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A Pope for a New Epoch
We are at a turning point in history. Francis believes the Church must both remain faithful to the Gospel and embrace radical reform if it is to fulfill its mission of evangelizing the world.
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We are at a turning point in history. Francis believes the Church must both remain faithful to the Gospel and embrace radical reform if it is to fulfill its mission of evangelizing the world.
As the first pope to select as his namesake the patron saint of ecology, Francis of Assisi, he has emphasized concern for creation as a priority of the Catholic Church, and made ecology a central theme of his papacy.
Believing that “the future of the Church is in Asia,” Pope Francis made several pastoral visits to the continent, appointed Asian prelates to the Roman Curia and nunciatures, and commended the Overseas Filipino Workers for “smuggling” the faith to the whole world.
The “provisional” agreement between the Holy See and the Chinese government concerning the nomination of Chinese bishops has been extended again for two more years. The agreement seeks to guarantee that the Chinese Catholic bishops can exercise their episcopal task in full communion with the pope.
The Vatican criticized the Chinese government’s transfer of a Catholic bishop to a diocese not recognized by the Holy See. Some human rights advocates and religious freedom experts hope this shift in Rome’s posture toward Beijing will continue.
In spite of the renewal of the agreement between the Vatican and Beijing, there remain thorny issues making the implementation of the deal tremendously challenging. Nevertheless, the Holy See continues along the path of dialogue for the good of the Church.
The examen is a way of praying that allows us to find and see God in our most ordinary, everyday experiences, making us stop, look back at our day, and listen to ourselves and to God Himself and what He has been telling us.
In 2022, Pope Francis developed the theme of spiritual discernment during his Wednesday general audiences. Discernment is a demanding work of making sound judgments that require knowledge and faith. Here are excerpts from the catechesis series on discernment.
Young economists and Pope Francis signed a pact to improve the global economy to better the lives of all people as a result of The Economy of Francesco event in Assisi. Topping the list of priorities is “an economy of peace and not war.”
Policies that support employment and workers, raise education quality and improve access, boost rural development, and strengthen social protection can reduce inequality, thus enhancing the Filipino people’s chances for improving their well-being.