Latest news with #WorldMeetingofFamilies
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pope Francis: Bucks County parish hosting night of remembrance ahead of live funeral coverage
The Brief Doors will open at Saint Isidore Parish in Quakertown at midnight for what will be hours of community gathering out of respect for Pope Francis. Parishioners will watch a documentary on Pope Francis ahead of live coverage of the funeral mass from Rome. The church did the same thing in 2023 after Pope Benedict died a month earlier. QUAKERTOWN, Pa. - As the world prepares to remember and honor Pope Francis, who died Monday, a Bucks County church is opening their doors for the public to reflect on the pontiff and watch live coverage of the funeral. What we know Saint Isidore Parish will open up the Father Riegler Center at midnight for a morning of reflection on Pope Francis. They will serve coffee and snacks, pray, watch a documentary of Pope Francis's 2015 visit to Philadelphia leading up to a viewing of live coverage of the funeral mass from Rome. That will air at 4 a.m. local time. Saint Isidore did this same thing in January of 2023 after Pope Benedict died a month earlier. Nearly two dozen people came out then. What they're saying "For me to say goodbye is very important," said Lucy Martinez. She is planning to come out to the Father Riegler Center at Saint Isidore Parish first thing in the morning to remember and honor the life of Pope Francis. "He was the first Pope American Latino-American and for me it's very important," she said. Martinez, along with others, will come together to take part in several events leading up to live coverage of the funeral mass from Rome. "The church is going to open at 12 a.m. We are going to have coffee, maybe snacks and then we are going to pray," said Martinez. Those who come out will watch a documentary of Pope Francis's visit to the area when he was in Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families in 2015. That will lead up to a viewing of live coverage of the funeral mass at 4 a.m. Philly time. "And continue our prayers for Pope Francis and the future of the church," said Fr. Ken Brabazon at the end of evening mass. "As brothers and sisters in churches throughout the world, it's a great gift to be able to kind of join in the very moment. I mean it is a tough sell, 4 a.m., right? But our folks wanted to get together and have the opportunity to not just sit on the couch at home but be here together as a parish family," he said. The Source Information for this article was provided by Saint Isidore Parish and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
RTÉ News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
From Drimnagh to the Vatican: Cardinal Farrell to oversee conclave
It was Cardinal Kevin Farrell who delivered the news of the Pope's death to the world and he will continue to play a central role in the days and weeks ahead. As Camerlengo, or chamberlain, Dublin-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell is responsible for running the ordinary affairs of the Vatican until a new pope is elected. It is thought to be the highest office in the Vatican ever to be held by an Irishman. Since the Pope's death, Cardinal Farrell has received much attention with his childhood friends paying tribute to him as the world's media profile the man from Drimnagh. Interest in his role has, no doubt, been boosted by the recent movie Conclave which detailed the intrigue of the papal voting process. Kevin Farrell was born in the south Dublin suburb of Drimnagh in 1947 and left Ireland in his teens. He joined the Legionaries of Christ and was ordained a priest in the early 80s. He has spent the majority of his adult life in the US. A well established Irish-American, he served the Bishop of Dallas for a decade. Before that in Washington DC, he worked as the late Cardinal McCarrick's assistant bishop. When McCarrick was fired for sexual abuse decades later, Kevin Farrell expressed shock about the crime. He was appointed Cardinal in 2016 and became more widely known here two years later when he blocked former president Mary McAleese from speaking at a Vatican conference to mark International Women's Day. Later that year, he was centre stage for the World Meeting of Families in Dublin. His rise in Rome was continuing before being installed as Camerlengo in 2019. He now faces into his most important period in that role as the process to select a new pope nears. According to the document, the 'Universi Dominici Gregis', which lays out the rules of the papal election process, it is the Camerlengo who must ensure the voting is carried out in a "smooth and orderly manner" and with the "maximum discretion". Along with two other high-ranking officials, he also ensures that the accommodation rooms are made ready for the "suitable lodging" of the cardinal electors when they gather. It is also his responsibility to make sure the interior of the Sistine Chapel, where the voting takes place, and adjacent areas, be prepared so that the "orderly election and its privacy will be ensured". The Cardinal Camerlengo is obliged to be "especially vigilant" in ensuring that there is absolutely no violation of secrecy "before, as well as during and after the voting". There is also nothing to preclude a Camerlengo from becoming Pope, however there have only been two occasions in the past when that has happened. Kevin Farrell comes from a deeply religious family - his brother Brian served as a bishop for 20 years. It was at the church of Our Lady of Good Counsel where Kevin Farrell first served as an altar boy. Decades on, from Drimnagh to the Vatican, Kevin Farrell is now at the centre of one of the Catholic Church's most important consequential events.
Belfast Telegraph
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Special Belfast City Council meeting confirmed to mark death of Pope Francis
The move in the council to hold the meeting follows a proposal put forward by Sinn Fein, with the meeting set to take place on Thursday evening. A book of condolence in the city hall will open in the coming days, with the building itself also being illuminated in yellow and white on Saturday to mark his passing and coincide with the day of his funeral. Books of condolence are also being opened at other locations across Northern Ireland, following the death of the pontiff on Easter Monday at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta building. Among those councils are Derry City and Strabane Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, and Mid Ulster Council. John McClaughry, the chair of Fermanagh and Omagh council, said many from his part of the country travelled to the Republic during the Pope's visit to the country in 2018. "I am conscious that many from our District will have attended the services led by the late Pope during his visit to Ireland in 2018 as part of the World Meeting of Families, and others will visited Rome during his papacy,' he added. "His death, during this Easter season, is particularly poignant and his passing will be keenly felt by very many people in our Council District and indeed the world over.' Other councils across the country are also expected to follow suit with books of condolence in the coming days. Speaking about the move in Belfast, Sinn Fein Belfast councillor Ryan Murphy said: 'Pope Francis was a man of great faith and a strong, determined leader, and it's important we as a council remember and honour his legacy. 'Pope Francis held a special affinity for Ireland and our people, and he will be particularly remembered here for his visit in 2018 where he spoke he spoke passionately in support of the peace process. "Even as he battled illness, Pope Francis continued to speak out for peace — including consistently for the people of Gaza. 'Catholics right across the world, including here in Belfast, will feel his loss deeply. May he rest in peace.' On Wednesday morning the Pope's body will be brought to St Peter's Basilica, in a procession through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs. From there, his body will lie in public view ahead of the funeral - which takes place at 10am on Saturday - so people can pay their respects to the late pontiff. Large queues are expected to form, with the body likely to be on display 24 hours a day, according to expert Joe Ronan who works with the Catholic Voices media charity. He recalled hundreds of thousands having queued to see the previous pope, Benedict, and said 'numbers are likely to be very strong' to see Francis. His simple casket – as opposed to the three wooden coffins used for previous popes – will, according to his wishes, not be placed on an elevated platform.
The Journal
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Irish woman who resigned from Vatican abuse panel says Pope Francis 'met resistance' from within
AN IRISH WOMEN who resigned from a Vatican Commission on protecting minors due to lack of cooperation from Church officials has described Pope Francis as a pontiff who 'didn't brush over things' when meeting with abuse victims. Marie Collins was a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors but resigned in 2017 over what she described as a 'shameful' lack of cooperation. Collins is a child sexual abuse survivor and brought the priest who abused her in the 1960s to justice in 1997. She is a founder Trustee of the Marie Collins Foundation and has campaigned for the protection of children and justice for survivors of clerical sexual abuse. Commission Speaking previously to The Journal , Collins said that there were 'a lot of good plans' in the first Commission report which was launched in October. Among the recommendations of the pilot annual report was the 'need for a streamlined process for discharge from office when warranted'. It also called for the Church to 'study damages and compensation policies to promote a rigorous approach to reparations, as part of the Church's commitment to the healing journey of victims and survivors'. Pope Francis prays inside St Mary's Pro Cathedral during his visit to Dublin Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Pope Francis established the Commission, consisting of an independent panel of experts, in December 2014 , amid pressure for more action to tackle clerical child sex abuse. The Commission was then incorporated into the Roman Curia, the government of the Holy See which assists the pope in the day-to-day exercise of his role as the leader of the Catholic Church. In 2022, Pope Francis asked for an annual and 'reliable account on what is presently being done and what needs to change' and that the reports need to have a particular focus on the care of survivors of abuse. 'He didn't brush over things' Collins met with Francis on several occasions in the Vatican and also met with him in Dublin in 2018 with a group of abuse survivors during the World Meeting of Families. 'I always found that what you see really is what you get with Pope Francis,' said Collins. 'He was a very normal, down to earth sort of man, and that's not true of previous popes. 'He was very straightforward and answered straight questions with straight answers, he didn't brush over things.' She said that while Francis has done a lot of good, 'he also disappointed in many other ways'. She noted the new document that Francis introduced in 2019 against those who abuse or cover up abuse. This involved every diocese in the world setting up an 'easily accessible systems for submission of reports' concerning abuse or cover-ups. There is also an obligation to 'promptly' report all accusations and ensure that Bishops are 'held accountable for their actions'. In 2019, Francis also made complaints, testimonies and documents from internal Church trials available to lay courts and victims were able to access their files and any judgements. However, Collins said this 'hasn't really worked very well and there's been no follow-up'. Pope Francis arrives at the Festival of Families event at Croke Park on 25 August, 2018 Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Collins meanwhile also noted that Francis changed the Commission from being an independent group to being part of the Vatican Curia. The Curia is essentially the government of the Catholic Church and one of the reasons Collins left the Commission in 2017 was because it was due to be separate from the Curia. However, it has now been embedded into the Curia and given a 'stable and central role'. The commission's president is US Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the former archbishop of Boston. Speaking at the launch of the first annual report, O'Malley described Collins as 'one of the most beloved and valuable members of the Commission' and said he was 'sorry when she decided to step away'. 'We understood the reasons and all of us have felt that frustration of the slowness of change coming about, but we believe that the change is taking place, even though it's often an uphill climb,' said O'Malley. He added: 'The fact that the commission is being embedded within the Roman Curia, and given a permanent status, will be very helpful to our work.' Advertisement File image of Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo However, Collins said there are 'many in the Curia who are quite conservative and traditional and don't want to see change'. 'They still have that priority that the reputation of the Church has to be protected at all costs, and they're not really willing to move very far, very fast. 'Francis has moved things forward and I think he's a good man who has tried, but maybe not hard enough. 'He gave a lot of hope, and things have improved in some areas, there's no doubt, but not as far as they should have done.' Collins said that Francis 'met resistance from within the Vatican who did not want to move forward'. 'I found that when I was on the Commission and that was the reason I resigned. 'The pope approved things that the Commission recommended to him, but they weren't carried through by his civil services within the Vatican because they didn't agree with everything that he wanted to put in place. 'They succeeded in seeing that some things didn't go forward. It's a mixed bag, it's not black and white – he's done some good stuff but there was a lot more that could have been done.' Dublin meeting Collins recalled a meeting between representatives of the Mother and Baby homes and Francis in 2018 during his visit to Dublin. At the beginning of Mass in the Phoenix Park following this meeting, Francis said : 'We ask forgiveness for the children who were taken away from their moms and for all those times when many single mothers were told that to seek their children who had been separated from them – and the same was told to their daughters and sons who were looking for their mothers – that this was a mortal sin. 'This is not a mortal sin but the Fourth Commandment. We ask forgiveness.' Pope Francis greets the crowd at Phoenix Park in 2018 Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Collins told The Journal : 'The next day at the Mass in the Phoenix Park, Francis went off his pre-written script and made a statement saying that no mother who went looking for a child was committing any sort of sin. 'He was willing to do things like that when you approached him directly and I think that meant a lot to those survivors to have Francis say that.' Meanwhile, Collins said Francis was very forthright in her dealings with him. 'If you put something to him and he agreed with it, he would do something about it. 'If he didn't agree with it, he would tell you he didn't agree with it, he was a very straightforward individual from that point of view, he didn't beat about the bush.' Conclave Collins meanwhile warned that 'we could do an awful lot worse than Francis following a conclave'. 'I think Francis made efforts in the right direction, he had the right attitude, and he did believe survivors. 'He talked about abusers and abusing priests as being criminal, which we hadn't had before. 'We maybe forget that he did say and do things like that that did make a difference. 'Maybe he didn't do enough, and maybe he could have done more, but we could easily get someone in to replace him who will move things back, not forward.' Collins noted that Francis has been progressive on other issues, such as welcoming the LGBT community and women's rights, but remarked that 'they're all very small steps'. 'He has brought more women into the Vatican and looking at it from the outside, it looks like a very small movement. But within the Church, it's not taken as being very small. 'The Church is so wrapped up in tradition and things not changing, that even the small changes he's made have in some ways shaken some people. 'You don't need a really big, dramatic change as the Church moves forward very, very slowly. 'Whether his successor will follow up and continue to move things forward, it's hard to say.' She expressed hope that Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines might be the new pope but noted that 'predictions never work out with the papacy'. Pope Francis, right, with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle during ceremonies at Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Manila, Philippines, in 2015 Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo She also noted that Francis has appointed many of the Cardinals who will be voting in the conclave 'so the next pope might be closer to his view on the world than not'. 'Francis done a fair amount to move things forward in the areas of child abuse, women in the church and LGBT community, but it's a very small forward movement. 'I would hope that the next man that comes in would take things much further, because a lot more is needed.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
'A voice for the voiceless' — Pope Francis remembered in Kerry for his compassion and humility
Just over 24 hours earlier, the pontiff had made his last public appearance during the Easter Sunday blessing at the Vatican's St Peter's Square. Tributes have come from all corners of the globe for a man who many considered was a Pope with compassion for the poor and the ordinary church follower. The Pope had been ill for some time after suffering bouts of respiratory illness. The Argentinian native Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on 13 March, 2013 On a memorable visit to Ireland in August, 2018 as part of the World Meeting of Families, Pope Francis addressed decades of institutional abuse perpetrated by some church personnel in Ireland. The pontiff visited the shrine in Knock and celebrated Mass in the Phoenix Park. The Pope was widely praised for his conciliatory response to decades of hurt. During his 2018 speech at the Phoenix Park, the pontiff asked for forgiveness for the abuses in Ireland, the abuses of power, of conscience, and sexual abuses perpetrated by members with roles of responsibility in the church. 'We ask for forgiveness for all those times in which many single mothers were told that to seek their children who had been separated from them – and the same being said to daughters and sons themselves – that this was a mortal sin. We ask for forgiveness,' Pope Francis said. In December 2024, the Pope promoted English Dominican Fr Timothy Radcliffe (79) as one of 21 men named as cardinals at a special consistory in the Vatican on December. Fr Radcliffe has strong links with Tralee where he visited the Holy Cross Dominican Friary at Prince's Street during his time as Master of the Order of Preachers between 1992 and 2001. Paying respects to Pope Francis, Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne said it was with great sadness that he learned of the death of the Holy Father. Bishop Browne met the Pope in Rome in 2014 during a tour in honour of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty – the Kerry man who helped save hundreds of lives during the German occupation of Rome during WWII. The Bishop described Pope Francis as a 'gentle shepherd' who led the people of God of the Church worldwide for the last twelve years. 'From the moment he chose the name Francis, following in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi, rooted in humility, he signalled a papacy of building peace, care for the poor, and love for all of God's creation. 'He constantly emphasised the need for all of us to take care of our planet, our common home,' said Bishop Browne. The Bishop said St Francis alerted people to the 'Cry of the Earth' and 'Cry of the Poor', and all creation united by the love of the Creator. 'Pope Francis ever sought to be a voice for the voiceless, a champion of mercy, and a witness to the Gospel in word and deed, always on the side of those on the margins. He preached and lived God's Mercy for all,' Bishop Browne said. 'In his Urbi et Orbi address on Easter Sunday, his final day among us, Pope Francis gave us these prophetic words: ''The Resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event, hope is no longer an illusion…Thanks to Christ, crucified and risen from the dead, hope does not disappoint. All those who put their hope in God place their feeble hands in his strong and mighty hand; they let themselves be raised up and set out on a journey. Together with the risen Jesus, they become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of Life.'' Bishop Browne added his hopes and prayers that Pope Francis will now enjoy Christian hope fulfilled, eternal life with God the Father. 'Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace,' Bishop Browne said. Minister for Children Norma Foley said it is with great sadness that she learned of the passing of Pope Francis. She described him as a man of extraordinary compassion, humility, and dedication to the service of others - a man of peace. 'We are truly the lesser for his passing but greater for having had the blessing of his leadership and example,' the Minister said. A special Mass (7pm) for Pope Francis will take place on Wednesday at St John's Parish Church in Tralee. A book of condolence is available to be signed. Fianna Fáil Senator Mark Daly opened a book of condolence at the Dáil on Tuesday.
