Illum il-Knisja Kattolika qed tiċċelebra għall-ewwel darba t-tifkira ta’ Marija bħala “Omm il-Knisja”.

Kien il-Papa Franġisku li f’Marzu li għadda ddeċieda li din il-festa għandha tiġi mfakkra t-Tnejn li jaħbat l-għada tal-Għid il-Ħamsin.

Digriet tal-Kongrezzjoni Vatikana għall-Orazzjoni Divina u d-Dixxiplina tas-Sagramenti juri li l-qima lejn Marija bħala Omm il-Knisja għandha għeruq antiki fit-tradizzjoni Kattolika, li twassal sa żmien Santu Wistin u San Ljun il-Kbir…

Pope Francis has set the date for the canonization of both Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Oscar Romero for October 14, during the synod on young people.

Pope Paul VI was the pope who closed the Second Vatican Council in 1965.

He died at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo on August 6, 1978, after being pope for 15 years…

In his homily on Pentecost Sunday delivered before thousands of the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis focused on the action of the Holy Spirit expressed in the Scripture readings from the Acts of the Apostles, St Paul’s letter to the Galatians, and St John’s Gospel.

The Holy Spirit changes hearts

The Spirit transforms the hearts of the timid disciples from fearful men, “huddled behind closed doors”, to bold men who “bear witness to [Jesus]” (Jn 15:27), the Pope said…

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together… Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”
—Acts 2:1, 4

Jesus had promised his Apostles that “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (John 14:26)…

Members of Chile’s bishops conference release a statement in which they offer to resign following the clerical sex abuse scandal in their country.

Following three days of meetings with Pope Francis in the Vatican, the bishops of Chile met the press and read a statement in which they thanked the Pope for having listened to them “paternally and for having offered his fraternal correction” during these days “of reflection and prayer”…

At the conclusion of three days of “fraternal” meetings, Pope Francis hands the following letter to the 34 Chilean bishops with whom he had closely examined the clerical sex abuse scandal that has tarnished the image of the Latin American Church in recent decades:

To the bishops of Chile:

Dear brothers in the episcopate,

I wish to thank you for having accepted my invitation so that, together, we may make a frank discernment regarding the serious events which have damaged the ecclesial communion and undermined the work of the Church in Chile in recent years…

The first reading from Acts 23:6-11 and the Gospel from John 17:20-26 demonstrate two styles of unity, Pope Francis said during his homily at Mass at Casa Santa Marta on Thursday morning.

False unity divides

Pope Francis sees a false unity binding Paul’s accusers together. It is false because it leads to division he said. The Sadducees and Pharisees are at first united in their accusation against Paul…