Cazal is legally married to an Argentine, Sergio Lopez, though their union isn’t recognized in Paraguay.
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Still, the formal invitation of a gay rights activist to a papal event is an indicator of greater openness towards gays, and Francis has repeatedly called for an inclusive church which embraces everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he tried unsuccessfully to prevent Argentina from becoming the first country in Latin America to legalize gay marriage. Francis is in Paraguay for three days, the last stop of his South American tou…
It was the pope’s second reference to the War of the Triple Alliance, a 19th-century conflict considered one of the deadliest in Latin American history and one that still informs Paraguayan identity.
“There the Gospel was the soul and the life of communities which did not know hunger, unemployment, illiteracy or oppression”, he said.
“I immediately felt so much better that we didn’t go to the appointment”, she said.
Pope Francis appears more attuned to the messages Roman Catholic leaders send by their transportation choices. He fought back tears as he recounted how emotional the visit was for patients.
But by the time the Mass began, a brilliant sun was shining under blue skies, rewarding those who had traveled from near and far to see Francis.
Francis is devoted to the Virgin of Caacupé since the time he carried out his pastoral work in the Villa 21 slum in Buenos Aires City.
After touring Banado Norte, Francis will celebrate an open-air Mass in a tropical field outside Asuncion and meet with young people before returning to Rome.
A Jesuit priest, Antonio Ruiz de Montoya, published the first Guarani grammar in 1639. Their numbers are disputed.
On Saturday morning, Francis visited the country’s most sacred religious site, the shrine of the Madonna of Caacupe.
The elevated status shows Caacupe’s particular link to the Catholic Church and its pope. While in Paraguay, Francis will celebrate two Masses, including one in Caacupe on Satur…
Beginning in the 1500s, Spanish conquerors, with the blessing of the Church, subjugated and enslaved indigenous peoples in the Americas, annihilating native cultures and forcing their conversion to Christianity. In other words, it didn’t just survive after colonization, but thrived. He recognised their contribution in helping rebuild the nation following the nineteenth century’s devastating Paraguayan War.
“Then and now, you found the strength not to let this land lose its bearings”, he said to wild cheers from the crowd. “God always blesses this”, the pontiff said.
“You are keepers of the memory, the lifeblood of those who rebuilt the life, faith and dignity of your people”. While in Paraguay, Francis wil… The pharmaceutical salesman traveled with his wife and four children from Tucuman, Argentina. “We are also proud of his humility, that he prefers to be with the poor and not the rich”.
As soon as Francis arrived Saturday in Caacupe, he paused for a moment of silent prayer before the Caacupe Virgin and left a white rose on its base. The shrine is the country’s most important pilgrimage site and a place that is very…
After visiting Ecuador and Bolivia, Francis arrived Friday, July 10, in Paraguay, where 90% of the population is Catholic, to begin the final leg of his 8-day tour.
Standing on the corner of the plaza of the shrine of the Virgin of Caacupe was Santa Cristina Rodriguez.
Juan Irrasabal, a 22-year-old medical student, said he was inspired by the pope’s vigor and engagement with the people. “He was very moved”, Trento said afterwards.
At least 70% of Paraguay’s male population was killed, and the nation would have ceased to exist if not for the perseverance of women, historians say.
Today, many in Caacupe and across Paraguay give credit to the virgin for miracles, which range from help finding a job to beating a disease. Carmen Mesa is one. The day her parents decided to take her to a doctor, she saw a painting of the Virgin of Caacupe hanging on a street vendor’s cart. It may be that hearing an Argentine-born pope acknowledge Paraguay’s suffering was especially significant.
Thousands of Argentines travelled across the border by bus – some on journeys lasting 50 hours – to welcome the pope in a homecoming of sorts.
Earlier Friday, Francis visited a children’s hospital in the Paraguay’s capital Asuncion. His arms outstretched at the altar, Francis read along as the crowd intoned the prayer.
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He uses a Ford Focus to get around the Vatican, and he endeared himself in South Korea when he zipped around town in a Kia.
