Pope Francis’ decision to create the new memorial of Mary, Mater Ecclesiae on Pentecost Monday is a fulfillment of Blessed Paul VI’s devotion to Mary under this title.
A mosaic of Mary as Mother of the Church is seen above St. Peter's Square at the Vatican in this April 2011 photo. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
There is a small chapel, located at the very end of the left aisle in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, called the Chapel of Our Lady of the Column, after an ancient icon of the crowned Blessed Virgin holding a crowned baby Jesus. On the left side of the chapel is an altar with the title “Mater Ecclesiae.” Blessed Pope Paul VI, who honored Mary with the title “Mater Ecclesiae” (“Mother of the Church”) in 1964, also created this altar in St. Peter’s Basilica. At his General Audience of November 18, 1964, as the third session of the Second Vatican Council was taking place, Paul VI prophetically recognized the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mater Ecclesiae, saying, “This will be a title that will help us to celebrate Mary Most Holy, Loving Queen of the World, the motherly center of unity, the pious hope of our salvation.”
The title Mater Ecclessiae was not new to Christian piety, Pope Paul VI explained days later at the closing of the Council’s third session and the celebration of the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple. “It is precisely by this title, in preference to all others, that the faithful and the Church address Mary. It truly is part of the genuine substance of devotion to Mary, finding its justification in the very dignity of the Mother of the Word Incarnate,” he specified.
The Pope was making explicit what chapter eight of the dogmatic constitutionLumen Gentium said implicitly about Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church. Mary as Theotokos is mother and heart of Mystical Body of Christ – the Church. The bold proclamation and theological clarifications of Pope Paul VI encountered resistance in some circles, and charges against the collegiality of Vatican II were made against the Pontiff. Nonetheless, in May 1967, Paul VI re-iterated Mary’s role as mother of the Church in his apostolic exhortation to the bishops of the world, Signum Magnum:
Mary is the Mother of the Church not only because she is the Mother of Christ and His most intimate associate in ‘the new economy when the Son of God took a human nature from her, that He might in the mysteries of His flesh free man from sin,’ but also because ‘she shines forth to the whole community of the elect as a model of the virtues.’ Indeed, just as no human mother can limit her task to the generation of a new man but must extend it to the function of nourishing and educating her offspring, thus the blessed Virgin Mary, after participating in the redeeming sacrifice of the Son, and in such an intimate way as to deserve to be proclaimed by Him the Mother not only of His disciple John but – may we be allowed to affirm it – of mankind which he in some way represents, now continues to fulfill from heaven her maternal function as the cooperator in the birth and development of divine life in the individual souls of redeemed men. This is a most consoling truth which, by the free consent of God the All-Wise, is an integrating part of the mystery of human salvation; therefore it must be held as faith by all Christians.
In 1974, in the apostolic exhortation Marialis Cultus, Paul VI focused his attention on the integral relatedness between Mary and the Church:
The faithful will be able to appreciate more easily Mary’s mission in the mystery of the Church and her preeminent place in the communion of saints if attention is drawn to the Second Vatican Council’s references to the fundamental concepts of the nature of the Church as the Family of God, the People of God, the Kingdom of God and the Mystical Body of Christ. This will also bring the faithful to a deeper realization of the brotherhood which unites all of them as sons and daughters of the Virgin Mary, ‘who with a mother’s love has cooperated in their rebirth and spiritual formation,’ and as sons and daughters of the Church, since we are born from the Church’s womb we are nurtured by the Church’s milk, we are given life by the Church’s Spirit.
Fast forward 54 years after Blessed Paul VI’s proclamation of Mary, Mother of the Church: on March 3, 2018, Pope Francis decreed the insertion into the liturgical calendar the Memorial of Mary, Mater Ecclesiae, to be celebrated on Pentecost Monday. This year’s celebration falls on May 21.
Pope Francis has acknowledged Paul VI’s prophetic legacy, and his status as a pope of “firsts.” In the homily for the beatification of Paul VI in October 2014, Francis said:
When we look to this great Pope, this courageous Christian, this tireless apostle, we cannot but say in the sight of God a word as simple as it is heartfelt and important: thanks! Thank you, our dear and beloved Pope Paul VI! Thank you for your humble and prophetic witness of love for Christ and his Church!
The Marian devotion of Blessed Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Montini) ran deep and went back to his childhood in the Italian city of Brescia, in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. The future pope received a devotion to praying the Holy Rosary from his mother Giuditta Montini Azghisi. Moreover, the future pope grew up in “the proximity” of Mary. His childhood home was near Santa Maria delle Grazie (“Holy Mary of Grace”) Shrine, to which he and his family remained attached for life. According to his biographer and former personal secretary, Msgr. Pasquale Macchi, on May 30, 1920, young Father Montini celebrated his first Mass at the altar dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Throughout his priestly life, Mary and churches dedicated to Mary played a special role in the future pope’s life, so much so that he called the Marian shrines “hospitals of the spirit,” because in these God continued his work of healing broken lives under Mary’s motherly guidance and assistance.
In 1954, when Pope Pius XII appointed Montini archbishop of Milan, he continued his devotion to Mary. In conclusion of the annual spiritual exercises, Archbishop Montini hiked on foot among the 14 chapels of the Viale delle Cappelle (“Avenue of the Chapels”) in Varese, reciting the Rosary. The tradition of praying the Rosary while hiking among the chapels of the Sacred Mountain of Varese, first started by Archbishop Montini, became a popular pilgrimage destination for many faithful visiting from the Piedmont and Lombardy regions and from as far as Switzerland.
No doubt Montini was the pope of the firsts regarding Mary and Mariology. On May 13, 1967, Pope Paul VI flew to Portugal and became the firstpope to visit Fatima, where he met with Sister Lucia. Paul VI was the first Roman Pontiff to visit Ephesus in Turkey and the house where, according to tradition, Mary lived. On July 26, 1967, Paul VI visited the church of the Council of Ephesus, where in A.D. 431 Mary was proclaimed Theotokos, Mother of God, a dogma of faith accepted by the then-undivided Church, East and West. This visit is particularly memorable in the history of ecumenism; Paul VI entrusted ecumenical efforts to Mary and her special intercession, adding that common faith and common veneration of Mary build a solid ground for ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Upon his return to Italy, at his August 2, 1967, general audience, Paul VI spoke with praise for the Christian East and the common faith as defined by the first ecumenical councils of Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), and Chalcedon (451), which were all held in the East. “These are not the only Ecumenical Councils celebrated in the East; but these four Councils were and remain worthy of particular reverence. It was they who gave the Church, after the first centuries of persecuted and almost clandestine life, the conscience of its constitutional and unitary structure. It was they who highlighted and established with authority the fundamental dogmas of our faith, on the Most Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ, and Our Lady,” he said to the people gathered in Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence.
Like his papal predecessor, Jorge Bergoglio’s devotion to Mary and Marian iconography is well known. As a bishop and then a cardinal, Bergoglio would visit the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray every time he visited Rome. In Germany, Bergoglio was particularly devoted to a Bavarian painting of “Mary Untier of Knots”; he brought a copy of the painting back to Argentina and promoted devotion to Mary under this special title.
Pope Francis’ March 3, 2018 decision to include the Memorial of Mary, Mater Ecclesiae, in the liturgical calendar on Pentecost Monday is continuing and fulfilling Vatican II and what “the pope of the firsts” established. There is an integral continuity between Blessed Paul VI and Pope Francis, and their common dedication to Mary proves it. What Paul VI defined Francis decreed, so that the devotion to Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, continues in an unbroken continuity.
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Ines Angeli Murzaku (http://academic.shu.edu/orientalia/) is Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, Director of Catholic Studies Program and the Founding Chair of the Department of Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University. She earned a doctorate of research from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome part of the Pontifical Gregorian University Consortium and has held visiting positions at the Universities of Bologna and Calabria in Italy and University of Münster in Germany. She is a regular commentator to media outlets on religious matters. She has worked for or collaborated with the Associated Press, CNN, Catholic World Report, National Catholic Register, Voice of America, Relevant Radio, The Catholic Thing, Crux, The Record, The Stream, Vatican Radio (Vatican City), and EWTN (Rome). Dr. Murzaku is currently writing a book on St. Mother Teresa entitled Mother Teresa: The Saint of the Peripheries who Became Catholicism’s Center Piece to be published by Paulist Press in 2020.
Denver Newsroom, Feb 24, 2021 / 03:23 am (CNA).- A series of one-on-one interviews with more than two dozen bishops has revealed significant concern among the Church leaders over the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic and political tensions.The interviews… […]
Pope Francis at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Oct. 5, 2016. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA
CNA Staff, Mar 13, 2024 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
March 13 marks the anniversary of the election of Pope Francis as the 266th successor of St. Peter. Here is a timeline of key events during his papacy:
2013
March 13 — About two weeks after Pope Benedict XVI steps down from the papacy, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is elected pope. He takes the papal name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and proclaims from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica: “Let us begin this journey, the bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let us always pray for one another.”
March 14 — The day after he begins his pontificate, Pope Francis returns to his hotel to personally pay his hotel bill and collect his luggage.
July 8 — Pope Francis visits Italy’s island of Lampedusa and meets with a group of 50 migrants, most of whom are young men from Somalia and Eritrea. The island, which is about 200 miles off the coast of Tunisia, is a common entry point for migrants who flee parts of Africa and the Middle East to enter Europe. This is the pope’s first pastoral visit outside of Rome and sets the stage for making reaching out to the peripheries a significant focus.
Pope Francis gives the Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 2, 2013. Elise Harris/CNA.
July 23-28 — Pope Francis visits Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in World Youth Day 2013. More than 3 million people from around the world attend the event.
July 29 — On the return flight from Brazil, Pope Francis gives his first papal news conference and sparks controversy by saying “if a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” The phrase is prompted by a reporter asking the pope a question about priests who have homosexual attraction.
Nov. 24 — Pope Francis publishes his first apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). The document illustrates the pope’s vision for how to approach evangelization in the modern world.
2014
Feb. 22 — Pope Francis holds his first papal consistory to appoint 19 new cardinals, including ones from countries in the developing world that have never previously been represented in the College of Cardinals, such as Haiti.
March 22 — Pope Francis creates the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The commission works to protect the dignity of minors and vulnerable adults, such as the victims of sexual abuse.
Pope Francis greets pilgrims during his general audience on Nov. 29, 2014. Bohumil Petrik/CNA.
Oct. 5 — The Synod on the Family begins. The bishops discuss a variety of concerns, including single-parent homes, cohabitation, homosexual adoption of children, and interreligious marriages.
Dec. 6 — After facing some pushback for his efforts to reform the Roman Curia, Pope Francis discusses his opinion in an interview with La Nacion, an Argentine news outlet: “Resistance is now evident. And that is a good sign for me, getting the resistance out into the open, no stealthy mumbling when there is disagreement. It’s healthy to get things out into the open, it’s very healthy.”
2015
Jan. 18 — To conclude a trip to Asia, Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Manila, Philippines. Approximately 6 million to 7 million people attend the record-setting Mass, despite heavy rain.
March 23 — Pope Francis visits Naples, Italy, to show the Church’s commitment to helping the fight against corruption and organized crime in the city.
May 24 — To emphasize the Church’s mission to combat global warming and care for the environment, Pope Francis publishes the encyclical Laudato Si’, which urges people to take care of the environment and encourages political action to address climate problems.
Pope Francis at a Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on June 17, 2015. Bohumil Petrik.
Sept. 19-22 — Pope Francis visits Cuba and meets with Fidel Castro in the first papal visit to the country since Pope John Paul II in 1998. During his homily, Francis discusses the dignity of the human person: “Being a Christian entails promoting the dignity of our brothers and sisters, fighting for it, living for it.”
Sept. 22-27 — After departing from Cuba, Pope Francis makes his first papal visit to the United States. In Washington, D.C., he speaks to a joint session of Congress, in which he urges lawmakers to work toward promoting the common good, and canonizes the Franciscan missionary St. Junípero Serra. He also attends the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which focuses on celebrating the gift of the family.
Pope Francis speaks to the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 24, 2015. . L’Osservatore Romano.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis begins the second Synod on the Family to address issues within the modern family, such as single-parent homes, cohabitation, poverty, and abuse.
Oct. 18 — The pope canonizes St. Louis Martin and St. Marie-Azélie “Zelie” Guérin. The married couple were parents to five nuns, including St. Therese of Lisieux. They are the first married couple to be canonized together.
Dec. 8 — Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Mercy begins. The year focuses on God’s mercy and forgiveness and people’s redemption from sin. The pope delegates certain priests in each diocese to be Missionaries of Mercy who have the authority to forgive sins that are usually reserved for the Holy See.
2016
March 19 — Pope Francis publishes the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, which discusses a wide variety of issues facing the modern family based on discussions from the two synods on the family. The pope garners significant controversy from within the Church for comments he makes in Chapter 8 about Communion for the divorced and remarried.
April 16 — After visiting refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, Pope Francis allows three Muslim refugee families to join him on his flight back to Rome. He says the move was not a political statement.
Pope Francis at the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Feb. 24, 2016. Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
July 26-31 — Pope Francis visits Krakow, Poland, as part of the World Youth Day festivities. About 3 million young Catholic pilgrims from around the world attend.
Sept. 4 — The pope canonizes St. Teresa of Calcutta, who is also known as Mother Teresa. The saint, a nun from Albania, dedicated her life to missionary and charity work, primarily in India.
Sept. 30-Oct. 2 — Pope Francis visits Georgia and Azerbaijan on his 16th trip outside of Rome since the start of his papacy. His trip focuses on Catholic relations with Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to Amatrice, Italy, to pray for the victims of an earthquake in central Italy that killed nearly 300 people.
2017
May 12-13 — In another papal trip, Francis travels to Fatima, Portugal, to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. May 13 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Marian apparition to three children in the city.
July 11 — Pope Francis adds another category of Christian life suitable for the consideration of sainthood: “offering of life.” The category is distinct from martyrdom, which only applies to someone who is killed for his or her faith. The new category applies to those who died prematurely through an offering of their life to God and neighbor.
Pope Francis greets a participant in the World Day of the Poor in Rome, Nov. 16, 2017. L’Osservatore Romano.
Nov. 19 — On the first-ever World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis eats lunch with 4,000 poor and people in need in Rome.
Nov. 27-Dec. 2 — In another trip to Asia, Pope Francis travels to Myanmar and Bangladesh. He visits landmarks and meets with government officials, Catholic clergy, and Buddhist monks. He also preaches the Gospel and promotes peace in the region.
2018
Jan. 15-21 — The pope takes another trip to Latin America, this time visiting Chile and Peru. The pontiff meets with government officials and members of the clergy while urging the faithful to remain close to the clergy and reject secularism. The Chilean visit leads to controversy over Chilean clergy sex abuse scandals.
Aug. 2 — The Vatican formally revises No. 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which concerns the death penalty. The previous text suggested the death penalty could be permissible in certain circumstances, but the revision states that the death penalty is “inadmissible.”
Aug. 25 — Archbishop Carlo Viganò, former papal nuncio to the United States, publishes an 11-page letter calling for the resignation of Pope Francis and accusing him and other Vatican officials of covering up sexual abuse including allegations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The pope initially does not directly respond to the letter, but nine months after its publication he denies having prior knowledge about McCarrick’s conduct.
Aug. 25-26 — Pope Francis visits Dublin, Ireland, to attend the World Meeting of Families. The theme is “the Gospel of family, joy for the world.”
Pope Francis at the 2018 World Meeting of Families in Ireland. Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
Oct. 3-28 — The Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment takes place. The synod focuses on best practices to teach the faith to young people and to help them discern God’s will.
2019
Jan. 22-27 — The third World Youth Day during Pope Francis’ pontificate takes place during these six days in Panama City, Panama. Young Catholics from around the world gather for the event, with approximately 3 million people in attendance.
Feb. 4 — Pope Francis signs a joint document in with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, titled the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.” The document focuses on people of different faiths uniting together to live peacefully and advance a culture of mutual respect.
Pope Francis and Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, signed a joint declaration on human fraternity during an interreligious meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Feb. 4, 2019. Vatican Media.
Feb. 21-24 — The Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church, which is labeled the Vatican Sexual Abuse Summit, takes place. The meeting focuses on sexual abuse scandals in the Church and emphasizes responsibility, accountability, and transparency.
Oct. 6-27 — The Church holds the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, which is also known as the Amazon Synod. The synod is meant to present ways in which the Church can better evangelize the Amazon region but leads to controversy when carved images of a pregnant Amazonian woman, referred to by the pope as Pachamama, are used in several events and displayed in a basilica near the Vatican.
Oct. 13 — St. John Henry Newman, an Anglican convert to Catholicism and a cardinal, is canonized by Pope Francis. Newman’s writings inspired Catholic student associations at nonreligious colleges and universities in the United States and other countries.
2020
March 15 — Pope Francis takes a walking pilgrimage in Rome to the chapel of the crucifix and prays for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. The crucifix was carried through Rome during the plague of 1522.
March 27 — Pope Francis gives an extraordinary “urbi et orbi” blessing in an empty and rain-covered St. Peter’s Square, praying for the world during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pope Francis venerates the miraculous crucifix of San Marcello al Corso in St. Peter’s Square during his Urbi et Orbi blessing, March 27, 2020. Vatican Media.
2021
March 5-8 — In his first papal trip since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis becomes the first pope to visit Iraq. On his trip, he signs a joint statement with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani condemning extremism and promoting peace.
July 3 — Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis, is indicted in a Vatican court for embezzlement, money laundering, and other crimes. The pope gives approval for the indictment.
July 4 — Pope Francis undergoes colon surgery for diverticulitis, a common condition in older people. The Vatican releases a statement that assures the pope “reacted well” to the surgery. Francis is released from the hospital after 10 days.
July 16 — Pope Francis issues a motu proprio titled Traditionis Custodes. The document imposes heavy restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Dec. 2-6 — The pope travels to Cyprus and Greece. The trip includes another visit to the Greek island of Lesbos to meet with migrants.
Pope Francis greets His Beatitude Ieronymos II in Athens, Greece on Dec. 5, 2021. Vatican Media
2022
Jan. 11 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to a record store in Rome called StereoSound. The pope, who has an affinity for classical music, blesses the newly renovated store.
March 19 — The pope promulgates Praedicate Evangelium, which reforms the Roman Curia. The reforms emphasize evangelization and establish more opportunities for the laity to be in leadership positions.
May 5 — Pope Francis is seen in a wheelchair for the first time in public and begins to use one more frequently. The pope has been suffering from knee problems for months.
Pope Francis greeted the crowd in a wheelchair at the end of his general audience on Aug. 3, 2022. Daniel Ibanez/CNA
July 24-30 — In his first papal visit to Canada, Pope Francis apologizes for the harsh treatment of the indigenous Canadians, saying many Christians and members of the Catholic Church were complicit.
2023
Jan. 31-Feb. 5 — Pope Francis travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. During his visit, the pope condemns political violence in the countries and promotes peace. He also participates in an ecumenical prayer service with Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Moderator of the Church of Scotland Iain Greenshields.
Pope Francis greets a young boy a Mass in Juba, South Sudan on Feb. 5, 2023. Vatican Media
March 29-April 1 — Pope Francis is hospitalized for a respiratory infection. During his stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, he visits the pediatric cancer ward and baptizes a newborn baby.
April 5 — The pope appears in the Disney documentary “The Pope: Answers,” which is in Spanish, answering six “hot-button” issues from members of Gen Z from various backgrounds. The group discusses immigration, depression, abortion, clergy sexual and psychological abuse, transgenderism, pornography, and loss of faith.
April 28-30 — Pope Francis visits Hungary to meet with government officials, civil society members, bishops, priests, seminarians, Jesuits, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers. He celebrates Mass on the final day of the trip in Kossuth Lajos Square.
Pope Francis stands on an altar erected outside the Parliament Building in Budapest’s Kossuth Lajos’ Square during a public outdoor Mass on April 30, 2023. Vatican Media
June 7 — The Vatican announces that Pope Francis will undergo abdominal surgery that afternoon under general anesthesia due to a hernia that is causing painful, recurring, and worsening symptoms. In his general audience that morning before the surgery, Francis says he intends to publish an apostolic letter on St. Thérèse of Lisieux, “patroness of the missions,” to mark the 150th anniversary of her birth.
June 15 — After successful surgery and a week of recovery, Pope Francis is released from Gemelli Hospital.
Aug. 2-6 — Pope Francis travels to Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day 2023, taking place from Aug. 1-6. He meets with Church and civil leaders ahead of presiding at the welcoming Mass and Stations of the Cross. He also hears the confessions of several pilgrims. On Aug. 5, he visits the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima, where he prays the rosary with young people with disabilities. That evening he presides over the vigil and on Sunday, Aug. 6, he celebrates the closing Mass, where he urges the 1.5 million young people present to “be not afraid,” echoing the words of the founder of World Youth Days, St. John Paul II.
Pope Francis waves at the crowd of 1.5 million people who attended the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal on Aug. 6, 2023. Vatican Media.
Aug. 31-Sept. 4 — Pope Francis travels to Mongolia, the world’s most sparsely populated sovereign country. The trip makes Francis the first pope to visit the Asian country that shares a 2,880-mile border with China, its most significant economic partner. Mongolia has a population of about 1,300 Catholics in a country of more than 3 million people.
Pope Francis meets with local priests and religious of Mongolia, which includes only 25 priests (19 religious and six diocesan), 33 women religious, and one bishop — Cardinal Giorgio Marengo — in Ulaanbaatar’s Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul on Sept. 2, 2023. Credit: Vatican Media
Sept. 22-23 — On a two-day trip to Marseille, France, Pope Francis meets with local civil and religious leaders and participates in the Mediterranean Encounter, a gathering of some 120 young people of various creeds with bishops from 30 countries.
Pope Francis asks for a moment of silence at a memorial dedicated to sailors and migrants lost at sea on the first of a two-day visit to Marseille, France, Sept. 22, 2023. A Camargue cross, which comes from the Camargue area of France, represents the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. The three tridents represent faith, the anchor represents hope, and the heart represents charity. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Oct. 4-29 — The Vatican hosts the first of two monthlong global assemblies of the Synod on Synodality, initiated by Pope Francis in 2021 to enhance the communion, participation, and mission of the Church. Pope Francis celebrates the closing Mass of the synod at St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 29. The second and final global assembly will take place at the Vatican in October 2024.
Pope Francis at the Synod on Synodality’s closing Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 29, 2023. Vatican Media
Nov. 25 — Pope Francis visits the hospital briefly for precautionary testing after coming down with the flu earlier in the day. Although he still participates in scheduled activities, other officials read his prepared remarks. The Vatican on Nov. 28 cancels the pope’s planned Dec. 1–3 trip to Dubai for the COP28 climate conference, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech, due to his illness.
Dec. 18 — The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issues the declaration Fiducia Supplicans, which authorizes nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples and couples in “irregular situations.” Various bishops from around the world voice both support for and criticism of the document.
2024
Jan. 4 — Amid widespread backlash to Fiducia Supplicans, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, publishes a five-page press release that refers to Fiducia Supplicans as “perennial doctrine” and underlines that pastoral blessings of couples in irregular situations should not be “an endorsement of the life led by those who request them.”
Jan. 14 — Pope Francis for the first time responds publicly to questions about Fiducia Supplicans in an interview on an Italian television show. The pope underlines that “the Lord blesses everyone” and that a blessing is an invitation to enter into a conversation “to see what the road is that the Lord proposes to them.”
Feb. 11 — In a ceremony attended by Argentine president Javier Milei, Pope Francis canonizes María Antonia of St. Joseph — known affectionately in the pope’s home country as “Mama Antula” — in a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. The president and the former archbishop of Buenos Aires embrace after the ceremony. Pope Francis, who has not returned to his homeland since becoming pope in 2013, has said he wants to visit Argentina in the second half of this year.
Pope Francis meets with Argentina President Javier Milei in a private audience on Feb. 12, 2024, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media
Feb. 28 — After canceling audiences the previous Saturday and having an aide read his prepared remarks at his Wednesday audience due to a “mild flu,” Pope Francis visits the hospital for diagnostic tests but returns to the Vatican afterward.
March 2 — Despite having an aide read his speech “because of bronchitis,” the pope presides over the inauguration of the 95th Judicial Year of the Vatican City State and maintains a full schedule.
March 13 — Pope Francis celebrates 11 years as Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
Pope Francis smiles at pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Jan. 1, 2023, for his first Angelus of the new year. / Credit: Vatican Media
Rome Newsroom, Jan 1, 2024 / 09:47 am (CNA).
Pope Francis delivered his first Angelus of the new year on Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, by reflecting that the importance of Mary’s motherhood is defined by love and underscored by a quiet silence that allowed her to place Christ at the center.
“She is Mother not only because she carried Jesus in her womb and gave birth to him, but because she brings him into the light, without occupying his place,” said the pope to the nearly 35,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
Pope Francis also used the occasion to appeal for prayers for the Church in Nicaragua, which has been at the center of an escalating persecution launched by the country’s president, Daniel Ortega.
“I am following with deep concern what is happening in Nicaragua, where Bishops and priests have been deprived of their freedom. I express to them, their families, and the entire Church in the country my closeness in prayer,” the Holy Father said.
“I also invite all of you present here and all the People of God to insistent prayer, while I hope that we will always seek the path of dialogue to overcome difficulties. Let’s pray for Nicaragua today.”
The priests are: Monsignor Carlos Avilés, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Managua; Father Héctor Treminio, pastor of Holy Christ Parish in Esquipulas in the same archdiocese; and Father Fernando Calero, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Rancho Grande in the Diocese of Matagalpa.
In his Angelus reflection, Pope Francis noted that Mary’s silence is a “beautiful feature” but should not be thought of as a “simple absence of words” but rather as a feature that is “filled with wonder and adoration for the wonders that God is working.”
“In this way, she makes room within herself for the One who was born; in silence and adoration, she places Jesus at the center and bears witness to Him as Saviour,” the pope observed.
The Holy Father went on to express that this expression of maternity seen in Mary is an ideal that is also seen in our mothers who “with their hidden care, with their thoughtfulness, are often magnificent cathedrals of silence. They bring us into the world and then continue to attend to us, often unnoticed, so that we can grow. Let us remember this: love never stifles; love makes room for the other and lets them grow.”
Pope Francis added that by reflecting on mothers, we can “learn that love that is cultivated above all in silence, that knows how to make room for the other, respecting their dignity, leaving the freedom to express themselves, rejecting every form of possession, oppression, and violence.”
Pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ Angelus reflection on Jan. 1, 2024, wave peace signs. On Jan. 1 the Catholic Church observes the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, as well as the World Day of Peace. Credit: Elizabeth Alva/CNA
In addition to the day’s Marian feast, on Jan. 1 the Church celebrates the World Day of Peace, a tradition which was started by Pope Paul VI in 1968. In light of this celebration, Pope Francis took a moment during the Angelus to note that “‘freedom and peaceful coexistence are threatened whenever human beings yield to the temptation to selfishness, self-interest, the desire for profit, and the thirst for power.’”
The pope underscored that the antidote to overcoming these destructive tendencies that are ubiquitous today is “love” which “consists of respect and kindness: In this way, it breaks down barriers and helps us to live fraternal relationships, to build up more just and humane, more peaceful societies.”
You quoted “Signum Magnum” where the Pope said that Mary “continues to fulfill from heaven her maternal function as the cooperator in the birth and development of divine life in the individual souls of redeemed men.” Note that the Pope has called her “mediatrix of all graces” without using the term Mediatrix. This title, which forms part of Cathoic tradition, appeared in the Council documents but with no explanation. In preparatory documents for Vatican II it was stated that in fact some Marian titles were downplayed because they could lead to misunderstandings among non-Catholics. This approach has prevailed ever since, and it is good that Pope Francis has taken this step in the right direction lest we continue to keep our light hidden under a basket.
Please explain to me how that evil blasphemy is consistent with authentic devotion to Our Blessed Mother who is the Mother of God and Our Lady of Purity?
At the spiritual heart of Man’s relation to God is Woman exemplified in the Blessed Mother of God. God in his wisdom created Man male and female each distinct in their complimentary features Man strong more decisive Woman gentler, more sensitive and inclined to healing and nurture. Mary expresses the sweetness of divine love and motherly concern for the suffering and souls in danger of eternal damnation evident in her major appearances Lourdes and Fatima. She also exhibits more perfectly of all God’s creatures fortitude purity and justice. For priests she teaches us how to be men as a good mother desires her son to be strong, courageous, loyal, yet compassionate and deeply sensitive as was the Apostle Paul, and realized in the greatness of Pontiff John Paul II by his devotion to Mary.
It would be remiss not to mention Paul VI in reference to Ines Muzarku’s fine article. Studied for priesthood Rome during his difficult pontificate Paul VI subject of outrageous abuse the most vile kind from the media and around the City. Rome seemed more the the ancient City at its worse regarding promiscuity. I recall the Pontiff speaking to Romans particularly youth to look to the Blessed Virgin as a model of Purity. A forgotten virtue rarely heard. I believe it was his devotion to her that motivated him to defy virtually everyone in his Humanae Vitae decision condemning contraception. It was clearly evidence of the Holy Spirit’s influence on the Pope the effects of which rejection by the faithful are widely acknowledge today with high divorce rates and low Mass attendance bordering on apostasy unlike frequent appeals we now hear to ‘listen’ to Spirit.
I read a lot here about Mary and devotion to her. However It seems nothing is said about Jesus the One Who died on the cross and shed His precious blood to cleanse us from our sins and make us right with the Father Who has also not been mentioned here.
“For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3″16.
I have read nothing in the Word of God about Mary other than being chosen as a vessel to bring forth the physical body of Jesus and in one incident to tell others to do whatever Jesus told them to do. (One incident).We should certainly love Mary as a sister and for her willingness to be used of the Lord as His chosen vessel, but not be worshipped as a female goddess. Jesus is our Savior and Lord.
“I have read nothing in the Word of God about Mary other than being chosen as a vessel to bring forth the physical body of Jesus…”
Have you read Luke 1-2? Also, have you heard of Nestorius?
Suggestion: on Mother’s Day, be sure to send a card to your mother which says: “Thank you for being the vessel that brought my body into this world.” I’m sure she’ll be thrilled and overcome with emotion.
You quoted “Signum Magnum” where the Pope said that Mary “continues to fulfill from heaven her maternal function as the cooperator in the birth and development of divine life in the individual souls of redeemed men.” Note that the Pope has called her “mediatrix of all graces” without using the term Mediatrix. This title, which forms part of Cathoic tradition, appeared in the Council documents but with no explanation. In preparatory documents for Vatican II it was stated that in fact some Marian titles were downplayed because they could lead to misunderstandings among non-Catholics. This approach has prevailed ever since, and it is good that Pope Francis has taken this step in the right direction lest we continue to keep our light hidden under a basket.
Pope Bergoglio told a homosexual a few days ago: “God made you gay.” Here is the source in Spanish in the words of the homosexual, a clerical rape victim from Chile — https://infovaticana.com/2018/05/19/cruz-asegura-papa-le-dijo-dios-te-gay/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Please explain to me how that evil blasphemy is consistent with authentic devotion to Our Blessed Mother who is the Mother of God and Our Lady of Purity?
At the spiritual heart of Man’s relation to God is Woman exemplified in the Blessed Mother of God. God in his wisdom created Man male and female each distinct in their complimentary features Man strong more decisive Woman gentler, more sensitive and inclined to healing and nurture. Mary expresses the sweetness of divine love and motherly concern for the suffering and souls in danger of eternal damnation evident in her major appearances Lourdes and Fatima. She also exhibits more perfectly of all God’s creatures fortitude purity and justice. For priests she teaches us how to be men as a good mother desires her son to be strong, courageous, loyal, yet compassionate and deeply sensitive as was the Apostle Paul, and realized in the greatness of Pontiff John Paul II by his devotion to Mary.
It would be remiss not to mention Paul VI in reference to Ines Muzarku’s fine article. Studied for priesthood Rome during his difficult pontificate Paul VI subject of outrageous abuse the most vile kind from the media and around the City. Rome seemed more the the ancient City at its worse regarding promiscuity. I recall the Pontiff speaking to Romans particularly youth to look to the Blessed Virgin as a model of Purity. A forgotten virtue rarely heard. I believe it was his devotion to her that motivated him to defy virtually everyone in his Humanae Vitae decision condemning contraception. It was clearly evidence of the Holy Spirit’s influence on the Pope the effects of which rejection by the faithful are widely acknowledge today with high divorce rates and low Mass attendance bordering on apostasy unlike frequent appeals we now hear to ‘listen’ to Spirit.
I read a lot here about Mary and devotion to her. However It seems nothing is said about Jesus the One Who died on the cross and shed His precious blood to cleanse us from our sins and make us right with the Father Who has also not been mentioned here.
“For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3″16.
I have read nothing in the Word of God about Mary other than being chosen as a vessel to bring forth the physical body of Jesus and in one incident to tell others to do whatever Jesus told them to do. (One incident).We should certainly love Mary as a sister and for her willingness to be used of the Lord as His chosen vessel, but not be worshipped as a female goddess. Jesus is our Savior and Lord.
“I have read nothing in the Word of God about Mary other than being chosen as a vessel to bring forth the physical body of Jesus…”
Have you read Luke 1-2? Also, have you heard of Nestorius?
Suggestion: on Mother’s Day, be sure to send a card to your mother which says: “Thank you for being the vessel that brought my body into this world.” I’m sure she’ll be thrilled and overcome with emotion.