On the surface, the two world leaders making high-profile visits to the U.S. this week have little in common, except that each stands at the head of more than 1 billion followers … Each man is in the midst of a historic struggle to defeat an entrenched bureaucracy that has constrained his predecessors.
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What Xi Jinping and Pope Francis Have in Common
Posted September 25th, 2015 at 3:20 pm (UTC-4)
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Being Catholic
Posted September 24th, 2015 at 3:36 pm (UTC-4)
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By Catherine Maddux
“If the guiding principle of Catholic faith is ultimately about the love of Christ, then Pope Francis has created the space for fallen Catholics to revisit a religion that is a struggle to connect with.”
The “Francis” Effect
Posted September 23rd, 2015 at 1:29 pm (UTC-4)
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After formally greeting Pope Francis at the White House today, President Barack Obama articulated exactly what is it about this pope that makes him so different: “Your Holiness, in your words and deeds, you set a profound moral example … you are shaking us out of complacency.” The excitement over the pope’s visit to the United States is not only generated by Catholics, but by many who are inspired by his kinder, gentler leadership style. It is clear that Francis has become far more than the head of the Catholic Church. He has joined the ranks of global leaders.
What Cubans Can Gain From Francis’s Visit
Posted September 18th, 2015 at 4:37 pm (UTC-4)
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Over the last few decades, the Catholic Church has become one of the most respected institutions in Cuba. Emerging from the shadows of state repression, it now provides meals and care for the poor, education, training for entrepreneurs, and libraries with access to foreign books and magazines.
Pope Francis, The Benevolent Politician, Visits the United States
Posted September 15th, 2015 at 9:52 am (UTC-4)
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Next week, Pope Francis will visit America, where he will meet with President Barack Obama, address a joint meeting of Congress – the first Pope to do so – and give a speech at the United Nations. Since his election in 2013, it was clear Francis is a different kind of Pope, with compassionate takes on controversial issues such as homosexuality and abortion while urging nations to grapple with climate change and income inequality. Somehow, his warm smile and easy manner has disarmed the world, making many forget that the Holy Father is, above all else, an astute politician for the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis: Divorced, but Not From the Church
If people thought the pope might give clear direction for divorced and civilly remarried Roman Catholics seeking communion, they will be disappointed….But what’s really striking about “Amoris Laetitia” is the pope’s recurring focus on the shortcomings of the church in speaking to millions upon millions of Catholics who are not in church itself.