ROME – Pope Francis appealed for peace on Sunday while leading Christmas Eve mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican as the Israel-Hamas war raged on.

“Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war,” he told about 6,500 faithful, referring to Jesus Christ.

In his message, the leader of the Catholic Church also urged people not to be obsessed with worldly success and the “idolatry of consumerism.”

On Christmas Day, the pontiff will lead the traditional “Urbi and Orbi” prayer (Latin for “To the City and To the World”).

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 20,424 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 54,036 others, according to health authorities in the enclave.

Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with half of the coastal territory’s housing damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million people displaced within the densely populated enclave amid shortages of food and clean water. (Source:Anadolu-PNA/IAmigo/MNM)

ROME — In a historic move, Pope Francis has granted formal approval for Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, marking a significant shift in the church’s stance on LGBTQ issues.

The announcement, outlined in the document “Fiducia Supplicans: On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings,” signifies the Vatican’s most permissive decree to date regarding same-sex relationships.

Published on Monday (18 Dec 2023), the declaration reflects a departure from the Vatican’s 2021 assertion that God “cannot bless sin” in the context of same-sex couples.

While Pope Francis has shown a commitment to liberalizing the church’s approach to LGBTQ Catholics, the document underscores the continued insistence that marriage remains exclusively between a man and a woman.

The Vatican’s directive emphasizes the need for priests to steer clear of any actions that may suggest an endorsement of same-sex marriage, urging them to “avoid any form of confusion or scandal.”

Despite this caution, the move has been lauded as a “major step forward” by the Rev. James Martin, an American Jesuit priest and advocate for the LGBTQ Catholic community.

The document draws a clear distinction between formal liturgical blessings and more informal, spontaneous blessings.

It underscores the traditional doctrine of the Church on marriage, explicitly prohibiting any liturgical rites that might create confusion.

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, in the introduction to the document, explains that the declaration allows for blessings in irregular situations, including those involving same-sex couples, without officially validating their status or altering the Church’s longstanding teachings on marriage.

The Vatican instructs priests not to associate blessings with civil union ceremonies or any elements reminiscent of weddings.

Instead, the recommended settings for such blessings include private meetings with a priest or visits to shrines.

The document extends the possibility of blessings to couples in various “irregular situations,” such as divorced and remarried couples without annulments, who seek enrichment, healing, and elevation of their relationships through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The declaration signifies a nuanced approach by the Catholic Church, recognizing the desire for God’s presence in the lives of same-sex couples while upholding its traditional doctrines on marriage. (Source: NPR online)

(JR AMIGO/AI/MNM)

VATICAN — In a significant departure from tradition, Pope Francis, at 86 years old, has made unprecedented arrangements for his final resting place outside the Vatican.

Expressing his desire for a simpler funeral, the pontiff, who turns 87 on Sunday, has chosen to be buried at Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Despite his ailing health, Pope Francis made it clear in an interview with Mexico’s N+ television that he has “already prepared” his tomb and outlined plans for a funeral that diverges from the elaborate rites usually associated with his predecessors.

The Pope’s decision marks a departure from the customary practice of Vatican leaders being interred within the confines of the Vatican.

His willingness to forego the traditional pomp and privilege associated with the Vatican’s funeral rites reflects his commitment to simplicity and humility.

In the interview with Valentina Alazraki, the Vatican correspondent for N+ television, Pope Francis discussed these plans, providing insight into his vision for a more understated farewell.

This revelation comes as a significant moment in papal history, suggesting that Pope Francis is poised to become the first pontiff in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican.

Despite his advanced age and recent health concerns, the Pope emphasized that he has no intention of retiring, reinforcing his commitment to continuing his papal duties.

The interview, conducted on the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, showcased Pope Francis’s resilience as he presided over a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, seemingly recovered from a recent bout of bronchitis.

As the Catholic world contemplates these unprecedented decisions by the Pope, his actions underscore his dedication to a more modest and unassuming legacy.

Source: Mail Online UK

(JR AMIGO/AI/MNM)

In response to the dire situation in Gaza, Pope Francis made a plea for all parties involved to disarm during his weekly General Audience on October 18, 2023.

He expressed deep concern about the escalating crisis and emphasized the need to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

The Pope stressed that war doesn’t offer solutions but instead results in death, destruction, increased hatred, and a cycle of revenge.

He underscored the importance of choosing the path of peace.

These remarks followed a deadly airstrike on a Gaza hospital the previous day, which resulted in hundreds of casualties.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza had its origins in actions by both Hamas and the Israeli military. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to alleviate the suffering caused by the conflict.

The casualty figures stand at more than 3,300 Palestinians and over 1,400 people in Israel.

(ai/mnm)

(Pope Francis)

Image Courtesy of: Vatican News

MANILA — Pope Francis has expelled a Filipino priest for sexual abuse involving minors.

According to the CBCP News report dated Sunday, 17 September 2023, the pope’s decision dismissing Pio Aclon from the clerical state was announced on the same day by the Diocese of Borongan where the priest was incardinated.

“He is, therefore, no longer a cleric and cannot exercise priestly ministry in the Church,” the diocese wrote in a circular.

This advisory was read today in all parish churches, chaplaincies and chapels of the diocese.

The circular, however, stopped short of providing further details about the priest.

Aclon last served at a minor seminary in Borongan before the diocese suspended him from his clerical duties.

Pope Francis has repeatedly apologized over the abuses, and vowed to confront abusers and restore justice.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines had assured there will be no cover-up on the sexual abuse cases involving the clergy.

The CBCP has also created an office that will help protect minors from alleged sexual abuses by the clergy.

Each diocese had also developed its own system for handling reports of sexual abuse or misconduct.

(Filed by Junior Amigo/ai/mnm)