At the border of Mexico and the United States, Pope Francis blessed a large cross in memory of all the people who have crossed the frontier. The pope said nothing Feb. 17, but he clasped his hands tightly in prayer and bowed his head in silent prayer. He left a bunch of flowers on a table in front of the cross.
There are many opinions circulating about Pope Francis. Some say he’s too liberal, others say the Holy Father stresses mercy too much over justice. Permit me to present a few facts about how the pope has performed his duties since assuming the chair of St. Peter. I hope it will help you get to know him better.
God will hold humanity responsible for enslaving the poor and treating people as less important than profits, Pope Francis told Mexican workers and business leaders. “What kind of world do we want to leave our children?” the pope asked Feb. 17 during a meeting in Ciudad Juarez with 3,000 people representing the “world of work” in a border town known for its factories – maquiladoras – offering low-wage jobs.
Pope Francis urged society to rethink its ideas of locking up inmates and throwing away the key, calling such an approach another symptom of the “throwaway culture” he often decries and “a symptom of a culture that has stopped supporting life, of a society that has abandoned its children.”
Pope Francis marked the beginning of the Church’s Lenten journey by sending off several hundred religious and diocesan priests on their own special path as “missionaries of mercy” in local parishes.
Austen Ivereigh discusses how Pope Francis has spent his Feb. 12-17 visit seeking to bolster the Church for mission, while urging Mexicans to seek solutions to their many challenges by drinking deep from the wells of their own traditions.
As soon as Rosa and Sergio Siller heard Pope Francis was visiting Ciudad Juarez, they knew they had to visit. The couple led a group of pilgrims from Sacred Heart parish in Phoenix to Sergio Siller’s hometown, the last stop on Pope Francis’ Feb. 12-17 visit to Mexico.
Though their differences are recognizable and real, Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow emphasized their obligation as Christians and as bishops to encourage collaboration among Christians and charity for all who suffer.
MORELIA, Mexico (CNS) – The devil loves Christians – especially priests and nuns – who are resigned to the violence and corruption around them, Pope Francis said.
Paying homage to the culture and ancient wisdom of Mexico’s indigenous peoples, Pope Francis urged them to hold on to hope and condemned those who exploit their people and their land.
