Bench Marks of the Beast

According to a statement from the speaker’s office, the event would be an “excellent opportunity for the American people as well as the nations of the world to hear his message in full.”

Boehner wrote, “It is with reverence and admiration that I have invited Pope Francis, as head of state of the Holy See and the first Pope to hail from the Americas, to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress.

“Pope Francis has inspired millions of Americans with his pastoral manner and servant leadership, challenging all people to lead lives of mercy, forgiveness, solidarity, and humble service.”

“His social teachings, rooted in ‘the joy of the gospel,’ have prompted careful reflection and vigorous dialogue among people of all ideologies and religious views in the United States and throughout a rapidly changing world, particularly among those who champion human dignity, freedom, and social justice. “

“These principles are among the fundamentals of the American Idea. And though our nation sometimes fails to live up to these principles, at our best we give them new life as we seek the common good.”

“The Holy Father’s pastoral message challenges people of all faiths, ideologies and political parties. His address as a visiting head of state before a joint meeting of the House and Senate would honor our nation in keeping with the best traditions of our democratic institutions. It would also offer an excellent opportunity for the American people as well as the nations of the world to hear his message in full.”

March 27, 2014: President Obama Meets With Pope Francis Source Link

But in the 52 minutes that Mr. Obama spent on Thursday sitting across from Francis at a spare desk with a small, golden crucifix, those disputes seemed to fade away. According to Mr. Obama, the discussion was instead focused on two areas: how to help the poor and marginalized around the world and how to confront conflicts that test the limits of peace. “We actually didn’t talk a whole lot about social schisms,” Mr. Obama told reporters a few hours after the private audience with the pontiff. “His Holiness and the Vatican have been clear on a range of issues. Some of them I differ with. Most of them I heartily agree with.” In its own assessment of the meeting, the Vatican alluded to a cordial discussion that touched on “the exercise of the rights to religious freedom, life and conscientious objection,” perhaps an allusion to the contraception provision. American prelates argue that the mandate is a violation of religious freedom. But the papal communiqué also said that Francis and Mr. Obama talked about “current international themes,” immigration reform and a commitment to fight human trafficking.

April 27, 2014: Vatican To Live Stream Canonization of Popes John Paul ll, John XXlll Source Link

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis declared his two predecessors John XXIII and John Paul II saints Sunday in an unprecedented canonization ceremony made even more historic by the presence of retired Pope Benedict XVI.

Francis recited the saint-making formula in Latin, saying that after deliberating, consulting and praying for divine assistance "we declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II be saints and we enroll them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole church."

Benedict was sitting off to the side with other cardinals in St. Peter's Square during the rite at the start of Sunday's Mass. He and Francis briefly greeted one another after Francis arrived.

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the Vatican for the historic day of four popes, with Francis and Benedict XVI honoring their predecessors.

While the ceremony itself was remarkable, it was Benedict's presence that added to its historic nature: Never before has a reigning and retired pope celebrated Mass together in public, much less an event honoring two of their most famous predecessors.

42 Photos Pope John Paul II 10 Photos Pope John XXIII Benedict's presence was also a reflection of the balancing act that Francis envisioned when he decided to canonize John and John Paul together, showing the unity of the Catholic Church by honoring popes beloved to conservatives and progressives alike.

Benedict, 87, arrived in St. Peter's Square on his own to cheers and applause from the crowd. Wearing white vestments and white bishops' miter, he took his seat off to the side with other cardinals but stood to greet Italy's president as he arrived for the Mass.

Italy's interior ministry predicted 1 million people would watch the Mass from the square, the streets surrounding it and nearby piazzas where giant TV screens were set up to accommodate the crowds eager to follow along.

By the time the ceremony began, Via della Conciliazione, the main boulevard leading from the square, nearby streets and the bridges across the Tiber River were packed.

Polish pilgrims carrying the red and white flags of John Paul's beloved homeland had been among the first to push into the square well before sunrise, as the human chains of neon-vested civil protection workers trying to maintain order finally gave up and let them in.

"Four popes in one ceremony is a fantastic thing to see and to be at, because it is history being written in our sight," marveled one of the visiting Poles, David Halfar. "It is wonderful to be a part in this and to live all of this."

Most of those who arrived first at St. Peter's had camped out overnight nearby on air mattresses and sleeping pads. Others hadn't slept at all and took part in the all-night prayer vigils hosted at a dozen churches in downtown Rome.

By mid-morning, the scene in the square was quiet and subdued - perhaps due to the chilly gray skies and cumulative lack of sleep - unlike the rollicking party atmosphere of John Paul's May 2011 beatification when bands of young people sang and danced in the hours before the Mass.

The Vatican on Saturday ended weeks of speculation and confirmed that Benedict would indeed participate in the canonization.

Benedict had promised to remain "hidden from the world" after resigning last year, but Francis has coaxed him out of retirement and urged him to take part in the public life of the church.

In a dress rehearsal of sorts, Benedict attended the February ceremony in which Francis installed 19 new cardinals. But celebrating Mass together with Francis is something else entirely, a first for the 2,000-year-old institution and a reflection of his desire to show the continuity of the papacy, despite different personalities, priorities and politics.

Pope John XIII, who reigned from 1958-1963, is a hero to liberal Catholics for having convened the Second Vatican Council. The meetings brought the church into the modern era by allowing Mass to be celebrated in local languages rather than Latin and by encouraging greater dialogue with people of other faiths, particularly Jews.

During his quarter-century papacy from 1978-2005, John Paul II helped topple communism through his support of Poland's Solidarity movement. His globe-trotting papacy and launch of the wildly popular World Youth Days invigorated a new generation of Catholics, while his defense of core church teaching heartened conservatives after the turbulent 1960s.

"John Paul was our pope," said Therese Andjoua, a 49-year-old nurse who traveled from Libreville, Gabon, with some 300 other pilgrims to attend. She sported a traditional African dress bearing the images of the two new saints.

"In 1982 he came to Gabon and when he arrived he kissed the ground and told us to 'Get up, go forward and be not afraid,'" she recalled as she rested against a pallet of water bottles. "When we heard he was going to be canonized, we got up."

Kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers from more than 90 countries were expected to attend the canonizations. Some 20 Jewish leaders from the U.S., Israel, Italy, Francis' native Argentina and Poland were also taking part, in a clear sign of their appreciation for the great strides made in Catholic-Jewish relations under John, John Paul - and their successors celebrating their sainthood.

May 9, 2014: Pope Francis Calls For "Legitimate Redistribution Of Wealth To The Poor Source Link

Pope Francis on Friday called on United Nations leaders to take better care of the poor and advocated for a “legitimate redistribution” of wealth.

“Equitable economic and social progress can only be attained by joining scientific and technical abilities with an unfailing commitment to solidarity” with the poor, the Pope said, in addition to a new spirit of generosity, according to a transcript published by Vatican Radio.

In one of the most economically liberal statements made by any Pope, Francis called for “the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.”

Francis criticized global wealth inequality and the growing level of poverty and hunger.

“An essential principle of management is the refusal to be satisfied with current results and to press forward,” he said. “Much more needs to be achieved, since an important part of humanity does not share in the benefits of progress and is in fact relegated to the status of second-class citizens.”

Francis added that nations must move away from the “economy of exclusion” in his address to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of major U.N. agencies. They are meeting in Rome this week.

Francis has made a big splash since he becoming pope in March 2013, making bold statements on LGBT equality and sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

Earlier this week, news broke that the Vatican had defrocked nearly 900 priests in the last decade.

May 25, 2014: Pope Francis Calls For Peace in First Visit to to to Israel

Pope Francis extended an invitation Sunday to the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to travel to the Vatican for a "peace initiative," after earlier calling for a two-state solution to the intractable conflict.

The pontiff's remarks came at the end of an outdoor Mass in Bethlehem's Manger Square on the second day of his three-day trip to the Middle East.

"In this, the birthplace of the Prince of Peace, I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with Israeli President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace," Francis said. "I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer."

He added, "Building peace is difficult, but living without peace is a constant torment. The men and women of these lands, and of the entire world, all of them, ask us to bring before God their fervent hopes for peace."

The Palestinian side has accepted the invitation and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will go to the Vatican, a Palestinian Legislative Council member, Hanan Ashrawi, told CNN. Pope Francis arrives in Jordan's capital

The Israeli President's office said that he welcomed the invitation. "President Peres has always supported, and will continue to support, any attempts to progress the cause of peace," his office said.

Pope Francis then traveled on to Tel Aviv, where in remarks on the airport tarmac to Peres and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he again issued an invitation to pray for peace at the Vatican. He also reiterated the Vatican's support for Israel's right to exist in peace and security. The next stop on his historic trip was Jerusalem.

Earlier, speaking alongside Abbas in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Francis called for the recognition of a Palestinian state -- but he made the same demand on behalf of the state of Israel.

He urged "the acknowledgment by all of the right of two states to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders."

The Pope called on all sides to pursue a path to peace together and not take unilateral actions to disrupt it.

"I can only express my profound hope that all will refrain from initiatives and actions which contradict the stated desire to reach a true agreement, and that peace will be pursued with tireless determination and tenacity," he said.

Middle East peace talks recently stalled despite high-profile efforts by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to push them forward.

The government of Israel has objected to unilateral initiatives by Palestinians to seek international recognition as a state, and Palestinians have objected to Israeli initiatives to expand settlements on the West Bank.

In his remarks in Bethlehem, Francis called on Abbas to protect the religious rights of Palestinian Catholics.

The pontiff also took a stand for the poor, suffering under tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

"Even in the absence of violence, the climate of instability and a lack of mutual understanding have produced insecurity, the violation of rights, isolation and the flight of entire communities, conflicts, shortages and sufferings of every sort," he said.

Pope Francis today continued his diplomatic initiative to revitalise the stalled Middle East peace process with a hugely symbolic gesture beside one of Judaism's holiest sites.

Standing in front of the Western Wall, the Pontiff hugged his two friends, Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka and leader of the South American country's Muslim Community, Omar Abboud. Both men were part of the inter-faith delegation.

The three-day visit has been deemed a diplomatic success, despite some early controversy, after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres agreed to travel to the Vatican next month for talks.

June 1, 2014: Pope Francis Joins the "Samba School" of Charismatic Catholicism source link

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

ROME (CNS) -- Meeting more than 50,000 Catholic charismatics in Rome's Olympic Stadium, Pope Francis admitted he was not always comfortable with the way they prayed, but he knelt onstage as they prayed for him and over him by singing and speaking in tongues.

"In the early years of the charismatic renewal in Buenos Aires, I did not have much love for charismatics," the pope said June 1. "I said of them: They seem like a samba school."

A young woman prays before Pope Francis' arrival for an encounter with more than 50,000 Catholic charismatics at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. (CNS/Paul Haring)

Little by little, though, he came to see how much good the movement was doing for Catholics and for the church, he told a gathering organized by the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services and the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships.

Pope Francis invited the crowd, which included charismatics from 55 countries, to come to St. Peter's Square for Pentecost in 2017 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the movement. The Catholic charismatic movement traces its origins to a retreat held in 1967 with students and staff from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

"I expected all of you, charismatics from around the world, to celebrate your great jubilee with the pope at Pentecost 2017 in St. Peter's Square," the pope said.

The celebration in Rome's Olympic Stadium began with the song, "Vive Jesus, El Senor," ("Jesus, the Lord, Lives") a Spanish-language song which Pope Francis -- who claims he is tone deaf -- joined in singing with his hands open like many in the crowd. The pope said he likes the song, which charismatics in Argentina also sing.

"When I celebrated the holy Mass with the charismatic renewal in the Buenos Aires cathedral, after the consecration and after a few seconds of adoration in tongues, we sang this song with such joy and strength," he said.

At another point, when the crowd prayed that the Holy Spirit would fill Pope Francis, he knelt on the bare floor of the stage, while they sang with their hands raised toward him. After the song, many in the crowd kept their hands raised as they prayed in tongues, speaking in unfamiliar languages.

Responding to a married couple, who spoke about the renewal's positive impact on their family life, Pope Francis said the family is the "domestic church," the place where Jesus' presence grows in the love of spouses and in the lives of their children. "This is why the enemy attacks the family so hard; the devil doesn't like it, and tries to destroy it."

"May the Lord bless families and strengthen them during this crisis when the devil wants to destroy them," the pope prayed.

In a speech, Pope Francis told the charismatics that they their movement was begun by the Holy Spirit as "a current of grace in the church and for the church."

He pleaded with charismatic groups not to try to organize everything or create a bureaucracy that attempts to tame the Holy Spirit.

The temptation "to become 'controllers' of the grace of God" is a danger, the pope said. Group leaders, sometimes without even meaning to, become "administrators of grace," deciding who should exercise which gifts of the Holy Spirit. "Don't do this anymore," Pope Francis said. "Be dispensers of God's grace, not controllers. Don't be the Holy Spirit's customs agents."

From the beginning, he said, charismatics were known for their love of and familiarity with the Scriptures; the pope asked those who lost the habit of carrying their Bible with them everywhere to "return to this first love, always have the word of God in your pocket or purse."

Pope Francis also said Catholic charismatics have a special role to play in healing divisions among Christians by exercising "spiritual ecumenism" or praying with members of other Christian churches and communities who share a belief in Jesus as lord and savior.

June 5, 2014: Osteen meets with Pope Francis at Vatican source link

On the same day his wife took 300 schoolchildren to the Bronx Zoo, Joel Osteen, the pastor of Houston's Lakewood Church, was meeting Thursday with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Osteen said Friday it was a great honor to represent the pastors of America in the meeting with the pontiff, whom he described as warm, personable and full of joy.

"I like the fact that this pope is trying to make the church larger, not smaller," Osteen said. "He's not pushing people out but making the church more inclusive. That resonated with me."

The unofficial meeting also included Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah; former U.S. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne; Tim Timmons, a pastor and author based in Newport Beach, Calif.; and Gayle D. Beebe, president of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., according to the Deseret News of Salt Lake City.

"We had very little time with him," Osteen said. "We were going to have more time, but a cardinal died that morning."

Pope Francis asked the group to pray for him and to pray for peace in the Middle East, Osteen said.

June 8, 2014: Turkey has 'great responsibility' to take Lead in middle East process, Pope Francis says source link

In his visit to Turkey, Pope Francis praised Turkey for "generously" welcoming refugees. He also reminded others that the recent problems in Iraq and Syria could not be solved by a military response alone. The pontiff also said Turkey has a "great responsibility" because of its location next to the war-stricken countries of the Middle East and its role as a bridge between East and West.