Latest news with #WorldDayofthePoor
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pope Francis held line on gender ideology, had welcoming posture to LGBT community
The late Pope Francis sought to make the Catholic Church more welcoming to transgender and LGBTQ people, often causing stir among traditional conservative Catholics, even as he remained a staunch critic of what he called "dangerous" gender ideology. While he maintained traditional Catholic teachings on gender and sexuality in official documents, the pontiff's actions often told a different, ambiguous story. "Being homosexual isn't a crime," Francis once said to The Associated Press in 2023. It was the first time a pope addressed the legal side of homosexual laws around the world, and LGBTQ activists praised him for it. Pope Francis Dines With Transgender Women For Vatican Luncheon Francis also called the criminalization of homosexuality "unjust," adding that some Catholic bishops in other countries may be proponents of outlawing it for cultural reasons. "These bishops have to have a process of conversion," he said. "Tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us." Read On The Fox News App Also in 2023, the controversial Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans — a declaration by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) — issued guidance for priests to bless same-sex couples. The blessings are meant for individuals, not the union itself, according to Pope Francis. The document states that "one should neither provide for nor promote a ritual for the blessings of couples in an irregular situation." "At the same time, one should not prevent or prohibit the Church's closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God's help through a simple blessing," it reads. Pope Francis: 'Gender Ideology' Is One Of The 'Most Dangerous Ideological Colonizations' Francis further raised concerns among conservatives when, in 2023, the Vatican ruled transgender people can be baptized and become godparents, provided their participation would not cause "confusion" or scandal. In March of that year, Pope Francis hosted a group of transgender women — many of whom are sex workers or migrants from Latin America — to a Vatican luncheon for the Catholic Church's "World Day of the Poor." The pontiff and the transgender women formed a close relationship after the pope came to their aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they were unable to work. They met monthly for VIP visits with the pope and received medicine, money and shampoo any day, according to The Associated Press. Pope Francis Warns Church Cannot Become 'Progressive' Or 'Conservative' 'Political Party' Meanwhile, Pope Francis called gender ideology "one of the most dangerous ideological colonizations" in a March 2023 interview with Argentinian newspaper La Nación. "All humanity is the tension of differences. It is to grow through the tension of differences," the pope said. "The question of gender is diluting the differences and making the world the same, all dull, all alike, and that is contrary to the human vocation." Click Here For The Fox News App The pontiff at the time attributed the increase in gender fluidity to well-meaning people who "do not distinguish what is respect for sexual diversity or diverse sexual preferences from what is already an anthropology of gender, which is extremely dangerous because it eliminates differences, and that erases humanity, the richness of humanity, both personal, cultural, and social, the diversities and the tensions between differences." Fox News Digital's Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this article source: Pope Francis held line on gender ideology, had welcoming posture to LGBT community
Fox News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Pope Francis held line on gender ideology, had welcoming posture to LGBT community
The late Pope Francis sought to make the Catholic Church more welcoming to transgender and LGBTQ people, often causing stir among traditional conservative Catholics, even as he remained a staunch critic of what he called "dangerous" gender ideology. While he maintained traditional Catholic teachings on gender and sexuality in official documents, the pontiff's actions often told a different, ambiguous story. "Being homosexual isn't a crime," Francis once said to the Associated Press in 2023. It was the first time a pope addressed the legal side of homosexual laws around the world, and LGBTQ activists praised him for it. Francis also called the criminalization of homosexuality "unjust," adding that some Catholic bishops in other countries may be proponents of outlawing it for cultural reasons. "These bishops have to have a process of conversion," he said. "Tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us." Also in 2023, the controversial Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans – a declaration by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) – issued guidance for priests to bless same-sex couples. The blessings are meant for individuals, not the union itself, according to Pope Francis. The document states, "one should neither provide for nor promote a ritual for the blessings of couples in an irregular situation." "At the same time, one should not prevent or prohibit the Church's closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God's help through a simple blessing," it reads. Francis further raised concerns among conservatives when, in 2023, the Vatican ruled transgender people can be baptized and become godparents, provided their participation would not cause "confusion" or scandal. In March of that year, Pope Francis hosted a group of transgender women — many of whom are sex workers or migrants from Latin America — to a Vatican luncheon for the Catholic Church's "World Day of the Poor." The pontiff and the transgender women formed a close relationship since the pope came to their aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they were unable to work. They met monthly for VIP visits with the pope and received medicine, money and shampoo any day, according to The Associated Press. Meanwhile, Pope Francis called gender ideology "one of the most dangerous ideological colonizations," in a March 2023 interview with Argentinian newspaper La Nación. "All humanity is the tension of differences. It is to grow through the tension of differences," the pope said. "The question of gender is diluting the differences and making the world the same, all dull, all alike, and that is contrary to the human vocation." The pontiff at the time attributed increase of gender fluidity to well-meaning people who "do not distinguish what is respect for sexual diversity or diverse sexual preferences from what is already an anthropology of gender, which is extremely dangerous because it eliminates differences, and that erases humanity, the richness of humanity, both personal, cultural, and social, the diversities and the tensions between differences."
Forbes
21-04-2025
- General
- Forbes
What Pope Francis's Favorite Foods Reveal About His Legacy
Pope Francis passed away this morning, and in the hours since, many tributes have focused on his global influence, his religious leadership, and his politics. But there's another layer—quieter, humbler, and more human. It's the food. Because even as he shaped history, Francis never let go of the taste of home. He spoke often of empanadas, pastries, and mate. He condemned food waste as, in his words, 'a snatching from the hands of the poor.' He hosted annual Vatican meals for the unhoused. He didn't crave rare wines or elaborate state dinners. He wanted to sit in a Roman pizzeria and eat quietly. That image stuck out because it cut against what we expect from power. And maybe that's why people loved him—not because he rejected comfort, but because he reframed it. For Francis, comfort wasn't wealth. It was warm bread. Something to be shared. In a time when so many public figures feel out of reach—or carefully managed—Francis's relationship with food felt different. It wasn't performative. It was grounding. His death doesn't just mark the end of a papacy. It reminds us of the everyday rituals that shape how we connect, how we care, and how we remember. When Francis became pope in 2013, he brought with him not just a shift in tone—but a deep connection to the meals that shaped him. There was the mate he drank daily, often gifted to him by pilgrims from South America. The empanadas he recalled making with his grandmother in Buenos Aires. His fondness for chipa, the chewy Paraguayan cheese bread. The alfajoresfilled with dulce de leche. Even in Dilexit Nos, his spiritual letter of farewell, he returned to food—not metaphorically, but literally—recalling the act of baking pastries with his grandmother as a gesture of care and continuity. These weren't shared for relatability points. He named them because they mattered. For many, Francis had a gift for making the personal feel universal—and nowhere was that clearer than in how he spoke about hunger and food justice. He regularly called food waste 'a sin,' urging world leaders to reframe food security not just as logistics, but as moral duty. On the World Day of the Poor, he didn't just offer prayers—he sat down for lunch, breaking bread with hundreds of people living on the margins. His message was clear: food wasn't a luxury—it was something no one should be denied. Francis didn't just talk about hunger—he acted on it. In 2016, he established the World Day of the Poor, a Vatican-wide initiative that included meals, medical clinics, and outreach for the unhoused. His commitment wasn't performative—it was consistent, visible, and deeply rooted in how he framed mercy. In a 2013 weekly audience in St. Peter's Square, dedicated to United Nations World Environment Day, Francis addressed what he referred to as a 'culture of waste' fueled by consumerism and excess. 'Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry,' he said. 'This culture of waste has made us insensitive—even to the waste and disposal of food, which is even more despicable when many families around the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition.' His words weren't abstract—they were pointed. 'Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times, we are no longer able to give a just value.' Francis may have led the Church from Rome, but his tastebuds never left Argentina. And that matters—because the taste of home, the meals that raise us and restore us, are more than preferences. They're anchors. Even The Vatican Cookbook, which includes recipes tied to his favorite dishes, carries the same spirit. It doesn't read like a glossy PR project. It reads like a collection of remembered meals passed between families, shared in small moments. Whether it was bagna càuda from Italy or a scoop of dulce de leche gelato—like the 'Hallelujah' flavor launched in his honor in Rome—it wasn't about indulgence. It was about joy, hospitality, and grounding in place. As we reflect on Pope Francis's death, it's important to zoom out—to understand his influence in full, to see the historic weight of his role. To the man who asked for pizza. He wasn't rejecting tradition—he was showing us that simplicity can carry reverence, too. Who drank mate every morning. A ritual that tied him to millions of people who never met him but knew that flavor. Who believed food could be an act of mercy. Not just on holidays or holy days, but in every act of sharing.
CBS News
21-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
Denver woman recalls meeting Pope Francis on her honeymoon, and being inspired to serve others
After his passing on Monday , Coloradans are remembering Pope Francis, including one woman who met him on his honeymoon. As the first pope from outside Europe, Pope Francis' ascension held special meaning for his followers in the Americas -- including in Colorado and at the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe . Rocio Delgado Marquez, a parishioner from Denver's Guadalupe Church, has a special devotion to Pope Francis. "I specifically recall the day he became the pope," Delgado Marquez said. She was in college at Metropolitan State University Denver in 2013. That same year, she made a pilgrimage to see Pope Francis at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro . "To be close to him, to be near him, to see the impact he had on the youth and everyone screaming, 'This is the juventud del papa -- we are the youth of the pope,'" she said. And for all the excitement of being surrounded by 3 million people, Delgado Marquez remembers the silence when Pope Francis led the youth in prayer. "You could hear the waves of Copacabana's beach in this silence, full of respect and love, and that's an experience that really sticks with me," she said. In 2019, Delgado Marquez got married and visited the Vatican on her honeymoon, where she received a blessing from the Holy Father. "That was a very special moment," she said. On that same trip, she attended a Mass with Pope Francis for the World Day of the Poor -- a tradition he started. She especially admires his humility and support for the world's marginalized people . "It warms my heart to hear him speak Spanish and speak directly to us," Delgado Marquez said. "His parents were immigrants. My parents were immigrants. He knows the struggle. And this community is full of immigrants." Delgado Marquez serves on the parish council at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. She says Pope Francis' teachings have enriched her life, which she hopes to devote to the service of others. "It all comes back to dignifying the human being and making them feel human," she said.
