has on his ‘to do list’. Animals have been neglected and their abuse has been rationalized and accepted for centuries. It’s time for us to treat and respect God’s creatures as God intended — who has compassion for every one of His creatures —- they are our responsibility and someday we will be held accountable. “All of creation is groaning in labor pains…..hoping to be set free from slavery to corruption’ (Romans 8:19-22). It’s time for us to be their voice.
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