Dialogue and encounter have been two of the popular buzzwords of the Francis papacy, but for one of the pontiff’s major interreligious interlocutors, they are more than mere maxims, they are a way of life.
Pope Francis
Millions Flock to See Pope Francis in Southern Africa
During his Sept. 4-10 visit to the 3 M’s of the Indian Ocean — Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius — Pope Francis saw firsthand three nations full of inequalities: the first two, marred by violence and poverty, and the third, considered the most developed country in Africa.
On American Critics, Pope Says He Doesn’t Want a Schism But He’s Not Afraid of It
In response to a question about his recent declaration that he’s honored when “Americans are attacking me,” Pope Francis said September 10 that while he prays to avoid a schism in the Catholic Church, he’s not afraid of it either, because such rifts have occurred throughout history.
Pope Calls on Mauritius to Welcome and Protect Migrants
During the eight hours Pope Francis spent in Mauritius, a multiethnic island nation in the Indian Ocean about 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa, he urged the inhabitants to remember their immigrant roots and to integrate those who are arriving as they were welcomed by their ancestors.
‘Pope of the Peripheries’ Comes Alive in Ex-Garbage Dump Where the Poor Find Dignity
A young Madagascar girl sat nervously on the side of a humble stage, sporting a white dress, light pink sweater and green sandals – a colorful, seemingly new ensemble perhaps bought with considerable sacrifice by her parents for the occasion.
Solidarity, Not Poverty, is God’s Plan, Pope Says in Madagascar
Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina, a Catholic, and his wife, Mialy, sat near the front of the crowd as Pope Francis preached about the Gospel call to solidarity and the joy that comes from putting faith before power or possessions.
Pope shares stage with fellow Argentine who insists ‘poverty is not fate’
The great majority of those who packed the small sports stadium Sunday were children who live in the 5,000 homes built by Opeka and his foundation. Some 15,000 children a year receive a free education that runs from kindergarten to university. The kids waited for hours for Francis to arrive, singing songs and cheering whenever Opeka spoke to them in Malagasi, the local language.
In Africa, Pope tells nuns to beware of “educated devils”
“Maybe the day you entered the convent, the devil remained sad at the door,” the pope said to the cloistered nuns disregarding his prepared text.
Pope Brings Hope to Madagascar, Where 90 Percent Live Below the Poverty Line
On Friday, Pope Francis was due to touch down in Madagascar, the second leg of his three-nation African trip.
Pope Urges War-Torn Mozambique to Cultivate ‘Delicate Flower’ of Peace
On his first full day in Mozambique, a country torn apart by a civil war from 1977 to 1992 and still struggling with violence, Pope Francis said lasting peace is not the mere absence of armed conflict but a tireless commitment to secure equal opportunities for all, because if some “are left on the fringes,” aggression will eventually explode.