Catholic Fire

Catholic News Service looks at the impact of the first Latin American pope's visit to his native continent.

 My Personal Favorite: As he boarded a helicopter to meet with World Youth Day volunteers in Rio, Pope Francis made the sign of the Cross, before taking off. Then a few moments later, as crowds bid him farewell, the Pope used his fingers to outline a heart, by the helicopter's window.

July 28th, 2013 (Romereports.com) Millions of pilgrims took part in the world's largest flash mob, by performing a simple dance for the Pope. In fact, the title of the song they danced to is called 'Francis.' Before celebrating Sunday's closing Mass in Rio's Copacabana beach, millions of youths took a few minutes to carry out the performance. The choreography was created by two Brazilian professional dancers, who actually created a video beforehand, so people could practice the moves, before the big day.

July 23, 2013. (Romereports.com) Every day, hundreds of buses with thousands of pilgrims flock to a very special Brazilian known as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Aparecida. With over 11 million visits per year, it is one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world. In fact, it welcomes much more pilgrims than other famous sites like that of Lourdes and Fatima. On arrival, many pilgrims light a candle, to thank Our Lady for the graces they've received. Others spend hours praying in this room suited for over 70,000 people. In it, some leave personal items like letters and pictures to thank Our Lady or to make a special prayer. Our Lady of Aparecida is the patroness of Brazil, and devotion to Her statue dates back to 1717. According to tradition, in October of that year, two fishermen prayed to Our Lady, asking Her to grant them a good catch for the day. As they dragged up their nets, they found this small clay statue of Our Lady and many fishes. The name “Aparecida” comes...

History of the Devotion On a certain day in 1716 three fishermen were at work on the Paraiba River. There were no fish in the nets they lifted from the water. Instead there was an artistic terracotta image of Our Lady of the Conception, which they dubbed "Nossa Señnora Aparecida". The chronicles relate that once the Virgin was placed in the boat, the catch was so great that the frightened men returned to port because, the weight of the fish threatened to sink their craft. It is not known how the small (less than three feet high) statue came to rest at the bottom of the river, but its artist is known, Frei Agostino de Jesus, a "carioca'' monk from Sao Paulo who created artistic clay sculptures. The image was made around 1650 and must have stayed submerged in the river for many years because it lost its original polychromy. The image is now a brilliant dark brown color, and is covered by a stiff mantle of richly embroidered thick cloth, allowing only her face a...

July 23, 2013. (Romereports.com) With World Youth Day underway, the massive gathering is bound to break some records. The official registration number exceeds 350,000 youths, but that number could easily be multiplied during the closing ceremony, since on that day, there's no need to register to attend. Some estimate that up to 2 million youths could show up to celebrate with the Pope. According to Brazil's Civil Aviation Department, about 70,000 pilgrims are arriving on a daily basis to Rio's airports. Young Catholics from 190 countries are making their way to Brazil, but the top 10 countries are of course Brazil, followed by Argentina, the U.S, Chile, Italy, Venezuela, France, Paraguay, Peru and Mexico. There are over 200,000 registered Brazilians. From Argentina, the Pope's native country, there are about 20,000 pilgrims. From the United States, more than 11,000. From Chile, the number stands at 9,100, which is actually the highest number since the year 2000. ...

July 22nd, 2013 (Romereports.com) After a 12 hour flight, Pope Francis made it to Brazil. With a cheering crowd in the background,  the Pope was greeted by the country's president, Dilma Rousseff and Brazil's religious leaders. The transportation that came afterward, seemed a bit cumbersome. He first boarded a modest gray car, where he was swarmed by enthusiastic crowds and heavy traffic. The Pope then hopped on his open air popemobile, as he went through the city's streets. He finally took a military helicopter to Rio's Guanabara Palace. There, during his first official speech, he thanked Brazil for its hospitality, adding that he hopes to give them, the most valuable gift of all. POPE FRANCIS “I have neither silver nor gold, but I bring with me the most precious thing given to me: Jesus Christ! I have come in his name, to feed the flame of fraternal love that burns in every heart; and I wish my greeting to reach one and all: The peace of Christ be with you!”...

July 10, 2013 (Romereports.com) Preparations for WYD 2013 started months ago, but there is still a lot on the agenda. One of the issues organizers are working on, is the  installations of two main stages, where most of the gathering with Pope Francis will take place. They include stages in Copacabana and Campus Fidei. Organizers say, they goal is to build a structure where everyone can see Pope Francis, even from a distance. It's not just about logistics. Organizers are also looking for  an artistic touch. Abel Gomes, who designed the main stage at Copacabana, said its layout was inspired by the picturesque mountain skyline in Rio. Another imposing stage, at Campus Fidei, was inspired by the shape of ancient Gothic cathedrals. Its main features are two towers at the ends of the altar which resemble two hands held in prayer. Between them, a golden coated cross, that's over 100 feet high. Organizers hope the projects will be completed as soon as possible, to welcome the...

May 7, 2013. (Romereports.com) The Vatican has released the official schedule Pope Francis will follow during World Youth Day. He will be in Rio from July 22nd to July 29th.   On Monday July 22nd, the Pope will leave the Vatican and board a plane to Rio. After the 12 hour flight, Pope Francis will be welcomed by Brazil's president Dilma Rousseff in the city's Guanabara palace. The next day he doesn't have anything planned since he wants to recover from the jet lag. Then on the 24th, the Pope will take a helicopter to the Shrine of Aparecida where he will celebrate Mass. He knows the site quite well, since he was an active participant of the Latin American Episcopal Conference held back in 2007. In the afternoon, he will return to Rio and visit the St. Francis of Assisi hospital, which is run by Franciscans. On Thursday 25, which will be his third day in Brazil, the Pope will receive the keys of the city. He will also bless the Olympic flags at city hall. He will ...

March 20, 2013. (Romereports.com)  Pope Francis has confirmed that he will travel to Brazil at the end of July to lead World Youth Day 2013. For now, it's his first and only confirmed trip. Catholic youths are already looking forward to it. In fact close to 2 million are expected. After celebrating his Inaugural Mass, the pope met with Brazil's president Dilma Rousseff. The Pope confirmed that he will indeed visit the country. In light of this trip, other presidents like that of Mexico, Colombia and his native Argentina have invited Pope Francis to visit their countries as well.