Catholic Fire

(Vatican Radio) In his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis recognizes the “indispensable contribution” of women to society and underlines the “need to create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church”. “This presents a great challenge to pastors and theologians, who are in a position to recognize more fully what this entails with regard to the possible role of women in decision-making in different areas of the Church and Church life,” said Donna Orsuto, a professor of theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, citing the exhortation. “My hope is that it would become normative that women would be consulted, that women would be involved, that their gifts would be put at the service of the Church,” she commented. She underlined important distinctions the Pope makes in the exhortation in understanding women’s service in the Church in relation to the priesthood. First, she said, the Pope clearly states tha...

Pope Francis lays flowers at the foot of the statue of Our Lady of Lujan on May 8, 2013. Credit: Stephen Driscoll/CNA. Vatican City, Nov 26, 2013 / 06:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis reaffirmed Catholic teaching on male priesthood in his first apostolic exhortation, while calling for a broader application of the “feminine genius” in Church life. “The reservation of the priesthood to males, as a sign of Christ the Spouse who gives himself in the Eucharist, is not a question open to discussion,” he said, “but it can prove especially divisive if sacramental power is too closely identified with power in general.” The Pope's words came in his new document, “The Joy of the Gospel,” released Nov. 26.  Also known as “Evangelii Gaudium,” the apostolic exhortation follows the 2012 bishops' synod on the new evangelization, which was held as part of the Year of Faith. “Demands that the legitimate rights of women be respected, based on the firm conviction that men and women...

November 26, 2013. (Romereports.com) Through this apostolic exhortation, Pope Francis had publicly laid out what he wants to focus on during his pontificate.  He challenges all Catholics to share the message of the Gospel with joy and mercy. To preach by example, the Pope says the Papacy should undergo a conversion, that's more faithful to the “meaning which Jesus Christ wished to give it and to the present needs of evangelization.”   These are some of the key points of  the document titled 'The Joy of the Gospel,' which the Pope says, must have 'important consequences.' 1. ACTION The Pope isn't concerned about changing Church Doctrine, but rather in changing the way Christianity is presented to the world. He says talking about God, “isn't about imposing beliefs, but rather about sharing the joy of faith.” 2. PROXIMITY The humanity of the Catholic Church is one of the points he highlights, including showing 'mercy to the sinner.'  He also ...

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has issued his first Apostolic Exhortation on Tuesday, Evangelii Gaudium, translated into English as The Joy of the Gospel. The 224-page document outlines the Pope’s vision for a missionary Church, whose “doors should always be open”. The Pope speaks on numerous themes, including evangelization, peace, homiletics, social justice, the family, respect for creation, faith and politics, ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, and the role of women and of the laity in the Church. The Joy of the Gospel is the title Pope Francis has chosen for this first major document of his pontificate, putting down in print the joyous spirit of encounter with Christ that characterizes every public appearance he has made so far. The man who has constantly kept the media’s attention with his desire to embrace and share his faith with everyone he meets, now urges us to do exactly the same. To “recover the original freshness of the Gospel”, as he puts it, through a thorough renew...

November 18, 2013. (Romereports.com) During the Mass to conclude the Year of Faith, Pope Francis will hand copies of his first apostolic exhortation to 35 people.  It's titled Evangelium Gaudium , and will talk about evangelization. The Vatican will present the text on Tuesday, November 26.   In the document, Pope Francis will include some of the conclusions from the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization, which took place in October 2012. But he will also add his own ideas. The text will be the final act of the Year of Faith, which began under Benedict XVI. MSGR. RINO FISICHELLA President, Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization “The Year of Faith, which was designed to be so structural, will come to an end. But the commitment with the evangelization continues.” From the start of his pontificate, Pope Francis invited Catholics to go out and meet other people, and to preach by example. Those topics could very well end up inside this offic...