We must hold in our hearts today’s martyrs, who suffer and die, so as not to be ensnared by worldly desires, by obsession, by apostasy. “Fewer and fewer receive the sacraments and the Sacrament of Penance [confession] has all but disappeared”. “Our intent is to make sure that Catholic citizens understand where we are and what we understand about the sacrament of marriage”. The pope is likely to echo his bishops in speaking out against “ideological colonization”, a term for efforts by the West to promote policies including contraception in developing countries, often as a condition for development aid.
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It can not be based upon an attempt to “rebuild from the wrecks of “the good old days” in the past”, he said, but rather inspired by the life of the early Christians.
Priests are not “mushrooms” that magically sprout at ordination, but they have a history, a community and a family that both they and their superiors must keep in mind, Pope Francis said.
“Excessive centralisation, instead of helping, can complicate the life of the Church and her missionary dynamic”, he observed. “It presents itself to men and women in their realities”, raising questions and pushing them to act.
The Catholic Church in Africa faces particular challenges, including traditional customs of ancestor veneration that clash with church doctrine and other Christian denominations that offer the power to heal to congregations.
Pope Francis said people can learn from concierges, porters and doormen around the world, who always smile and make people feel welcome and at home.
“The Pope needs to go to Central Africa; the project is affirmed with every one of its arrangements in Central Africa, we are keeping on taking a shot at this. People come to the church as a center of worship and pray, but we also have to do outreach”, Champagne said. “They are hard to reach”. The Church must not worship “holy bribery”, the Pope said, but turn to Jesus’ love where there is “no room for worldliness” or corruption.
He called for a moment of silent prayer then led a Hail Mary, with Father Weber praying along in Italian.
During his first visit to the USA two months ago, President Barack Obama recognized the contribution of Pope Francis toward normalization of US-Cuba relations.
“The path of violence and hatred can not resolve the problems of humanity, and using the name of God to justify this path is blasphemy”, he said.
The Pope added, “it is also necessary always to emphasise the close relationship between the Eucharist and the priesthood”.
Francis also told the bishops: “The Church must never get exhausted of being the advocate of life, and should never step back from proclaiming that human life must be protected unconditionally from conception to natural death”.
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“Here we can not compromise without becoming part of the throwaway culture, which unfortunately is so widespread”, the pope said.
